They were summoned to different parts of Sefirah Castle.
This was an easy conclusion to come to. Although Amanises was alone, she could sense many auras surrounding her. Instead of immediately seeking out the others, she closed her eyes in thought.
Calling so many people here - more than he had in that gathering of his, as far as she knew - was unusual. This was not an action taken by Klein himself. Rather, it was more likely an effort by the former Lord of Mysteries, who had apparently gained a temporary advantage in the battle, to destabilize the Fool's anchors somehow. While this had been within her expectations of development, it was definitely a scenario she would have rather avoided.
As for her own presence here, Klein seemed to exert some control over those who were called. The Celestial Worthy would never have allowed such a powerful ally of the Fool to be here, where she could so easily mitigate the consequences of whatever was to come.
And if the Fool still had some control, she told herself, then not all hope was lost. She would gladly accept the opportunity that Klein had given her.
With that thought, she went to where she sensed several groups of people were converging.
Roselle Gustav opened his eyes. Immediately, he felt that something was different.
He looked down at his hands. The corruption has been temporarily suppressed?
His first instinct was to leap for joy, which he did with no shame whatsoever. After a few rounds of giddy fist-pumps and raucous laughter, he allowed himself to consider his situation. Had his fellow Earthling Zhou Mingrui successfully become a Great Old One and saved him? Or at least found a way to stabilize the situation? Was this strange area the product of a sefirah? Finally, the euphoria began to fade as he seriously looked around. If that were the case, then why hadn't Zhou Mingrui appeared before him? He didn't seem like the type to pull such a mean prank on a poor old emperor who had just been de-corrupted. Then again, they'd only met once...
Suddenly, he heard footsteps. If it's really Zhou Mingrui, I'll punch him for scaring me, he internally grumbled before yelling, "Who's that?"
"Father...?"
Roselle's heart stopped.
Out of the fog, a figure emerged. Leather boots. Chestnut hair. Bright blue irises that stared at him with something between hope and despair.
He'd know that face anywhere. Even in that hellish mausoleum, more dead than alive, he had never forgotten.
"Bernadette," he said.
The girl - no, the woman in front of him flinched like she'd been hit. Her eyes began to mist over.
"My little princess." His chest hurt, but he was grinning so hard he could barely form the words. "I don't know what's going on, either. Last thing I remember, I was in that awful place, and now-"
His words were cut off by a heavy force slamming into him. Bernadette Gustav, Pirate King of the Five Seas, who he had raised to be meticulous in both conversation and battle, had thrown caution to the wind and rushed to hug her father.
Roselle felt a growing wetness on his shoulder. He smiled, blinking back tears, and wrapped his arms around Bernadette.
"I'm here, baobei. Your dad isn't going anywhere."
Bernadette shuddered with a sob. He stroked her back softly and hummed a lullaby that his own mother had sung to him, a song that had gone unsung for thousands of years.
After a short while, they pulled apart. Bernadette's expression had steeled once again, but her eyes were still soft.
"What's happening?" she asked.
"No idea." Roselle extended a hand to his daughter with a laugh. "How about we find out?"
The first thing Alfred Hall heard when he regained consciousness was, "Dogshit!"
He did not consider this a good omen.
Alfred stared uncertainly at the blond man a few feet away from him, who was still muttering: "This isn't usually what happens when I have a revelation... Gehrman, that bastard, what did he do..."
Finally, he tore his gaze away. His family was most important at the moment! He spun around to see his loved ones looking around in confusion and fear. Mother, Father, Hibbert, and-
His heart sunk into his stomach.
"Where's Audrey?" The words felt like ashes in his mouth.
Earl Hall looked at his son grimly and shook his head. Caitlyn gripped her husband's arm fiercely. Hibbert's mouth was set into a quivering line.
Alfred forced himself to stay calm. He was the only Beyonder within his family right now - not that he'd let Audrey fight if she were here - and they were depending on him. Not only were they in an unknown situation, Audrey was missing. Alfred's list of priorities was to find her, then escape this place.
He thought of the strangeness he'd seen on Audrey's face in that last second. The way she'd stiffened like a marionette. Then he shook his head. A hallucination, probably, out of stress or simply a side-effect of the potion's madness.
"Everything is going to be fine," he forced himself to say. "We just have to stick together, and we'll figure things out."
Next to them, the mysterious ruffian cursed even louder, then suddenly looked at them and sighed.
"So you were pulled up here, too?"
Earl Hall finally recollected himself and stepped back into his role as the head of the family. "Yes. We don't really know where we are. Do you have any idea?"
"Any idea?" The man laughed raucously, then smirked at them. "I've got more than an idea. Let this noble Lord Danitz educate you. This is the divine kingdom of the mighty Fool!"
"Divine kingdom...?"
The words sent shivers down the backs of the Hall family. One didn't need extensive knowledge in mysticism to have a general idea of what a "divine kingdom" meant. Whatever they had just been pulled into, it involved matters at the level of the gods!
"You mean to say that this place belongs to a god?" Earl Hall struggled to keep his voice even.
"Sure does." Danitz pointed to himself proudly. "And I am his divine oracle."
...Not much about him seems divine... The Hall family thought simultaneously.
The Fool... the Fool... Alfred racked his memories. Isn't that the patron of some tiny church that's been gaining traction in the Rorsted Archipelago? What could we have done to attract that existence's attention? And more importantly, what could that existence have done to Audrey?!
His thoughts were interrupted by a bark. With fearful expressions (though Danitz only raised an eyebrow), everyone turned to the source of the sound: a golden retriever emerging from the fog. The familiar family pet bounded up to them.
"Susie?" Hibbert asked with disbelief.
"Yes," said the dog. "I think you need to come with me."
The Hall family's mouths fell open. Caitlyn fainted in her husband's arms. Danitz just looked resigned.
Melissa Moretti looked around wildly. Her advisor, Portland Moment, had been made sure to thoroughly educate her on the dangers of interacting with unknown existences, and she'd always been a careful person by nature. So how could something like this have happened?
"What is this place?" Benson's voice was wary. "Does this have something to do with Beyonders?"
"I think so," Melissa replied. She grabbed her brother's hand. "Whatever you do, stay close to me. I don't have much ability in combat, but I'll do whatever I can..."
Benson looked at her, aghast. "I'm the older brother, it's my responsibility to-"
"You don't understand!" Her voice came out sharper than she intended. She took a breath. "The difference between a Beyonder and a normal human... you can't understand it unless you experience it yourself. There's nothing you can do here."
Benson looked at her quietly. He clutched his sister's hand, while his other hand fell uselessly to his side.
"I wish I wasn't so helpless..."
The words left his mouth and were silently swallowed by the fog.
At that moment, from that same endless fog, a sniffle was heard.
Melissa and Benson's hearts stuttered in their chests. Trapped in an endless and unseen world, and from the depths of that world, hearing the cry of a child - it was a plot straight out of a horror story!
The sniffling grew closer, along with the sound of footsteps. Melissa balked. Since she didn't plan to advance and was only interested in machinery, she had never actually received any combat training. She and Benson were essentially defenseless. Despite this, she made a half-hearted attempt at a fighting stance.
Finally, the source of the cries revealed itself: a small boy, practically an infant, with unusually white hair. The child rubbed at his eyes and looked up at them.
Golden irises? Well, he looks mostly normal... Melissa thought uncertainly, heartbeat racing. Is this a trap?
"I dropped my ice cream," the boy sniffed.
The Moretti siblings' heads momentarily went blank.
While Melissa was still in shock, Benson sent her a look that said I'll handle this, then knelt down to look at the boy properly.
"What are you doing?" Melissa fiercely whispered to her brother.
"I took care of both you and Klein when you were kids," he whispered back. Then he turned to the boy. "I'm sorry to hear that. Do you know where you are?"
The child shook his head. "Fell asleep...When I woke up, Mom and Dad were gone." He sniffed again. "My ice cream..."
Benson remained patient. "We don't know what this place is, either. So how about we find a way out together? After you get home, I bet your parents will buy you a new ice cream."
The boy's eyes lit up, and he rapidly nodded.
"Good." Benson smiled. "My name is Benson, and this is my sister, Melissa. What's your name!"
"Will!" After a moment of thought, the boy added, "I'm three!"
"That's a good age. Nice to meet you, Will." He turned to Melissa. "Should we look for a way out?"
Melissa was just about to nod, still in a daze, when another set of footsteps began to approach. Will clung to Benson's leg fearfully as a tanned man in a suit walked out of the fog.
"So there are others here." The man smiled gently. His demeanor seemed relaxed and experienced, as if he'd witnessed the vicissitudes of life. Melissa absently noted the presence of a mole under his right eye. "Do you know why we've been summoned?"
Summoned. Melissa felt her blood run cold. So we really were summoned... but what hidden existence would want anything to do with two orphans, let alone a three year-old? Her thoughts continued to race, old and half-formed suspicions bubbling to the surface. She couldn't explain why, but she had the urge to whisper the name of her brother who had died three years ago.
Benson smiled sheepishly. "We're just as clueless as you. I'm Benson, this is Melissa - my younger sister - and this kid is Will. We found him just now, wandering like us. What's your name?"
"Benson and Melissa..." The man's brow furrowed. "Are you, by any chance, Klein Moretti's siblings?"
-!
The Moretti siblings jerked as if they'd been struck. Suddenly having the name of their deceased brother thrown at them, especially in a place like this, was too much to handle. Benson's hand tightened around Melissa's.
When Benson responded, his voice was considerably lower and slower. "Who are you?"
"I apologize for the shock. That was impolite of me." The man bowed slightly to them. "My name is Azik. I was your brother's history teacher at Khoy University, as well as his personal mentor. He talked about you two very often." He smiled, soft and sad. "I'm sure this doesn't help much, but Klein Moretti was one of the best people I've ever known. And he cared for you deeply."
Benson fell into silence. Melissa could feel his hand trembling. Or maybe she was the one who was trembling.
"We know," Benson finally managed. His voice was rough. "Thank you."
Azik smiled at them again and dipped his head. He then knelt to face Will as Benson had done moments before. "And you, child. Your last name wouldn't happen to be Auceptin, would it?"
Will stuck out his lower lip in a pout. "It's Ceres now."
Now? Melissa latched onto the strange wording in an effort to distract herself from grief. He had a different last name before? Did one of his parents remarry? No, how does Mr. Azik know this child in the first place?
"Is that so?" The man, Azik, seemed strangely amused. "You know, the Bible of the Fool lists you as his most cherished angel."
"Since when have I been his angel?!" the three year-old groused.
The Moretti siblings' jaws dropped.
Just moments ago, this child had been clinging to Benson like, well, a child missing his parents. Now he had the aura of a middle-aged worker complaining about his boss to his drinking mates... The suddenness was too much for the siblings, who had just escaped their previous state of shock.
What? Huh?
"Besides," they distantly heard Will continue, "He's a 'Him' now, right?"
Azik laughed. "He's not the type of person to enjoy being called a "Him". It's not like you refer to him as 'Him', either."
"Of course not," Will scoffed. "He exploited me while I was still in the womb!"
"Womb?" Benson mouthed.
What... is this? What is this? The whole conversation was too nonsensical for Melissa to listen to. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and blurted out, "Was Klein a Beyonder?"
Everyone turned to look at her in surprise. Benson looked almost betrayed.
She leveled her gaze on Azik. "You and that... child seem to know something. And obviously, you knew our brother. Was he a Beyonder?" Her hands balled into fists. "Is that why he died?"
Azik's eyes were deep and fathomless. Even Will, whose baby face shouldn't have been intimidating in the least, had a gaze that felt like it was boring into her. It was almost enough to make Melissa regret speaking. But not quite.
"I'm afraid I can't say anything about this," Azik told her with sincere regret. "It's best we begin investigating the circumstances that brought us here. That might lead to some answers."
"You didn't answer my question."
"I can't," Azik repeated. "Please understand."
Benson put a hand on her shoulder. "Melissa, you can't really think..." He trailed off, looking at her with sadness.
Will (Auceptin? Ceres?) giggled. "You're a funny pair. But Mr. Azik is right, you know. I just sensed some pretty big changes in fate." He smiled innocently. "If you want to learn anything, finding the cause of those changes is your best bet."
Melissa and Benson exchanged a look. Fate, the Bible of the Fool, this unusual child and this strange fog... nothing made sense. But they still had each other.
They both nodded, and the group began to walk.
With hope and excitement surging in their chests, the members of the Tarot Club all looked towards the head of the table where the Fool usually sat-
Except there was no table.
That grand palace, which seemed to have been made for giants, was nowhere to be found. The group stood in an endless sea of gray fog. Confused, they began to look around, and Fors was the first to gasp.
They could see each other's faces!
The others discovered this shortly after as they looked at each other in alarm. Xio instinctively covered her face; Emlyn took several steps back; Audrey immediately scanned the new figures in front of her. Seeing blurry outlines, or having vague ideas as to the identities of other members, was nothing compared to this.
"You're the one who bought Tinder?" Mr. Star asked Mr. Moon in shock.
Emlyn chuckled deeply. "It seems I've been discovered."
...What is he going on about? Leonard deadpanned.
What is this? Alger's thoughts whirled. Why was my face suddenly exposed? Although Little Sun has seen me before, I still had anonymity with the others! No, more importantly, this doesn't seem like our usual gathering place. Why exactly were we called here?
"What's going on?" Little Sun's question did not sound uncertain, as it might have when he'd first joined the Tarot Club. The other members could now clearly see his gentle features, which were currently molded into confusion and wariness.
The Hermit frowned. "I don't know. Mr. Fool isn't here, either..." Since her identity as Queen of Stars was already widely known through Mr. Hanged Man and her connection to Queen Mystic Bernadette, she was a little calmer than the rest.
Her mention of Mr. Fool caused the members to look around as they realized she was right: their patron god, the only one capable of calling them above the gray fog, was not here.
"Could something have gone wrong with his awakening process?" The Magician said uneasily, feeling as if she'd stepped into the pages of a horror novel.
"That's impossible." Derrick shook his head strongly. "There's no way that 'He'..."
Everyone could easily fill in the rest of Little Sun's sentence: There's no way that 'He' would abandon us.
"We have to stay calm," said the Hanged Man. "If the reason we're here isn't Mr. Fool's awakening, we must be here for something else. We just have to figure out what it is. Has anything of note happened lately?"
The Tarot Club thought before collectively shaking their heads.
"Something must have triggered this anomaly." Cattleya stroked her chin. "If we can't think of anything, then we've been manipulated to miss something, or the issue lies on Mr. Fool's side. If the latter is the case, there's nothing much that we can do about it. For now, we have to keep pursuing the same line of reasoning."
Ma'am Hermit sure is experienced... Audrey nodded. "As a Spectator, I should be able to notice when I'm being guided, unless the opposing force is of an angel level or higher." Everyone thought of a certain Visionary and the ancient secret organization he headed. "I don't sense psychological cues on any of us, but again, this is on the premise that the force is not of an angel level."
"If our enemy is an angel, then there's still not much we can do," the Star said thoughtfully. "Our highest-ranking currently active members still only reach the level of saint. Besides, how could an angel infiltrate the domain of a god?"
"Regardless of anything, it seems like the problem is at a god's level, doesn't it?" Emlyn sighed. "In that case, what can we do besides just wait around?" Ah, I miss my dolls... No, such sacrifice is part of a messiah's duty. Be strong, Emlyn White! You are a noble Sanguine!
"We have to do something!" Derrick's words were tinged with desperation. "Mr. Fool could be in danger!"
He and the City of Silver had already been abandoned by the Ancient Sun God. Although he respected and admired Mr. Fool, believing he would wake up successfully, Fors' offhanded comment had forced him to acknowledge the similarities between the two deities he had worshipped.
Derrick believed Mr. Fool would return safely, but he had once believed the same of the Ancient Sun God.
If there was something he could do - if Mr. Fool had called them here as some sort of cry for help - then how could Derrick stand here and do nothing?
Step.
Before anyone could respond to Little Sun's plea, the members of the Tarot Club turned in unison. In this gray fog, a place that they believed they were the only ones to step foot in, someone else was approaching.
"I smell five people and an animal." The Moon sniffed the air. "Four of them have similar scents, so they might be related. Actually, their scent is rather similar to yours, Miss Justice."
Since everyone knew that the Moon was a vampire - ahem, noble Sanguine - nobody batted an eye at this comment. The members turned to look at Audrey.
The Sequence 3 Dream Weaver felt unsure of what to say in a way she hadn't for at least a year. "I do have relatives, but I have no idea why they would be here."
"But that doesn't account for the other person and the animal," Leonard pointed out.
"Oh, well..." Despite the control that her Beyonder pathway gave her, the senior Spectator's expression became rather awkward. "As for the animal..."
Suddenly, a golden retriever bounded into view. It paused for a moment with happiness on its face.
"Audrey! I found you!" it called.
The Tarot Club blinked in unison. Ah...
I've been a Beyonder for so many years, and this is still off-putting, Leonard lamented.
Derrick's eyes widened. Is this a dog? I've never seen this breed before. While there were plenty of dogs in Bayam, most steered clear of the New City of Silver. Derrick suspected some combination of the citizens' unusual height and the residual scent of giant's blood. Whatever the case, it meant that he rarely got to see such animals up close. Its fur looks so soft. I wonder if I could pet it...? No, what am I thinking! I have to stay focused and help Mr. Fool!
"Yes, hello, Susie..." Audrey's lips twitched. Her eyes darted around to the other members of the Tarot Club.
"This would be the Beyonder pet you inquired about in the early meetings?" Alger raised an eyebrow with a slightly evil expression.
"U-Um, Mr. Hanged Man, there's really no need to bring that up!" Miss Justice laughed nervously, cheeks burning. "It's practically ancient history at this point, right?"
The other members of the Tarot Club exchanged confused looks. Why is she so embarrassed? Did the dog drink her potion or something? No way that would happen... Meanwhile, the golden retriever ran up to its owner happily and spoke again.
"Your family is here. They're with a strange man I don't know. They'll arrive in about twenty seconds."
"I see. Thank you, Susie." The girl stroked Susie's soft fur.
Xio frowned. "Miss Justice, is anybody else in your family in a Beyonder? Or do they have anything to do with Mr. Fool?"
"Not to my knowledge, no. My brother is a mid-sequence Beyonder..." She refrained from mentioning his pathway and sequence; even though she trusted the Tarot Club, Alfred was her brother, and it wasn't her information to share. "However, the closest contact he's had with Mr. Fool that I'm aware of is coming across Mr. World's ritual involving Utopia."
Emlyn made a puzzled expression. "Why are they here, then?"
Audrey only mutely shook her head.
Faint footfalls could now be heard. The Tarot Club was not a place to exchange information about one's personal life, but everyone at least knew that Miss Justice had totally immersed herself in the mysterious world, leaving a Virtual Persona behind to comfort her family. Several people sent concerned or sympathetic looks in her direction.
"Will you be alright?" Fors asked.
Justice looked up. Her hands clenched into fists, then unclenched as they smoothed out her dress. Her expression was steely, her eyes cold and grim.
"Thank you, Miss Magician. I'll be alright."
Alger bowed his head. She's sure grown up since our first meeting... Ah, what kind of stupid things am I thinking? This just makes her a stronger ally, that's all.
"Audrey!"
A desperate female voice echoed from the fog. Suddenly, a woman ran forward. Her gait was awkward, restrained by the heavy dress she was wearing, but she paid this no notice. Her face lit up the second she spotted her daughter, not even registering anyone else in the area.
The senior Spectator's frozen expression immediately melted, becoming a perfect picture of surprise. "Mother? You're here, too? But Father and the others..."
Fors and several others shivered in the background. Spectators sure are scary.
"They're here," the noblewoman cried, rushing to wrap her arms around Audrey. "They're all here, you're the only one that was missing! We were so worried!"
Audrey remained stiff for a beat before forcing her body to relax. She still remembered the days when she herself had been wrapped safely in her mother's arms, protected from the troubles of the world - what few troubles she'd known of, anyway. Now Caitlyn Hall clung to her, Mother's tears wetting her dress. She slowly put her arms around the woman who she hadn't seen for a year, not knowing what to feel.
"I'm here, Mother," she said softly, and even she wasn't sure if the words were a lie. "Your daughter isn't going anywhere."
The Tarot Club members silently averted their gazes.
But Derrick hadn't turned away fast enough to miss the hollow way Miss Justice - Audrey, he now knew - had stared out over her mother's shoulder. It made him feel a strong wave of longing for his own parents, who had once worried over him the same way. But he felt no jealousy towards his friend; they had, to a degree, experienced the same pain. Wasn't what she was doing equivalent to killing her family in her own mind?
"Caitlyn, where did-" Another voice sounded from the fog, several silhouettes becoming visible as they stopped in their tracks. "Audrey!"
Three similar-looking blond men were soon crowding around the noble girl and Caitlyn, who was still clinging to her daughter.
Trailing behind them was a scowling blond man - unmistakably unrelated to the others - with his hands stuffed in his pockets.
"What are they so excited for..." Danitz mumbled to himself. Looking around, he saw the overdramatic blond family crowding around each other and some people standing awkwardly in the background. Among them was a familiar face.
He walked up to Alger Wilson and whispered, "Any clue what the hell is happening?"
Alger shrugged with a blank look. "Aren't you supposed to be the Fool's oracle? You tell me."
Meanwhile, the family reunion was coming to an end. Hibbert grabbed Audrey's shoulder and asked, hysterical, "Sister, did you know that your dog talks?"
"Ah, well..." Audrey smiled brightly. "You know how these things go."
...No, we don't, thought everyone else simultaneously.
Alfred looked at his sister in deep thought. "But you were with us when this - this anomaly happened. Why did you appear with a different group of people?"
"Oh, leave her alone for now," scolded Caitlyn. "What's most important is that we're all safe, and that we're not alone." She stressed the words meaningfully before her face turned sheepish, and she bowed to the Tarot Club. "I'm terribly sorry for that display. I presume you're all in the same situation as us?"
As the de facto charmer of the group, Leonard stepped up to the plate with a gentlemanly smile. "Yes. You can imagine we're all a little confused."
Danitz rolled his eyes. "We know who summoned us here, but not why."
"This 'Fool' fellow you mentioned?" The Earl pursed his lips. "Well, how do we find out what he wants with us?"
Silence.
"Well," Caitlyn said. "Perhaps we should start with some introductions?"
The Tarot Club members eyed each other warily.
"Audrey," said Susie, reading the mood, "that tall boy is looking at me strangely."
Derrick blushed violently. "What? No, um, I wasn't-"
Sorry, Little Sun. The others mentally apologized for throwing their youngest member under the bus. Meanwhile, the Hall family blanched at the unpleasant reminder of the sentience of their family pet, only able to helplessly watch the conversation spin out of control.
"Did you not have dogs in..." Fors tried to keep the conversation going on a different topic, but wavered when she remembered the presence of outsiders nearby. "...your hometown?"
"Well, we had hound-like beasts." Little Sun hung his head. "But they were vicious and didn't look much like normal dogs. They killed many of our expedition members."
...Right, the City of Silver isn't exactly the best way to carry a lively and happy chat... The Tarot Club awkwardly cleared their throats.
Hibbert and Caitlyn paled. Meanwhile, Alfred's eyes narrowed. Expedition members?
"Just what kind of place were you living in?" Earl Hall asked with an uneasy chuckle.
Derrick sent an alarmed glance in the Hanged Man's direction.
"The time he spent in his hometown still haunts him," Alger cut in smoothly. "It's hard for him to talk about. But I'm sure he'd appreciate getting to pet a dog for the first time."
Mr. Hanged Man! Derrick thanked his mentor from the bottom of his heart.
Unfortunately, before Little Sun had a chance to fulfill his lifelong dream of petting a dog, Emlyn stood up straighter and sniffed the air again. "I smell four more people. Two with similar scents."
"Smell?" Alfred regarded Emlyn suspiciously. "And red eyes... Are you a vampire?"
"Sanguine!" screeched Emlyn. "I am a noble Sanguine! I have no idea why you humans can't understand, it really isn't that hard-"
"People!" a child's voice shouted. Suddenly a young boy ran out of the fog, followed by an apologetic-looking bronze-skinned man, as well as a black-haired man and woman (siblings?) who both eyed the child warily. The man and the boy both seemed unusually relaxed, while the siblings earnestly scanned all of the new faces.
The girl's eyes widened. "Miss Audrey?"
This time, Miss Justice's surprise was genuine. "Melissa? What are you doing here?"
"I don't..." Melissa shook her head. Then she caught someone else's gaze, and her expression froze over. "You?"
A confused Benson followed her gaze and similarly flinched. Leonard Mitchell looked back at them with a stiff and guilty expression. He knew the pair hadn't forgotten him. How could they forget the face of the Nighthawk who had delivered the news that destroyed them?
"Miss Moretti. Mr. Moretti." He bowed his head, but it was impossible to tell if it was as a greeting or out of shame. "It's been some time."
The Tarot Club members watched the exchange with silent confusion, creating theories. All except for Justice Audrey, who had worked with Melissa long enough to hear the occasional wistful story about a deceased brother named Klein. The same name that Leonard had used to refer to the World Gehrman Sparrow in the Hall of Truth!
Originally she had dismissed this as a coincidence - Klein was a common name, after all - but if the Moretti family had been pulled into this, then Audrey had to consider the possible connection. Could it be that Gehrman Sparrow was originally Klein Moretti who faked his own death? Not just members of the Tarot Club, but our friends and family have been summoned as well?
"Ha! I told you this was the right way!" a male voice interrupted.
Under the watchful gazes of the group, a man and woman emerged from the mist. Both had chestnut-colored hair and blue eyes.
"An Emperor Roselle lookalike?" Benson frowned.
"Y-Your Majesty?" Cattleya gasped.
"Queen Mystic!" Alfred accused, being somewhat knowledgeable about pirates due to his time at sea, then whirled around in realization. "And you're the Queen of Stars! What are two Pirate Kings doing here?! Audrey, get away from them!"
"Huh?! My daughter isn't some infectious disease, you punk!" the Roselle-lookalike shouted.
Bernadette sighed. "Father, calm down."
"Oh, dear," muttered Azik. Will, who was clinging to his pant leg, grinned like he was watching a fun show.
I don't know any of these people. Derrick sent a longing gaze towards Susie. I wonder if I could pet the dog while everyone is distracted...
Audrey pinched the bridge of her nose before Placating everyone in the area. The yelling began to subside as everyone looked around, now more confused than angry. Several Tarot Club members shot her appreciative looks.
Now that she could think properly, Cattleya's brow furrowed. "But if you're with... with Queen Mystic... you're the real Roselle?"
Even if the specifics were unclear, this was enough to convince the Tarot Club, which had long been aware of the connection between Emperor Roselle and Queen Mystic. They regarded the pair with new awe and excitement. The man in front of them had once been one of the most influential rulers in the world and had almost achieved godhood!
Of course, this meant nothing to just about everyone else, who only became more perplexed.
"That's impossible," Melissa said flatly. "Roselle has been dead for almost two hundred years."
"Nuh-uh," said Roselle. "Just mostly dead."
"What?"
"I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch when I see him," Danitz grumbled. "I really mean it this time. Soon as I see him, a fist right to those smug glasses of his, I really mean it..."
"Does anyone know what's going on?" pleaded Hibbert Hall.
"We've all gathered."
Everyone in the gathering froze. The voice that had spoken didn't belong to any of them.
At some point, unbeknownst to anyone, a woman had appeared in their midst. She wore a layered black dress and a starry veil that obscured most of her face. Although she'd been standing among them all this time, not a single person had noticed her.
Huh? She looks... Some senior Tarot Club members were able to draw a comparison to a Fourth Epoch statue that the World had once shown them. They paled in horror. The authority of concealment... Evernight Goddess!
"I expect," the ethereal woman continued, "that we will have our answers soon."
Wordlessly, 'She' looked at a certain area of fog--
--The fog began to stir.
Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced the minds of everyone present. They clutched their heads and fell to the floor, skull buzzing with illusory ravings, as the fog began to boil over and twist into a shape. In an instant, every Beyonder was brought to the brink of losing control. Blood spurted from eyes, ears, noses, mouths - the ravings grew louder - the shape grew firmer.
The fog settled.
Bodies still trembling, the gathered people slowly looked up. There was a figure looking back at them.
It wore a simple black robe. Underneath the hood of the robe was a faintly visible smile. It opened its mouth and spoke:
"Do you like mysteries?"