No one can really tell the future. That is what I had always believed in, until I met them that is. I laid on the ground unconscious for the whole night. Memories of the past started flooding back as nightmares. I remembered the last moments before I plunged into the sea. I remembered the man who reached out his hand offering me salvation. Unfortunately, it was all just a ruse. I remembered running through the forest. Sadly, I could not remember any farther back.

I woke to something poking me on the face. What was happening? I felt confused, the fear of the memory still lingered in my head. I jerked and swatted the stick away. Moaning, I slowly opened my eyes. Bright light flooded in. Rubbing my eyes, I found myself staring at a young girl. She held a stick in her right hand. I blinked, thinking this must be a dream. I must still be in bed, tired from last night's potion casting. Then flashes of Master Kohl's final moments came rushing back

I yelped, jumped to my feet and looked around frantically. Did last night's events really happen? Was master really gone? I searched the field around me, nothing remained. The entire field was empty, devoid of all life. Not even a blade of grass remained. It had all been abolished. What had happened? Then I remembered the masters final spell. Yes, it was the master. He had done this. He had destroyed everything. That last spell had destroyed all life around the field. Everything except me that is.

I checked myself for injuries but found that I was unscathed. The master had thought everything through. The pillar was some kind of barrier spell that blocked me from harm. I had been completely safe while the master had died. I felt pain in my chest. Dropping to my feet I started to weep. I wept for my inability to help. I wept for the death of my master and I wept for not being able to do a single thing in that situation. I felt totally useless. Why was I so useless?

"Hey, are you okay?" asked a girl's voice. I looked up and found the girl from before placing a hand over my back, trying to console me. I continued to weep. I had lost everything. The one person who had ever cared for me was dead. I was once again alone. Alone to face a world I wasn't sure how to face. Master had always been the one to guide me. He had always been the one that knew where we should go next and what we should do next. But now, I was all alone. The clinic had been destroyed and the town was probably completely burnt to the ground. Where was I supposed to go now? I went into the fetal position, I felt so lost and miserable. Why didn't master take me with him.

"Maria, allow the boy to cry." Said an older lady.

"But..." said Maria.

The older lady cut her off. "This gentleman has obviously gone through something terrible. Allow him to collect himself first" she said her voice gentle and kind.

I felt to my side and found Master Kohl's medicinal pouch. I held it tightly against my chest. This was all that the master had left for me. I cried for a very long time that day. I felt so lost and so miserable that I didn't know if I could ever get out of it. But then I remembered Masters' many lessons. He had taught me to be strong. Never give up in dire situations. He wanted me to live a very meaningful life. He had said as a healer the world needed us and wherever there is a need for healing we should be there. We as healers have a duty to heal the world. Then another memory popped into my mind. "Protect the book." My hand unconsciously found the cauldron around my neck. That's right I still needed to follow the masters final wishes.

When I finally stopped I found the older lady and the girl still patiently sitting on a rock. I did not know where the rock came from, but it was not there before. But I did not care. I looked up at them. The older lady was at least 50 years old, grays covered most of her hair. She tied it up into a bun. Circular spectacles hung on straps dangling over her neck overlooking her bosom. She wore an old fashion grey dress that covered up her body. She looked like a teacher. An old fashion lady that was stern yet kind.

The young girl looked opposite to the older lady. Her golden long blond hair drifted in the wind wildly and her colorful dress shifted colors in the light. The young girl looked to be in her teenage years, 15 perhaps 17 at most. She rocked back and forth on the rock seemly a little bored but she did not dare to move because the older lady was sternly watching her. Her eyes locked on to mine and our eyes met. She grinned and jumped off the rock. "Grace he stopped crying!" she shouted in excitement. She quickly ran toward me. The older lady looked my way and smiled gently. She stood up and gracefully walked toward me. Who were these people? Could they be connected to the fire mage somehow?

Wiping away my tears I stood up. I looked over at them. If they were connected to the fire mage then were they after me? But they didn't look like bad people. If they had bad intentions, they would have done something when I was unconscious. So, who could these people be? I clenched onto the bag tightly. Not letting it out of my sight for a second.

The young girl stopped in front of me. I remembered the older lady calling her Maria. She grinned at me. "Oh, you finally stopped. I thought you would never stop. I don't like waiting for people very much. But yet I have to wait for you. It's really quite annoying you know." She blurted out in one breath.

I raised my eyebrow. This girl could sure speak fast. "Who... who are you?" I asked. "I don't think I've ever met you before." I said unsure what to say.

Maria rolled her eyes showing me the whites of her eyes, "Of course we've never met before stupid. If we had. You wouldn't be meeting me now. Geeze people these days. Asking such stupid questions." she tapped her temple.

"Maria don't be rude." Said the older lady.

"Grace, I just find him odd." She said. I eyed her, was her brain screwed on right? She looked pretty but she acted so weird.

"Maria there is a lot that he is confused about. Of course he would ask questions. Plus, we are strangers to him. Asking us who we are is a very common question." She said smiling at me. She stepped in front of Maria and apologized for Maria's rude behavior.

"Okay then, I am Maria Oracan and this is my master Grace Fateside. We are very important people. Master happened upon a vision last night and felt that we must come here or else something very bad would happen. So that's why we are here." She explained iterating every word as if I could not understand her.

I starred at her, this girl definitely had a loose screw somewhere. What the heck was she talking about? She was not making sense. I backed away.

Grace chuckled. "Maria, you need to explain who we are first."

Maria smacked her hand over her forehead. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you would know who we are from just hearing our names." She said implying that if i did not know that it would be somehow in the wrong. I blinked at her. How in the world was I supposed to know who you are from just your names alone? I was not a psychic.

Maria frowned. "Hey, you've really never heard our names before?" She asked. I shook my head. She was shocked. She opened her mouth in shock. "Oh my Goddess! I can't believe that there could be a person in the world that doesn't know us. This is truly an abomination of the world. How is this even possible" she complained dramatically raising her hands to the sky.

Grace coughed. "Maria get to the point" she was obviously getting annoyed with the girl.

"Yeah, yeah. Okay have you ever heard of the great theater?" she asked tipping her head and starring at me with a weird look on her face.

"Great theater?" I repeated. "Can't say I have." I said. I really haven't heard of it before. Generally, all I've ever heard of growing up was herbology, potion mastery and rune memorization. I haven't really had much time to do much. Master had always been a little strict on that category. Even though I had sneaked around trying to do other things. Master always found a way to stop me and made me study even harder. Oh master I miss you so much.

"Holy mother of cow. YOU REALLY NEVER HEARD OF THE GREAT THEATER!" she yelled. "Grace can you believe it. I just can't. Wow!" she continued to say dramatically. Her hands in full swing now.

"Maria just get to the point" Grace tapped her left boots on the ground. Her patients seemed to be waning.

"Okay, she said. "We are actresses from the theater. Very famous ones to" She iterated. "But we are also a little more than that. My master here sometimes has visions of the future. She is a partial seer and I am a oracle in training. My master saw a vision of bleak darkness for the world if we don't come here, so here we are. But I really don't see anything special about you. What's so important about a normal boy like you." She said taping her hand on her chin seeming to ponder that question. Then she placed her hand on my face.

The moment her hands touched my face her eyes turned white. I was about to back up when it came. A vision rushed into my head. The world burnt in crimson flames. My body strapped to an alter, while Maria dangled on top of me with a sword through her chest. A demon floated in the air with a book opened in his hands. He started to draw runes similar to those master had drawn previously.

A gate opened in the distance. A giant gate much bigger than the one master Kohl had destroyed. Millions of demons emerged from the gate and took to the sky. The sky suddenly became dark as the demons blocked off the sun. I screamed in rage as the straps drew blood from my wrist. Then everything went dark.

I fell back as I came out of the vision. Breathing in rapidly I gasped. I looked over at Maria and she too was on the ground. She looked frighten as hell. Cold sweat covered her face. Her hands and leg were shaking. Her eyes shifted in pure fright.

"What was that?" I asked scared for what I was about to hear.

Grace walked over to me and knelt down. "That my boy is the end of the world." She said in a calm tone. I looked up at her. How could she say it so calmly?

"Grace I.... I" Maria stuttered unable to gather her words. She was still in shock.

Grace craned her neck and looked over at her pupil. "Maria that is the vision we came here to stop. Sometimes fate gives us these visions so that we can stop them. I saw more than just that vision. I saw two sets of visions. One where that future comes true and another where that future can be changed." She said turning her gaze back to me. "That is where you come in my boy." she said gently. She held her hand close to my face. I jerked and swatted her hand away. One experience was enough. I did not want to experience it again.

"What do I have to do with any of this?" I asked unsure what to do. Those demons in the vision was far scarier and stronger than the ones master Kohl had fought. This was getting more and more complicated.

Grace sighed "My boy. Something about you can change the future. I don't know what, but I know if we meet today the future can change." she said gently, her hand back at her side. She did not mind my swatting of her hands.

"I think you got the wrong person lady. I don't have anything that can change the future." I said backing away. I had a feeling that what Master protected was deeply involved in this vision. Although I said I didn't believe it, I knew that it could all come true, because the book the demon had in his hands within the vision, was masters. I recognized it. I had seen it several times before.

Unfortunately, master has never allowed me to look into it. He said the book was advanced healing knowledge that I would learn eventually someday. Then I remembered masters last words. The book was inside the cauldron and the cauldron was around my neck. I could feel it. My connection with it was deep. I couldn't allow anyone to know about the book. Master's dying wish was for me to protect it. I had to keep his dying wish.

"I think you all got the wrong guy. I need to go" I said turning around and running away. I can't be around them. I can't trust them.

"Wait!" shouted Maria. She had calmed down now.

"Let him go. We will meet again. Today's meeting has already altered the course of the future. I don't know by how much, but we will see." said Grace. I heard her say it loud and clear as if I was standing directly beside her.

I had felt odd after I awoke today. My senses had heightened, and my vision had become clearer. I could see and hear things from afar. Was this somehow connected to master releasing the seal on me. Was this related?

I closed my eyes and felt for the difference. I felt a fresh form of vitality running through me. It somehow resembled magic from the magic stones. Suddenly a thought popped into my mind. Was this magic? Did the breaking of the seal also allowed me to be able to use magic without using magic stones? Could this be true? I tried to remember the magic book I had sneaked into my room when I was eight. At that time, I was beginning to test my limits with other things. I had thought once that I could one day become a mage. It was a dream many boys that age dreamed about.

Unfortunately for most it was only a dream. Mages were rare, and most people did not have enough magic in them to touch the elements. The elements, controlled magic. Everyone knew that. There were 4 elements Earth, Fire, Wind and Water. If a child could touch any of the elements they can become a mage. I tried to touch the elements, remembering the words from the magic book I had when I was young.

Touching the elements required someone to summon the elemental particles from the air as magic and running it through ones body. It was something that was natural to mages. Any mage to be, can do it by age eight. I stretched my mind out like the book instructed. White particles started rushing into my body. This felt so odd, yet amazing at the same time. The white particles filled my veins and splashed through my mind. But something was odd. Why were the particles white? None of the four elements were white. Fire was Red, Water was Blue, Earth was Green, and Wind was Clear. Could it be wind? It was clear. White and clear were almost the same.

I tried to form wind like the old magic text book I had when I was young instructed. Wind was supposed to form into a tiny whirlwind in my palm, but the white particles did not do that. Instead they gathered around my palm and formed a white light, making my hands glow like the moon in the night. This was strange. I definitely can summon enough magic particles, but it was not any of the four elements. Then what was it? A fifth element? I laughed at the thought. That was impossible the 4 elements were the only elements of the world. Magic only formed around the 4 elements. Nothing else. Did this mean I was not a mage?

I shook my head, I will think about this later. I ran till I could no longer hear or feel the ladies anymore. When I finally stopped I realized I was deep into the forest. I did not know where I was anymore. I was lost.

"Well that's just great." I said to myself. "First I meet those weird ladies now I got my self lost in the forest. Master passed through here in no time, but I'm not master. I can't move that fast, nor can I leap from branch to branch" I mumbled to myself, sighing as I kicked a branch into the air. It went flying and hit a tree in the distance.

"Master, I really don't know what to do without you." I screamed out dropping to the forest ground.