Within his white-and-golden aura, she noticed a faint trace of black erging like a spreading stain.
The mont she focused on it, her vision blurred.
A scene unfolded before her eyes.
Axel was standing before soone, protecting them. His voice echoed urgently.
"You should leave!"
A woman’s reply followed, though Lana could not fully hear it.
Then, without warning, a shadowy figure appeared.
A blade flashed.
Axel’s neck was severed instantly.
A cold laugh echoed.
"In the future or the past, Lana will never be able to protect him."
The vision shattered.
......................................
Back in reality, Lana’s body trembled. Blood seeped from the corner of her lips.
Axel imdiately stood up, alard.
"What happened?" he asked, holding her shoulders. He wiped the blood away with visible concern.
Lana looked at him, her heart tightening painfully.
Before, she had only regarded Axel as a ntor.
Even when she saw glimpses of danger in earlier visions, she believed there was still ti.
But now that he had beco family, her uncle, she could not bear the thought of losing him, especially in such a brutal way.
She clenched her fists.
"I saw a vision," she said.
She tried to continue explaining, but the mont she attempted to reveal more, her mind went blank.
The details dissolved as if erased.
She froze.
’It’s being restricted... I can’t speak about it.’
Understanding dawned on her.
She quickly grabbed Axel’s hand.
"Transfer a hundred dollars," she said urgently. "As paynt for a divination."
Axel stared at her, stunned.
After a mont, he lowered his gaze and gently wiped the remaining blood from her lips.
"There’s no need," he said quietly.
Lana’s eyes widened.
"What do you an there’s no need?" she insisted. "It’s just a hundred dollars. I only want to perform a proper divination..."
Axel’s expression hardened.
"Stop."
Lana beca anxious and imdiately stood up.
"Why?" she asked hurriedly. "I just want to..."
Axel raised his hand and stopped her before she could finish.
"I’ll go outside first," he said firmly. "And I’ll bring you so dicine."
Without waiting for her response, he turned and left the room.
"Uncle!" Lana called after him, but he ignored her and continued walking.
She clenched her fists tightly, frustration and worry swirling together inside her chest.
"Why is he reacting like this?" she muttered under her breath.
Mr. Crow, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
"He’s worried your lifespan will be reduced."
Lana turned toward him in confusion.
"My lifespan?"
Mr. Crow sighed and hopped down onto the table, looking straight at her with unusual seriousness.
"You may not know this," he said, "but when you perform a divination concerning soone close to you, you may end up sacrificing your own lifespan."
Lana’s eyes widened.
"Even then... it would only be a few months, right?" she asked, trying to sound unconcerned.
Mr. Crow shook his head slowly.
"That depends on what you reveal. If you saw a future where Axel is killed and you try to warn him, you would essentially be exposing a heaven-defying secret. Once he learns it, you would have to pay the price, at least a hundred years of your lifespan."
The words struck her like a physical blow.
Lana’s fists trembled as realization dawned.
’So that’s why he refused... even when I offered.’
She looked at Mr. Crow desperately.
"Is there any way," she asked, her voice strained, "that I can tell him without sacrificing my lifespan?"
Mr. Crow shook his head again.
"It’s impossible. And if Axel changes the course of his fate because of your interference, you may suffer backlash as well."
Lana’s expression hardened.
"I don’t care," she said. "I can’t let him die."
At that mont, she had completely abandoned her usual rationality.
Seeing her lose control, Mr. Crow quickly intervened.
"If you do that," he said sharply, "Axel will be deeply hurt."
Lana stared at him.
"Why would he be hurt? I’d be doing it for his sake!"
Mr. Crow t her gaze sternly.
"And he is doing this for your sake."
The words silenced her.
"If you stop being impulsive for just a mont," Mr. Crow continued, "you’ll realize what you’re putting on the line, your life. What if you only have sixty years left to live? Giving up a hundred years would an that the mont you reveal the truth, you would die imdiately after."
Lana’s breathing slowed.
The emotional storm inside her gradually began to settle.
She lowered her eyes.
"Then why... was I shown that vision at all?" she whispered. "If the heavens don’t want to change the future, why let see it? Isn’t that a sign that I can change it?"
Mr. Crow’s voice softened.
"Even if that’s true, perhaps you are not ant to change it by directly revealing it. Perhaps you are ant to act differently."
Lana fell silent.
Understanding slowly replaced her panic.
’Maybe this power was never ant for reckless interference,’ she thought. ’Maybe it was given so I could respond calmly... not impulsively.’
She looked at Mr. Crow and gave him a faint smile.
"Thank you."
Mr. Crow let out a long sigh.
"Sotis you really worry ," he admitted.
"You’ve always kept your composure, yet now you’re losing it because you’ve started caring about your uncle like family. What will happen when you grow attached to others? Will you lose control every ti?"
Lana nodded, accepting the truth in his words.
"I understand. I need to train myself better."
Seeing her regain her calm, Mr. Crow relaxed.
"Good," he said. "Now make sure Axel understands your intentions."
Just as Lana nodded, the door opened, and Axel returned with the dicine.
He looked at her, about to speak, but Lana gave him a gentle smile first.
"I’m really not feeling well," she said softly. "Please give the dicine quickly."
Axel paused, then let out a quiet sigh of relief, realizing she was no longer insisting on performing a divination.
He handed her the dicine and glanced briefly at Mr. Crow with silent approval.
Mr. Crow only smiled in return.
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