The first idea Sangwoo had when Xiumin told him he found an oracle was to hand the boy to the king of that realm and get the reward he was offering. After he had the boy on his wagon, however, he realized that he could take Luhan to another kingdom and sell his power there. Oracles were too precious and people were always looking for their guidance, so he could make the boy do predictions in exchange of money.

Money that Sangwoo would keep to himself, of course, and he would never have to work again in his lifetime.

He would enslave the boy, but in a caring way, treating him like a son. He actually didn’t know if Luhan was an orphan or not, he just told him his parents were dead so the boy would come with him willingly. His plan seemed to work wonderfully and he got to keep the boy to himself.

After Luhan was found in the shack by Xiumin and the man, the three of them walked and walked for months and Luhan’s sense guided then to a city.

When they first arrived in town they had no food or shelter and they were taken in by a group of Romani people, or “travelers” of the lands. The concept of an “oracle”, as well as the “powers of the mind”, was not known in that part of the land and the people that could foresee the future were called “gypsies”, the common fortune tellers.

Travelling with this group came in handy because Sangwoo made Luhan work as a fortune teller along with the older women of the group. Differently than Luhan, these women could read the future in the palm of a hand or in a ball of glass. They called it “conveying the spirits” and they said the ghosts of the dead told them the predictions.

When Sangwoo arrived with the boys, a lady with a very unusual name came to greet them and, when the man told her Luhan could see the future, she volunteered to be the one teaching the boy their ways. Her name was Aisha and, when she took the boy into her tent, he questioned her about how different her name sounded. She merely chuckled.

-I’m from a very distant land, boy. – She told him in a tender tone, but didn’t really explain him about it or even told him what the name of the distant land was.

Instead she knelt on the floor and grabbed the boy’s hand between hers. She opened his little fingers and showed him a curved line on his palm, near his thumb.

-This, little seer, is the line of life. – She told him and then pointed to a couple of others. – This is the heart line and this is the head line. The most important thing when you are reading a palm is to identify the four major lines. There may be breaks in them or they may be short, but at least three of them must be there.

She pointed to another line and smiled.

-This is the fate line. – She said proudly. - You are one of the special ones, Luhan. Not everybody has this.

The boy ended up smiling as well and he listened carefully to what the woman had to teach, both in the matter of hand lines and the way to watch the crystal ball. During the time he was learning he couldn’t help feeling disappointed though. The gypsies magic was a kind of sorcery more than an actual power, Luhan noticed, but he didn’t want to tell the people that, especially when everyone was so warm hearted towards him, Sangwoo and Xiumin.

About ten years passed after Sangwoo found him and Luhan was now a seventeen year old young man that lived in a bustling town far, far away from the village he was born in. During all those years, Xiumin was like a brother to him.

They had many things in common and they shared the pain of losing their parents. Maybe because of the older boy, Luhan got used to his new family quicker than he imagined he would. He started calling Sangwoo “dad” along with Xiumin, but he didn’t feel like the man was anything like a father to him.

Even if he liked Xiumin and the gypsies, he wanted to find someone like him, someone that could see things inside their heads and not on people’s hands or in spheres made out of fake crystal glass. He wanted another oracle, a man or woman that could help him understanding how his powers worked.

He never found anyone like that though, and even if Aisha taught him everything she knew, Luhan didn’t seem to be able to read a palm. Instead when a commoner came into his tent and asked him for a prediction, Luhan would simply pretend he was reading from the hand before telling what he knew all along with the aid of his power.

As he had no one to teach him, he had to learn how to use his other powers on his own. It took him a while, but he found out the “smoke” he could convey was actually an illusion, an image he could create of himself and other things. He could convey an image of tree or a river in the middle of the forest and, as he grew older and his powers improved, he could make a twin out of himself or even convey a moving animal.

As it was really boring to live in a camp, travelling every so often, he could do nothing more than reading books and learning artisanal abilities. Sangwoo and the gypsies always congratulated him for learning how to read, since no one from the commonalty knew this ability, but Luhan would only snort at the compliment. He wished he never learned how to read, but instead he wanted to be free for learn about his powers or even play with the other kids every now and then.

When Xiumin wasn’t busy with his chores around the camp and lady Aisha allowed Luhan to rest, they used to get together and the blonde used this time to improve his powers. Whenever they played hide and seek, for instance, Luhan would place an illusion of himself somewhere near so when Xiumin went to tag it, Luhan would run from his hiding place and surprise his brother. He would always win, no matter how many times he fooled Xiumin, because his illusion was exactly like himself.

If he wanted to, he could close his eyes and convey his illusion somewhere else, somewhere far away. He learned to control that image, to make it walk and talk like him, but for that he needed to move as well. The illusion would copy him, just like an image of a mirror, no matter how far apart they were.

So when Xiumin heard Luhan talking to himself in their tent or caressing non existing things he knew the illusion of his dongsaeng should be lost in the forest, playing among the trees or petting and talking to bunnies, wolves and harts.  

This was one of those times, and he just saw Luhan picking up something inexistent on the floor and throwing it far away, smiling. The blonde had his eyes closed, seeing with the eyes of his illusion, so Xiumin could approach and surprise him with ease.

-Throwing a stick to a wolf? – He asked by Luhan’s ear and the boy jolted, his eyes opening in surprise.

-You want to kill me from the heart? - He asked and Xiumin laughed. – It was a fox actually. Damn, and I don’t even know where my illusion was… I guess the fox will be looking for me for a while.

-It will survive without someone to play with it. – Xiumin said playfully and Luhan smiled.

-Of course. – He said and then pulled on the boy’s wrist excitedly. – I realized something, let me show you.

He took the young to near a tent and asked him to keep quiet. He closed his eyes and another Luhan appeared by his side, as alive looking as the first one. Then he groaned like he was doing too much effort and a light smoke appeared beside his first illusion. It grew a bit, moving weirdly like it was trying to escape an invisible container. Then both the illusions suddenly faded away and Luhan had to support himself on the tent, panting.

-You think you can create another one? – Xiumin asked as he helped him up again, seeming dazzled. – Like two Luhans or maybe one of me?

-That’s what I’m aiming for. – The blonde smiled, though still breathless. – I almost made a flower along with my first illusion the other day, but it lacked most petals and…

-Luhan? – They heard Sangwoo’s voice calling and the boy scowled. He had been resting for about half an hour now and his father would surely tell him to go back to his tent and work.

The man called him again, seeming less patient now, and both the boys sighed.

-You better go. – Xiumin told him softly and Luhan agreed. They both knew their father would punish them if they didn’t work hard.

What angered the boys the most, however, was that they had to do all the work and Sangwoo would just sit around the camp, dating a gypsy he arranged to himself. Xiumin didn’t win any money actually, he worked for house and food on the camp, which happened to the gypsies that couldn’t read a palm. Luhan did win a lot with his predictions though and, at the end of the day, Sangwoo would go to the blonde and take at least half of his money, claiming he was the one to raise the boy, so he was entitled to take it.

Luhan was tired of it already, to work hard so his father could keep buying his lady gifts and booze and, when Sangwoo told him he had clients to attend and that he needed to get back to work, the young shook his head.

-I don’t feel like answering questions today. – He said defiantly and the man questioned him about it.

Luhan only shrugged and said he earned enough for himself that day, that he didn’t need to go and keep reading palms now, even because working too much always gave him headaches. Sangwoo snorted, unbelieving.

-I saved you from an abandoned shack in the woods and I raised you as my own. – He accused. -  I would never think this family meant so little to you.

Luhan sighed tiredly.

-You and Xiumin mean the world to me, but…

-How can you say we are meaningful if you’ll let us starve?

-You won’t starve, it’s just a day… - He tried to argue. – I have money already and I...

He was about to say something else, but they heard screams and then the noise of swords being clanged to each other. It sounded like a fight, so Sangwoo took a peek among the tents.

-Pirates… - He said and he sounded almost breathless.

He took his own sword from its scabbard and pushed Luhan to the other side.

-Find you brother and run, the farthest you can, then hide and don’t dare to come back here until this riot is over, hear me?

Luhan nodded quickly and he ran to find Xiumin. His heart was beating faster and faster in his chest, too afraid that he wouldn’t find the young.

He found him near the tent where he left him earlier. Now, however, there was a boy with a knife close to his hyung’s throat. He was a tall boy and his skin was dark and dirtied by mud. He had a red rag around his head, covering his black hair and matching the belt around his waist.

-Give me the gold and I won’t cut you. – The boy told Xiumin and he shook his head avidly.

-We have no gold, just what is in…

-You think I’m stupid, gypsy? You are the people that… Ouch!

The boy cried in pain when Luhan crashed a mud jug on his head. It wasn’t enough to make the boy pass out as the blonde expected though.

The boy turned around quickly, massaging the back of his head with a hand and pointing his knife to Luhan with the other.

-Get there with him, so I can kill you both. – He told the blonde, who swallowed in dry.

That boy looked like he was the same age as he and Xiumin, or actually a couple of years younger, but he held the knife up like he had been doing it for all his life. He wasn’t scared like Luhan and Xiumin were and he surely didn’t seem like he was joking as well.

-Xiumin, run! – A voice yelled from behind the tent and the brunette did as he was told, joining Luhan in a desperate escape while the pirate boy was left holding the knife against the illusion of the blonde.

An older pirate appeared at the same time and he grabbed the illusion by the arm.

-Kai, what are ya doing here, kill this lad and let’s get the gold!  - He ordered, sinking the sword deep inside the illusion’s stomach. It gasped in pain and feel to its knees, but what called Kai’s attention was that the blonde boy running behind him also screamed.

Kai thought it should be because they just murdered the boy’s twin, but when he turned around he realized the blonde was on the floor holding an imaginary bruise in his belly. The brunette he was threatening before tried to make the other get up, but the blonde kept trying to withdraw an imaginary sword from his belly as well.

-If you don’t come, we’ll leave ya here. – Kai heard the older pirate threatening and walking away already, but he didn’t care. He was too shocked watching as the boy in front of him disappeared, vanishing into thin smoke, and the pirate’s sword fell to the ground.

-What, the…? – He turned to the other boys and realized the blonde was finally able to stand now. Kai panted and ran after them. He heard of people who had this kind of powers before, but he always thought it were tales meant to scare or dazzle him. Now he saw it, however, he saw a boy able to duplicate himself and he knew the blonde should be able to do way more than that.

The pirates destroyed almost all tents now and there was nowhere for the boys to hide when running to the forest. A couple of men saw them and they would follow them, so Luhan created another illusion of himself and made it run to the right while him and Xiumin ran to the left.

Kai gasped again when he saw another copy of the blonde boy running free to the other side, aiming for the sea, but he kept following the two boys to the forest.

A man with a glass eye saw the boys running to the forest and he decided to follow as well. Kai was a smart boy and if he was going so out of the way after those kids, it should be because they had more gold.

The boys entered the forest and Xiumin thought it wasn’t a good idea to go there, but he didn’t stop Luhan. He didn’t ask or said anything to the blonde because he didn’t want to steal his attention and stop the illusion the boy was creating. He did, however, guide the young, because Luhan was running blindly through the forest. His eyes could be either with himself or with his illusion and he couldn’t watch both tracks consecutively.

At some point he fell to the ground and Xiumin knelt by his side.

-They got the illusion again… - Luhan explained, supporting himself on his brother and standing up. – I don’t think I have the strength to create another one now.

-Then we must run. – Xiumin took him by the hand and pulled him among the trees.

This time it was Xiumin who fell, however, and Luhan gasped when he realized his brother was hit on the head by a stone.

-Xiumin, wake up… wake up! – He kneeled on the floor and kept trying to reanimate the brunette when he felt two brusque hands pulling him by the arm.

Luhan screamed and Kai turned him around and told him to shut up. He grasped Luhan by the waist and threw him over his shoulder, so the blonde started struggling and trying to kick him.

-Calm down little sorcerer. - Kai laughed. – You are only tiring yourself more.

-Kai? Arrr! – The other pirate came along, panting heavily. – By the seven seas lad, what are you even doing here?

-I’m taking something special for the captain this time. – He said, and slapped the squirming boy’s . – There’s another one over there, you can take him. I don’t think that one has powers though.

-Powers? - The pirate frowned, but went to Xiumin and picked him up, checking on his reflexes. The boy didn’t even move and Luhan punched Kai’s back.

-You killed him, you killed my brother! – He cried desperately and the older pirate snorted, throwing Xiumin to his own shoulders as well.

-He’s just passed out kid, quit the drama. – He said before he turned to Kai. – I hope you have a good reason to take these two, Kai. The captain won’t be happy with your delay.

-Then let’s hurry. – Kai said, struggling to keep Luhan in place.

They made their way back to the destroyed camp and Kai was already trembling under Luhan’s weight. He could be a strong boy, but he didn’t have that much strength yet, so he was already panting heavily when they left the woods. Luhan didn’t keep squirming for long actually, but he did cry a lot and all the noise was irritating to the pirates.

Most gypsies on the camp weren’t killed and they were tied up and left among clothes and tents that the pirates didn’t want. Some of the stronger men on the camp were taken as slaves and there was a pirate finishing tying a woman up. Kai went to him, a tired look on his young features.

-Whetever it is I won’t help ye this time, lad. – The man said sharply, but then Kai gave him a pleading glance and he grunted heavily. – Alright, gimme that.

He picked Luhan up, frowning at the blonde’s lightness.

-Why are ye taking this skinny rat to the ship? – The man asked and Luhan sobbed lightly when he was thrown on the broader shoulder.

-You’ll see. – Kai smiled, walking by his side.

-Luhan… - A feminine voice reached their ears and the blonde raised his head to see lady Aisha tied to a post on the floor.

She wasn’t hurt or anything, they were just leaving her there with the others. She would be fine, she knew it, but pained tears dropped from her eyes when she saw her dear boy being taken away.

-May the gods be with you, my child. – She whispered to the wind, not really loud, but Luhan was able to read her lips. He would answer to her, but someone got in the way.

-So your name is Luhan? – The pirate boy asked, following behind the other so he could talk to the blonde.

Luhan didn’t answer him, only sniffed again and looked down as they arrived at the shore. The pirates dropped both Luhan and Xiumin to the ground and went to get the boat. A man came closer and handed Kai a short piece of chain, then knelt beside Xiumin to enchain the brunette.

-Won’t you say anything? – Kai urged, chaining Luhan’s hands together. - I know you are a sorcerer, can you see my future?

Luhan shook his head.

-Then can you see my past?

Luhan sniffed again.

-I know you were a lonely child that used to steal from the merchants on the streets. This captain who took you in his crew doesn’t really care about you, you know that, right? – He asked Kai and the young gasped. – I know you are trying to impress him, but even if you do, you won’t be his favorite…

Kai grunted.

-Well, let’s see about that. You did read my past well, so you really are a sorcerer.

-I’m not… - Luhan murmured powerlessly as the older pirate returned.

He grabbed Luhan and took him to the ship along with Xiumin, where the other men from their camp were tied up. The ship was big, but the crew was composed of only a few men and that was probably why they needed slaves. Most of the men around were dirty and smelled, as well as the ship itself, and they all wore old or ripped clothes, or both.

The men were commemorating the successful robbery, except for Kai that kept watching Luhan. He tied the blonde up to the mast, so he wouldn’t move much anymore and soon the captain appeared, limping from a leg. The man stopped before them and eyed his crew challengingly.

-Alright ye scallywags, let I see what ye dragged to the ship this time.

He took a look among the golden rings, necklaces or simple coins, nodding constantly. There were also chalices and knives made out of gold and silver and he smiled. Gypsies were always rich, no matter which group they found near shore. When he was finished with the objects he turned to the few slaves his men brought along.

There were three strong men and a woman, as well as a passed out young man that looked somewhat muscular, but what called his attention the most was a blonde boy tied to the mast. The boy was wearing a typical male gypsy costume that was a little large for him, which made him look small and delicate. He had a tiara of coins on his head though, which was typically a female accessory, and his eyes were reddened of crying. His skinny hands were also chained together in front of him, completing the miserable picture.

-But what is this? – The captain almost growled, grabbing Luhan by the chin and showing him to the crew. - I asked ye for able men to work on the ship and ye brought me a princess? Who brought this kid here?

-It was me, captain. – Kai raised his head and the captain opened a smile full of lacking teeth.

-That be a gift for me tonight or are ye intending to keep this one to yourself, lad?

The men around laughed, but Kai only smirked.

-Yeah, you can have fun with him tonight if you want, but this princess is a sorcerer. He said predictions about my past.

-Is that right, missy? – The man asked the blonde, who nodded.

-Though predictions can be only said about the future, I did so read his past.

-And ye can see the future as well?

Luhan went quiet and the captain played with a knife in his hand.  The pirate grinned.

-Yer answers are what are keeping ye alive, I hope you know that.

-I can see past, present and future, sir. – Luhan finally said, feeling defeated. – Though I can only know the future when someone asks me, I can read the past in anyone’s eyes.

-Well, I don’t believe in such things. If gypsies could see the past or future, they would never sleep with me. – He said and the crew laughed again.

Kai stepped closer.

-He also has more powers, I saw one, he can create…

-Shut it lad, I want to hear no more from you. – The captain said, motioning his men to cut Luhan loose. – Take this bony lass to my room, let’s see if he’s worth something.

Luhan was panting again, and he tried to stop the man. When he realized he couldn’t, he shouted back to the captain.

-I know your father died in battle to protect you, and ever since you swore not to pledge alliance to any king. – He said quickly. - I know you had a wife and two boys, she passed away, but the boys are both older than me now and I know…

The captain stomped his way to the boy and grabbed his hair hurtfully.

-How do ya know all this? – He roared. – Gypsies don’t know that much, are ya really a sorcerer?

-No, sir. – Luhan panted. - I’m not a gypsy or a sorcerer, I’m an oracle. As I told you, I can see past, present and future, and I’ll serve you, if you don’t harm me and allow my brother gypsies to walk away.

-The slaves? Ye want to trade yer services for their freedom?

Luhan nodded.

-As I said, I’ll serve you if you allow them to walk away safely from this ship.

-Look at yer princess Kai, I barely decided he will stay alive and he’s already bargaining with me!

-Oh so you’ll kill an oracle. – Kai asked amusedly. – I highly doubt that.

The captain snorted.

-You don’t even know what an oracle is, boy.

-It’s what he said, those people who can see past, present, future and all. – Kai shrugged and the man laughed again.

-Alright, I won’t kill him. – He said and Luhan sighed in relief. - But his “brothers” will stay and work as everybody else.

Luhan still tried to argue, but the man grabbed him roughly by the arm.

-Now me beauty, come’re and tell me. – He took Luhan to the front of the ship and motioned the sea ahead. – I have two directions to go and two possible lands I can steal from. Which one will bring me gold?

Luhan didn’t want to answer him, but the man pulled him closer, puffing his stinky breath on his face.

-So?

-Go north. – Luhan said unwillingly.

-North! – The man shouted to his crew and then tossed Luhan aside. The boy stumbled and Kai ran to him, catching him before he could fall to the ground.

-Take the lassie to her room. – The captain ordered. – Let’s see how much her predictions are worthy, and if they are not… – The man took his thumb from one side of his throat to the other, making a cutting sound.

Kai nodded and took Luhan to the lower part of the ship. It was a dirty and dark place, full off boxes and bottles of booze, and the brunette opened a big cage to the side. When he saw Luhan wasn’t moving, he motioned inside.

-Won’t you go in?

-You want me to walk into a cage? – Luhan asked, skeptical. – Shouldn’t you toss me inside like the big bad pirate you are?

-Hey, if you didn’t notice I saved your up there. – He said, releasing Luhan’s hands from their bond. - The captain would have his way with you all night long if I didn’t intervene.

-For starters, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, so the least you could do was making sure no one would ravish me.

Kai rolled his eyes, pushing Luhan inside the cage.

-Look, I’m sorry for the captain, he can be a little rough sometimes but he’s a good man.

-And you, Kai? Are you good somewhere inside there?

The young pirate shrugged.

-Kai please, if you have some mercy in your heart, you’ll let me go.

-Go where? We are on sea already.

-When we stop in the north, during the robbery, just open the cage and let me run. I'll be able to run, you just have to open the cage.

-Sorry, but no deal. – He said. – Sleep tight.

He said, then walked away, leaving Luhan to a night of coldness and nightmares.

____________________________________________________________________________________

On the next chapter... 

Remember that king from the beginning, the one that had a guard cutting Luhan’s ear? Well, then… who is his son? xD

Just a friendly reminder that you aren’t solely selecting a character here, because each of them have different personalities, therefore different possible futures. When choosing one of them you are also choosing Luhan’s fate so… well, I’m just telling you to choose carefully, I guess xD

The other options for this chapter

a. A prince and a knight - In this context Luhan’s parents would really be dead and he would be forced by Sangwoo to see predictions on the same realm he found him. Sehun is the king’s son, and he finds Luhan being used as a slave by Sangwoo and “saves” him, buying him from the man and taking him to the palace. The king recognizes Luhan, mainly because of the scar in his ear, and lock him up. Kai wouldn’t appear in this chapter yet, there would be a voting for him ^^

b. A knight and a prince - Same thing as “A”, just exchange the characters

c. A noble and a blacksmith - Sangwoo hands Luhan to the king right after he saves him, getting the reward. The boy is locked up to serve the king and grows in the temple, but when he’s older he casts his illusions outside of the castle. Both Kai and Sehun see Luhan’s illusions asking for help, in different contexts, and both go after him, meeting along the way in their quest

d. A prince and a pirate