I stare into my own reflection in the full-body mirror as I finish dressing up. I zip up my black hoodie and pull the hood over my head so that it covers my eyes. I’m ready. I crank open the heavy metal door and exit from the back of our grimy warehouse. That warehouse is where our main base is. It’s located in an abandoned area right outside of New Seoul. These are the ruins of what’s left over from World War 8 but because these are ruins, it’s safe for us while the police thinks this place is unsafe. Therefore, once the police has made sure that every remaining survivor has been evacuated to the heart of New Seoul, we moved in and the police never came back since. We named ourselves The Warriors of the Dark, WD for short. It has just rained recently so the ground is wet as the moon pierces through the clouds making the cracking pavement glisten beneath my feet as I make my way to the heart of New Seoul. I splish splash my way through the streets as the humid air fills me with disgust. Signs of life are gradually increasing and within minutes, lights and humanity have filled the empty darkness with loud crowds and blinding signs. I keep my head down and avoid eye contact as much as possible. I stare at my gray and black Nikey shoes as they soak with water. It’s only for a little longer, I told myself, get this over with, and I can go home. I started breathing heavily. The crowd’s arrogance of personal space and loud noises suffocates me, clouding my head. I hate crowds, I hate people. I closed my eyes for a brief moment trying to collect my thoughts. Not knowing where I was going, I bumped into someone and the slippery floor makes me fall hard on my , pulling my hood of my head. Breathe. Breathe! I looked down, trying to avoid eye contact, and I tried getting up, but it’s getting harder to breathe and I’m starting to get light-headed. Then a gentle hand was extended to me and I looked up to see the face. A girl with her hair tied up in a ponytail, who looks about 2 years younger than me, smiles and offers to help me up. Her voice was muffled at first, but then I heard,

“Are you okay?” Her voice was sweet, innocent and kind. I wanted to accept her hand and thank her but I had to keep up my image. They were watching after all. So instead of smiling back, I swiped her hand out of my face with a frustrated grunt and peel myself off the floor. I steadied myself with two feet before dusting all the rocks off my jacket and pulling my hood back on. She ducked her head under my hood to force me with eye contact. She gave me a curious look and I stuttered back. She’s weird, I thought.

“Well, you look okay.” she said, answering her own previous question. I ignored her and shoved my hands in my hoodie pockets, making sure that the stuff didn’t accidentally fall out, and thankfully, they were all there. Then she smiled at me, turned around and left. I watched her go, mesmerized, as if I didn’t want her to go. Like I had something to tell her, but all I could do was watch her ponytail sway back and forth as she skipped her view out and into the crowd. I looked to my left to a nearby bar and surely enough, I was being watched by one of my comrades, my best friend since kindergarden. He shook his head, pointing his nose to the ground as he giggled in hysterics. I shrugged at him and I turned around to get the work done. It wasn’t far now. I was almost there. I turned to my right through a crummy alleyway as a shortcut then turned left. I’m facing a shop now and I crept my way in. The place is bigger than the outside. No. It looks massive and grand from the inside as opposed to an old and wrecked exterior. I was greeted with a clean red carpet as well as a chandelier hanging above me. I try to avoid people from touching me as I shuffled in. People were everywhere because of Lunar New Year and waiters and waitresses are rolling around in roller skates, holding trays of food, serving guests. One of the waiters offered me some white wine but I shook my head and waved him off. I looked around, trying to find my target and get out of here as soon as possible and thank my stars, I found her. The fortune-teller and she was talking to a bunch of guests of hers. I walked up to her and nudged her shoulder. She was a shabby old lady but a good guest of ours. She turned around to see who nudged her then turned back around and asked to be excused. By then, I have backed away, waiting for her cue to bring me into some where private with her. She pointed up to her fortune-telling room, in a way that wasn’t obvious or suspicious. I looked up to the room then back at her to see her nod and make sure that I’ve got the right room. Not wasting anytime, I climbed up, watching my step and my surroundings as I opened and closed the door. I turn around and scanned the little room. There was a small round table in the center of the room covered with a delicate silk table cloth and a crystal ball. Then the door suddenly clicked open behind me. Startled, I put my hands up to my face, ready to strike when and ancient face was visible, so I put my hands down.

“Sorry for taking so long.” she apologized as she turned around, made sure that she wasn’t followed, and clicked the door shut. Then she gestured me to the chair next to me. “Have a seat.” she smiled. Obediently, I pulled the chair out and sat on the well cushioned chair. The I tossed the drugs in front of her.

“Your shipment.” I stated in disgust. “Cough it up women.” I say grimly, sitting back on the chair. With wild eyes, she slowly took the little packets and hid them in her hands.

“Er… I don’t have it yet.” she muttered. Then I slammed my hands on the table.

“You what?!” I asked fiercely. “You’ve been a good customer to us, but you haven’t been giving the money for over half a year, but you keep asking for more.” I protested.

“I know, I know! But my sales have been going down lately and it’s been hard.” she objected.

“Sales? Down? Hard?!” I stated. “You lying witch! That’s the excuse you’ve been giving us for months and we’ve actually got people tracking you, surveillancing you for two months. Your sales haven’t gotten any lower and you spent most of your money to throw a worthless party?!” She didn’t say anything but was opened. Then I lean back into my chair, arms crossed. “If you don’t start rolling that money in, we’ll steal all your bank cards, get one of our geniuses to transfer all the money out of there, and have you murdered by sundown, and no one will ever notice that you’ve gone missing.” I threatened in a hasty voice. “So what about it little fortune-teller?” Then her eyes lit up.

“Like you said, I am just a little fortune-teller. Besides taking in your shipment, I’m not good with anything but fortune-telling. I’ll be happy to tell you your future if you’d let me off the hook this time.” she said it with such brilliance and confidence but her eyes are pleading me. I can tell from her facial expression that this is a stupid idea, but she is willing to give it a shot. It’s all she has left after all. Amused, I thought about it. Maybe she can tell me whether I succeed in my revenge or not, because if what she says is true, then I may change the original tactics and switch to a better Plan B if Plan A is to fail in the future. But my intentions were only to get a free fortune-telling and I was going to tell her off and hand over the money anyways because if I didn’t, I may be too risking suspicious moves to the rest of the gang. So I nodded.

“Let’s see what you can do” I say smirking evilly leaning further back for comfort. I crossed my legs and prepared to listen. Proud if the decision she made, she sat back and studied my face. Then she closed her eyes, barricaded the crystal ball with her hands, and looked into it. Surprised, I jumped and looked into it too. What they said were true. The crystal ball does create snippings of future events, and surely enough, I can see myself…… in a tuxedo? “What?” I shouted without thinking. I was wearing a what looks like royal clothing. My hair was nicely gelled back and I was wearing white gloves with a golden sash hanging from my left shoulder and diagonally around my body my upper body. A sword was hanging on the left of my belt and my outfit was a white military jacket with golden shoulder pads and cuffs with a pair of red slacks. I look, completely different. The more I stared, the more I can’t recognize myself. I’ve become a complete stranger. I sit back once again, this time in shock.

“Hmmm….” she studied. “Apparently, you will become the prince of New Seoul in the future. In about a couple of months actually.”

“What?! How can this ever happen? Do I have like, royal blood in me that I didn’t know of? Was I adopted or something?!” I shouted. Then I took deep breaths in and out, thinking calming thoughts. This is probably a scam. She’s lying to me. None of this is happening. I will always be a ghetto boy, forgotten by the world. I will avenge my parents, and I will never become prince.

“Actually, that will remain a mystery until you figure it out. The annual ball is coming up next month. Why don’t you go and find out yourself?” She says sitting back, exhausted. Then I sat up.

“You know what, I’m deciding that you’re a very bad liar after all. I’m going to be the future prince of New Seoul? Ha. Don’t make me laugh. You’re probably making all of this up. Such a foolish lie. Did you really think that I’ll fall for that?” then I paused for a brief moment, not waiting for a response to my rhetorical question. “Well, I’m not gonna. And as punishment, you are given until the end of this year’s annual ball to get the money ready, and delivered.” Then she pointed her finger up, ready to protest but I cut her off by clicking the door open and leaving the room. Leaving her whole “palace”. Leaving the sickening town of New Seoul. Finally. I’m out of there! I thought as I paced down the old ruins, breathing in a breath of freedom. Well, it felt like freedom anyways.