Chapter 13：We Can't Fight Against Fate

A long tense silence follows.

Until Juno finally reacts with, "An oracle? What kind of sick joke is this!?"

"I'm not joking. I really am… that."

"S-sso you just expect me to believe that you have visions an-and know everything about me!?"

A sly smile comes on Eve's face, it's unnerving, "So you want proof? I'll gladly provide some."

She doesn't like the sound of that at all, "Huh?"

Juno unfortunately didn't have a chance to brace herself for what would happen next.

With a blank expression and a monotone voice, Eve begins, "You didn't stop crying yourself to sleep until you were 10. It was usually caused by your fear of the darkness or when your family was away. One time when you were 8 you fell into a pond and almost drowned, luckily your sister saved you. You've gotten lost at the supermarket 5 times, almost had a meltdown once. You haven't had your first kiss yet and when you were close to, you ended up sneezing on her instead. Your first track and field competition went terrible, you got so sick from nerves you couldn't compete and threw up on your coach. You cried when your childhood friend, Lucia, moved away. You cried when Mila moved away, she left when you were sleeping so you never got to say goodbye. You are still angry at your Mother because of that, because she drove Mila away from home. You were upset when your mother forced you to enroll at Aspar Hill, so much that you said you would never smile ever again."

Meanwhile, Juno's face drastically changes colors. From pale with fright to red from embarrassment. She's frozen as some of her biggest shames are exposed like it's nothing. As if she's nothing but a joke.

"Your life has been mostly uneventful but I've always had visions of your most stressful moments. Believe me now? Or want more proof?"

Only after hearing that does she say, "Stop! Stop! Get away from me!"

"Listen I didn't ask for this either! Most of my visions are involuntary! For a long time… I thought I made you up or something. Until one day my Grandma explained to me what I was. But there's still something wrong with me!"

Eve elaborates, "Oracles aren't supposed to have visions of only one person. They're supposed to have control. Why am I like this? Why is it only you? Why are you the only person I can see?"

Not expecting an answer she continues, "I have been asking myself this for years now. I've researched. And the only conclusion I can come up with is that it's fate. I can't fight against it. I've tried. No matter what I do I can't get away from you. Are the heavens telling me I'm nothing without you? What kind of sick joke!"

"Wh-why didn't you say anything sooner?!"

"I couldn't and even if I did, you wouldn't have believed me anyways."

"But I still don't understand…"

"I already explained-"

"…how you're going to help me."

Eve turns to glare at the snake, "It seems like your little snake has forgotten to tell you something important, hasn't it?"

The snake is flabbergasted,

"What else? What more is there!?"

//I don't know how much more I can handle. I'm at my limit, really!//

She gives a small nod.

"H-how bad?"

Eve stays silent.

Meanwhile, Juno starts trembling again.

Almost numbly, she lowers herself to sit on the bathroom floor. "Stuck. I am stuck with a snake coming out of my hair. Not only that but someone is targeting me and probably wants to kill me. Haha. Also, yeah my sister is missing too. This is so bad. Oh my gods."

"Get up from the floor."

She doesn't move.

"Don't fall into despair just yet, didn't I say I was going to help you?"

Juno doesn't get up but she does look at her after hearing that.

Eve crouches down and hands something to Juno.

It's a hair tie.

"A hair tie?"

//How is this supposed to help me in any way?!//

"Yes, it's a hair tie but it's not ordinary at all. If you wear it, your snakes will be hidden from mortals' view. This can help you greatly until you get your new powers under control."

Juno still looks at it doubtfully.

"Would you just try it? Unless you want everyone to see your snakes, find out that Medusa's Blessing has returned, become a source of controversy and an easier target."

Juno snatches it from her hands.

"Are you really ssure this will work?"

"Why are you still hesitating?"

"I still don't-"

"Trust me? Whether you believe me or not, we both know you don't have much of a choice."

She glares at her but it doesn't seem to have an effect on Eve. But truly, how intimidating could Juno look in the state she's in?

Her hands tremble slightly as she ties it around her hair and er- snake.

It only takes less than a second for her hair to start glow and then stop. She quickly gets up and runs to the mirror to find that...

It worked!

"Its gone! You were right!"

Eve actually looks a little shocked. "I knew it would work, I've known for a long time and yet... well, that doesn't matter. How do you feel?"

In all honesty, terrible. But what she says instead is, "A little relieved but I feel like I'm going to collapse again."

"Hm. You shouldn't be too relieved yet. We still need to figure out who's targeting you, I feel that it's probably related to your missing sister and if it is, then we need to tread carefully from here on out."

//But, if it's the same person then maybe we can save Mila somehow. At least, I'll have a better idea where she is…"//

Juno can't help but ask, "Do you really not know who it is? Not even from your visions-"

"No I haven't gotten any visions of that. Not yet," she pauses for a moment, remembering something important "Also, I have to go now."

"I have to leave since I snuck in here past visiting hours. I don't want to get caught but I'll be back tomorrow. Lay low and get some rest."

"But-"

"Seriously, don't do anything dangerous. You're weak right now. You need to rest."

Just as Eve's about to open the door, she hesitates but says one last thing, "I really am sorry but I promise we'll get through this."

With that she's gone.