Panoptes

During ancient times, there was once a hero who save Arcadia from a bull that's wreaking havoc on the Arcadians. Even killed a Satyr that was committing crimes on people. His name is Argus Panoptes.

Argus, in theory, is the son of goddess Gaia but without a father. And he was said to be residing in Argolis upon the Peloponnese, the region named after King Argus. He's even thought to be a descendant of the king for having the same name as him.

Argus is a giant with a considerable amount of strength. But what set him off apart was the fact that he was festooned with a hundred seeing eyes spread across his whole body. Ratifying the Panoptes on his name which meaning is "all-seeing".

In some stories, he was a servant of Hera, a goddess known to be Zeus' wife and sister.

Argus was sent to kill Echidna, a half-woman and half-snake living alone inside a cave. He was able to slay this monster of a woman while it's sleeping. And in another task, Argus was ordered by Hera to guard Io, a cow. This cow was originally a woman and is one of Zeus' lovers. The discovery of it made Hera upset that she even went as far as to have Io become a cow and asked Zeus to have it as a gift.

Unfortunately, Zeus found out about it and sent Hermes, the messenger of the Gods to save Io who's being chained to a tree, guarded by Argus. Where he was then killed by Hermes and all of his eyes were taken out.

As to what happened to the eyes thereafter, there are several but uncertain notions that aren't even that convincing or plausible. But there is one conclusion that prevails as fact.

Those eyes are given to the military: Sparta. Fifty of them wore the eyes as if it's their own and it eventually became one with them over time, consequently giving birth to an indestructible power that could potentially bring the Gods their demise. But it never happened.

At the battle of Leuctra, Thebes won against Sparta. Bringing huge decline to their empire for a very lengthy period. And Argus' eyes were forever lost.

Or at least, it is as what the story tells.

Those eyes didn't vanish. For decades, it has been said to randomly select fifty newborns each era as its new owners. Carrying on Argus Panoptes' legacy through the years, with the purpose to slay the Gods.

And whoever has the eyes of Argus is fated to defy laws.

Present-day, Emerald City.

"How did it even come to this!?" I thought I was so close to finding out who he is and now I'm walking under the hellish heat of the sun beside this individual with an unknown soul! If only I can gaze into his future for a second. But I can't seem to enter through his eyes. Darn it. I'm itching for answers!

Moreover, Emerald City is full of tall garbage bins they call skyscrapers and other forms of modern infrastructures. Unlike my hometown under the Stone Forest, this place has almost all the riches in the world. And a single gold coin here is nothing while it will most likely take a lifetime for us countryside folks to have at least a single piece of it.

So, why am I even here?

"You sure don't talk that much, huh?"

This guy.

"You seem not enthusiastic enough to enjoy the scenery," he said.

How can one person be silent for hours and suddenly tells you about how uninterested you are in this place? And also, my kind of scenery is nature lush with green vegetation and colorful flowers filling the grasslands.

"Your city looks garbage to me," I muttered. I mean, look at all those black smokes coming out on the roof of a building. Not to mention those cars emitting out black smoke as well and it stinks. Is this Emerald City or a dumpsite?

We've been walking nonstop for I don't remember how many hours has it been by now and my feet are being worn out. Where exactly are we heading? At this point, I'm gonna die of exhaustion and also from being directly exposed to the sun's heat.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"Who's not?!" I can't believe he dared to ask me that question. Well, of course! I'm hungry and irritated.

He handed me something wrapped in thin foil. "Here. Eat this."

This smells nice. He had this the entire time? Where'd he get this? I didn't see him bought something while we're on the way here.

"That old woman made something for you to eat."

"Why didn't you gave it to me earlier?" Did grandma make this? That explains why it smells so good.

"I forgot I had it in my pocket until I heard your tummy growled."

"Shut up!" I snarled at him.

It went silent for a brief moment before I went and started asking random questions again. Maybe this time, he'll give me some answers.

"Hey, do you live in this dump— I mean, this city?" He's tall. Almost twice my height. So I had to look up when talking to him.

"I don't. I just work here. I live in Peridot City," he replied with a surprisingly calm attitude. His eyes are telling a different story, though.

"You work here?" Then what the heck is he doing back in my hometown? I don't think taking me away with him is part of his work here. Doesn't makes any sense. What does he work here for?

"You're more surprised about it than knowing I live in Peridot?"

Oh, Peridot. Yeah. I don't know what kind of place that is. I've only heard about Emerald and Diamond and I hadn't been from both cities before. I've seen a lot of future in people's eyes but the majority of them live in the same town as me. And not even one of them knows about my ability. My grandma only mentioned these two cities a long time ago so I kinda know these two cities exist. This is the first time I have ever set foot on one of them. Emerald, the city of wastes.

"Peridot?"

"Yeah. It's home for people like me."

"Like you?"

"As I've said earlier, were the same by race, but by ability, no. Why?"

I swallowed. "Why?"

"Margaret McRed, the foreseer of the Stone Forest. You are one of us, a Panoptes."

"Panoptes? What is that?" It's my first time hearing it. I don't know what it is.

"Yes. But I'll tell you everything about that later. I brought you here in Emerald on purpose." Haze stared at me intently. "I need you to save someone in this future."

My eyes met his. I thought he's trying to make me do the impossible but when I darted my gaze into his red eyes. It slowly sucking me into his mind and eventually brought me into a world I haven't been before.

"Margaret McRed, you're a great fortune-teller. Please, this is something only you can do. Help her. She is someone valuable to all of us, including you."

I don't know what's happening. This is too sudden. All I see in front of me is in ruins. Debris falling from the sky, people are desperately crying to be saved, accompanied by a storm ready to devour all mankind. It's like the end of humanity.

This future is doubtlessly the worst.