When Good Loses Its Grip {Grishaverse Big Bang 2021}

Chapter 25

Dimitri's eyes widened as a floating square flashed into existence in front of him. Beside the knight, Leoni gasped at the sight. 

It was him. The floating square showed him as a child saying to his adoptive father, "I'm a boy." 

"Alright," Dimitri's dad smiled, and he picked the boy up in his arms. "My boy is going to become a brave, brave warrior, isn't that right?" Dimitri's dad asked, pinching his cheek. 

The Dimitri onscreen laughed. "Yes, daddy," he said, throwing his arms around him. His dad hugged back. 

Dimitri watched the memory transition to two years later, when he was six. He'd been walking through the corridors after training when the princess of Hyrule had grabbed his arm and pulled him into a space between two of the walls. "I noticed you were tired," little Leoni said, and held out two figs. Six-year-old Dimitri blinked at her in surprise. "Is this allowed?" he whispered as he took the two figs from her. 

"Yes," Leoni giggled. The little warrior found himself giggling along with her. 

Standing in the chamber currently, Dimitri watched as his past flashed before his eyes. Him and Leoni bonding as children. The death of his father, when he was eleven. The rift that occurred between him and Leoni, her resenting his duty to escort her, to protect her, and that blossoming back into friendship again. The final memory showed Dimitri at seventeen, collapsing after witnessing Leoni summon her power. By the time the floating square vanished, tears were flowing down Dimitri's face. 

"I…" he choked out. Leoni suddenly hugged him. Dimitri hugged back, letting himself sob into her shoulder. That had been so much, maybe too much, for him to witness. Reliving the death of his father hurt more than anything. 

"What does memory have to do with the future?" Dimitri asked once he'd finally stopped crying. Leoni brushed the tears from his cheeks and took his hands in hers, giving them a light squeeze. 

"I'm so sorry Dimitri," Leoni whispered. 

The floating square appeared again. Dimitri and Leoni stared at it. It showed Dimitri using his newfound power, his glowing green arm. Dimitri's mind whirred as he saw his future self lose control, using his power against everyone and everything. Is this something I can avoid? 

The floating square suddenly shut off, and Dimitri heard a gasp. He whirled around. Alina's eyes were open again. "Alina," he said. "Tell me you didn't see my memories," Dimitri begged as the fortune teller got up and made their way over to the knight and the princess. 

"I didn't. I can promise you that," Alina replied. "Fortune tellers cannot see other people's memories." 

Dimitri breathed out a sigh of relief. 

"How was it?" Leoni asked. "The fortune telling." 

"It was fine," Alina replied with a dismissive wave of her hand as she led the two out of the chamber. "A bit weird, though. Usually, the futures of others are set in stone." She looked at Dimitri. "Yours is one to avoid, if possible." 

Dimitri nodded. His palms were sweating. He rubbed them on his trousers. Leoni glanced at him, and he looked back at her. Dimitri knew he wasn't going to be able to sleep easily tonight.