The Far Edge of Fate (Final Fantasy XV)

CHAPTER 23 - ...ONE MUST DIG TWO GRAVES

hope y'all are ready for a lore dump

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Aaralyn was beginning to despise this stupid abyss.

It was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes and she was immediately filled with contempt. The void had never meant anything good, mostly just cryptic bullshit from figures that apparently wanted to see innocent Oracles dead.

Speaking of which, she could see it, floating just across from her. Its body still enshrouded, it stared down at a flickering vision Aaralyn found chillingly familiar. It was the altar, looping time with Aaralyn on the ground, addled by the headache as Ardyn ran Lunafreya through with his knife. It made her sick to look at.

She wrenched her gaze away as best she could to narrow her eyes at the shadowy figure observing the vision. She knew it would address her eventually, but she didn't want to wait for that. She wanted answers or maybe to punch it in the face. Whichever came first.

"Why did you stop me?!" she demanded. Her voice echoed endlessly and trembled from the horrible mixture of grief and anger that made it hard to breathe.

The figure did not face her. Instead, it watched the vision of her writhing on the ground in agony as Ardyn stabbed Lunafreya over and over. Aaralyn gritted her teeth.

"Answer me you bastard," she demanded. "Why couldn't I have saved her, too?! You can't just waltz in and decide for me who I get to save and who gets to die. Last I checked, I was the one with the weird power, not some thing from a void!"

The figure did not respond for a long moment, too intent on observing the horrible vision before it. Aaralyn's trembling hands curled into fists. She was trying to ignore it, but the agonized gasp Ardyn's knife had drawn from Lunafreya kept playing in her head over and over and over and it was horrible. It was all this thing's fault—for stopping her on the precipice of success. She could have saved Lunafreya if not for it.

"Answer me," she said again, enraged. "Or, what, do you not have a good enough one for me?"

Finally, it lifted its massive head to acknowledge her. She got the sense it was displeased with her lip. She couldn't help but feel bitter satisfaction. Good.

That is not for you to know, Child of Fate.

"Oh, bullshit," Aaralyn spat.

The Oracle has a different role awaiting her.
If we are to change the world, she must fulfill that first.

She was furious. "What do you mean by a different role?! She's dead! Do you understand that?! You let Ardyn kill her!"

That is not for you to know.

"Not for me to-" Aaralyn swore colorfully. "Are you serious?!"

The figure did not answer.

She let out an enraged scream, trying to fumble to summon a weapon, anything to just take a swing at this thing, but it lifted a massive hand to curl it into a fist and suddenly she found herself immobile, crippled by an agonizing headache again. She gasped in pain.

Bide your time. Your job is not yet done.
Yours is a unique gift. You walk a path unhindered by the Passage.
Use it wisely. Should you choose to save others, I will not interfere.

Then why stop me from saving her? Aaralyn wanted to demand, but her mouth felt sewn shut as the figure slowly uncurled its fist. For a moment she saw armored plates covering an enormous arm before the figure was shrouded in shadow once more.