The Red Prophecy

Leo had been quite suspicious of Luna’s and his nephews’ actions the last few days. He caught Luna researching about the old alchemy building, and it wasn’t just her. It was brief, but he caught a few reference materials on Kai’s study table once about the same place when he came over to visit Peter’s and Kai’s dorm room. He did give Luna a warning but from what he understood of her personality, she wouldn’t give up unless she has answers to her questions. Just like a certain nephew of his who was named crowned prince just last summer.

Leo was talking with Professor Tresde about his suspicions. He was fully aware that Kayla Tresde was once his older sister Shuri’s personal knight before she fought in the front lines and she knew about the old alchemy building. After all, Grand Princess Shuri, former queen of Syna Kingdom and Kai’s mother, was the head of the project held under that building.

“You know more about what happened back then.” Leo said after telling the professor of what he saw. “And I’m sure Kai and Luna will head there.”

“The project has been shut down ten years ago and everything was destroyed under the orders of His Majesty. I’m pretty sure they will find nothing but an abandoned building.”

“But what about the energy orb at the deepest level of the building?”

Professor Tresde paused for a while. True, everything related to the project was destroyed ten years ago and everyone that worked on it were either dead or bound by a contract, but the energy orb they were researching before the shutdown was never did destroyed. In fact, it couldn’t be destroyed.

“Kai’s Fox Curse was activated because of that, he has a connection with that thing. Do you really think he’d stay away from that place?”

“Then that’s certainly bad news.”

Their conversation was suddenly cut off when a messenger bird entered Professor Tresde’s office via window. She immediately recognized the bird; it was Freya’s messenger bird. The two noticed the scroll of paper it had on its foot. Professor Tresde immediately took the scroll and read it.

Leo was baffled when the professor suddenly held a look of shock and worry on her face.

“What’s wrong professor?”

“Kai was abducted and taken to the northern forest. Luna and the others are planning to rescue him.”

“WHAT?!”

“This is bad. How can the prince be abducted? Inside the academy grounds! And taken to the northern forest? This is really bad.”

“You think?”

“Gather the disciplinary committee, I’ll get the teachers. Let’s meet at the entrance of the northern forest.”

Leo arrived at the entrance of the forbidden northern forest with the elites of the disciplinary committee and the student council, but they all stopped at their tracks when they saw that a barrier had enclosed the entire forest. It didn’t help when Leo suddenly felt a strong power from inside it.

‘Something’s definitely happening inside.’ he thought.

***

With my new found powers, I took down my enemies by enhancing my strength, speed and power. Now that I think about it, it wasn’t different of how I usually fight.

Once in a while, I would also send fire and ice spells towards the crater, fox fire especially since it could incinerate the mutated creatures immediately. But no matter how hard we take down our enemies or how many mutated creatures we kill, we were getting overwhelmed and at the same time, we were getting tired.

“We need to escape.” Andrea said as she tried to catch her breath.

I totally agree with her. Beads of sweat were covering my body and I could feel my body strain at the fatigue. Not to mention my fox core was still adjusting to my mortal body and with that, I could feel my body’s temperature rise up.

“Bad news!” Fan arrived with a frantic look on her face. “There’s a barrier around the forest! We can’t get out of here!”

“”WHAT?!””

All of a sudden, Dean Alkis was laughing like a madman. “We’re all going to die.”

I made my way towards him with an angry look. “What are you talking about?”

“Once any of these creatures manages to get out of the building without supervision, the barrier will be activated. And it will not be brought down until the creature is killed or returned to its cell. Their cages have been destroyed when the building and the underground facilities collapsed, and there are too much of them outside. We’re all going to be devoured.”

“Why did you even do such a thing?!” I yelled. “Is this how you expected the warriors of Praiji Empire to be?”

“They’re failures! Kai, Prince Kai is the one chosen by the power orb. No, you… you’re chosen by the power orb!”

“Such nonsense. You will explain yourself to the emperor.” I hit Dean Alkis’ nape which promptly knocked him out.

-We need to do something about these creatures in one go. There’s a possibility some of them are humans but with how things are going, if we worry about that, we’re going to end up dead.

I suddenly felt pain radiate inside of me and I stumbled to the ground. I fell on my knees and I started breathing heavily. I could feel my insides rise in temperature still and a pounding headache was forming. I did not know what was happening then but later on, I found out that my fox core and inner core were adapting, no, merging with each other and it was making a lot of excess energy within my body, which my mortal body couldn’t handle, unless I release it.

“Get… away… from me!” I exclaimed.

I took in a deep breath, a desperate one, and I felt something explode inside of me. Before I passed put, I saw myself inside a pillar of light and then I was engulfed by darkness.

***

On a distant island in the northeast, two individuals were seated across each other, playing a board game not known in Afasia in a pavilion. The pavilion was situated at the mountainside and from there, they could see half of the island with its lush green valley.

All of a sudden, the young man with golden blonde hair and sky-blue eyes gasped and green smoke poured out of his mouth. The other young man who had black hair, amber eyes and a marking on his face that ran from the left side of his forehead all the way to his left cheek, was immediately flustered.

“Apollo? What’s- Are you going to spill some sort of prophecy? Or do you feel- nope, it’s a prophecy.”

“She who survived the purge

Have made the core and seed merge

The Child of the fox beware

The forgotten deity's red teardrop she must soon wear

The Celestials’ and Demons’ bane stands firm in red

One with pain that came from bloodshed

A single choice will be made with one last breath

Will Afasia live or end at the hands of the red death?”

The green smoke vanished and the man who issued it, Apollo, tried to catch his breath. “This is bad Wukong, I saw a lot of red in that vision.”

“Was that a grand prophecy?” asked Wukong in return, worry was reflected on his face. “You Greeks have always loved such tragic visions.”

“Not like we wanted them to be one, you damned monkey.”

“You’re right. The last time you spoke a grand prophecy was two hundred years ago. You think the scale is the same?”

“I don’t know! I only give the prophecy! Even I don’t understand it!”

“Hmm… I think I have to return home soon.” Wukong looked at the distance with a melancholic look. “I have a woman waiting for me.”

“Assuming she doesn’t break a bone or two when you arrive.”

"Don't jinx it. Marii loves me too much."

"Whatever floats your boat, dude."

Meanwhile, in another realm, a man in regal clothes was seated in a throne made of gold. He was holding a court meeting with his ministers and officials present on the throne room. But all of a sudden, a pillar of bluish-light pierced the barrier that separated the Celestial Realm and the mortal realm of Afasia and Apollo’s prophecy echoed all over the realm.

“What is the meaning of this?!” exclaimed the one on the throne. “Somebody dares to be the Celestials' bane? Find out immediately!”

“”Yes your majesty!””

Many others were made aware of the sudden surge of power in the central continent and the appearance of the pillar of light. At the sight of it, they knew that trouble and chaos would soon start and they had to prepare. Of course, the one who was most aware of what was about to come was seated in one of the offices inside the palace of Praiji Empire. Once the pillar of light emerge from somewhere within the grounds of the Imperial Academy, she immediately stopped what she was doing and looked at it.

“The Red Prophecy has been spoken and the Red Sovereign has been chosen.” she muttered. “The Colored Monarchs will soon rise to rule Afasia.”

There was suddenly a knock on the door to her office and the emperor of Praiji Empire strode in.

“Aunt Zaira, I’m afraid we’ll have to visit the Imperial Academy.”

“I know.”