The Future.

Ten years ago, Talen ran away. Unable to face his weakness and failure, he pursued a career in criminal justice. Eventually, he'd become a defense lawyer after opening up a firm with one of his classmates from college–Cait. They were partners. But even more so than that, they were friends.

Sat behind her desk in the firm her partner founded, the woman's hold loosened around the spliff as smoke released from the depth of her throat. She shook her head. It'd been months since anyone normal even glimpsed a sighting of her boss. Frankly, she questioned if he was even still alive. Then she often remembered the stories he'd tell her after sneaking out of college to get fast food. About his past in the Syndicate. As the Unconquerable. That night… How could she ever forget it?

5 years ago.

The streets of Barronia were drenched from the downpour the night prior. The puddle in the sidewalk reflecting the night's vast black sky was suddenly rippled by Talen's foot. On the other hand, Cait, lagging behind him, hopped over it. Walking beside each other, the lamppost over them released a warm yellow hue that brightened their faces only briefly.

Bypassing the border of light, Talen and Cait vanished into the shadows darkening the end of the street. The moon was especially bright. But even its lunar glow wasn't enough to enchant the Unconquerable. The same couldn't be said for Cait beside him on the tiled rooftop they sat upon.

Talen's knee was propped up as he dangled off the rooftop edge. "You sure it's okay to smoke around you?" He turned around and faced her. "I don't wanna put you off or anything."

Cait's body lay flat on the surface while she scrolled through her phone. "I'm sure." She sat up. "It doesn't bother me."

"If you insist," he said.

The continuous flickering of the Unconquerable's lighter wandered into Cait's ears some feet away. As the flame ignited the spliff's end, a smooth and quiet crackling flickered into existence, only to be quelled as Talen started inhaling. Plucking the joint from his lips and shoving the lighter in one pocket, the future lawyer took a second to stop.

Halting his movements besides smoking and holding the joint, the young man's muted emerald pupils sparkled under the flashing lights of the dazzling metropolis. The plant's effects were slow but satisfactory. To Talen, at least. From behind the view of his eye, the brightness encompassing the city had all but turned blurry and unrealistic.

It had all but everything to do with the smoke he was inhaling. After realizing how high he'd become, Talen snickered with a grin and continued the cycle of smoking. The beautiful city scenery Amit remembered from his youth still had its luster, even five years later.

Or maybe he still liked it because he was high both times he went to see it. Regardless, the smile across the Unconquerable's lips was akin to an inextinguishable flame. But the thing about a blaze is it's noticeable. Unable to ignore his grin from the corner of his face barely visible, Cait briefly stood and sat beside Talen at the edge.

"Gimme some," she extended her hand.

Talen's head turned to Cait. Widening his eyes and unhinging his jaw in what seemed like slow motion, he asked, "What?"

"Jeez," she tittered. "You're stoned."

"Yup."

Cait took the spliff from between his fingers. "So—" she settled it in her mouth, letting the smoke drift into the sky. "—what's with the bandages?"

"Huh?"

"The bandages on your hands; what's up with that?"

'Bandages…' Talen rolled up his sleeves and showed her his arm. "Oh they're like… cuz I had an injury or something during baseball last week. And I kinda broke my arm."

Cait squinted. "But you don't play basketball. Or do anything, for that matter. I'm your only friend. I already know this. So why're you lying?"

"Cuz the truth is a lot more messed up than you think," he said.

"So?"

She handed him the joint. Cait's magenta-colored eyes glistened under the light of the city. With the left half-side of her face illuminated, Talen could see it. Her. The way her silver strands swayed with the wind before her vibrant irises, the beautiful freckles accentuating her face, and that kind smile that warmed his heart. It was undeniable. She was beautiful. And yet, that was exactly why…

"I've seen my share of carnage. Whatever you have to say probably won't even phase me. Or maybe it will. Who knows? I won't! That is until you tell me." She smiled. "It's okay. I won't—"

Talen inched closer. Hitching her breath, Cait suddenly froze. She knew what came next—she could feel it in the air. But she didn't move. Remaining idle before the Unconquerable, Cait's eyes closed and their lips finally touched. Blessed under the moonlight, their kiss was mere seconds long, because Tal was the one to pull away.

"You didn't pull back." He smirked. "Were you waiting for me to kiss you?"

She was stunned. While her face was stained red, his remained the same—save for the cheeky expression. Stuck between annoyed and embarrassed, she pushed his face away with her palm and after that, covered her own.

Talen chuckled as he fell back. Staring up at the star-riddled sky, his green eyes reflected the countless stars. "I guess that's a yes."

"Is that it?" Cait's fingers spread over her eyes. "You didn't even tell me what you were going to say." Despite the blush, she maintained her composure. Somewhat.

Talen sat up. "That's true. I guess I should wait until after so I can tease you."

He pointed at the bandages covering both arms after rolling up his sleeves. "Under these are Fate markings. They're ancient runes and hieroglyphics that hold spiritual properties capable of awakening someone to Fate. Only after being awakened can the user use their life force and the innate aura that accompanies it. At the center of Fate are 'Predestined Powers', techniques capable of uniquely dispersing varying abilities across the spectrum. There's nothing a Power can't do." He shrugged. "Besides travel through time, I think…"

Cait nodded. The blush had long since faded. "I see. So you're a Fate user, then?"

"Uh, yeah. I am." Talen glanced at her. "You seem so casual about it. Why?"

"My parents and siblings are Fate users," she said.

"But not you?"

"Not me."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Talen said. "Anyone can become a Fate user. Anyone can manifest a Predestined Power."

Cait nodded. "Exactly. So it didn't make sense to them. After a while, some expert Enforcer or Agent came to them, saying it was just a late manifestation. Powerful techniques usually appear later down the line… like the Unconquerable," she said.

"Heh," Talen sneered. "So you knew who I was the moment we met, huh? Impressive. You had me completely fooled."

"Cuz I didn't lie. Well, more accurately, I didn't tell you the whole truth."

"I see." Scratching his chin, Tal looked down at her. "You know, there's such a thing as 'latent' Predestined Powers."

Her head tilted. "What do you mean?"

"It's a rare and special case called 'Blessed Freedom'. My brother and sister have it. Each individual with 'Blessed Freedom' possesses a different ability etched into their body. It goes from mere physical enhancement to vocal and sonic manipulation. It's a powerful and versatile technique, but predicting who it'll choose to manifest in and what ability it grants them is the drawback. Such a drawback that the ability can't reveal itself normally," Talen said.

Keres Illustrious, Archer Amit, Alora Illustrious, and now, Caitlyn Ambers. A vicious cycle of violence encompassing the Fate within her was waiting to be unleashed. He could feel it. And with his words, now so could she. A hand idle flat on her chest, Cait looked down and stifled a chuckle.

"Oh, thank goodness!" She waved her hand. "I hate that bullshit!"

Talen was stunned. How could she say something like that? After everything he'd seen and been through, to hear the profession he worked his life for being blatantly insulted, made him smile.

Five years past, and he was still a young man, learning about the ways of the world through his youth. Caitlyn was one of the few things he cherished after leaving the Syndicate. Her smile, hair, and freckles—all equally meaningless as the sound of her voice blessed his ears. It was only because this girl in front of him spoke with it that he was so enchanted.

It took him a second to realize how infatuated with her he'd become in the brief time she took to speak. Lowering his head, a blush spread across the Unconquerable's cheeks, coloring his face with a scarlet hue.

"I'm glad you feel that way."

Cait's eyes widened. Pointing at his face, she screamed. "AHHH! YOU'RE BLUSHING!"

"Shut up."

She bent over and poked her cheek, smirking. "You blushed. You blushed," she said in a sing-songy voice.

The vein in Talen's temple pulsated. Before he could be completely entrenched in anger at her provoking, he grabbed her by the face and pulled her to his lips. She fell into the second kiss they shared under the soothing moonlight.

The passion they shared that night fled from the rooftop into a hotel bedroom.

Hours later, Talen sat at the edge of the bed, sliding his fingers through his short black hair. He looked back once at Cait's sleeping build before rising from the mattress and strolling into the bathroom. As the showerhead bathed the young Unconquerable in water, his hair wetted. Looking down at the drain and inhaling the liquid, Talen's eyes reflected the past; something he couldn't forget.

Lily. Closing both eyes, Talen clenched his fists. Why? That was five years ago. When he was nothing but a child. If he were to think about the past, it should at least be about Uriel or Alora. And yet, it wasn't. Had some part of him regretted leaving her so readily? Perhaps. But that was his choice. He left the past behind and moved toward the future. Or more accurately… he ran away. Like a coward.

Was that why some residual part of himself still thought of her? It didn't matter. She was the past—utterly meaningless. For him in the future, where Cait was sleeping just one room over, thoughts of his ex meant nothing. Finally, for the first time in over five years, he'd been starting to forget everything. He was starting to feel at least a glimmer of happiness. The return of Barlowe's name and face in his mind's eye meant that enjoyable sensation's undeniable destruction.

And he… could never allow that to occur! He could talk with Cait. He could speak with her and tell her everything from the depths of his heart. On the other hand, he couldn't even get a text back from Lily. Staring longingly at his dry phone screen, hoping for someone to love him—Talen could never forget that feeling.

If it ever returned, and Cait faded with it, Amit wouldn't know how to react. The tears streaming down his cheeks eventually made the Unconquerable cover his face with his hand. Then, the bathroom door creaked open, revealing Caitlyn's half-dressed appearance.

"Talen?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

Hitching his breath, he faced the curtain—eyes shaking.

When she got no answer, she glanced at the ground, then back at the curtain. "Can I get in?" Because of the shower's overhead light, she could see his silhouette behind it.

Talen nodded.

She entered the shower after stripping her clothing. Sliding open the blinds and entering the tub, Cait's face was immediately cupped between Talen's hands. She stopped once his emerald eyes dug into her own, letting the shower wet their bodies.

"I…"

She smiled. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Her arms slid around his neck. "I'm here."

"I'm sorry." Talen's face scrunched up. "I'm… terrible."

"You're not. Don't say things like that," she said.

"But I am!" He turned away from her, facing the wall. "Everything about me is disgusting! Don't you see how scarred I am?"

The cuts and bruises stabbed into the Unconquerable's back were barely visible because of the large tattoo-like marking. She hadn't even noticed them until he said something. Stepping forward, her hand raised. A stray tear fell from the corner of Talen's eye and rained down his cheek.

"It's been so long. I hadn't thought about it in forever. Fate. My ex. My dad. I was just a kid. Even so, I remember it so vividly. Training with him. That wretched old man. The way he'd so mercilessly hurt me over and over again, trying to justify it with some self-righteous bullshit like, 'This is for your good, I promise.' And even more so than that… Why is that bitch even on my mind? She wanted me for her desires. And then, when I wanted for my own, she vanished. I couldn't even tell if I loved her. But she was gone as quick as she came. Nothing but another fleeting memory of trauma pressed into my head. I thought I was over it." Tal's eyes closed. "I'm sorry. If you wanted to be something more, that's the kind of person you'd be with. The one who thinks about his ex directly after—"

Caitlyn's arms wrapped around Talen from behind. The darkness cleared. As the tear curved down his face and dripped off his chin, it splashed in the bathtub water below them.

"I don't care. It's the past. Neither of them is here now. So it's okay. You'll be okay." She squished her cheek into his back and kissed it. "This is the future."

Talen's closed eyes slowly reopened. Across his lips replacing the somber frown was a new smile filled with hope. "Yeah…" He nodded. "You're right."

Present day.

Locking the door behind her, Cait stepped onto the sidewalk and turned away, walking through the crowd. Courtesy of the relentless thoughts plaguing her mind, the numerous civilians running past her were seemingly invisible. Until she stopped. Rising her head, Caitlyn's magenta-colored eyes reflected the deep scarlet sky.

'Is this normal?'

Usually, a red sky appears when dust and moisture are trapped in the atmosphere. But this was something else entirely. For some reason, she could feel it, yet even more than that—she could sense its origin. Like a mental message transcending space, Talen's voice called out to her.

'Cait.'

She vanished from the sidewalk. The condition for awakening… was met.