I am a student of the magical arts. My master is Asra, the fortune teller. I know nothing of his past.  

You think I’m ready, Master?

You think I want your creepy deck? 

When the cards speak to me, it isn’t in any human tongue. Nonetheless, when my mind is clear, the answer comes to me. 

Yes. You’ve pushed her away, and buried her voice. She calls out to you, but you won’t listen. Master, if you don’t listen to her… 

The masked intruder catches my wrist in a firm grip and pulls me backward. My back meets their chest. The mask’s beak curves ominously over my head.

My name is <insert MC name here>. I am a student of the magical arts… …and today I will journey to the Palace, to meet the Countess. I spend the early hours preparing my things by lamplight, casting wild shadows on the walls. Seeking a moment’s rest, I go to the back room to lie down…

A mysterious figure is standing in the glow of the lantern outside. Their graceful hands are twisting together anxiously as they wait. Even in the dim light, I spy jewels glittering along their fingers.

Really though, a customer? At this hour? An impatient one, by the sound of it. 

I go to lock the door. Whoever it is can come back tomorrow. …Or not. The knocking is furious now. Who could be so desperate for a reading in the middle of the night?

With that, she glides past me and out into the night. For a moment, I’m frozen, staring after her figure long after it has vanished into the mist. What could the Countess want with me, a mere apprentice?