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Determinists say that the outcomes of events in this world are already predetermined and cannot be changed by human effort. This statement is half right and half wrong, as God is not so idle as to concern Himself with all events in this world.

Just as there are main characters and supporting characters in a story, the world operates similarly.

Destiny exists only for those who can be considered main characters in this world. They have a close relationship with the world’s fate, which is why God pays special attention to them. It is predetermined what roles they will take and through various events and incidents, specific outcomes are designed; this is what people refer to as fate.

If this fact were to be known, those outside of fate might harbor some dissatisfaction, but the arbiter of fate, Altair, would claim that it cannot be helped.

For some, the fate she designs may be luck, while for others, it could be the complete opposite. Being outside of fate also means having a certain freedom, and she would say to those who have escaped the constraints, “You are blessed.”

In the first place, destiny is simply necessary for the normal operation of the world; it cannot be akin to the blessings of God.

Altair merely writes the story with the given elements to prevent her world from reaching a bad ending; she is not a capable author who can bend the story for the convenience of the characters.

Therefore, no matter how much a main character, their designated fate does not guarantee their happiness.

Altair is well aware of this fact, which is why she tries not to have feelings toward the characters whose destinies she has crafted. If she were to sympathize with them, the fate she designed might not hold.

However, despite being a transcendent being compared to humans, she does possess emotions.

“Noel?”

Seeing Elena call her old friend’s name while looking at her, Altair felt as though a dagger was piercing her heart.

It was entirely understandable that she could confuse herself with Noel. Noel’s appearance was indeed Altair’s own, and Altair’s appearance was also that of Noel. Although there were slight differences in personality, ultimately, Noel was a part of her, so it wasn’t entirely wrong to call her Noel.

Yet right now, standing before Elena was not Noel but Altair.

Altair was very aware of this fact.

There might still be a minuscule part of Noel remaining, but it surely wouldn’t affect Altair significantly. After all, she was dead. Altair designed Noel’s fate as a means for Elena Edelweiss to become the weapon that would eradicate Foreign Beliefs.

It was because Noel was dead that her current self awoke, and welcoming Elena as Noel was impossible for her.

So what was this pain in her chest?

Why was it that seeing Elena Edelweiss for the first time made her feel guilty? There were many others tangled up in fate with her, yet feeling guilty now was truly strange.

If there were to be a protagonist in the fate she wrote, that protagonist would certainly be Elena Edelweiss. So perhaps that’s the reason; the reason her heartstrings were tugged was simply that she was special.

But Altair quickly realized it was not that simple. While correcting the misunderstanding that she was not Noel, what bothered Altair was none other than Elena’s disappointed face.

Consequently, Altair had to acknowledge a fact she had long wished to deny: she had killed Noel, and as a result, felt guilt toward Elena.

This was quite alarming news for Altair, as it was a violation of her principle not to develop emotions toward the characters in her fate. Nonetheless, she could not easily discard this feeling.

Elena’s destined task was to defeat Foreign Beliefs, and when the time came, she completed it splendidly without facing any difficulties. Thus, the story Altair wrote for Elena Edelweiss had come to an end. This also marked the conclusion of the story bearing her name.

The end of the story meant that no matter how she chose to live from then on, as long as she didn’t pose a threat to the world, it was not something for Altair to concern herself with. The fate she planned was over, and Altair needed to regain her strength and prepare for future threats from Foreign Beliefs.

However, contrary to her thoughts, Altair found it difficult to take her mind off Elena. The guilt from their first meeting still lingered, but it had already become a matter unrelated to Noel.

While it might have begun with an interest stemming from guilt, a deeper bond had established itself. Although the fate had ended, it was not easy to turn a blind eye to Elena, who had already become akin to a friend to her.

Perhaps this was a predetermined course of events.

Always outside the story, adjusting fate, but before Elena, she could not help but become a character within the story herself. It was only natural that a character would be influenced by the story.

The very event she had been so wary of occurred, yet surprisingly, this favoritism was not a violation of the rules set by Altair herself.

Elena had already concluded her own fate.

Thus, Altair felt relief in the knowledge that she did not have to cast away her feelings and chose to remain by her side instead of ascending to the heavens, enjoying a momentary escape.

While Elena was indeed an outstanding magician, she was human, and a human’s lifespan is finite. There was no harm in spending some time until her death.

“I must turn back time.”

At least, not until Elena uttered those words.

Steeped in her own stubbornness, Elena’s resolve had been firm for quite some time.

To say she would turn back time was ridiculous, yet Altair could not find the words to contradict Elena’s serious gaze. Perhaps it was because, as the architect of her fate, it felt inappropriate for her to argue with Elena for expressing such a wish.

[Right.]

For that reason, Altair could only approve of Elena’s intentions. Maybe because she was aware of how impossible it was. After all, if time could be turned back, Altair herself would have already done so long ago.

While Elena maintained her beautiful appearance, Altair knew her lifespan was not as long as it appeared. Regardless of Elena’s talents, it was nearly impossible for her to devise a method to turn back time within the confines of that short lifespan.

Having thought she understood the conclusion, Altair did not seek out Elena again after that day. Wouldn’t her presence only serve as a hindrance? The stories left untold could wait until afterlife. She thought, as she headed back to the heavens to prepare the fate of what was to come.

When they next met, she planned to practice a solemn demeanor, saying “In truth, I knew it wouldn’t work,” delivering a lesson worthy of a god.

And shortly thereafter, she witnessed the reversal of time in the world.

*

Even after Elena had departed, Altair found it difficult to pull herself away. Unlike when she first arrived and might have been angry, the conversation with Elena had soothed her rage, which was the problem.

Was her emotional state so light that it crumbled with a single hug? Altair questioned herself, but she also knew that the issue lay far deeper.

Why couldn’t she embrace her?

When Elena held her, why hadn’t she been able to raise her hands? This self-reproach kept her from moving. It felt absurd to feel guilt toward someone she had just been angry with, yet Altair genuinely lamented her inability to do so.

Elena must have been angry with her, just as she had been with Elena, so how could Elena have acted that way?

The emotional rift between herself and Elena could not be resolved with that brief conversation, yet the fact that all of Elena’s words and actions toward her had been pure goodwill made her head spin.

“I just got angry and annoyed as soon as we met again; doesn’t that make me look like a fool? Is it really the composure of a victor, as Elena said? No, I know that’s not true. Then why did Elena say such things to me? I don’t understand. Please tell me, Noel.”

Altair pondered Elena’s last words to her with a question for the silent Noel, who surely witnessed it all. Yet there was no reply from Noel. It felt as if she was waiting for Altair to think for herself, sitting quietly in a corner of her heart.

 

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