Max was up early the next morning, already awake before most of the camp. The morning air was still cool, and a light mist hung over the training grounds as demigods began their usual drills and sparring matches.
Max was currently dueling a few other demigods, rotating opponents every few minutes. He was holding back as much as possible and had disabled most of his skills and abilities, but even then, it was difficult to not completely overwhelm them.
The combat knowledge of countless heroes from Fate, combined with the power of a demigod of Gaia and the abilities of a conduit, made even his "holding back" far above most campers.
So instead, he made it look sloppy.
He purposely missed a few swings, let himself get pushed back, stumbled slightly, and made his movements look less refined than they actually were. Even then, he still managed to beat most of the demigods he sparred with.
From their point of view, it probably just looked like dumb luck.
From his point of view, it was like trying to pretend he didn't know how to walk.
Still, Max was having fun. It felt normal—sparring, training, being around people who thought he was just another camper.
Meanwhile, Luna and Hana were off spending time with their sisters in the Aphrodite cabin, which meant Max had some free time.
And there was something he had been curious about since arriving at camp.
So once training was over and people started heading toward breakfast, Max quietly slipped away.
Using his D-Rank Stealth skill, he easily snuck across camp and into the Big House. From there, he quietly made his way upstairs to the attic where the Oracle was kept.
The attic was full of old things—artifacts, weapons, armor, broken shields, old banners, and random objects collected by demigods over the years. Dust covered almost everything, and the air smelled old and dry, like a forgotten museum.
In the back of the attic, sitting in a chair near the window, was the Oracle.
Her body looked withered, like a corpse that had aged far beyond what it should have. Her skin was dry and tight against her bones, and she looked more like a mummy than a living person.
Max walked closer and looked at her for a moment.
"Look at you," Max said quietly. "That curse really did a number on you. Hot damn."
Suddenly, the Oracle stirred.
Mist slowly began to seep out from her body, and her eyes began to glow with a soft blue light. Her head tilted slightly toward him, and when she spoke, her voice was slow and strained, like every word took effort.
"So… you are the reason Fate has not been kind to me as of late," the Oracle said slowly.
Max blinked, a little surprised.
He had assumed the original personality of the Oracle was long gone, completely replaced by the spirit of prophecy. But apparently, some part of her was still in there.
"Not really fair to blame your current situation on me," Max said, walking over and sitting on a nearby chest. "Not my fault."
"But… you are bending Fate," the Oracle said slowly. "When I look at your future… it splits into too many paths for me to predict accurately. It gives me a headache."
Max chuckled a little at that.
"Yeah, that sounds like me," he said.
He leaned back slightly, looking at her more carefully now. He wasn't scared of her. If anything, he felt bad for her. She had been cursed to sit here for years, maybe decades, slowly rotting while serving as a tool for prophecy.
After a few moments of silence, the Oracle spoke again.
"Can you… free me?" she asked slowly. "I wish to pass on the gift. It was never meant to be mine for so long."
Max was quiet for a moment.
He thought about it seriously. He probably could free her. Between his abilities, magic, and divine connections, it wasn't impossible.
"I probably could," Max said finally. "But you know that isn't your fate. And even if I did free you at this point, Hades wouldn't be very happy to see you early. I really don't need an enemy like that right now."
He sighed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I do feel bad for you though," he added. "You basically just did your job and got punished for it."
The Oracle was quiet for a few seconds, then she gave a very small nod.
"I understand… Thank you," she said softly.
The blue light faded from her eyes, and the mist slowly disappeared. Her body went still again, returning to looking like nothing more than a dried corpse sitting in a chair.
Max sat there for a moment longer, looking at her.
"Yeah… this universe really is run by a bunch of assholes sometimes," he muttered quietly.
He stood up, took one last look at the Oracle, and then quietly left the attic, sneaking back out the same way he came.
By the time he returned to the campgrounds, it looked like nothing had happened at all.
And Max intended to keep it that way.