.
Chapter 2
Future Visions
(A/N: I can't believe I had to do so many Internet "research" about different obscure topics in order to finish this chapter. It was very time consuming. On the bright side, I learned plenty of interesting stuff. I guess it wasn't that bad in the end. Anyway, chapter 2 is here. Happy reading!)
Delusional.
Clay almost convinced that his mind had gone delusional. He found himself wandering in unknown territory. All he had seen were nothing but overarching trees. It almost felt like a forest of some kind. The air was humid and nauseating. He couldn't perceive the surrounding area clearly because the darkness and fog limited his field of vision. And when he looked above, all he saw was pitch black ceiling.
Even though Clay never considered himself claustrophobic, this confining surrounding made him feel anxious… and afraid.
He tried to explore the area. But there was no end in sight. Not to mention his sense of direction didn't seem to work well here. Every single tree looked very identical. He felt like he was running in circles for a really long time.
Eventually, he stopped to catch his breath. It was at this moment that a figure of darkness appeared in front him. The creature assumed unrecognizable form. Something really grotesque and evil. And yet, Clay also sensed other traits coming from that being. Apathy, pain, and seclusion…
The creature tried to approach him. Clay immediately chose to run away. He retreated to opposite direction and worked his legs as hard as he could. The creature gave chase, slowly closing the gap between them. Clay was unable to maintain his pace much longer, which to be expected as he was not athletic to begin with.
The creature finally grabbed his shoulder, then turned him around before placing a strong hold over his neck. Clay struggled in vain as the creature effortlessly lifted him off the ground while still keeping a firm grasp on his neck… violently.
Clay found himself in the state of pure desperation as he hopelessly gasping for air. He did his best to free himself from the clutch. But the strength difference between them were too large. He felt his awareness sinking with each moment as wave of hopelessness began to swallow him completely.
The creature released the grip, dropping his body to the ground. Clay was too exhausted to make even the smallest of movement. He could only looked at his assailant, completely surrendering his fate at whatever torment he was going to face next. The creature merely gazed at him for a long time.
'Who are you?' Clay asked with his mind.
He immediately received telepathic feedback. 'Forgive me. I have no choice.' The creature looked genuinely sad.
'What do you mean?' Clay asked again.
'This is my nature… my sole purpose of existing…' The creature replied.
'But still…' Clay thought. 'You always have a choice, right…? Are you really sure you do not have one?'
The creature just stood there. Pausing. Or perhaps contemplating. Clay didn't know for sure. After a while, the creature finally lifted both of his hands closer to his face, staring at them.
'Do I…?'
"C… l… ay…"
Clay heard a faint calling of his name. He perceived nothing but pitch black darkness through the limited sensory of his consciousness. For a while, he felt like a tiny bubble drifting aimlessly in the ocean. A fleeting existence, without any kind of purpose or significance. Meaningless.
"C… lay…!"
The voice spoke louder again. Rough and raspy. Clay slowly became aware of his body. A beam of light passed through the gaps of his eyelids, making him winced. He tried to get used to the intruding sensation before making sense of his surrounding.
"Clay, you awake?" said Jake who was busy operating the steering wheel in the driver seat.
"What… where… what happened?" Clay struggled to maintain his focus. The moving vehicle constantly disrupted his orientation. Also, the piercing sunlight hurt his eyes when he attempted to scan the surrounding.
"That's my line." Jake scowled as he readjusted the accelerator after making a turn. "Still… that's a good question. Why don't you tell me your side of the story before I elaborate on mine?"
Clay tried to retrieve his latest memory. I was attacked and… that monster… wait a sec. Was it even real?
"I… don't remember." Clay replied. He shifted his sitting position slightly. He never felt comfortable sitting in passenger seat of this cargo van.
Jake sighed. "Why am I not surprised?" He quickly changed gear to prepare for the long highway ahead. "Let's see… I was turning my back on you for a sec. And all of sudden, you dropped like a leaf. I almost thought you were dead!"
Pieces of event began to resurface on Clay's memory. He had been under some influence, and then he did something intrusive to the black matter. Not long after that, something sinister suffocated him which apparently led to his collapse.
"Hold on!" said Clay as another realization hit him hard. "I haven't completed my research yet. We should go back."
"Are you out of your mind!" Jake shouted. "Does nothing go through your head except dirt and bauble study? I had to carry you all the way out by myself. It's not even funny. Thanks for nothing Mr. Fainting-Violet-in-Distress!" He gently rubbed his forehead before letting out a sigh. "Maybe I should apply for triathlon after this." Jake said jokingly.
Clay thought about everything that happened. Was everything he did for nothing? After all that journey, investigation, to the point of risking his own existence on trial. In the end, he still didn't get proper closure that he wanted. Ogirun tribe would find out later about the trespassing, increasing the security even further. He probably wouldn't have the second chance to investigate after this. The answers which he craved would be lost forever. Somehow, this realization made him depressed.
All for naught. Clay thought.
"Just forget it, Clay." Jake said. He could tell disappointment coming from the archaeologist beside him. "It's not worth it."
Clay kept his eyes on the road, trying to numb his emotion. "So, where are we going?"
"Home." Jake replied. "We should reach Neo Domino City in two hours. You'd better rest up." He slowed down as the van reached a tunnel. "…You look really worn out."
Clay adjusted his posture and proceeded to close his eyes, while trying his best to ignore the uncomfortable seat. He resigned himself as wave of drowsiness began to swarm his consciousness. He thought he heard a faint whisper before he fell into complete slumber.
'Not for naught…'
Jake crossed the city limit without any issue, except for exhaustion that began to take its toll on his body. He had endured the whole night without any rest. The time almost reached 10 a.m. and he was on the verge of sleeping. To be fair, it was sort of his fault for joining the trip in the first place. It wasn't like he had a choice back then. Jake knew perfectly well that Clay would travel alone on this 'suicide mission' if Jake had refused to accompany his foolhardy friend.
Meanwhile, Clay couldn't get as much good sleep as he wanted. Uncomfortable seat aside, his mind had been occupied with many things. From Deus Ghisk incident, the unusual dream, to his next action plan. He made a mental note to check the video recording later. Unfortunately, the video was the only source material he could use for further study. He wished he had more than just recording. Something more… substantial.
A sudden phone call interrupted Clay's train of thought. He pulled out his phone and examined the caller ID. Hmm… an unknown number?
"Hello…?" Clay answered with wariness.
"I know what you did." A stern female voice came from the other end.
Clay knew exactly whose voice it belonged to. "Chancellor…!?" He failed to hide the sound of panic from his voice.
"To my office. Pronto." She hung up right away, leaving behind a parting shot with bitter aftertaste.
"Let me guess…" Jake smirked. "Bad news." He resisted the urge to laugh at his friend's possible misfortune. "Can't say I'm surprised… considering the amount of troubles you have been attracting so far. Like attracts like, they said."
Clay responded with a long-drawn-out face palm. "I… I'm stopping at my campus. Let's part ways there."
"Fair enough." Jake pressed the accelerator and proceeded to speed up among the traffic on Neo Domino highway.
This won't be pretty. Clay thought.
Clay received many weird glances as he walked across the campus hallways. It didn't help that he wasn't wearing proper attire for aspiring college professor. His clothes were dirty with stain and mud. And his travelling backpack looked very out of place in this academic setting.
He took a deep breath before entering chancellor's office. Chancellor Talia sat at her desk, giving Clay a piercing glare. She adjusted her sleek glasses before standing up.
"Ah, it seems our misbehaving faculty member just graced us with…" The chancellor glanced at the man's outfit with disgust. "…his not so appropriate presence!"
Talia walked around the desk and leaned against it. "Please do mind sitting down. I will appreciate if you keep the furniture clean."
Clay started to break out in a cold sweat. "Uhm… The think is… I was…" He struggled to find a plausible excuse.
"Don't interrupt!" Talia lashed out, making the poor archaeologist frozen in place. She pulled out a mini computer device from her pocket.
"Let us begin your assessment." She began to read the monitor. "Yesterday, at precisely 9:03 a.m. you exited Neo Domino periphery even though you were supposed to attend class that morning. Following that, you had the gut to cross illegal region at 5:39 p.m. without any ownership of official permit, effectively making you guilty for illegal entry."
Clay cursed himself for not jamming the tracking function in his phone. He could just easily pretend to be sick if she didn't possess those critical information. Chancellor Talia had been known to be super strict to her staffs. To the point of installing tracking application and checking every bit of background information including legal documents record.
"Your display of methodological deficiency could easily ruin our institution's name." Talia continued her rant. "Imagine if this data falls into Public Security's hands. Those media dogs will have a field day!"
Clay wanted to retort with something, anything. But, words failed to come from his mouth. To be fair, he was on the wrong side of the fence. He didn't have official permit. But, Jake actually had the legal papers from his mass media company. From technical standpoint, Clay at least thought he hadn't committed illegal entry.
"Do I need to give you friendly reminder that you are still in probationary period?" Talia threatened. "As a chancellor, it is my duty to weed out 'less proficient' member from the faculty."
Clay only stood still, waiting for the inevitable verdict.
Talia sighed. "I shall turn a blind eye on this, Mr. Dustyn. Consider this your final warning. If I catch you neglecting your duty again…" She returned to her desk. "Consider your tenure done. Dismiss." She gestured Clay to leave.
"Yes, ma'am." Clay hung his head in shame as he left the room, feeling dejected.
Clay managed to reach his apartment in the afternoon.
Cold shower failed to cool off his head. The unexpected berating from the chancellor made his emotional state worsened. His luck certainly wasn't on his side today. He wondered if he truly was a trouble magnet as Jake claimed it to be.
Clay finished cleaning up then looked at the mirror. He could see his eyes had become red. The trip left him with nothing but fatigue and disappointment. He continued to look at his defeated reflection. Was it all worth it?
It was at that moment that he noticed something unusual. There was a faint bruise mark with bluish color around his neck. The bruise perhaps wasn't noticeable at a glance. But it was clearly visible at this close distance.
What the heck…? Clay thought as he traced the mark with his finger. He didn't remember receiving any kind of collision or impact on his neck. It didn't make any sense to him at all. There was no way the bruise could possibly appear. Not unless…
He shuddered as memory of his nightmare resurfaced. The image flashed through his mind. Something had been trying to strangle him. And he was suffocating during the violent struggle. Could it be…?
Clay quickly dismissed the thought as the implication began to terrify him. He decided that taking care of his fatigue should be the first priority at this point. A decent nap and rejuvenation should be able to dispel all his worries and mental baggage. Not to mention, he needed to deliver a lecture tomorrow morning.
He turned in early that day, trying to suppress unpleasant feeling inside him.
Clay stood in the dark forest again.
He had neither the clue nor memory regarding his arrival in this place. He was alone in the middle of nowhere, feeling uncertain about his objective. He contemplated whether exploring the area was better than staying where he was.
Normally, he would have been curious about the unknown. He was the type who could never hold his horses when it came to exploring uncharted area. Except this time, he was afraid. The oppressive atmosphere was too much for him to handle. Perhaps if his companion was here, then maybe he could…
An invincible force knocked him to the ground. Before he could react, something grabbed his left ankle and proceeded to drag his body with high velocity.
Clay attempted to struggle as painful collisions on the ground began to inflict his body with agony. He couldn't recognize who or what attacking him. They certainly weren't willing to let go of his body no matter how much Clay kept resisting.
At some point, his head bumped against a rock, leaving behind a severe twinge on his forehead. His assailant immediately stopped moving. Clay touched the wound by reflex and noticed thick blood coating his fingers.
'Did it hurt?' The creature sent telepathic thought. Clay didn't sense malevolent intent coming from the question.
The archaeologist was finally able to see his attacker clearly. It was the same creature as before, still radiating with aura of darkness. Clay felt most of his body went numb due to injury.
The creature stood and waited patiently for response.
'Why are you doing this?' Clay thought.
The creature spent a long time thinking about the answer. As if the question was some kind of doctoral dissertation which Clay had to endure during his academic years.
'I… I know nothing… I just did…' The creature seemed confused.
Clay found his vision getting blurry as he continued to gaze at his assailant. He wanted to understand the meaning and reasoning behind those words. He craved an answer…
He woke up abruptly. To his horror, he found fresh blood pouring out of his head.
What happened to me?
Clay couldn't concentrate on his lecture next morning. His mind kept thinking about his mysterious wound. The dream, or to be precise, the nightmare felt so lucid and real. It was way too real. So real that his wound somehow had transcended into reality.
He shuddered as he imagined what would have happened if the creature had done something more… lethal. Would he survive? Would his bed turn into literal deathbed? Or perhaps, he was merely hallucinating due to stress and mental breakdown. Maybe, he contracted a rare disease that caused him to bleed while sleeping.
Either way, he realized that he needed help.
"What happened to me?" Clay said to physician in front of him.
The doctor kept shuffling papers and medical charts. A confused expression was apparent on his face. "So, you mentioned you had a nightmare… and there was a bleeding on your head. Are you sure it wasn't a nosebleed?"
"I don't think that was the case," said Clay. "When I woke up, this area was bleeding." He pointed at small bandage on his forehead.
"Are you alcoholic? Did you consume alcohol yesterday?"
"No, I don't drink." Clay knew perfectly well that he never touched alcoholic beverages.
"Then… are you on medication?" The doctor asked.
"No… at least I'm not aware of it." Clay said truthfully.
"What about depression?"
Clay thought about disaster from yesterday. "Well, I can't say I'm feeling emotionally well. But still…"
The doctor frowned. "These symptoms don't add up, Mr. Dustyn. I never encounter a case like this. There are possibilities of hallucination, chronic sleepwalking…" He adjusted his tone carefully. "…Or possible mental health issue."
Clay was dumbfounded. He started sinking deeper on his chair. So… now he thinks I'm crazy.
"Anyway…" The doctor began to write something. "I'll prescribe some sleep medication to ease your nightmare problem." He finished writing then handed Clay two papers. "And this is referral letter to a colleague of mine. He is a renowned psychiatrist."
Clay left the examination room with prescription in his hand. He stood with blank expression in front of the closed door. His visit to physician didn't reward him with sense of relief. He believed he was not delusional. At least he hoped so. Clay tried to come up with deduction of his own.
If he didn't contracted rare disease, then his problem must be related to paranormal. He had firsthand experience that confirmed the existence of magic. Not to mention, he only started having nightmare after returning from Deus Ghisk. He found it difficult to see it as 'mere' coincidence.
Clay realized he still needed help. But, he had no idea where the help would come from. Not even a single clue about where to search. Who should he ask for help at time like this? He didn't think Jake would be able to help, let alone believe his outrageous story.
He briefly read the prescription and sighed. This 'Prazosin' had better be good.
"Excuse me, sir."
Clay didn't realize there was a woman standing in front of him. She wore a casual dress that made her look like young early twenties adult. But, her demeanor gave strong impression of professional mature woman. She looked him in the eye and smiled.
"I just got a vision about you." She said gently. "I believe it will be in your best interest to book my service." She pulled out something from her purse then held it in front of Clay. It looked like a card.
Clay paused as he tried to digest the out of the blue dialogue that made no sense. "Pardon?"
The woman, without prior permission whatsoever, put the card inside his shirt pocket. "See you soon." She quickly left and disappeared to nearby hospital corridor.
"Hold on!" Clay tried reaching out to her. But, he was too late. She already vanished from sight, leaving behind a very confused archaeologist.
Clay examined the card from his pocket. It was a small business card with clean minimalist design. He proceeded to read the card.
Dianne Rui
Professional Intuitive Divination Duelist
Get answer and guidance now.
Clay held his forehead, trying to understand the situation. I hope I'm not delusional.
Clay stood in front of a seemingly normal office building. He could read the sign 'Channeling Mediumship Center' at the front. He came here immediately from campus after he finished all of his faculty responsibilities. He didn't know what to expect in this place. It wasn't like he had a choice but to come here.
To his relief, Clay didn't have any nightmare last night. The medicine might have something to do with it. Maybe, it was pure coincidence. Either way, he didn't want to spend the rest of his life relying on sleeping pills.
Clay entered the front door. The lobby had distinct interior compared to other buildings he had seen. He briefly looked left and right, wondering what to do first. He could see few people walking around. He decided to approach the front receptionist.
The receptionist smiled. "Can I help you, sir?"
Clay revealed the business card he got yesterday. "Is it possible to meet Miss Rui right now?"
"Oh, have you booked an appointment with her, sir?"
"Appointment?" said Clay, confused. He didn't see this coming. "Well, actually I was thinking that—"
"I've been expecting you." A woman said from behind.
Clay turned around. It was indeed the same woman from yesterday. This time, she wore formal wear that matched her mature presence. She gently offered her hand. "I'm Dianne Rui. Feel free to address me as Dianne."
Clay accepted the handshake. "Clay Dustyn. Err, nice to meet you, Miss Dianne." He wasn't sure how to continue the conversation from here. Dianne, despite being younger than him, seemed to give off slight intimidating vibe that he usually got from older authority.
"Please follow me, Mr. Dustyn," said Dianne.
She guided him to a private room on second floor. It was a pretty large size room with relaxing decoration. Both of them sat at small rectangular table in the middle.
"Normally, my clients need to book appointment with me in advance." She said while shuffling a deck of cards. "But, I have this feeling that you're facing an urgent circumstance at the moment. In such case, I can make an exception. We can begin our session right away."
"Err… Miss Dianne?" said Clay who was still clueless about the situation. "What exactly are we doing here?"
Dianne gave a comforting smile. "We shall do intuitive reading. I will use my ESP to channel information and guidance from Higher Power. We can go with the old school Tarot cards reading. Or alternatively, if you're bold and daring…" She drew a card and revealed it. Fool of Prophecy. "We can engage in Divination Duel instead. This service is my specialty by the way."
Divination… Duel? Clay thought. That's news to me. The new vocabulary did not fail to trigger his curiosity.
"First, I demand upfront payment." She said casually. "My rate is $500 per session."
"I have to pay?" Clay was surprised. "That's a rather pricey service."
"Unfortunately, my bills don't pay themselves." She let out small laugh in order to not sound rude to her soon-to-be customer. "Oh, no need to worry if you don't bring enough cash. We accept credit cards here."
Clay reluctantly gave the amount from his wallet. "I… I have my deck with me. But, I left my Duel Disk at home."
"That won't be an issue, Mr. Dustyn." Dianne said as she took the money. "We can provide you with one."
They moved few furniture that would get in the way to the sidelines. Clay and Dianne proceeded to get ready. Clay didn't know what to expect. He was both nervous and eager at the same time. A duel was still a duel no matter what. As a duelist, he was certain he would have a good time.
"First thing first…" She said in serious tone. "Do you want to know everything?"
Clay thought about the question for a while. "Yes." He said with a hint of determination.
"Then, let us begin."
"Duel!" Both duelist drew five cards.
[Clay: 8000] - Vs - [Dianne: 8000]
"Ladies first." Dianne said. She began to close her eyes, trying to enter some kind of trance. She tentatively touched one card in her hand randomly. She briefly looked at it before revealing it to Clay.
"Magician card…" Dianne muttered as clairvoyant vision started to take form in her mental space. "I feel the issue that you're facing at the moment was started by your own action. You brought this upon yourself by playing with fire. The impression that I get is recklessness. No, I think it was pure naiveté."
Clay didn't want to comment. A part of him felt wary about potential cold reading. Even though Dianne had said relevant things, they were still vague statements by themselves. Better safe than sorry. He thought.
She placed the Magician card on her Disk. "I play Spellbook Magician of Prophecy."
A short boy wearing blue attire from top to bottom appeared. He held something that looked like a magic book. (500/400/*2)
"I'll use Magician's effect." She continued. "Now, I can take a Spellbook spell card from my deck. I think I will go with Spellbook of Knowledge." She quickly took the card and looked at it. Another vision appeared inside her mind.
"I saw you being surrounded by stack of books, Mr. Dustyn. And I had this impression that you actually enjoyed the surrounding. The stuffy atmosphere didn't seem to bother you at all. Do you have strong academic background by any chance?" Dianne asked.
"Well, I'm a college professor." He replied.
"Hmm, I never expected to do a reading for someone like you." Dianne seemed impressed. "Anyway, I play Spellbook of Knowledge." She inserted the spell card into the Disk. "I'm sending Magician to the graveyard in order to draw two cards." The young spellcaster vanished from the field. Dianne made two draws.
"Then, I shall play this continuous spell, Guarded Treasure." She revealed the card from her hand. "To activate this card, I have to discard five cards in exchange for drawing two more cards. Moreover, as long as Guarded Treasure stays on the field, I get to draw two cards during my Draw Phase."
What sort of strategy is this? Clay was bewildered by such bold play style. Discarding five cards at once certainly was not a joking matter. Clay could just easily destroy Guarded Treasure next turn, essentially turning those sacrifices into void.
Dianne discarded Prophecy Destroyer, Spellbook Library of Heliosphere, Spellbook Star Hall, Spell Wall, and Spellbook of Fate. She replenished her empty hands with two additional draws. She received a new vision.
"Guarded Treasure…" She muttered. "For some reason, I'm being shown the word 'trespassing'. And I have this feeling that 'trespassing was the event that started everything'. Does that make sense?" She asked.
"Well…" Clay felt reluctant to tell. "I was… committing illegal entry, so to speak. And things had been a mess since that happened. Oh, hold on!" He was panicking. "I appreciate if you don't report that to Security."
Dianne smiled. "No need to worry, Mr. Dustyn. My reading is always confidential. Even if you were a serial killer on the run, I wouldn't tell a soul."
She reached her discard slot and took out few cards. "I banish Spellbook of Knowledge, Spellbook of Fate, and Spellbook Star Hall to special summon Prophecy Destroyer from the graveyard."
Clay couldn't help but think about the nightmare as the monster appeared. It was a monstrous looking demon with human-like torso. It carried a sinister red sword that looked bloodthirsty. (2500/1200/*6)
"The Devil arcana…" Dianne explained. "I see that you are caught in unfavorable situation. For some reason, I feel a sensation of bondage. It's like my body being tied down and restricted. It feels quiet painful. And I get this impression that this unfortunate state have been going for very long time. I could also feel a trace of loneliness. And then—"
'Back off…'
Dianne paused. The sudden clairaudient input startled her. What was that…!?
'Stop intruding… my feeling…'
She sensed some sort of interference in the energy. It almost felt like she was channeling a different entity. She wasn't sure whether she simply misheard the voice or not. If the voice belonged to other entity… then who was it?
"Miss Dianne?" said Clay, confused.
"Ah, I'm not really sure just yet. Let's… let us continue the duel." Dianne inserted her remaining cards. "I set these two cards." Two facedown cards appeared. "Your turn, Mr. Dustyn."
"If you say so…" Clay drew a card. He considered the field situation. My first priority is to destroy Guarded Treasure as soon as possible. Otherwise, things will escalate quickly.
"I set a monster." He said. A hidden monster appeared. "I activate my own continuous spell, Attack the Moon! With this card, I can destroy one spell or trap card each time a Rock-type monster on my side changes its battle position."
Clay pressed a button on his Duel Disk, ejecting his field slot. "Now, I activate a field spell, Catapult Zone." The room transformed into an ancient rocky battlefield with barren ground. He could see two sets of old catapult on his side of the field. "Once per turn, I can protect my monster from battle destruction by discarding a Rock-type monster from my deck."
He took one more card. "I end my turn with this facedown card." One reversed card appeared behind his monster.
[Clay: 8000] - Vs - [Dianne: 8000]
"My turn." Dianne made two draws. She still felt uneasy about her previous turn. Something just didn't feel right. And she didn't even know why.
"I… I play Spellbook of Secrets." She said weakly. "I can take any Spellbook card from my deck. And I… I choose Spellbook of Eternity."
A card slipped out of her deck. She gazed at the card.
"I saw…" She muttered. "I'm not sure how to explain it. I sense the feeling of immortality out of this person. Eternal. He looks human. But, he isn't human. He looks real, but he is mere illusion. I feel like you know about this person. Or at least, you recognize him."
Is she talking about Phantom? Clay thought.
"I think I know who you are referring to," said Clay. "But, I don't think I can explain it better myself."
"Okay then, I shall play this card right away." She activated the spell. "This card allows me to retrieve one banished Spellbook to my hand, like my Spellbook of Knowledge, for instance."
Dianne pressed a button, one of her facedown card opened. "I discard my Spellbook of Knowledge to activate Twin Twisters. I think I will destroy both of your spell cards."
Two sets of whirlwind swept through the duel field. Both Catapult Zone and Attack the Moon cards were shattered to pieces. The field hologram effect disappeared, returning the room interior to its original state.
"I shall summon someone familiar." Dianne placed a card on her Disk. "Meet Fool of Prophecy."
The new spellcaster jumped from opening portal. He was a young adolescent boy wearing a clothing with brown and green colors combination. The green stripe scarf, sleek wavy brown hair, along with his smug expression made this 'arcana monster' stand out. (1600/900/*3)
"I had strong feeling about this card since you arrived." She said. "It's like this card truly resembles you as a person. Someone who often follows their foolish impulses. Curious individual with strong sense of spontaneity."
"These qualities are your greatest strength…" Dianne paused briefly. "…and also your weakness."
"Err, Miss Dianne…" Clay considered his words carefully. "I'm not good at digesting 'vague' statements. Could you please go straight to the main point?"
"Ah, I'm really sorry. People says I often get carried away." She seemed embarrassed. "Moving on… I shall use Fool's effect to send Spellbook Library of Crescent from my deck to the graveyard." She put the card into her discard slot.
Dianne pointed at Clay's hidden monster. "Now, I declare an attack with Prophecy Destroyer." She quickly pressed a button. Her final facedown card opened. "I use my trap card, Magician's Circle. Both of us must summon Spellcaster-type monster with 2000 ATK or less from the deck. I believe you don't have anything that fits the bill, Mr. Dustyn."
"Actually, I have one." Clay smirked. A card was ejected automatically from his deck. He revealed the monster. "I got this old man. I summon Mathematician."
An old professor with overly long beard appeared in front of him. (1500/500/*3)
Dianne responded by summoning her own monster. "I choose Apprentice Illusion Magician." A female spellcaster wearing iconic Dark Magician Girl's outfit was materialized. She wielded a short purple staff. (2000/1700/*6)
Dianne considered her next move. "Then… Prophecy Destroyer will attack Mathematician instead."
The demon Prophecy leaped forward and aimed his sword toward the old professor. He made a quick slash on the target. Mathematician vanished immediately. (LP 8000 → 7000)
"Because Mathematician was destroyed…" Clay said. "Now, I can draw one card." He made a draw.
"My Illusion Magician will strike your monster." She declared. The spellcaster twirled her staff then released a beam of dark energy toward the concealed monster. Golem Sentry became visible. It took the attack and shattered.
Clay pressed a button. His reversed card was lifted. "I activate my trap, Broken Blocker. With this card, I can special summon two more Golem Sentry from my deck in defense position."
Two Golem Sentry replaced the previous one. They assumed defensive position. (DEF 1800)
"Interesting." Dianne said. "I'm going to proceed to my End Phase. Just a friendly reminder, I already have 5 different Spellbooks in my graveyard at the moment. Now, I can release Fool of Prophecy to summon a high level Dark Spellcaster from my deck."
The Fool was surrounded by white orb and disappeared.
"Meet the Death arcana…" She slammed the monster card on her Disk. "I summon Reaper of Prophecy!"
The Reaper exited through the portal. He wore sinister black robe with tatters at the bottom. He wielded a long scythe with grim design, adorned with demonic horns on top of it. (2000/1600/*6)
Dianne received another vision.
A giant hall surrounded with many lanterns. Two duelist facing each other inside a magic circle. The shadowy aftermath after the duel. An entity was consumed by pitch black darkness…
Dianne thought about the images. She tried to explore the meaning coming from the metaphors. But, she couldn't understand any of them. After a while, she came to conclusion that those images were not metaphors. They were actual recording of past event.
"I saw a Shadow Duel." Dianne said calmly. "I think… you were the one who engaged in it, Mr. Dustyn."
Clay was astonished by her accuracy. He didn't think it was possible to make up such statement with cold reading. It pretty much erased all of his doubt regarding Dianne's ESP integrity.
"It's true." Clay said. "I still remember it clearly. It was… horrible. It happened two days ago. I suspect something bad happened during that duel, something I don't understand yet. I really want to know what it was."
Dianne gave a warm reassuring smile. "I believe I should be able to give you some closure today. But, for now…" She began to speak in serious tone. "My Reaper has multiple effects depending on total Spellbooks in my graveyard. Because I have five cards, I get to apply all effects."
"First, Reaper shall gains 600 ATK."
(ATK 2000 → 2600)
"Second, I can take one Spellbook from my deck. I choose The Grand Spellbook Tower." She added the ejected card to her hand.
"Third, I get to special summon another high level Dark Spellcaster from deck. This time, I will summon Wheel of Prophecy."
A big muscular man with lion face appeared. He carried an oversized shield engraved with magical runes. (2700/1700/*8)
"There's more." She continued. "When Wheel was summoned by another Spellcaster, I can shuffle any banished Spellbook back to the deck. I choose to return my Spellbook of Fate." She put the spell back to her deck. "Also, any remaining Spellbooks will be sent to the graveyard." She inserted Spellbook Star Hall into her discard slot.
"I end my turn with a field spell." Dianne opened her field slot. "I play The Grand Spellbook Tower."
The room transformed again. There was a tall magical tower behind Dianne. It was surrounded by six floating objects, encircling the tower in orderly fashion.
"Your turn, Mr. Dustyn." She smiled. "I hope I don't get carried away."
Clay stared at four strong monsters on opposite side. It was an intimidating field situation. But, he absolutely preferred this over triple Skull Servants with 10000 ATK.
He drew a card and looked at it. Maxx C.
Might come in handy. He thought.
"I activate Golem Sentry's effect," said Clay. "Once per turn, I can change Golem Sentry to facedown defense position."
Both Golems turned into horizontal cards.
"And I flip summon both of them."
The Golems revealed themselves again. (800/1800/*4)
"When this card is flip summoned, I can return a monster on your side to the hand." Clay considered his targets. "I choose Wheel of Prophecy and Prophecy Destroyer."
"Very well…" Dianne added both Prophecy cards to her hand. Both monsters vanished from the field.
"Next, I overlay both Golem Sentry." Clay declared. A giant vortex appeared under his monsters. Both Golems transformed into ray of light before entering the swirling vortex. "Xyz summon, Fairy King Albverdich!"
Clay watched as a figure rose from the vortex. It was a wise looking elf wearing something that looked like ceremonial robe. He had long white hair that further accentuated his regal presence. There were two orbs of light revolving around him. (2300/1400/R4)
"I activate Albverdich's effect." Clay continued. "By detaching one Xyz material, all monsters other than Earth monsters will lose 500 ATK."
One orb revolving the elf disappeared. Two sprouts of plant were manifested on the ground. They rapidly grew into thin vines that wrapped themselves on both sorcerers, restricting their movements.
Reaper of Prophecy (ATK 2600 → 2100)
Apprentice Illusion Magician (ATK 2000 → 1500)
"Not bad." Dianne commented.
Clay took out one card from his discard slot. "I banish Mathematician to summon Gigantes."
A giant ogre leaped from the portal. There was a small horn on its forehead. It let out a huge battle roar. (1900/1300/*4)
Clay pointed at the witch. "Gigantes, attack Illusion Magician!"
The ogre charged forward and unleashed a strong jab at the witch. She attempted to block the attack with her staff. She took the impact and disappeared. (LP 8000 → 7600)
"Fairy King Albverdich, it's your turn now."
The elf gestured toward the Reaper. The vines binding the Reaper grew larger. The poor sorcerer struggled as the plant continued to squeeze him harder. Eventually, the Reaper got swallowed completely and vanished. (LP 7600 → 7400)
Clay took one of his remaining three cards from his hand. "I set a card. My turn is over." One facedown card appeared behind Gigantes.
[Clay: 7000] - Vs - [Dianne: 7400]
"I'm impressed you could eliminate all my monsters in single turn." Dianne said as she made two draws.
"Well, I was enrolled in Duel Academy." Clay admitted.
"I wish there were official schools for ESP development." Dianne sigh. "People often see us as either charlatan or crazy members of society. It would be nice if everyone acknowledge our existence more."
Speaking of crazy. A doctor gave me referral to psychiatrist yesterday. Clay remembered.
"It seems you had it rough, Miss Dianne." He tried to empathize.
"I appreciate your concern, Mr. Dustyn. You're a fine gentleman." Dianne said. "Anyway, it's my turn now." She took a moment to consider. "I'm using my field spell's effect to return Spellbook Star Hall in my graveyard to the bottom of my deck."
The floating objects around the tower were glowing with beautiful colors. She placed the card carefully to her deck.
"By doing so, I get to draw once more." She made a draw.
She examined all five cards in her hand. Prophecy Destroyer, Wheel of Prophecy, Magical Stone Excavation, Spellbook of the Master, and Spellbook of Power.
"I play this spell card, Magical Stone Excavation. I shall discard Prophecy Destroyer and Wheel of Prophecy to add Spellbook of Secrets to my hand."
She discarded both Prophecy cards. Then, a card slipped out automatically from her discard slot.
The Devil is coming again. Clay frowned. I thought my plan to bounce it last turn was foolproof. I suppose she was right. I'm a Fool.
Dianne gazed at her cards. She felt uneasy again as another vision appeared before her mind's eye.
She saw something that looked like a large pitch black container. At a glance, she thought it was a cage. After taking a closer look, the place felt more like a prison. The prison didn't seem to be empty. She could sense someone was inside. There was a creature surrounded by devilish aura. The creature was bound by multiple chains.
'Mind your business, woman…'
Dianne heard the voice again. This time, she was dead sure that the input was coming from other entity. Somewhere really close. She was determined to unmask the truth.
"I play Spellbook of Secrets." Dianne inserted the card. Reveal yourself. She challenged the entity.
She began to concentrate on her third eye chakra. She visualized her field of awareness to expand more and more until it fully encompassed the entire room. Unfortunately, in doing so, she had to exert some of her mental energy.
She finally pinpointed the source of energetic disturbance. Her attention now focused on the man in front of him. Clay was standing alone by himself. But, she could perceive a dark silhouette behind him. Negative entity attachment. She thought. A very dark one at that.
"Mr. Dustyn…" She thought about her next words carefully. Years of experience working in this industry had taught her that nobody liked to be told they were possessed. People tended to react negatively to the news. Often resulted in denial or backlash.
"I afraid I just encountered something… unfortunate." She finally said.
"What do you mean?" Clay asked.
"I have a proposal, Mr. Dustyn." She said calmly. "I believe it will be better if we focus on finishing our duel first. After that, I shall tell you everything you need to know… properly."
"Fine by me." He said.
"Very well, I shall end this quickly." Dianne continued. "I use Spellbook of Secrets to add Spellbook of Life."
She quickly took the card. She received another vision once more. She saw a group of people wearing similar white robes. It seemed like they were doing some kind of ritual. Together, they formed a circle and chanted some prayers.
'All hail our Goddess…'
'Bestow your salvation…'
'Banish Garlandolf…'
Dianne decided to keep this information for later. She proceeded to play her next card. "I'm using Spellbook of Life. By banishing a Spellcaster in the graveyard and revealing one Spellbook in my hand, I can revive Reaper of Prophecy." She took out Magician of Prophecy from her discard slot. And then, she revealed Spellbook of Power from her hand.
"Hold on!" Clay interrupted. He quickly discard a monster from his hand. "I activate Maxx C from my hand. This turn, I get to draw one card each time you special summon a monster."
Dianne smiled. "Unfortunately, that won't be enough to stop me from going all out." She put Reaper card on her Disk. "I summon Reaper of Prophecy!"
The Reaper returned once more. (ATK 2000 → 2600)
Clay made a draw.
"That means I get to apply all Reaper's effect again." She continued. "I choose to add Spellbook of Wisdom and special summon Endymion, the Master Magician."
A new sorcerer with majestic black suit appeared. He carried some kind of big ring on his back. Clay immediately thought this monster looked pretty threatening. (2700/1700/*7)
Clay drew a card.
"Next, I banish Spellbook Library of Crescent, Spellbook of Knowledge, and Spellbook Library of Heliosphere to summon the Devil again."
Prophecy Destroyer appeared beside Endymion. (ATK 2500)
Clay drew once more.
Dianne closed her eyes. Another recording of past event began to play inside her mind. She saw the aftermath of Shadow Duel. Phantom was defeated. And then, Clay was hypnotized by demonic influence. The seal was broken, releasing a demonic being. The demon attempted to roam free, but couldn't because he lacked a vessel. He immediately used Clay as a host, while slowly syphoning his life force in the process.
Dianne was hugely disturbed by this revelation. She became even more determined to finish the duel faster in order to pass this urgent information sooner.
"I play Spellbook of Power." She declared. "This card increases Endymion's ATK by 1000 points until the End Phase."
Endymion was glowing with red aura. (ATK 2700 → 3700)
"I have more." Dianne played another card. "I use Spellbook of the Master. This card can be used to replicate one Spellbook effect in my graveyard. But first, I must reveal one Spellbook from my hand." She showed her Spellbook of Wisdom. "I replicate Spellbook of Power to increase Reaper's ATK points."
Reaper was surrounded with red aura as well. (ATK 2600 → 3600)
"I might not have studied in Duel Academy. But, I'm perfectly aware what Gigantes does." Dianne discarded Spellbook of Wisdom. "I use Endymion's effect to destroy Gigantes!"
Endymion pointed his staff at Gigantes. He launched a sphere of energy toward the ogre. Gigantes braced itself as the projectile became closer.
Clay quickly pressed a button. "I activate my trap, Magnet Force. Rock-type monsters on the field are immune to monster's effect this turn."
A force field enveloped Gigantes, shielding it from the magic blast.
Dianne had already done her mental math. She was certain she would win this turn. There was no backrow on opposite side. Clay would not have enough Life Points to survive the attack.
"Battle Phase." She declared. "Endymion will attack Fairy King Albverdich."
Endymion aimed his magic toward the elf king. Albverdich took the blast and vanished. (LP 7000 → 5600)
"Spellbook of Power has additional effect." She explained. "I can add a Spellbook from my deck each time my monster defeats something in battle. I'll go with Spellbook Star Hall." A card slipped out of her deck.
As soon she touched the card, another vision flashed before her. A giant hall surrounded with beautiful light. The white interior made this place looked almost heavenly. She could see a man and woman standing at the center. They appeared to be dueling.
'I am not giving up on Garlandolf.' The man shouted.
'You are blinded by the shadow.' The woman gave stern reply. 'It is clear that Garlandolf had succeeded in deceiving your conscience.'
'You're wrong! I understand his true feeling.'
'He clouded your judgment with trickery. If you insist on aligning yourself with shadow, then I shall banish shadow with light!' The woman played a card. 'Ritual of Grace!'
Dianne gasped. There was no mistake. It was certainly a glimpse of the future. A future vision. She never experienced such thing before. It simply was not her specialty. She didn't believe in fate and destiny. She was a firm believer that the future was not set in stone. Normally, her belief system should block any kind of future prediction from entering her mental space. To receive a future vision now was simply illogical.
She continued her Battle Phase. "My Reaper shall attack Gigantes now. Go forth, Oblivion Vortex!"
The Reaper held his deadly scythe high and rotated it a few times. Then he slammed it hard on the floor, creating huge spark of magical energy that travelled toward the ogre. Gigantes suffered the violent impact before shattering to pieces. (LP 5600 → 3900)
"I'm using Spellbook of Power's effect to add Spellbook of Miracles." She said as she took the card.
"I activate Gigantes's effect!" Clay shouted. "All spell and trap cards on the field will be destroyed."
Both Guarded Treasure and The Grand Spellbook Tower were destroyed. The magical tower behind Dianne disappeared. The room returned to its original state.
"Unfortunately, you just triggered my field effect." Dianne smiled. "Since the Tower was destroyed, now I can special summon a Spellcaster from my deck." She placed a monster card on her Disk. "Meet Justice of Prophecy."
New female spellcaster came from the portal. She wore green robe along with ceremonial hat. She carried a mace and short sword on both hands. (1600/800/*3)
"It's over," said Dianne.
"Hold on!" Clay interrupted. "You just special summoned a monster. That means I get to draw a card." He pulled the top card of his deck. It was Swift Scarecrow.
"The Devil and Justice will attack you directly." She declared. Both monsters started to move forward.
"I discard Swift Scarecrow to end the Battle Phase!" Clay discarded the monster in a hurry. Both Prophecy immediately halted their advance.
"That's…" Dianne became speechless. "There's no way…"
"That was a close one." Clay was relieved he could survive the onslaught. "I'm glad I keep few hand traps handy."
Dianne regained her composure. "In that case, I shall move to my End Phase. Because I played Spellbook card this turn, I can banish Justice of Prophecy to add one high level Spellcaster and a Spellbook from my deck." She put Justice card into her pocket. The female spellcaster vanished. "I'll take High Priestess of Prophecy and Spellbook of Fate." Two cards slipped out of her deck. She added them to her hand.
In doing so, she was confronted by another vision.
There was a woman wearing familiar white robe. She wore a tribal headdress adorned with red and white feathers. Dianne could felt strong spiritual power coming from this woman. She was walking inside an underground cave, carrying a lantern.
Dianne couldn't tell whether the event she just witnessed was a recording of the past or future. But, she assumed this woman would have some significance later. Or perhaps, it was a metaphor containing bad omen.
"I… I end my turn." She said. The ATK bonus from Spellbook of Power expired. Both Endymion and Reaper returned to their previous ATK points.
Clay made a draw. "My turn." He looked at five cards in his hand. It's my turn to go all out. He thought.
"I banish two Golem Sentry in my graveyard." He put both cards into his shirt pocket. "Special summon, Gaia Plate the Earth Giant!"
A big portal opened on the floor. Giant golem rose from the opening. Its body was made entirely of stone. (2800/1000/*8)
"I have more." He purposely imitated what Dianne had said. "Just a friendly reminder, I have exactly five Earth monsters in graveyard right now. That means I'm allowed to summon someone special." He took a card from his hand. "I summon Grandsoil the Elemental Lord."
Another gigantic monster appeared beside the golem. The monster was covered by thick armor from head to toe. At a glance, it looked like a machine made for war. An intimidating threat on the battlefield. (2800/2200/*8)
"When Grandsoil is summoned, I can revive any monster from either player's graveyard." He considered his options. "I choose to summon Wheel of Prophecy."
Wheel of Prophecy appeared on his side of the field. (ATK 2700)
"Hmm, that was unexpected." Dianne commented.
"I still have more." Clay continued. "I banish Maxx C, Swift Scarecrow, and Albverdich to summon Block Dragon!" He placed another monster on his Disk.
The monster that appeared didn't have any intimidating presence whatsoever. It was just plastic blocks combined together to resemble a dragon. (2500/3000/*8)
"As long as Block Dragon is on my side…" He explained. "All Rock-type monsters cannot be destroyed by card effect."
"I proceed to Battle Phase." Clay continued. "All monsters that battle with Gaia Plate will lose half of their ATK and DEF." He pointed at Endymion. "Gaia Plate, destroy Endymion!"
The golem slammed its giant fist on the sorcerer. Endymion immediately shattered to pieces. (LP 7400 → 5950)
"Next, Grandsoil will attack Reaper of Prophecy."
Grandsoil grabbed the Reaper with both hands, lifting him above the floor. The Reaper attempted to break free from the clutch. Grandsoil landed the final blow by smashing its target to the floor violently. The Reaper disappeared from the field after the impact. (LP 5950 → 5750)
"Wheel, it's your turn. Go attack Prophecy Destroyer!"
The Wheel threw his shield like a boomerang toward the target. The shield hit the Devil, completely destroying the target before returning back to its wielder. (LP 5750 → 5550)
Clay pointed at his opponent. "Finally, Block Dragon will attack you directly."
Dianne watched as the toy dragon flew toward her. It did a light headbutt, followed by a quick U-turn tail slap to the face. (LP 5550 → 3050)
Clay was satisfied with current situation. He stared at his remaining two cards, Quaking Mirror Force and Heavy Storm Duster. Block Dragon will protect my Rock monsters from destruction effect. Quaking Mirror Force will shut down her monsters from attacking. If she sets some backrow, I can destroy them easily with Heavy Storm Duster. He smirked. I've got this duel in the bag.
"I set two cards." Two facedown cards appeared in front of him. "My turn is done."
[Clay: 3900] - Vs - [Dianne: 3050]
Dianne drew a card. Temperance of Prophecy.
She focused on her mind's eye as another future event took place inside her mental space. There was a duel. Two men facing each other. The man on the right was a stranger. But, she recognized the left one. Clay was dueling.
'It's futile.' The stranger said.
'I won't… surrender Garlandolf to you.' Clay said weakly.
'Garlandolf needs a strong vessel. I can grant him with one.' The other man said.
'Shut up! He is not a toy for you to play with.' Clay retorted. He quickly play a spell. 'I activate Ritual of Destruction!'
Dianne finally had the big picture of what was happening. She understood now. She received these future visions from the Universe because she would need this information.
She put Temperance on the Disk. "I summon Temperance of Prophecy."
A hooded figure appeared. He held a pair of chalices with each hand. Both chalices were connected by some sort of thin chain. (1000/1000/*3)
"I play Spellbook of Fate." She said. "I banish Spellbook of Wisdom, Spellbook of Secrets, and Spellbook of the Master." Three cards slipped out of her discard slot. "In return, I can banish one card on the field. Say goodbye to your toy dragon."
Block Dragon disappeared from the field.
"I don't get it, Miss Dianne." He said. "Why didn't you target Gaia Plate or Grandsoil instead?"
"Sometimes 'fate' works in mysterious way." She smiled. "I just learned that today."
"Pardon?" He said, confused.
"I use Temperance's ability." She declared. "Because I played a Spellbook this turn, I can release Temperance to special summon high level Spellcaster from my deck." The hooded man was swallowed by orb of light then vanished.
"A fitting end for the Fool's Journey…" She said as she revealed a monster card. "The final arcana, the World… you're a Fool and the World is where your path ends. Perhaps this is fate…"
She placed the card on her Disk. "Meet World of Prophecy!"
Clay watched as bright light radiated across the entire room. He closed his eyes to shield himself from the blinding radiance. When he thought the chaos was over, he opened his eyes tentatively and witnessed a majestic being covered by heavenly robes and angelic wings. (2900/2400/*9)
"I'm using World's effect." She declared. "First, I retrieve two Spellbooks from my graveyard." She took Spellbook of Power and Spellbook of Eternity. "Then, if I can reveal four Spellbooks with different names…" She showed her Power, Eternity, Miracles, and Star Hall. "…All other cards on the field shall be destroyed."
"No way!" said Clay.
The World began to glow brightly again. All of a sudden, multiple beams of light came from above. Gaia Plate, Grandsoil, Wheel of Prophecy, and two facedown cards were obliterated from sight.
"The final nail in the coffin." She inserted a spell card. "I play Spellbook of Power to increase World's ATK points."
(ATK 2900 → 3900)
Clay gulped. The duel was pretty much over at this point. He had both empty field and empty hand.
Dianne pointed at her opponent. "Direct attack!"
The World spread all his angelic wings. There was swirling of light energy concentrated at the front. The light grew bigger before it launched itself toward the target. Clay closed his eyes as the light pierced him with its radiance. (LP 3900 → 0)
All holographic images vanished slowly, leaving behind both duelist in the room. Dianne walked forward few steps.
"As you requested," said Dianne. "I shall go straight to the main point."
"Mr. Dustyn… right now you are being used as a host. Involuntary host for a demonic entity. I'm also given a name."
She took a deep breath before continuing.
"Garlandolf."
(A/N: I avoid using the word "psychic" in this chapter because "psychic" has its own special meaning in 5D's universe. So, I replace it with other words like "intuitive" and "ESP". Also, the correct card name is supposed to be Maxx "C" not Maxx C. I didn't use the quotation marks because they would mess with the narrative.
I hope you guys enjoy the duel. It took me a lot of time and effort to finish this. See you on next chapter!)