2. The Grand Seer

There was a little wooden cabin in the woods. If someone just saw the outside, they wouldn't be able to imagine how warm and cozy it was inside. A blonde woman was knitting wool on an old bentwood rocker in front of the burning fireplace. It seemed like she was making gloves for babies.

- Wendy.

A warm, gentle voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere but the woman didn't even startle. Already knew exactly who it was, she overjoyed and called even before turning her head.

- Papa.

But as she saw the one who just appeared inside the room, the blonde woman froze on the spot. She was too shocked that her eyes widened and her smile's broken.

- What happened to your hair?

The scene when Wendy first met him was still burning in the back of her mind. A little girl at that time thought an angel had descended to the mortal world. It's just in her imagination but she could even see a halo above his head. His hair was glittering like silver moonlight and supremely smooth as silk. His eyes were ultramarine of lapis lazuli and deep like an ocean that pulled you in. But Wendy couldn't admire those beautiful colors anymore. Now, all that taking their places were just plain whiteness.

- I dyed my hair for a change of pace. How is it? Does it look good?

Anthos tried to crack a joke but miserably failed. Seeing how her face became unsightly, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

- What the h€ll did you do? – Wendy started interrogating Anthos. Her voice was full of anger. One could even hear the sound she made from clenching her teeth.

- I just tried to foresee the future a bit. – The voice that came out of his mouth was small and almost unintelligible. His head was down like a child being scolded.

- Huh, you called this a bit? Had you taken a look at yourself in the mirror lately? – Her voice indicated that she wouldn't let him have a chance to avoid the topic. – Why and what kind of future did you tried to foresee? Just how many years did you shorten your lifespan?

Anthos decided to keep his mouth shut about his remaining time. There's no way he would tell Wendy that. She would get mad if she knew how reckless he was. But to Anthos, it was worth it. He also intended to avoid the whole future topic but as he saw the pain in Wendy's eyes, there's no choice other than to tell her the truth.

- I was trying to foresee your children's future.

- What? – Had not expected to hear that kind of answer, she's standing still. After a while, she asked again, thinking that she might have heard wrongly. – What did you just say?

Anthos was a bit hesitant, thinking it might hurt Wendy. But he couldn't deny the fact that it would be better for her to know the truth rather than some lies he made up. After all, she's their mother.

- I had a nightmare, or rather a premonition. In that dream, your children grew up safely until the day they become 20 years old. A foreign country invaded the kingdom. – Anthos paused a while before finishing his lines. – As the last two royal blood, they were hunted down and kept running until they breathed their last.

As usual, his warm voice was very pleasing to listen, except for the fact that his words got her chilled to the bone.

- Nooooo!!! What kind of bullsh!t are you spouting? There's no way that happened. – She shouted in a frightened voice. Her shaking lips and her bloodshot eyes showed that she had already lost her composure. She tried to deny his words, despite knowing very well what a premonition from The Grand Seer meant.

- I also don't want to think it's true. But from my investigation, it will likely become a reality if the next ruler isn't wise enough. The problems had appeared from the previous king's reign, which is your uncle's reign. William did his best to sweep all the rats but that wasn't enough. A lot of them were still lurking in the kingdom.

Wendy listened to his explanation. She understood but refused to accept. "There must be a solution somewhere. Just what is it?" – Wendy racked her brain but all she could come up with was a silly idea.

- Then William just has to eradicate them all, doesn't he?

Wendy still hung on the last sliver of hope that maybe her silly idea somehow became a good solution. But, just as expected, Anthos shook his head slightly then said in a sad voice.

- It's not that simple. If he could do so, William would have already done it a long time ago. And to make matters worse, their child doesn't have what it takes to become a good ruler.

His words just plunged her into the deepest hell. Wendy became frantic when she realized how powerless she was. There's nothing she could do for her children.

- Wait! You didn't just tell me all this without any solutions, right? T-there must be a way out to save my children, right? Right? Papa!

Wendy started pleading, only hoped for a nod from the man. And as if her prayer was heard, Anthos gave her an affirmative reply.

- Yes, there's one way out. Your children would be the key.

Wendy had thought she would be relieved after hearing the man's reply but she perceived there was something strange in his words.

- You said my children could be saved. But my children were also the key. What does that even mean? – Wendy looked at the man's eyes to find the answer. – Oi, don't tell me that… – Her eyes were widened but she still kept her gaze on Anthos. She wanted confirmation.

- Your children can change the kingdom's fate. – Anthos suddenly become quiet. After a while, he suggested. – When Elaine comes, you should agree to her proposal.

Wendy went silent for a moment. After thinking what his words meant, she couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.

- And here I was trying to find someone to raise my children after I'm dead.

Hearing this, Anthos said in an apologetic voice:

- I'm sorry.

Wendy laughed at his reply. She then hugged the man and said:

- What was that? It's not your fault. My disease is congenital and incurable. There's also no way you are allowed to raise kids in the church. It's just… – Wendy raised her head so she could fixate Anthos' face. – Is that worth it? You could have lived much longer, as long as you want.

Usually, a Seer would receive prophecies without a price because they were unchangeable futures and all came to them naturally. But Anthos tried to do something other Seers couldn't. He had forcefully and repeatedly foreseen with the intention of shaping the future to his desire. His goal wasn't to save just one person. He tried to save his soulmate's descendants and an entire kingdom.

Anthos was the most powerful Seer in history. As one became stronger, their lifespan would increase. So Anthos could live permanently if he didn't cut his lifespan. But the price for his action was enormous. Now he didn't have much time left.

- Isn't it good that I can reunite with your father sooner? – Anthos made a slight smile and said in such a cheerful voice and that Wendy mistook the present him for an illusion of the angel she had met a long time ago. Although Anthos no longer had silver hair and azure eyes. – And I promised your father to look after you. But it looks like I wasn't doing it well.

- Papa… – Wendy wrapped her arms around Anthos like the good old days when her happiness still existed.

~ ○ ~

They talked a lot about some irrelevant things. After a while, Wendy got tired and started falling asleep. Anthos checked and cast a spell to make sure Wendy wouldn't wake up.

- I'm sorry I lied to you. – But Anthos knew he didn't regret lying to her. She wouldn't agree to his plan if he didn't say so. Especially after her horrible experience from being royalty.

He lifted her with his arms and stood up. Anthos then cast another spell. As a result, a ring of white light appeared under his feet and started to glow. Both of them immediately teleported out of the room.

At a magnificent hallway decorated with holy pictures on the wall, Anthos and Wendy appeared after a white light dimmed down. As he kept walking towards the last door, a woman had already stood there waiting for him.

- Your Holiness! – The woman solemnly bowed upon seeing Anthos came close.

- Rise. – He glanced at the woman in front of him before walking inside the chamber. – No one allowed to come in.

Anthos didn't even spare a second glance at the woman and cast magic with his thought. The doors started closing by themselves, leaving behind the woman who couldn't stop herself from looking at the back of Anthos in admiration. Only when the door shut completely and she's no longer able to see his figure anymore did she look down and mumble with a dejected voice.

- You've never once looked at my way.

It's not like the woman didn't know, or rather she refused to believe that she didn't have a chance, no, she wasn't even given the right to compete when the one in his heart had died many years ago. She had thought maybe there's a day his love towards that man would fade, but she waited years after years. And this was the result she got? Anthos didn't even think twice while making sacrifices to save that man's descendant.

The woman recalled their conversation before. She tried her very best to advise him against this. But it didn't even faze him.

- Your Holiness, it's impossible! There's no proof of another world's existence. Such a ritual won't succeed.

- Another world exists. – This was his answer. And he said with a firm voice like he was one hundred percent sure. – Charlene, did you heard the story about the first ruler of this kingdom?

The woman didn't expect such an answer. Her eyebrows were knit together from contemplating his words. She then jolted upon realizing what he meant.

- No way! Such a thing! Isn't it only a myth?

- There's no concrete evidence but it appeared the story has some truth in it. – Anthos continued in a monotone as it was nothing new. – The first king was drifted here from another world through a portal. And his descendants, those who had the royal blood in their veins at the present, was somehow still had a kind of connection to that world. There were some rare cases that after the children under 5 years old died with their bodies intact, their souls left and other souls from that world entered and lived on. Though in the records, there was only one in a million chance for a miracle like that happened. And Wendy said she herself was such a case. We only have to strengthen the link to that world by using Wendy as a catalyst.

This time Charlene really thought Anthos went insane from trying to change the future. How could he believe in such crazy words?

- Why are you certain that her words are true? It could be a fantasy world in a dream. N-no, even if that's the truth, there's still no guarantee this ritual would succeed. And the baby in Her Highness's belly is healthy on top of that. From what I just heard, you need the baby to die first before the whole whatever-you-call thing. Then how can you guide another soul into the vessel which was already occupied?

- Who said that? I never said that I intend to guide the soul. – Anthos paused a while before continuing. – I want to switch their souls.

- What!!?? – Charlene was so shocked she opened her mouth wide enough to fit a chicken egg. Then she shook her head fiercely. – That's even more impossible! If one's still living, the soul and body would be attached. Just how can you switch them?

Anthos then again answered in a monotone like he had expected such a reaction.

- It's why I intend to search for a newly dead person from another world. That soul wouldn't have a chance to go to the other side in time for it just left the body.

Charlene didn't think his answer would be plausible. But there's still a problem left.

- It's an obtainable feat to switch two unattached souls but… doesn't that mean… the baby in Her Highness's belly… you intend to… - Charlene couldn't finish the sentence for she knew how horrible it sounded.

But to her surprise, Anthos answered loud and clear. There wasn't a hint of indecision in his voice.

- Wendy's son had the ability to change the kingdom's fate. It would become well if he would grow up well. But unfortunately, his twin sister was the one who would ruin everything. There's no other way if I still want to save Wendy's grandson and the kingdom.

- A grandson!!?? – Charlene couldn't help but raise her voice. She didn't think Anthos could foresee that far.

- I tried to look for a vision where they're all safe and sound but I couldn't. This was the best outcome among all of those visions. Her grandson and many people would be saved. As for Wendy's son and the one from another world, somehow the future of them was unforeseeable. There's no choice but to leave their fates in their own hands.

After hearing his reply, Charlene still tried to find the words to convince Anthos against this plan. He said firmly but it wasn't that easy for him to resort to such an action.

- B-but… even so, there's no guarantee that the one from another world would let Her Highness's son grow up well. There's also a chance she would ruin everything like Her Highness's daughter.

- That's why I will implant my vision in her memory. She would know the consequences of acting like Wendy's daughter.

The conversation ended there. Anthos had already planned everything out. Charlene couldn't do anything aside from helping him prepare the ritual. She now stopped recalling and looked at the doors, wondered if he was able to succeed.