"Excuse me."

Victor looked up, cheeks turning red as he took a small step back. He stared at the carpeted floor of the convention center, bitterly wondering why Umbra hadn't returned.

"Yes?" Victor rasped.

Victor vaguely recognized the boy from the past three days he and Umbra had stalked the Alcorith Medical Conference, looking for customers that were desperate enough to seek psychic intervention.

"Are you still doing readings, perchance?" he asked, tugging at the bow tie on his neck.

"It costs money," Victor replied clumsily. Umbra was the "face" of the duo, and usually handled any smooth-talking that needed to be done.

"How much?"

"Uh...how much do you have?"

"I have twenty dollars in my pocket."

"It's twenty dollars," Victor said, falling back into his chair. The boy sat in the chair across from him, equally as nervous.

"My mother says mystical powers aren't real," the boy said, sweeping blond curls off his face, "My mother is Doctor Celeste Harmony, by the way. She was the special guest at the conference. She let me come because she wanted to prepare me for when I am older."

A bead of sweat appeared on Victor's forehead. The Harmony family was notoriously rich, far richer than Victor could imagine. His knuckles paled on the edges of the table. Rich people had lawyers that were more than willing to put an end to all of he and his father's schemes.

"If you don't believe in the craft, I won't be able to read your aura."
He shook his head. "No, no! I believe! I came here for advice!"

Victor reached across the table, taking the boy's hand. He flinched as Victor rubbed his fingers across the lines in his palm, mumbling under his breath.

"What's bothering you?" Victor asked. He shuffled through the likely topics: his juvenile lovelife, bullying, his grades...

"I need to know about my future. I want to know what I'll be when I get older."

Victor scrunched his brow, a visual sign to his customer that he was using his "mystical powers." Seeing as how this boy was in a medical conference, the answer was clear.

"You'll be a doctor. A highly successful one, at that."

The boy's eyes grew wide. "I will?" he asked, voice cracking, "Right, right... I suppose that makes sense."

"You'll be successful. Isn't that what you want?"

He twisted a handful of his coat in his free palm, frowning. "My mother tells me I will be a great doctor, but I am not sure about I even want to be a doctor. But it feels wrong to defy my mother."

Victor couldn't relate. Umbra seemed supportive of really anything Victor wanted to do, as long as their meager funds allowed it.

Victor sighed, averting his eyes. "I think- I mean, uh, the spirits think that you should follow your heart. You shouldn't do something you don't want to do just because your mom tells you to."

"I see," he unenthusiastically replied, shaking his head, "Is there any way for me to have further contact with you? My name is Seraph, by the way."

Victor nodded, flashing him a small smile. "My name's Victor. And I think I'd be happy to have a repeat customer."