Chương 173: The White Space

Felicity suddenly found herself in a completely white space. There were no walls or ceilings; it seemed like a place without boundaries. She looked around in confusion. The silence was so absolute that it was almost painful. She covered her ears with her hands, disturbed by the absence of sound, which seemed to compress even the air around her. Then she heard footsteps. A faint sound. Real. She turned around. A woman stood before her. She looked like Felicity, yet she was different at the same time.

She had a more ethereal appearance, longer black hair, and wore a white hanfu with a golden cloak. The woman's expression was apathetic, completely devoid of emotion.

"Who are you?" Felicity asked. The woman studied Felicity carefully, then placed a hand against her forehead.

"Damn it…I got it wrong again".

"Got what wrong? Am I dreaming?" The woman looked her in the eyes.

"No, you're not dreaming. I believe I arrived when I had just activated my power, against that slave trader named Ravetrisk, if I remember correctly". Felicity couldn't understand why she was speaking in the first person.

"I don't understand any of this. Tell me who you are and what this place is".

"This is the White Space. It's a place where the past, present, and future coexist simultaneously. You could remain here for decades while only an instant passes in reality. The problem is that it's extremely difficult to control", she explained in an apathetic tone. Felicity studied her more closely. The black hair. The gray eyes. The two swords at her waist.

"Wait…you…you're me?"

"Yes. I'm a version of you from a very distant future". This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"A very distant future? How far?"

"That doesn't matter. I wasn't supposed to come here. This wasn't the version of me I was supposed to meet. I have to meet another one…a few years further into the future. I have to stop her from taking an action that will ruin her life forever".

"You mean…you're changing the past?"

"I'm trying to", the future Felicity replied. She then approached Felicity, stopping a few meters away from her.

"You're still at the beginning of your journey. What you'll face in the future will be something you could never expect".

"What does that mean? What will happen?"

"There's no point in telling you. I'll erase your memories of this encounter anyway. You only need to know that things won't go the way you hope. Not at all".

"What do you mean? Tell me, please". The future Felicity sighed, then told her. It only took a few words. Felicity's eyes widened in disbelief. What she had just heard went beyond all logic and beyond anything she could ever have expected. Something immensely greater. Something cosmic.

"What? Will…will all of this happen?"

"Yes. Everything I've told you will happen. Without change".

"And I can't stop it?"

"No, you can't. The future is predetermined. Everything is destined to happen, regardless of what anyone does to change it". Felicity stared at her in disbelief.

"But I know everything now…I can change things. I can stop them from happening".

"No. As I said, I'll erase your memories".

"But why?"

"Because I have to. This encounter wasn't supposed to happen. If I left you with these memories, you would change all the other events as well, and what I'm doing might no longer make sense. This isn't the past I need to change, but another one. If only I knew how to control this damn power better, I would have succeeded already. I have to go now".

"Wait, I have one last question".

"Make it quick".

"If the future is predetermined and everything is destined to happen, how can you change the past?"

"Because changing the past is still part of the future that had already been decided. And we've already changed it in the past. This isn't the first time".

"What? How?"

"I don't have any more time…goodbye".

"Wait-" The future Felicity touched her forehead with her index finger. Felicity collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Her future self watched her with a nostalgic expression, then turned away.

"Another failed attempt…will I still have enough time? Will I stop my past self from going to that place?" Then she vanished, as if she had never been there. Felicity suddenly woke up in bed. Her heart was pounding, and her forehead was beaded with sweat. Elion was sitting beside her.

"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly. Felicity sat up and ran a hand through her hair.

"Yes…I think I dreamed about something important, but I don't know what". Elion nodded.

"It happens to me too. Are you ready to leave?" Felicity nodded. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and got out of bed, still dazed. She strapped her swords to her waist and, despite the severe pain in her bones, stopped using her staff. When she reached the lower floor, the group was already ready.

"Is everyone ready?"

"Yes, we were just waiting for you", Ethan replied. Felicity stepped in front of the group.

"Let's go". The others followed her. They left the shelter, ready to reach the capital and reunite with Leah and Xia. And Felicity, unaware of everything, would set out toward a future completely different from the one she expected.