Chapter 26

That night, they all slept in the same room using different mats that were prepared beforehand.

Muren and Airen did not bother to go to the otherworld for they mutually agreed to just peacefully sleep, especially with the complete family.

The children seemed quite exhausted and overjoyed that they had drained their energies for the day.

The next morning, despite the unpleasant treatment, Airen still got up very early to be able to prepare the ingredients and cook for their breakfast.

She had served the food until the family had also gotten up.

While the two children happily talk and laugh, Muren would occasionally give comments and they would have a happy table. Madam Lumen refused to join the conversation, but would be seen cracking a tiny smile when the kids would heartily laugh.

Airen was silent the whole time, frequently just gazing at her sons and nodding at whatever they were saying.

After the meal, Coen and Toren excitedly went with Madam Lumen to have their destinies read. The children have heard about her infamous clairvoyance as a shaman before, so they have been insisting for a whole hour that they wish to know something about the future.

Meanwhile, Muren went out to clean the dishes and the materials used when his wife did the cooking.

Airen accompanied her sons with Madam Lumen who immediately prepared her talismans and other ritual items.

Coen and Toren seemed utterly amazed that they could not take their eyes off the unfamiliar things.

Later on, the mood weighed heavier and even the giddy children fell silent when Madam Lumen started her rituals.

After almost half an hour waiting underneath the intensity, she had finally spoken of a certain ominous prophecy, telling that one of the two sons is bound to betray the country, here specifically in the West.

The traitor was said to be cunning and daring.

The prophecy left both Coen and Toren in confusion as they looked at each other with puzzled gazes.

Airen grabbed both her children onto their shoulders and pulled them nearer to her.

"With all due respect, Madam Lumen," She bravely said. "I must disagree that a traitor is among my sons. Please do not implant a stigma on them!"

Surprisingly, Madam Lumen did not respond despite being quite known to have violent tendencies.

Afterwards, they have never talked to each other as if ignoring the ominous prophecy that has been laid out.

In the afternoon, Muren and his family journeyed back to their house after bidding farewell to his mother. Although nothing had been truly resolved, he somehow felt relieved.

There was a silent forgiveness that lingered across them through his children that made him comfortable with the current status quo. Nothing needs to get beyond the line, anyway.

It felt like a burden was put off his chest.

On their way back, Muren heard Coen and Toren having a peculiar conversation, often mentioning the word 'traitor,' which baffled him.

Muren was about to ask his kids what was all that about when Airen took a quick notice of this and grabbed his shoulder to get his attention.

"I know what they are going on about," She said. "While you were gone earlier, Madam Lumen used her allegedly shaman abilities to predict something about them. She gave a strange prophecy saying that one of them will turn out to be the country's traitor. I did not immediately believe her, so I told her about it, but she never said a word."

As if a natural and expected reaction, Muren fumed angrily with what he had heard.

Suddenly, what once was a fine and appeased bridge between him and his mother got burned in an instant.

The family had safely returned to the house, yet the effects of having the knowledge of that strange prophecy seemed to have lingered within them like a haunting, yearning ghost waiting to be told.