Infinite: Power

Chapter Sixteen: Uncertain

The office could've easily been mistaken for Tommy's bedroom as it had plenty of pictures of him hanging around the wall, and most of his toys were gathered at one corner of the room. But, of course, the kid wouldn't have a closet full of Orphetical tools to see and foresee things from the past and future, nor the smell of a chocolate cigar recently finished lingering on the air.

Pietro opened the last drawer behind his desk. He hadn't opened it for ten years, ever since the Orphetical Lines and the Academy arrived to California. Inside was the black leather bag that the Orphets wanted to get from him.

"Peter, Stawen's arrived." His wife's voice was loud enough to hear it clearly even when the walls of the house were quite solid and the doors, closed.

"Make him come into the office, hon. Thank you!" He replied, placing the bag onto his lap and caressing it. He was sitting behind his oaken desk, unperturbed as usual. Stawen entered the place without knocking on the door and sat down in front of him with a beam. His eyes had both curiosity and amusement. Pietro placed his hands onto the table and pushed his chair closer so the kid wouldn't see the bag.

"What's up, old man? I was surprised to hear you called me."

"Surprised?" Pietro frowned, on purpose. "I don't think 'surprised' is the right word."

"Well..." His beam turned into an impish grin. "If you already know all things, why do you ask?"

Stawen's future was the only thing Pietro had never been able to see. Therefore, no Orphet could. Pietro had always been more powerful than the rest and it was both a disappointment and a wonder that this boy's past and future remained absolutely mysterious. Yet, Stawen would trick the old man – and everybody who knew him – to feel like he knew everything about him. That was, probably, for his honest-hearted appearance.

After a while of chit-chat, the old man tried to make his way to the point of their meeting.

"You know," He started. "I've been trying to see what the future will bring for Tommy, like any parent would do, to make the best choices for him. But, as you may already know, our inner vision about someone depends on his mind. It's been hard for me, then, because it's different when it comes to a child with autism. The future is always uncertain for him. He's wonderful and he's smart, but I have also learned that he lives in another world inside his mind. One that even I cannot break in with my powers. And, oh, have I tried..."

"I see." Stawen turned serious and for a split second, his eyes flew to the pictures of Tommy that Pietro had hanging on his walls. "It's probably been really hard for you. I'm sorry."

"Thank you, Stawen." The gentleness of his voice would always catch him unaware. "However, something changed a few weeks ago. While I was talking to him, a sudden picture came to my mind." Stawen seemed to be holding his breath. "I saw an old man and a young girl walking together through a desert. At first, I thought it was me. He looked like me. But then, some things were different and the language they spoke was hard to understand. It lasted only for three seconds, and I couldn't take the picture off my mind. When I came to my reading room to look for answers – I will spare you from the boring methods I used throughout the days—other visions came to me, very forced and blurry ones that led me to the final answer. Among those, I saw Fendrick's daughter changing her physical shape. A shape-shifter."

Stawen pressed his lips together.

"Oh, Fendrick..."

"He was startled. He also felt guilty about it, though I don't see why. I believe it's got something to do with Nature. At any rate, when I went to his house, I also found the young girl I saw in my short vision. And guess what she called me."