Aarion sits at the kitchen counter, with a blunt in his hand.
He plays quiet music from his phone as he the room fills with smoke.
He looks up and sees Xavin walking in.
"You're still here?" He asks, taking a hit again.
Xavin nods slowly before he sits in a chair beside Aarion. Aarion brings his hand closer to Xavin intending, to pass him the blunt, but Xavin nods no. Aarion then shrugs and takes another hit.
"Sure, you're wondering about all that magic I did earlier. Sorry, but I just didn't care about hiding myself from you," Aarion admits before he shifts his head to face Xavin.
"I felt safe with you, since I first saw you. I don't know why, but... your entire existence feels familiar," Aarion speculates.
He places his blunt in an ash tray, before refocusing back to Xavin.
"Are you a witch, too?" Aarion asks, whispering.
Xavin smiles and tilts his head away from Aarion's gaze.
"No..." he responded with a disclosed whisper. "I do see things though," he reveals with more confidence than before. Xavin then shifts his focus back to Aarion.
"Like what?" Aarion asks, with genuine curiosity. Xavin sighs, "Like you," Xavin says and Aarion scrunches his face in confusion.
"Us meeting wasn't an accident... it was bound to happen," Xavin explains, yet he sees that Aarion still looks confused. Xavin smiles nervously, before he begins to further explain
"I see the future, past and present of myself... and others. And I know how it sounds, but-"
"I believe you," Aarion interrupted. "What I don't believe is that you aren't a witch," he says before standing up, intending to go to his room.
"All seers are witches... but not all witches are seers," he mentions, walking away. Xavin abruptly stands, following Aarion.
"Wait, so you're saying my grandma is actually right. I need to go see her then..." he speculates. Aarion waves his hand bye, as he begins to walk on the stairs.
"Wait!" Xavin shouts.
Aarion stops and turns around, "Can you uh..." Xavin chuckles, "Do you mind taking me?" He asks Aarion. Aarion squints his eyes, "What happened to your mail truck?" Aarion counters his question with a question. Xavin chuckles nervously again.
"Wasn't here when we came back. Tow truck probably took it," Xavin answers. Aarion squints his, taking his favor into consideration, he then takes a deep exhale, sighing.
"Fine," He says, walking back down the stairs. "You're driving though. Don't wanna get a DUI," He mused, walking pass Xavin, heading towards the front door.
In the car, on the road to Xavin's family home
Aarion and Xavin sits silently in the car, while the radio plays. Aarion then shifts from looking at the window and turns the music down.
"So, you can see my future right? How far could you go?" He asks and Xavin scoffs lightly.
"It doesn't work like that. That's why I need my grandma, she knows more," He replies.
He then pulls the car over in front of a house in Harlem. He turns the car off and sighs, exhaustingly. "We're here," he huffed. Aarion reached out to open the door and Xavin followed behind him.
They walked up the stairs and Xavin reached in his pocket and pulls out a set of keys.
"Oh and," Xavin began while unlocking the door, "I'm the eldest of five," he says, looking up at Aarion as he opens the door.
They enter the house and kids run fast down the stairs.
"Give it back!" The girl yelled as a little boy ran deeper into the house.
The girl stopped and locked at Xavin as Aarion closed the door behind him.
"Uncle Xavin!" She exclaimed joyful as she ran up to him. He bent down and gave her a hug.
"Monique, my favorite niece. How you been?" He asks, looking down at her.
"I-"
"Xavin Benoit!" A man yells out. He walks closer to them with a scornful look at Xavin.
"Que faites-vous ici?" He asks, with content, speaking in French.
Xavin scoffs, "Last time I checked I live here, Xavier," Xavin responded, irritated. "I don't have time, for this. I'm only here to see grandma," he says, walking towards the stairs
"Grann Franciene has been waiting to meet your boyfriend!" Monique shouted. Xavin turned around, looking confused and Aarion chuckled nervously. "What?" Xavin asked.
"You know how grandma is," Xavier stepped up, "Always spitting out nonsense to the kids," he said. "Now go see her, so you can leave," Xavier said, before turning around and walking away. Xavin turned his head and continued walking upstairs, and Aarion followed.
"What's that about?" Aarion asked, referring to the tension between Xavin and his brother.
"Nothing," Xavin quickly refuted. Aarion didn't ask again and he continued to follow Xavin to his grandma's bedroom. They approach the door and Xavin opens it.
"Grandma?" He asks, walking in. A woman sat by a window in rocking chair, rocking back forth.
"Grandma? Are you-"
"You've come," She muttered, interrupting him.
"You're finally ready for the truth," she says before she slowly stands from her chair, and begin to walk slowly over to a desk, with a book on top. She wears old school sunglasses with a perfectly picked afro.
"Come, child. Your friend too," she says, sitting down in a wooden chair at the desk. She opens the book as they walk over to her at the desk. They look down at book and see a painting of a woman.
"This is Beatrice Benoit, the progenitor of our family. Thousands of years ago, she and eight other women were gifted magic, and for centuries, her descendants have all been witches. But there aren't many of us Benoits out there," She said solemnly.
"Why not?" Aarion asked. Franciene looked up at him, still with the sunglass on. "Because.." she says before she reaches up to pull of her sunglasses.
"This," she says.
Aarion looks at her eyes and he sees that they're white. She's blind!
"Two thousand years ago, our family was cursed by a shaman. And every seer in our family will be blind. The more we use our ability, the more we lose our sight, until there's nothing left. Xavin's brothers should be lucky, they aren't seers. Being a firstborn son in our family means you're blessed with a powerful seer ability, and magic. Only non-firstborn sons aren't seers, the women and firstborn sons in our family, will forever be cursed," She explained.
"I.." Aarion began with pity, "I'm sorry," he said.
"No need to be. Fortunately for me, I learned how to use my ability to see everything, even things in the present. Like now, you may not be able to see your reflection in my eyes, but I see you as clear as day, Wiremu," she explains and Aarion scoffs and is taken aback from hearing the word Wiremu, the original surname of his family.
"But the curse. Oh! The curse," Franciene chuckles, "There will be a day when It is broken, and when that day comes, the Benoit's will regain our glory!" She exclaimed and Xavin chuckles in shock.
"Uhm, excuse me," Aarion stepped up, "If you have such good control over your ability, do you think you could see into my future? Like... a year or... more," he chuckles nervously.
"I told you, we can't," Xavin speaks out, and Aarion looks over to him, confused.
"What he means," Franciene re-gathers their attention, "is that being a Benoit Seer, isn't as straightforward as you think. Though, I'm astounded you remember. Xavin, why don't you explain it to him?" She suggests.
Xavin side eye's a corner of the room and sighs. "We are the first seers. Our ability to see the future is nothing like you'd come across with someone who's not of our blood. Other... witches can see the future of your desire, or destiny. The Benoits, we see the futures of one's choices, and the results of said choices," Xavin explained hesitantly.
"If Grann or I looked far into your future, we'd come across dozens, maybe hundreds of different futures," He concluded. Franciene then yawned tiredly.
"Oh, Grann, you must be tired.. You've been up waiting on me all day, haven't you?" He asked with care. And Franciene nods and blinks, "Yes. But have you worked things out with Xavier? Where have you been staying?" She questions.
Xavin blinks and inhales, pondering on the question. Aarion then steps up
"He's been staying with me. And, we really should be going. I can't be gone from the house long," he says. Franciene slightly hums before standing. She walks over to the bed and sits on it.
"Orevwa," she says, kindly.
Xavin looks down at her desk and grabs the grimoire.
"Goodbye, Grandma," he says, pulling Aarion's hand as he walks over and out the room, closing the door behind him.
Franciene, chuckles, and a tear drops from her eyes.
"Finally!" she exclaims in relief, beginning to cry.
"They have met for the last time," she sniffles.
"Praise the Cloaked One,"