Nyra Blackheart gently helped Morgana Chronveil into a nearby chair. Morgana’s body trembled with such weakness that even the act of sitting caused her legs to shake uncontrollably.

  The onlookers stared in disbelief at the sight of a Paragon-ranked grand duchess from the Chronveil family appearing so frail. What could possibly have happened to reduce her to this state?

  Sophia Chronveil, Morgana’s daughter, held her mother’s hand tightly, trying to offer reassurance and comfort. Sadness filled her at seeing her mother so diminished, mixed with anger that, despite her weakness, Morgana had insisted on attending the Drakethorne heir’s naming ceremony. The event itself was mainly a formal introduction, since every child was already named at birth.

  Nyra handed Morgana a cup of water, hoping it would help her steady herself. Morgana sipped slowly, unable to finish even half the cup.

  Shane had calmed down and returned his sword, Darkred, to dimensional space. Sera Azurestorm continued to cradle her child, Alex’s head nestled against her shoulder.

  Ragnar and his veteran companions withdrew their auras and stowed their weapons away in dimensional space. Ragnar alone kept his sword sheathed at his waist.

  Ragnar Drakethorne approached Morgana, who sat slumped in her chair. Her purple hair was tangled, her breathing laboured, and her skin showed the marks of sudden aging. Her aura, once formidable, now felt as faint as that of a newly ascended sage rank.

  “What happened to you? Did demons attack, or was it something else?” Ragnar asked, baffled. He could not imagine a Paragon rank falling so low unless she had battled countless monsters or faced a demon of even higher rank. Among Paragons, those of level 800 could easily overpower someone at level 700, depending on their class.

  “This has nothing to do with demons,” Morgana replied quietly. She glanced around the terrace, her gaze finally settling on the reason she had come.

  Ragnar glanced at Sophia, searching her face for any sign of deception. If Morgana truly had been attacked by something powerful enough to leave her this way, word would have already spread.

  Sophia nodded, quietly affirming that her mother was indeed telling the truth.

  Seeing Alex in Sera Azurestorm’s arms, Morgana spoke in a frail voice, "Bring your child here. I need to check something."

  Sera Azurestorm hesitated, glancing at her husband, Shane Drakethorne. Fear flickered in her eyes at the thought that Morgana might harm their child. After everything that had happened, anxiety tightened in her chest at the possibility of another threat.

  She remembered how the emperor had taken what he wanted and left them all powerless. She was determined not to let anything like that happen again.

  Noticing his son and daughter-in-law’s hesitation, Ragnar turned to Morgana and asked, “Why do you want to see my grandson?”

  Morgana, exhausted and frustrated, resented being stopped after coming all this way for the child. She wanted to glimpse the child’s fate, but something obscured it from her view. She decided she needed to hold his hand to see more clearly. While she could perceive the fate lines of Shane and Sera, their child’s path was hidden. It was a mystery unlike any she had encountered.

  Fate is never a single thread. There are countless paths, many converging on the same destination. If most lines point toward becoming a swordsman, one might say that is his likely fate, though a few lines might suggest he could become a magician or something else entirely. Even if those alternate lines are fewer, fate remains mysterious. Usually, the path with the most lines prevails, but fate offers many routes, with some outcomes far more likely than others.

  "I can’t see your grandson’s fate lines..." Morgana coughed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I need to check by holding his hands."

  Both Ragnar Drakethorne and Nyra Blackheart were stunned. Morgana was famous for seeing fate lines at a glance; for her to admit she could not was almost unthinkable.

  Ragnar studied Morgana for any sign of deceit but found none. He turned to his son and daughter-in-law and asked them to bring their child forward.

  There was hesitation, especially in Sera Azurestorm’s eyes, as she didn’t want to feel the same helplessness that she had felt before.

  Shane reached for Sera’s hand, gently intertwining his fingers with hers. Seeing her worry, he gave her a reassuring nod, silently promising that nothing would go wrong this time and that he would protect them if needed.

  The couple descended from the terrace through the stairs and reached where Morgana Chronveil was sitting.

  Morgana looked up. “Let me hold his hand,” she said, her voice trembling.

  Sera knelt, positioning her son so that he faced Morgana. Alex, unsettled, opened his bright azure eyes and studied Morgana’s unfamiliar face, his gaze wandering from her head down to her feet.

  Morgana reached forward, gently taking Alex’s hands in her own. She closed her eyes, and a magic circle shimmered to life around them. Rather than acting as a barrier, the circle softly enveloped Morgana and Alex, soothing Alex into sleep.

  Morgana’s consciousness sank into darkness; she saw nothing—no boundaries, no walls—just endless darkness that held no end. This was new for Morgana. After using this spell, she would usually see fate lines, not just the few lines that she used to see from far away without holding their hands, but many more; still, some would be hidden, but most became visible. Morgana did not know where these fate lines came from or in which space they appeared to her.

  Here, this wasn't the case; she couldn’t see any lines. Either something is blocking her, or his fate is not determined, meaning he is not bound by anything. Morgana shuddered at this realisation, as whichever was right, it all led to the mystery of this child.

  As Morgana tried to take a step forward, she found herself suddenly paralysed, unable to move at all.

  [!System has woken temporarily from its slumber]

  [!Someone is trying to see the host’s fate.]

  [!System is stopping the person from seeing the host’s fate]

  [!System is taking drastic measures. The system is sealing the host's fate from outsiders.]

  [!No one will be able to see the host’s fate]

  [!Removing the outsider from seeing the fate]

  [!System had to bear the consequences by itself]

  [!System is going to slumber]

  [!System’s slumber duration has increased by 3 years]

  [!System is going to wake up after 18 years]

  A crushing force slammed into Morgana, driving her to her knees. She clutched her chest, gasping for air, as an invisible weight—stronger than anything she had ever experienced—pressed down on her. Blood spattered from her lips as she coughed, her breath ragged and saliva dribbling from her mouth.

  A deep, mysterious voice echoed through the void, commanding, “Go back.”

  Morgana lost consciousness, then abruptly snapped awake to find herself back in her chair, drenched in cold sweat and shaking violently. She realised she was still clutching Alex’s hand and let go at once. The mysterious voice continued to echo in her mind: "Go back."

  She trembled, the words “Go back” pounding through her mind like a relentless nightmare. Fear contorted her features, and her body was seized by uncontrollable shudders as the memory of the voice haunted her.

  At that moment, Alex began to cry. Sera swiftly gathered him in her arms and carried him to his private chambers to rest. This time, she resolved that no matter who appeared, she would never bring her child out again.

  Shane Drakethorne, Ragnar Drakethorne, and Nyra Blackheart—all Paragon-ranked warriors—were stunned to see Morgana reduced to this state. She had already been weak, but now she shook even more violently and could barely speak.

  A hush fell over the hall as everyone wondered what Morgana had witnessed to leave her so shaken. She was famous for fearing no one, not even the Emperor, yet now she appeared utterly subdued.

  “Tch, this shit keeps getting insane,” Malrec Veilcaster muttered, shaking his head. Standing at the edge of the banquet, he was left speechless by the chaos that had unfolded.

  Malrec turned toward the banquet entrance to see if someone would appear again.