The Balance of Fate
Posted on Fri Dec 13th, 2024 @ 11:30pm by Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami
1,727 words; about a 9 minute read
The dream unfolded with a strange and unsettling beauty. Adrianna found herself standing in a vast, endless expanse of shimmering darkness, stars glittering beneath her feet as if she walked on the fabric of the universe itself. The air was heavy, yet there was no sound, only an eerie stillness that wrapped around her like a shroud.
A figure began to take shape ahead of her, emerging from the void like smoke curling into form. It was neither man nor woman but something both and neither, its features shifting and intangible. Its presence demanded her attention, its very existence pulsating with authority.
“Who are you?” Adrianna asked, her voice soft but steady, though her heart raced in her chest.
The figure tilted its head, its glowing eyes holding hers with an intensity that seemed to see through to her very soul. When it spoke, its voice was a symphony of tones– both deep and high, young and old, as if it spoke for all of time itself.
“I am Fate,” it said, the word resonating through the air as if the universe itself had spoken, an almost choral echo bouncing around the abyss, “I am the thread that binds moments together, the hand that guides what must be, the maker of life’s paths. And now, I stand before you because you have dared to touch what was not meant to be and balance must be restored. You have tried to erase it, but the scar from your soulmate tattoo is still there– taunting me.”
Adrianna’s breath hitched, but she didn’t waver. “Fate…” she murmured, tasting the weight of the word. Her voice steadied as she added, “Then I should thank you. You brought my Vance back to me. For that, I am grateful.”
Fate’s form flickered, an unsettling ripple as if the concept of gratitude amused it, “gratitude is unnecessary, Adrianna Baciami. I do not act from kindness or mercy. I act to preserve balance– perhaps you refer to me more as karma itself. He was returned to you– yes, that is true– but do you truly believe such a gift would come without consequence or cost?”
Her stomach turned, but she held her ground, “Whatever the cost, I’ll pay it– he is worth everything. I owe you for giving him back to me.”
The figure stepped closer, its presence towering yet weightless. It put a finger-like appendage to her chin, forcing her to stare into its eyes. It's eyes contained visions of all of her life, as if retelling her story in a visual biography of only the moments that shaped her. After a few moments, it blinked, its eyes returning something more human. Its voice was soft, but foreshadowing, “indeed, you do. The scales have tipped in your favour, child. That imbalance cannot remain. You owe me, and the time will come when I will collect. Your whole family– generations of it, have defied me and now you all have a debt to pay–”
The void around Adrianna shimmered, an oppressive silence filling the air as Fate loomed before her. Its form flickered with agitation, an aura of barely contained rage crackling around it appearing as golden lightning reverberating from the being. Though its face was ever-shifting, its disdain was palpable, cutting through the dreamscape like a blade. “You dare–” Fate hissed, its voice an echo of countless tones, “your family dares to mock me, to mock death itself.”
Adrianna stood rooted to the spot, her breath catching as Fate’s words slammed into her. She didn’t speak, but her hand instinctively moved to her side, where the tally marks etched into her skin remained hidden. She didn't understand– the Baciami family worshipped Fate, she didn't feel she mocked it. She opened her mouth to question her understanding.
The void shifted around Adrianna, its oppressive stillness fracturing as Fate raised a hand to stop her, taking a few steps back. Shadows stirred, twisting and coiling like smoke caught in an unseen wind. Then, as though the fabric of reality itself had been torn open, flashes of light erupted in the darkness, illuminating fleeting scenes from her life– from her family's lives.
“Do you see now?” Fate questioned, its voice reverberating with a chilling calm, “do you see the countless times I have turned a blind eye for you and your family?”
Adrianna’s breath hitched as the void came alive with glimpses of near-death experiences. Each image appeared vivid and raw, pulling her into moments she recognised all too well. The marks on her skin burned faintly, as though they too remembered what the void was showing.
Falling from the roof of her family home; protecting and taking the place of her childhood friend; intel training being taken too far; proving her worth to a smuggler on Freecloud in order to get an introduction to Vance; being hazed with a glitter bomb but it going to far; almost drowning to successfully retrieve diamonds for an undercover operation; Vance putting a transporter device on her and seemingly dying; her suicide mission to restore her name.
“These are but a fraction– these are just yours,” Fate said, stepping closer, its glowing eyes fixed on her, “Your family clings to life as though it is theirs to keep– as though they can bargain or cheat their way out of my grasp. You carve your triumphs into your skin, but do you ever stop to wonder how many of those marks belong to me?”
Adrianna’s voice trembled, but she forced herself to speak, “you showed mercy. You let us live and we honour that with every tally. We don't joke about it!”
“Mercy?” Fate’s mirthless laugh echoed, sharp and cold, “you misunderstand. It is not mercy that stayed your deaths, but choice. My choice and every choice has a price. Every spared life disrupts the balance, creating ripples that I must mend. Do you think I act without reason?”
The visions slowed, their light dimming until only the void remained, but the heavy presence of what had been shown lingered in the air. The marks on Adrianna’s skin felt like weights now, every line a stark reminder of what had been narrowly avoided– and what was still owed.
Fate stepped closer, its presence suffocating, “each mark is a challenge– a defiance of the inevitable. The Baciami family has long danced on the edge of my domain, laughing as they tally their narrow escapes, as if survival is their right and not my indulgence. Make no mistake, Adrianna Baciami– every line is a debt, and debts must always be paid.”
Adrianna forced herself to meet its ever-shifting gaze. “We don’t mock death,” she said, her voice steady despite the chill running through her veins, “the marks remind us of the times we fought to live, the moments we clawed our way back from the brink.”
“Fought to live,” Fate repeated mockingly, its form twisting into something darker, more menacing, “you demanded one of yours to be true by wishing to go to the afterlife to be with your soulmate. Your debt was partially forgiven because I restored some balance by keeping you alive and to suffer the grief. No, no, no: your family treats my work as sport. Every time a Baciami cheats death, it is my will that bends, my hand that stays. Yet you carve your defiance into flesh as if to claim victory over me. How long do you think you can play this game before I grow tired of your insolence?”
Adrianna’s fists clenched at her sides, “if we’ve survived, it’s because we’re strong. Not because you allowed it.”
Fate’s laughter filled the void, a sound that sent shivers down her spine, “you are strong, yes– and stubborn. Stubborn beings live the longest. Stubbornness and strength does not make you immortal. The more you tally, the more you tempt me. Be warned, child– there are only so many times I will let your family escape. The next tally you all will receive will balance your love returning to you in full.”
Adrianna’s jaw tightened. “What do you mean? What do you want from us? From me?”
Fate’s laughter echoed through the void, cold and infinite, “You will know when the moment arrives. Until then, remember this: what is given can be taken. Your gratitude means nothing to me, but your debt– ah, that is everything.”
Before Adrianna could speak again, the stars beneath her feet shattered, and she was falling through the void. Fate’s parting words echoed in her mind as she woke with a start, her chest heaving and sweat clinging to her skin. The room was silent, but the lingering dread reminded her that she was no longer dreaming. Her hand instinctively brushed over the ink on her skin, her defiance burning bright even as Fate’s ominous warning echoed in her mind.
Adrianna’s gaze shifted to Vance, his face softened in the quiet peace of sleep. The faint hum of the Arcadia’s systems filled the room, a steady backdrop to his slow, even breaths. In the dim ambient light, she could make out the curve of his jaw and the way his dark hair rested against his skin. He looked so calm, so untouchable by the chaos of the universe, and yet the echo of Fate’s words burned in her mind.
She reached out, her fingers brushing lightly over his hand. The warmth of his skin steadied her, anchoring her against the weight of her thoughts. She loved him more than she could ever put into words, more than logic or reason could explain. And because of that love, she would do anything– and everything– to repay the debt Fate had spoken of. If it meant keeping him safe and ensuring he stayed here by her side, she would give the universe.
Adrianna swallowed hard, her eyes lingering on him as he stirred faintly but didn’t wake. The tally marks etched on her skin felt heavier than ever. They were reminders of just how fragile life could be and how much she had already borrowed from Fate. She leaned down, pressing a feather-light kiss to his knuckles, a silent vow to the universe: no matter the cost, she would protect him.
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