MATED TO THE SECRET ALPHA
Chapter 103: A Loophole Or A Gift?

Chapter 103: A Loophole Or A Gift?

But she swallowed, reminding herself that she was standing before the god of war, the most feared and revered deity in all the palaces of the sky. He was unruly and unpredictable, a force of nature who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

If Arin refused, he would undoubtedly seek out the goddesses of time in the other sky palaces.

The sky was home to three majestic palaces, namely: the Celestial Palace, the Solaria Palace, and the Astrum Palace.

Additionally, there existed a lone guardian tower, a stronghold belonging to the god of war and his formidable warriors. Their sacred duty was to maintain the delicate balance of peace among the three palaces.

And for time immemorial, each of the three palaces had been vying for the god of war’s allegiance, seeking to draw him into their fold and claim his formidable power for themselves – Reason, his relationship with the moon goddess was forbidden.

So, Arin, had no choice but to do as he asked, otherwise, their palace may lose his favor, especially after their palace’s betrayal.

Arin’s voice trembled as she warned, "There will be dire consequences for turning back the hands of time." Seeing he didn’t reply, she turned to the goddess of future, "Help us look into the future."

The goddess of the future’s eyelids fluttered closed, her gaze turning inward as she beheld the unfolding tapestry of destiny. After a moment of silence, she spoke, her voice laced with an air of inevitability.

"If the course of events remains unaltered, the werewolf world will succumb to its demise within the coming days, marking the dawn of a new era. However, if you choose to turn back the hands of time, a devastating winter will ravage the world, unleashing untold suffering and despair."

The god of war’s expression remained unfazed, his eyes blazing with a fierce determination. "Do I look like I care?" he sneered. "Isn’t the world already ravaged by disaster? Or would you rather see my son dead?"

Arin’s nod was almost imperceptible. With a deep breath, she raised her hands, and a soft, ethereal glow began to emanate from her fingers. The air seemed to vibrate with anticipation as she commenced the intricate ritual of turning back the hands of time.

Time itself seemed to unravel as the world around them began to rewind. The debris in the palace rose from the ground, returning back to the building.

Meanwhile, in the world, the monsters walked with their backs, returning into the portals. The dead ones rose, going into the portal as they’d come.

Ryder’s blood and sweat rose from the ground, reassembling into his body, while withered flowers blossomed anew.

The very fabric of reality appeared to be reversing, as if the clockwork of the universe had been turned upside down.

The sky soon turned clear and Ryder and Reana were back inside the camp once more, in each other’s arms – minutes before the disaster.

In the Celestial Palace, Mahina was walking into the throne room, about to confront Aethera – the genesis of the whole fiasco, but was held back by Arin and the goddess of future, who doubled as the goddess of mind.

Together, they altered Mahina’s memories - the events of the past few days, erasing her knowledge of Aethera’s betrayal and the impending disaster.

When they were done, Mahina’s expression changed from determination to confusion, as she looked around, unsure of what was happening. Arin and the goddess of future exchanged a knowing glance, their eyes filled with a mix of sadness and resolve.

The goddess of future spoke in a whisper, "It is done. The timeline has been preserved... for now."

Arin added, "But at what cost?"

The goddess of future’s expression turned somber, "The cost of free will. Mahina’s path has been altered, but the consequences of Aethera’s actions remain to be seen."

The two let out a collective sigh. If only they could, ending Aethera’s life once and for all would have been the simplest solution. But their hands were tied.

Aethera wielded the formidable powers of the moon goddess, not only that, one needed the powers of the moon goddess to be able to kill another goddess. And in this case, it was unattainable.

Their only hope of containing Aethera was if the moon goddess woke up from slumber.

****

"You had another nightmare?" Reana asked Ryder, who abruptly sat up from her lap. He’d just closed his eyes a few seconds ago. "But you weren’t sleeping," she pointed out, her brow furrowing in confusion.

Ryder’s eyes were wide and unfocused, his chest heaving as if he’d been running. He looked around, disoriented, before his gaze locked onto Reana’s concerned face. "What...what just happened?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion.

Reana’s brow furrowed. "You just...jolted awake. But you weren’t sleeping. You were just...still."

Ryder’s eyes narrowed, as if trying to recall something just out of reach. "I saw...I saw something. A vision, maybe. I don’t know."

"A vision?" Reana’s brow arched in intrigue. "What kind of vision?"

Ryder’s eyes clouded, his gaze drifting into the distance. "War," he replied, his voice low and grave. "I was fighting monsters, and the world was in chaos. Destruction, death... it was everywhere."

His frown deepened as he struggled to recall the events in their entirety, but his mind offered only fragmented glimpses: flashes of claws and furs clashing with scaly flesh, the screams of monsters, and the acrid smell of smoke and fear hanging heavy in the air. The images danced just out of focus, unclear.

"Are you perhaps a seer?" Reana asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

If he was, then it would explain why she couldn’t read him, why his future, past, and present seemed to be clouded in mystery. Because, her own master couldn’t read her too.

But then again, a seer is born once in a hundred years, a rare gift bestowed upon the chosen few.

His chuckle suddenly brought her back to the present. Ryder’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he chuckled, a low, husky sound. "A seer?" he repeated, his voice laced with amusement. "Where have you seen a male seer?" He chuckled again, "moreover, there’s only one seer in a hundred years." He gave her a meaningful look, then rested his head back on her lap as he hugged her waist.

Reana’s heart skipped a beat. Why did she feel he knew she was a seer? He couldn’t have known that, right?

Her eyes narrowed, her mind racing with the implications.