I opened my eyes to see the dry and dusty floor under my cheek. For the very first second, it was confusing to see one of the several old underground cells from the Cabal. They no longer served as cells, some functioned as storerooms, others for meditation, ritual research, magic theory, or simply a place to rest for those who needed security.

I did not need security when I entered this cell. I was a magical researcher that spent most of its time in the library and behind my computer, trying to find the trends in my research data. But this time, I came to put some of the magical theory to practice.

I had prepared the cell for a ritual that would allow me to see into the future: clairvoyance. This kind of magic was never truly achieved. In the beginning of magicology, thousands of years ago, it was believed clairvoyance was attainable. During the twentieth century, magicologists believed clairvoyance to be impossible. But centuries later, a resurgence in this area of study led to new possibilities.

Advancements in sciences and technologies allowed us to calculate the universe to a degree never before possible. The discovery of new particles and new interactions of matter and energy, as well as the revisions of old theories and the formulation of better laws and equations, led to a magical revolution that was never seen since the beginning of the third millennium.

I had gone to great lengths to pull off this ritual. I had calculated every angle and distance. Every thickness and stroke. I had pinpointed every spot to a hundredth of a millimeter. I spent days cleaning and filing. I spent weeks trying to find the best and most pure materials. I had spent so much money on this project. A part of me made me feel like I was acting like an alchemist, driving myself mad with the methodology rather than the power.

I had not spoken with people in almost a year, and even if I had, I have no recollection of doing it. In my memories, all I see are numbers, the white light of my computer screen, the smell of chalk and graphite, and the sound of metal. I remember the anger and frustration of wasting a day or week-long effort on a single mistake. The anxiety and depression of wasting money that could’ve been used to feed me or buy material to clean myself off.

Had I shower? Had I slept? I don’t remember how much or how many. I remember eating out of desperation, but I don’t remember what or its taste. All I have with me are the days merging into one long period of time. I saw no moon or sun. I lived under a roof, and the only artificial light that entered my retina was either my computer’s or the light-emitting crystals, or LECs, that were used to light the library, halls, and the Cupula of the Cabal.

I could not arrange my memories in chronological order. I cannot even remember if I bought things before I used them, no matter how obvious it is to have done one before the other.

But despite all this, all my memories end in the same event and time.

They all coincide with the start of my ritual an hour or so ago. I had practiced the ritual, doing simulacra in another cell. I had practiced the sounds and ideas, the intonation and atmosphere. I had practiced the timings and forces. And my practice paid off. I knew the ritual even in reverse order. The ritual worked on my first try, and I felt lucky, given I was ready for it to fail. I had managed to perfect the ritual on my first try.

I had thought of the method and theory so much that I had not given a thought to what kind of results I would get.

I was not prepared for the results.

So, when I remembered what I saw with my clairvoyance ritual, I sat up and looked at the door behind me. Its image receded from me, like it was zooming out and away from me. As the vertigo — stemming my stretched-out vision — subsided, I saw the door zooming in, growing larger and bending down towards me, looming at my small body that groveled on the floor.

I felt restrained. Chained. Jailed.

Paranoia kicked it. I thought someone was just behind that door, waiting. I imagined — no, I truly believed I saw the eyes peering through the door. Looking. Staring into me.

I panicked but stayed still, observing the door. Observing the knob, observing the hinges, observing the cuts and spots of rust.

However many hours passed by, I was not sure, but once I had calmed down I finally made my move. No one could be so patient, there was no way anyone could be behind that door.

I pushed the door open, slowly. The creaking made me flinch, but peering through the crack between the door and the frame I could not see or even hear a single soul.

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Are they waiting behind the corner? I thought. Despite the fear, something compelled me to open the door further.

Nothing behind it.

I walked into the hall.

Nothing behind the first corner. Nothing behind the second corner.

Nothing on the stairs.

People were barely audible in the halls, but no one was waiting near the entrance to the underground.

No one stopped me as I went out and made my way to the main hall and to the exit.

“Padrict,” a voice I knew well called out to me from the side.

I flinched.

“My,” he said again. “You look awful. More than a week ago. Have you been sleeping?”

I turned to see my old master.

“Master Odrichienk,” I greeted, sighing. “You scared me.”

“You are so subtracted on your research that you don’t notice the world around you. Look at your eyes. You need to take some time off and go to sleep. I’ll be sure to get you something good to eat before you go take a vacation.”

“Maybe another day. I’m almost done with my research,” I lied. I was already done.

He hummed thoughtfully and continued: “I don’t like that. But you are your own king. However, if I see you struggling, I won’t hesitate to stop you.”

I smiled wryly. “Thank you for your concern.”

“Mind if I go take a look at how your research is doing?”

My heart skipped a beat, but I managed to keep my face emotionless. “Not at all. Go right ahead.”

“Cell 1-20, was it not?”

“1-30,” I corrected, and winced in my mind.

“Right! The one with the old tubing still peering through the back wall. We need to get it fixed, otherwise we might get a leak if it rusts too much.” He sighed after that. “But we need to pay for someone to repair it and the Council has not asked their Treasurer to issue a cost analysis and a suitable person to do it. We might find ourselves with flooded cells at this point.”

He laughed and made a joke: “Nepotism. Am I right?”

I faked a laugh. It was obvious.

“By Merlin. You need to go take that rest, immediately. Go do… whatever it is you’re planning on doing and, once you’re back, go to my quarters and take a rest on the couch. Like old times.”

Master Odrichienk patted my back and saw me off with a see-you-soon. I replied with the same but whispered my goodbyes when he had turned around.

After sighing in relief, I turned to see the exit well within my reach. I peered behind to see no one following and walked towards my freedom.

I don’t know how long it will take the Council to figure out I was gone for good, but I’m sure Odrichienk would try to contact me right after he finds out that my ritual had the residual magic of a perfectly working spell. He would not be able to replicate what I did, but he would know I had succeeded in my research.

From then on, he would report it to the Council and they will wait for my return to celebrate. Only they’ll wait for days without a sign or knowledge of my whereabouts. They’ll become concerned that something could’ve happened to me and issue a missing wizard report to every single member of the Cabal and a widespread search for me will begin. It won’t take time to find me since they’ll figure out where I’m hiding with simple spells.

I had to figure out where to hide.

For the next two days, I had put off the only option I could imagine. But once I had found myself before the Great Fay, Isadal, I realized my mistake. I was too eager to escape. I was too scared to be found, that I had not thought calmly about all my possibilities.

“I can get you a ride off this planet,” Isadal began the barter. “If you do a small job for me.”

“Anything,” I said without hesitation in my panic. Another mistake.

Isadal smiled for an instant. “There is this place I need to investigate.”

“I need to get out as quickly as possible,” I tried convincing him to give me something else to work with.

“That won’t be a problem. You’ll be doing your job exactly where you’ll be hiding. It’s perfect for both of us. And all I need from you is to report to me what you see. I’ll even send you victuals every now and then. What do you say?”

I spent no time to think, again. The offer was perfect for me. What else could I ask for?

“Anything,” I said. “Just get me out of this planet.”

“How eager! What are you escaping from, little wizard?”

My destiny, I thought.

“Death,” I spilled it. “Certain death.”

“Very creepy. And very interesting. Too bad you don’t look like the type to stay and chat. Would tomorrow morning serve you well to escape your death?”

“I could do it today.”

“I like your enthusiasm,” he said sarcastically. “Today it is!”

He signaled his subordinates to come close and then ordered me to be taken somewhere.

I had seen the Cabal sentencing me to death in my visions. I had seen them do it within two weeks, give or take. I had already wasted three of those days and I wasn’t about to let more days go to waste either.

That same day I was escorted to a spaceship that would be taken to a station in orbit and subsequently send me, at escape velocity, towards my destination.

I saw Sovail grow small through a camera that projected to my screen in the cabin of the ship. I had escaped my destiny. I had seen my future. I had seen what awaited me.

And I had escaped it. I had changed my future.

I thanked the Lord Almighty, in prayer, for giving our soul Free Will. Without it, I would not be able to change my destiny.

The future was not written in stone, it was only slightly suggested in clay. And I had the power to mold it to my will. Like any other mortal can.

I sighed with relief when Sovial became only a pixel on the screen. I changed the feed to another camera that looked into my destination, unknowing of what awaited me there.

A place so strange and a sight so unbelievable, I had thought I was living a true fairy tale. Fantasy was real, and it stared me down with two big, amber eyes, and donning a deep, shale-black skin. It bellowed a furious roar.

I had traded one destiny for another.