I stormed back into my room, shut the door behind me, and immediately called out to Prince.
"Hey—Prince! You could've at least warned me that she was insane! Walking into that room felt like I was being led to a damn sacrificial altar. Who scares someone like that? I swear I almost pissed myself. And why the hell weren't you answering me? I called you a hundred times!"
Prince finally responded, and when he did, he was laughing—laughing.
> "And why do you think the vice leader is more respected than even Braska?" he asked between chuckles. "It's not just because she's a woman. She's a shaman—one of the last true seers. She can glimpse into the future.
That's why I didn't respond to you. If I had, she might've sensed us both—and realized this body doesn't have one soul, but two."
I blinked. "Oh right… A shaman. That was mentioned in the novel." I rubbed my forehead. "I completely forgot. She didn't have much screen time, so I dismissed her."
I paused, letting out a breath. "You did the right thing. If she'd sensed both of us, we'd be screwed."
Still, her cryptic words clung to my mind like smoke.
> Don't forget your past if you want to change the future…
I shook my head to clear the thought.
"Never mind. Let's ignore her ramblings. We only came here to win this tribe's support—and we've done that. No need to overthink it. Let's wrap this up and move on."
---
Inside the Vice Leader's Room – Later
Braska watched Christopher leave in silence, then turned toward the pale woman lying on the bed. Her white eyes were now closed, her breath slow but steady.
> "What do you think?" he asked quietly.
The shaman opened her eyes again—still clouded, still piercing—and slowly turned her face toward him.
> "Braska," she said calmly, "not everything is meant to be controlled. Some people… some fates… are beyond our grasp.
This man—you should never have crossed paths with him. His existence alone brings uncertainty. Chaos wrapped in calm. He is a storm still forming, and we have no idea which way it will turn."
Braska stiffened.
If it had been anyone else speaking, Braska might've brushed the warning off. But this was the Vice Leader, the voice of prophecy itself. When she said "uncertainty," she didn't mean it lightly.
Realizing the implications, Braska grew pale. His pride softened.
> "Then… what should I do now?" he asked.
The woman gestured him closer. He leaned in, and she whispered just loud enough for Mia, who lingered nearby, to hear as well.
> "If you want my advice, you should've never approached him to begin with. But now… now you've saved me using his help. You've bound your fate to his.
There is no turning back. From this moment onward, you must support him fully. Obey him. Stand with him. Because if you go back on your word now, the destruction he brings won't be something you or anyone else can survive."
Braska nodded solemnly.
But Mia—blunt and headstrong as ever—spoke up.
> "So we're just supposed to follow him now? Blindly?" she said, her voice sharp. "Do you think we're so weak he can just order us around? We're the people of the desert. The Bihu tribe. We fight for freedom. And if he tries to chain us, our people will kill him without a moment's hesitation."
Gasps filled the room. Mia's words weren't false—but no one ever talked back to the shaman. Not openly.
Braska's face turned red with panic.
> "Mia, shut up!" he snapped. "Madam, please… forgive her. She's still a child. She doesn't understand your wisdom."
The old woman, however, didn't seem offended. In fact, she chuckled.
> "The women of this clan have always been stubborn," she said. "Especially the strong ones like her."
Her gaze—though blind—seemed to rest on Mia with quiet amusement.
> "Braska, remember this—That man is not ordinary. Whether he becomes a blessing… or a curse… is up to time. But one thing is clear: the future is changing, and he will be the one to decide who belongs in it."
Her voice fell into silence. The room grew still. Everyone took one last look at her before filing out quietly, leaving the shaman to rest.
But her words lingered in every heart like a prophecy carved into stone.