Contents
Chapter 89 — Oro
Overview
Warned by Isla that Cronan is invading early, Oro returns to the prophetic pool. Given the power to view outcomes, he surveys countless futures and discovers a single pivotal choice: a necessary sacrifice can avert total destruction. He resolves to act, despite fearing he may lack the strength.
Summary
Oro, unsettled by the charge to find a weapon that can kill any being, yearns to return to the pool for answers. Isla arrives briefly, warning him that Cronan’s invasion is coming sooner than expected, then vanishes. Oro alerts allies and volunteer forces, hurrying back to his castle.
As Oro enters, his vision turns silver and the pool—and its guiding woman—reappear. The waters are now ink-dark; the woman says the future has been poured into them and that Oro may ask questions to see the consequences of every possibility.
Determined not to repeat past mistakes, Oro submits himself to the pool, asking about every scenario he can imagine. He witnesses branching outcomes of life and death, and identifies a single decisive moment that alters the fate of their world.
Gasping back to the surface, Oro accepts the prophecy: someone must die to prevent total and complete destruction. The truth is agonizing but undeniable. He commits to the path the vision demands, even as he doubts whether he has the strength to carry it out.
Who Appears
- OroKing of Lightlark; consults the future pool and learns a sacrificial choice is required to save the world.
- IslaAppears briefly to warn Oro that Cronan is invading earlier than expected, then departs.
- The woman at the poolMysterious guide who explains the pool now holds future outcomes and invites Oro to ask questions.