Oknata looked down, his face covered in shadow.

  “You wish to know everything?”

  Corrin gasped quietly before nodding swiftly.

  “Yes, I want to know everything.”

  Oknata sighed.

  “The shards… when the Holy Goddess used the last of her power to create them, it not only divided her power, but also divided the gods. Rotix and Katan, in particular, quarrelled over who would be the leader after the Holy Goddess passed on. Katan wanted to use the power to unite the races under one banner, with the gods ruling over all of them. Rotix wanted to maintain the way of life the Holy Goddess left, to keep the races, for the most part, divided. With each god protecting their given race.”

  Corrin wasn’t sure which he agreed with. Uniting the races at the current state of the world now would surely lead only to death. Far too much hate lies in the world for such a thing to occur now.

  “Rotix and Katan quarreling eventually led to a war beyond measure. For decades, they clashed in an endless battle. Millions of mortals fought and died for a campaign that hardly concerned them. In the end, Rotix stole the shard of her ally, Fallis, and gave it to me alongside her own, the Shard of Time. Lumi, with her Shard of Fate and her ability to see into the future and uncover the truth of time, fled, knowing what was to happen. Fallis fled soon after. Nobody knows where either of them went. Rotix gave me the two shards, entrusting one to me and one to our child, her heir. For a thousand years, I made sure that the shard would eventually land with you, Corrin.”

  Corrin took a step back and fell onto the ground. He began to shake.

  “You’re telling me… all of this is happening because two people a thousand years ago hated each other?”

  He said it, but he already knew this much was true. He knew that Rotix and Katan fought, though to hear their reason made it seem far more foolish than it already had seemed. Oknata took a deep breath before continuing.

  “Mollou died not long afterwards in an ambush by Rotix, and she stole the Shard of Realms. She used the stolen shard in a final attempt to trap him in the Realm of Grief. In the chaos, she lost her life, and the Shard of Realms was soon lost in the Fali Realm. That was the War of the Gods. Since then, I’ve been waiting for you to come to finish the task and kill Katan. What I did not expect was for the Shem and Mostiis to become so aggressive as of late and attempt to bring Katan back from the Realm of Grief.”

  Corrin stood up suddenly, and a new sense of vigor radiated from him.

  “What the hell is the point of killing Katan? If he dies, then that's just another god dead. That would make three out of the five dead. There would be no more gods left to rule over their respective races.”

  Oknata said nothing for a moment. Clearly, he was holding something back.

  “What happens after Katan is dead, I cannot say for sure-”

  “You’re lying. I can see it in your face.”

  Corrin scowled; he indeed could see a change in Oknata’s face. Though he could not be sure if it was because Oknata was lying, or because it was a difficult subject for him to speak of.

  “That’s quite the accusation, Corrin.”

  “Tell me the truth. I asked for the whole truth.”

  Oknata sighed. He put one hand on his hip in frustration.

  “You did, but I also did not lie to you. I am not sure what will happen after Katan’s death. That will truly depend on what happens to you, and to the shards.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Oknata looked around for a moment, as though afraid someone could overhear.

  “Rotix’s plan is more than just you killing Katan. There is more to it, though; she forbade me from ever speaking it. I must admit that I have grown quite fond of you. So I will reveal this: If you let Rotix control you, it will be for the greater good.”

  Corrin gasped, taking a step back in shock.

  “Is that what happened before? When I was fighting Edwin- my… friend, I lost control of myself. It was as though another soul was guiding my movements. This has happened before, but I’ve never lost myself like that.”

  Oknata smiled.

  “So, it has begun. She knows what she is doing. Now, Corrin, all you must do is kill Katan. The best way I would think to do that would be to go to the Mostiis. They have a relic that will bring him back. All it needs is a shard as a power source. That, or a hell lot of Ani.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Suddenly, an idea sparked inside Corrin’s mind.

  “Wait- What if we just destroy the relic? Or the shards? Then, he’ll never come back.”

  The color seemed to drain from Oknata’s face.

  “The shards are the physical manifestation of the Holy Goddess. To destroy them would be to destroy her hold on this world.”

  “But… She hasn’t even been here… in what? Thousands of years? If we destroy the shards, then Katan will never be able to come back!”

  Oknata looked saddened.

  “Destroying the shards is a feat even you may feel is impossible. Moreover, I mentioned that the relic can be powered with Ani as well. It would take years, but it would be possible. Destroying the shards only delays the inevitable. Plus, Katan has one of the shards. It would be a fool's game to destroy them.”

  But Corrin was determined.

  “So, we’ll just steal it. When he comes back, we’ll take it from him and destroy all of the shards. Then, he’ll be powerless, and we’ll be able to destroy him! Tell me, how does one destroy a shard?”

  Oknata grabbed his face in both frustration, but also because what Corrin was saying was not impossible.

  “Dammit, Corrin. My only purpose is to help you in your goals. If your goal is to destroy the shards, then so be it. I know that Rotix will have planned for this. She plans for everything. If this is how it goes, then she must have known.”

  Corrin was a little taken aback, for he was sure Oknata would protest more.

  “At the top of the Mountain of the Gods. There is a smith there. A demi-god smith. He was the one who forged the Shards from the ashes of the Holy Goddess, by her command. He is the only one who can destroy them.”

  Corrin gave an exhale of relief. He knew what he needed to do. Oknata continued.

  “First, you must head to the Mostiis and steal the shard from Katan. If you can, kill him. But to try to do so with your current skillset would be foolish. Afterwards, find a boat and head to me. I reside on an island, a few weeks' journey from the coast called Two-Half Island, or Xinfor in the old language. I will give you my shirt when you arrive. From there, you must sail to the Mountain of the Gods and climb its peaks. Once you reach the top, find the smithy. If he learns that you were sent by me, he will oblige in destroying the shards. When they’re destroyed… kill Katan. He will be weakened by their destruction.”

  Corrin took in everything. Oknata had a look of anguish on his face.

  “This journey will not be easy, Corrin. You must understand. It is a perilous task, with many dangers around every corner. I do not recommend that you go alone.”

  Corrin nodded. He was grateful.

  “Thank you, Oknata. For telling me everything. I won’t fail, I promise. I will save everybody.”

  Oknata winced at the word ‘everything’, but Corrin was far too distracted to have noticed. With that, Corrin suddenly awoke. His eyes opened quickly, and he shot upward. He looked around for a moment and saw that he was in a room, the bed facing the door. The room was fancy, but not extravagant.

  The first thing Corrin noticed was how warm it was; he was not freezing. During his time in the Fali realm, he had become accustomed to the cold, yet he had forgotten the loving nature warmth provided. He shifted around and out of the bed, surveying his arm. It was wrapped in clean bandages and cradled, with a linen tied around his neck holding it up. No pain came from the wound.

  Corrin turned his hand and looked at the damage to his fingers. It was true; they were gone. His pinky finger and the tip of his ring finger were completely. He stood up and looked around, noticing a mirror hanging from the wall. He walked over to it and stared into it for a moment.

  He made a loud gasp as he walked back in confusion and shock.

  He brought his right hand up and opened his eyes more. His eyes were different. Instead of his usual ocean blue, his left eye was deep, blood red. And his hair was unlike anything he had ever seen. On his right side, it was blonde, like always. However, on his left, it was now a deep black color.

  He stared into the mirror for a few seconds longer, and he began to figure out what had happened. He wasn’t a pureblood Anees anymore.

  He was now half-Anees.