As they walked back to the Nightwatcher headquarters, Lucian's thoughts lingered on the disturbing image of the King in Yellow. A strange tension filled the air, and his usual lighthearted banter with Cassandra and Sally had fallen silent.
A boy suddenly darted in front of them, waving a stack of newspapers with urgency. "Breaking news! Goblin infestation spreads! Governor Silverrose departs tomorrow for the frontlines!" he shouted, his voice shrill in the quiet street.
Cassandra reached into her pocket, pulling out a coin as she grabbed one of the papers. Her eyes scanned the front page, and Lucian could see her expression change—worry shadowed her face, a look he'd rarely seen.
"Governor Silverrose… my father," she murmured, almost to herself. "I knew the infestation was spreading, but I didn't think it was this bad."
Lucian's gaze fell on the headline, and he quickly read over her shoulder. The Guardian Territory, a fortified region protecting Rivendale from the untamed lands beyond, was under siege. Waves of goblins were pouring in from the surrounding wilderness, and reports indicated that the region was close to falling. The situation had grown so dire that Governor Silverrose, one of the city's most powerful figures, was being dispatched personally to the frontlines.
"With the King in Yellow turning up in a reading today, this news feels even worse," Cassandra said, gripping the paper tightly. Her tone was tense, her mind clearly racing. She glanced at Lucian and Sally. "Sally, take Lucian to the head diviner. I need to speak with my father..."
With a nod, Sally took Lucian's arm, steering him toward the Nightwatcher divination chambers as Cassandra broke off in the opposite direction.
The walk to the head diviner's quarters was filled with a heavy silence. Lucian's mind drifted back to the fortune teller and her reaction—her face full of fear, her hurried retreat as if she'd seen something she could barely comprehend. The King in Yellow's image had seared itself into his memory, an omen that felt impossible to escape.
They reached the head diviner's chambers, an intricately carved door leading into a room filled with the scent of incense. Inside, the head diviner sat cross-legged on a mat, his head bowed. His eyes were hidden behind a dark cloth, yet a third eye, open and watchful, sat on his forehead, gleaming with an eerie light. He gestured for them to sit.
"I can foresee why you are here," the head diviner said in a deep, calm voice. "Show me the card."
Lucian handed him the King in Yellow, still feeling a prickle of unease as he did so. The diviner traced his fingers over the card's surface, and his third eye seemed to scrutinize it with unsettling intensity.
"This card is unusual," he murmured, his fingers continuing to glide over its edges. "But I detect no magical energy associated with it—none at all. In fact, it seems as though the fortune teller might have simply left this card in the deck by mistake, and you were unfortunate enough to draw it."
Lucian felt a sense of both relief and confusion. Could it really have been nothing more than an accident? He wanted to believe it, but a nagging feeling told him otherwise.
"Would you care for another reading?" the diviner offered, his gaze fixed on Lucian. "This time, with true magic."
Lucian nodded, curiosity overriding his reluctance. The diviner shuffled a new deck of cards with practiced ease, and Lucian drew three cards as instructed, feeling an odd anticipation as each card was turned.
The first card, representing his past, was The Noble. It displayed a figure dressed in finery, a crown resting upon his head. "This card indicates nobility," the diviner said, his voice thoughtful. "It suggests that you have noble blood, a lineage of distinction and power."
Noble blood? It is true that he is of Ezekiel blood but this seemed too shallow...
The second card, representing his present, was The Merchant. A man surrounded by coins and ledgers, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. "This indicates material success," the diviner explained. "You are currently in a period of growth, gaining both wealth and influence."
That seemed to resonate with Lucian's recent success at the House of the Merchant.
The final card, his future, revealed The Throne. A majestic seat of power, draped in crimson and gold, gleamed back at him. "This card represents rulership," the diviner said. "It signifies great power and prestige in your future."
Despite the grandeur of the reading, Lucian felt a sense of disconnection. It seemed almost too polished, too perfect. He glanced down at the cards, feeling as though something essential was missing.
The head diviner seemed to pick up on his skepticism and gave him a knowing look. "While these cards suggest a positive outcome, the King in Yellow is a card of misfortune—one that shouldn't have appeared at all. I would advise caution. Sometimes, it's a harbinger of… eldritch influence. And inexplicable thing can occur when powers greater than our understand are involved."
They left the diviner's chamber in silence, and as they stepped back into the cool evening air, Lucian turned to Sally. "It's strange. That reading felt… easy. Clean. But the fortune teller's reading… it felt more raw, more real somehow."
Sally nodded, a thoughtful frown on her face. "Sometimes the simplest signs are the most potent. If the King in Yellow appeared, it might mean something far more complex than what even the head diviner could see. That card doesn't just symbolize disaster. It represents a calamity that can't be foreseen or avoided. Though I don't believe in fate, in fortune telling without magic... Sometimes it seem to have an uncanny truth to them."
Lucian sighed, his mind spinning. He glanced back in the direction of Governor Manor, where Cassandra's father, the strongest protection of the city was likely preparing to leave. A sinking feeling told him that the troubles facing Rivendale were only beginning, and somewhere in that swirling web of omens and warnings, his own fate was entwined.