"Would you allow me to use the tarot cards on you?" Gresta asked.
"Well, why not?" Arthur replied.
We carried Kafka, who appeared from nowhere, and brought him into Gresta's house. He is alive, his condition is stable, and closer to normal.
Two things astonished me, the first was Kafka's appearance, and the second was Gresta's... modest house. Wooden and full of various plants, sapphire flowers, the air climber with its greyish-white colour, and others.
She has a fireplace which is...Interesting to see because everyone uses heaters these days. and in front of it a table and four chairs... there was one chair, but she made the other three with the element of nature. And since she uses such an advanced element, she must be of a high level of power.
On the other side of the house there was doors for different rooms, and separates it from us is a slightly lower ground in the middle of the house, leading to two doors, the first one we entered the house from, and the other on the opposite side leading to the back garden.
"What do you want to know? Past, present or the future?" she asked.
Arthur and Ank answered immediately: "The future."
I guess me too.
"The future."
She shuffled the cards several times with an innocent and excited smile on her face and then spread them out in front of us.
Who made these absurdities, how did they think people would believe it?
Well... they already believed it, so humans are stupid.
Ank, sitting to my left, took the third to last card, two cards away from her side.
It is card number 13... Death.
Gresta spoke: "Death? Interesting for a princess. Contrary to its scary name, it foretells some good. It represents getting rid of the past or a radical change. Or a new perspective."
I then saw a remarkable sight. A small smile appeared on the face of the cold Ankvorena.
Arthur then pulled the second to last card from his side.
It is card number 4... The Emperor.
Gresta spoke again: "The Emperor... represents discipline and firmness, and leadership. It is a card of strength and masculine energy. Stable power and a solid foundation. A special card, so to speak."
I noticed Arthur's expressions change to colder and more contemplative ones.
I raised my hand and pulled the card in the middle. And when I raised it...
0-
The Clown.
What is with this cursed title... is it chasing me like death?
'Ethan?'
When Ella spoke to me telepathically, the card changed to card number 0, The Fool.
I didn't notice my shocked and tense features until Gresta mentioned it. I calmed down before Gresta spoke, worried.
"I apologize if I scared you or made you feel tense. Tarot cards are one of the things I like to do for those who come to me. In the end, a few cards do not represent one's future."
"No. It's alright. I just remembered something old. What does this card represent?"
No one saw that card but me. The Clown... it is something whose meaning is very distant.
"The Fool card usually comes at the beginning or end of the cards, but now, since it is in the middle, its meaning may be different from the other two positions. It may mean a big change in your journey or a 'new birth,' the end of a past and stepping into an unknown future."
"That's... interesting."
But what is more interesting... and suspicious as well, is the Clown.
I think I... need to think.
"Away from the tarot cards now. What illness are you here for?" Gresta asked.
"Violet Thorns."
Signs of surprise, worry, and some confusion appeared on her face. She placed her hand on her chin.
"Violet Thorns... that is a difficult disease. Violet Thorns is an eternal plant, and you certainly know that if it touches a human, it will penetrate and destroy them from within. And if it becomes a disease, the same thing will happen to the person. And because it is eternal, finding a cure for it is something... I won't say close to impossible, but it is extremely difficult. More than you can imagine."
Silence prevailed. None of us spoke after Gresta's words. I wished for any other answer.
"What is the solution?" I said to Gresta after looking directly into her eyes.
Any answer... any hope. Please.
She closed her eyes and lowered her head slightly for a few seconds as if she were thinking deeply, and then she raised her head and looked at me.
"I will try everything. Everything possible. It will take many hours, so... would you prefer to stay overnight at my place today?"
I felt a little relieved, but anxiety was present. Gresta will do her best... but if nothing works, that means the end. But there is hope... even if small, it is enough.
We nodded to Gresta in agreement. And then she asked.
"How long until the disease reaches its limits?"
"48 days."
"That's enough time," she said, smiling gently.
...
Gresta began her work trying to find a cure for the disease. And Arthur had already gone to sleep with Ella. As for Ank and I, we decided to wash the dinner dishes first.
Gresta's house exudes tranquility, and its fragrant scent of natural plants mixed with the light smell of wood makes you feel an atmosphere akin to dreams.
Dish after dish, water flows from the tap, but where does the water come from? I don't know. Everything here is magical, so this might be considered one of the natural things.
The soap Gresta uses is made of several ingredients, the most important of which, and the one that gives it its golden-yellow colour, is the Sun Soul Tree.
The tree was given this name for a beautiful and poetic reason. There was a story told as a lesson for dreamy children who longed for near-impossible and dangerous things, to be cautious and reconsider their dreams and decisions.
The Guardian who flew to the sun.
A person who had always dreamed of reaching the sun, that bright yellow thing in the sky that sparked his childish curiosity and almost burned it. And of course, everyone mocked him because the idea of flying to the sun was impossible, as the sun was considered a god, so it was impossible to fly and reach a rank equal to a god unless you were chosen.
The little boy grew up and became a guardian of his homeland, proud and preserving his dignity. And he still carried that dream in the back of his dark mind. And although its darkness was intense, the flame of his dream did not die, but continued to burn.
And one day, the god chose this guardian. And bestowed upon him wings as white as snow and more beautiful than the cold of winter. Pure and radiant like another sun.
And here, finally, the darkness cleared, and the guardian's dream began to ignite, and he flew. He flew to the sky, piercing the clouds, the borders, and all restrictions. Laughing and joyful, and shedding a bright tear.
And he arrived. He reached the sun, the god, his dream. And his eyes shone, and his dream burned. And with it, his wings burned. And in the end, he fell to the ground faster than his tear. And the flames falling from his burning wings touched a lonely forest and turned it into shining golden trees like him.
Not every fall means death, for the guardian, even as he was falling, was laughing. And the echo of his laughter in the vast sky was heard by the sun and humanity. And they witnessed until the end of time that the guardian was the first and only one to reach the sun.
"What are you thinking about?" Ank asked.
There was a smile unconsciously drawn on my face after remembering the story.
"Do you know the story of the guardian who flew to the sun?"
"You mean the one in the Book of the Ten Guardians? Yes, I know it. I've read his story several times more than the other nine guardians."
Ankvoreena is talking this much? Amazing. this is a positive thing... at least in my opinion.
"You must have liked it," I said, handing her a dish.
"Very much."
"What's your favourite part of it?" I said, turning my head to look at her.
"The part where the guardian fell."
"I don't blame you, even though he was falling and his wings were burning, he was laughing."
"No. That wasn't the main reason I liked it."
Surprise and questioning appeared on my face, and I asked, "What is the reason then?"
I saw her eyes gleam, like the sun's shine in the middle of the sky when the guardian fell.
And she began to utter the words written in his story.
"The sky had a celestial form. Golden, shining from the burning light of the first guardian's wings, and reflected in the eyes of the witnesses. As if the sun was greeting him, and glorifying his fall. And while everyone looked with mockery at the burning of his dream, he was laughing. With his frail but beautiful voice. And his tears, whose feelings no one knew. The guardian's laughter was not only joy, but mockery of the scorn of the witnesses below, and eternity for himself."
I couldn't gather the words to answer, I was surprised by her complete memorization of the last text. That was exactly what was written at the end. But I quickly spoke.
"Your memorization of the last text is... very impressive. But I didn't understand, what was it that you liked if it wasn't the idea of him falling while laughing?"
"His mockery."
"His mockery?"
She turned her head and looked directly into my eyes.
"His mockery of the witnesses below. And of everything. He didn't care or pay attention to what people thought. For him, the world was his opinion."
I paused for a moment and went back to washing the dishes.
A quiet smile appeared on my lips, and I said, "Your point of view... is interesting."
I didn't see Ankvoreena's face at that moment, but I was sure she was smiling. A quiet and warm smile.
After a few moments, I spoke to Ank.
"At that time, when we were facing Zote. The two pieces of ice you launched were precise. You've improved in your control of the Despaye, Ank."
She stopped rinsing the dish in her hand with water. She was trying to say something, she wasn't looking at me, but she was trying... or thinking about saying something. She closed her trembling mouth and looked towards me. She smiled, and her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Thank you."
Even though it was just one word, I felt the feelings of comfort and reassurance behind it. And here I thought, Did Ank think she was a burden to us?
Without much thought, I replied with a proud smile.
...
We finished washing the dishes and sat quietly on the chairs beside the table.
"I didn't expect a woman like Gresta to have this many dirty dishes," I said, sighing. "She must have had many guests. But I wonder, will everyone who wants to come for medicine have to face Zote? ... I don't think so."
Ank took off her spear ring and placed it on the table, and then spoke.
"At that time... in Eternal Est."
She finally spoke about it.
"When the mask flew to my face?"
"Yes." Her gaze was fixed on the table.
"Did... you feel afraid?"
"Yes. But... but I wasn't afraid of you. Rather, I was afraid of the person you became after the mask settled on your face." She paused for a moment, then continued. "Even though I haven't known you for long, that person isn't the real you." She raised her head, and I saw her eyebrows slightly furrowed, almost imperceptibly, an expression of sadness and questioning. "Isn't that so?"
My facial expressions were normal, showing a little sadness and confusion. But I answered her.
"Yes. That wasn't me... certainly not. I wouldn't have known what happened at all if Arthur hadn't told me what happened."
Ank sighed in relief, as if a weight had been lifted from her chest.
"That's reassuring."
...
I lay on my bed in the dark room. Beside me slept Arthur, and on his chest slept Ella as well. As for Ank, she would sleep in Gresta's room.
My thoughts flowed spontaneously like successive waves.
48 days.
I hadn't thought about this before, but... the world has changed drastically for me since I was able to use the Despaye. Starting from the gang, to the adventurer's test, to the mountain of the beginning and what happened in its heart, to Eternal Est, and to here. All this happened in less than three weeks.
And for half of this time, the title of the Clown has been chasing me.
Don't forget the spirits, Esteliora is in your care, the mask is your destiny. Shivlor... what did he mean by all this? It was as if he was entrusting me with a fateful mission. But if so, why me? Am I chosen? By whom? And for what?
Who is Esteliora? She's just a small creature with orange and white fur... and she can communicate telepathically.... Not entirely normal. But he said she is in my care. But again, why me? And why should I take care of her and protect her? What does she represent? Who is she? Even she doesn't know the answers to these questions.
The mask is your destiny. How can the Mask of Eternity be my destiny? I felt suffocated when I was about to talk about it. And it flew to my face and granted me unparalleled power, and after everything was over, it fell. Just fell. Did it want to protect me?... Why do I even think of it as a living being in the first place!
Well... its actions make it impossible not to think of it as a living being. Or having a will.
Wait... I mentioned it more than once by name... "Mask of Eternity."
Shivlor didn't talk about this name... did he?
It's impossible for me to start saying "Eternity" without feeling it or by mistake. Did the mask tell me this name? Is this its real name?