The Prophecy

Keres walked towards the exit, his previously burdening anguish nowhere to be seen. Just before he reached, the front door creaked open and Mina walked in, dressed in her school uniform.

"You're heading out?" She asked, raising her brows and Keres stopped then responded with a nod. He soon continued forward, breaking the silence with his footsteps.

"Tell Lizzie I won't be home until dinner." He said as he strolled past her, reaching for the door handle.

"Umm... If she's not home, you got any idea where she went?" Mina tilted her head slightly and Keres shrugged his shoulders before pulling the door open.

"She probably took Jelly to the park or something." He said, hurriedly descending the doorsteps. But just as he was about to vanish from view, Mina leaned out through the doorway and stopped him with her voice.

"Wait."

"..." He halted, looking in her direction as she spoke.

"Would you like to go grab ice cream with me and my friend Elsa tomorrow?" She asked. "I know you'd probably be busy in the evening so we could head out before then."

Keres inhaled a deep breath. Despite weeks of declining her invitations, she refused to back down. He contemplated rejecting her once again. But after a brief internal debate, he decided against it. Just this once— he conceded.

"Sounds good to me, then" He said and excitement instantly brightened her complexion. "If that's all, then I'll be on my way."

He continued towards his destination. In response, Mina leaned forward, waving at him.

"Alright, Pepperhead. Take care and don't get into trouble, okay?" She said with a warm grin playing on her lips as he wandered away, merging with the landscape.

It was just over a year ago that Keres moved in with them. And finally, after thirteen months, she succeeded in the first phase of her plan to reach her reproachable younger brother.

She soon began daydreaming about becoming a dependable older sister, one he could and would always rely on. If only she realized how unkind the world could be.

***

Bathed in the cold winter breeze, the soft rays from the sun punctured his irises as he gazed up towards the sky. One would naturally expect him to grimace and retract his gaze after a prolonged staring contest with the sun. Yet, this young man remained unfazed.

"How rare of you to summon me like this, my Prince." A harmonious voice resonated into his ears.

"Uh?" He swept his hollow gaze towards her direction as she took a seat at the other end of the bench where he was sitting.

The woman had sleek black hair that complimented the fair complexion of her skin. Her eyes were framed in captivating blue contact lenses and the stylish winter cloak she wore, cast a touch of mystery upon her look.

"Someone as remarkable as yourself, addressing me as her Prince. Honestly, I'm flattered." He said, retracting his gaze.

"Do you not like it? Shall I revert to addressing you with the pet name I gave you, then? Or your birth name perhaps?"

"If it's you, I'm willing to go as far as changing my name to whatever it is you wish to call me." He sneered, giving a shrug. The woman chuckled lightly, shaking her head sideways.

"There's just no winning against you, slick bastard." She cussed, her expression suddenly turning emotionless.

"Someone as inferior as myself would never dare to compete against…"

He couldn't continue as the woman instantly cut in sharper than a pair of scissors.

"Invel…" She took a tormenting pause.

"Enough of this, tell me what it is you want." Her words hung in the air, and a fierce blast of wind swept through the surroundings.

"What's wrong with having a leisure chat with my beloved partner in crime? How mean..."

"Unfortunately, I don't have enough time for a chit-chat. Get straight to the point." She interjected once more, with a distinct shift in her tone.

"Haaaa." He released a sigh, peeling off the fake smile pasted across his lips.

"I need your help." Invel's voice was composed, yet resolute.

"Eehh? What a pleasant surprise!" The woman exclaimed, concealing her lips with one hand.

"Who would've thought you'd come crawling back to me like this? So amusing, considering you're currently engaged to that famous psychologist. What was her name again?" She stroked her chin, giving a slight provocation and in response, his eyes widened as he finally turned his head in her direction.

"Do you want to die?" He inquired, eyes narrowing into a scowl.

"Ooh? Look who's grown wings all of a sudden" She fired back at his threat with a straight face. And the atmosphere tensed, reaching an unprecedented intensity the moment both their eyes locked in collision.

Next, the woman withdrew her gaze, having successfully agitated him as intended.

"Oh, I almost forgot. You wouldn't want her or anyone else, finding out about everything you've been…"

"Are you still mad about what happened a year ago?" He cut in with an inquiry, his voice still maintaining its usual calmness.

"You thought a single year would be enough to quell my resentment?" She asked, matching the serene quality of his voice. And almost immediately, he shrugged, giving a response.

"Fair enough but unfortunately, I don't feel even a tiny bit of remorse. I simply acted with my sister's best interests in mind."

"Ooh? I should kill your sister in that case. Perhaps then, you'd finally know what it's like to feel remorse." She said and a soft silence embraced the scene.

The distant hum of a passing car and the gentle rustling of dry leaves soon blended and shattered the silence to bits.

"That was a terrible joke. For your own sake, please ensure to never repeat it again." Invel said, revealing an ambiguous smile as he rose to his feet. Next, he stretched his arms wide and released a nonchalant yawn.

"Can't believe I almost lost it there. I guess I'll head home and watch some television until it's time for dinner." He added in a whiny tone. Next, he began walking away prompting a frown from the mysterious woman.

"You want to know your future, don't you?" Her voice was composed, yet firm enough to restrict him to a halt.

"I apologize for my words earlier. You're right, it was a terrible joke that should've never escaped my lips." She conceded, momentarily shutting her eyes with a sigh. And upon her apology, Invel turned towards her and smiled. He tried to speak but her following words prevented him from doing so.

"To show my sincerity, I'm willing to help without requesting anything in return. Think of this as a little apology for crossing the line earlier." She pinched the air with her fingers, revealing an expression that was just as sincere as it was suspicious. Next, she beckoned him with her hand.

"Come on, sit down." She said.

At her voice, Invel extended his palm and a heavy gilt-edged black book appeared in his grasp. He handed it over before sitting down beside her.

Following his compliance, the woman opened the book. She was prepared to inscribe on a blank page using an ancient calligraphy pen. But suddenly, she threw him a prim glance.

"I can't focus if you keep staring like that."

When he heard her complain, he averted his gaze and only then, did she begin to write. Although, the quietude didn't go on for long as she returned the book only a few moments later.

"Here." She said and he instantly responded.

"Thanks, I owe you one."

"Uhn-uhn, don't mention it." The woman shook her head gently, taking a pause.

"It appears something interesting is about to happen at the world's center. If you'd excuse me, I need to begin preparations immediately." The woman added. And as his pupils carefully navigated the page, she stood up and began walking away.

She halted just a second before he spoke, anticipating his call. And, true to expectation, he called out to her.

"Wait. I don't understand what it says" Invel said, closing the book and she released a sigh.

"We both know that I'm unable to read and retain memories of what I write. Moreover, you're the only one with eyes bright enough to see through that book. It's impossible for me to know what's written in there even if I wanted to." She responded without turning back and he stood up and slowly approached her from behind.

"What if I read it out to you?"

"Oh, that's a bit surprising..." She replied, pausing for emphasis. "Are you willing to go that far even though you don't trust me?" Her ebony waves fluttered in the wind as she asked.

"Indeed, I have no idea what your true intentions might be. But I know for sure that you need me. So I'm pretty certain you wouldn't attempt anything funny." The prince shrugged, halting an arm's length away from her. At this point, the book had vanished from his grasp.

The woman smirked, her lenses twinkling like night stars.

"Getting all cocky, are we?"

"Forgive me if I'm wrong but I think I've earned every right to be cocky." He scratched the top of his head, displaying a bashful grin.

"Right, I almost forgot, 'The strongest Dell alive.' You're so full of yourself, it's pretty adorable at times."

"Well, thank you. Being powerful and overwhelmingly charming are my most redeeming qualities as I've been told."

"Invel, you're indeed powerful, more than almost anyone in the history of your kind. Nevertheless, you're still but a young child with so much room for growth. Understand that the tallest trees are often the most deeply rooted. Don't let this juvenile haughtiness be the blindfold that veils your potential." She said. Invel smirked.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"I can't afford to be here all day, let's get on with this quickly."

The book once again appeared in Invel's hands. In truth, he didn't need to look inside as he already memorized the entry at his first glance. Yet, he simply couldn't afford any mistakes.

"As the seamless sun revolves around its axis.

The slumbering sovereign evolves and emerges.

Good gracious, our long awaited deity?

Or perchance, a cruel creator of calamity.

A treacherous tyrant, perhaps a thief of halo?

The Reaper's scythe we shall borrow.

A good turn of events? Let's wait and see.

But maybe, better good can be."

As Invel read out the contents of the page, the woman's pupils shuddered in disbelief. Moments later, having organized her thoughts, she spoke up.

"I see." She said with a nod.

"I can't give a full interpretation since it appears this prophecy is incomplete."

"Uh? How is that possible?" Invel lifted his brows and asked calmly, concealing his disarray.

"A prophecy is supposed to accurately foretell a certain event. However, they sometimes emerge in the form of parallel precognitions on either side of a single coin of fate. This is one of those cases." The woman explained and he tilted his head, even more confused.

"To be precise, it's two different people's prophecies carrying two different possibilities of a single event. The outcome of one either postpones or completely nullifies the other. But much like the impossibility of a solar and lunar eclipse occurring simultaneously, both possibilities will never coincide." She furthered using her fingers to add a visual touch to her explanation and a glow of comprehension brightened Invel's complexion.

"To think that my fate would be entirely dependent on someone else's, how ridiculous." He sighed. Although he appeared brazen, in truth he was still concerned.

And with her eyes shot wide open, the woman looked directly into his eyes.

"Invel, listen to me carefully. From what I can tell, this part of the prophecy poses a warning." She halted and goosebumps instantly appeared on his skin. This is always an indication of a certain degree of nervousness among humans and even the most powerful Dell in the world isn't an exception.

"Perhaps tonight or tomorrow, the day of your inauguration…" She took another dramatic pause, her tone an indicator for the severity of the warning.

"You wil die!"

***