Characters and storylines
depicted in this work are
purely the work of fiction.
Any similarities to persons living
or dead are purely coincidental.
The views and opinions expressed do not all apply to the author.
A/N: After almost two years, we're starting this bad boy up again. I said I was going to start it by January, but I thought it would be more advantageous for me if I started again once the school year started to conclude since that way I would have more time to write. More DR: IA is still on the way as well. Enjoy :)
Prologue: A Dream So Real
The boy's eyes unfastened. He first looked at his palms. They weren't perspiring like they were in his previous persistent nightmares. In fact, he couldn't feel them at all despite his several attempts to move them. He heard the unfamiliar tatami floor creak under his weight. He looked up, a soft piano melody filled his head. The atmosphere and highly Edo-era-decorated walls had a sort of subtle blue tint to them. The room was void of windows or doors, causing somewhat of an internal panic within the boy. However, that panic couldn't properly manifest itself outwardly. A sense of tranquility felt as if it were being forced upon him.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room." An old man appeared before him, sitting behind a chabudai table with a set of Tarot Cards lined up neatly. A young woman sat on her knees beside him.
The old man looked other-worldly to the boy, a character that could only be realized in fiction. He had a long nose, large blood-shot eyes, and bushy eyebrows. A pair of long pointy ears jet out from his gradually balding head. He wore a stereotypical butlers uniform complete with a pair of white gloves that he used to tap the cards impatiently. He flashed the boy an ear-to-ear toothy grin.
The woman who accompanied him appeared dainty, her milky white skin like porcelain. Her well-kept and adorned shimada hair was platinum blonde, bringing out her garish yellow eyes. She wore a midnight blue kimono decorated with a floral print at the sleeves as well as a cyan sash.
"My name is Igor… It is an honor to make your acquaintance, guest." The old man's mouth hardly moved when he spoke. "The Velvet Room exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. Only those bound by our contract may enter."
A scroll materialized in front of Igor, unwrapping itself and stopping in front of the boy. A pen rolled closer. There was a single sentence with ten words in small, fine print. It read The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. A line underneath it urged him to inscribe his name. The boy stared at the contract, then at Igor.
"My apologies for being unclear in our aims." Igor cleared his throat. "The Velvet Room is a place formed by every guest's heart. Your destiny resides within this place. However, it is your choice as to whether or not you will take the opportunity to seek out profound wisdom."
The boy looked back at the contract. He knew it was just another one of those strange dreams, but something in him still pushed its way through. Before he knew it, the pen was firmly within his grasp, the contract just a few centimeters away. The ink permeated the paper.
His name:
Kazumi Kurosawa
Kazumi woke up in a cold sweat to the sound of the train making its way through the Fukuoka City tunnel system. He received a few looks from concerned passengers but did his best to settle down and not attract any attention to himself.
Am artificial female voice uttered the words "Arrival at Hakata Station will arise within the next few minutes."
A/N: Any constructive criticism would be appreciated. Thanks!