God's Tree-Chapter 96: The Price of Defiance

The Vault's presence pressed down on them, a weight that could not be seen but was undeniably felt.

The words of the unseen entity still echoed in Argolaith's mind.

"Because something greater awaits you."

Something greater…

He clenched his fists, his thoughts racing. What could be greater than the Grand Design itself?

Kaelred's voice broke the silence. "So what now? Do we just accept that you're some anomaly and move on?"

Malakar chuckled, his skeletal fingers brushing against the ancient carvings on the wall. "Oh, I'm afraid it's not that simple. If Argolaith truly exists outside of fate, then that means—"

"That means something is watching him," the voice interrupted.

The air shifted.

The carvings on the walls glowed faintly, illuminating the chamber in eerie golden light.

And then, a figure stepped forward.

At first, it was just a shadow, barely distinguishable from the darkness itself.

But as it stepped closer, it took form.

It was tall, draped in robes that shimmered between reality and something else entirely.

Its face was hidden, replaced by a shifting void that seemed to pull at the edges of their perception.

Malakar's posture stiffened, his usual arrogance replaced by something resembling… caution.

Kaelred's hand instinctively went to his sword.

But Argolaith simply stared.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The being tilted its head slightly. "A messenger."

The Vault trembled as the messenger spoke.

"You are an anomaly. An existence not bound by the Grand Design. But you are not the first."

Argolaith narrowed his eyes. "Then who was?"

The messenger's robes shifted, revealing carvings on the walls that had not been there before.

Each carving depicted figures standing apart from fate, their forms woven from something that was neither magic nor mortal energy.

Entities who had walked beyond the Grand Design.

Argolaith felt his breath catch.

"Are they… like me?"

The messenger paused, then nodded. "Yes. But they each made a choice."

Kaelred stepped forward. "What choice?"

The voice resonated through the chamber.

"To remain bound to this world… or to transcend it."

Argolaith's fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword.

He had never wanted to be special.

Never asked for this.

And yet, the deeper he traveled into this world's mysteries, the further he strayed from the path of an ordinary man.

Kaelred exhaled sharply. "You're saying he can leave this world? Just… step out of fate entirely?"

The messenger nodded. "If he chooses."

Malakar's voice was calm, but something in his tone was unreadable. "And if he doesn't?"

The messenger's form wavered.

"Then he will remain as he is. But the world will come for him. The Grand Design seeks to correct anomalies. To erase them."

Argolaith's heart pounded.

So that was it.

His mere existence was a threat to the natural order.

Kaelred clenched his fists. "That's insane. You're saying that no matter what, something will try to erase him?"

The messenger turned its faceless gaze toward Argolaith.

"Yes."

Argolaith took a slow, steady breath.

He thought back to everything that had led him here.

The Forsaken Forest.

The mountain trials.

The ancient ruins and the knowledge buried in forgotten cities.

He had fought to become stronger, to carve out his own fate.

But now, he wasn't sure if he even had one.

Malakar crossed his arms, his usual grin absent. "And if he goes with you? What then?"

The messenger tilted its head. "Then he will step beyond this world. Beyond the reach of fate. He will become something… more."

Kaelred's eyes darkened. "And if he stays?"

The messenger's answer was simple. "Then he will be hunted."

Argolaith closed his eyes.

For the first time, he felt the weight of his existence pressing down on him.

He wasn't meant to be.

And now, fate itself would try to erase him.

He opened his eyes and met the messenger's gaze.

"I'm not going anywhere."

The messenger was silent.

Kaelred grinned, clapping a hand on Argolaith's shoulder. "Damn right you're not."

Malakar chuckled, his usual smirk returning. "Interesting choice. I do love when things get complicated."

The messenger tilted its head again, as if contemplating them.

Then, it simply said:

"Very well."

The Vault rumbled.

And then—the messenger vanished.

The chamber grew quiet, the carvings fading back into the stone as if they had never been there.

Kaelred ran a hand through his hair. "Well, that was unsettling."

Malakar exhaled dramatically. "You've doomed yourself to a very interesting life, Argolaith."

Argolaith smirked. "Wasn't exactly planning on a boring one."

Kaelred laughed. "That's an understatement."

The Black Vault had given them an answer.

Argolaith was not alone.

But he was a target.

He didn't know when it would happen or who would come for him…

But the battle to carve out his own fate had only just begun.

The Black Vault was silent.

The messenger had vanished, leaving only the weight of its words behind.

Argolaith had made his choice.

He would remain in this world—outside of fate, outside of the Grand Design.

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But in doing so, he had become a target.

The world would not let him exist freely.

Kaelred sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So. We're officially on borrowed time now?"

Malakar chuckled, his usual grin returning. "Oh, I suspect we've always been. It's just more… official now."

Argolaith clenched his fists. "Then we don't waste any more time."

He turned, stepping toward the exit of the Vault.

But before they could leave—

The carvings on the walls shifted again.

The Vault rumbled, the air thick with unseen energy.

More runes appeared, weaving together into one final message.

Argolaith stepped closer, his eyes scanning the inscriptions.

It was a warning.

"The Watchers have seen you. And now, the Unwritten will come."

Kaelred's face darkened. "That… doesn't sound good."

Malakar's grin faltered for the first time. "No. It doesn't."

Argolaith exhaled slowly. "Then we prepare for them."

He didn't know who the Watchers were.

Or what the Unwritten were.

But he would not run.

The world may not want him to exist—but he would fight for his place in it.

And he would win.

The Vault's doors began to open.

And beyond them, the world was waiting.

As the Vault's doors groaned open, a gust of cold air rushed in, breaking the eerie stillness that had lingered within.

The outside world welcomed them back with grey skies and the distant hum of the wind over the Black Plains.

Argolaith took a deep breath, letting the weight of the past few hours settle into his bones.

He had made a choice—to stand against fate, to carve his own path.

And now, the consequences would begin.

Kaelred stepped out beside him, arms crossed. "So. No turning back now."

Argolaith smirked slightly. "Was there ever?"

Malakar emerged last, his skeletal form barely visible under his dark robes, as if the very shadows clung to him.

His glowing eyes flickered toward the sky. "The Watchers have seen you."

The words from the Vault still echoed in their minds.

The Unwritten will come.

Argolaith exhaled slowly. "I don't know who they are. Or what they want."

Malakar turned to him. "Neither do I. But they will come. And they will try to force you back into the order of things."

Kaelred rolled his shoulders. "Well, they can try."

Argolaith chuckled. "That's the spirit."