GYMNOPÉDIE

Chapter 06

"In time, yes." The portrait let a soft sigh escaped his lips. His gaze lingered on the brunette girl's face, they contained gentleness and longing. "Knowledge of the future invariably may causes that future to change, these visions are common subject to frequent shifting. We're not allowed to share it for the likes of anyone."

Gemma put her chin on her palm, "So I will know the future at times. But I can't tell them, because it would risk changing their future."

Merlin gave a hum, the young witch pouted at the brand-new thing she discovered. After all, the brain of a twelve-year-old would be drenched with curiosity, firing questions until she was satisfied. Gammaliel shot up with hope twinkled in her eyes, "What if we can help them to change their future? It could be better."

"Precisely." He drew his lips into a line before he raised his fingers in caution, "Do not mess with the time, Gammaliel. We don't challenge time, there is a chance it could be better if we meddle but there is also a fair chance for worse. No matter how hard you try you can not prevent death, universe will always want a price—if one is saved from the death, one must die to replace them." Merlin's tone was bitter at the end of his sentence.

Her gaze lifted with a faint frown, "No fun." she hissed to the portrait. She added with a pursed lips, "What's the use of this gift if I can't tell them? The Goddesses must have been very petty to give me this gift, aren't they?"

Merlin placed his sidhe wand on his side then looked down to the girl, "You can't tell mortal their fate. Must you prevent one's death, life would chase you to the end, darling. They would demand another soul to replace them." the warlock sighed, looking away from the girl as he masked his frown, "A life would cost a life. Besides, there is consequences of each action—my advice, if you ever came across to vision as such..."

There was a short pause as Merlin pondered at the question before he stated firmly. "Pretend you didn't see it."

Gammaliel was stirred back to reality that she witnessed how Regulus Black would die. The Irish girl was able to breathe again when their fingers no longer touched. The ecstatic thrill that entangled the both of them had vanished. Her palm flew to ther collarbone so fast as her lips susurated numbers to calm herself down, oxygen flooded her lungs back. She could feel the pairs of boney hands that latched onto her skin like leeches, they clung to her skin so tightly almost as if it tried to peel her skin off her flesh. She was in pain, no, Black would be in a painful death.

Unaware of what had happened, the boy bent down to pick the book. The pale calloused hands of his, reached the book as the Irish witch unknowingly had been staring at him with a death-paled face. He lifted her book, "I thought you wanted this."

      The steel grey eyes darted to her azure's, while the Irish witch's lips parted. Small huff and noises he couldn't understand came out of her lips. Regulus narrowed his eyes, her chest was heaving up and down, up and down, rapidly. 

     "Here." said Regulus, handing the book.

     The girl swallowed her guts again, she swatted the book out of his hand. Her inner thoughts were in temporary stun. Sure, with the bleaking war outside, witches and wizards had higher mortality, unlike her long-lived ancestor. Life was limited by a pumping heart, and dying was normal. Again, if Regulus Black would die, wouldn't that means the world would have one less arrogant git? Why should she care about his death?