‘Whose idea was this? Are we in a cliche horror movie now?’ Jun idly thought as Chen Hao warily looked around.
A few moments later, they saw a waterfall of hair cover the entirety of the window. A loud thunk revealed a hooded figure, which was upside down for some inexplicable reason. It hastily waved at them.
The boy let out a sigh of relief and opened the window, letting in Ning Mei, who promptly darted from corner to corner, inspecting their room.
“Woow. Look at all these traps. But, it’s a bit bland, don’t you think? A nice rug would couple well with a few paintings, and maybe you could even start some sort of weird collection,” her quick and bubbly voice assaulted both of their ears.
“Personally, I like collecting hair from everyone I meet—I weave it all together in the shape of a doll. Then, it doesn’t matter if we have to part, I’m still carrying around a piece of them,” she said, pulling out a small, multi-coloured doll, which frankly looked like it was suffering just by being here.
“I’ve got a collection of paintings and calligraphy, though I haven’t had the chance to decorate this place yet,” Chen Hao said, thinking of a way to return the conversation to normalcy. Yang Ming’s previous tips didn’t seem applicable when the other person was beyond weird.
“That’s a really pretty doll. Goes well with, uhh, everything else. Very… magical.” Those were the words he eventually settled on. Jun’s mouth was so open you could stick a whole fist in there.
“Thanks! I’ve had a whole day to think of what we should do, and I’ve written down so many fun activities. You’ll love them. Let’s start with some fortune-telling first,” she said, clearing out a table and grabbing two chairs before placing them on opposite ends.
Beckoning for Chen Hao to sit, she pulled out a tarot deck from who-knows-where. spreading it out like a common magician.
“You can never go wrong with tarot cards. Now, let me set the scene.”
She waved her hands around and the surroundings suddenly got dark. Black fog swallowed them whole. Shadowy figures leapt from side to side, pointing and giggling at the boy and the dog, who were both in shock at the speed things were developing.
“Now, listen to me carefully, for I am telling a tale as old as time. You are a lost hero, searching for an adventure, and I am but a mere fortune-teller to guide you on your path.”
Her smile faded as her hair began to tangle together, revealing two figures. A small boy with a pointy sword walked through a cursed forest before arriving at a desolate hut. Then, the same figure sat down where Chen Hao was sitting. Ning Mei knocked on the table, and the stone turned to old, stained wood.
With a wry smile, Chen Hao sighed before settling into his role.
“Oh, great witch! I wish to know my fortune!”
“Then you’ve come to the right place. Sit here, my dear child, and I will deal to you three cards. The first is of the past, of things already gone. The second is of the present, that which you’re living in right now. The third is of the future, which is yet to come. All three influence each other, weaving a grand net of destiny.”
The girl’s voice was now slow and high-pitched, resembling the cracks and pops of burning wood. Little imps flew around the room, repeating everything she said.
“Let it all lay bare!” Chen Hao screamed, then looked around, a bit embarrassed.
“Let it be so.”
The deck began to float in front of her, and as she closed her eyes, a shadowy figure, with eyes as cold as ice, overlapped with her figure. Ning Mei beckoned the boy, and he unsteadily touched the deck, recoiling at the blue flames that surrounded it. Then, he drew the first card.
“An upright four of wands.”
The card that he placed on the table was of two people dancing, a wreath of flowers in their hands. Behind them, a lavish mansion. Shining brightly in the sunlight, it had its doors wide open for any would-be comers, inviting everyone who approached.
“Before you came here, you were a part of a tight-knit community. I see a family that dearly loved and supported you, that offered stability and security. Who you are today has been influenced by the place you once called home. Perhaps you should revisit it one day,” the girl said, and now, Chen Hao was no longer playing around. He stared at the card with longing.
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Before he could say anything, the deck began to glow again.
“The present is here. Quick, grab it before it slips out of your grasp!” Ning Mei yelled, and the boy did exactly that. The flames singed his fingers, and the card dropped upright, revealing the three of pentacles.
The scene depicted a craftsman standing in a temple, conferring with a priest and a nobleman, all eagerly talking to each other. The building was yet to be finished, but the craftsman worked with diligence, chiselling stone into beautiful patterns.
“You’ve walked down a narrow road, sharpening your skills time and time again. Now is the time for your mastery to shine, to take pride in your work and dedication. Yet, even the mightiest of heroes needs his companions. As long as you take care of those close to you, and you all work towards a common goal, even the impossible might be achieved.”
For a moment, Jun saw the card twist, revealing him, the boy, and the rest of the team. The image quickly disappeared. Once again, Chen Hao did not have words to properly describe his emotions.
“Do not rest easy yet. Focus. Draw the last card,” Ning Mei said, her eyes rolled back to reveal nothing more than white.
As he began to reach out, the blue flame sputtered and died, replaced by a violent blaze that rippled red. The deck exploded into a thousand pieces, scattering across the room. Just as luck would have it, one card remained unscathed, landing softly in an upright position right before Chen Hao.
“The tower,” the witch whispered.
The card depicted a spire nestled on top of a mountain. A green and red lightning bolt was frozen in a single moment as it hit the tower, shattering it to pieces and setting everything ablaze. Men and women could be seen jumping out of windows, trying to escape the turmoil and the destruction.
“The world will come crashing down at some point. You’ve been building a tower of illusion and lies, thinking the unstable foundation to be rock-solid. When the lightning strikes, it will bring with it upheaval, chaos, and change. Yet it will also bring insight and clarity. And when the dust settles, you will be able to rebuild, so that lightning may never strike it down again.”
With those last words, she collapsed in her seat, exhaling putrid air. The shadowy figure behind her extinguished the flames before merging back together with Ning Mei. Chen Hao picked up the tower card, staring daggers at it.
“What does it mean? Illusion and lies? Who’s been lying to me?” he frantically asked, staring past the card and fixing the girl in place with intensity like none before. She merely shrugged.
“You’ll have to see. Besides, the future is ever-changing, and my predictions aren’t that accurate. Just take good care of yourself so that you’ll be able to weather whatever sudden change might occur,” she said, making the shadows retreat. The room turned back to normal in a split second.
“Well, wasn’t that fun? I think that those kinds of stories are very interesting. Shame that heroes don’t exist in real life. But, we should do that again sometimes.”
The girl laughed, letting small imps pick up the scattered tarot cards, watching how they swallowed them with glee.
“Come, come. Do not dwell on something that hasn’t happened yet. Let’s do something more fun and not as intensive. Why don’t you ask something about your dog this time?” she said, bringing out a still-steaming teacup from thin air.
“Drink, drink, and then give it a nice swirl. The tea will calm your nerves, and the leaves will tell the future.”
Ning Mei practically pushed the teacup into the boy’s hands, and he looked at Jun, who was currently in the process of shrugging. Of course, dogs couldn’t shrug, so he just looked weird while doing so.
“If this is my future, then I wish to know Jun’s future,” he said, chugging the tea in one mighty gulp, scalding his tongue and his throat in the process. No one had told him to do that. Even Ning Mei looked surprised as she pulled out another cup of tea and slowly sipped hers.
Chen Hao gave it one swirl, and everyone in the room curiously peered inside the cup. There, a small leaf had settled in the middle of a massive circle, which rippled outwards until it reached the edges of the cup. While the two tried to puzzle out the meaning to no avail, it was Jun who quickly came to a conclusion.
“That’s the sun. I’m in the middle of it,” he barked, deep in thought.
“Am I truly a heavenly genius? The sun’s only child? Will I turn into a second sun when I awaken my bloodline? To be honest, hanging around in space for 12 billion years just to burn away doesn’t sound fun.”
He quickly shook off the ridiculous notion. There was no way in hell that could be true. Turning his attention back to the other two, he saw that Ning Mei had pulled out a large, cloudy crystal ball that was currently swirling with mist.
“The last one. Give me your hand,” she said. Chen Hao cautiously reached out. Ning Mei grabbed it, and, as the boy slightly blushed, she placed both on the crystal ball.
“Tell me, crystal ball. How will this relationship work out?”
While Chen Hao was practically bursting apart from the choice of words, glancing anywhere else but at the ball, Ning Mei carefully looked at the mist and how it swirled. Both Jun and the girl watched as the fog split apart, revealing a dark, deep ocean. A misty figure was flailing around, gasping for air, trying to find any salvation it could. And then, out of nowhere, a second figure appeared. It gently knelt down, offering a hand.
The image faded away before they could see if the other had grabbed the hand.
“What? Is it over already? What did you see?” the boy asked, suddenly curious.
“Hmm. Well, maybe it’s better that you didn’t see anything. How interesting… I wonder who will be saving who?” Ning Mei whispered, smiling mysteriously at Chen Hao.