Loom Of Fate [3]

Now the plan is how I can prevent this expedition from going awry and leading to a tragic end. If I can make sure of that, then I can relax for a few years, waiting for the “Absolute Ending” to come.

There is no way to prevent the “Ending.” I wrote the end of this world long ago, and the character's journey is merely a journey toward futility.

Knock! Knock!

The sharp rapping on the door echoed through the quiet room, making me turn from the window.

"Young master." The voice was warm and familiar – the very first one I’d heard when I’d taken my first breath in this world.

I set down the old book I’d been leafing through. "What is it?"

"The Great Master requests you come downstairs. Dinner is ready and waiting for you.”

Great Master, surely he means Theodore Bright, the man who is Caleb Bright's father and the head of Bright&Co. Perhaps it's time for me to approach him. After all, he is the man who plays the most important role in my plan.

"I'm coming," I called out from the next room, fumbling with the clasp on my cloth as I hurried toward the door. "Just wait a moment, I need to clean my room first.”

Casting one last glance at the scattered pages on my desk. They were notes I’d jotted down about the expedition route, marked with sigils only I could decipher. With a flick of my wrist, a gentle breeze swept through the room, and I began to neatly fold the papers and put them away in my desk drawer.

No need to leave traces that might raise questions.

I pulled open the door to find Marcus standing in the hallway, his broad frame rigid with the same quiet formality he’d shown Caleb since he was a child. His grey eyes held a warmth that cut through the stiffness of his posture.

"Everything in order, young master?" he asked, though his gaze had already drifted to the now-tidy room behind me.

"As much as it can be," I said, stepping out and letting the door fall closed behind me. The wood clicked softly into place. "Lead the way – I wouldn’t want to keep the Great Master waiting."

We made our way down the winding staircase, the polished oak steps creaking under our weight. Through the stained-glass windows lining the walls, fragments of sunset light painted colorful patterns across the floor – reds like spilled ink, golds like melted coin.

Below, the grand dining hall was already glowing with warm candlelight, its long table set with fine silver and porcelain.

Theodore Bright was standing at the far end, staring out the tall window that overlooked the estate grounds. Even from here, I could see how his shoulders had settled into the same heavy line as his son’s – the weight of responsibility carved into every inch of his frame. He didn’t turn as we approached, but his voice carried clearly across the empty room.

"I was beginning to wonder if you’d locked yourself away again, Caleb." He finally faced us, and his black eyes the same shade as the storm clouds that often gathered over the nearby mountains fixed on mine. "Marcus, you may leave us."

With a quick bow, Marcus retreated, closing the heavy doors behind him. The sound of the latch clicking shut felt like a seal being placed on what was to come.

“Where's Mom?” I said as I pulled out this grand chair to let myself sit down.

Isn't it strange? Usually, when the family is having dinner together, the mother should be there too, right?

"Your mother…”

Wait, I hadn't considered that possibility at all. It could be that Caleb's mother isn't here because he basically no longer has a mother.

What if this actually raises suspicion? No, it will definitely raise suspicion if this is true.

“She's traveling to Navashara, the capital of the country of Thalassira in the Sunadara Archipelago. You remember that, right?”

Phew…

Thank goodness that's not true.

But I can't remember that at all. Why does this family appear so little in my novel? I'm the one who wrote it, but I don't know anything about this family.

“Maybe she'll be back in a few days.”

“Cause she also promised you that he would join you on your expedition to the Old Ruins in the Vorund Steppes. After all, it is the first expedition you are leading as Heir of the Bright Family.”

“Oh... Yeah, I just remembered.” I said that to reduce his suspicion.

“Your mother just left yesterday, and besides, you were the one who helped her pack her things.”

Shit, i messed up.

Why had I skimped on details about Caleb’s family? I’d been so focused on the grand plot, on setting up the "Absolute Ending," that I’d left entire parts of the world blank. Now I was paying for it.

"I... I know," I said quickly, forcing a smile as I settled into my chair. "It’s just been a long day. My mind’s been all over the place with planning for the expedition.”

Theodore’s black eyes narrowed slightly, though whether from suspicion or concern, I couldn’t tell. He moved to take his seat at the head of the table, his movements deliberate and measured.

“Planning is good, but don’t overdo it okay? Your health matters the most.” He lifted a silver bell to summon the servants, then added with a grin, “Besides, all that stress will just give you wrinkles before your time – and we Brights are supposed to be handsome devils, remember?”

I felt a small laugh escape me despite myself this was nothing like the stern, distant man I’d half-written in my novel.

As if on cue, doors at the side of the hall swung open, and servants began filing in with covered dishes. The rich scent of roasted meat and spiced vegetables filled the room, but I had no appetite. Every word Theodore spoke was a reminder of how little I actually knew about the world I’d created and how much more there was to his character than I’d ever imagined.

He waved off the waiter pouring his tea for a moment, leaning back in his chair with an easy posture. “So what are your plans for the expedition to the Old Ruins? Any changes?” Theodore asked as he sipped the tea that had just been poured by the waiter beside him.

When he finally took a sip of his tea, he made a playful face. “Ugh, still too bitter. Remind me to tell Martha she can stop trying to make ‘scholar’s blend’ – I’d rather drink mud than this stuff.”

I seized the opportunity, pushing my own untouched plate slightly forward “I'd rather talk tomorrow morning. For now, let's continue eating. The food will get cold if we spend the all nights discussing about some maps and routes.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie. I really did need time to catch up on weeks of research Caleb had done – but sitting here, watching Theodore joke with the servants as they served the meal, I found myself wanting to know more about this man too.

“Fair enough,” he said, clapping his hands together lightly. “Though I will warn you – your mother already bribed me to send her daily. I’ll be reporting on both her business and how well you’re taking care of yourself.” He winked. “Said she’s not letting either of us get up to trouble while she’s away.”

"Sounds like something she’d do," I said, finally picking up my fork and pushing a piece of roasted meat around my plate. "She always did have a way of keeping tabs on us both."

Theodore chuckled, cutting into his own meal with ease. "That’s putting it lightly. She had me install those new scrying mirrors in the estate last month – said it was for ‘business communications,’ but I know she just wants to check if we’re eating our vegetables."

I nearly choked on my first bite. Scrying mirrors? I’d completely forgotten I’d included magical communication tools in the world’s lore. How many other details had slipped my mind?

"She also mentioned you’d been asking the librarians about ancient runes lately," he continued, his tone casual as he took a bite of vegetables. "Finding anything interesting?"

My hand stilled mid-air. Caleb had been researching runes? Of course he had – why else would there be an old book on my desk? I’d been so focused on the expedition route that I hadn’t even looked at its contents.

"Some fascinating stuff," I said carefully, hoping my vague answer would suffice. "Trying to learn more about what we might encounter in the ruins."

Theodore nodded thoughtfully. "Smart move. Your grandfather always said the Vorund Ruins hold secrets older than the kingdoms themselves. He tried to lead an expedition there thirty years ago – had to turn back when a storm rolled in out of nowhere." He leaned forward slightly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Said it was like the land itself didn’t want us there. I told him he just picked a bad day to play adventurer."

While eating, Theodore kept chatting—talking about everyday things that made the atmosphere warm.

“Did you know that a group of merchants from the East arrived yesterday?” he said as he picked up a slice of vegetable from his plate.

“They brought some unique items there's a magical communication device that lights up on its own when there's an important message. They didn't know that we these days already have cell phones.”

“They say it's made from crystals that grow at the bottom of a magical lake.”

I could only nod as I listened.

“Oh, you didn't know either?” he continued with a cheerful smile. “And Marcus, lately, has been fiercely teaching the stable boys basic self-defense techniques. He says that they all need to know how, so they can protect themselves if there's a problem. This morning, I saw him become the target of their practice they pulled his shirt so hard it almost came off!”

Theodore laughed cheerfully as he told the story, and I smiled too, even though guilt continued to weigh on my heart. I was the one who created these characters and their world, but I never took the time to give them real lives far beyond the roles I had assigned them in the storyline.

"I know you’re nervous about leading this expedition," he said quietly as the servants began clearing the plates. "Your mother and I both were when we took our first lead roles for the company. But you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, Caleb. Even if you are a little scatterbrained sometimes."

He stood up and stretched, letting out a yawn. "Now go get some rest – and I mean actual rest, not more late-night reading. We’ll go over everything in the morning, and I’ll even let you borrow my old expedition journal. Just promise you’ll treat it better than you did my favorite quill last year."

I stood too, feeling a strange mix of emotions. The "Absolute Ending" was still coming – I couldn’t change that. But sitting here with Theodore, listening to him talk about family and past adventures, I found myself wondering if maybe there was more to this world than the fate I’d written for it.

The cool night air hit my face as I stepped out of the dining hall and made my way back up the stairs. Through the tall windows, I could see the estate’s grounds illuminated by soft magical orbs that floated just above the grass each one casting a warm, golden glow.

In the distance, I spotted the faint flicker of holographic street signs from the town below, their light mixing with the natural shimmer of enchanted fireflies that danced around the old oak trees.

Back in my room, I didn’t bother with rest like Theodore had asked. Instead, I locked the door behind me and pulled out everything Caleb had been working on – the route notes, the old book from my desk, and a sleek tablet device that hummed with both technological and magical power.

This was the world I’d built where sleek hover-carts shared roads with horse-drawn carriages, where smartphones could cast basic protection spells, and where skyscrapers in the cities were topped with ancient spires that channeled Aether energy. The early 2030s, but not as I’d known it in my own reality.

I tapped the screen, and it flickered to life, displaying a holographic map of the Vorund Steppes. Small red markers blinked along the planned route, each one labeled with dates, coordinates, and what looked like Aether warning symbols. Next to the map were digital folders filled with research – everything from geological surveys to ancient texts about the ruins, complete with audio recordings of Caleb’s own voice explaining his findings.

"The runes I’ve been studying are tied to the old guardians of the ruins," his voice played as I scrolled through the files. "According to the texts, they respond to both technological frequencies and magical resonance. Mom thinks we can use our new Aether dampeners to avoid triggering them, but I’m not so sure – there’s something about the way the symbols are arranged that feels... intentional."

I set down the tablet and opened the old book. Its pages were a mix of printed text, handwritten notes, and glowing runes that shifted as I turned them – a perfect blend of old and new. As I read, I realized Caleb had been planning far more carefully than I’d ever given him credit for. He’d accounted for everything from potential tech failures to magical anomalies, even noting that the region’s unusual weather patterns might be linked to the ruins themselves.

The guilt I’d felt earlier deepened. I’d written Caleb as little more than a catalyst for the expedition’s tragedy – a well-meaning but inexperienced leader who’d make a fatal mistake. But sitting here, going through his work, I saw a young man who’d spent weeks preparing, who’d consulted experts, who’d even reached out to contacts in the capital for additional data.

My fingers traced one of the sigils on the route map – the same one I’d used in my notes earlier. In my original story, this was where the expedition would make their wrong turn, leading them straight into danger. But now, looking at Caleb’s calculations, I could see there was a safer path just a few kilometers to the north.

A path he’d already marked as an alternative, with a note that read: "Need to discuss with Father – this route adds time but avoids the unstable ley line convergence."

I leaned back in my chair, the tablet’s glow casting blue and green light across my face. The "Absolute Ending" was still fixed in my mind – the world would fall, no matter what. But maybe, just maybe, I didn’t have to let this expedition end in tragedy. Maybe the small choices I made now could change things for the people I’d created, even if I couldn’t alter the final fate of their world.

I picked up a stylus and began to make changes to the route, adding my own notes alongside Caleb’s. Tomorrow morning, I’d talk to Theodore, and this time, I’d be ready.

Alright, I still have at least one week before destiny takes me and my family away.

I stared at the holographic map glowing on my tablet, that thought weighing heavy in my mind. The Bright family didn’t need this expedition.

Not for money Theodore had once mentioned their vaults held enough enchanted gold and rare artifacts to keep the entire estate running for centuries. Even if every single one of their subsidiaries and affiliates folded tomorrow, they’d still be able to pay their thousands of workers without breaking a sweat.

So why were they doing this?

I pulled up Caleb’s digital journal on the tablet, scrolling through entries I’d missed earlier. The first one was dated three months ago:

"Father says Bright&Co. has built its reputation on pushing boundaries – not just for profit, but for knowledge. We’ve spent generations documenting ancient sites, preserving magic that would otherwise be lost to time. The Vorund Ruins are different though everyone who’s tried to explore them properly has either turned back or vanished. Mother thinks it’s important we try, not for what we might find, but because someone has to understand why the land itself seems to reject us."

I leaned back in my chair, running a hand through my hair. Of course it wasn’t about money. I’d been so focused on the "plot" I’d written on the tragedy that was supposed to unfold that I’d never considered why the family would choose this path.

The tech-magic hybrid clock on my desk ticked over to midnight, its numbers glowing softly against the dark wood. Outside my window, the floating orbs in the grounds were slowly dimming, making way for the faint glow of the city’s Aether power grid in the distance. Hover-carts hummed quietly along the road below, their anti-gravity engines barely making a sound.

This was their life – comfortable, secure, filled with small wonders and steady work. They could easily keep living like this, expanding their businesses gently, supporting their community, watching the world change around them one day at a time.

But in my novel, I’d written that this expedition was unavoidable. That it was fated to happen, just as the "Absolute Ending" was fated to come.

I closed the tablet and walked back to the window, looking out at the peaceful estate. Marcus was making his rounds below, his silhouette moving steadily through the shadows – a mix of old-world guard training and modern magical awareness. In the stables, I could see the soft glow of a healing spell being cast on one of the horses.

The thought hit me then: maybe the real tragedy wasn’t the expedition going wrong. Maybe it was that I’d written them into a situation where they felt they had to go at all.

I made my way to my desk and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper – not digital, but real parchment, the kind Caleb preferred for important notes. With a pen that mixed ink and Aether energy, I began to write out a list. Not of routes or supplies, but of alternatives. Ways the family could continue their work preserving ancient magic without risking themselves in the Vorund Steppes.

Partnerships with other research institutions. Remote scrying and scanning technologies that could map the ruins from a distance. Even funding expeditions led by more experienced teams.

Tomorrow morning, I’d go to Theodore not just to talk about the expedition plans – I’d tell him I’d been thinking, and I had some ideas about a different path forward.

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