Xarnt had volunteered to "fix" one of Luminara's problem worlds. He'd dragged along three incompetent Timekeepers as "trainees" mostly to humble them for failing to prevent universal collapses. But this is a story for another time.
In a quiet corner of 'The Eternal Brew' one of Xarnt and V's chain of cafés in the West Continent. The scent of roasted coffee beans mingled with the faint hum of magic wards, a precaution against eavesdroppers.
Xarnt slouched in his chair, lazily swirling a half-empty cup of black coffee—a brew so strong it could either wake the dead or knock out the living, thanks to the ten teaspoons of coffee packed into it. He let out a wide yawn, stretching like a cat that had already conquered the world and found nothing left worth bothering with.
V, ever the responsible brother, frowned. "You just got back from the East Continent. Can't you at least pretend you need rest?"
Xarnt smirked. "Rest? This is rest. Look—" He held up his coffee cup and gave it a little wiggle. "No paperwork, no princesses demanding attention. Just me and my beloved caffeine." He took a sip, then added, "By the way, nice job keeping the business afloat. Profits looking good?"
V let out a sigh. "Yes, but—brother, you married all the princesses of an empire…"
"Circumstantial," Xarnt said with a dismissive wave. "Besides, their dad owed me money."
Reality rippled suddenly. The air trembled as an Anomaly appeared—a woman of eerie beauty, her form glitching like a corrupted image. V was quick to react, his dagger already drawn, its blade glowing with chrono-lock enchantments.
Xarnt didn't even glance up. "V, relax. She's harmless." He took a sip of his coffee. "Luminara's watching. One wrong move and poof—back to her 3,000-continent prison."
The Anomaly giggled, a sound like breaking glass. "Kuku. How amusing, Timekeeper Lord. Lounging around while your shard suffers?"
Xarnt's brow twitched. "Shard?"
V's face went pale. "Boss… does she mean Mixarnt?"
Xarnt raised a hand to stop him, his tone turning ice cold. "Go ahead. Give me a reason to erase you myself."
The Anomaly's grin stretched, her shape warping. "Too late! I'm the new Arcon of Fate! I'll keep resetting time until your precious heir dies screaming! Kuhahaha—"
A beam of celestial light obliterated the Anomaly mid-laugh. Her form disintegrated like scorched paper, but her words hung in the air like venom.
Xarnt let out a breath. "Well. That was something." He casually bit into a biscuit. "V, pass the sugar."
V stared in disbelief. "That's it?! She just threatened Mixarnt's life!"
Xarnt shrugged. "She's unhinged. There's only one timeline in this universe she's just throwing a fit with her shiny new 'Fate' powers."
High above, Luminara frowned from her divine throne, her voice echoing in Xarnt's mind: "You warned us Anomalies were cosmic threats. And now you act like it's nothing?"
Xarnt's mental reply was calm—too calm. "Relax, Lumy. It's under control."
Still visibly shaken, V muttered, "Brother… what if she really can alter fate?"
Xarnt finally met his eyes. "Then it just means Mixarnt's got a rough road ahead." He paused, then smirked. "But first, more coffee."
"I can't believe you, Boss..." V muttered, still clearly worried. Xarnt set his coffee down with a sigh.
"Alright, listen. That Anomaly—she really can reset timelines. I've been watching. She's spamming that power like a kid button-mashing a broken arcade machine."
V frowned. "So... Mixarnt's path has changed?"
Xarnt nodded. "Yep. He's facing trials earlier than he should. Enemies, events—none of it was supposed to happen yet."
V tightened his grip on his cup. "That's not good."
Xarnt gave a half-shrug. "Not all bad. Some good's come out of it. In earlier timelines, people like Eclipse didn't exist. Now they do. The 9th awakening was introduced to him earlier than expected though he doesn't have the ability to master it yet. That's the effect of the Blessing of Fate—courtesy of the Absolute Goddess of Fate. It means no matter how many times that anomaly rewinds things, Mixarnt's meant to win."
V's shoulders eased slightly. "So... it's foolproof?"
Xarnt grinned. "Probably."
V nearly choked on his drink. "Probably?!"
Xarnt leaned back, hands behind his head. "Hey, this universe only has one real timeline. It's all mostly pre-determined... mostly. But the Anomaly's meddling made things fuzzy—especially in one critical point."
V narrowed his eyes. "What aren't you telling me?"
Xarnt hesitated, then sighed. "There's something coming. A threat that might bypass the Blessing of Fate altogether. And if—when—it shows up, Mixarnt will have to face it without divine help. No prophecy, no safety net. Just him."
V looked stunned. "You're not going to do anything?"
Xarnt smirked. "Where's the fun in that?"
V exhaled sharply. "Boss... you're telling me Mixarnt's about to face some unstoppable threat, you won't help him, and you're sitting there grinning like this is a game?!"
Xarnt chuckled. "First of all—relax. Just because my hands are tied doesn't mean his are. And 'alone' doesn't always mean without support."
He leaned forward, his gaze sharp. "Remember—he's me. Same as you. And a shard of mine doesn't break that easily."
V crossed his arms. "You're dodging the question."
Xarnt shrugged. "Fine. I did leave him a little... parting gift. And thanks to that Anomaly messing with things?" He grinned wider. "It's gonna be way more fun than I originally planned."
V stared at him, deadpan. "...You wanted her to interfere?"
Xarnt took another sip of coffee. "Not exactly. But I do enjoy turning disasters into entertainment. And she is already interfering with Mixarnt's mission. Well, she'll die sooner or later anyways."
V let out a long sigh. "...I hate it when you get cryptic."
Xarnt laughed. "And yet, you still trust me."
V muttered under his breath, "Unfortunately."
Raising his cup, Xarnt said cheerfully, "Exactly. So, stop worrying. Mixarnt's got this—and we've got front-row seats to the best show in the multiverse."
"You just said this universe only has one timeline." V said flatly, brow twitching.
"...Oh. Right," Xarnt replied, slightly awkward.