Page 41 of Moonlit Fate

“Indeed, indeed,” he said. “But truth is a blade that cuts both ways.”

I swallowed hard. Soon we would know the undeniable reality of our fate.

“We’ve come for guidance,” I said. “We need to understand the prophecy and our part in it. My friend met a spirit on the old battlegrounds, and he told us to seek you out, that you’d help.” My words tumbled out in a jumble, my nerves getting the best of me.

“Yes, yes,” he said. “Your friend. Her abilities have not yet fully manifested. Budded, but not bloomed. Do not worry about Seren. Her future is on the right path. She will rise and become something magnificent.” He peered off into the distance before shaking his head slightly. “Maybe. As for you two, I can guide you, point you in the right direction, but never tell you what to do. To offer direct assistance to fate is fraught with danger, as it would remove free will. The repercussions it may have on the interconnected strands… well, it would yield unforeseen and hazardous consequences.”

The more the seer talked in circles, the more my head throbbed, and I was certain the lower lid of my right eye was twitching. I couldn’t help but worry about Seren’s safety. How did he know her name? I was sure I hadn’t mentioned it.

Before I could ask what he meant, the seer hummed. The sound harmonized with the thrum of magic in the room, filling the space with a vibration that seemed to touch my inner being.He paced in a slow, deliberate circle, weaving an invisible web, drawing threads from the ether that held the hidden knowledge of what was, what is, and what could be.

“Ah, the prophecy,” he said. “A tapestry of fate and time, so many possibilities. You stand at its heart, but the way forward is clouded.” The seer’s eyes, twin pools of infinite wisdom, locked onto mine. “I see two clear paths. One fraught with fear, timidity, conformity, insecurity, and demise; the other abundant with courage, leadership, truth, and prosperity.”

His voice was a caress against my consciousness, a seductive promise of power intertwined with the peril of the unknown. Potential futures pressed in from all sides, a burden both exhilarating and terrifying. The other path, illuminated with the blaze of courage and conviction, beckoned me toward a destiny grander than any I had dared to dream.

Atticus took my hand and interlaced our fingers, reinforcing our bond—a silent pact of mutual respect and understanding. He was my anchor to the here and now. He didn’t speak, but his eyes promised unwavering support.

“Tell us how to choose.” My voice sounded foreign, infused with a strength borrowed from the man beside me. “How do we know which path leads to prosperity?”

The seer’s smile was an enigma unto itself, a curve of lips that held the riddles of the cosmos. “Aria, my dear,” he said, the familiarity of my name on his tongue sending a shiver down my spine, “I have told you I cannot give you direct help. The choice is not one of knowing, but of becoming. You must become the leader you are meant to be, brave enough to face the darkness with a heart ablaze with truth.”

His words were a clarion call, a charge to rise above the whispers of doubt threading through me. With each syllable, a transformation brewed inside me. A metamorphosis from theunsure heir to the alpha my pack needed, the woman I yearned to be.

“Courage.” A vow, a sacred oath from my soul. “We choose courage.”

And in his knowing gaze, I glimpsed a future forged from love, fate, and the indomitable will of a woman reborn in the crucible of her anxiety.

Movement caught my eye, a subtle shifting in the fogginess that drew my attention away from the enigmatic seer. A plump, purple cat with fur that looked like it had seen better days emerged into the dim light. The creature had a patch over one eye, giving it a roguish charm that was almost comical. It carried itself with an air that suggested it was more than aware of its own importance.

“Who’s this?” I asked, smiling down at the cat. It was so cute!

Beside me, Atticus chuckled at the feline, his piercing ice-blue eyes tracking its every move. “Oh, don’t mind Patches,” the seer said. “He’s my eyes and ears when I’m otherwise engaged. Truth be told, I believe he thinks he’s the true seer, while I exist solely to cater to his needs.”

The cat’s single eye scanned us intensely, as if it possessed the ability to see straight through to our souls. There was something about Patches that rang true with me, a sense that, beneath his scruffy appearance, he was privy to information that far surpassed our understanding.

“Is that so?” I said, amused. “Well, maybe Patches can shed some light on our paths since clarity seems to be in short supply.”

“Oh, no,” the seer countered.” Sometimes what we seek is found not in the light, but where we least expect it.”

The plump, purple familiar sauntered toward me with a swagger that contrasted with his scruffy appearance. That one luminescent eye fixed on me.

“Looking for something?” I asked wryly.

In response, the cat leaped onto the table beside me, causing a flurry of papers to drift down to the ground. The seer merely sighed, an indulgent twinkle in his piercing eyes.

“Patches, must you always be the center of attention?” he said, though the dust motes dancing in the air held more weight than the reprimand.

The cat paid him no heed, instead turning his focus to a scroll that had unfurled at the impact. He batted at it with his paws, mimicking the act of reading so convincingly that I had to bite back a peal of laughter. It was a temporary reprieve from the ache of the unknown.

The seer smirked. “He’s been trying to predict the future since he was a kitten. Thinks he’s better at it than I am.”

“Is that right?” I leaned forward with feigned seriousness. “And what does the oracle of felinekind see for us, hm?”

Patches looked up at me, as if waiting for me to applaud his performance. I shook my head, both exasperated and endeared by the ridiculous display. This creature, this tiny sovereign of his own imagined realm, brought a rare smile to my lips.

“Perhaps he sees a path where fire and gloom intertwine, where howling winds carry the cries of the lost and desperate.” I recalled the dream that still haunted me. “Or maybe he just sees the next meal.”

“Both hold equal importance in his world.” The seer started to gather the scattered papers. “But for you, Aria, the path is less certain.”

---