Chapter Text
Audrey Hall was stunned.
Incredibly so. Which, considering her vast experience with Beyonder things, seemed rather odd. And yet, it was so. For this was simply unheard of. She pinched herself, but alas, this was real.
Very well, then.
She looked around. She was currently seated on a boringly simple iron bench in a park. There were other people too, most dressed in loose garments. In fact, hardly anyone wore proper costume. How odd. She looked down at herself and found a green gown steadily holding her. It did get her a few stares though, here and there.
But what truly disoriented her were the buildings themselves. And the streets. Not to mention the horseless carriages. Before her, blocks of glass rose into the sky, reflecting sunlight onto black roads, slithering between them. Upon those, enclosed cages of shiny metal rumbled, forming a colony of ever-crawling beasts. How odd.
Audrey cast placate on herself.
What was this place? And why was she here? She peeked into the sea of collective subconscious and found it partly normal. There seemed to be a large disturbance, sending out shockwaves intermittently and with no clear source. Audrey left as quickly as she’d come. Perhaps she could consider praying to Mr Fool, but considering his recent non-response to other prayers, that could carry hidden risks.
On that note, could this be connected to Mr Fool? Then, the other Tarot Club members might also be here!
Miss Justice, Audrey Hall, cast another placate on herself and stood. But no matter where she went, after what felt like an hour had passed, she still saw no signs of anyone familiar. Maybe she was alone after all.
The park truly was beautiful, though. All kinds of flowers sprouted along the paths and the humming of bees accompanied the birds’ melodic chirping. The light breeze rustled through the leaves and carried with it faint floral scents. Squirrels soared between the branches of a particularly large tree. Audrey smiled as she watched the enthralling display of life. How had she missed this, earlier? A colourful butterfly swirled around her in the air, before landing on the hem of her skirts.
When she noticed the figure beside her, she jumped. The figure let out a chiming laugh, sounding faintly like the ringing of bells on a horse’s harness.
“My apologies,” she said. “I did not see you there.”
The figure looked at her expectantly. It seemed to be a man, though his face was quite androgynous. His hair was rather long, his eyes large and dark. He wore colourful clothes, covered by a lightly patterned robe and a classic hat adorned with two large white feathers and a ribbon. The way the sun’s light reflected off him gave him a phantom-like appearance. A bright, yet unmemorable fellow.
“… Did you need anything-?”
He seemed delighted she had asked. Bowing deeply, he said, “Let us get something to drink, shall we? I’m sure you wish to know the cause of your presence here! It was Mr Fool’s doing, you know.” He laughed again. “Yes, indeed.”
“Right, I must introduce myself. I am Merlin Hermes, a wandering magician. Or rather, I would be Mr World to you. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Justice.”
Once again, Audrey Hall was left stunned.
The park started spinning and collapsed into itself. A moment later, the two of them sat in a garden pavilion. Afternoon tea awaited them on the table. Notably, the teapots filled the cups themselves.
Not like that’s the strangest thing today.
The melody of a grand piano, also playing itself, mixed beautifully with the chattering of birds, humming of insects, and gurgling of a small stream meandering through the greenery. Roses swirled around the pavilion’s columns, sending off an intoxicatingly sweet scent. The soft sunlight fractured upon the glass and leaves, creating intricate swirls of light upon Audrey and the table. And Mr World.
“Mr World,” she asked, “have you awoken? And where are we?”
The figure shook his head sadly. “There are many things I cannot tell you. I will try to explain as much as I can, before… before I’ll be gone. But please, do enjoy your tea!”
Audrey lifted her cup hesitantly and was instantly engulfed in its aroma. Two pastries floated from the tiered stand on the table to her and Mr World’s plates. Audrey considered entering his mind world, but she dared not take the risk without him explicitly asking for it. He looked at her thoughtfully. His pastry showed a bite taken out of it. When had that happened?
“…Have you been well? And the rest of the Tarot club?” He asked.
Audrey told him of recent developments. Of their advancement in pursuing their missions, and some strange individuals harnessing odd powers. There hadn’t been any huge breakthroughs, though, as it had only been three-and-a-half years. That seemed to surprise Mr World. Another pastry flew to his now-empty plate. Then at last, he spoke.
Ever smiling and with an undertone of ringing bells, he said, “As you might have guessed, this is a dream. Not an ordinary one, of course. This is in part due to the dream’s owner and its location, which is, in a way, inside Sefirah Castle. What it depicts is— it’s a different civilisation. You are not an Angel yet. A little inconvenient, I thought more time had passed.” He frowned a little.
“You see, it is my dream, but I am not really me. Who sits before you was a part of me. It is still me, but separate. Perhaps this is confusing—” Mr World’s eyes got a far-away look. “I fear ‘He’ is coming. Merlin won’t last much longer. I won’t either.”
His voice turned wistful. “You must know, this dream, it is devious. Devious yet so beautiful. I feel myself longing for it. They say ignorance is bliss. Do they say that, still? Regardless, they were right.”
“Mr World? Are you well?” Asked Audrey, casting placate on him twice. It didn’t seem to have an effect. His eyes had glazed over and turned golden. The words he said echoed strangely, rising with the rest of the sounds into the air. The feathers on his hat joined them, dancing into the sky. They never did seem to run out.
“It calls to me; stay, don’t go~ all is taken care of! I will watch over them, I promise. you can rest, now. you’ve done well, so well. this is yours, a small apology. you need only relax.~ Oh you don’t understand, I want so desperately to heed it. A voice of reason. But then,” he said, throwing his head backwards and laughing crazily, “then my mind returns. And for just a moment…”
Audrey stood up now and stepped backwards. “Mr World, please! You must calm down!” She could sense a tempest raging inside the sea of collective subconscious. Was Mr World doing all of that? Was he losing control? But what could she do? He was already a King of Kings of Angels!
The garden seemed to spin around the pavilion. Mr World looked straight at her now.
“…I am terrified. Until I lose it all again to oblivion.”
Audrey’s surroundings collapsed onto her and she felt herself being pulled backwards, falling into nothing. She could faintly make out a plea for help. Then she dove headfirst into colour and finally into a barrier of grey fog. She landed with a thud.
Sefirah Castle.