The Prophetess's Gruesome Prophecy
From the goddess's embrace, the purple world had vanished before I knew it, and I was back at the midnight Eiffel Tower.
"Did you see the past you desired?"
"Yes."
The witch smiled sweetly, stroking the crystal ball.
"I'm glad. The orb requires a long wait after each use."
I remembered this from the original story. The cooldown applied individually to each user— a whopping five years. That meant after using the orb to glimpse the past this time, I couldn't rely on it again for another five years. It might be a mere instant to a witch who had lived for ages, but to an ordinary human, it was an eternity. Still, I understood; without such a penalty, the ability would be far too overpowered.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, I now know what I must do."
"I hope it leads to a good outcome."
However, the Prophetess Witch herself was unbound by the orb's penalty. She could observe any past or future she wished—everything except her own future, to be precise.
"Witch, what about my future?"
At my question, the witch flashed an enigmatic smile.
"Curious, are you? About what lies ahead for you."
Do not be swayed by such talk. It is utterly useless.
The goddess's sudden advice came in a serene tone, yet it felt as if she desperately wished I wouldn't heed it.
"If I say I'm curious, will you tell me?"
Kro.
"Knowing the future doesn't change it."
"So it's a fixed fate."
"But on the flip side, there's no need to assume everything flows according to divine providence."
Suddenly, I wondered: would my future even appear in that crystal orb? I was an irregular, someone who hadn't originally belonged in this world. The Kro Morris from the original story was just a nameless extra who brushed by without significance. And what of Phantom Thief Raven? My theft of Rafano's necklace had triggered a butterfly effect, rippling all the way to Rachel. I'd seen every detail of that process through the orb, but that was the past. The future was different—possibilities yet to unfold.
Would my future be fully recorded in that orb?
The witch rose from her chair for the first time, approaching me lightly on tiptoe. Her golden rolled-up curls swayed with each step. The Prophetess leaned in close, her lips brushing my ear, whispering in a ticklish voice,
"Your end will be more terrible than anything else."
"……."
"It was fun today. Farewell."
And with that, my one-night trip to Paris came to an end.
On the train ride back, the sky visible through the window shifted from mysterious purple to a deepening crimson as dawn broke.
"……."
I propped my chin and stared blankly at that fleeting scene for a moment. If I rushed home upon arriving in London, changed clothes, and bolted straight to the Academy, I might just avoid being late. To stay in fighting shape, I should catch even a quick nap now. But my mind was too cluttered with thoughts to sleep.
I was confident I could resolve Rachel's issue sufficiently. Of course, it wouldn't be without complications—especially the finer details I couldn't fully verify with the orb. Like why she hid the truth from me after nearly getting me killed, without so much as an apology. Or the exact state of her older sister right now.
I had a rough guess about those. I'd suspected it from the moment I first saw Veronica. Her unique magic was none other than hypnosis—one of the most insidious abilities even among Drakan. But for hypnosis to fully take hold, the target's mental state had to be extremely unstable, or it required a long time. So right now, at worst, it was probably just a strong suggestion.
It likely started with a simple promise of easy money, gradually dragging her into a sticky quagmire, deepening the hypnosis. I had to break Rachel free from that suggestion as quickly as possible.
The biggest obstacle was Drakan interference, of course. They wouldn't let their test subject quit so easily. But I had a plan in mind for that too. It wasn't foolproof, but it would force even Drakan to back off.
That was it. No point overthinking it further here on this speeding train.
Yet I couldn't close my eyes, my gaze fixed outside. Truth be told, what tormented me more than Rachel's problem was the witch's words about my future.
'Your end will be more terrible than anything else.'
A gruesome end. What future had she seen in me? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I'd started this phantom thief business on a romantic whim, fully aware from the outset that it could endanger my life. Maybe I'd only understood that intellectually, treating it lightly deep down.
"Did you know, Goddess?"
By nature, gods do not reveal the future to humans. It would disrupt the ordained path.
"…Then it's fine to turn an innocent student into a phantom thief?"
You are my one and only devotee, my most precious child. Thus, I do not wish to see you harmed.
Knowing the details would lead to me getting hurt? After hearing about that gruesome end already, what difference would a little injury make anyway?
I knew it too. Whining to the goddess wouldn't solve anything.
As I fiddled silently with the ring for a while, a warm sensation enveloped my entire body. Though invisible, I instantly knew whose warmth it was.
Fear not. Even if you meet that gruesome end the witch foretold, I shall remain by your side until the very end.
"…Haha. Was that meant to be comforting?"
That practically confirmed the witch's prophecy was true. Yet oddly, it lifted my spirits. It felt like letting go of lingering regrets and clearing away complicated thoughts.
Even if the witch was right, knowing the future wouldn't change a thing. No need to tremble in fear assuming it was set in stone.
My life was packed enough focusing on the present.
Bathed in the bright sunlight streaming through the window, I gently closed my eyes. Leaning into the goddess's warm embrace, I sought a sweet, brief slumber.
Close call—safe. A tardy would have docked points and hurt my grades significantly. Thank goodness. Not that great grades got me anything special.
Rachel smirked as I burst into the classroom, panting.
"What? You, late? What'd you do last night, stay up without sleeping?"
"…Aren't you a girl? Don't say stuff like that."
"Ha. What'd I even say? What kinda imagination you got, you total nerd."
Ugh, she was grating on my nerves right off the bat. I'd gone out of my way to help her for once—should I just drop it? No. It was still my responsibility; I couldn't just ignore her.
I'd roughly planned how to help Rachel. Showing up openly crossed my mind, but it might bruise her pride or make things awkward between us. So, Arsène Lupin it was again. Conveniently, he was running a charity foundation—perfect cover.
But first, I needed to confirm something. Was Rachel truly under Veronica's hypnosis, or was she still in her right mind? She seemed exactly like her usual self at a glance. But having read the original, I knew the one telltale sign.
"Rachel."
"Yeah?"
"After class, wanna grab something tasty? My treat."
"O… You offering? What're you buying?"
"How about chicken?"
Her face lit up at the promise of food, but soured instantly at "chicken."
"Nah, pass."
"Why? Hate chicken?"
"What're you gonna do about it?"
Jackpot—definite reaction. Veronica's hypnosis was incredibly potent, but it had one glaring weakness: it broke upon hearing a rooster's crow. Thus, the hypnotized instinctively loathed and avoided chickens. Of course, hating chicken alone wasn't conclusive proof. The surefire test was bringing a rooster right up to them and making it crow—but not feasible here and now. I'd have to try definitively after classes ended.
"Fine. Something else then."
"…For real? If you drag me to chicken anyway, you're dead."
"I'm not you—why force it if you hate it?"
Rachel poked my side playfully as she spoke.
"Oh ho. Nerd's getting bold now, huh? Grown a lot?"
"Ow… Anyway, don't tell the others."
"Huh? Why?"
"Why? 'Cause it's just for you."
How else to expose her to a rooster crow with everyone around? But Rachel seemed to misunderstand completely, suddenly pulling away and glaring at me. Her cheeks faintly flushed for some reason.
"You…."
"No."
I reflexively denied it. But seriously, it wasn't like that. I swear!