NOVEL NEXT Chapter 27: Rebellion Against Heaven - Part 14
Chapter 14: The Weight of Fate and the Transcendence of Power
The wind whispered through the shadows, as if the universe itself was waiting for Ryuusei's response. His thoughts were entangled in a whirlwind of doubt, caught between truth and fear. He looked at the old man with eyes full of uncertainty.
"You talk as if I were more than a simple warrior... As if my existence had a greater purpose. But tell me, what if all this is nothing more than an illusion? If fate is just a lie that we tell ourselves to make sense of the inevitable?
The old man let out a faint laugh, his voice harsh but full of wisdom that only centuries can grant.
"And what does it matter if it is?" He answered, resting both hands on his cane. Do you think empires fall because their destiny was written? Do you think heroes are born with their names etched in the wind? No, boy. What defines us is not what is predestined, but what we choose to do with uncertainty.
Ryuusei frowned, his thoughts sailing in an ocean of contradictions.
"If everything depends on choice..." So those who destroy also have the right to do so. If there is no destination, what differentiates them from those who build?
The old man tilted his head, as if savoring the question before answering.
—The difference is the purpose. A man can destroy to satisfy his hatred, or to release something new. A man can build to feed his ego, or to give hope. There are no good or bad acts in themselves, only the intention behind them. Power without purpose is just a cry in the storm... But power guided by an ideal can change the course of history.
Ryuusei felt a lump in his throat. His hands, capable of destruction, could also protect. His fury, channeled into battle, could be transformed into something more.
"But power corrupts," he murmured. How can I make sure I won't end up becoming what I swore to destroy?
The Herald stared at him, his expression heavy with gravity.
"Power does not corrupt, Ryuusei. Just reveal. Show who you are in the depths of your being. If there is anger in your heart, then with power you will be a tyrant. If there is doubt in your heart, then with power you will be a slave to your own fear. But if there is love in your heart... then with power you will be a beacon for others.
Ryuusei felt a chill. I had never seen power in that way. I had always considered it a burden, a weapon, a tool for survival. But what if it could be something else?
"And what about death?" You said I could challenge her. Is that even possible?
The old man smiled sadly.
"Death is not only the end of life. It is forgetfulness, it is fear, it is the shadow that hangs over each one of us. But what makes a man immortal is not his flesh, but his legacy. Ryuusei, the real battle is not against death, but against irrelevance. Ask yourself... When you leave, what will be left of you?
Ryuusei felt his chest tighten. I had never thought about that. He had always believed that victory was the ultimate goal, that defeating his enemies was enough. But now I understood... that the war was not the end. It was just the beginning of something bigger.
"Then..." If destiny is not written, if death is not the real enemy, what should I do?
The old man leaned toward him, his gray eyes gleaming under the moon.
"Create something that lasts." It doesn't matter if it's a kingdom, an idea, a story, or a promise. The only thing that matters is that when you leave, the world will be a little better because you existed.
The words were suspended in the air. Ryuusei looked at the old man, but before he could say anything else... The old man smiled serenely and, like a shadow dissipating in the dawn, disappeared.
Ryuusei was left alone under the moonlight, but this time... He didn't feel lost. For the first time in his life, he had something that neither war, nor fear, nor death could take away from him.
A choice.
A purpose.
A future.
And with a lighter heart than ever, he turned and returned to the path that would lead him to his destination. Not like a warrior. Not like a monster. But as a creator of his own legend.