The sun had just begun to set; its descent splashed a diverse array of orange, purple, and reds across the sky. There wasn’t a cloud in sight, and a gentle breeze whispered through the air as it made its way through the city. It would have been peaceful if it weren’t for the emptiness. Not a single living being could be seen. Cars were scattered across the many streets as if they were abandoned abruptly, and many of the small businesses that dotted the walkways were left in various states of openness. It obviously had been full, bustling, just earlier that day.

A figure appeared out of thin air. Her black hooded cloak covered her from head to toe, only exposing her face. Her skin looked like marble and gleamed in the dim sunlight. Her pitch-black eyes scanned the surrounding area. She pursed her lips as she took in a nearby building. “Char. Trikoupi.” She muttered the road to herself before she started to walk down the street at a brisk pace, her eyes glued to the buildings as she passed them by.

After a few blocks, she stopped in front of a shop. With its small, unimposing appearance, it was but a whisper, unable to be heard over the deafening presence of the many buildings surrounding it. It had a small sign that hung out front that simply said “Take a peek into the future.”

She reached for the doorknob but pulled back when she noticed her reflection in its glossy surface. A monstrous crow stared back, mysterious pitch-black eyes the same as her own. She took a couple of steps back before she paused to inhale deeply. She stood there, lost in thought, for a few moments before her cloak disappeared. She smoothed out the simple black dress she now wore, and when she looked at her appearance again in the doorknob she found her human form staring back. With another deep breath, she entered the building.

Inside she was met by a confusing sight. A small woman wandered around the room. She picked up one object, walked a few steps while she stared at it, confused, before she put it down in a completely different location. It was clear that she had been doing it for some time. Random objects, such as cups, utensils, and books, were strewn across the room with no rhyme or reason.

It wasn’t until the intruder cleared their throat that the woman looked up, startled, and addressed them. “H-hello!” She walked over and offered her hand in greeting before dropping it awkwardly, as if she had forgotten what she was doing halfway through the motion. “I’m so terribly sorry. I wasn’t expecting anyone today. I’m Tanda and this is my… shop! Are you here for… What are you… What do you want?”

The intruder peered around the room, almost calculatingly, before meeting Tanda’s unfocused amber eyes. She smiled sweetly. “I’m so terribly sorry for intruding. So many people have told me about you and I just had to get you to do a card reading for me.”

“You want me to-,” Tanda trailed off for a moment before snapping back into focus. “You want me to read your cards. Yes. Yes, I can do that for you, dearie.” She turned away, oblivious to the obvious discomfort her guest found in the term of affection. “I left my… I left my cards around here somewhere. You must excuse me, I haven’t been,” Tanda coughed into her hand. “I haven’t been very well since.” She trailed off. “Well, for a while now.”

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The figure reached out as if to touch Tanda’s shoulder, but changed her mind and instead leaned on the cupboard next to her. “What happened to you?” she muttered to herself, but threw on a fake smile when she caught Tanda’s stare. “Your deck is behind you. On top of your… TV.” She said, her voice losing strength as she continued. “Next to your gold scissors.” She spared the scissors a passing glance. Her eyes scanned over the smoothness of the shears before she returned her attention to Tanda.

“My… deck? Oh! Yes yes yes! Your reading! Take a seat, dearie.” Tanda picked up her deck of cards before she sat and smiled up at the figure. Suddenly, however, her smile was replaced by a frown. “Oh my. What did you say your name was again, dearie? My memory seems to be leaving me in my old age.”

The figure hesitated before she sat down in front of Tanda. “I’ve been called many things throughout the years. I’ve grown attached to one particular name, however. You may call me Thana.”

A brief flame of recognition lit up in Tanda’s eyes before it disappeared. “Thana? What a pretty name. Now, Thana, what was it that you were looking for?”

The seer had begun to shuffle her deck of cards as Thana spoke. “I don’t have much experience when it comes to peering into the future. I just thought it would be nice if you could tell me. What can I expect? What’s in store for me in the years yet to come?”

Tanda paused in her shuffling and stared at the cards in her hands for a moment, lost in thought. When her gaze found Thana’s once more it was filled with utter confusion. “I was worried about my future too. I remember now. I was… I was looking! For something.” Suddenly Tanda stood up, the cards in her hands fell to the floor, forgotten. “I was looking for something, to save my future! The future for everyone!” She looked around the room wildly, searching for something. “But didn’t I… Didn’t I find it? Where… where did it… Where did it go?” Tanda grabbed onto a lamp and clung to it like her life depended on it. “Where did it… Where did they…” Tanda flipped on the switch accidentally. When the light turned on, illuminating the dark room, she let out a scream.

It was at this point that Thana grabbed her by the shoulders. Before she could get a word out, however, Tanda gasped loudly and, as she stared deep into Thana’s eyes, said, “We, the creatures of magic descent, have been in and out of war for centuries. Blood has soaked into our skin, clouded our minds, and now if we but take a single step, new blood starts to drip from our still-open wounds. You may think yourself above this, Thana. You may think you have control. You cannot imagine the debt your children have accrued. Thousands are dead, taken from Life with no rhyme or reason. This new massacre will not go unpunished. They will demand the vampire's head, and then they still will be left unsated. You cannot stay in the shadows any longer. The fate of everything you hold dear rests on your shoulders. You must bring the factions together. Unite all, or together you will fall.” Tanda let out a ragged gasp. “It will fade into dust, just like those that came before.”

Thana gripped her shoulders tighter. “What do you mean, ‘will not go unpunished’? How are we punished? What do you see?”

Tanda gasped out again, this time in pain. “I can’t… I can’t see! You need to find...” Tanda coughed a few times, and a bit of blood trickled out of her open mouth. “You need to find the child! The banshee child! She has seen… Farther than I dared to look... “ She coughed again as a convulsion rippled through her body. “She will see… farther than I could ever dream!” Tanda mouthed a few more words, and with a great effort managed to wheeze out, “Forgive me… My lady... Death.” Another convulsion rippled through her body, and when it was over she was dead.