A Message from The Oracle

"ORA!"

All eyes turned to Claude as he casually greeted The Oracle. The latter smiled and ran to him. The three males with them cannot help but wonder how he knew of The Oracle.

The Oracle was an entity that had not been seen for three millennia. Something must have triggered her to reappear and she chose a little girl to house her being.

A little girl, whose mother and brother also have an ability that many immortals have never heard of or had seen in their lifetime.

"Claudy~" the little girl hugged Claude before both made an audible sound of relief.

"Is my sister okay?" Claude asked worry could be heard in his voice.

"Your sister is fine. I had to be here to tell you how proud I am," she replied. "You did a wonderful job of keeping me a secret from everyone, including your mom. I know that it was not easy, but you were such a trooper!" The Oracle praised Claude.

They could see the relief on his face. They could only suspect that he had been hiding it for so long. As Colin and Thor had seen, knowing that his sister was having a vision would be terrifying.

"Will you be leaving?" he asked.

The Oracle gave him a sad smile and said, "As much as I want to say, no, we both know that I couldn't." Even The Oracle itself was saddened by the fact. To host such a young child was unheard of. There were born that would host her, but this was something different.

"But you are not alone anymore," she looked at the people who were around them. Fujin had a concerned look about him, while Colin and Thor wanted to smack the god of wind on the head.

"Duncan, your uncle, will help you how to handle your sister's episodes. He knows more than you think," The Oracle patted his cheeks and smiled up at him.

Claude nodded and patted The Oracle's head. She was one of the most feared and sought-after beings in all pantheons. Yet here she was, inside a body of a young girl that has no idea that her fate will never be her own.

"How did you keep your presence a secret from Julie?" Colin asked.

The Oracle looked at Colin before she answered, "Her power. The ability that no one has ever heard or seen made any immortals powerless. That includes me."

"Powerless?" Thor asked, he looked at Colin and then added, "Does your father know about this?"

Colin nodded, with his father's fascination with the woman, he knew that being close to her would mean him being a mortal. Something he hasn't been since his father became king.

"He knew?! Then why?"

There was a tone of disbelief that could be heard in this voice. For an Immortal to be reduced to a state of humanity was something they were afraid of.

"Thor, have you ever been in love?" The Oracle asked the Nordic God of Thunder.

"A bit," he replied.

"Have you ever felt the need to be with someone so strong that you would risk your life, your immortality to be with them?" The Oracle implored.

Thor's silence was enough for The Oracle to continue. "You see, Nordic god, Duncan had found the only woman he wanted to belong to. A woman he is willing to be mortal with. A mortal he loves. Fate may have something to do with how they met. And Jane was the hand that Julie needed to let go of her old world."

"Her ability dampened ours. It hides who we are, it makes us vulnerable to the same things we see in mortals. That is what gods like you and the others are afraid of. Being powerless. Yet Duncan…"

"Lugh-sama accepted what was happening when he got close to her the first time," Fujin finished.

The Oracle nodded and continued, "He had seen her when she had a book signing at a café in her home country before being a full-time writer and innkeeper." The Oracle smiled as she remembered that day.

"Oh!" exclaimed Claude, "that's why he looked so familiar to us when he saved us. We have dreamed of him, but he looked so different. He was there!"

The Oracle nodded. Indeed, Duncan was at the very first book event that Julie had. It was low-key, but the people who visited her made it a success. The second book signing that was supposed to be online also became an in-person event.

"As to Lugh, visiting Julie's dreams, that is something no one had anticipated. He has no control over the dreams he visits. But Claude and Nicole prove him otherwise." The Oracle paused and looked at Claude again, she smiled and hugged the young man.

"Nicole is sleeping soundly, the three of you better think of a good explanation for why she passed out," The Oracle said. "Fujin, are you going or staying?"

Fujin was poking at the ground when The Oracle called him, he blushed and replied, "I have to explain to Lugh-sama why I am here. Some of the Japanese higher gods want to talk to Claude. As to how they know," he could only shrug.

Colin wanted to hit him. Fujin was being an a-hole he could have told them but he resorted to intimidation.

"Well then, I have to go. Nicole will be asleep for a few more hours, possibly she will wake up tomorrow morning. Either way, she needs to rest. The past few months took a toll on her. She looked okay, but I had to intervene so she can get proper rest." The Oracle then stood beside Colin and looked up at him, "Take care of them, your step sibling have roles to fulfill. As the eldest, you have to help them understand the world where they now belong."

Colin pick The Oracle and hugged her then said, "Rest, your words are heard Oracle."

She smiled and then passed out.

Colin looked at Claude, he was leaning onto Thor's left leg and he too, looked like he was also about to sleep. He then glanced at Fujin who was looking in the direction of The Belle.

Foreboding filled Colin. For the Oracle to show herself meant something big was about to happen. It was her way to ensure that the safety of the kids was done.

Will there be death? That was something he was not sure of. For now, as Colin rubbed Nicole's back he prayed to the All Mighty Being to protect all he holds dear.