The Oracle of Thetis was secluded in luxurious chambers hidden in the depths of the Jade Palace, not too far from the Queen’s own quarters. On the way there, Shadow saw all kinds of courtiers and attendants who served the Jade Court — some of them were human, and some belonged to various tribes of creatures. They were all exquisitely beautiful and dressed in the finest silk, their elegant garments embroidered tastefully… However, one thing he did not see was an abundance of powerful warriors.
As such, Shadow could not help but ask himself how the Jade Queen had managed to repel the Empire’s conquest. Or was it precisely because most of her champions had perished in the conflict with the Empire that there were so few of them around? Honestly, though, he could not focus on these matters at the moment.
Even if the breathtaking interior of the Jade Court seemed like a sacred abode more suited for one of the deities who dwelled in the Divine Realms — as opposed to a palace of a mortal Supreme — all he could think about was the mysterious Oracle who had summoned him here.
‘Oblivion…’
Shadow had spent countless years feeling like he was buried alive, sealed in a tomb of memories and suffocating under the weight of his myriad lives. The only thing more oppressive than his past was the dire promise of a similarly endless future.
That was why he had sought out Shadow God, hoping to be released from the burden of life and find peace in the merciful embrace of death. However, Shadow God had denied him.
No… rather, Shadow had failed himself. Even if he refused to admit it, the God of Death had easily discerned the truth of his spirit — somewhere there, deep inside, he still harbored a feeble but tenacious desire to live.
Shadow’s inability to completely give up on life was both his undoing and the source of his endless torment. Death had rejected him — but wasn’t there oblivion, still?
Sure, oblivion was not the same as death… But perhaps it was the only solace immortals like him could ever hope to find.
So, he felt concerned and anxious as the tall doors opened, inviting him into the chambers of the Oracle.
The interior was just as luxurious and lavish as he had anticipated. However, the petite woman waiting for him inside did not quite fit her opulent surroundings.
Pale skin, hair that fell like a cascade of pale gold, a simple white dress that shrouded her graceful figure, a cloak the color of the deep sea… a blindfold that hid her eyes, drawing attention to her soft lips and delicate features instead.
Her quiet beauty was breathtaking, but it was overshadowed by her presence.
Or rather, the complete lack of it.
Shadow had expected a Supreme to possess a powerful influence on the world around her, but instead, he felt nothing. All mighty beings were capable of suppressing their presence, to a degree — Shadow himself was a great master of it — but when someone of equal Rank stood this close, they would usually still feel something.
However, the Oracle of Thetis was entirely different. If Shadow could not perceive a radiant Supreme core shining brilliantly in her soul, he would have mistaken her for a mundane person. Despite her astounding loveliness, he found his gaze wandering away and had to exert conscious effort to keep his mind focused on her.
A powerful being who emanated an overwhelming, crushing presence was threatening.
But a powerful being who emanated no presence at all?
That… that was a bit alarming.
Shadow, at least, was far more wary of the latter.
The Oracle was blind. However, when Shadow entered, she turned slightly, facing him.
Looking at her, he felt a sharp pang of some unknown but powerful feeling pierce his chest. He almost stumbled.
‘Did I… know her once?’
He could not quite remember. However, a figure as influential as the Oracle of Thetis seemed to be was bound to have been widely renowned in the Golden Age, and perhaps even in the later part of the Age of Heroes. It would not be strange if he had heard of her, or even met her, in a few of his countless lives.
In fact, it was far stranger that he could not recall the source of this inexplicable feeling of connection.
When the door closed, the two of them were left alone in the spacious chamber. Shadow did not speak at first, and the Oracle remained silent as well.
‘She does seem weakened.’
The wound the Spirit of the War Empire had dealt her across myriad realms must have been quite serious. Her pallor seemed more unhealthy than fair, at least, her breathing fragile. The pressure of summoning a Corrupted Titan — and gods knew how many more creatures — had probably taken a lot out of her, as well.
The Oracle was a human, after all. Despite possessing Aspects, humans were ultimately mere Beasts — even if their vexing powers often allowed them to perform astonishing feats, they rarely could sustain such efforts for a long time.
Unlike a Titan akin to Shadow could. Eventually, he bowed slightly and spoke:
“I’ve been told that you wanted to meet me. The Oracle of Thetis… is a mouthful. What do I call you?”
The Oracle tilted her head a little, and Shadow’s gaze involuntarily shifted to the blindfold covering her right eye.
Not knowing why, he suddenly felt a cold chill running down his spine.
In fact, he felt a hint of primal terror.
That feeling passed as swiftly as it had appeared.
“Cassia. Cassie.”
There was a slight pause before the Oracle answered his question, as if it had stumped her for some unknown reason. But whatever emotion had caused her to linger, she hid it well.
Shadow nodded.
“In that case… here I am, Lady Cassia. Why have you invited me here?”
She remained silent for a moment, as if studying him. Of course, he knew that she could not — the blind could not see, after all. Then again, there were all kinds of mystical forms of perception in this world. Who knew what an oracle could see, even a blind one?
Shadow himself was unusually sensitive to the Strings of Fate. For all he knew, the Oracle of Thetis could be the same… if anything, her affinity to fate was bound to be even more profound than his.
So, Shadow anticipated her answer with a hint of interest. However, when she did answer, it left him confused and feeling uneasy.
The Oracle shook her head lightly.
“The man I have invited is not here yet.”
Shadow frowned.
Had the Jade Queen forgotten to mention another Supreme whom the Oracle had her sights set on? No, that did not seem probable.
So what was the Oracle trying to say?
He spoke in a neutral tone:
“What do you mean? Or did that abomination you had sent decide to bother the wrong person?”
She smiled faintly, her smile devoid of joy or amusement.
When she spoke, her soft voice sounded a little sinister.
“You already know what I mean, don’t you? The man I wanted to see is buried in the wreckage of who he used to be. You are that wreckage, so even if I’ve dragged you here, he has not responded to my summons yet.”
“What?”
Shadow’s frown deepened.
The Oracle of Thetis seemed well-informed about who he was, including the countless lives he had lived in the past. That meant that she was a being as strange as he was — someone who was foreign to this timeline, or at least whose sight was not bound by its limitations.
That alone made her dangerous… but at the same time, it made things easier.
If Shadow wanted to convince the Oracle to give him the gift of oblivion, he would not have to explain what it was that he wanted to forget, at least.
How to convince her, though? She seemed to want something from Shadow. That was good… that meant that he had something to bargain.
“Are you interested in one of my past incarnations?”
That made the most sense, even if Shadow did not know which of his previous lives the Oracle was aiming for her or why.
However, to his surprise, she shook her head.
Her voice was calm:
“No, I am not interested in one of your past incarnations. I am interested in the sum of all your incarnations. A part of you won’t do… I want it all. I want the whole of you — for you to become whole. Only then will you be able to understand the reason why I summoned you, and what we must achieve.”
Shadow studied her for a long time.
There were a lot of thoughts in his mind. But eventually, he answered with a single sentence.
“You sound like a very greedy woman, Lady Cassia.”
She smiled.
This time, her dark smile felt sincere.
Taking a step forward, the blind seer faced him.
“Oh, you have no idea… after all, I learned from the best.”