The seer of life and death.

Past decisions. Present consequences. Unknown future.

Hearing those words made you shiver. If she was right, you had to leave at once. You gathered the little sanity you had and stood, calling to your friends. Soon a myriad of ghosts appeared before you.

"Please." Your voice trembled. Your knees hit the ground, and you couldn't stop shaking. Taking deep breaths, you tried to continue but failed.

And there, on all fours, panting and having trouble drawing breath, you saw your parents make their way to you. "What's wrong, little one?" Your father made to hug you, but his arms couldn't hold you, and he cursed lowly. "Hey, hey! We're here, little one."

You curled on the floor. Your voice a timid thing, afraid he could hear you. "He is here. He has found me."

Your mother's loud no scared the ghosts nearby. "It can't be. We made sure it wouldn't happen." She paced back and forth. Hands on her face, hiding it from you.

Xavier's mother walked out of the shadows, her presence alone, making way to your side. "Did you really think he would just give up? You are way too valuable for it." She knelt by your side. "And you?" She addressed your parents. "How could you leave her unguarded and unprotected?"

"We never did." You had never heard that tone from your father. His voice, although not loud, carried a seriousness that made the woman recoil. "What kind of man, father, and parents do you think we are."

"Even if he reaches her. We took precautions." Your mother's voice coming from your side. "She isn't unprotected. So much so that we would have known if he was closing in too dangerously."

"Then why was he standing on the other side of the door just moments ago?"

All eyes turned its way. You thanked the creators for all the locks and, at the same time, wondered what your parents' words meant. "How would you know he is close?"

"We put a spell on you." Your father looked at you, but his answer was more for the woman.

Your mother laughed. "A spell is oversimplifying." When you looked at her confused, she went on explaining. "A spell for protection, a spell for invisibility, and a spell for locking." She sighed. "If he gets closer than two meters, the protection spell will trigger, and he will be weakened, giving you time enough to escape. You will then become invisible to all beings, even to us. But we will find you." She shot you a cheeky smile.

"We always do." Your father stood by your mother's side.

"The locking spell?" You asked. Somehow worried about their answer.

The feeling at the bottom of your stomach intensified when they looked at each other. It was your father who answered you. "Talking to the dead isn't the only thing you can do. You can command them, order them to do whatever you want, and they have to obey. You can also materialize them. Bring them to the corporeal world." Your father rubbed his eyes. "You can also raise the dead."

The silence that followed was dense. The rustling of leaves by your window bringing a creepiness to the situation you thought was too much.

"All this time, I could be hugging you, and you never told me?" You couldn't believe your parents hid it from you. How many times had you cried, and all you wanted was their touch? Too many for you to count.

"It's not that simple, little one."

"Of course not."

"The spell was cast in desperation. It was the last thing your mother and I could do."

"We wanted to lock all your gifts away." Your mother had tears rolling down her face. "But we were selfish. We wanted to be part of your life. We had so much stolen from us. We only wanted to be able to at least guide you. Be there, even if like this." Her hands waved down her body to show the state she was in.

"As I said, you are too valuable for him to give up. Please, I'm begging you. Leave my son out of this." Xavier's mother's words ringing in your ear.

You stood and packed. You had to get out of there.

It took you no more than half an hour to be standing at the university's gate. In your hand, your cellphone with the ride app open. A car on its way.

Getting inside it, you had one last thing to do. "Stay with him. Watch and guard him. If anything happens, let me know. And please... don't tell him anything. Hating me will make it easier for him to forget." And despite not being able to give ghosts orders yet, Xavier's mother agreed. Thankful for one more sacrifice you were about to make.

"I will."

You told the driver to take you to the train station, and into the cold night, you went.

~~~~~

Xavier woke with a start. Your voice calling him the trigger. He threw his legs out of his bed and tucked his hair behind his ear. Resting his head in his hand, he tried to remember his dream.

"You are so handsome."

His head snapped in the voice's direction. His mouth hung open with the view in front of him. "Mom?" The smile on his face reaching his eyes and brightening his soul.

His mom tilted her head at him, and she returned the smile. "Long time no see."

Xavier tried to embrace her, but his attempt was futile. Still, it didn't stop him from feeling thrilled. "It was her, wasn't it? She brought you back to me?"

"Xavier." Her expression changed, and he took a step back. "I have bad news."

"Is it the reason why you're here?"

"Yes, I'm here because of her." When she saw the sheepish smile on his face, her heart fell. "She's gone, Xavier. She left the and isn't coming back."

Xavier blinked. It had to be a joke. Or better! A dream. His mother stood before him, but the woman he had completely fallen in love with was gone.

He had to see it with his own eyes. Not caring to put a t-shirt on, he left his room and headed downstairs. Turning the last corner, he encountered an open door. Hurrying his steps, he yanked it open to be met with emptiness.

Not even a message was left behind.

Xavier cried. He cursed himself but mostly you for playing with his heart.