Alpha Instinct-Chapter 84: "The Weight of Prophecy"

Leonard, deeply unsettled by the sudden display of reverence, asked his friends to stand up. "No need for that. It’s just a silly prophecy, cut it out. Get up," he said, lightly touching Evelyn’s chin, gently lifting her up. To others, the scene might have seemed romantic, but for Leonard, it was a natural gesture of camaraderie.

Mikaela, witnessing the scene, felt an inexplicable chill run through her and, on pure instinct, without even thinking, pulled Leonard’s hand away from Evelyn’s face.

The atmosphere, previously charged with respect and reverence, instantly transformed into something awkward and unsettling.

"Alright," Kaleb said, with his usual lack of tact, "now, to make it even more awkward, all we need is a pigeon to crap on our heads and the Orator to say it’s good luck." He stood up, brushing the dust off his robes.

Silverin, perceptive and accustomed to handling people, noticed the tension in the air and acted quickly to defuse it. "Xavier, you’re an excellent scout," she said, with a firm and direct tone of voice. "How about finding a suitable spot for us to camp?"

"Understood. I’ll do that now," replied Xavier, relieved to escape the awkward situation. Glad I got out of that weirdness, he thought, as he quickly set off, leaping nimbly among the rocks of a nearby hill.

Leonard, still oblivious to the heavy atmosphere that had formed, moved away from the group a bit, lost in thought. "The Walker of the Pentagram... It’s a title of extreme importance, a heavy burden. It’s almost like being ’The Chosen One,’ the one destined to perform great deeds, to change the course of history. But... do I want that?"

Evelyn, ignoring Mikaela and the others, ran up to him, concerned. "Are you okay, Leonard? You seem distant."

He sighed. "I’m okay. Just... it’s a lot of responsibility to handle all at once. I miss when I was just a poor kid from Besen, in love with a village girl."

Meanwhile, Silverin, watching Leonard walk away, turned her attention to Mikaela, a mixture of curiosity and disbelief in her voice. "Is he really the Walker of the Pentagram?"

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Mikaela sighed, as if carrying a huge weight on her shoulders. "Yes. Confirmed by the Potential Machine and the judgment of the Primordial of Life."

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"Wait, Mikaela, that’s a lot of information," Silverin said, shaking her head. "Let me see if I understand. You found the Primordial of Life?"

Mikaela nodded. "Uh-huh. Perfectly alive."

"But... how is that possible?" Silverin asked, perplexed.

"I don’t really know either," Mikaela admitted. "But he’s alive, and he’s a healthy old man. In fact, his name is Saito, and he’s Leonard’s swordmaster."

Silverin put a hand to her forehead, trying to process the information. "That’s... a lot to take in. I can only imagine the reaction of the Cardinals of the Church when they find out about all this..."

"They can’t know," Mikaela said firmly, her voice full of urgency. "Not yet. Not now. Only when Leonard is stronger."

Silverin, intrigued, asked, "Why did you help him so much, Mikaela?"

Mikaela hesitated for a moment before answering, "First, Leonard was being hunted by King Edward, a friend of Roland Silverback."

"Roland?" Silverin interrupted. "That young man who helped you when you awakened your holy powers?"

"Yes, the very same," confirmed Mikaela, her voice thick with emotion. "He was like an uncle to me."

"But he was loved by everyone," Silverin said, confused. "What happened?"

"Edward accused him of treason and killed him," Mikaela replied, her voice laden with sadness and anger. "All because he was defending Leonard. The king wanted to kill Leonard because he fits the prophecy: ’a boy born on the ground’."

"I’m... almost understanding..." Silverin said slowly. She paused, pondering the implications of what she had just heard. "So... the king was right. He really is the person from the prophecy."

Mikaela nodded, a somber look in her eyes. She looked around, making sure they were alone. Then, leaning in towards Silverin, she asked, in a whisper, "Absolute secret." And she revealed, "And Leonard is a Winter. Son of Leah Winter, missing for years."

Silverin, unable to process the magnitude of the revelation, staggered back and fell, sitting on the ground, completely stunned.

The sound of Silverin’s fall caught Leonard’s attention. He turned and ran towards her, helping her up. "Are you okay?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice.

It was the first time he had really looked at her: a young woman of delicate beauty, with long blonde hair and vibrant green eyes. She wore the white and pearly habit of a Light Orator, a kind of feminine priestly tunic, which, although modest, enhanced her natural grace.

"I’m okay," Silverin replied, with a faint smile. "I just tripped while walking backwards."

Then, Silverin looked deeply into Leonard’s eyes and saw the unmistakable blue, the hallmark of the Winters. Without thinking, she blurted out, "They’re beautiful... like sapphires..."

Leonard stared at her, confused, not understanding the sudden compliment. Mikaela, noticing the awkwardness, cleared her throat and interrupted with a sarcastic tone, "She fell on her butt, but hit her head, didn’t she?"

Silverin came back to herself, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I’m sorry," she said quickly.

Leonard, letting the incident go, turned to Evelyn and apologized. "I’m sorry for running off without saying anything."

Evelyn, who had been watching the whole scene with an indecipherable expression, asked, "Leonard, can I see your amulet?"

Leonard hesitated for an instant. Why? he wondered, but, without saying anything, he handed her the amulet.

"I just… wanted to see your mother’s face." She said hesitantly.

Evelyn opened the small locket and contemplated Leah’s photo. Her eyes scanned every detail of the woman’s face, lingering on her features. Then, without warning, her eyes filled with tears. She sighed deeply, closed the locket, and handed it back to Leonard.

"Why are your eyes filled with water?" Leonard asked, confused by her reaction.

"It’s beautiful... to see how a mother protected her son with everything she had," Evelyn replied, her voice thick with emotion. "And... I also miss my mother." The last part, a half-truth, spoken more to herself than to Leonard.