Power of Runes

Chapter 107: Cause & Effect

Chapter 107: Cause & EffectA/N: Hey folks, super sorry for the delay! ???? I had exams piling up like a final boss battle, so writing had to take a backseat for a bit.

Hope you don’t mind the wait too much ????????

If you ever need updates or wanna ask anything about the story, feel free to hop into the Discord server—I’m way more active there, and it’s where all the cool chaos happens. ????????

Thanks for being patient, y’all are the real MVPs! ????

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[Mike Pov]

He had always been a simple thief.

Not the grand kind who stole royal treasures or made it into the legends.

He had stolen many things in his life, slipping in and out of places without anyone remembering his face.

But none of the things he stole were precious enough to make him famous or feared. He was just another shadow in a world full of criminals.

But that changed the day he got caught.

He had attempted to steal a rare artifact from a mid-sized guild. It wasn’t some kingdom-level treasure, but still valuable enough to invite real trouble.

The moment they discovered him, the chase began. Fearing for his life, he disappeared from the public eye and dove into the underbelly of the world—the black market.

That was when he got introduced to a special group called the Scavengers—people who were tasked with mining, and herb gathering also in charge of stealing ancient and valuable items from the Dragon Continent itself.

Since his class was that of a real thief, someone skilled in infiltration, escape, and deception, he quickly proved useful.

He could sneak into places without being noticed, trick people, and vanish before anyone realized what was missing.

That was probably why the Captain chose him specifically to follow Nox.

But now... he was full of regret.

W-w-w-w-what... what is that... what is this monster...?

His mind was in such shock that he couldn’t even process his thoughts properly. His whole body stiffened just from watching.

Just seeing the Unicorn was enough to shake him. If this kind of news got out to the world, he knew that many of the old monsters hiding within the black market would come forward, not to admire it—but to hunt it down.

He thought for a moment—if he was the one to bring this information to them first, his position would rise. Maybe he would be promoted. Maybe he would finally be recognized.

But then... his eyes fell on Nox.

The boy’s head was literally bursting apart with every step he took forward, and for some reason, watching it made Mike’s chest tighten in pain.

He felt as though he himself was being torn apart, like he was the one suffering through that unbearable agony.

His body began to tremble—not from the cold, but from the overwhelming pressure that the Unicorn was releasing.

And it wasn’t even doing anything. It was just standing there, yet Ash’s body was being destroyed again and again, as if his very existence was being rejected.

Mike started to get the feeling that he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

And that scared him more than anything.

His instincts screamed at him that his life was now in danger.

He decided to turn around and leave. He couldn’t stay here any longer. He needed to escape—quietly, quickly.

But before he could even move, he felt his body freeze.

And then... he started floating.

No... not this... not now...

Despair filled his heart and fear clouded his mind. His eyes widened in panic as his body was pulled against his will, drifting helplessly through the air—straight toward Solareth.

And when he finally arrived in front of the King, all he could do was stare.

Solareth’s eyes were beautiful—far too beautiful for this world—but instead of calming him, they filled Mike with fear. Behind those stunning eyes, he could feel nothing but death and endless power.

Then, a voice echoed inside his mind.

{I see... so this child came here in

But Nichole couldn’t stay calm. His heart was already filled with unease. He knew something was wrong.

"Why are you here?" he asked, his voice quiet but taut with dread.

He knew the answer would not be a pleasant one.

So, he asked directly, unable to hold back.

And the old man gave a simple answer.

"The threads of fate have been tampered with. Causality is weakening. Cause and effect are no longer absolute."

He didn’t say anything more. He didn’t need to.

That one sentence carried enough weight to shake heaven and earth.

Nichole and Alice both felt their chests tighten. A cold chill ran through their bodies.

Because they knew what it meant.

If the cause and effect had weakened...

If the laws of fate had started to break down...

Then the world was on the edge of something terrible.

Something no one could stop.

***

A/N: Another Chapter’s cooking and will be served hot in a few hours! ????????