Behind the Veil of Fate – The Twin Gods

Ancient Sky Tower – Noon

A gentle breeze, carrying the crisp scent of morning frost and the faintest trace of blooming ether flowers, caressed the tower balcony as the sky unfolded in a majestic blend of violet, crimson, and white. Like an endless wave of colors, these hues cascaded across the heavens, creating an ever-changing reflection as layers of light shifted, revealing new patterns. 

Clouds, tinged with soft lavender, adorned the sky, their surfaces shimmering with delicate streaks of crimson and pink as the celestial glow touched them. The ethereal light cast a misty brilliance over the soaring spires of Ethereon, turning even the golden embellishments into a subdued shimmer under the dominance of violet. A subtle vibration lingered in the air, as if time itself was being reshaped.

Dressed in a flowing white robe that shimmered under the celestial glow, Solis took a slow sip from her finely crafted porcelain cup, its golden patterns glistening in the shifting light. The delicate aroma of spiced elderflower tea curled around her senses, its subtle warmth spreading through her chest as she savored the faintly sweet, floral taste. 

A deep breath escaped her lips as she watched the celestial rings of Orbis move in perfect harmony, a flawless symphony of divine precision. To her, Orbis was not merely existence—it was the manifestation of timeless perfection.

"The sky appears peaceful, doesn’t it?" she murmured.

Across from her, Nox, clad in flowing black robe that seemed to absorb the light around him, moved his shadowy, smoke-like limbs with deliberate slowness. A dark aura radiated from him,  distorting even the fabric of the atmosphere around him He set his cup aside and let out a soft chuckle.

"Peaceful? Ah, Solis… You never fail to remind me how terribly dull you can be."

Solis rolled her eyes but refrained from arguing. This was an exchange they had repeated for millennia. But just then—

The sky trembled. A hush fell over the tower as the air thickened, heavy with an unseen force. The clouds above wavered, their shapes contorting as if recoiling from an impending disruption. The golden spires of Ethereon flickered under the shifting light, and a faint, otherworldly hum resonated through the atmosphere. The universe itself seemed to hold its breath.

A subtle quake at first… then a streak of light descended from above. Rippling waves of brilliance spread outward, momentarily bending the heavens of Orbis into a warped illusion.

Nox’s eyes gleamed with excitement as the sky distorted before them. He rose to his feet, lifting a hand to feel the energy. "This… is something new. And you know what? I quite like it."

Solis, however, narrowed her eyes, watching the falling light with a cold, calculating expression. "This… does not belong here."

The beam hurtled toward Ethereon, the sky quivering like the surface of a vast ocean. A deep vibration rippled through the air, sending shudders down the towering spires. Solis stiffened, her grip tightening around her cup, while Nox leaned forward, eyes gleaming with intrigue. The very fabric of the realm seemed to hesitate, as if anticipating an inevitable rupture. As the light twisted and folded upon itself, it created waves of an anomaly—one that even the goddesses rarely witnessed.

Nox smirked.

"Do you think your beloved flawless order has a flaw, Solis?" he taunted. "Or perhaps… this is the first unscripted word in fate’s grand design."

Solis' sharp gaze was locked onto the fracture in the sky, unease etched into her expression. However, Nox simply grinned—his dark energy expanding, as if feeding on Orbis’ destabilizing balance. "If something happens to Orbis, it will not just be this world that suffers—it will be all of existence."

"Ah, dear Solis…" Nox whispered, his voice a melodic echo in the dark. "What if this is the change fate has been waiting for?"

For the first time, the Twin Gods felt the same thing—an undeniable shift in the fabric of fate. To Solis, it was a flaw, a fracture in the perfection she revered. To Nox, it was a spark of chaos, a long-awaited deviation from the predetermined path. Both recognized the anomaly, yet one saw disaster while the other saw opportunity.

And the order of Orbis had begun to waver…

                                                                                  ***

Ayaka's Letter

When I entered my room, I closed the door and tossed my bag aside. As I felt the crumpled paper in my pocket, I hesitated for a moment. I had received the letter earlier at school, but I hadn’t been able to read it properly. Takeshi and Ryou’s eyes were always on me. If they had seen me reading a letter, they would have teased me for days.

During the break, I had slipped away from the cafeteria and hidden in a quiet corner of the corridor. I quickly opened the letter and skimmed through it, but before I could fully grasp the meaning of the words, the bell rang. The letters had felt strangely off, almost as if the ink was shifting before my eyes. I shook the thought away, stuffing the letter back into my pocket. I didn’t know what it said, but it left a strange feeling inside me. It was as if there was another message hidden between the lines, one I couldn’t yet see.

Haru’s fingers tightened around the edges of the paper. As he unfolded it, the words didn’t just appear; they pressed into his mind, carrying a weight he couldn’t explain. My hands were slightly damp, and as my eyes moved across the lines, I thought the edges of the letters were blurring again. For a split second, it felt as if the words had changed, rearranged themselves into something incomprehensible, but when I blinked, they were the same as before. I smiled to myself. I must have been tired.

"Haru,"

"Don’t you ever feel like something is wrong when you close your eyes?"

"As if the world is moving, but you are frozen in place."

"There are things you don’t want to remember, yet something keeps pulling you toward them."

"When the sky starts to look different, you will change too."

"If you notice time bending and twisting, don’t close your eyes."

"Will you remember me?"

"- Ayaka."

As I held the paper in my hands, I felt a strange weight in my chest. It was as if there was something I had missed the first time I read it. The words settled deep inside me, but I couldn’t understand why. The sky, time, remembering…

A dull ringing filled my ears for a brief moment. I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. Nonsense. Maybe she just read too many books.

But why was my heart beating so fast? My fingers tightened around the paper as a chill ran down my spine. I folded the letter and placed it on my desk. A deep silence suddenly filled the room. It wasn’t just quiet—it was heavy, pressing against my skin like an unseen presence.

As his eyelids grew heavy, formless darkness swirled around his thoughts. What he felt was not just a dream—it was as if someone or something was trying to reach into his consciousness. As his eyes finally closed, a voice echoed in the void. 'Remember me…' With a knot in my throat, I lay down on my bed.

I stared at the ceiling, but my eyelids felt heavy. I tried to resist sleep, but it was as if an invisible force was pulling me down, wrapping around me like unseen threads.

As the dim light filled my room, unfamiliar images flashed before my eyes. Shadows dancing under torchlight, faded writings reflected in the sky… Shapes I didn’t recognize, yet felt eerily familiar. My breathing became uneven. A whisper, distant and fleeting, brushed against my ears, but when I turned my head, nothing was there.

And that night, for the first time, I saw that dreadful dream.