"Sorceress? Jayden raised a brow. "As in... magician? Wizard?"

Coraline smiled knowingly. "I prefer the term ’Witch’, but yes, whatever works for you," she said.

Jayden was stunned at first. But then he thought about the Valkyries. About the system. About gods and their domains being real enough to kill and be killed. If those were real, then something like this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

"So you cast spells? You can use magic?" he asked in curiosity.

"I don’t just use magic, darling," Coraline said, her voice dropping an octave, resonating with an ancient, terrifying weight. "I AM magic. I am the most powerful sorceress in the entire universe."

Jayden chuckled softly. "Yeah, I definitely get got that part. Your energy signature is unlike anything I’ve ever felt."

Coraline tilted her head. Pleased but not vain about the pleasure. "You sensed that?" she asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

Jayden nodded. "Yes."

Coraline laughed, a bright, tinkling sound. "Oh, little wolf, I concealed my energy. What you sensed was nothing more than a residue of it. A little fragment of my power that must have seeped out," she explained. "I’m actually surprised you were able to sense it at all."

Jayden was awestruck. What he had felt—that suffocating, limitless pressure—was just a fragment? Which means if she actually released her aura, it would likely level the entire city. This woman wasn’t just dangerous; she was a walking cataclysm.

"What did you say your name was again?" Coraline asked, staring at Jayden in fascination.

"Jayden," he replied. "Jayden Starrk."

Coraline jaw dropped slightly. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Oh! You’re the one with Cynthia’s beast powers." She chuckled softly to herself. "She mentioned something about distributing her abilities, but I never thought she’d actually do it."

"Cynthia?" Jayden asked. He already had a clue as to who Coraline was talking about, but he needed confirmation. "As in... Artemis?"

Coraline nodded. "Yes. You possess her beast-related powers, don’t you?" she said with with a slight tang of amusement in her tone. "You can tame beasts, communicate with them, and even turn into one, can’t you?"

"I can," Jayden confirmed. "But how did you know that just from my name?"

"Artemis knew she was going to die," Coraline began. "So, she divided her powers before it could happen. She first chose a scion who would inherit her primary legacy—her title and full power. Then, she replicated her powers and divided them as a contingency, in case her successor perished, so her legacy wouldn’t be lost forever."

Jayden processed the information carefully. "So there are more people out there with Systems like mine, but with different aspects of Artemis’s power?"

"Possibly," Coraline nodded. "After the Schism, Cynthia inherited the abilities of her related counterparts; Luna and Selene. Their powers came to her alongside her original domains of beast lordship and vegetation. Those powers were divided and distributed when she was domed to die." She looked at him steadily. "You received the beast lordship.

Jayden took a very deep breath. His head was spinning. Realms, the Schism, dead gods, divided powers. It was too much lore at once, but his mind latched onto the one glaring plot hole in her explanation.

"You still haven’t answered my original question," Jayden pressed, leaning forward. "How did you know I was the one with the Beast Lordship powers just by hearing my name?"

Coraline smirked. She let the silence stretch for a moment before answering. "It was prophesied."

Jayden scoffed, shaking his head. "Prophesied? That’s it? You’re telling me it was magically written in the stars that I, Jayden Starrk, would inherit the Beastlord System?"

Coraline shook her head slowly. "Not Jayden Starrk. Jayden Lunaria. Son of Cyllene Lunaria. Grandson of Callisto Lunaria. And great-grandson of Lycaon, the first Lycan." she declared.

Jayden inhaled sharply. The air left his lungs. He had always assumed the System was a stroke of cosmic luck. The crescent necklace that housed it had originally been a single full moon necklace belonging to his mother. She had broken it in two and given a piece to him and a piece to his sister, Jasmine. It was totally random. The System could have easily gone to her.

Unless... Jasmine had one too?

"Wait," Jayden blurted out. "Does my—?" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"No," Coraline answered before he even finished the question. "Your sister does not possess a tool like yours. She has something far greater."

Jayden’s eyes widened. He wasn’t sure Coraline would know Jasmine, but he had decided to ask anyway, hoping that she would. And now, he just confirmed that she did. This opened up a new realm of emotions and questions.

"You know Jasmine?" he whispered. "Do you know where she is? Is she okay?" He asked frantically. Because to him, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. He was in front of a cosmic, all-powerful sorceress. He there was even a slight he could get her to help him find and rescue his sister, he had to take it.

Coraline held up a hand. "I do not know where your sister is, little wolf," she said softly.

Jayden shook his head. "But you just said—"

"I said she doesn’t possess a System," Coraline interrupted gently. "I didn’t say I knew her location."

"You’re the Supreme Sorceress of the universe!" Jayden argued desperately. "You can use a spell to locate her, right? You can find her, right?"

Coraline sighed heavily. "My magic doesn’t work that way, little wolf. And even if it did... I’m afraid I still wouldn’t be able to help you," she stated. "I am but a traveler of realms. A cruiser. Sometimes a messenger who delivers, reminds, and observes. To interfere with the universe’s written design and meddle in the affairs of fate will lead to disastrous consequences."

Jayden let out a bitter scoff. "You sound exactly like someone I know. He believes in this ’fate’ nonsense too."

"Don’t you?" Coraline asked carefully.

"No. I don’t," Jayden snapped. "Life hasn’t exactly been fair to me. And I refuse to believe my suffering is part of some ridiculous, predetermined concept like destiny or fate."

Coraline chuckled. "Tribulations are but a pathway to success, little wolf. Fate works in mysterious ways. The ones truly destined for greatness never have it easy at the start." She paused, her gaze softening. "But if it’s any solace... your sister is alive and well."

Jayden raised a brow. "How do you know that?"

Coraline smiled. "Just like I knew you were the one with the Beastlord power, I also know that your sister possesses an incredible power of her own. And she is destined for so much more. In fact, believe me when I say... she will become a goddess."

"A goddess?" Jayden laughed darkly. "We don’t even know where she is."

"That is just part of her journey," Coraline explained. "She will find her way back to you, that much I can tell you. It’s just a matter of time."

"Let me guess," Jayden deadpanned. "That was prophesied too?"

Coraline chuckled. "Indeed it was."

"By who?" Jayden asked.

Coraline took a deep breath, her eyes gazing past him into the sky. "By the universe. By the Deity of Foresight. By the All-Seeing God. By the Oracle of Lunaria. And by every other seer who was present on the First Day," she said with an ambiguous undertone. Then she looked directly into his eyes. "My point is... everything that is happening is just a cog in the universe’s grand scheme. It is unchangeable. And should anyone try to alter her designs, there will be..."

"Disastrous consequences," Jayden finished. "Yeah, I got it,"

"I know it seems ridiculous and unfair to you, Jayden," Coraline said gently. "But you will come to understand it sooner or later. Everything happens for a reason. Every death, every life, every failure, every success, every single moment in time. It’s all predestined. You cannot change what has happened, nor what is meant to be."

Jayden weighed the crushing gravity of her words. He still hated the concept of fate, but he couldn’t deny the logic. The past was gone, he couldn’t change it. He could only control how fast he moved forward.

"Yeah, I guess you’re right," Jayden sighed softly. His eyes flared with a renewed, stubborn intensity. "But I refuse to lose anyone else I care about. Whether it’s fated or not."

Coraline beamed at him. "I admire your tenacity, Jayden. You have that same blazing fire your mother and grandmother possess. I have no doubt you will do great things, just like them." She picked up her elegant purse and stood up. "This has been a fun conversation, but I’m afraid it has to come to an end."

Jayden blinked. "Wait, you’re leaving?"

"A traveler’s journey is never complete," Coraline nodded. "There will always be new places to explore. And I’m not getting any younger." She winked. "Thank you for eating with this old lady. You’ve been interesting company, little wolf."

Jayden chuckled at the ’old lady’ comment. She looked younger than most thirty-year-olds, but he understood what she really meant. She was ancient.

He stood up, offering a respectful nod. "It’s a shame you’re leaving. I still have so many questions."

Coraline offered a kind smile. "If the universe wills it, you will gather your answers eventually. And perhaps if our paths cross again, I will indulge you."

"I hope so," Jayden smiled. "Thank you for your time, Coraline. I am grateful for the information. It was... enlightening."

"Oh, it was nothing, darling," Coraline said. "And please, call me Corey."

"Okay," Jayden chuckled. "But something tells me Coraline isn’t even your real name."

Coraline’s smile turned mysterious. "I’ll leave the conspiracy to you, Beastlord." She adjusted her purse, and that’s when Jayden noticed it for the first time. It was a pristine, vintage 20th-century Louis Vuitton that absolutely shouldn’t exist in this era.

Coraline then stepped away from the table. "Whenever you visit Autumn City, make sure to stop by Darius’s truck. He sells the best burgers in all of Alpha."

"You flatter me, Lady Coraline!" Darius called out from the grill.

Coraline waved at the chef, then turned back to Jayden. "See you later, little wolf."

Before Jayden could even reply, she snapped her fingers.

Instantly, her physical form dissolved into a human-shaped arrangement of autumn leaves. The humanoid shape held for a fraction of a second before the leaves scattered, fluttering gently to the pavement.

She was gone.