The Warriors of Destiny

The gears begin to turn

The Oracle awakened from another one of their visions. Having the power to glimpse into the future is a constant burden that needs to be filtered and controlled. Not everything needs to be predicted, nor is every choice potentially relevant. But this was a vision the Oracle had long yearned for. Now that the foresight had finally occurred, they didn't know if they were ready to deal with its consequences.

The Oracle sat with their elbows resting on their knees, massaging their temples with their fingers. Their head didn't ache; it was merely an act to try and ward off the negative thoughts. Despite their outward confidence, internally they always feared not being able to set their plan into motion. The fact that nobody knew they possessed the power of precognition didn't help either.

The future is not predetermined, as many believe. Every action, no matter how small, can drastically change the events that are yet to come. That's why the Oracle suffers from the pressure: only they can determine what will happen.

The Oracle stood up and began to walk, lost in thought. What if they simply gave up? What if they revealed themselves to the world as the Oracle? What if they confided in a trusted individual? With each of these thoughts, the consequences of each action materialized in their mind. None of them were favorable.

The only option was to stick to the original plan. The Oracle let out a deep sigh. The gears begin to turn.

***

The sunlight streamed through the window, accompanied by a gentle breeze. The white curtains swayed silently, engaging in a subtle dance. Orkan lay on his bed, unsure if he was pretending or attempting to go back to sleep. The day he had been waiting for had finally arrived. Or was it the day he feared? He wasn't entirely certain. Perhaps it was a mixture of both. Any minute now, Aestus would arrive to call on him. Sometimes his excitement exhausted him, but Aestus was a good friend. The only one who hadn't abandoned him when Orkan's Class manifested.

Orkan tossed and turned in bed, trying not to dwell on it. It's not like he could do anything about it. He had always been an independent man who didn't care about other people's opinions. Not even his family's, if he could still call them that. The reality was that deep down, Orkan didn't know if he would be able to handle the changes, thus proving what everyone said.

"You're useless."

"What's use is a Rogue?"

"When has stealing been considered a skill?"

"What will they say when they discover your Class?"

Orkan heard these phrases echoing in his mind, practically every day. And he feared he wouldn't be able to prove them wrong. But, from an outsider's perspective, no one would say these were his thoughts. Orkan was, at least outwardly, the typical Rogue. Tall, slender, agile, and very cocky and sarcastic. His slightly wavy blond hair, parted in the middle, matched his blue, almost green eyes. His swiftness in action, however, didn't always align with his thinking, which could use a bit more agility.

The narrow bed at the inn was comfortable, allowing for refreshing sleep, but not quite enough. It was the only place he could afford since he had been kicked out of his house two years ago without even a cracked crystal. But now everything was going to change. Orkan would be able to quit his job at the dairy and pursue his dream.

"Hey, lazybones! Time to wake up," Aestus suddenly shouted as he arrived at the window of the room.

Orkan jumped on the bed, almost instantly standing upright. He hadn't even fully adjusted to his extraordinary agility yet, as he rarely used his abilities in everyday life. Aestus looked at his friend, chuckling slightly but also impressed. He hoped Orkan would be ready, but knew it wouldn't be the case. On the contrary, Aestus had been ready for hours, dressed in his snug leather armor and having sharpened his sword as best he could.