My name is Ethan Kelley.

From the day I was born, my parents left me behind, supposedly to go work far away. They never wrote back or came home again.

Grandpa said I was cursed, doomed not to live past twenty. Yet here I am, still breathing and alive. Grandpa, on the other hand, passed away half a month ago, leaving my life in pieces.

Grandpa taught me a lot before he left. He was a skilled fortune-teller, and thanks to him, I’m one too. But I’m not just any fortune-teller—I carry a heavy aura of misfortune with me.

Today, the dormant college group chat suddenly came alive. I was lounging aimlessly at the antique shop Grandpa left me, scrolling through the messages. Turns out, the reason for all the buzz was Adriana Lane, our class beauty, organizing a class reunion.

Adriana told the class rep to check who was skipping, and soon enough, my name popped up.

"Ethan Kelley? Bet he's busy messing around with his fortune-telling tricks. Probably won’t show up," the class rep joked in the chat.

"Ethan Kelley, are you there?" Adriana specifically @ me after that. Three years had passed since those college days, hadn't it? Ethan Kelley found himself in a haze of memories. Back then, he had shared a desk with Adriana Lane for an entire year. She was undeniably stunning, with that privileged, rich-girl demeanor that reflected her true “rich and beautiful” status.

"I'm here." Ethan tapped out a dull reply to the bustling group chat.

"Whoa! Look who decided to show up! Hey, Ethan, been ghost-hunting lately?"

"Ethan the Mystic, how about you take a look at me? I swear something’s been watching me from behind!"

The guys in the chat continued their playful teasing.

Ethan remained unfazed, his response cold and measured. "Readings cost five hundred; feng shui consultations, two thousand."

"Tch, thought we were joking! It’s the 21st century, man. Who still buys into that superstitious stuff?"

"Money-grubber!"

“Ethan Kelley,” Adriana Lane chimed in with a hint of irritation, her annoyance apparent even through her message. “We’re talking about the class reunion here—not advertising your services. Are you coming or not?”

Rather than answer directly, Ethan tapped on her profile and skimmed through her recent posts. The photos were of Adriana herself—more mature now, flaunting trendy outfits and a beauty that had only sharpened over time. Calling her breathtaking wouldn’t have been an exaggeration. A snow-white neck adorned with a crystal pendant added an elegant touch to her image.

But Ethan wasn’t looking at that. What caught his attention was her complexion right now.Seeing her complexion, my eyes narrowed slightly. People always talk about a "sixth sense," and for some reason, mine's always been sharper than most. Just now, I had a gut feeling that something was off about Adriana Lane lately, and sure enough, I was right.

There was a faint greenish tint hovering at her glabella, flickering in and out. This was a clear sign that disaster might be looming for her. Judging from what she said earlier, though, it hadn’t happened yet.

"Alright." I typed into the group chat. Out of old classmates' camaraderie, I decided to go. Still, a nagging uneasiness crept into my chest. It's not uncommon to feel this in my line of work, so I brushed it off.

That afternoon, Adriana hosted the meetup at Hua Lan Hotel and rented out a massive private room. It was my first time in such a swanky place, so I couldn't help but take a few extra glances around.

“Well, well, Ethan Kelley,” a mocking voice greeted me from behind. I turned to see two young men in suits walking over, grinning mischievously.

Their tones made it obvious—it was because of how plainly I was dressed. Unfortunately, this was already the cleanest, nicest outfit I had. Times are tough; fewer and fewer people believe in what I do for a living. At best, I scrape by each month to put food on the table.

"What’s wrong, Master Kelley? Didn’t you have some zombies to catch today?" one of them joked, a lackluster laugh escaping their lips.

I ignored them. Back in college, once they found out I was studying divination and fortune-telling, they used to make fun of me all the time. By now, I’d gotten used to it."Everyone's here, huh?" Suddenly, a sweet, melodious voice broke through the chatter. That voice—so familiar—it was Adriana Lane.

I turned my head, and my pupils contracted instantly.

The faint blue hue between her brows from before had morphed into an ominous black, swirling like a deadly hand clutching her fate.

Adriana was in serious trouble—real life-or-death kind of trouble. And I knew it.

As someone who could see what others couldn't, I couldn't just ignore it. But I also wasn't about to blurt it out in front of everyone. Nobody here would believe me anyway; I'd just end up embarrassing myself.

As the drinks kept flowing, the atmosphere warmed up, and conversations ranged from catching up about life to silly gossip. Of course, somebody had to bring me up eventually.

Back in college, aside from being made fun of because of my knack for face reading, I got along fairly well with most people. But there were still a few who loved to mess with me—for instance, Julian Miller.

Julian had a bit of a personal grudge. He’d had a thing for Adriana back then and always hated that I was her desk mate.

"So, Ethan," Julian said, blowing out a teasing puff of smoke. "With all of us here today, aren’t you gonna show off your skills? Maybe do a little reading for us? Who knows, we might even help spread the word for your 'business'!"I glanced at him, noticing a faint reddish hue on his forehead, shaped like a coin. It was a clear sign—he’d likely lose his job soon, and to make things worse, he might even get beaten for it.

I raised an eyebrow and looked away, deciding not to bother with him. Serves him right for mocking me earlier; I wasn’t in the mood to give him a heads-up.

"Hey bro, can you check me out? I’ve been feeling like I’m gonna strike it rich lately!" said an eager voice. It was Logan Dane, my roommate from the bunk below. He’d always taken good care of me.

I turned my eyes to Logan, and they immediately lit up. "Your forehead is glowing with purple energy, like a halo—a sign of incredible fortune heading your way. And I’m not talking small change; it’s big money!"

Whoa. It had been a long while since I’d seen such a pure aura of wealth. Logan was definitely about to hit the jackpot.

“For real?” Logan chuckled, beaming from ear to ear. “Well, if I do strike it rich, you’re the first guy I’ll be sharing the wealth with!”

I gave him a faint smile and kept quiet. Whether I said anything or not, his fortune had already been written in the stars.

Suddenly, a girl’s annoyed voice broke in, cutting through the conversation like a sharp knife. "Ethan, are you saying that Adriana’s forehead is dark because something bad’s gonna happen to her?” she asked, clearly offended on Adriana Lane’s behalf.

I looked up quickly. Just within this short span of time, the dark energy around Adriana had thickened, now creeping down toward the bridge of her nose. The way things were shaping up, I was almost certain something terrible was going to happen by the end of this meal.

Without wasting a beat, I said firmly, "Don’t leave here after the meal. Stay in the hotel for at least an hour, or you’re going to be in serious trouble."When I arrived, I took a look at this hotel’s feng shui. It wasn’t exactly a treasure trove of luck, but it was surrounded by positive energy, which I hoped might help suppress the ominous aura around Adriana Lane.

But unexpectedly, Adriana slammed her hand on the table, her pretty eyes blazing with anger as she shot me a furious glare. “Enough, Ethan Kelley! I thought after graduating, you’d get a proper job. Turns out, you’re still messing with all this nonsense. Honestly, it’s pathetic!”

She bit out her words with frustration, her voice sharp. “I’m just tired from working late last night—that’s all. And here you are, cursing me like something’s going to happen. Unbelievable. You’ve really let me down!”

With that, Adriana grabbed her bag, storming out without a backward glance.

Everyone else just sat there snickering, clearly enjoying the drama. I sat frozen, shocked and at a loss. Adriana didn’t believe me…