Melodious music drifted over in waves from the distance. A glimmer of light returned to Li Yue’s vacant eyes as she followed the crowd through a long green passage. It was a corridor enclosed by meticulously manicured hedges. Though it was now autumn and the leaves were turning yellow, it held a unique beauty of its own.
Why... did I come here... Where is this? I am... I am...
The cheers of the crowd interrupted Li Yue’s thoughts. Peering through the raised hands of the cheering onlookers, she saw a young girl playing a piano in the central hall. The black haired girl looked so familiar; Li Yue felt as though she had seen her somewhere before.
“Good heavens, that is the most beautiful Death Sonata I have ever heard in the Royal Court.”
“This piece... didn't the composer Dain say it was a gift for the God of Death?”
“Exactly. Why play such a piece during such a sensitive time?”
Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, the girl continued to play the music with methodical precision. Her expression was solemn, showing neither joy nor sorrow.
Li Yue looked around the crowd in a daze. Lobilance, Royal Court—strange yet familiar terms intertwined and crashed against her mind, resonating with her memory fragments. She drifted into a trance occasionally, only to snap back to clarity a moment later.
Suddenly, this scene felt somewhat familiar. This feeling originated from thousands of years ago. This moment felt exactly like that one.
A magic user clad in robes patterned with stars walked up to her side. The two stood side by side, neither speaking first for a long time, simply listening quietly to this solemn music that carried a hint of sadness and liberation.
“You have a very faint aura of destiny on you.” Li Yue spoke first. She looked at the somewhat slovenly old gentleman, who seemed vaguely familiar.
“It seems this wonderful music truly summoned you. Although I only saw this possibility within fate, it appears I gambled correctly.” Merlin smiled. “I am Merlin, a magic user who stole a few scraps of destiny magic.”
“Why wait for me here? I am not the omnipotent being from ten thousand years ago, and you are not that prophet who perceived all things,” Li Yue said calmly. Her voice was very soft, yet it was not drowned out by the music.
“You are right... destiny magic users of this era have too many restrictions, and the price we pay is too great. We are all just a bunch of short lived fools.” Merlin smiled, playing with two tarot cards in his hand, appearing to be in a good mood.
“After all, that existence is watching. Even I inevitably suffered from ‘pollution.’” Li Yue sighed softly. “But fortunately, I am the deity who remained lucid, which is why I became that prophet’s sharpest blade.”
“The monster front line should be closing in on the academy itself by now. I wonder how many casualties the magic users fighting on the front lines have suffered...” Merlin gripped the two cards, his fingernails trembling slightly. “How many authorities are you still missing?”
“The Keys and the Crown.” Li Yue thought for a moment. “In my current state, it is too difficult to slay those eight Calamities without the help of other magic users.”
“This situation is just like back then, when you faced a host of primary gods. It is exactly the same.” Merlin smiled and handed a card to Li Yue.
“‘Fate’?” Li Yue froze, looking at the painted tarot card in her hand, momentarily unsure of what to say.
“It can manifest a single moment of destiny’s blessing from back then.” Merlin smiled, the last card spinning on his fingertip.
“But... what is the price?” Li Yue gripped the card with her fingertips, falling silent.
“The price? The price is that I have one less card.” Merlin’s tone was full of indifference. He showed the last card to Li Yue; it was ‘The Star.’ “These cards are all the magic I possess. Once this ‘Star’ is also lost, I will have reached my end.”
“Then if you do not lose it, will you extend your life forever?” Li Yue suddenly thought of this question and asked softly.
“One day it will be lost. When destiny arrives, loss becomes an absolute necessity.” Merlin put on his hat and waved to Li Yue. He moved through the crowd, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished into the sea of people.
The card in Li Yue’s hand slowly dissipated, and flickers of black flame ignited on her body. The sensation was so familiar, as if from another life.
The piece came to an end.
The girl at the piano slowly stood up. She smoothed her dress and performed a curtsy to the countless spectators below the stage.
“This is a piece I heard by chance while I was studying at the academy. Its melody... is comforting, cruel, yet carries a hint of tenderness. It resonates with me deeply.” She took a deep breath. “I don't know why... but it makes me think of someone...”
She looked up, searching carefully through the crowd. Suddenly, a white haired, red eyed girl burst into her field of vision. Her pupils constricted sharply, but after a single blink, she could capture nothing. There was nothing here but autumn leaves, a frolicking crowd, and a lonely world...
“So she really... isn't here...?”
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