"Let's try another one?" echoed the voice of the village chieftess in my mind, and before I knew it, I was hurtling through the air at a breathtaking speed, the wind mercilessly crashing against my face, an exhilarating sensation. Suddenly, with a resounding "BAM!" my racing thoughts screeched to a halt as we abruptly collided with yet another door, its formidable darkness seeming to absorb all light. "Impossible," exclaimed the village chieftess, her voice tinged with a touch of hysteria, as I felt another forceful tug, pulling me forward, propelling my hand and body towards an unknown destination. Then, with a deafening "BOOOM!!" it felt as though we crashed into an impenetrable wall rather than a mere door, the impact suggesting we had shattered through it. Yet, to my astonishment, we found ourselves repeating the same sequence as before, prompting the frustrated exclamation, "Impossible!" emanating from the village chieftess, her voice now louder and filled with deliberate annoyance.
Amidst the cacophony of voices and reverberating sounds that echoed through my mind, a sensation akin to a hammer striking my head sent it into a dizzying spin. "We are going back," reverberated as the predominant voice, piercing through the mental chaos. Suddenly, clarity enveloped my mind like an intense burst of light shining before my eyes, liberating me from the clutches of darkness. In that instant, I instinctively wrenched my hand free from the firm grasp of the village chieftess, collapsing onto my back as I endeavoured to regain my composure and reclaim control over my scattered thoughts.
"Haaaa! Haaaaaa!" The echoes of my laboured breaths mingled with the village chieftess's audible exhalations, both of us attempting to regain our composure and collect ourselves after the intense experience. Amidst the heavy breathing, her voice pierced through the air, calling out my name, "Orion.." Determined to respond, I mustered the strength to prop myself up, leveraging my elbows for support and pressing my palms firmly against the ground to stabilize my body. With a deliberate "Ahem!" to clear my throat, I finally managed to address her, eager to know the revelations she had glimpsed. "Were you able to catch a glimpse of my future?" I asked impatiently, as the tone in her voice suggested that she had indeed witnessed something of significance.
To my utter astonishment, the village chieftess shook her head, a bewildering amount of confusion etched upon her face. Her mouth parted, but she swiftly sealed it shut, as if grappling with an inexplicable dilemma. With renewed focus, she locked her gaze onto mine and uttered, "I was unable to see anything." Scepticism welled up within me, as all I had witnessed was an impenetrable shroud of darkness. Whereas, the village chieftess's numerous frantic reactions had suggested otherwise, making her claim difficult to fathom. "You didn't see anything?" I queried once more, allowing my doubts to unfurl across my countenance, no longer concealing my emotions in this perplexing turn of events.
The village chieftess caught sight of my incredulous expression, comprehending my disbelief in her words. Lowering her head wearily, she let out a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of exhaustion. With a defeated look etched across her face, she shook her head and confessed, "Believe me, I honestly didn't see anything. And in case you're wondering why my voice sounded so frantic, it was precisely because I couldn't see anything. Neither your future nor even a fleeting glimpse of it."
I didn't know when, but a sudden heavy frown hung across my face. Was it possible that she was unable to see my future because I was a transmigrator, or perhaps, my future had already ended the very moment the former Orion's soul died? Even though the two options seemed plausible enough despite how outlandish they might sound to someone else, I buried them deep within my mind and thought about what pondered over what other things that I wouldn't have noticed until today.
"Orion," the village chieftess called out to me once again, interrupting my thoughts. I redirected my gaze towards her, only to find her staring at me with an intense expression, as if she were searching for answers, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. "How were you born?".
"Huh?" I blinked in surprise, caught off guard by her unexpected question. I watched as she leaned closer, then shook her head, realizing her words may have been unclear. After a brief pause, she corrected herself, "I meant, were you born through your mother or....."
Upon hearing her question, my face contorted into a tight scrunch, causing the village chieftess to swiftly close her mouth, seemingly realizing the absurdity of her question. "What kind of question is that, chieftess?" I retorted, feigning an irritated expression on my face.
"I apologize if I sounded like a mad woman," she admitted, leaning back to her previous position without missing a beat. With a conflicted expression on her face, she continued, "What I'm trying to say is that everyone I have used my gift on has always had a future, a vivid scene that unfolds before us and inevitably comes to pass." She continued, her voice filled with bewilderment. "However, with you, I saw nothing... Nothing at all. And though it may be hard for you to believe, I've even tested my gift on trees, plants, and tree nymphs, and they all possess a future. But there's one exception. I have also tested my gift on objects such as rocks, sticks, sand, and stones, and only their futures remain unseen. In other words..." The village chieftess paused, her hesitation evident as if she couldn't bring herself to utter the next sentence, as if this unbelievable occurrence defied all possibility. She bit her lip, struggling to find the courage to complete her words.
As I observed her eyes darting erratically over my body, I seized the opportunity to process her words. My eyes widened in astonishment, transforming swiftly into a deep frown. In an instant, my face became a blank canvas, devoid of any emotion, as I locked my gaze with the village chieftess and uttered, "Chieftess, are you equating my future to that of an object?".
