****(POV)

This job shouldn't be that hard. Not according to the inn owner at the very least. The target is a naïve young man that knows not of the ways of the world. Still, there is something off about this whole story.

Why would anyone hire one of the best assassins to get rid of such a target? It doesn't add up.

I assure my customer that everything will be fine. I am a professional after all. The part I leave unsaid is that is supposing his information on the target is accurate.

Time to work my magic on the torch he brought me. Apparently, the item was used to burn his building.

I'm not sure whether to be perplexed or laugh about how it happened.

You would expect a natural disaster to be the cause, or even a beast tide, or perhaps even a fight between experts. Nope. A small wolf supposedly caused it all, with nothing more than a torch. No magic, just regular fire.

I concentrate on the item, then I use a small magic trick to make appear some low-level illusions.

The golden glow? Fake. The ethereal third eye? Also fake.

The official eye-catching golden trigram robe? Something I barely wear.

Why do I give myself so much trouble?

Is it to get more coin? It does help with that, but not especially.

If people are expecting me to be wearing such an attire I can more easily travel around. Also, I very much love the fact that my would-be enemies would not expect me to instantly divine something on the spot with none of that showy stuff.

The thing about divination is that it is more often than not taught through rituals to follow to the letter.

I figured out that all of that is utter bullshit. It simply helps to visualize the magic more adequately. After all, how does one picture a concept such as fate?

For me, I simply imagine fate to be a series of coincidences. Instead of trying to figure out what will happen, I use my powers to figure out what might happen.

I found it to give more accurate readings. Trying to peer too much into the secrets of the world tends to either result in information that is inaccurate or a straight backlash.

Every year many disciples die from overestimating themselves and trying to figure out heaven's secret.

Let's just say I tested the limits of it very carefully. And by that, I mean I managed to convince a few of my rivals back in the sect to try their best until they kicked the bucket.

Well, I only did that to the awful ones, and I was never proven guilty.

Anyway, I managed to develop this technique of mine after countless trials and errors.

That's when I got bored of trying to play with the other sect members. Their divination was already way more rigid than my modified version. I felt it to be a dead end.

I already saw the killing potential of such magic and decided to go for a professional change. That's when they kicked me out. Well, I was eager to leave so it didn't matter one bit.

A lot happened since then. Mostly me climbing the ranks to fame, or rather infamy. My pseudonym got popular in any case.

Some mothers even use my nickname as a threat to their kids. If you don't eat all your vegetables the Fate Puppeteer will come and kill you! How about fucking not.

Anyway, I activate my magic and all the useless showy illusions.

Let's see what awaits me….

In front of my eyes appears a blurry scene. There is a medium-sized wooden building. Should be where I am standing. I can see a torch on the ground. Then I hear a very soft sound, a rustle of paws.

A small fuzzy silhouette appears making its way through the hay on the ground. It picks up the torch and slowly goes toward the exit. Now I'll just need to follow it until I know where it went exactly.

I could also try divination directly on the road, but I kinda want to see how that event transpired.

This wolf looks remarkably smart.

I follow it closely. A few seconds later it turns around, I copy it wondering what will appear in the scene, however, there is nothing behind me.

Why would It suddenly….

I see golden eyes. Looking directly into mine.

THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE.

No, wait calm down. I am seeing nothing but a mirage of the past.

Why is the wolf looking in my direction I do not know, but it cannot see me.

This is a first for me. I slowly take a step to the left. Its gaze follows me.

It fucking followed me. This can't be happening.

0_0

I move to the right this time. The same thing happens.

This is scaring the shit out of me.

Every piece of knowledge I possess tells me this situation is impossible.

This can only be a nightmare. I am sleeping at the moment for sure!

I can't take it anymore, time to break eye contact with the creature.

….Except I can't.

For some reason, my eyes just won't move. I try to close my eyelids without any success.

I turn my head. Or try to. No matter how much I twist and turn I can't seem to look away.

These simple eyes seem to contain the whole universe.

Peering at my soul.

Assessing my existence.

Judging me.

In front of these eyes, I feel insignificant.

I am back to being the lost kid I used to be.

This is no wolf.

THIS BEING IS NO FUCKING WOLF.

I am prey to this predator.

Me the one that sees fate itself.

Me that proudly tower as a legend on the killers' board.

Me that casually accepted this request thinking nothing of it.

I feel tears trickle from the corner of my eyes.

At first only a few drops, then a steady flow.

I cannot move my head or close my eyes.

All I can do is slowly approach my hand from my face.

Trying my best to make it stop.

That's when I realize I have truly fucked up.

This is no water. It is blood.

Tears of blood.

The last thing I see is the wolf look straight into me and smirk a little.

Then the entire world goes black.

The mirage disappears.

I can feel it. I am back in the real world.

There is no fucking way I am doing this mission.

That Inn owner is insane. Going after such a monster.

No, there is something even crazier.

This monster is only the pet.

Is the owner a god?!

As that thought crosses my mind, I slowly open my eyes and I see ….

I open my eyes and I see….

Pure darkness. I bring my hand to my face.

Blood. Tears of blood.

I am blind.

I am blind.

I am blind.

This was the result of me peering into something I shouldn't have.

The Inn owner ran away already.

This is the smart thing to do.

After witnessing my end no sane person would want to have anything to do with that target.

I slowly gather my stuff. Change my golden robe for low-key beggar-like rugged clothing.

I'm going to find this customer of mine real quick and give him really good after service.

You could say it will be so good it will send him to heaven.

Then I'll depart and try to find the wolf's owner.

I have so many questions. I will probably die, but so what.

I am one with a precarious fate anyway. I'm already a dead man walking.

As I hit the road, I realize how extremely pathetic the current me is.

The divination magic I am proud of, useless.

I am a cripple that cannot even see where he is going either.

But that is fine. I will do as I always do.

Survive, adapt and overcome.