OP Sister Chapter 538: Guidance

-----

“What do you see in her Fate, Siddhartha?” Ares asked.

“…”

Buddha remained silent as he read the golden lines emerging from Anna’s soul, intertwining with a higher plane.

“Incredible.”

“What? What is it? Who is she?”

“Ares, this girl comes from the past.”

“…?!”

“I see now. The Void King sought to reunite with his long-lost family. He shattered the boundaries between dimensions, but instead of ascending beyond the Fourth Dimension, he moved sideways, reaching an Alternate Timeline.”

“That’s possible? Wait… Can we…?”

“Only a being like the Void King could survive the turbulent explosion of dimensional energies leading to another timeline. Unfortunately, I doubt we could follow. We would perish, I assure you.”

“…”

Ares looked down, sighing.

There was no escape from this ruined future.

“However, she belongs to that world—she, her brother, and this small spawn of the Void King,” Buddha said with a smile. “I never lost hope, but now I feel even more hopeful. Not only is she extraordinary, but her brother and this little pup are as well. I understand now. Perhaps this is our destiny, Ares.”

“What?” Ares asked, confused.

“…”

Buddha smiled at Ares, then gazed into the starry skies.

“Fate works in truly mysterious ways, don’t you think?”

“Siddhartha, just tell me already!”

“You lack patience. What have we discussed before? You must practice restraint and patience. Your recklessness is your greatest weakness, friend.”

“…”

Ares sighed, looking down.

“I’ll get going now. I’ll return in the morning to check on her.”

“So you’ve grown attached to the girl already?”

“Hmph, it’s not like that. She just carries a fragment of my brother. I cannot abandon her.”

Buddha offered the same calm, gentle smile as before, closing his eyes.

“Despite being a God born from human conflict and bloodshed, you’re very kind.”

“…”

Ares walked away without a word, leaving Buddha with Anna, her brother, and Fenrir.

As he looked over them, he observed the lotus flowers gathering around them.

“Void King, who would have thought that the sister you desperately sought has now landed in the world you abandoned,” Buddha said. “Although these timelines are not connected, to protect that world’s future, I cannot let you continue this endless massacre. Yet, I am uncertain how I could ever help her return home.”

Buddha closed his eyes, resuming his lotus position and meditating silently until morning arrived.

The starry sky brightened slightly, and the planet Mars completed one rotation, signaling the passage of a day.

While sleeping, Anna experienced a strange dream.

She dreamed she was a small puppet with countless strings attached to her body, controlled by someone who laughed and reveled in her struggles.

She strained to see deeper into the dream, to identify the person manipulating her.

She glimpsed only the old, wrinkled face of a woman, giggling endlessly as she moved her long fingers, controlling Anna.

Somehow, her face was familiar, but she couldn’t discern exactly who she was.

“Heheh… hehehehe… My cute little doll… Finally, I have you in my hands… Finally… finally!”

“Aaah!”

Anna awoke screaming, gasping for air as sweat drenched her body.

The air around her felt heavy, and she was no longer in her comfortable bed.

“Right…”

For a moment, she had hoped everything she had endured was merely a nightmare.

She wished that upon waking up, she would return to her real life.

“Good morning, Anna.”

“Ah…”

She heard a soothing voice behind her and found Siddhartha there, meditating, watching over her with a gentle aura.

“Good morning, sir.”

“Sir? Haha.”

“Huh? Sorry…”

“You’re too nervous. Am I that frightening?”

“What? No…”

Anna looked down.

“I know you’re wary of Constellations, and not without reason. Many would not care about you. But you need not fear me.”

“I know… thank you for watching over me…”

“Did you have a nightmare?”

“…Yes.”

“Tell me, what was it? Do you remember anything?”

“Does that matter?”

“Nightmares and dreams can sometimes be premonitions of future events. As twisted and strange as they may seem, they are often glimpses into possible futures.”

“…”

Anna sat down, sighing.

“I dreamed about a strange old lady using strings to control my body. She called me her pretty little doll or something and laughed, very creepily… ugh.”

“…The Puppeteer.”

“You know her? Ares mentioned something about her, but I didn’t quite catch it. Why would I dream about her? I’ve never seen her before.”

“She’s a Fallen Constellation born in the Era of Ruin after the Void King’s rampage. We don’t know her origins or who she was before. We only know she travels within a massive floating fortress and has the power to turn those she captures into puppets. She’s among our greatest enemies in this new Era. Not even the Scavengers or the Void King’s Spawns are as threatening as she is.”

“It’s that bad?”

“I’m afraid so. I’ve never spoken with her, but perhaps if I did, I could help her. Yet I remain cautious. Sometimes, those who need help most are best observed from a distance. I need to understand her mind better before attempting to purify her madness.”

“You can purify madness?”

“I did so for you and your brother. My Radiance has the power to bring harmony to minds and souls,” Buddha explained. “This is why the Constellations here have not become Fallen Constellations.”

“But what exactly are Fallen Constellations, Lord Buddha?” Anna asked respectfully.

“They are typically Constellations who have succumbed to the Void King’s Madness, becoming twisted beings no longer embodying their True Stories but distorted, monstrous parodies seeking only destruction,” Buddha said. “Or they may be born from corpses and resentment-filled fragmented stories, like zombies or ghosts, returning to life but not as we know them, often as Scavengers.”

“The Puppeteer Granny… What kind of Constellation was she before?” Anna wondered, sighing.

“We don’t know, unfortunately,” Buddha said. “Nonetheless, Ares must be on his way here. Anna, I wanted to ask you something, but you’re not fully awake yet. You’re welcome to bathe in this lake or visit the waterfalls over there for more privacy.”

“Thank you, I will… but what about my brother?” Anna asked.

“He is resting, recovering,” Buddha said. “I’m doing my best. Half his body is already healed. Another day should suffice.”

“Another day…” Anna clenched her teeth.

“Are you worried?” Buddha asked.

“…Yes, I am,” Anna nodded. “I’m so worried…”

“For your family? Your people?” he asked again.

“I miss them, and I worry about them…” Anna said, tears falling. “I was using all my knowledge, all my powers, so one day I could change the future. But now, it feels like the future I wanted to change came after me, trying to stop me from achieving anything…”

“Hmm…”

Buddha closed his eyes, meditated briefly, and then offered an answer.

“Anna, sit and listen to what I have to tell you.”

“…?”

Anna sat, gazing at Buddha’s calm, understanding smile.

“You bear the weight of the future entirely on your shoulders, do you not?”

Anna nodded, looking down, unable to meet his truthful eyes.

“Do you realize the torment you inflict upon yourself, acting as a martyr to atone for everyone’s mistakes? No matter how much you know about what could be or what might happen, you’ll never see events unfold exactly as you envision. The world changes, and each person follows their own path. From the moment you began altering things, the future you foresaw was already rewritten.”

“…?”

“You strive to accomplish too much in too little time without pausing to consider what you can do now. You plan for distant goals while neglecting immediate actions. You envision yourself achieving great things, yet you’ve barely begun. I understand your kindness and what you’ve accomplished so far. I saw it through your Karma. It’s admirable, but not once did you do it alone.”

“…”

“From the moment you entered that world, you’ve been accompanied by many others, each contributing a small measure of help. These efforts combined into your achievements, but they would never have happened without their support or even their mere presence.”

“Ah…”

“Anna, trying to do everything alone is misguided. You must seek help and ask for their assistance. I know why you fear the secret you hold, and though I was shocked, I also believe you were brought to us for a reason. Nothing in the world happens without purpose. The Flow of Fate is relentless, and no matter how we resist, it crashes like an ocean wave, growing stronger the more we oppose it.”

“But, Buddha, if we cannot resist fate, what do we do? How can we change the future?”

Buddha smiled.

“Instead of holding everything together, let it flow. Instead of drowning, swim through the turbulent waves of fate. Take a boat and reach new lands. You cannot do that alone. Embrace what you’re given and create something new and wonderful. The only way to change the future is by working diligently in the present, together with others.”

Anna was struck by Buddha’s words.

Everything that had made her feel so conflicted was addressed.

He knew everything about her…

Even though they had only met for a day.

“So, my dear Anna,” Buddha said. “Tell me, what will you do now? What can you do right now?”

“I will take a bath to feel better,” Anna said with a smile.

“And then?”

“I will have breakfast. Later, I’ll find a way back home. I will seek help however I can, gather materials, and then return,” Anna said.

“Yes, that’s the spirit,” Buddha nodded. “You were lost and broken, but by calming your mind and thinking clearly, the path ahead becomes simple, doesn’t it? Overthinking only allows Heart Demons to consume your mind and spirit. Do not let them win, Anna.”

“I know…” Anna said, tears falling as she regained her confidence and strength through Buddha’s enlightening words.

“Once he recovers, your brother will help you. He loves you more than you can imagine, and that little dog, Fenrir, deeply cares for you both,” Buddha said. “Now, I believe I can help you achieve your goal and return home, but first, you must promise me something, Anna.”

“Eh? Anything…!” Anna nodded.

“Please…” Buddha said, pausing briefly before meeting her gaze. “Please help the Void King.”

“…Huh?” Anna was surprised.

The Void King, who had brought endless destruction, death, and chaos…

A being every Constellation despised.

Yet Buddha pitied him and sought to bring him salvation, not death.

“He’s your brother, right?” Siddhartha asked.

“…So you knew that much,” Anna muttered. “Yes… he is.”

“You’re the sister he always spoke of the only family member he loved and cared for, whom he couldn’t save,” Siddhartha said. “Anna, your heart and your brother’s heart are connected by a thick thread of Fate. I’m not saying you should do it alone, but you’re the only one who can save the Void King.”

“But…” Anna muttered. “He betrayed me. We had spoken before, yet he attacked me. He pierced my soul with his gaze. He tried to kill me…”

“No, Anna, you don’t understand…” Siddhartha said. “I’m certain the one who attacked you was not your brother.”

“…What?” Anna stared at Siddhartha, her myriad eyes wide open. “But I received the notification. It had to be him!”

-----