Prophecy

Two ladies and a tall boy walked down an empty street under the moonlight. They had already visited several different countries and Ayan had learned several different languages.

"Where are we headed next?" Amelia asked, her voice brimming with excitement.

"Delphi, Greece," Ayan replied.

"Delphi? Come on, don't you have something more adventurous? Somewhere farther and more interesting?" Amelia pressed, trying to change his mind.

Ayan's tone shifted to a more serious one. "This one is a bit special. There's a mystic there who is also an oracle. Even if she's not a true master, I want to meet her."

"But... " Amelia tried to dissuade him but Sonia stopped her and said to Ayan, "Amelia's originally from Italy and lived most of her life in Greece. If you hadn't arranged those trips, we were planning to return here anyway. She just doesn't want to go back home."

Turning to Amelia, Sonia added, "Ayan already decided it's the last trip. You'd have to return here eventually."

"Alright," Amelia sighed, a little begrudgingly. "Let's make this the final trip, then."

They soon arrived in a remote part of Delphi, Greece.

"This is the first time I've been to this part of the country," Amelia remarked, scanning their surroundings.

As they ventured further, the road narrowed and finally disappeared, leaving them with only a path through the wilderness.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Amelia asked, doubt creeping into her voice as she glanced at the dense forest ahead.

Ayan double-checked his phone. "That's what the map says."

They eventually found themselves in front of an old stone house in the middle of the woods. The structure had whitewashed walls and a tiled roof, exuding a timeless charm.

"So, this oracle of yours lives here, right?" Amelia teased. "What's her age, 90?"

Ayan shook his head with a grin. "Nope, middle-aged."

As they approached the door, it opened before they could knock. A humble attendant greeted them. "Welcome, guests from afar."

Surprised by the warm reception, they stepped inside. Another attendant appeared with refreshments and snacks for them.

Another attendant brought a few refreshments and snacks for them.

"The master is currently meeting another guest. Please, enjoy these while you wait," the attendant said, laying out a selection of snacks.

Amelia's eyes lit up and she exclaimed, "Lemon cake and iced tea—exactly what I wanted! Oh, and horchata, your favorite, Sonia. And Ayan, it looks like you've got a smoothie."

Sonia and Ayan exchanged curious glances. It seemed too much of a coincidence.

The foods seemed to be tailored specifically for them.

" Do you mind if I ask who decides the food here?" Sonia asked with a smile.

"The master herself," the attendant replied with a respectful nod.

"And how did you know we were coming?" Ayan asked.

"We didn't know precisely when you'd arrive, but the master said she was expecting visitors," the attendant humbly responded.

With Sonia and Ayan's inquiries, Amelia also began to sense that something unusual was happening. Amelia, still curious, asked, "How long until we meet your master?"

The attendant lightly smiled and hinted. "Perhaps once you've finished your refreshments."

Amelia started eating her snacks without any concern. Ayan and Sonia looked at each other and hesitated before deciding to take the refreshments.

As soon as they finished, the sound of a door creaking open echoed through the room. A tall imposing figure with a lean, muscular build dressed in black and white clothes walked out gloomily. The man's dark brown pupils subtly shrank looking at Sonia and Amelia but he quickly left without a word, as if he didn't recognize them.

The three of them went inside the room and finally saw the oracle. She had striking silver hair and deep violet eyes with a gaze that seemed distant and unfocused as if she was looking through objects. She wore an intricate indigo and silver robe, with a luminescent crystal pendant hanging around her neck. The room was filled with ancient tomes, maps depicting celestial phenomena, and crystals accentuated by the scent of myrrh and sandalwood in the air.

Her pupils were still and didn't move despite noticing the three of them as if she's blind.

She said in a deep, resonant voice. "You've come from far seeking answers to your questions. But, I'm just an ignorant blind woman who only sees a few glimpses of the unknown. And, I'm only able to give one prophecy to one person per week."

Ayan, recalling the man who had just left, asked, "Did that man receive his prophecy?"

The oracle turned to him with her still pupils and smiled. "He did come for the prophecy, but I denied him."

Ayan sighed in relief. He requested with expectant eyes, "Can you give me a prophesy? I want to know about my parents and my master."

The oracle nodded and said in a mysterious tone, "Alright. I've been waiting for you. But I cannot guarantee what you will get in the prophecy."

Amelia, always skeptical, asked, "How did you know Ayan was coming?"

The oracle pulled out a piece of paper and an ancient quill as she replied, "Sometimes, I catch glimpses of the future, though I have no control over them."

Amelia continued, "And why did you reject that previous guy?"

The oracle's voice was distant. "Whether I give someone a prophecy or not is not up to me. Moreover, I didn't want to do it for him. Please wait some time for the prophecy."

Without further explanation, the oracle settled into her chair, closed her eyes, and slowly became still. The atmosphere in the room subtly changed. After a few moments, the oracle's eyes slowly opened and her pupils rolled upwards, towards the middle of her eyebrows as if attracted by a magnet, leaving only the whites visible in her half-closed eyes. She sat totally still in this trance-like state.

After a minute, the oracle's hand started moving and she scribbled something on the paper as if she was possessed by someone. The three of them waited with bated breaths. After she completed writing, she slowly opened her eyes and handed the paper to Ayan. All three of them looked at it, it was a poem written in a language known to them yet the meanings were not clear. It stated:

'In shadows deep where secrets lie,

A master hides, the stars will guide.

When moonlight fades and dawn is nigh,

A journey long, no more to hide.

A heart will break, a tear will fall,

For one held dear will heed the call.

In sorrow's wake, the truth will stall,

Yet destiny awaits through all.

In this new light, dark forces blend,

With witches, devils, paths will bend.

Curses cast and boons bestowed,

Shape the fate where secrets flowed.

In dreams revealed, the future gleams,

Guiding steps through shadowed schemes.

In tragic state, kins are found,

Their fates opposed, in silence bound.

Through grief and loss, the truth profound,

Their journey ends, where love is crowned.

To lands unknown, the path is sown,

 Where whispers of the past are grown.

Through trials faced and seeds now shown,

Reunion awaits, the master known.'

Sonia asked, "Can you explain what the prophecy means?"

The oracle shook her head. "I don't interpret the prophecies I write. Many times, they are in languages I don't even understand. I feel it'll be more effective that way."

She explained, "I'm not the one who writes the prophecy though it appears that way. Whenever I close my eyes and become still, my eyes turn upwards and I forget everything and become oblivious to the surroundings. After I arrive at that point, my hands move on their own and write the prophecies. I don't know how or why it happens."

"If you don't mind, I would like to rest. Writing prophecies are taxing for me," she added, her voice heavy with fatigue.

Understanding that their time was up, the trio bowed respectfully and left, the cryptic words still lingering in their minds.