Chapter Text
My characters are mine. Katies characters are theirs.
Prepare for anything and everything.
Guideline:
Italics means thoughts.
‘Italics’ like this means telepathy.
“Speech!” means normal dialogue.
Bolded means emphasis.
Deviations may occur.
Into the Cards
—
Chapter 1: Divine Intervention
Broken into a thousand brilliant pieces, and remade.
This was his first moments of existence. And there were weights on his heart.
What…
Did he get hit by a truck? A car? Overdose? Die from overwork? This starry void reminded him of space and he was no astronaut to be looking at such sights so close.
It must have been some sort of afterlife.
Was it Heaven?
He wasn't righteous at all. It must be Hell, or some place where one did the long journey to wash away all their Sins. There was also the possibility of reincarnation.
Problem was: He recollected past events just fine and he never did die.
Sencio did not know how much time had passed since his clear day-to-day life descended into... this.
He struggled to understand how he slipped through a fucking road and was then assaulted by a multitude of colors.
They were questioning him.
These shades of red, blue and yellow?
It hurt visualizing them.
What they asked him was not for him to save the world, to atone for his sins, to finally utilize life to its fullest in this rare second chance, or to congratulate his good deeds by allowing him to do them a second time.
It was if he wanted to be born again?
Nothing else.
For a good few hours, he thought about it.
Then he said something he couldn't recall.
After that, out of nowhere, a great white slashed his sight. Shit!
He covered his eyes. Wind split under his form. Whistling in his ears like an alarm.
Oh.
Yi Rek was fucking falling, and that whiteness were the damn clouds.
“AM I GONNA-”
Die?
The woods below him brushed his back like the sweet release of death. Yet, there was nothing.
No pain.
No... Death?
He opened his eyes. Huh?
Alive. Grounded.
"Oh thank God, I didn't fucking piss myself."
It took a few minutes to fully calm down from the highs — his mind and the literal one.
'Save me!'
“Eh?”
He got up. Who...
Oh no. He was in some cursed land.
All the trees were incredibly old, crooked and tall. They were probably haunted at night...
He couldn't recall trees like these back on Earth.
Was he in a fantasy world or what?
...
He probably was.
"Gotta be fucking kidding me I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SURVIVE! AT THIS POINT I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED FOR THE FALL TO KILL ME."
YouTube knowledge be damned. He didn't remember that shit.
'Save me!'
"SHUT UP!"
He screamed. Probably not a good idea to alert whatever the hell that was. Or maybe it was. It would have ended his misery early. Dehydration was one hell of a way to go. As long as it wasn't bear, he would...
Okay, calm down Yi Rek. Be normal. You got this. Let's search for civilization. Find a river. Go upstream... or maybe downstream.
He would have given that voice good odds of being a Wendigo. Wendigos could only be found in the North Americas right? Judging by the weather, he was probably somewhere in the northern hemisphere. Canada?
Haha. It isn't hopeless after all! Hooray...
Still, he doubted it was any Canada he knew. The trees here were as tall as the clouds, or might as well be. It was also super silent. Another irregularity. Or were all the animals around here disturbed by his presence?
He frowned.
Going home...
No. Not now. He needed to survive.
First, a river.
'Save me!'
Second, ignore that, for now.
He could use visiting the source as a last resort. Yi Rek ran as he surveyed the area. "Wait-"
He was so friggin' fast. The hell?
Sencio dug his feet into the ground to a stop. Holy shit, there were trenches where his feet halted.
I'm- I am strong?
'Save me!'
"Wah?!"
That was way louder than before. An unreal coldness injected his spine. Okay, forget the fucking river. He needed to check that shit out immediately. Yi Rek dashed to the direction of the voice-
Creaaaaaak!
Oop.
The tree he ran through fell, as the gaping hole in its base made it tumble over. He wasn't used to these new speeds of his at all.
Huh.
Wait... I have superpowers now.
This...
This was awesome!
Now he could beat the brakes off of people who annoyed him and everyone in the past who ever wronged him. Haha! Get rich selling people my services, becoming a hero, etc. Yi Rek couldn't be stopped!
So why do I feel terrified out of my mind?
Whatever those entities eere, the ones beyond his understanding, he didn't believe it to be some kind of benevolent god. Alas, that could be pondered on later as he zoomed through the greenery.
Every now and then, those pleas for help would become stronger, yet more hollow.
After minutes, it was undeniably desperate.
'Save me! Please...'
Hold on. Coming.
Not even the sight of large city slowed him down in uncovering what assistance this desperate person needed. Oddly, it echoed from the school. He searched and found the entry. Through the glass, he could see himself. A broken halo on his head?
He could see two people. One was a defenseless person while the other was a demoness that the weights in his churned against.
Was this why?
Dead.
Walking, breathing, but dead.
“Come on, open!”
No matter how much she pulled, the gates to freedom had remained shut like prison doors.
Of course it was locked. Even in a normal school, such procedures would have been followed to ensure the safety of the students. In this case, it was the exact opposite.
“Just my… freaking luck!”
This was her life on the line. And she didn't care if her shoulders were screaming for her to stop. Her brain was much louder, and much more convincing. Alas, she had to — to find another way.
She tried to break open the nearby window, though they were also incredibly tough. Nearly bulletproof with how durable they were. Claire’s hands would have been dislocated if she kept up.
She did. Her knuckles were bleeding about ten seconds into her last hurrah for freedom...
Until a shadow loomed over her.
“Hello, little rat."
That time was up.
Claire turned around to face her reaper — the reaper. Way taller than before, like a tree, the abyssal diamond that jutted out of her back now completely encased Alice like armor. Their eyes had met, and Claire realized that it was to be a very, very slow death. “P- please don't kill me!”
“No mercy."
This particular subject was to be a message to the school. Anyone who failed was subject to death. Anyone who entered her domain and not pay her proper respect were to be toys for her.
The mouthless face she had split open — a gigantic maw which swallowed more lives than anyone could count. It was not an exaggeration to say that Alice was built for violence. “SOMEONE HELP!”
Life slowly flashed before her eyes.
Couldn't there be… one more miracle?
Her miracle answered in the form of a loud bang.
She was currently sprinting to the front of the school. Miss Grace knew some poor student had broken the one rule they shouldn't when the colors invaded the school like a viral disease.
To not cross into Alice's domain. Admittedly, considering she had heard of a ruckus before Alice emerged from her room. That poor student must have failed. Which was another important rule everyone should have obeyed. Such a shame.
Miss Grace wanted to help, but no one could do anything to the three teachers. They were strong and Alice backed them up.
Of course, there was the other option. To hide them and break open a window nearby. As long as they escaped, they should be fine as could be. They would receive their second chances.
Easier said than done. With three teachers hot on their tail?
Impossible.
"Sigh. I wish Mr. B was still here."
Too bad, there was no major ally for the school at this time. Not one that was readily available anyway.
Unless this person could survive until Miss Grace reached the front doors to open the lock, Miss Grace would have to suffer from Alice reminding her of her place. As a servant.
BANG!!!
Blink. Blink.
Was that a grenade?
She was the fastest to check the potential damages, ushering everyone back into their class that had taken note of that noise. Which was basically everyone. What she found was as worse as if the school had gotten a visit from FEN.
He had a halo. A broken, yellow with the outer edges being black.
That was a Major Arcana.
An undocumented one at that.
She brought her phone out and dialed an important number.
“Overwatch? Requesting Hammer for immediate evacuation of the premise and quarantine perimeter for this entire city. ASAP."
Huh?
“Phew. You okay?”
What?
Whatwhatwhatwhatwhat?!!
“Uhm… sure?”
The grass under her felt heavenly compared to the cold halls of New Aklavia's Paper School.
She... was at the mercy of a demon a moment ago. Now? Claire was a dozen feet away from that accursed school. Her emotional state was varied, to say the least. "Nice. You should probably run now. That… uh…”
"I... i can't move my legs!" screeched Claire. She was fucking shocked. Claire had lost an eye, okay? It was fair game to freeze up.
"Okay fine, lemme carry you."
He did as promised, picking her up. A piggyback.
Claire heaved, "T- thanks man! I... I don't know who you are but you're a damn life saver..."
This man. He was an angel, and Alice was a demon. It was fate, wasn't it?
"We can talk later. Uh. Let's get out of here first. That person..."
She was fucking terrifying, yeah.
"U- uh. You're the one that can move! Do whatever you want!" Preferably away from that school.
“You..."
Yi Rek swished around and started running. Hopefully, she was slower than him.
“DON'T IGNORE ME.”
Oh. She could teleport? Holy shit-
Alice swung an arm full of spikes.
Yi Rek's world pinpointed the danger. His body was moving like it was possessed. The Hanged didn't process that he dodged by leaning back and rocked her with a counter to the chest. The bottom of his shoe stamped her chest well.
“Hkh.”
“Ow!”
It was like trying to kick a boulder though. A spiky one at that.
There was blood.
He noticed it was a golden color? Strange.
But not important.
Yi Rek was not beating this monster anytime soon.
Alice was winded, so Yi Rek had the opportunity to...
This might a little hazardous but it was better than fighting with her on his back. "Claire. Brace yourself!"
Claire had no thoughts other than to not die today. So even when she was thrown into the distance, she was not as under prepared as one would think. This teen had experienced something like this in the library. She wasn't going to be knocked out this second time...
AGHHHHH!!!
It may have been a little terrifying still...
And then she thought about it. Her future. Soaring through the air. Past the immediate one. Past today. Past tonight.
Where would she go?
She doubted she would be welcomed with open arms by the teachers, or Alice if she rolled up on school tomorrow. Visiting the police sounded good, for the time being.
But what were they gonna do?
Shoot her? Her skin was absurdly bulletproof. Claire couldn't think of anything that would budge her. A nuclear bomb, maybe. That would have killed everyone else though, and Claire was sure Alice would suspect if everyone just decided to leave.
Escaping through the forest?
Hell no. Those woods had monsters rivaling Alice, who roamed around freely. She heard of the myths. They devastated upon any area they treaded upon and this town being secluded from the outside world. There was nothing but forests for hundreds of miles too.
It was a mistake their... parents did.
Thus the only possibility of a good future for her was betting on that angel winning the fight against Alice. That terrified her, hinging her future on one person? If he died, or got caught by the government, if they somehow cared, and whisked away to get...
She didn't know what else would the future would look like for her, except for grim and short.
Swear. Swear to God, I hope this miracle doesn't end today. Whatever it will cost, I'll pay it! Happily. Even if it was for my soul!
Alice and Yi Rek didn't take long to begin aiming for eachother's throats.
She growled. Numerous tendrils that would have impaled were sent out and he had to bat them away. Some were close, slashing at his clothes.
No counter this time.
Getting close to Alice was a mistake. Specifically, approaching Alice. Committing to someone that had the ability to summon walls of spikes freely was for someone stupid, not for someone so shonen-hardened like him.
She stomped the ground. The man jumped. Couldn't have been more obvious what she was looking to do. Good thing he did, as a dozen swords ripped the ground below him.
Then she teleported right at his face.
Shoot.
It was also not a good idea to be airborne with a teleporting demon like her. Her form was liquidized by her own doing; only act he could put up was to block. Needles, as many as sea urchins pierce his skin.
“You- You're durable!"
Phew.
And owwww. This bitch IS that tough.
Before she could conjure more spikes to impale the punk blonde, he did that to himself. His hands gripped the spikes. This act made her pause. If she had eyes, Yi Rek could probably read her. One of his arms even invaded deep into the rows of the serrated blades.
Oh no-
"EAT IT!"
He used everything, having his body spin around and fucking slam the demoness through the harsh artificial spears she summoned on the ground. It didn't damage her much, but it sure as shit left her in a daze.
She bounced back to the school entryway.
This gave him plenty of time to...
"AHAHAHAHA. AGHHHHH!!!"
Rest.
This bastard. This bastard. This bastard. This bastard. This bastard-
Alice had never seen such bullshit like that.
Well, she had. She was just rusty, okay? Alice was at best state operating inside the school and way more in her private pocket-dimension. She needed to kill him now, as she had a far better regeneration factor than "some random" Major Arcana, if he had one anyway.
Which was impossible to do in time.
Hammer was probably coming to suppress them both.
“You...
"Who are you?! What Outer God sent you?"
Safe to say, she was back in her solidified form. More human, than the lanky fake-kaiju.
It might be Xister's benefactor but that broken halo was good evidence against that. Xister was ten thousand times of a worse person than he was; she had an intact halo to show off.
“Outer… God? You mean they exist?! From Lovecraft?!!”
Huh?
“Yes. Yes. They… they exist.
“But who the hell is Lovecraft?" she muttered that last part.
“What are they, exactly? Do they look like abstract art?”
“No? You're supposed to know this… didn't you get debriefed by them? Or did some research of your own? Contacting Outer Gods isn't easy. If it contacted you, it should have explained it. Unless-"
"Unlesssss?"
He was like her.
Welp, her fighting mood was defanged. So much so, Alice had morphed back into something their parents would actually call Alice. "Not telling you."
"You little... demon? What?! I was fighting a girly girl this whole time, seriously?!” commented Sencio, incredulous.
Miss Grace was relieved. It looked like this building was to be destroyed at a later daye. Alice slapped her hair — a shrug.
“Fine. My name is Yi Rek Sencio. Some weird bismuth thing kidnapped. Red. Yellow. Bluish. Asked me if I wanted to be born again for hours. Now I'm here. Happy now?"
Alice blinked. Like… [Censored]?
She clapped her hands.
"I'll be watching you intently." What a poor soul, it might just be a step below being contracted to Hell. At least she was designated to rule the world in the future.
Yi Rek grunted, “HUH?! That's it?!”
"Oh, it's Alice. Bye bye."
"The hell it is. Comere," Yi Rek marched.
She ignored him.
In a way only an honest, earnest smile thrown his way could, of course. It made him freeze. For a moment, the smile that she had was something precious, before she pushed it out of herself and repressed it utterly. "I wish you luck. You're in for a dance, just like all the rest. Be sure to perform well, puppet."
"Stop being vague or I'll force-feed you rocks." He stabbed his fingers into rocks, pulling them out. From the pavement. It was a tangible threat.
Alice snorted, clearly enjoying holding some knowledge he didn't have over him. Bitch!
"That's it."
Alice then whistled.
Yi Rek jumped at her, linear and predictable. Actual fucking debris in his grasp. Thankfully, he was pelted by darts before he did as he said he would.
The Major Arcana fell flat on his face.
“Go back inside. Don't make any more of a mess than you have already done," instructed Miss Grace.
“Sureeee,” Alice waved. Deep inside her mind, she thought, [Censored]. How did you even get a favor like this from the Outer Gods? Uh...
It was a constant battle trying to remember the details of her first years. Of course, she agreed to having some of her memories removed. Which meant current Alice didn't know why.
All she remembered of the past was a few details. She was a Visitor just like Yi Rek. Her name made it kinda obvious, huh. This world didn't feel like a wonderland at all, though. Not to Alice. Not to him. Alice was once a normal girl, who fell in love with... Oliver? Before she took Baphomet's offer to becoming this.
Why?
It was power. It was for her sake, and Oliver. Something worth the time.
And for some reason, Claire...
Claire hurt to see?
“Gah!!”
A few seconds later. He was up and about, like he didn't get tranquilized with something potent enough to knock out elephants. That was regeneration for you. “Salutations, I am Miss Grace, principal of this school. Would you be so kind as to wait for your arrest?"
“...”
“Is that a yes?”
“What for? I saved someone, didn't I?”
The promise of having the full support of a governing body calmed him down and even made the journey to their real headquarters as quiet as a mouse. Hammer was called off and only one air transport arrived to the school.
It wasn't all swell after that, though. He was kept in a windowless cell with handcuffs that were way oversized. It was somehow nullifying his powers? Or at least minimized it to a crazy extent. Could probably break out of this thing in a minute.
A minute too long, and a minute he wasn't going to waste.
It was very, very tempting. He wasn't let out of his restraints after getting off (it had been an hour). Then they had a bag over his head when he was pulled out of the damned cell. Shit was tight, dusty and would have suffocated if he didn't have this Major Arcana bod!
If they're gonna dissect me, I am breaking free and killing all the damn doctors here. Then kill that Alice. Then become president.
A couple of minutes walking blindly through this place's corridors had him dreading every second. One moment there was the constant noise of shuffling and doors opening — closing. Then there was not. Except for the buzzing lights.
“Yi Rek, was it?
Sencio was freed from his blinds. Not his cuffs, sadly. He was about to say something regarding that before he reeled back and smacked the wall behind him. “What the fuck? You don't have a face?!”
“The Major Arcana status grants weird boons to you, and your body. My name is Krein. Have a seat.”
Around them were typical black site stuff. Smooth walls. One way window, probably explosion-proof. A table and chair. Weirdly, Krein seemed to have the same appearance as this complex, like he was this building’s son.
Perfect sharp suit, if a bit old, and one dusty fedora.
His face could use some make up. It had one glowing yellow line instead of the usual two eyes, nose and mouth.
Other than that, the details of his complexion were blurry. “Right. I guess I should start with a biography? My name is Yi Rek. 19. Uh. Hm. 68 kilograms? Six feet tall. Work? At a pizza place. Hobbies? I don't know. Eating? Sleeping. Gaming."
Krein urged him to continue. "What made you become a Visitor, and a Major Arcana?"
"Nothing. I don't know what those words mean. It just happened one day. Wanted to go to work. Then fell down a road? These red, blue and yellowish things..."
He recounted the events from then until now, to the best of his abilities.
"Can you guys take me home, by the way? Like, to my home world?" He didn't want this drag out for six hours, so forgive him if he was rapid firing the answers.
“We can't do that, I am afraid. Technologies like that are out of our reach. Of course, Outer Gods are another matter. But they are fickle. Could you contact your Outer God? Or have you already asked?”
Sencio creamed the chair from how hard he flinched back.
Krein tapped the table. Great. So I’m fucking stuck here, in this shitty world.
He shook his head, “Nope. No phone number. I think they really just left me here to die. That Alice gal said something about me being like her?"
“Major Arcanas are servants to Outer Gods. Visitors are similar. They are servants of Outer Gods from other worlds. Sometimes all they amount to is just another puppet to spread their corruption across the world, or a stepping stone. Someone will explain better later, alright? The colors remind me of something..."
Yi Rek almost launched himself at him.
“Tell me now!" shouted Yi Rek. Krein suffered the move back and forth via tugging his collar.
“Its a digital virus. Has the same color scheme as that bismuth thing you talked about. I have never seen their full form, though."
He slumped in his seat. That wasn't the smoking gun he was looking for. “Is… that it?"
"Yes. Maybe I'm forgetting something," said Krein.
THIS IS DOOMED!!!
For all the doom and gloom his state radiated, it wasn't that bad. There was a path to be taken. Searching for some digital virus didn't sound too hard, right?
In any case, getting contacted by an Outer God was extremely rare, and requesting communication with them was only marginally easier after that. The Outer Gods weren't evil; they had no reason to treat mortals differently from how humans would do to ants.
Not that being a Major Arcana was the only way to have supernatural powers. Krein was about to say some before thunder screamed.
“LET ME THROUGH. THERE'S A NEW MAJOR ARCANA, ISN'T THERE?"
“That’s Dr. Alexa. Quite spirited, isn't she?” Krein chuckled.
Yi Rek blinked, “Uhuh..."
"Don't trust her too much."
Huh?
Okay. Whatever.
He was not pussy enough to whimper at the thought of some crazy lady going after him. Not this crazy, at least. Yi Rek had limits.
Still, think of it like this, who would you employ to do something a little impossible?
Yeah, it would be someone crazily fanatical. “If you would appreciate a more in-depth explanation on your nature, go to her. My time here is done.”
An internet virus, right? Heh. Just download some fucking off brand shit and I'll get 'em in a year.
“I do have one more piece of advice for you. Remember who you are. There's no reason to not use your powers for good,” Krein coughed. He pushed a button, which opened the door that sealed away Dr. Alexa.
He could drink to that. “Heyyyy! It's me. Dr. Alexa!”
Sencio swore she was fast enough to create sonic booms.
“Give me your blood!!"
"Ouch."
"Ah! Are you okay? Do you want a lollipop with that?" Dr. Alexa bent down and stared at her subject. He was no kid, anyhow.
“Just do your job…” grumbled Rek. His left arm was particularly sore from that "injection". Why did she even take that much blood?
“Sniffffff! Smells like oranges…”
Once the vial was sucked a bit dry, she took it out of the holster. Dr. Alexa’s next action happened to Yi Rek’s shock and horror. “M- Miss Grace? Is she always this freaky?”
“Yes… yes she is. And I prefer her this way. You probably would too, if you saw her before she regained some joy in her life,” sipped Miss Grace. She was on call.
“Mmmmmm-”
"Miss Grace. Help!"
“Stop that before we get sued.”
“Aw, but really. You guys can never catch me if I wanted that," said the doctor. She nearly whimpered.
“If the… ‘bill’ gets footed to me, I’m putting a foot up your ass.”
“Try me. Andddd. Done! Here we go…”
List of powers was something like this:
1. Regeneration.
2. Superhuman physique.
3. Stronger in day.
4. Weaker at night.
5. Fire manipulation.
6. Danger sense.
Subject to change. Evolution forever!!
That was pretty good if he had to say so himself.
He never knew that he could have used fire. Probably would have been useful back then, against Alice. "You know, I was expecting something more than this. Disappointing.”
“Whaaat? What do the other Major Arcanas have, huh?"
“Ya see-"
Dr. Alexa was cut off.
"Nope. We're not starting this conversation. Yi Rek. You have a choice on how to conduct yourself. Either join me at my school, or join the government in hunting rogue Visitors,” demanded Miss Grace.
It was an ultimatum.
He hummed, "Give me a reason."
“Can you beat Alice?"
“No? I mean, if me and that Krein guy team up, a hundred percent. No doubt about it.”
"Sure, if Krein is there. He isn't, most of the time. At best, he's late. How about the inverse. Can Alice beat you?"
"Nahhhh. It's impossible for her. She's stuck to that school, right?"
Good.
He wasn't dumb.
“I, on the behalf of this country, made a deal with Alice. She will be loosely confined to that building until the day I die, and she can never kill me unless she wants to die herself — Krein will cut his losses to make her eternal lifespan into a month, at most."
She continued, "With you around, that would change. Nobody has to worry about a Major Arcana when you are there to safeguard her. Project Hammer can be allocated to other places to accelerate progress, way more than you could do."
Yi Rek... was quite convinced. Couldn't even dent a single thing. "Alright, when do we start? And when do we... uh... kill her."
“Do you remember what Visitors are?"
"Blessed of the..."
It needed eight seconds to settle. “Are they that hard to kill?"
“Indeed. That is why, outside of extreme circumstances, we always seal them and nullify their threat. The unique thing about Alice is that she operates with Hell. Her parents are also a problem," revealed Miss Grace.
He wasn't going to lie. More and more problems sprung about with every one that had plans to be fixed. Also Alice allied with Hell? That wasn't much of a surprise.
“Got it. Just one problem, where the hell will I live? I'm homeless! Unless you want to give me a house??"
"You can live with me," relented Miss Grace.
If she had some leftover budget, she would give him a home to call his own.
Dr. Alexa giggled. “Oh? Is this-"
“Shut up. I already have someone."
“Psh."
“Alright. Then, Alexa. Open this shit up, I'm tired.” It might have been shocking to hear that he always had the restraints on for… how long?
While Dr. Alexa said to hold on, Miss Grace gave him a send off. "I shall brief you on your duties and plans when you're ready, security guard."
Grace hung up. He thought that was that-
“Aahhhh. One more thing, you get to choose the Major Arcana card! Don't worry, it's just cool for classifications."
“Uhhh. Right," indulged Yi Rek. Just this once he would not be freaked out by Alexa, even if this was their first meeting. That was also super brief.
“The Hanged Man…”
Choose a card? What a scam. He couldn't see what he was picking. If he could, this would be one of his last picks, this was a bad thing to draw, wasn't it?
At least it wasn't the Fool… or the Death… or the Tower.
Speaking of, the Fool, the Hermit, the Tower, the Devil, the Magician, the Death and the Lovers were something to look out for in these lands.
He already met the Fool — Krein and the Tower — Alice.
Why couldn't they just assign the titles?
Dr. Alexa-
Dr. Alexa...
You... you look a lot like that one girl.
Oh shit. How could I forget about her?
Was she still running? He needed to ask around if she knew something. Probably wasn't coincidence she was the first person he met.
Inside, that school. Students lived with that thing? Their educational experience was probably scuffed to shit...
Security guard, hm?
That didn't sound bad for his new job.
To be continued.