The surviving monster, deeply aware of the horrors of fate, trusted neither himself nor others.
Only conclusions drawn from the most objective perspectives and information analyzed from the heights of fate were deemed reliable; all else was considered untrustworthy.
The world, through his eyes, became a clear framework; life, a cold formula.
This approach was inherently flawed, as it still involved trusting only himself. However, the more mistakes Ansel made, the closer he came to that elevated state, that realm he now nearly perfected.
He could dissect a person at a glance, manipulate their loves and hates, and place them precisely where they needed to be to do what was most suitable, steering everything towards … the outcome he desired.
In the game with Seraphina, he only lost to fate at the very last moment, while in the game with Ravenna, he had already executed a perfect checkmate.