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Chapter 11 - Chapter 11 – The Lady of Futures

Late Winter, Year 01 — After Life, Old Market District of Eryndor

Lightning forked across the floating city, striking cloud to crystal spire.Inside After Life, the music faltered, glasses trembled, and every lamp dimmed to a dull red pulse.

Kain felt it first — a vibration through the Nihility Flame in his chest, like a heartbeat answering a distant echo.Laora stopped mid-melody. "That… isn't normal thunder."

Selene's wings flared, scattering pale feathers of light.Yanari's tails flicked toward the window. "Something's descending from the storm."

The front doors blew open.

A single figure walked through the falling rain and broken light.White hair, flowing to her knees.Two crimson horns, burning faintly through the mist.And behind her, one white wing and one crimson-black, trailing ribbons of lightning.

The room fell silent. Even the rain seemed to hold its breath.

Lyra's glass froze mid-pour. "She's… divine."

Akari's hand went to her dagger. "Or worse."

1 – The Oracle Arrives

The woman's eyes — one crimson, one violet — passed over them and found Kain.She bowed slightly, movements calm, almost reverent.

"Heir of Nihility," she said softly. "I have walked from the edge of endings to find you."

Her voice carried the weight of centuries, yet sounded like rain on glass.Kain rose from the bar, silver flame swirling faintly in his palm. "Who are you?"

"Acheron Nihilveil. Last prophet of the Clan of Nihility… and your mirror that remembers the futures you have not yet lived."

The room stirred; even Ix's whisper tightened in Kain's mind.

"Careful, my flame. She carries what you will one day become."

2 – The Glass of Heaven

The storm outside cracked open the sky. Red lightning tore through the clouds, and the walls of After Life rippled like water.Mirrors along the bar began to fracture - lines of crimson light running through them like veins.

Laora cried out. "She's not casting a spell — reality's reacting to her!"

Acheron drew her blade. It sang, low and melodic.Each note widened the fractures until the entire room looked like it was trapped inside a sphere of shattering glass.

"Do not fear," she said. "These are only the false futures dying."

Then the world broke.

The ceiling, the walls, the very floor split into glowing shards suspended in a void of red and white light.Through each piece Kain saw different versions of himself - older, broken, triumphant, alone.And in every reflection stood Acheron, watching.

Selene clutched her chest. "What is this?!"

"The Glass of Heaven," Acheron replied. "Every lie time told you… undone."

Her sword traced a single arc, and the rift condensed — a colossal blossom of crimson lightning, petals of reality folding inward and imploding in perfect silence.When the flash faded, the tavern was whole again, untouched except for faint motes of glowing dust drifting through the air.

Everyone stood frozen.

3 – The Prophecy of Nihility

Acheron sheathed her blade and looked directly at Kain.

"You carry the Flame. I carry the Rift. Together, we complete the Aeon's cycle - flame to consume the false, glass to reveal the true. But the Shadow Market seeks both. They will use the mirrors beneath your academy to call Nanook himself."

Kain's pulse quickened. "How do you know that?"

"Because I have already seen it happen… in every future where you hesitate."

Ix's voice murmured through Kain's thoughts like thunder under water."She sees too much. But she speaks truth."

Daniel stepped forward, half-amused, half-terrified. "So, another seer with a sword and a death sentence?"

Acheron turned slightly, eyes glimmering. "Another ally - if he lets me be."

4 – The Futures Lounge

Hours later, After Life was quiet again. Only the stormlight filtered through the windows.Acheron sat at the high table with Kain and his companions. Before her lay a black mirror-shard from the broken gate — still humming softly.

Laora leaned in. "You're really from the Clan of Nihility?"

"We were guardians of Ix's silence," Acheron said. "When the world feared oblivion, we listened to it. Now I am the last voice left."

Selene looked at her, equal parts awe and worry. "And you came here to help him?"

Acheron nodded once. "To ensure his flame survives. And to build a place where fate can be rewritten."

Kain frowned. "You mean After Life."

"Yes. This tavern sits at a crossroads of timelines. It can become more than a refuge — a Futures Lounge, where truth and destiny may be traded like coin. You serve drinks, forge blades, and sell courage. I will sell tomorrow."

Lyra exhaled, half-laughing. "Now that's good marketing."

Akari smirked. "If she can see who wins the next duel, she'll pay for her own drinks."

Acheron's lips curved slightly - her first smile.

"Perhaps. But not even I can see every end. Some paths are meant to be walked, not watched."

5 – The Bond of Thunder and Flame

Before dawn, Kain found her alone on the balcony, looking over the sleeping city.Lightning flickered along her horns and wings, silent and steady.

"You broke the sky tonight," he said quietly.

"It was already broken," she answered. "I simply made it visible."

He stepped beside her. Their auras met — silver and crimson weaving together.The Flame of Nihility pulsed once; the red cracks in the air softened, closing like healed wounds.

"Our powers resonate," Acheron murmured. "When flame and glass align, the Aeon's true form awakens."

Kain smiled faintly. "Then we'll make sure that happens - together."

"Together," she echoed, her voice like thunder fading into rain.

[Status Update]

Name: Kain Machiavelli

Race: Half Aeon • Half Blood Dragon

Level: 15 Exp: 720 / 880

Tree Rank: Tiphereth (6th Sphere)

Guiding Aeon: Ix – Aeon of Nihility

Unique Skill: Shadow Nihility Flame Lv 4

New Bond Formed: Acheron Nihilveil (Trust 6%)

Facility Upgrade: Futures Lounge Unlocked – After Life Tier II

Objective: Prepare for the Shadow Market summoning and train with Acheron to master the Flame and Rift resonance.

End of Chapter 11 – The Lady of Futures

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