Chapter 0: Aria for My Soul
It all started the night before I was to leave for Inaba. I was out like a light after a long and rather stressful day that really got to me. After a few hours I felt like I woke up, but what was weird was the fact that I didn't wake up in my room. I looked around my new surroundings and found myself in what looked like the back of a limosine. It was dim but illuminated with purple and blue lights. I heard what sounded like a woman singing a very sad sounding opera which made the atomsphere seem kind of eerie.
I then noticed that I wasn't alone in this strange place. I looked across from me to see a strange balding goblin like man in a suit, long pointed nose, pointed ears, large white eyes with visible veins and a small black iris. Along with his big and wide smile, he creeped me out vastly. Yet I felt no harmful intentions from this man.
By him was a woman with long platinum blonde hair in a ponytail. Her eyes were a golden yellow and her pale skin made the lipstick she wore on her smiling face look like an even more vivid shade of red. She wore a blue dress and carried a thick leather bound book. She none the less looked very dignified and professional, yet kind and caring at the same time.
"Welcome to the Velvet room young man." The Strange Man said as he welcomed me. "Um... Hey. I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound rude but who are you and what am I doing here?" I asked curiously as I remained cautious of this mysterious place. "You're curious, that's natural. Everyone who visits this place is. The Velvet room remains in a place between dimensions and dreams. I am it's proprietor Igor, it's a pleasure to meet you young man." Igor explained as he introduced himself. "And I am his assistant Margaret." Margaret added with a smile as she introduced herself. "I-I'm pleased to meet you both. I'm Keima, Keima Narukami." I explained nervously as I introduced myself. "We know. You're spirit is very similar to a couple of our previous guests." Igor added with a grin.
I was confused by this. "What do you mean?" I asked curiously, confused by his comment. "As we said. We are acquaintences of two members of your family." Margaret replied simply as she opened her book. "Who?" I asked even more curiously.
From the book's pages, a couple tarot cards floated up. "They are both of the Fool Arcana. Your Uncle and your Mother. Yu and Yui Narukami respectively. In fact, you're the spitting image of both. Save for the darker shade of your hair." Margaret noted as the cards that seemed to have images of my Uncle and Mother floated before her. I was shocked.
Igor snickered and Margaret giggled as they watched me rub my eyes fervently and smack myself. "Things are starting to get weird. I have to wake up!" I told myself as I continued to smack myself. "Hahaha! I don't blame you young Keima. But you are asleep yes, but you are awake none the less. We brought you here so we could talk." Igor explained with a laugh. "About what?" I asked as I stopped.
Igor waved his hand over the table in front of him and tarot cards appeared as they arranged themself in a pattern. One flipped itself over to reveal The Moon. "Ah, I see. You are of The Moon Arcana. It makes sense does it not?" Igor asked as he seemed to think about this. "Huh? I'm confused. How does that make sense? The only common thing about it I see is that it is number eighteen and I was born on June 18th." I explained as I got even more confused. "Young man, there are two sides to you. The light side, and then there's the dark side. The light side in which you choose to pretend to be happy to be alive. The dark side in which you are truly miserable in life and wish to deny your origins." Igor explained seriously. I shook my head. "I don't know what you're talking about." I said simply. "That's proving my point." Igor said as he waved his hands over the cards.
This irritated me. "Are you trying to piss me off!?" I asked as I slammed my hands on the table. "No, not at all young man. I didn't mean to offend you in anyway. I just tend to be rather accurate when I read a person." Igor replied with a shake of his head. "How accurate?" I asked sceptically. "I was able to read your Uncle's and Mom's personality down with complete accuracy without fail. I also predicted their arrival in Inaba when they resided there and the events they were involved in." Igor explained as he looked over the newly revealed cards. "What events? Mom never told me anything about that." I asked wondering if I was to ever be free of my confusion in this conversation. "Oh? Hm, I suppose it's natural since you have suffered some form of mental scarring." Igor replied with a shrug. I groaned and just sat down in a chair across from him.
"I'm sure when the time comes, you will learn of your Mother's, your Uncle's and their friends' journey. But in the mean time please be patient Keima." Margaret urged as she closed her book. "Fine. This is all more than likely just a dream anyways." I said with a sigh as I gave in.
"You may continue to believe that this is a dream. You will come to learn the truth in due time. But now let's see here. Oh, The Fool. You are to start a journey soon." Igor commented looking as if he was curious as to what kind. "Well I am moving to Inaba soon. Moving is a journey in itself." I commented, unaware that Igor didn't mean that. "Well yes. But I meant something else. But you'll see in due time." Igor explained cryptically. "Were you this cryptic with Mom and Uncle Yu?" I asked with a sigh. "No more than I am with any other of my guests." Igor replied as he went back to reading the cards.
"Death. It doesn't always mean you'll die. It also means you'll experience many changes in your life both positive and negative." Igor went on to explain. "That's reassuring... With mom dead and my grandparents here not wanting me, I could live with atleast some positive changes..." I said with a depressed sigh. "Well you'll be forming many bonds on this journey so you won't be lonely atleast." Igor commented as he looked at a third card.
"Bonds? You mean I'll be making friends? Well that makes me feel a bit better." I said feeling a little better. "Keima, as with our other guests these bonds you're about to form will be of great help to you in the future. They will form your power of the Wild Card much like your Mother's and Uncle's." Margaret explained as she opened her book once more and many tarot cards appeared with pictures of Uncle Yu, Mom and their friends on them.
I was getting increasingly more curious. "The Wild Card? And great help to what? Is something gonna happen?" I asked with a raised eyebrow with my mind both worried and curious. Igor smirked and showed me the third and fourth cards. "Judgment and The World. Much like your Uncle and Mother before you, there will be a great mystery thrusted upon you. This will test your Judgment as well as your soul. So great will this mystery be that the World's fate depends on it." Igor interpreted as he waved his hand and the cards vanished. I gulped as my heart began beating. W-W-Wow... That's heavy..." I stuttered as I tried to calm my heart. "I wouldn't worry. The bonds you'll be forming will prove vital in assuring you're victory." Igor said reassuringly as he stood up. This guy was kinda short actually...
I took a deep breath. "I don't know... I mean sure I have a lot going on for me personally. But there must be something wrong with me if my grandparents don't want me. So what makes you think I can form these bonds that you think will save the world?" I asked feeling unsure of what Igor was saying. "It will all become clear to you soon Keima. It will all make sense." Igor said as he folded his hands. "Right then. Well, thanks for the weird dream. I'm just gonna wake up now. I have a long day ahead of me." I said not so sure that this would ever make sense. "Yes, we will be seeing you again soon. Until then." Igor said with a wave. Everything then went black.
I woke up in the middle of the night with a start and in a cold sweat. I panted hard as I realized I was back in my room. I looked around just to make sure I wasn't still in the Velvet room. "What the Hell was that...? Was that even real? It seemed so real..." I said to myself as I felt a massive headache start. I took an aspirin from my packed bag I was taking with me on the train before laying back down. What I didn't notice is that it was midnight as I laid back down and that the tv on as I drifted off back to sleep. Someone appeared on the screen but no one would be able to tell who it was since the reception was all fuzzy and blurry. I fell back to sleep just as I noticed.