Flames encroach everything in sight. Armors of brilliant silver are dyed black by the intense blaze. Screams of pain and agony echo throughout the endless desert.

“Stop...”

Swiftly, without flinching, the brave men are devoured by the fire. Soon, nothing but a memory would remain behind. Demise and death are the only future for this army.

“Stop it... please...”

Such is the grave future prophesied by the young oracle’s crystal. As her eyes are helplessly glued to this vision, they are overrun with tears. Her heart aches for the fallen soldiers, among which is her dear brother.

Breathing becomes a heavy practice. She is suffocated as if drowning in this blazing sea herself. Shivers strike her body from all directions, even her teeth tremble heavily.

“I got to... tell them...”

Her cognition understands what must be done, yet her body is petrified.

“Have... to...”

She tries to stand up and set sail for the door. Her body feels heavier threefold; she collapses under that mental weight.

“Please... tell them...”

Even so, she doesn’t give up. Even if by crawling - she will reach her destination. Her sacred self doesn’t see anything but that one goal.

“Please... they will be killed...”

There should be people outside. Somebody should be able to hear her voice, as fragile as it is.

The tip of her fingers touches the cold gate. Realizing that she can’t possibly open anything while floored, she invests her whole into standing up.

“Ah... ah...”

Her body is weak to begin with, for she has been sealed away since birth. Her great magical potential has been dedicated to the art of divination alone.

“Ugh... stop...”

As she struggles to straighten herself, her eyes fall on the crystal yet again. A black woman is drawn on the foretelling canvas. The woman wears a delightful smile as her eyes glitter with excitement.

“Witch...”

That woman is the manifestation of the deepest fears. A prodigy of magical arts who has decided to abuse her power. One such as her would lay waste to a whole town in a matter of minutes. A demon, wearing human flesh.

“Wrong... I’ll never be like that...”

She mumbles words of rejection as she uses the door as support. She has been isolated from the rest to serve a noble purpose. It was by no means out of fear. Her brother, her whole family... none of them loves her less due to her natural gifts.

She... has to believe in all that.Otherwise, the whole world would crumble around her. Like the platoon, she will be covered in boundless fires. Her beliefs would shatter into irreparable pieces and would be lost... for eternity.

“Got to... notify...”

She will not believe in any of that. Baseless anxiety will not defeat her.

Her cold palms now coat the handle. She does her utmost to seed energy into her weak muscles. She must force this door open and deliver the message - at any cost.

“Ugh...! Why...?”

After finally lowering the handle, nothing but a surprise follows.

She has been locked.

“Can’t be...”

There is no way out. She is like a caged bird, who can only sign when the master demands so. She isn’t allowed to leave her room without permission.

“Please, somebody...!”

Her throat is sore and her dim voice comes off hoarse. Her palms, now turned into fists, knock against the solid metal.

“Somebody, answer me...”

Even though the other side doesn’t respond - she keeps striking against the cold gate. Her throat is rent asunder each time she produces voice.

“Please, please somebody!”

Her vision turns misty thanks to tears. Her hands hurt, to the point where her willpower can no longer force them to move.

There is no answer.

Nobody is going to come and lend her an ear. There is no way for her to overturn the helpless future she envisioned.

Why is she even there...?

If none is around to listen to her, doesn’t she just become useless? What purpose does the role of the oracle serve, if she can’t even prevent this one tragedy!?

“Brother...”

Her determined legs give in. She slowly slides against the cool door. Her body has grown completely exhausted by such meager activity. Nobody bothered to nurture her physical body.

Since early ages, she has been taught but a single action; a machine programmed to serve a single purpose. Unlike the children that grow through interacting with their environment - she has been kept confined in this tiny, dark chamber.

“Free...”

Though she is disgusted by the malice worn on the witch’s face, her heart nevertheless yearns for the freedom emitted by it. Unlike her, who has been isolated from the world due to her power, that woman roams the world as she pleases.

Though her deeds are clearly misguided, at the same time she represents her complete independence. That woman would be able to complete any duty without fail. Even this obstacle of a door - it could easily be burnt down.

“I...”

She lays her eyes on the trembling hands. They are white and lifeless, hardly apart from the bare bones of a skeleton. Though appear decayed, these hands hold immense power.

Magic.

A supernatural force allowed only to the rare breed of the human race. This power, both her and that witch wield it. She, however, has never been allowed to study it properly. All she was granted, is knowledge of divination magecraft.

“Ah...”

The immense flames within the crystal dance inside her eyes. Gazing into their brightness is stabbing, yet the girl endures this pain.

“Can I...?”

She wonders.

Can she do that as well? Can she force her way open with magic?

Though different, the two can fundamentally control the same forces. If that witch can summon a destructive flame, so can she.

“No, it’s wrong! It’s wrong... but...”

It’s unforgivable to use magic with ill, destructive intents. She knows that, she has been hammered that rule for as long as she remembers. It’s as natural as breathing for her.

However...

“But I need to save them...”

Her voice is slowly dying, now playing mostly in her own head.

“I need to... save brother...”

Is it really wrong to use that power for the sake of others? Is it really wrong to use it in order to save lives?

She can’t answer that herself. But she wishes to believe... that good intent permit usage of excessive magic.

“... I’ll do it.”

She follows her own conclusion. Everybody would understand once she explains herself.

“Ugh... it hurts...”

She channels energy into her hands, the way she is accustomed to. Perhaps there are other tricks, but that’s the only one she has been allowed to learn.

Shortly, her palms are lit with fire. She has never done this before; it’s pure imitation.

“Please... release me from here...”

A plea directed at her own flames. She is unsure how to control them, therefore she asks for guidance.

“Ah...! Beautiful...”

The tiny flames flicker vividly as they grow in size. It doesn’t take them long to devour everything around. The fire inside the crystal is now coated with true heat. The crystal, the tool which has been her only friend in that room, is slowly melting into nothingness.

She doesn’t care.

That relic is of no concern right now.

Even if this would become her last prophecy, at the very least she wishes for it to pay off.

“Gotta... save...”

Her mind grows blank. The stress on her fragile body is too heavy to stay fully consciousness. For her to function, her body must turn a blind eye to the fierce abuse it receives.

“Stop!”

“What are you doing!?”

As she walks surrounded by pyro walls, hostile screams are thrown at her. She doesn’t recognize any of them. All she sees are black, foggy silhouettes hiding behind a wall of fire.

“Please... tell... huh?”

Accepting these creatures as humans, she tries to relays her message. Alas, the figures are gone as soon as words come out of her mouth.

She is thrown into a momentary bewilderment, unsure whatever her imagination took the best of her. Even so, she is quick to regain composure.

“Got to... tell...”

Though her whole body is hot and breathing is an unattainable luxury, she keeps dragging her fatigued legs forward.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

A bold scream spreads itself across the hall. Something dug itself into her tender skin, inflicting unbearable pain.

The screams of pain and agony properly portrait her feelings but do they really belong to her...?

“Where...?”

Her vision slowly slips away. All she can see is an endless sea of brilliance. Her whole environment is basked in fierce light, hiding details from her vision.

“Wi... ch...”

“Mon... er...”

Why?

There are distant figures, there are scattered voices... yet all fade into nothingness. This populated castle, why is it so void in her presence? Why everything disappears as soon as she tries to reach out to it?

“Ugh...”

Multiple foreign objects brutally inject themselves into her flesh. Blood slowly escapes through the holes that are opened in her body. Fixated on a single goal, her consciousness doesn’t allow her to look into the nature of these hostile object.

“Ah...”

Her body collapses from its injuries and overwork.

“Got to... tell...”

She insists on stretching her hand forward, to reach out to somebody.... reach out to anybody who would be willing to listen.

“B... brother...”

A figure walks into her field of vision. Her eyes can faintly recognize anything right now, but this one is beyond clear.

“I saw... a witch...”

Before she is rendered unconsciousness, she does her best to deliver her message.

“Brother... killed... by witch...”

Coughs obstruct her speech. Her dazed and numb state can produce only so much. Only keywords are laid out.

“Don’t worry.”

“Eh...?”

“The witch... we have just defeated it.”

Her brother's voice reassures her that everything is fine.

“Really...? I am... glad...”

Her eyes close. The deep sleepiness that lingers atop her, shortly begins to cover her.

“I’m... sleepy...”

“Then rest... in peace.”

Following this, another object digs its way into her insides. Her senses seem to have faded far far away, therefore no pain is felt from penetration.

“Good... night...”