Miss Planner had been avoiding the Elders all week, terrified they'd discover what she did to Erica and give her some kind of annoying punishment for violating the sanctity of another person's soul. But it wasn't exactly possible to avoid them if they called her directly to one of their offices.

"Ahem... how can I help you girls?"
"Elder Omen would like to see you. He says it's urgent."
"He's back? Well, okay. Let's get going. Don't want to keep him waiting..."

Instead of wasting any time fighting the inevitable, Miss Planner simply followed Elder Omen's attendants into his office with a well-practiced smile on her face. She was greeted by the sight of the Elder sitting behind his desk surrounded by three young women in matching black blouses and white skirts. He didn't have a computer. Instead, his desk was cluttered with papers that looked like they'd been scribbled on and rescribbled on the point of tears and piles of strange books that appeared to be written in an ancient language that nobody knew how to read anymore.

"Good morning, supreme one. It's your humble servant Miss Planner. It's great to see you back! How may I be of assistance?"

Miss Planner bowed her head respectfully and waited patiently for Elder Omen's response. The wise old man was looking at the ceiling and tapping a pen on his desk like a bored little kid.

"Thank you for coming down, my dear girl. Please, have a seat. Can I offer you a cup of tea, perhaps?"
"That sounds lovely, thank you."

Miss Planner was relieved to see the old man didn't appear to bear her any ill will. She sat in the chair opposite Elder Omen and one of his attendants poured the two of them some tea, then took out some cookies from a bag hidden in one of his desk drawers. Miss Planner thanked the attendant for her kindness before taking a sip of her tea and eating a stale cookie in one graceful bite.

"Mmm... these are delicious! Thank you for sharing, supreme one! I love it!"

She was laying it on a little thick, as she always did when she was one-on-one with one of the Elders. They all loved her enthusiasm. It made them feel special. Elder Omen smiled proudly before reaching out and offering her another stale cookie. She accepted it with a flirtatious brush of her fingers and ate it as though she was starving.

"You're very welcome, dear. Please, let's not stand on ceremony. Call me whatever makes you happy," said Elder Omen with an impish grin.
"Yes, Elder Omen!"
"I wanted to thank you for solving the Sage of Destruction's dilemma for us. You've proven yourself a faithful and loyal servant to the Elders."

Miss Planner bowed her head in thanks.

"I'm just glad everything turned out alright for everyone involved, Elder... although I wish the situation could have ended differently. I still can't believe the Sages threatened you and Elder Presence. What a bunch of ungrateful idiots."

Elder Omen stroked his long white beard while looking thoughtful and shook his head in thought for a moment.

"Hmph. I assure you, if they were any kind of danger to us, we would have them under lock and key. Now, my dear Miss Planner, there is another matter I wish to discuss with you. A troubling vision came to me while meditating recently. I am not sure how much of what I saw is accurate, but it was disturbing enough that I felt compelled to share it with you."
"What did you see, Elder Omen?"

"Please forgive me my lack of eloquence... but I saw a glimpse of a future that must not come to pass. A terrible fate will befall you soon. That is why I returned from my wanderings and came here with great haste... to warn you about this threat that lies ahead of you."

Elder Omen paused briefly in order to let Miss Planner digest the information in silence before continuing. His eyes were closed and his lips moved slightly as if he were reciting poetry.

"The prophecy continues to speak to me. It tells me of a wretched tree that stands tall against a raging storm, but that falls to its roots when the wind finally stops blowing... and you, my dear girl, are destined to fall with it. Your life will end when the sky is dark above your head, when there is nothing to guide your steps and when you are alone. Do not doubt this truth..."
"I'm going to die?"

Miss Planner's expression was calm, but she was panicking inside. This was bad news. Very bad news. Something horrible was going to happen to her and she had no idea what it could be. It sounded like some kind of natural catastrophe. Elder Omen sighed heavily and shook his head sadly.

"Hahhh. It would be a great shame, wouldn't it? Yet, there is still time to prevent this tragedy."
"What should I do, Elder?"

"Well, my girl, it seems to me that you have neglected to maintain your spiritual strength in my absence from this place. Your aura is as thin as paper. If you continue to neglect your inner self, your fate is sealed. As a token of my appreciation, I shall help you regain your power so that you may face the future with confidence."

Elder Omen reached out and placed his hands on hers in a gesture of solidarity. Her body felt like it was vibrating under his touch.

"You must learn to control your mind and use it to strengthen your spirit. That is to say, you must meditate regularly and practice controlling your thoughts. Meditation also helps to strengthen the connection between mind and body, which is especially important for a young girl such as you who works long hours at a stressful job."
"Meditation?"

Miss Planner was disappointed. She'd hoped Elder Omen would imbue her with his power, or teach her an advanced psychic material formation technique, or give her the secret recipe for a powerful elixir... or something along those lines. No, instead, he wanted her to sit quietly with her eyes closed for fifteen minutes every day to get her mind off of work. How boring!