I Would Rather Be a Rogue [BL]
Chapter 64: How The Future Unfolds

Chapter 64: How The Future Unfolds

The future, huh? Felix had to admit it sounded a bit tempting...

But was it really a good idea? If he saw just a small peek at something happy, like his daughter being born healthy and well, then that would be nice, but if he saw something he didn’t like? Although he wasn’t quite sure whether he believed it - the witch’s magical skills might have been legit, but there was a difference between creating enchanted mazes and predicting the future - he didn’t want to have another kind of ’fate’ shoved in his face. Moon Goddess was already doing it with ’fated mates’, Felix wanted to at least FEEL like the rest of his life depended on his own will, thank you very much!

The witch, however, seemed to have taken his silence as agreement, and had already activated the crystal ball, which started glowing softly. It was milky in color, and appeared fluid, displaying an opalescent play of a variety of colors as it swirled around. Pretty and enticing, but...

"Before we start, I need to warn you," the witch spoke up, his hands moving around the crystal ball. "Don’t take anything you see for granted. The future is never set in stone. In fact, the moment you so much as take a glimpse, it is bound to change."

His words made Felix relax a bit. That way of looking at the future resonated with him much more than some inescapable fate. Still, if it was bound to change the very moment he saw it...

"Then what’s the point?" he couldn’t help but ask. "If it’s no longer true the moment I see it, why bother looking at all?"

"It’s not that the act of seeing the future changes much on its own. It’s because the decisions you make after seeing the future will be different, which will cause the future to change," the witch explained. "That’s precisely what makes it worth seeing. It can help you find your way to a better, happier future."

Well, when put that way... Felix really had no reason to say no. Surely, a glimpse wouldn’t hurt, no?

The colors in the crystal ball grew denser, forming a slightly foggy scene, like a washed-out film. Felix saw himself, sitting on the sunken couch in his house, rocking a tiny baby in his arms... A sweet, cozy, and reassuring scene... But there was something about it that made Felix’s brows go up.

The baby was wearing a fox onesie.

That was a rather unusual choice. Not that it didn’t look good, it was very cute, but... Felix didn’t have any interest in foxes. It was just that Remi had sneaked his way into his house, so he had grown fond of him over time, but that was about it. As far as foxes in general were concerned, Felix was indifferent. So why would he get such an onesie for his pup?

He lifted his eyes, giving the witch an amused glance, but the witch was too focused on the crystal ball (or at least pretending to be) to notice.

The scene soon changed, showing Felix back at his work in Crossroads, but with no belly, then picking up his daughter - who was wearing a fox hat - from nursery, then going shopping... It was all normal and peaceful, very nice to see, but not particularly memorable. Just an ordinary, quiet life.

Exactly the kind of life Felix was hoping for. Which left him thinking, was everything truly going to go so smoothly, or was the witch only showing him what he wanted to see...?

He didn’t have much time to ponder over it, though, because the scene in the crystal ball changed again. This time, displaying Felix in bed.

Shirtless.

Cuddling the fox affectionately.

Very much so.

To the point it looked almost inappropriate, even though Remi was in his animal form!

Blood had instantly rushed into Felix’s face, turning it burning hot. Just what was supposed to be this vision?

"Is this your fox?" the witch asked, seemingly curious. "It’s very beautiful. You need to take good care of him, and never mistreat him. Don’t do anything he might dislike. This is the key to your happiness..."

Felix almost bolted up from his seat, slamming his hands on the table, but he held himself back at the last moment. Barely. Clenching his fists hard. He wasn’t exactly angry, but rather... Embarrassed? Feeling foolish? He almost believed that the visions the witch was showing him were real glimpses of the future...

The key to his happiness? Yeah, right! The witch was just showing Felix how he wanted to be treated! Felix was so buying black liquorice and stuffing it into Remi’s food! Trying to calm down a bit, he took a deep breath and lifted his gaze, about to retort to it somehow...

When his eyes fell on the witch’s face. The part that wasn’t hidden under the large, drooping rim of the hat. It was now illuminated a bit by the soft glow from the crystal ball, allowing the Omega to get a better look...

And turned out his intuition was right. In fact, to say that the witch was uncomfortable would be an understatement. His face was pale, droplets of cold sweat shimmering on his skin. His lips, although curved up in a smile, were crooked and twitching, as if he was trying to suppress the pain. Now that Felix observed him carefully, he also noticed the witch’s hands were slightly shaking, and his chest was rapidly rising up and down as he took uneven, hitched breaths...

"Is everything alright?" he couldn’t help but ask, a tinge of concern ringing in his voice. Even if the witch had just been playing tricks on him, trying to con him into doing what he wanted, he was still Felix’s stupid fox. Of course he cared.

But the witch only chuckled softly, waving his hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, don’t worry about it. Stealing a glance into the future is a demanding task, very taxing, so it’s natural for me to get a bit tired after showing you a few visions... Should we end our session here, then?"

"...Alright." Although Felix wasn’t buying it, he knew that trying to dig deeper wasn’t going to work, so he let it go. "How much do I owe you?"

"Oh, please don’t worry about that," the witch smiled. "You can pay me back in nature."

Felix almost tripped, as his foot got caught up between the legs of his chair somehow as he was trying to get up. "...What?" he muttered, giving a witch a blank stare.

Was that supposed to be another joke?

The witch just smiled, staring at him. Or at least Felix felt as if he was being stared at, since he couldn’t actually tell, not being able to see the witch’s eyes.

"Um... By paying you in nature, you mean..."

"Paying with your body, of course!"

...That didn’t sound any better.

"You are aware that I adore foxes, right? Just take good care of your fox for me," the witch explained, his twitching smile concealed by the darkness blanketing the room again, as the glow from the crystal ball vanished. "Make sure to pet him a lot, and give him a warm, comfortable place to sleep. That will be enough for a payback for me."

It didn’t sound like a good business plan, but Felix didn’t point that out. Remi was only one, after all, so it was unlikely anyone else had a chance to snatch such a cheap deal!