Because I Can See Future

Last Night :

The academy required every student, even royalty, to stay in the dorms. Of course, Princess Ravenna's room was far more luxurious than the others, with its soft, silky sheets and a bed fit for royalty.

She slept soundly, her body half-covered by the luxurious blanket, her serene face radiating beauty even in slumber. Anyone who saw her like this might feel the urge to protect her or hold her close.

But her peaceful sleep didn't last long.

A sharp knock on her forehead jolted her awake.

"Ouch…" Ravenna mumbled as she stirred, her dream fading away. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her vision blurry at first. After a moment, her surroundings came into focus.

The first thing she saw made her heart skip a beat. Standing over her, wearing a smug expression, was a woman she could never forget.

"Knock, knock. Anybody home?" the woman teased, tapping her forehead with her knuckles.

"Maruti?" Ravenna gasped, her voice trembling. Panic surged through her as she quickly sat up, pressing her back against the wall for support. Her defensive stance was shaky and unsteady, but it was all she could manage.

Maruti didn't flinch. In fact, she laughed. "What's with that pitiful reaction? If I were an assassin, you'd already be dead," she said mockingly, her eyes glinting with amusement.

Ravenna's gaze darted around the room, and that's when she noticed another figure leaning casually against the doorframe. Her stomach churned.

"Esdeath? What… what are you two doing here?" she stammered, her voice shaking as fear crept into her. "If you try anything, I'll scream!"

Esdeath smirked and waved her hand dismissively. "Relax, princess. We're not here to hurt you. We just need a favor." Her tone was calm, almost playful, as if they were discussing something trivial.

Ravenna's shoulders eased slightly, though her unease didn't completely vanish. "A favor?" she repeated cautiously.

Esdeath nodded, stepping closer with a sly smile. "Yes. We already know you cheated in your match against Maruti." Her voice was soft but firm, and her words carried a weight that made Ravenna's breath hitch.

"What?" Ravenna whispered, her eyes wide. She clutched the blanket tightly, as if it could shield her from their piercing gazes.

Esdeath continued, her tone as casual as ever. "You used a Rank C Soul Cracker Essence Stone to knock Maruti unconscious, didn't you? All we want is for you to admit the truth at tomorrow's meeting."

Ravenna's heart pounded in her chest. How did they know? She thought she'd been careful. Her trembling hands gripped the blanket tighter as she stared at Esdeath in disbelief.

"How… how do you know about that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Esdeath's crimson eyes gleamed with mischief as she added, "Just like we know your actual ESR talent is Rank C, not the Rank A you've been pretending to have."

Ravenna's jaw dropped, her face pale. It felt like the ground beneath her was crumbling. They knew everything—her secret, her lies, all of it.

"You must be kidding, right? Do you think I'm some kind of fool?" Princess Ravenna let out a nervous, awkward laugh, trying to mask the growing fear in her voice. "Everyone saw my ESR talent during the affinity test. It's Rank A!"

Esdeath didn't reply. She didn't need to. Slowly, she stepped closer to the princess, her every movement deliberate, calculated.

The closer Esdeath got, the more Ravenna's composure crumbled. Her hands gripped the blanket tightly, and her entire body trembled. The once-proud princess now looked as if she wanted to disappear.

Finally, Esdeath stopped at the edge of the bed. Without a word, she leaned down until their faces were mere inches apart. Ravenna froze, her breath hitching as she found herself staring directly into Esdeath's eyes.

Those eyes…

They weren't normal by any means. Pure crimson red with intricate ring-like patterns that seemed to shift and move even though they were perfectly still. It was like staring into a swirling abyss. Ravenna felt her body grow cold as if she were being pulled into an endless black hole.

Her chest tightened, and an invisible weight seemed to crush her. The eerie deathly aura surrounding Esdeath made it hard to breathe.

"Tell me, princess," Esdeath said, her voice low and chilling. "Have you ever seen anyone with eyes as ominous as mine?"

Ravenna swallowed hard, her throat dry. Her mind screamed at her to look away, but she couldn't.

*"Not just her eyes… I've never seen anyone who looks as ghostly as her,"* she thought, her heart pounding in her chest.

Esdeath smirked slightly, then leaned even closer, her lips near Ravenna's ear. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it sent shivers down the princess's spine.

"You asked how I know your secret? It's simple. I can see the future."

Ravenna's eyes widened in shock. "What?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Esdeath straightened up, taking a step back, her expression amused. She chuckled softly. "That's right. I'm an Esper. I can see the future. And in the future, someone exposes your little secret—how you really have a Rank C ESR talent, not Rank A. If I'm wrong, feel free to deny it. Go ahead, tell me you don't have a Rank C ESR talent," she said with a mocking smile.

Ravenna's mouth opened, but no words came out. She couldn't deny it. The words Esdeath spoke were true, and the fact that she knew this terrified her.

"This was a top-secret matter," Ravenna thought, her mind spinning. "No one except a handful of people knows about my actual ESR talent. Could she really see the future?"

But then, Ravenna forced a bitter laugh, trying to regain some control. "Oh, really? So, you're going to tell everyone you can see the future? Do you actually think anyone will believe that nonsense?"

Before Esdeath could respond, Maruti burst out laughing. She laughed so hard she nearly fell off the bed, clutching her stomach as she rolled back and forth.

"Haha! This cheeky princess is such an idiot!" Maruti said through fits of laughter. She finally managed to sit up, wiping a tear from her eye as her expression turned serious.

"Listen closely, Princess," Maruti said, her voice sharp. "Esdeath didn't just say she saw your secret get exposed. She also saw how it happened. Which means…" Maruti's eyes narrowed as she leaned forward, her tone dark and threatening. "…we can do exactly what she saw. Whether you cooperate or not, the truth will come out."

Ravenna's heart sank, and a cold sweat dripped down her back.

Maruti crossed her arms and continued, her glare piercing. "And don't even think about trying to silence us. Do you really think we'd come here without a plan? We have backers, Even if you somehow got rid of us, the truth would still be revealed. So, you only have one choice."

The room was eerily quiet as Princess Ravenna's mind spiraled into chaos. For seventeen years, she had lived a life of luxury, doted on as the beloved princess of the kingdom. She had never been cornered like this before and didn't know how to escape.

Esdeath and Maruti weren't giving her time to think.

Why?

Because they couldn't let her regain control.

Maruti had claimed they had evidence and powerful backers to expose her secret. But was that true?

Of course not.

Esdeath and Maruti had no backers, no evidence, nothing concrete to use against her. The only reason Esdeath even knew about Ravenna's secret was because, in the near future of *Free Life Fantasy*, Ravenna confided this to Ethan. Beyond that, they had nothing.

Yet Ravenna didn't know this.

To her, this felt like an inescapable trap. She believed she had no way out, no option but to give in. But in reality?

All she had to do was say, "No".

That's it.

Esdeath and Maruti couldn't do anything. Ravenna was the princess of the kingdom, a figure too important to be harmed. Esdeath couldn't afford to make a reckless move like that.

But who would tell this to Ravenna?

In her mind, this was an impossible situation. She lowered her head, her hands clutching her knees as her body trembled. Her eyes glistened with tears that threatened to fall.

"Okay," she whispered, barely audible.

Maruti tilted her head mockingly. "What was that? I didn't hear you!"

Ravenna clenched her fists, her voice shaky but louder this time. "Okay! I'll do as you say!"

Maruti's face lit up with joy. "Yay!" she exclaimed, spreading her arms wide.

Before Ravenna could react, Maruti pulled her into a tight hug. Her embrace was firm, unyielding. Then, without warning, Maruti leaned in and pressed her lips against Ravenna's.

Ravenna's eyes widened in shock. She tried to pull away, but Maruti's strength overpowered her. The kiss was deep, invasive, and completely dominating. Ravenna felt utterly helpless.

After a few moments, Maruti finally withdrew, her tongue sliding out of Ravenna's mouth as a thin trail of saliva dripped onto Ravenna's chest.

"Ahh," Maruti said with a satisfied grin, her eyes gleaming. "What a delicious taste. No arrogance, no ego, no pride… only pure helplessness, 9.5/10."

Ravenna sat frozen, her face flushed with embarrassment and anger, but she didn't dare speak. Maruti's laughter echoed in the room, and Esdeath simply watched with an amused smile.

The princess had been defeated—not by strength, but by fear.

Maruti jumped off the bed and rushed to the door with the energy of a playful child. "Let's gooo!" she called out mockingly, throwing the door open. She turned back to grin at Ravenna one last time.

"Sweet dreams, Cheeky Princess! Hahaha…" she jeered before stepping out and disappearing into the hallway.

Esdeath followed Maruti to the door. Her hand rested on the handle, but she paused, turning back to Ravenna with an amused smirk.

"Do you want to know who exposes you in the future?" Esdeath asked, her voice low and taunting.

Ravenna didn't respond, her trembling lips unable to form words.

Esdeath didn't wait for an answer. "It was Ethan," she said coldly. With that, she stepped out and closed the door behind her.

The room fell silent, and Ravenna felt as if the walls were closing in around her. Her hands clutched the edge of the blanket, her body shaking. Tears began to spill down her cheeks, one after the other, as her sobs broke the silence.

"What am I going to do tomorrow?" she whispered to herself, her voice trembling with despair. Her fingers traced her lips as fresh tears welled up. "That bitch even stole my kiss… again. Sob… Sob…"

She cried for what felt like an eternity, her tears soaking the sheets. Eventually, her sobs quieted, leaving only the sound of her shaky breathing.

Her trembling hands clenched into fists. Anger and regret burned inside her as she slammed her fist against the bed. "This is all my fault!" she yelled, her voice breaking. "If I hadn't cheated, none of this would've happened!"

Her breathing quickened as the truth she had been avoiding for so long hit her like a tidal wave. "Every time I cheated, I told myself it was for the kingdom… but deep down, I knew it wasn't true. It was all for me. I was too afraid to lose. I wanted to keep winning, no matter the cost!"

She wiped her tears away, her pink eyes shimmering with a new determination. Her trembling stopped, and she sat up straight.

"That's it," she whispered to herself, her voice steadier now. "No more running. No more lies." She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms.

"Tomorrow, I'll confess everything. Not because I'm being blackmailed. Not because they forced me. But for me. For my own peace of mind. No more running away from the truth."