Celestial Saga

Ava-

“You looked pretty deep in thought there.”

“Thinking about a boy maybe~?”

Emi-

“I wasn’t…”

Emi-

“Why are you even here anyway?”

Ava- ??

Ava-

“You already forgot? You relayed a message to the elders through Kaito, so they sent me here.”

Emi-

“They sent you..?”

Ava-

“Not sure what you said to them, but they’re not happy.”

Emi-

“…..

Ava-

” Em, you know what your obligation to the family is.”

“Upon reaching the age of marriage, members of the main branch are wed to a predetermined member that will best maintain the line’s strength”

Emi-

“I’m aware.”

Ava-

“Then you should also know how they handle members that refuse their calling.”

“They’ve been extremely lenient towards you up to now. The fact they let you leave our grounds, and to finance this apartment even…and even then you’re…”

Emi-

“So my compliance is worth a dollar amount? ”

“I appreciate what they’ve done for me, but I have no intention of doing what they want.”

Ava-

“There’s been talks of bleaching you.”

Emi- !!!?

“That’s….they’re really..?”

Ava-

“Well, that’s all it is right now is talk. There’s alot happening Em. It’s why they sent me.”

“I’m actually here to give you a sort of deal.”

Emi-

“I should have caught on earlier why they’d send her. They know that she’s the only other family member besides Kaito that I’m close to..“

Ava-

” So basically…”

Ava-

“They want you to transfer to this one school.”

Emi-

“What???”

Ava-

“Faraday Preparatory School”

Ava-

“There’s been alot of unusual activity there lately. Internal reports of students simultaneously dropping out of both the institute and the face of the earth.”

Emi-

“What do you mean?”

Ava-

“All traces of their activity in public life end up vanishing.”

Emi-

“Shouldn’t anyone just be able to contact their parents?”

Ava-

“That’s where things become more odd…”

Ava-

“I was sent out to investigate some of the disappearances firsthand.”

“Every immediate family member of the abducted person, No longer lives here.”

“Every instance, the parents, and even the grandparents if applicable, all immigrate overseas”

Emi- ???

Ava-

“Deborah Lake.”

“That’s the name of one of the missing students. Could you do a reading right now to determine her location? Everything will connect alot better if you do this.”

Emi-

“Uh, sure.”

Emi–

For some reason, her request seemed to put me on edge. They way she spoke, it held the impression that something unusual would happen….

Emi-

“…..

Since the intention was to locate this person, I arranged took a second to determine which tarot spread I should use for this. Finishing my shuffle, I went to draw a card to begin forming the spread

Emi- !!!!

As soon as I touched the deck, I felt a jolt of heat prick my fingers. Pulling my hand away, I watched as my cards began to catch aflame.

Emi-

“What is this..?”

As the deck burned away to cinders, I noticed that the fire did not leave the cards. That is to say, it didn’t spread onto my floor. I know that most modern interiors are treated with fire resistant hardwood, however,

“Now do you understand? The reason why we were contacted about these disappearances..”

“They involve the supernatural.”

The cards turned to cinders, which turned to nothing. As she spoke, no burn marks on the floor, no residue.

It was as though my cards had never existed.

Emi-

“The supernatural….you mean, someone like..us?”

Ava-

“Well, that’s the current theory anyway.”

“When it comes to divination, not even demonic beings can fully avoid being ascertained by an exorcist.”

“Tarot.Pendulums.Runes.I Ching. Lenormand.”

“Any attempts by the elders to know anything about this situation results in the tools being destroyed before results are given.”

“Countering even our most seasoned diviners like this implies that someone had enough forethought to have such fail safes in place if anyone started snooping into the happenings at the school.”

Ava-

“And so,we need you to enroll at Faraday, and see if you can help us determine who or what entities are at play here.”

“If you’re willing to fulfill this request, then the elders will stay their hand for now at reigning you in.”

Emi-

“I see…So this is supposed to be a way to appease them?”

Ava-

“Hrmm, I’d say its more like divine fortune. If this case hadn’t stumped the senior clan members, they would’ve ordered me to bring you back to them, tonight.”

Emi-

“….

Ava-

“It’s a good deal yeah?”

Emi-

“So even when I make my intentions clear to my clan, they find a way to rope me back under their will?”

“Gross….its just…gross..”

“But I have no other choice…By the sound of it, if they didnt need me as a tool for this investigation, Ava was going to bring me back to that place and..I’d be “bleached” “

“….I’ll transfer to Faraday and see what I can find out.”

Ava-

“Awesome~!!!”

Emi-

The way Ava showed such glee and embraced me, the casual tone.. It was as though we didn’t just have a negotiation regarding my, a human being’s, freedom.

Ava-

“I’ll go tell them your answer then. This is gonna be so fun!!! Don’t worry about paperwork, I’ll help out and everything. This’ll be your first undertaking in the family business!!!”

Emi-

..It was as though I was just a nail.

-To be continued

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