"And so, it began. "A voice narrated from the dim room, "What will happen next? Where will their quest lead them? "As they stare at the only source of light in the room, their crystal ball.

Their hands moved as if someone they had an audience, "Find out at ...."

Fortunately, "What are you doing?" their speech was cut short when his tent was opened, allowing sunlight to enter and blind their eyes.

"Ah!" The mysterious figure screamed as they cover their face, "Close it! Close the damn lid!"

The woman who had just entered had a bored face, annoyed at her partner, but knew very well that she could not throw them away easily.

Realizing that, she gave up. Her eyes rolled as she heavily exhales before finally fulfilling the wishes of her too-eccentric partner.

Seeing her partner finally stopped panicking, "So?" The woman moves to stand beside her once again screaming partner, feigning surprise at the woman's sudden presence.

Weary of her partner antics, "Enough, Quinn." The woman finally snapped and pulled Quinn by the collar, "Tell me where the kid is."

Fearless, "Hohoho!" Quinn put on a broad smile to accompany her fake laugh, "There's no need to be angry, Ana." As she calmly strokes the woman's hand lovingly.

An action that invites more anger from the woman who was ready to be more violent, "See for yourself, darling." Yet stopped by Quinn as she gestures at her crystal ball.

The image on the crystal ball lures her in, forcing her to let go of Quinn and approach the crystal ball, trying to see the vision more clearly. Slowly, the image absorbed her as she watches Robin and two of his traveling companions talking.

Managed to successfully escape the woman's wrath, "They are on their way to us, Love." Quinn approached the woman sensually, trying to kiss the woman's neck, whose hand hold her at bay.

"I don't like you that way, Quinn." The woman responded without averting her eyes, "How many times do I have to say that for you to understand?"

"Not yet." Quinn corrected her with an arrogant smile, finally attracting the woman who threw a sharp gaze at the indifferent Quinn.

The short girl was more attracted to the new tattoo on the woman's head, something she had just seen because of the darkness and the woman's bangs.

Painted in black ink, the symbol is an open eye being turned one hundred and eighty degrees in a pagan motif that Quinn is all too familiar with.

"So, you've got it, huh?"

"Got what?"

Answering the woman's confusion, "This." Quinn approached and flicked the woman's forehead right where the symbol was.

"Ah." Ignoring the pain, "How about you?" The woman chose to look for Quinn's symbol.

And sure enough, "Look." Quinn has it. The symbol was engraved with a sharp weapon onto Quinn's left palm, which she opened wide in front of her partner's face.

In it, is an engraving of a closed eye with a pagan motif that is almost the same as the one that adorns the tattoo on the squinting woman's forehead.

Seeing the squint, "Jealous, eh?" Quinn easily read the woman's mind.

Hearing that, the woman is hit by a pang of annoyance because Quinn can once again easily read her.

Of course, the woman envies Quinn. Since the first time the mark appeared on her head with intense pain, she was also forced to wear a hood or bangs to cover her forehead.

If only she could kill her right now and stole her symbol, life would be good. But that would be killing her most trusted partner in these past few years and the smarter one between them both, which means having no one to gather info on all the other contestants of the tournament they are in.

As of now, the two of them only knew five of the twenty-one people who were participating in a tournament involving the entire continent.

The first they know to be a participant is the man nicknamed The Storm, a name that fits the man.

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The second is the daughter of the Storm, who is now becoming a symbol of the calm before the impending disaster. Almost true, but the woman knew that child better than anyone else and would be more than glad to call her another disaster.

The third was the great royal tyrant on the other side. It is said that the tyrant has accepted the invitation as well, although no one has confirmed the truth of the said claim.

Like how no one has confirmed that the queen of the tyrant also gets an invitation to the center of the world.

The last one is a nobody who accompanies The Storm on his journey to the center of the world.

Considering how four out of five people they knew were people also known to the entire continent, and the last was a nobody who followed such a man, it meant that they didn't know anything.

Or maybe ...," Quinn." She's the one who did not know anything at all, "Have we got any new information about who was the participant besides the five people and us?"

Quinn gives a defeated smile, "Not yet." Backing off before continuing, "Unless you want me to find the rest." And offering her expertise, "I can."

The woman thought for a moment, looking up and down at Quinn, trying to find trust in her, but she can't.

It's not that she didn't believe Quinn could find the data of everyone who was selected to participate in the tournament of the century; she just didn't think Quinn would adequately share the information with her.

After all, this cooperation between the two of them couldn't last forever. The center of the world will only grant one wish, although it will accept all the people it has invited.

Hence, "No." The woman quickly rejected the idea.

"Eh…" And Quinn's voice of protest was the last thing she wanted to hear.

Peeved already, "I'm going back to the church." The woman decides to go back to a job that didn't really pay her.

Leaving Quinn, who protested harder to her words and movement.

Hearing that, the woman stopped on the tent curtain, "And Quinn." To remind Quinn, "Don't meet them." Of their promise.

Being reminded of their promise to each other, Quinn closed her mouth for a long time, clearly hearing the request and the implications of the woman's request.

Then, she blinked. Once, twice, and finally: "Of course!" Quinn nodded, releasing the woman from tension so she could walk out of Quinn's tent, "... I'll meet them." And didn't catch Quinn's hushed continuation.

A few moments after the wind heard Quinn's words, the mist crept into her tent and enveloped her, then disappeared with her.

Soon after, the smoke came back together and solidified, "Kidding." Forming Quinn where she was before.

"Heh." The girl smiled with satisfaction at the genuine witchcraft she now possessed. No longer a trick or an illusion, the magic she held in her hands now was authentic.

Her eyes were staring at her crystal ball, which still showed Robin, George, and Lucy's forms, with greed and impatience.

She stroked the crystal ball softly, then she crushed it with force.

"I'll be waiting for you." She whispered to the blackened crystal ball, removing the only source of light from within the tent.

Darkness.

Quinn lay on the soft bed with the woman beside her. She could feel the soft, warm breath on her neck as the woman trying to hug Quinn and hold her there forever.

But Quinn got what she wanted from the woman, for she doesn't really want to bring a fallen god back to the throne.

No guilt filled her as she stroked the woman's forehead, finding the tattoo gone. She kissed the woman's forehead gently, then whispered: "Thank you, dear Ana."

Next, she woke up, inviting a small protest from the woman who lost Quinn's warmth, who was doing her best to get away slowly.

Finally managing to get out, she searched the floor for her clothes, wearing them one by one to cover her short body. She started from her underwear to her old white shirt, then the jeans she secured with a belt, and finally her robe and cowboy hat.

After getting dressed, her eyes stared at the now awake woman watching gray smoke coming from between the door and the room's ventilation, slowly climbing Quinn from foot to head, covering her body.

"Quinn ...?" The woman asked half-consciously, "What are you ..."

"See you again." Quinn pulled down her hat, "Ana." Then dramatically show what is on her forehead.

Ana's eyes opened wide, she forced herself up, her hand on her forehead, trying to feel something she couldn't really feel.

Not wanting to know if Quinn was kidding or not after she disappeared, Ana jumped from her bed, trying to catch Quinn and stop her from disappearing.

However, he was too late. Quinn had already disappeared with her smile as the last to be eaten away by the smoke that was spreading out when Ana jumped over her.

Now, she is alone. No longer accompanied by her partner, who in recent weeks has become more than just her partner.

Wanting to believe that this was all just a bad joke from her new love, Ana sat on the floor of her own bedroom for a while with a strange laugh as she gropes her forehead every now and then, trying to fool herself that the tattoo was still there.

But her worry was too great, forcing her body to get up and then ran to the standing mirror in her room to see the cruel reality.

Her forehead's clean. The tattoo that helps her read people's minds except Quinn is gone.

That's the reason she didn't believe Quinn at first because the woman's thoughts really only contain Ana and how much she wants to elope with her.

Something quite surprising for Ana because she and Quinn have known each other for a long time, and she never felt that Quinn had feelings like that before.

Unless .... Her mind ran, trying to understand the thoughts of this short woman who was often considered a crazed genius, trying to remember all Quinn's actions.

And thereupon, she can guess my power ...? She reached a judgment she didn't want to believe, "No!" Yet, no other conclusion could produce this ending.

Quinn really had her eye on the mark from the start, guessed what her power will be before she even had it, and then used it to tempt her into the sweet trap of love.

With each word and realization, Ana grew angrier.

She clenched her fists, building a new determination in her head that now only saw the demon child as an added bonus to her plans.

"Quinn ..." She gritted her teeth, "... I'll burn the world just to kill you, witch."