The next day, as a timid light entered the huge windows and casted shadows in the empty castle, Dubhra was sitting on their heavy wooden chair, in an empty room.

The stone walls watched patiently, the dimly lit place was pervaded by a smell of herbs and the air was heavy with the weight of unseen forces.

Many candles surrounded the figure, the unnatural light of the crystal sphere was casting over the array of the worn tarot deck before them.

Once they had laid their metallic hands over the deck, they commanded: "Show me, what will be the outcome of the imminent battle we will fight?"

With a slow breath, full of tension, they drew the first card.

The Sun. But downturned. A powerful omen of triumph and clarity, a sign of victory, this time it was hanging upside down like a cruel illusion.

The second card, The Moon. A path tainted by darkness, uncertainty, a truth twisted like mist over the battlefield. The future was not as clear.

And then, they pulled the third card.

Once Dubhra did, their eyes widened and panic flooded their veins, sending their heart racing.

The Tower.

The candle sputtered, its flame nearly dying.

A great fall, ruin, a destruction that could not be avoided.

"The Sun has risen with fire, only to drown in the shadows. The Moon will cry cold tears, but they won't save the damned. The Tower crumbles and with it, the two shall fall.

This had been their fate all along, ever since their union was destined to wreak havoc upon the Earth, The Empress, crowned in vengeance, shall fall blind beneath the fire she herself has created. The Seer, cursed with sight, shall drown in the tears of the truth they could not change. One by fire, one by regret.

And the stars will turn away."

As they read the prophecy, they exhaled sharply and before they could do anything else, the crystal sphere connected to their eyes with a ray of light, making it impossible to turn away.

A vision forming as clear as they have never been.

Flashes of war, swords had long stopped clashing, banners torn and set ablaze, a river of blood soaking the soil.

A figure had fallen, lifeless, her long red hair mixing with the dark color of blood, most of her body had been burned, the golden hand was long melted on the floor and against her disfigured skin.

Not far from her, right by Midas' almost unrecognizable frame, there was them. More than that, their dead body, hugging lightly the other in a desperate, cold embrace. Their heart was torn from a hole in their chest and was now dripping black ink onto the soil, their face was slowly melting into the bloody river, turning to ink, starting from their humid weeping eyes.

They pulled away, gasping for air, their breath quick and their heart heavy as a stone in their chest. What was once a light anxiety clawing at their brain, it was now a sentence, written in the stars.

The cards had spoken, no power could have turned back what was to come, they had to do something, anything, and it had to be quick.

Their candles had long died when the loud sound of metallic feet hitting the ground filled the castle halls and staircases, as exhausted as they were, they had to find Midas and stop this from happening, nothing was in their brain but the loud pounding of the heart in their ears.

At last they found her, in the dining room, eating peacefully the heart that she had asked Dubhra to keep the night before, cold blood dripping on her chin.

They looked like they had been run over by a hundred bulls, black tentacles falling all over their face, which had turned even paler than usual, as they had to lean to the door frame to not risk their legs giving up on them.

Eyes wide with terror were fixed on the confused Empress.

"Dubhra? Oh my- what happened to you?"

For the first time in their life, the creature saw Midas' genuinely concerned face, not one of suffering, not of one of determination, something neither of them were used to.

She got up from her chair at the head of the lengthy table and quickened her steps towards her devastated looking partner.

"Answer me! What happened?"

The words fell heavy from Dubhra's mouth as their lips trembled. "I've seen- the reign-" They were trying their best, the words just wouldn't come out. "We can't win this battle."

Midas looked at them for a moment, unsure. "Is this some kind of joke?"

They waved their steel hand close to her face. "This is not a joke, if we fight this battle, we will die! The both of us!"

She took a couple steps back, that was not a good sign, but of course it was nothing Dubhra didn't expect. "And how would it occur? Tell me, Seer."

That last word was full of venom, like it had started to build up within her and she was just saving time before hitting Dubhra with her deadly strike.

"I've seen that we will both perish, that was in our fate, you don't understand! I've never been wrong, please, you have to believe me!" The creature tried their best to take some steps forward, but the other took as many of them back.

"I will pretend like your concern doesn't hurt my pride, if you take it back soon enough."

Dubhra collected all that was left within them to reply. "I can't! I would rather hurt your pride and keep you safe than let you carry out this madness."

"If you give me a valid reason why I should listen to you, then I may take your words in consideration, maybe."

They couldn't tell if she had felt the heaviness of the words leaving their trembling lips and decided to ignore it, or if she really didn't have not even the slightest hint of fear in her heart. It happened some other time already, all at once she became distant and unreachable to Dubhra's reassuring words and cries.

She had that same empty gaze.

Midas continued. "The only way this conquest could go to waste would be if someone let them prepare beforehand, though I personally think they wouldn't stand a chance even if it did actually happen."

They looked at her with a confused expression, how could they not have expected an attack, if they were the last empire standing?

"It could only occur if someone betrayed me, but have you forgotten the situation I'm in? Take a look around, there's no one here to hear." Then she turned her head to look outside the window. "Only I know about the strategy."

Dubhra was unsure if to answer, but they still did. "And me."

Then something happened, Midas turned back to look at them again, her eyes were empty, still distant, but her expression was one Dubhra had never seen redirected to them, it was heavy and accusatory, full of disdain and disappointment. "Yes, and you."

The words left her mouth as if she had finally found out something, venom dripping from her tongue as she stated something that to the creature was more than obvious, but she sounded as if she had only truly found out in that moment.

Dubhra didn't answer, they didn't have the chance to take any possible negative accusation to heart, they would try it again later.

Their ultimate goal had always been to protect Midas, now they were face to face with their own cruel fate and they wouldn't fail.