A heavy downpour had begun to fall on the castle plaza.Luke stood alone in the rain, gazing at the empty space, lost in deep thought.She didn’t understand why this was happening. She just stood there, letting the rain soak her clothes.
At that moment, a warm, small hand gently grasped her cold palm.It was Luna. Although Luna didn’t fully understand what was happening, she could sense that Luke was feeling guilty, and she wanted to be there for her.
Just then, Daniel’s figure appeared. He raised his hand and slowly placed it on the Luck Goddess Luke’s shoulder.Up until now, Daniel had not used his Time Stream ability. Even now, he didn’t know what would happen next, and he wasn’t sure what to expect.
Perhaps it was the comfort from Daniel that caused Luke to slowly raise her head and look at him."Crossbridge," she asked, her voice full of uncertainty. "Do you think this is my fault? Or have I been wrong from the start?"
Upon hearing this, Daniel surprisingly remained silent.Of course, his silence only lasted a moment, and soon he spoke again."In this world, there is never an absolute right or wrong.""I think you just made the choice you felt was right at the time."
After offering these comforting words, Daniel was about to activate Time Stream.After all, since coming to the castle, he had been tempted to use Time Stream several times.But Daniel had noticed something crucial: if he used Time Stream, Kartora would undoubtedly sense it.She was a demigod with control over the time domain, and Daniel had no confidence that he could hide it from her.
Therefore, Daniel had decided that unless the situation was extraordinary, he wouldn’t use Time Stream again.He had truly hoped to be a passive observer in the castle, after all.With fate already in motion, Daniel knew there was little he could change.If he couldn’t alter things, then perhaps it was best to simply watch, without intervening.
However, at that moment, Daniel felt an overwhelming urge to use Time Stream.
Meanwhile, Luke, hearing Daniel’s words, smiled brightly.But Daniel knew that this smile was forced, a façade, and it only made the situation even more heartbreaking.
At that moment, Luke began to speak slowly."Crossbridge, you know... I’ve never believed in luck.""Because I always knew that everything I’ve gained has a price set by fate.""Although things might seem unfortunate now, perhaps the future will bring a change.""If I were given the choice again, I would still choose to rescue Aurelia. If I had ignored her, she would have died."
After saying all this, a pale, exhausted expression crossed Luke’s face.She tried to raise her arm but found herself too weak. In the end, she leaned her head onto Daniel’s shoulder."Crossbridge... can you do me a favor?"
Daniel froze for a moment but then dismissed his plans to use Time Stream.Before he could ask, Luke continued."Crossbridge, I need you to take care of Luna from now on.""You might not know this, but I’m a very lazy person. I just want to be with everyone, enjoying peaceful, happy times every day.""And, since I’m naturally blessed with good fortune, even though I have no desire to become stronger, my power has been steadily increasing.""But you might not know this—I think that too much luck can actually be a misfortune."
At these words, Daniel couldn’t help but twitch his mouth.Lucky, yet calling it a misfortune? Was Luke suffering from depression?
But Luke continued to explain, as if in a trance."You might not understand the feeling of fate being already decided. What I’ve always wanted most in my life is to be able to control my own fate.""I, Luke, am going to actively start changing my fate. For you all, luck is like honey, but for me, it’s a poison.""From here on, I’ll try to master my fate. I’ll try to reach the Fake God level as quickly as I can."
"Crossbridge, I think it’s time for me to leave now. I might be gone for a long time. Goodbye."
With those words, a portal appeared behind Luke.Without hesitation, she stepped through the portal, vanishing before Daniel or anyone could say anything.
Daniel stood frozen for a moment, his face showing a hint of surprise.He had originally intended to use Time Stream, but now it seemed unnecessary.
Returning to his room, Daniel resumed his routine. But he quickly realized something: Kartora had not left her room at all since that day.
Over the Next Few Days
Kartora remained holed up in her room, working relentlessly.She was engaging all her mental faculties to create a truly monumental design.Though Kartora now looked extremely fatigued, with bloodshot eyes, she didn’t rest.She appeared to be consumed by an obsessive drive.
Holding a quill, she was scribbling frantically on a stack of blank sheets, muttering to herself."The time domain... full of mysteries and wonders...""Perhaps I can still change it all... I just need to change time.""Come on, Kartora, you can do this.""Whether in the past or the future..."
At this moment, Daniel, using his Psychic Perception, could clearly see the design Kartora was working on.He had to admit, Kartora was a genius. While she wasn’t as obsessed and single-minded as Faer, she certainly had immense creativity.And... Kartora was attempting to create a way to return to the past!
To achieve this goal, Kartora was using her time-domain abilities 24/7.Her power was essentially a cheat: she could directly adjust the flow of time.Currently, she was consuming an entire week’s worth of time in the span of just one day.Yet, despite this, she still felt as if time was running out.
Kartora had completely immersed herself in her own world. No matter who called for her, there was no response.Even when Luna came to bring her a pastry, there was no answer at the door.