Mel, come to the entrance, the old man's voice intruded into Mel's mind.
Mel spoke, "Thoughts traverse."
On my way, she answered. Steps echoed through the vast castle's empty hallways. Carefully, Mel stepped over the rotting floorboards, the wood creaking beneath her feet. Rocks crumbled from the walls as she made her way out of the worn-down wing. Her grandfather entered through the grand doors of the castle. Shedding his coat, he handed it to Mel.
"I'll be heading out again soon. Have the servants prepare a meal for me." Rei walked through the hallway, meeting Mel halfway.
"I'll let them know," Mel said as she took his travel cloak. "Grandpa, there are some termites that got into the eastern wing of the castle. I've been trying to exterminate them, but there are too many."
"I'll take care of them when I get back."
"Can't you just do it now, old man?"
"I'll do it when I get to it. Now shut up and get the servants to prepare me a meal."
"Jerk," Mel muttered.
"Mel," a tiny figure in the dark summoned her over.
Her arms and legs were gangly and thin. One would wonder how she could function without the bug-like wings shimmering behind her. Her long, pointed ears pressed against the sides of her head, and her giant, bug-like eyes protruded outwards. "Why do you always put him in a bad mood? We are the ones who must deal with him, you know?"
"I'm sorry, Grace. He's just so rude to everyone! It makes me furious."
Similar people emerged from their hiding places and fluttered to Grace and Mel.
"Mel, what should we prepare for his meal? Last time he didn't like what we made. He almost took the chef's head."
The group nodded in unison.
"Let me check for you." Mel placed one hand over her red eye and the other on Grace's head. Creases formed between Mel's eyebrows.
"What?"
"He wants something weird again, doesn't he?"
"I have to look again. I think I went too far into the future."
Mel's golden eye shimmered as magic poured into it. Flashes of Grace's future split and divided as different choices were made until all her futures cracked and fractured into pieces.
"I don't understand." Mel held her hand over her red eye. "I need to look again."
The same happened as before. "Again."
"Once more."
"Mel! Stop! Your nose is bleeding."
"Something is wrong." Mel trembled and one monster held a tissue to her nose. "Make Grandpa something simple, and then all of you need to go to the hiding place. You must stay there until I get you. I need to find a way to keep Grandpa in the castle."
"Why not just let him leave?"
"I think something he does…" Mel looked at Grace. "Something bad happens. I need to check his future to be sure."
"Okay. We trust you, Mel."
"Oscar—" Mel looked at a man wearing a white outfit. "Go make him a sandwich, then get into hiding as fast as possible."
"Leave it to me." The man saluted Mel.
"Grace, get your parents and have them gather everyone else."
"Okay…" Grace looked at Mel. "Will you be okay?"
"Yeah, I'm used to dealing with the old man."