The past is the past. You can’t change it.

But, what if your mistakes in the past — everything that you did wrong — what if they were never even yours to begin with? Someone else having decided you’d make those mistakes.

Not only that, but they also controlled everything you’d do right as well.

That begged the question...

What was the point in living?

It wasn’t his life to lead anymore.

It was as Diligence said: he was merely an instrument of fate.

His wants were manufactured. He hated by design. His love too.

Where did meaning lie in all of it?

What meaning could be derived from living a lie?

Vale could trick himself, make himself think he defied his fate weaving oppressors, but that would only serve their plans.

Even if he did find hope — something to grasp onto to deny their control over his life, that would merely mean that was their desire for him as well.

Futile...

Resisting fate was futile.

Because in that resistance, one merely falls further into the normative path.

Vale sprawled out on the ground, staring up at the starless sky.

He’d recently defined himself and decided to let go of the past, but it was now he realized that there was no past to let go of. Or more so, letting go of it held no meaning.

Nothing was ever his to own to begin with. Not even his own emotions.

How could he lose something that was never his?

He’d recently defined love and lust.

But...

What meaning did either term have when faced against fate?

None.

Curated. Everything in Vale’s life was carefully picked out and controlled by an insidious oracle — his love, his parents, his selection as a Vice, his morals. And even if he threw all those aspects of himself away, that would only have been part of Sloth’s design in the end.

Vale clutched at the ground, his nails digging into the unmovable rocks. The tips started to peel up, detaching from his fingers.

More blood seeped onto the rock below. More pain coursed throughout Vale’s entire being.

His head listlessly rolled to the side, spotting the pink flames which seemed so overbearing and tyrannical, yet projected no light on the surroundings.

The edges of his world, his [World Without Witness], were much too confining and narrow.

Then, his eyes drifted to Ximena.

The owl who was kneeling, overlooking where Vale had once been, with a look of absolute concern and unease.

He stared into her crystal eyes, which reflected the flame prison around them. The eyes upon a face identical to Fleur’s.

’Is... is she a lie too?’

Salome, Mias, Ximena, Awilix, Sivian, Toy...

Had all of them been given similar lots in life? All controlled by Sloth? By fate?

’Deplorable...’

Could one woman really have such an impact on the world? On existence?

Vale sniffled and brought his bloodied hand to his cheek, wiping his tears away.

A pernicious thought crept into his mind.

’Would...’

Would the only way to escape Sloth be death?

Vale scoffed and quickly shook that notion away.

’Like death would even be an escape.’

That wicked woman already had a track record of playing with souls. All succumbed to fate’s hand, whether alive or dead.

Vale let his hand fall back to the ground, landing on a sharp rock which bit deep into his flesh.

’Ow...’

His eyes rose from Ximena back to the starless sky...

Diligence whispered in his ear.

"Well, Lust? Have you decided to stop throwing a fit yet?"

’Shut up.’

Vale took in a deep breath. As he did, he noticed something in that starless sky. More like... he thought about everything it was supposed to contain. All that was currently blocked from view by dark, puffy clouds.

Fate? Oracles?

What the hell would they do if a star suddenly came crashing down? What would they do if the entire night sky itself fell upon them?

Nothing.

No amount of plotting could save one from such destruction — a destruction cataclysmic enough to burn the hand of fate which tried to hold it.

In the end, they were subject to fate, just like he was.

’So then...’

He raised his bloody hand, reaching toward the sky as if to grasp it. Thin lines of red trailed down to his elbow and dripped onto the rock below.

Vale didn’t know when it happened, but his tears had stopped coming.

’What if I were to bring the very sky down?’

No...

’What if I became a sun?’

Became that night sky?

What if he became something even fate couldn’t control?

Or something that, even if fate tried, it would burn itself for daring to touch?

Vale thought back to Mias’ story of Ixion. The man who’d been more tortured by fate than any other. Yet, he was a man who defied fate more fervently than any other, despite knowing just how deep its claws had sunk into him.

’What had been his goal?’

Was it really to defy fate?

’Or was it to become the one fate bent to?’

Vale took another deep breath.

Sloth, Diligence, Lust?

’Eat at my mind, you bastards. Eat all you want. Control me however you want. Muddle my desires. Make them your design.’

But there was one thing none of them could influence. A world none of them could witness.

’It won’t matter.’

Vale began pushing at the ground.

’It won’t matter because defiance is born in the mind.’

Fate only saw the influence upon the world.

’And my defiance will never leave my mind.’

Defiance against his oppressors. His will to become something too powerful to be controlled.

Diligence chuckled. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Oh? It’s good to see you’re... recovered."

Vale shook his head as he took a step toward the edge of the water. Then, he jumped, landing on the surface of the churning rampage below.

Along the water he walked until he stood above the reflection of Diligence.

The beautiful woman in a floral dress who smiled even as Vale placed his heel on her face.

"I forgot to tell you this... But welcome, Diligence. Welcome to a [World Without Witness]."

A small, contained world. One not even the branches of fate were allowed to see.

What other world would be more perfect for a star to be born?

[You have developed a Trait: Defiance]