6/16/2020: Welp, it has been a long time since I've updated this story. A part of me wishes I could go through everything that's happened as some kind of excuse, but I really don't think that's important or prudent at this point in time. But let's just say there were a lot of things pulling me away from this story.

So what's happening now?

Basically, I'm doing what I want to call a "revival" of this entire story, as well as cross-posting it to AO3. What that means is, I'm reading 50+ chapters, doing edits from top to bottom (Grammarly wasn't really a thing for me however long ago I started this), and posting them all one at a time. Once that is done, I will start posting new chapters again. While I don't know exactly how long it will take, I do have plans to do at least five chapters a day, which would be just under two weeks. It's been so long since I've written this, and I lost my very detailed outline months ago. I need to re-read, catch the plot threads that I left hanging, and ensure I set myself up for success again in the long run. I will remove this author note once I start posting again, but to any new (or old) readers, I want you all to know that I'm still kicking, and I want to finish this story as much as I know many people want to read it.

Thank you for understanding, and I hope you do enjoy all of the content that is currently present in this very, very long series.

Prologue

The Velvet Room

The gentle hum of an engine roused her from her sleep like the nudges of a parent on their sleeping child, soft as to not startle them, but firm enough to pull them from their slumber. The seat that cradled her shuddered as the car passed over a rough patch of gravel before resuming its smooth travel a moment later. Her seat was surprisingly comfortable. For a moment, all she wanted to do was curl up and fall back asleep in the silence.

Then she remembered that she had fallen asleep on a train.

Her eyes snapped open and she flung herself upright. The first thing she saw was the color blue. Everything around her was that bathed in that dark, velvety hue. The room itself was so saturated in blue that it was almost overwhelming. The silky carpet seemed to glitter as pale, blue light shimmered on it through the glass embedded in the ceiling. Intricate swirls of silver metal adorned the far wall, like flames bursting from the back of the light. To her left was a windowed storage case with a varied assortment of wine glasses and bottles that looked like they had been stolen from a fancy restaurant. To her right was an elegant couch that wrapped around to the front, taking up half of the car. Thick curtains were draped along the top of the wall, each one pulled back from the windows to show the full splendor of the dense fog outside.

"Welcome," A voice erupted from the silence, startling her. "to the Velvet Room."

In front of her, behind a small circular table, sat an elderly man, his head bent forward like he was in some kind of prayer. His extraordinarily long nose was perched on top of his hands. Ghostly, white hair fell from the side of his head, tucked behind his massive pointy ears. The top of his head was bald as if the rest of his delicate hair had gone to fill in the giant, black eyebrows. A black suit covered his thin body, with a pair of clean white gloves on hands that she imagined were as bony as the rest of him. He raised his head to meet her gaze. She could barely see the beady pupils in white of his eyes, and the grin he gave her was a mix between an intrigued clown and serial killer.

"It seems," He continued, choosing to ignore her confusion. "we have a guest with an intriguing destiny." He chuckled, folding his hands underneath his chin. "My name is Igor, and I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

She stared at him, unsure of how she should react. A small voice in her head told her she should be afraid, but all she felt was curiosity. What did this strange man have to say? Maybe the extraordinary overuse of blue in the decor had a calming effect on her.

"Velvet room? She said with a small crack in her voice.

"This place exists between dream and reality. Mind and matter." Igor said. "It is a room that only those who are bound by a contract may enter." He chuckled again. "It may be that such an important change of fate awaits you in the near future."

She had no idea what he was talking about. She had never thought herself as one to make binding, legal decisions with strange old men. He didn't look strong or capable enough to kidnap and drag her to this strange place. But here she was, and there was no one else in sight.

"Now then," Igor said. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

She hesitated. What would sharing that information do? Maybe he was some kind of voodoo master that could control her with the sound of her voice. Or maybe he was just being friendly. He watched her expectantly, never dropping his grin. She took a slow breath, trying to add a little more strength to her voice. "Yuna," She said, relieved that her voice didn't break. "Yuna Narukami."

"I see." He said, never breaking eye contact. "Now then, let's take a look into your future, shall we?" He held his hand out over the table and a deck of blue cards appeared beneath them. "Do you believe in fortune-telling?" He moved his hand in an arc as six cards shifted out from the deck on their own accord, forming a perfect circle around the edge of the table. "Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different." He said. "Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?"

"That's an interesting way to put it." She said. "But I don't know what this has to do with me."

He held his hand out and quickly flipped it over. On its own, the right card closest to Yuna turned over to match his movement. She couldn't see the card, but his expression shifted just enough to tell her it wasn't great. "The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent."

"This is such a fantastic beginning." She said. "Now I remember why I don't like fortune-telling." Despite her words, the man seemed so certain in the meaning of the cards. It was enough to send a shiver up her spine. "I'm not sure I want to know the rest." She mumbled.

He continued anyway. "The next card revealing your future beyond that..." he flipped another card. "is the Moon, in the upright position. This card represents hesitation and mystery." His eyes gleamed in intrigue as he placed the back of his free hand underneath his chin. "Very interesting indeed."

"So this means?"

"It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you.' He said, allowing his other hand to join the first, resuming his initial position with his chin resting on his interlocked hands. "In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort. After which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny. If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost." He stroked his chin again in thought. "Yours, and that of many others."

"No pressure." She said.

If he heard her, he didn't show it. "My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen." He waved his hand over the table and the cards disappeared.

"What about the other four cards?" She said.

"Those are for another time, my dear. A future that, if not saved, will not exist." He glanced to his left and she realized for the first time that they were not alone. "I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you. She is a resident of this place, like myself."

The silver-haired women looked extraordinarily dignified next to the old man, dressed in a dark blue outfit that looked like it belonged to a flight attendant. "My name is Margaret." She said, meeting eyes with Yuna as Igor looked away. "I am here to accompany you throughout your journey."

"What journey?" She said. "Journey to Inaba? I appreciate the help but the train was doing its job pretty well."

Igor's smile widened. "We shall attend to the details another time. Until then, farewell."

A sudden wave of exhaustion swept over her. She tried to hold her eyes open as long as possible. "I don't understand!" She said, holding her hand out as if she could grab onto an invisible rope to pull herself from collapsing. But, as all the strength in her body melted away, she found herself falling into nothingness. Her eyes closed as her head hit the couch.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Yuna," Igor said as she slipped off into sleep.