Valeris glanced at him, surprised by the tone in his voice. Asher wasn't angry—but there was something colder beneath his words. Curiosity mixed with judgment.
"So," Asher said quietly, eyes narrowing as he studied Varnis. "You're ready to sacrifice your daughter… the same one you once promised a wish to, should anyone be able to heal her?"
Valeris glanced at him, surprised by the tone in his voice. Asher wasn't angry—but there was something colder beneath his words. Curiosity mixed with judgment.
"I don't understand you now," he added.
Lord Varnis didn't flinch. His gaze remained steady, calm. "She was saved. Yes. The healer did their part, and I honored my vow. But that was then. This is now."
He clasped his hands behind his back, stepping slowly toward the edge of the chamber's crimson carpet. The light from a nearby lantern shimmered faintly across the golden embroidery of his robe.
"Power rules this world," Varnis continued. "And Veyra… she was born with an affinity for Blood. But now, after the healing… that affinity is gone. Warped. Her spirit has changed. She no longer resonates with the Laws our clan can nurture—Blood, Darkness, Corruption. We have no resources, no legacy techniques to support her altered path."
His voice grew quieter. Not bitter. Just… resolved.
"She would be weak. And in this world, the weak die first. I'd rather keep her here, safe, at home—than see her struggle as a crippled cultivator, wasting away in outer raids and missions meant for warriors."
Asher regarded him in silence for a long breath.
Then he turned, heading for the room. "If that's the case… let's get it done."
But as he walked, Asher paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "Though I remember something from when I healed her... Her affinities weren't lost. It was Blood, and Wood. Even if she lacks Darkness and Corruption, doesn't your family's legacy include techniques built around Blood alone?"
Lord Varnis furrowed his brow slightly, thoughtful.
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Asher continued, "Veyra's new innate skill—Bloodroot of the Crimson Bloom—it's a rare fusion of Blood and Wood Laws. Not weak. Just… different."
Lord Varnius exhaled slowly, folding his hands behind his back as he stopped before the guest room door. "Yes… we do have legacies centered on Blood Law alone," he admitted, "some of them ancient, passed down through warborn generations."
He turned to face Asher fully, his expression carved from stone.
"But Veyra's new skill—Bloodroot of the Crimson Bloom—is not a pureblood technique. It's a hybrid. A convergence of Blood and Wood. Our legacies were never designed for such a path. They focus on raw aggression, bloodline dominance, consumption, and control. Wood, by its nature, weaves life, balance, and growth."
His voice lowered, quiet and tired. "She cannot train in our legacy. Not without breaking herself."
Valeris, standing just behind Asher, frowned. "So you're casting her aside… because she became something different?"
Varnius didn't flinch. "I am not casting her aside. I am ensuring she lives. She will be safe within these walls—kept from being used, hunted, or crushed beneath a system that does not forgive misalignment."
His gaze hardened again as he looked at Asher. "Do what you said you could. Raise her potential. If she can still become someone—then I will not stop her. But I will not let her step into the world unless she can stand."
Asher nodded slowly. "Fair enough. Then bring her here."
Varnius held his gaze a moment longer, then turned and walked down the corridor, vanishing into the depths of the manor to fetch Veyra.
The door creaked softly as it closed behind him, leaving a heavy silence in the waiting room.
Valeris crossed her arms, glancing at Asher. "You really think you can help her?"
Asher looked down at his hand, fingers flexing, the faint glow of soul energy already dancing along his palm.
"I don't think," he said. "I know."
"How?" Valeris asked, tilting her head as she followed his gaze.
Asher smirked faintly. "Have you already forgotten all those treasures we collected during our world-hopping?" He raised a hand slightly, fingers glowing faintly with sealed power. "If I give her just one of them… she can be reforged. Gifted. Raised anew."
Valeris stared at him for a moment, then let out a quiet breath. "Then let her come with us," she said softly.
Asher turned to her, brow raised. "Why?"
"I can see her fate," Valeris murmured, eyes distant. "It's faint now, but it's bright. She's like a star not yet born. If she comes with us, that light will grow stronger. I feel it."
Then she smiled to herself, adding inwardly, Though your fate is like an inexhaustible star already. Adding her won't change much for you. But she carries many opportunities—paths that could open to us. The more, the merrier.
Asher watched her for a moment, reading the subtle shift behind her eyes. Then he gave a single nod. "Hm. Alright then."
He turned back toward the hall where Varnius had gone, but added over his shoulder, "Since you can read fate… check again. See if there's another tied to her. A man, perhaps. Someone whose fate also shines—but is steeped in death. One who grows stronger with each loss."
Valeris's eyes narrowed slightly. "You think she's not the only one?"
"Call it a hunch," Asher replied simply.
Valeris exhaled and closed her eyes, drawing on the threads of her Fate Law. The room dimmed around her perception, reality peeling away into the weave of possible futures. Threads of crimson and silver shimmered in her mind's eye—one belonging to Veyra, flickering with untapped potential… and another, trailing close behind hers.
Twined. Intersected. Not lovers. Not family.
A figure of sorrow. One who walked through blood to gain strength.
Her brows drew together. "There is someone," she said at last, voice quiet. "His fate is drenched in pain. His steps leave corpses behind. But every death makes him stronger. And he… he is tied to her somehow. Not by love. Not by loyalty. But by fate's design."
She opened her eyes, glancing toward the door where Varnius had vanished.
"She's not alone. Not in this story."
Asher smiled slightly. "Good. Then it'll be more interesting than I thought."