A thread lit up, bright and hopeful. A single thread, but so powerful it was all she needed. She released the rest and grabbed for it in desperation, plunging fully into it. This was her brightest future - the one she sought the most. The one she most wanted - the one where she was the strongest.

Suddenly there was a jerking sensation and Luna was flying, her present situation suddenly her past. She flew down her timeline, scrabbling futilely at the strand in an attempt to slow herself. The strand may as well have been smoke in her hand for all it could stop her flight. The further into her future she got, the more confusing and vague it was. She saw other paths branch off of this one, ignored as she flew by. She was going down the path she requested - the one where she survived the longest.

Without warning she stopped, floating in space at a spot that she realized was a decision point. A knot. The string leading backwards was bright and strong, the paths leading forward from this point ephemeral and undecided. She looked down at the knot, its potential both limitless and terrifying. She reached out and-

The world was gray. Figures ran around her, but they were indistinct and unknowable. Some felt familiar, some felt new, and one felt incredibly, incredibly dangerous. This was a moment so big, so momentous that all future possibilities were unable to even be hypothesized until the situation had resolved itself and the knot was untangled. Things happened too fast around her to catch. She was Luna, but not. She was many Lunas, all of them powerful, all of them powerless. There was a glowing orange light and a decision to be made. She made the decision and the knot untangled.

There was a scream, followed by another. There was a cracking, splintering sound and Luna's world shattered. The vision ended and she was flung backwards along her timeline, arriving where and when she'd left. In the time she'd been gone most of the timelines had died out and she ignored all but the one she'd just ridden down.

She looked into her next moments and saw the skin on her neck turn to iron, her arm reaching up to grab the creature by the head and hurl it into a tree. She watched as two swords appeared in her hands, one limned with a fiery red flame and the other with an icy blue.

What? I can't do any of that…

More threads died while she considered. Luna wished she could help those dying threads but knew, deep down, that it was pointless. Those Lunas were doomed, their futures already at their ends.

"Wait… Oh. Oh!" Inspiration exploded in her mind like fireworks. If Luck was just choosing different timelines, then why couldn't she choose timelines that were very, very different? Ones where she'd made very different decisions, even from all the way back to the beginning? Why did she need someone else to save her when she could just save herself?

Luna concentrated, knowing the flavor of the timeline she wanted. The specifics from the vision helped her focus in on the details, making the search easier. Within moments she found it, distant beyond reckoning. Putting aside the fears of how far away it was from her now she flew toward it, dragging the strand of her timeline with her. As she flew away the remaining strands all died behind her.

Luna's universe had become a place of darkness and emptiness. She could sense distant timelines beyond her, ones where she'd never ended up in this situation, but they were far enough away to not be visible to the eye. The one she needed was even further, though, and she felt the thread in her hand trying to come apart as she flew. She was running out of time and knew it. The System had given her a chance to find the solution, but it wasn't a guarantee. She could run out of time and, when she did, she'd be back in her timeline with that creature's teeth tearing out her spine.

She poured will into her strand, begging it to hold up just a little longer. What she needed was getting closer, she just needed to hold everything together for a few more seconds. Tears filled her eyes as she flew, streaming backwards across her face even in this non-physical space. This hurt - a lot. Not just physically, but emotionally. She watched herself die so many times, felt each one, and knew that she was moments from dying herself. It was extremely likely that she'd be dead in the next few seconds and she hurt for never seeing her family again and the knowledge of what her death would do to them. They'd already lost so much, and if she could spare them the pain of her death she would - but she was starting to think it wasn't going to be possible.

She cried even as she felt the creature's teeth sink a little further into her neck. She would give this everything she had, but she knew she was almost done.

Then she saw it and the last of her hope and will trickled from her heart, through her hand, and into her timeline. She reached forward and grasped another timeline that was black, dark blue, and red. So red. It felt strong under her hand, like an unbreakable steel cable.

Luna walked through a broken city, making no attempt to hide her presence. Her black hair with its telltale red streak was cut short on the sides, not touching the collar of her armor. She was an imposing sight in armor that was all angles and edges, fitting her snugly, but not looking fragile for it. She held no weapons, but didn't need to - she was The Crimson Scythe and weapons came to her as she needed them.

Humanity had been largely overrun and the cities were broken places infested with creatures, pockets of humanity eking out survival as best they could.

This was unacceptable to The Crimson Scythe - in her eyes humanity was unforgivably weak. She searched for those pockets of humanity and brought them into the open, at bladepoint if need be. She forced them to fight creatures, sometimes helping, often training and tutoring, but never letting them stay weak. The groups she found would get strong enough to take back their portion of the world or they would die in the attempt. Luna always hoped for the first, but didn't mourn the last. Humanity needed to be stronger if it was going to fight off their System overlords one day. So as much as she regretted the loss of life, she felt nothing about the culling of weakness.

She paused, feeling something. There was… another her? One requesting help. Their minds touched and The Crimson Scythe felt the softness and… youth of the girl. They may have been the same age but they were decades apart in spirit. Her first instinct was to reject the connection - the girl was soft, weak. She knew that she could barely lift a sword and had no fighting abilities. Something gave her pause, though, and she realized that she was seeing a girl who had been a part of The System in a very different way. That Luna had come up inside a System that hadn't crashed into their world like an extinction meteor, rather one that had guided them instead of throwing everything it had at them from day one.

How would she have turned out if her family hadn't been killed that first day? If her neighborhood hadn't fallen soon after? What would her life had been like if she hadn't been found by Maisy and taught how to be ruthless, prizing strength and power above all else? How would she have turned out if The System hadn't been as powerful as it was in her world, destroying over 80% of humanity on the first day?

How would she have turned out if she hadn't had to fight for survival literally every single day of her life? She conceded that she may have been like this girl. And it wasn't like this girl was completely weak - in their shared connection they saw the whole of each others' lives. She saw the girl's experience in the power plant, the feelings of helplessness, the desire to get stronger. There was strength in this Luna, it just wasn't directed - trained.

She made the decision - she would help this girl. If she was strong enough to push herself to the brink of death to try for a power breakthrough then she deserved to live.

Luna made a request.

The Crimson Scythe answered.

The skin around Luna's neck was suddenly covered in armor, forcing the jaws of the Voidstalker open. Confusion delayed its reactions and suddenly it found itself gripped by the head and hurled through the air to slam into a tree.

Where Luna was a moment before, the Crimson Scythe stood, stretching out her limbs. This version of her had been sitting for a while. It was an odd feeling, to be experiencing both bodies at once. As The Crimson Scythe, her body was lean and incredibly fit - muscular and tireless. As Luna, her body was soft and weak, but more curved and feminine. Both versions of herself admired the other, while also being grateful for their own. The Scythe sent a spiritual 'get back' signal and Luna acknowledged, pulling her consciousness back enough to observe without getting in the way. She realized she could see her other self's powers and was giddy with the sheer badassery of her other self.

This could have been me!

It is you. Luna gasped at the other girl's response. Of course they could share thoughts. She quieted her mind, sitting back to watch the show.

The Scythe stepped forward, eyeing the Voidstalker. It was a lower-level shadow beast, dangerous if it caught you unawares but otherwise pretty harmless. It operated on instinct, relying on its speed and stealth abilities to get in close. Non-magical weapons were useless on it, as were most spells. Cold could slow it down and it was weak to fire. She didn't even need to go through her arsenal, Living Armory. The skill allowed her to store up to 50 weapons at its current level and she knew them all intimately. Stormlash appeared in her left hand, its blue fire able to cut through anything with the cold clarity of a storm's edge. Scorched Judgment appeared in her right, the Flames of Wrath already licking hungrily toward the shadowy creature. She feigned a lunge forward, enticing it to activate its ability to…

And there it goes, The Scythe thought as it leapt backwards into the shadows behind it. She dismissed Stormlash and pulled out Dawnbringer, spinning and launching the golden spear at the shadows behind her in a smooth motion. The Voidstalker appeared, predictably, in the shadows directly behind her, just in time for Dawnbringer to pin it to a tree. Quite frankly, the golden spear was overkill, but she didn't want to stretch this out any longer than needed. She could tell that herself from this timeline was running short on time.

The Voidstalker screamed, its high pitched howl of rage and pain a true sonic attack meant to paralyze her with fear. Unfortunately for it, fear had long since been purged from The Scythe. It slashed at the air, sending blades of pure darkness at the girl. Wraithstep carried her through the space between the blades, Scorched Judgment dismissed as well. She regretted dismissing her weapons without even using them, since she wasn't able to call on those same weapons for 24 hours, but she wanted to show this Luna what her potential was. That's also why she didn't mind wasting a use of Executioner's Judgment, despite its week-long cooldown.

She blinked out of Wraithstep, narrowly avoiding the creature's grasp, and immediately swung Executioner's Judgment. A massive scythe of pure crimson appeared in her hand, matching the Voidstalker's featureless silhouette - a fitting reflection of its existence outside of this world. The scythe was a physical manifestation of her rage, her wrath, her judgment. With one powerful sweep, she cut through the air in a horizontal arc. The blade passed harmlessly through the trees, but every living creature for a mile behind the Voidstalker was cleaved in two, as if the creature itself had been the true target. She quickly stowed her weapons and sat cross-legged beneath where the Voidstalker had been pinned, the echoes of the judgment lingering in the air.

Stay in this spot. My skills are yours now too, use them to bring judgment to your System. Luna felt the urgency in that command just as the Scythe disappeared.

Then the Scythe was gone and Luna was fully back in her body, as were the consequences of her decisions. System messages flashed across her vision, but she was as blind to them as she was deaf to the hiss of the healing potion injecting itself into her.

Her eyes rolled up into her head and she passed out just as the Voidstalker turned into a cloak of the purest shadows that, as luck would have it, fell to completely cover the girl, hiding her within the shadows of the tree, invisible to the world.

Character and Creature Sheets:

Luna Torres, Level: 16

Class: Fateweaver

Core Stats

STR: 13 AGI: 19 (15) END: 11 INT: 17 LUC: 40 CHA: 8

Combat Skills

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Melee Combat: Basic 1 Ranged Combat: Basic 5 Defense: Basic 1 Tactics: Basic 1 Attack: 8 Defense: 6

Magic and Technology

Magic Affinity: Intermediate 1 Tech Savvy: Basic 2 Spellcraft: N/A Enchantments: N/A

Ancillary Skills

Leadership: N/A Survival: Basic 5 Crafting: Basic 1 Stealth: Basic 1

Special Attributes

Enhancements/Impairments: Choose Your Fate (System Reward)

Achievements: Fourth kill (tied) (Recognized) Joint effort recognized (Recognized)

Skills and Abilities

Empathic Melee 2

Luck of the Draw 2

Echoes of Self 1

Paths of Fate 2

Vision of Fate 1

Class: Fateweaver Description: As a fledgling Fateweaver, you are learning to harness the chaotic forces of luck, not as a passive tool, but as a force you can influence. While still far from fully mastering your control over destiny, you are beginning to recognize the patterns in the threads of fate and are learning to weave them in your favor. At this stage, you have only begun to understand that luck is not a random event but a force you can shape with focus and will. You can sway outcomes ever so slightly, tipping the scales in your favor when needed, but you still lack full control over the threads of your future. The more you embrace your connection to luck, the more you will learn how to guide the forces that govern the paths ahead.

Enhancements/Impairments:

Choose Your Fate (System Reward): You have chosen to trust in luck, embracing the uncertainty and potential it offers. With each level, your reliance on luck grows, rewarding you for your commitment to this path. Gain 5 stat points per level when putting all points into Luck, but only 1 stat point per level when putting points into any other stat.

Skills and Abilities:

Name: Empathic Melee Type: Passive Skill Level: 2 Description: Due to your deep empathic bond with your sibling, developed through countless battles fought side by side, you have gained the ability to anticipate each other's movements, enhancing your coordination and effectiveness in combat.

Effect:

When within a certain range of each other, both you and your sibling receive a 15% boost to your agility and accuracy. This skill reflects your unique connection, allowing you to fight as a seamless unit and respond to each other's actions with unparalleled synchronicity.

Name: Luck of the Draw Type: Combat Skill Level: 2 Description: You have unlocked a deeper connection with the threads of fate, tapping into alternate timelines. Instead of relying on random chance, you can now selectively pull from one to all attributes from alternate versions of yourself in other timelines. The outcome is still uncertain, but you can choose specific traits or attributes to temporarily embody, changing the course of the battle based on the availability of your other timelines..

Effect

: Once per battle, you can activate Luck of the Draw to temporarily pull a single attribute from any version of yourself or the entire attribute pool from a version that you have directly interacted with, taking on their core stats for the duration of the battle.

Requirements:

This skill's effectiveness is dependent on how closely related the alternate timeline is to your current one and your familiarity with the other version of yourself.

Name: Echoes of Self Type: Support Skill Level: 1 Description: You have learned to connect with alternate versions of yourself across time, pulling them into your reality when your path requires assistance. Whether for combat or guidance, you can momentarily bring forth another version of Luna to aid you. However, the further the version is from your current timeline, the longer it takes to find them, and the more vulnerable you are during the process.

Active ability:

Through deep concentration you may seek out and connect with other versions of yourself. This connection can be as an observer only or you may choose to communicate with your other selves. The more you have communicated with another version of yourself the easier and faster you will be able to find them when activating

Echoes of Self

.

Note:

Effects may vary and are dependent on the differences between yourself and your alternate versions.

Effect

:

Once per five levels

you can attempt to summon a new alternate version of yourself to assist in your current timeline. The further removed the alternate timeline is from your own, the longer it will take to reach (up to 30 seconds). You are vulnerable during this time and the summoning may fail if you are unable to connect with the alternate version before the time runs out. The summoned version must be willing to help, and the closer they are to your current self, the faster and more effectively they can assist you. Once summoned, this version can be slotted into a new Echo slot, giving you access to their skills after the summoning has ended. The alternate version of you can exercise as much or little control as you choose but can never take full control of Luna Prime. At any point either version of Luna may sever the connection.

Once per level

you may engage the power set of any previously-summoned version of yourself that has been slotted into an Echo slot. Alternate versions are unaware and unaffected by Luna Prime activating this skill. The summoning gives an innate knowledge of how the skills work but does not guarantee proficiency or knowledge of how to use it. Duration lasts until dismissed.

Warning:

The longer you inhabit an Echo's form the more you will be influenced by their personality and risk eventually becoming them fully. This can lead to the Echo version of Luna choosing not to revert to Luna Prime's self.

Note:

Skills are lost if the source version's timeline ends.

Name: Paths of Fate Type: Support Skill Level: 2 Description: By honing your focus and drawing upon the power of fate, you can intuitively sense the best course of action when faced with a difficult decision. Your deep connection with the threads of destiny allows you to see the immediate next steps, providing clarity when navigating uncertain or dangerous situations. In moments of great risk or tough choices, you can peer briefly into the future to glimpse the paths available to you, choosing the most advantageous route.

Effect:

When concentrating on a specific outcome, you gain an intuitive sense of the optimal course of action. This passive effect helps guide your decision-making, especially during moments of uncertainty, by providing a subconscious impression of the best path forward.

Note:

Impressions of the best path are not a guarantee of successfully reaching the desired result.

Effect:

Once per day you can activate

Paths of Fate

to show you the next 10 seconds (5 seconds per skill level) of the future, revealing all possible paths. If you are unable or unwilling to choose a path within the 10 seconds one will be chosen at random.

Note

: Skill level is determined by your Luck stat. (1 level per 20 points of Luck)

Name: Vision of Fate Type: Combat Skill Level: 1 Description: In times of extreme concentration, when your life is at the edge of collapse, you can peer far into your future and glimpse the path that answers your deepest desire. This skill grants you a single vision of your ultimate path, showing you the possible future where your most crucial wish is granted. However, it can only manifest when your timeline is at great risk—when more than 90% of your potential futures result in your death.

Effect

: Once per 5 levels you can activate Vision of Fate to peer far ahead into the future, seeing a timeline where your deepest desire in the moment is realized. The skill takes time to activate and requires intense focus, leaving you vulnerable during its duration. The vision grants you the knowledge of what actions to take to avoid your most dire fate. However, failure to act in time may lead to the loss of the vision and you will be left to face the consequences.

Requirements:

5 levels since previous activation (activations can be saved and do not expire).

You must be in a state of extreme concentration.

90% of your current potential timelines must end in death.

Echoes of Lunas:

The Crimson Scythe Level: 22 Class: Humanity's Judge

Abilities:

Living Armory

: The Living Armory allows for the storage of 10 weapons per skill level. Weapons can be removed from storage as necessary and swapped out with other weapons. The power of the weapons being stored impacts their cooldown time. 1 weapon per level can be selected as having no cooldown time.

Executioner's Judgment

: A massive scythe of crimson energy materializes in The Scythe's hands, powered by her rage and wrath. This weapon can cut through any living creature or person in its path, cleaving not only physical entities but even distorting the very fabric of reality around it, leaving a wake of destruction that cannot be avoided.

Wrathful Assault

: A passive ability that empowers The Scythe's attacks after a certain period of combat. The longer she fights, the more her strikes become imbued with fiery energy, capable of cutting through even the toughest of armor and defenses.

Wraithstep

: A movement technique that allows The Scythe to blink between positions in the blink of an eye, avoiding enemy attacks and disorienting opponents. This ability can be used in quick succession, allowing her to evade even the most deadly strikes.

Judgment's Fury

: When pushed to the brink of exhaustion or rage, The Scythe enters a berserk state, boosting her strength, speed, and resistance to damage. During this time, she becomes a whirlwind of destruction, capable of tearing through enemies with ease. All stats are doubled.

Note:

After expiration all stats will be reduced by 50% for 24 hours and The Scythe will experience an extensive period of weakness.

Creature Sheets:

Voidstalker Level: 15 Type: Beast / Shadow| Description: The Voidstalker is an embodiment of pure darkness, emerging from cracks between worlds, its body a shapeless mass of shadow that devours light. It stands like a specter, its form ever-shifting as it slinks through the shadows, seeking out its prey. The creature is terrifying in its speed, moving faster than the eye can track, and can phase between spaces as though it were never truly part of this world. It is impervious to most conventional weapons and magic, relying on its ability to move silently and strike from unexpected angles. Only elemental forces such as fire or cold can slow it, though its speed makes it an extremely dangerous foe. The Voidstalker feeds on fear and terror, weakening its enemies with fear-inducing howls and strikes that paralyze.

Abilities:

Phantom Step

: The Voidstalker can phase through solid objects and move between the cracks of reality, allowing it to surprise its foes and strike from behind.

Sonic Scream

: The Voidstalker emits a high-pitched, ear-shattering scream capable of inducing fear and confusion in all enemies within range, temporarily lowering their defenses.

Shadow Claws

: The Voidstalker's claws are capable of cutting through both material and magical barriers. Strikes from these claws cause wounds that can not be easily healed without potent magical assistance.

Invisibility

: The Voidstalker can blend seamlessly with the shadows, becoming invisible to all but those with the most acute perception, or when exposed to light or extreme cold.

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