The Fortune-Teller

After walking for some time, the quartet finally reached a small cabin. It was simple: logs to make the structure home-like, and a small window and door at the front. Makoto walked cautiously towards the door and knocked lightly. "Hello?" Makoto called out. Suddenly, the door opened slowly, revealing a young teen with medium length blonde hair. They smiled warmly when they saw the quartet. "It seems I have visitors," they said. "Come in, you must have traveled far."

As the quartet entered the small cabin, Makoto looked around. A small round table was in the center of the room, and in the center of the table was a crystal ball and some candles. The walls were lined with bookshelves, and in the left corner of the room was a small door. The floor was almost completely covered with a purple rug as well.
The teen spoke, their slightly androgynous voice soft. "I'm sure I know why you're here; it's about the Abyss, correct?" Makoto's eyes widened. 'How did they know?' He thought, surprised. Shiro chuckled, unfazed. "That would be correct, yes. Any particular reason for asking?" The teen looked at Shiro, their expression neither disapproving nor approving. "Well," they said, "I prefer to separate myself from politics, if that's alright."
Shiro nodded understandingly. "I see, that's fair." The teen smiled with slight mischief. "However, I can give you each a reading instead~" they said, playfully sticking their tongue out and winking at the quartet. Makoto, purely curious, couldn't help but ask "What kind of reading?" To this, the teen replied "Well, I'm a Fortune-Teller, so I read your future." Chihiro looked outside at the sky and said "Well, it's only about noon, we have time." The teen put his hands together with a smile. "Alright then!" They said happily. "Come and sit while I make some tea."

As the teen returned from the small fireplace with the warm tea, Makoto noticed their full attire: a long, flowing coat that he had initially mistaken for a dress, paired with form-fitting pants and knee-high boots. 'Are they...?' Makoto started to think, based on what he knew of Eldorian clothing. "Allow me to introduce myself," the teen said as he sat down in front of the quartet. "I am Takeuchi Haruka, also known as Fate's Servant."
"And today," he said, rubbing his hands together with excitement. "I shall see what Fate has in store for you four fine gentlemen~." Makoto's brow furrowed a bit and Shiro smiled slightly at this. ''Fine'?' Shiro thought with a barely audible chuckle. ''Gentlemen'?' Makoto thought, looking confusedly at his clothes and then back at Haruka, who smiled at him. "Now then," Haruka said, slightly more composed. "What are your names?"
"I am Yamamoto Ryu, and this is my brother, Yamamoto Chihiro," Ryu sat up straighter as he spoke. "This is Makoto, and this is Kamiyama Shiro," he said, gesturing towards the two on his right. Haruka nodded as his gaze wandered to Shiro, who just smiled at him. A few seconds after this, Haruka blinked rapidly and shook his head, as if trying to snap himself back to reality. 'There's something strange about this child...' Shiro thought while maintaining seemingly natural composure.

Haruka, with a snap of his fingers, somehow closed all the curtains, making the only light in the room candle light. "Alright," he said. "Chihiro, give me your right hand, please." Chihiro, though slightly cautious, extended his hand. Haruka carefully traced the lines, and after a short time, nodded as if confirming something to himself. As Chihiro pulled his hand back, Haruka motioned for Ryu to extend his hand, and repeated the same process. Then came Makoto's turn. "Makoto," Haruka said in the same soft voice from the initial meeting. "OK," Makoto said quietly as he extended his hand. Only this time, the moment Haruka touched Makoto's hand, his expression became a mix of confusion and slightly sadness, making him pull his hand back for a moment.
"My apologies," Haruka whispered to Makoto. "I just... remembered something I'd rather not dwell on." Makoto nodded understandingly. After repeating the process from before with Makoto, Haruka nodded to Shiro, who extended his hand. This time, when Haruka touched Shiro's hand, he noticed a scar on the back of Shir's hand. "Oh, apologies for that," Shiro said to Haruka. "No, it's alright," Haruka said.
After Haruka had finished the reading, though, he was still holding onto Shiro's hand. Due to this, Shiro made the quietest audible "ahem", as if trying to tell Haruka to let go of his hand. And Haruka seemed to have heard this, because he looked at Shiro, slightly surprised, and let go. "My apologies," Haruka said again, seemingly embarrassed. Shiro shook his head and said "No, it's alright."

Sipping his tea, Haruka began to tell the quartet what he had read. "Chihiro," he began, looking straight into Chihiro's eyes. "You're fate is one of connection and growth. The lines speak of ice and fire becoming one to defeat a dark force." Ryu and Chihiro exchanged a knowing glance, acknowledging the trials ahead.
"Ryu," Haruka said, turning to face Ryu. "You're fate is one of power, physical and mental. The lines speak of powerful dark forces trying to put out the flame of your will, but you shall find a way out and above." Ryu nodded slowly, taking in what Haruka had said.
Haruka stopped for a moment, then turned to Shiro, skipping Makoto for some reason. "Shiro," he started. "You're fate is... complex. It's full of twists and turns, and a truth you want to keep covered will one day be revealed." Shiro's expression hardened slightly hearing this. "However," Haruka continued. "Though the way it is revealed depends on your own choice, it will be revealed with the speed a scar is opened again." Shiro, who seemed to have been made uncomfortable by these words, covered the scar on his hand as if hiding something.
Then, Haruka turned to Makoto. "Makoto," he started. "I waited to tell you your fate last for a reason I would rather not say at the moment." Makoto, confused yet understanding, nodded. "You're fate holds many similarities to someone I knew; it is one of bridging the gap between Apex and Abyss, only for it to be burnt down once more."
"But," Haruka continued, his expression determined. "There will be a light at the end of the tunnel; even when it seems as though all hope is lost." Hearing this, Makoto's expression became a mix of surprise and determination.

After Haruka finished, Makoto still wanted to know about the Abyss. "Haruka," he began, "can you please tell me something about the Abyss? Anything? I just want to know if there's any other way to end the war." Haruka's eyes softened, sad yet understanding. "Makoto," he said, "come with me." Haruka led Makoto to the door he had seen previously and brought him inside. The room was smaller than the main room, and a bed was next to a small window to the left of them. "There was someone," Haruka began, looking at the bed, "who was very important to me." "I remember, I found him in the forest not far from here," Haruka said quietly. "His name was Yamaguchi Misao. He... how do I say this..." Haruka turned to face Makoto. "He was fighting the Abyss, and while doing that, I don't know how, but he brought me out of the lowest I've ever been." Makoto's eyes widened slightly. "But, the Abyss took him, and I haven't seen him since." Haruka sighed, then continued. "All I know is that the Abyss is consumed by some kind of dark power." These words made Makoto take a step back. 'So there is another way!' He thought. "Just remember, Makoto," Haruka said, taking Makoto's hands in his own. "Before you make your decision, you must think of those close to you first."

As the weight of Haruka's words settled on Makoto's shoulders, the two exited the room to see the other three looking at them with curious expressions, unbeknownst to the seriousness of the conversation Makoto and Haruka had. "What were you two talking about?" Chihiro questioned. "Oh, not much," Haruka said in his usual calm demeanour. "Just the past."
Makoto, noticing the change in atmosphere, nodded his head. "And," Haruka said, a mischievous grin forming. "I was thinking of something about you two~" he said, pointing at Makoto and Ryu with a wink. Ryu looked at Haruka in confusion. "What do you mean?" He asked, genuinely curious. Haruka chuckled lightly and answered, "Just how you two would look fine as a duo, of course!"
Though Ryu still didn't understand what Haruka meant, Makoto understood instantly what Haruka meant, causing his face to become red with embarrassment. "W-What?!" He said, slightly shocked and confused. Chihiro also stared at Haruka in confusion, while Shiro, who understood, couldn't help but crack a smile. "Picture this:" Haruka said, holding his hands out as if framing an imaginary picture. "The fiery passion of Ryu and the gentle warmth of Makoto. The Indestructible and the Unmovable become one for Eldoria!" He said with a chuckle.
"N-No, it's not like that at all!" Makoto said, waving his hands in the air as if pushing away the idea. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Takeuchi," Ryu said, putting his hands on his hips, though a smile managed to peak through.

As the quartet were preparing to return to the Apex Tower, the air suddenly became tense and the ground shook. "What's going on?" Makoto said fearfully, trying to regain his balance. Suddenly, three dark portals appeared on the ground in front of them, and out of the portals came... The Abyss King and two Abyss Warriors. "Hand over the Chosen One," the Abyss King said, his eyes glowing with dark intent. "Or we'll have to take him by force." Ryu and Chihiro instinctively assumed battle stances, and Shiro's aura shifted to the one from when Makoto had fought him, his eyes turning from their usual gold to crimson red. "You'll have to get through us first!" Ryu shouted at the Abyss. With this, the fighting began.

'I have to help them!' Makoto thought as he watched the three fight the Abyss. Summoning all his courage, Makoto charged towards the Abyss King and punched him with all his might. But it was like a bug had bumped into the Abyss King, because just then, as he turned his attention to Makoto, Makoto could see it had done nothing at all. Just then, as the Abyss King was about to attack Makoto, Chihiro used his ice abilities to form a wall to protect Makoto, which turned the Abyss' attention to himself. As he noticed this, Chihiro began moving backwards, only to be cornered by the Abyss. As fear took over, Chihiro struggled to focus, rendering his ice abilities useless in that moment.

'I can't focus!' Chihiro thought as he pushed himself further into a corner until his back hit a wall. As the Abyss King raised his sword, glowing with dark energies, Chihiro realized what was about to happen:

He was going to die.

But then, just as the Abyss King was about to strike, a shout pierced the air.

"CHIHIRO!!"

It was Ryu. And in an instant, he was standing in front of Chihiro, taking the blow that was meant for Chihiro. The Abyss stood confused for a moment, then smirked. "The Dragon took the blow," the Abyss King said with a smirk. "We did what we came to do," and with that, they disappeared in dark smoke.

Makoto was frozen with shock. 'What just happened?' He thought, unable to move. 'Why did Ryuー Why?' Everything had been going so fast that Makoto didn't see the reality of what had just happened until just now. And Ryu, off the adrenaline-high of the battle, felt the full impact of the attack, now gripping his chest. "Ngh!" Ryu grunted as he grabbed his chest, struggling to stand. "Ryu!" Chihiro screamed as he hurried and caught Ryu before he fell.
Seeing the state Ryu was in, Chihiro felt the guilt hit him like a tidal wave. "R-Ryu, I'm sorry," he said, his voice breaking. "It's... it's all my fault! I could've protected myself!" As he said these last words, an unstoppable wave of tears flowed down his face. Ryu, leaning on Chihiro, managed a weak smile. "Chihiro," he said, reaching over to wipe away Chihiro's tears. "It's not your fault, so don't cry. I'll be fine."
Shiro, his eyes having returned to gold, sensed the urgency of the situation quickly. Using some kind of magic, he sensed the potential danger Ryu could be in. "He'll be fine for now," Shiro said, his voice firm. "But we have to get him back to the Tower." Haruka stepped forward from where he had been hiding using invisibility magic and said "I'm coming with you." Makoto could see the determination in Haruka's eyes as he said this. Shiro nodded to Haruka, and used a spell to teleport them all to the safety of the Apex Tower.