Moonlight glowing on top of Myrdiana Capital, Myrd City.
The gentle light illuminating the dark sky.
Beside the moon, stars accompanying, decorating dark sky with sparkles.
Under the beautiful night, at mansion of certain Duke.
In room of a certain noble child.
A pair of boy and girl staring the scattered cards.
"Hmm~"
"Ugh!"
These are [Fate Cards] Misha received from Elisabeth as thank gift.
It was an incredible divination items, Arc and Misha had experienced the incredible of these cards once upon their found.
With Misha's great curiosity, it's difficult for her to contain herself when new interesting item fell on her lap, even something that look dangerous. Especially with things that related with fate. In her previous life, it was basic knowledge that all the things that related with fate always strong, mysterious, and wondrous.
Out of worry, Arc accompanying Misha, as she might wrongly tinkering the fate cards, made thing went wrong. Tough, Arc also curious with the fate cards and dropped lot of his guard.
Sometimes, Arc wondering if he may already be infected by Misha's curiosity.
Five minutes later after they start, however.
Misha's brow filled with wrinkles and sweat.
She was bewildered.
That was because after she take out the cards from deck. Misha found the front of cards were white blank, there's not any color beside white on the cards.
"What happened? There's no way Auntie Eli tricked us, is it?"
Misha muttering, calling Elisabeth's name intimately. Toward the end of their visit in Vermilioness Atelier, Misha dropped all pleasantry and politeness, caught off Elisabeth.
Misha suspects she got the wrong cards, then denied that thought afterward. Although faint, there familiar beat coming from the cards. Misha wouldn't feel the beat unless she focused her attention toward the cards.
"Arc, help me solving it."
"Hah~ Misha."
"Yes."
"Did you forget the manual Auntie Eli gave us?"
"Manual?"
Misha stunned, as she truly doesn't know anything about manual.
From spatial pocket, Arc take out a thin paper book, and hand offers it to Misha.
After reading the book, Misha confirmed it was really a manual to use the fate cards.
However, the manual looking for kid toy manual.
Misha heart beating heavily.
Really?
A toy manual?
Auntie Eli, are you sure no giving me fake fate cards?
Doubt rose in Misha's heart, since the manual truly similar with kid toy manual. In this world, toy like in her previous world existed together with its manual.
Now, with the manual in her hand, Misha suspect that Elisabeth tricked her to buy cards toy called fate cards strengthened.
No, don't giving up yet!
Misha reignited her passion and follow the instruction of manual.
The instruction was easy and similar with how fortune-teller in her Misha's previous world working.
First, Misha gathers the cards in her hand, then shuffling it several times.
Afterward, Misha placed the five topmost cards backward on the floor in line.
After all was done, Misha flipped up the cards one by one from left.
The result was nothing!
Nothing happened to the cards, their front still white blank without any picture nor line.
Nothing sort of whenever Misha imagined happened.
Nothing was happened even after Misha waiting for five minutes.
"Gruahh!!"
As nothing was happened, Misha patience run-out, give her mind a direct blow.
Sure enough, this was fake fate cards!
If not, how could Auntie Eli could easily be handed off these cards to me!?
Now Misha realized why could Elisabeth give these cards as gift so easily. That's because these cards difficult to use.
If isn't for extraordinary vision that time and the beat she felt, Misha would truly belief these cards were fake.
Felt unwillingness, Misha read the fate cards manual once again. Searching if there something she missed.
There's nothing wrong with the step she followed, there's no mistake she made either, according the manual.
At the end of manual, Misha spotted a small word she missed before. That word so small and faded, that's why Misha missed it previously.
This manual based on Seer's Divination Teaching.
Unless someone with Seer aptitude, no one could use these fate cards.
*Crack!!*
*Pack!!*
The manual slapped down on the ground.
The image elegant lady of Madam Elisabeth in Misha's mind crashed, replaced with mischievous little demon Elisabeth.
Now Misha sure Elisabeth actually teasing her when she gave these cards. Even these fate cards were genuine, Misha couldn't use these since she doesn't have Seer aptitude.
Misha takes many breathes to calm down her violent beating heart.
Give me back my expectation!!!
Misha sulking, an interesting toy fell on her lap, but she couldn't use it because someone told her they aren't fated.
Arc, who watching his master acting strangely from side, look her with weird gaze.
What happened?
He doesn't know why Misha suddenly became angry, then acting like a pregnant woman.
His line sight fell toward the cards.
Arc curious with these cards, as they're so weird and attracting.
But, unlike his master, Arc doesn't thoughtlessly play with fate cards, and made careful approach.
After ensured there's nothing dangerous with the cards, Arc picks up the cards from the floor.
?
When Arc grabs the cards, there's strange feeling that drive him to shuffle and place the cards on the floor like Misha was did.
As curiosity growing up, Arc following that feeling. He demonstrates back what Misha did with fate cards, then place the cards on the floor.
Unlike Misha, Arc just place four cards.
He doesn't know why he did that, but his feeling told him to do that.
When the first card flipped up, color emerge on the white space, drawing picture on top the card.
"!!!" (Misha)
"Arc, how did you do that!?"
Misha so shocked with the result since nothing was happened to the cards at her turn. She wondering what secret Arc done to make the cards reacting.
"I don't know. For some reason, something drives me to perform divination when I touch these cards, Misha. Then, I just repeat what you did." Arc tell honestly.
"Huh?"
Just like that?
No secret, no trick?
For the umpteenth time, Misha felt she's defeated by Arc.
Then, she recalling something from the manual.
Unless someone with Seer aptitude, no one could use these fate cards.
Recalled the sentence on fate cards manual, Misha realized Arc have Seer Aptitude. He has power to make divination.
How?
Aren't Arc a Warrior? How could he have potential as Seer?
Or Seer different from Magist?
This question now floating in Misha's mind. When she read Seer aptitude, Misha thought it was something like fate-magist aptitude. Seem it's different than she visioned.
Misha shook this concern from her mind for time being.
There's something more important to attending before her.
The fate cards are worked!
Arc performing card divination. This would Arc's first attempt to divine something.
"Arc, what's the picture?"
"…" (Arc)
Arc groaned.
The picture haves showed up, but he hardly makes any sense the draw mean.
"It's a draw of sun in left and moon in right. There's also hourglass symbol on top the picture."
"What it's mean? … The hourglass symbol on top of the card could mean time. Meaning, this card tells about time!"
"Well, it quite reasonable explanation, but what's the meaning of this moon and sun?"
"Ugh, this headache. Arc, since we don't what its mean, how about try next card."
"Okay."
Arc flipped up next card.
This time it was a picture of ruined castle with symbol of flag on top of the card.
"Ruined castle? Flag? What it's mean?" (Arc)
"This became more confusing." (Misha)
"Speaking of this picture, I somewhat have impression. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember what is it."
"How about you use [Mind Strength], Arc."
"Right, I could use that. Wait a moment –– [Mind Strength]."
[Mind Strength] is buff magic that Arc developed. Buff or enhance Magic is only kind skill that both Warrior and Magist could use. [Mind Strength] strengthening someone mind and could even pull long forgotten memory that buried in depth of mind.
"Ugh."
However, [Mind Strength] inflict severe headache to the user.
"[Heal], how is it?"
"Yeah, I remember now. The ruined castle and flag picture made me thought of country flag."
"What?"
Misha eyes widened. Then, try recalled Myrdiana's flag.
As Arc said, this picture in the card connecting her with Myrdiana's flag. This because Myrdiana Country using castle as its symbol on the flag.
Misha glanced the card.
Unlike the card, the castle on Myrdiana's flag picturing a firm and mighty castle, not ruined one.
What ruined castle mean?
Cold sweat slipping on Misha head. She doesn't dare to make the guess.
It must coincidence, right?
Misha shook the weird feeling that creeping on her back.
"Arc, next."
"Okay."
They both decide to proceed the cards divination.
The next picture showed up.
It's was a picture of black sun burning earth with symbol of tree on top of the card.
"…" (Arc)
"…" (Misha)
Cold silent permeating in the room.
"…Arc, next."
"…Yeah."
Proceed.
Arc and Misha decide to pass third card.
Although they don't know what tree symbol mean, they knew the meaning of picture without needing of them to interpret.
Since immemorial time, the black sun always be relating with death, disaster, and calamity.
A symbol of ominous.
Unknowingly, temperature in the room drop several degrees.
"…This the last card." (Arc)
"*Gulp*…" (Misha)
After the series of second and third card, Misha waiting Arc opening the card in tension. She haves both expectation and fear at the result of the last card.
In her mind, she praying the last card show a good result.
Unfortunately, her pray betrayed in most cruel way.
The last picture showed up.
It's blank card.
However, it was different from normal blank card, as the card is black blank.
No picture, no symbol, just black void.
A dreadful darkness.
"…"
Arc's eyes twitched as he observing the last card.
It must his imagination when he saw there's something long and slimy swimming inside the black card.
Unnoticedly, he took stance of alertness when the last picture showed up. It was a card, but great sense of intimidation and dreadfulness oozing out from the card.
Misha felt same, as she shielding behind Arc and took out her sledgehammer.
Fortunately, it was just for short moment.
Seconds after the last picture showed up, it's dissipated together other tree pictures.
The cards return to its previous white blank condition.
""...""
Arc and Misha release their stance. Wordlessly, reclaim the cards and put it back to deck.
They facing at each other bewilderedly, unsure what they want to say.
The result of divination was; a picture of sun and moon with symbol of hourglass; picture of ruined castle with symbol of flag; picture of black sun with symbol of tree; and black card.
For them, the result of their first divination is great omen. Something too big for them to understood.
Shortly after, footsteps sounding outside the room.
The door room opened.
Raina entering with tray of food in her arm.
When she stepping in, Raina's feet halted, sensing something was amiss with the room's atmosphere.
"What?"
"Ah, Raina. You came."
"It's good. You came in right timing."
Arc and Misha couldn't help but praise Raina. Her arrival helping to lightening the air in the room.
Raina tilted her head.
She felt just missed something big when she taking their food.
"Well, let's us eat." (Arc)
"Okay." (Misha)
Arc and Misha decide to forget omen for time being.