[Gwyn; Dreamscape]

With my consciousness in the void, I see a world, no, our world floating there. My sight freely moves around it, and nothing seems amiss until I notice a chunk of earth that has lost its luster far to the north, somewhere in the conglomerate of nations and free cities that make up the region. Then, the previously hard to notice speck begins to spread.

I watch as more and more areas become a brown wasteland, with entire cities being destroyed as it spreads. Nothing is spared from the onslaught of soldiers moving in sync with the decay. They wield mysterious equipment, such as a barrel that shoots compressed light, explosives that erase everything in a small area, and translucent shields capable of blocking ballistae. Their biggest weakness seems to be magic, as spells penetrate their light but impeccably strong armor. However, it does not take long for the invaders to realize this and target the mages, therefore eliminating the only significant threat to them.

Before long, the entire region is under their control. I watch as forests are harvested, the land transformed, and massive buildings being erected in their place. At the very least, their progress seems to have been stagnated by the impassable mountains surrounding much of their newly acquired territory, so high that even the greatest airships are unable to fly over their snow-crusted peaks. I find myself relaxing at this, only to despair once they continue to spread uncontrollably, having pierced through the natural barricades blocking the lands to the south.

Before I know it, the entire world is under their control, and I am forced to watch helplessly as even it begins to crumble under their influence. The invaders all return to where they started, taking their ill-gotten gains with them, and begin to disappear, perhaps to begin anew with a different world. Looking around the now desolate world, I see few signs of any kind of life, and none at all suggesting any kind of intelligence. The world is dead, with everything of worth taken away from any who would call it their home. Everything begins to fade, and my consciousness along with it.

[Grand Cathedral]

I awake in the middle of the night, scared and on edge because of what I just saw. Many believe being an oracle means living a life of luxury, unaware of the downsides that often come with seeing the future. There’s a reason oracles have a reputation for not appearing in public. All the atrocities they’ve been forced to watch tend to make them paranoid and unstable, with some even going so far as self-harm in an attempt to get the nightmares to stop.

Naturally, the upper echelons of the church hire the best mental healers, if only to make their tools last longer. Granted, many members of the clergy genuinely seem to care for us, and I’ve become quite close with other bishops my age. If not for them, I worry I’d be nothing but an empty shell of a human. I shudder at the thought.

Having sufficiently calmed down a few minutes later, I get out of bed to call for several of my maids to dress me for and call a meeting with Bishop Joshua, since he’s the only one active at this time of night. Luckily, we’ve known each other a long time, meaning he will undoubtedly accept my sudden visit. Once prepared, we set out for his office, being careful to not wake any of the sleeping men and women here. Upon arrival, I gently knock on his door three times before waiting for a response. A few seconds later, Joshua calls for me to enter.

“I’ve been told you have something important to tell me?” he says, beckoning for me to come closer.

“Yes, Bishop Joshua. I believe I just received a revelation, which is why I called upon you despite the hour.” I begin recounting the dream I just had, and watch as fear seeps into his normally pleasantly calm face. Afterwards, I begin to cry. “I’m scared, Bishop Joshua. Scared for the future in which this becomes reality. What can we possibly do about this? They… they seemed unbeatable!”

“Aye, things seem grim indeed. But something to remember is that the future is never set in stone, and revelations only show what is likely to happen should things continue along their current path.” Bishop Joshua adopts a soft tone, as if to comfort me. “However, I must run this by the cardinals before any major decisions can be made, and you know how indecisive they can be. But if what you say is true, we may not have the time to wait for those old coots to stop pointlessly arguing with each other.”

A plan begins to form in my mind. “What if we didn’t have to wait for them? I’ve collected a large amount of materials over the past few years, so there’s bound to be something there that will be of assistance. As for you, search the holy laws for any clauses or loopholes that would allow us to act in any way. While I may not like doing this, I don’t feel like we have much of a choice should we wish to change the future soon enough to avoid the calamity. Naturally, we’ll still inform the cardinals about tonight’s revelation, but our personal preparations will be kept hidden for now.”

“What we are about to do could get us banished from the church, ruining our lives should we be found out. Are you still willing to go through with this? This may be your last chance to turn back.” he asks, suddenly acting far more serious than I’m used to him being.

“Yes, for the future of the world.”

“I see. Before you go, I recommend that you look into the hero summoning rituals. Their power would be an undeniable help to our cause.” Joshua then lets out a long yawn. “I will do as you requested later. At the moment, sleep is a much higher priority for me.” he chuckles. “Well, good night, Gwyn.

“Good night, Bishop Joshua.”

Upon returning to my room, I request a cup of warm milk from one of the servants to help me sleep. Changing back into my nightclothes, I sit down only to realize just how tense I’d gotten as my muscles relax. I need to keep things a secret from everyone, perhaps even my friends. That part hurts, but I feel I’ve not much of a choice in the matter.

“Your milk, milady.” the servant says, having arrived without me noticing.

“Thank you, dismissed.”

The servant courtesies before leaving me alone once more. I drink the milk slowly, savoring the taste as I do so. If this is to work, we need information and power. As suggested, I will research the hero summonings in the next week. My position is quite useful in times like this, seeing as I have unrestricted access to all the church’s resources, within reason.

Yawning, I lie back down, letting myself fall asleep once more. Hopefully this time will be more restful than the last. I cannot afford for a single mistake to slip through the cracks.