Page 82 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
Focus.
“Because despite this minor setback, I’ve finally gottenmyanswers. So, I’m feeling generous.” She smiled at him, her bright blue eyes catching the light of the magical glowing orbs that illuminated the room. His chest tightened.
The urge to doanythingto make her smile was there, but he could ignore it. The manacles lowered her charisma down to fifteen, so she must also have a passive persuasive perk. He felt his skin crawl.
“I’m not sure you understand what’s going to happen next.”
“Of course I do.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m going to answer all of your questions, and depending on how long it takes me to escape, I’ll just be answering those same questions again and again in front of the other Continental Council members. This isn’t the first time I’ve been captured, you know?”
“But itisthe first timeGuild Mistress Alicehas been captured,” Julian pointed out.
“True,” she conceded. “So, what did you want to know?”
He thought for a second. “… Why don’t we start by confirming what I already assumed: that you are the champion of Fate, and you are in charge of keeping everything according to Fate’s plan?”
“As you say.” She leaned on her elbow, placing a delicate cheek onto the palm of one hand. The manacle looked uncomfortable, and it would be better for everyone if he took it off.
Julian recognized the need to let her go was as false as her smile. It was nothing like the gentle feeling he’d had earlier, when he’d grabbed Gerda’s hands and freed her. The sight of the bridge troll teasing him was night and day to the sickening influence of Alice’s ability.
“Are the Blackfog going to continue targeting members of this list while you are imprisoned?” Julian summoned the paper from his inventory and placed it on the table between them.
Alice scanned the list. “No.”
Julian gave into a moment of curiosity and turned the questions to the hypothetical. He tapped the list. “Let’s say that fate continues in the wrong direction, and everyone on this list gets a second chance to live—”
“That cannot happen,” she interrupted him.
“Why?”
Alice practically rolled her eyes. “Because.”
Julian waited for her to continue.
“Because,” she repeated, emphasizing her words. “Fate weaves the future based on the champions of each god—making sure they don’t interfere with each other’s storylines. Each champion has different choices they can make, but the scenarios arespecificallycatered to keep the world on track, andright now, our timeline isn’t followinganyfate.”
“So what?” Julian asked. “Why can’t we make new choices and live our own lives? Isn’t that why we have FateandLuck?”
Alice answered vehemently. “No. Luck is the reason we have multiple paths to choose.”
“And Madame Potts chose her path,” he goaded the celestial. “Why is that any different?”
Alice thumped her fists on the table, her manacles clanking. “Madame Potts isn’t even supposed to be here! She’s not a part ofanytimeline. Her interference is a burden on the system itself!”
“But she is here,” Julian said, even more impressed with Gerda, knowing how much the world was against her and yet still finding her own place in it. “Whether by Fate or Luck or any other god you haven’t suspected.”
“She won’t be for long.” Alice’s face flashed with something dark. “Now that I know who she is, I can deal with this farce and get everything back on track before the next World Scenario.”
Julian ignored the anger that surged when she outright threatened Gerda, hiding it behind his already showing look of displeasure. “What happens if youdon’trevert everything by the next World Scenario? Whenisthe next World Scenario?”
“When the first leaf falls in autumn,” Alice ground out. “When Fate rewrites a new storyline,or she doesn’t.”
“What does that mean?”
“Itmeans”—Alice looked at him with equal parts frustration and pity—“that the gods might decide our realm isn’t working properly and they should start over. Wouldn’tyouundo it all and start again if your pattern failed?”
They fell into silence as he stared at the celestial. At that time, the door opened behind him.
“You’re early,” Julian remarked.
