The fortuneteller

At the Love's Day event, there was no shortage of thrilling activities to keep Crystal entertained. However, her curious nature had led her down a path less traveled after accidentally parting ways with Chroma and Marina, and now she found herself standing in front of a mysterious purple tent that seemed to exude an eerie aura.

Despite feeling a sense of premonition, Crystal's inquisitive mind urged her to explore further. With a deep breath, she entered the tent, parting the flap aside and stepping inside.

The interior of the tent was shrouded in darkness, making it difficult for Crystal to discern her surroundings. She sensed a palpable demon presence lurking in the shadows, and her heart raced with anticipation.

Crystal flinched as suddenly, a flicker of light illuminated the space as candles sprang to life, revealing a hooded figure seated before her. The enigmatic lady's face was concealed, and her body was cloaked in a flowing garment, except for her fiery red locks that spilled out from underneath the hood.

As Crystal's eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, she noticed a small, round table positioned before the cloaked figure. In its center sat a crystal ball, radiating with an otherworldly glow.

“Greetings,” said the lady in a hushed tone, as if she was afraid someone else might hear her.

Crystal couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something inside the tent, something mysterious and unsettling.

Crystal returned the greeting and took a seat in front of the demon lady, who turned her head to the left very slowly, Crystal couldn't help but suppress a laugh. It felt like she was in a horror-comedy movie, seeking the help of a strange old lady to learn of her misfortunes.

“Pray tell, what have you come to seek?” the demon lady asked. Crystal seriously took a few seconds to think, but in the end, she just shrugged her shoulders.

“Tell me anything,” Crystal said, suddenly interested in fortune-telling.

“Let us see,” with a low hum, the demon lady raised her hands, revealing long pointed nails, and placed them over a crystal globe. As she chanted mantras in mumbles, she roamed her hands around the globe, and a maroon whirlpool appeared.

Crystal's breath hitched as she realized that the whirlpool was the same one that Ambrose had painted and she asked herself how did the crystal ball show it to her. And then suddenly, the whirlpool transformed into small letters, darting around inside the crystal ball, leaving Crystal confused.

“Strange, quite strange,” mumbled the demon lady, and Crystal's ears perked up.

"What is it?" Crystal asked eagerly, eager to learn the meaning of the crystal which had already given her a sense of reality due to the whirlpool.

The demon lady's response was unexpected and unsettling. "It appears that you have already encountered your mate," she said with a suspicious tone.

Crystal furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She had learned through Marina that meeting one's fated partner was a special and unforgettable experience, but she couldn't recall feeling anything of the sort. Doubt crept in as she questioned the accuracy of fortune-telling.

But the lady wasn't finished. "Or shall I say, mates," the demon lady added with a sly grin, catching Crystal off guard. She had not felt like she had met anyone fated to be her mate, let alone two.

"I am certain I haven't met either of them," Crystal said confidently, but her words lacked conviction as she saw the demon lady smirk through the hood.

"Your abilities appear to be suppressed for reasons that are currently unknown, resulting in your inability to recognize them. However, you have encountered them in the past. It is worth noting that the slightest recovery of your abilities will likely prompt a sense of familiarity and enable you to recognize them once again."

Crystal couldn't help but feel that the demon lady was speaking the truth. It made sense that she wouldn't feel attracted to her potential mate if her powers were suppressed. Additionally, the fact that the demon lady was able to tell that her powers were suppressed, even though Crystal hadn't mentioned that she could not use her magic properly, made her believe the demon lady's words even further.

"Who are they?" Crystal asked, and the demon lady snickered ominously.

"Child, fortune telling is so-called for a specific purpose," the demon lady said in a low, mysterious voice. "Regrettably, I am only able to offer fragmentary insights in a general manner. As you may know, the details of your past, present, and future are likely to contain secrets that cannot be discerned except by those gifted with the ability to prophesy," she further explained.

Crystal's disappointment was palpable. She had hoped for more than just vague hints, but the fortune teller's words left her feeling as lost and uncertain as ever. As she turned to leave, the demon lady caught her attention with one final revelation.

"But shall I share one more detail," she said with a sly smile. The crystal ball suddenly came to life, showing a vast forest that morphed into a giant, circular castle, resembling the Earth's Colosseum.

"There are indications that an important occurrence is in your future," the demon continued, her voice growing darker. "It appears that you are on the brink of a life-changing journey that may impact not only your own destiny but potentially that of others as well," Crystal's heart skipped a beat. The fortune teller's ominous words sent shivers down her spine, hinting at something far more dangerous and unpredictable than she had ever imagined.

...

Marina huffed in frustration as she finally spotted Crystal. "Where in the world have you disappeared to? I have been searching high and low for you."

"I-- I--" Crystal felt a knot in her stomach, she really wanted to tell Marina what happened in the fortune-telling booth. But fate intervened, as Marina didn't notice and cut off her words.

"Furthermore," Marina exclaimed, a sudden glint in her eye. "The unspeakable has happened this year. They have set up a confession box for students. A confession box has been established for students, allowing individuals to anonymously express their innermost desires to their object of affection without fear of repercussion." After hearing the news from the fortune-teller, Crystal wasn't really interested in the information that Marina had just shared.