10. Wheel of Fortune

(Upright: The Wheel turns endlessly with the passage of time, changing fortunes as if by whim.

Reversed: The Wheel must return all to its beginning – life cannot remain in the sun forever.)

The magicians arrived at the palace late in the night, the Count still awake and waiting for them. They explained to him everything that happened and just like Soyoung guessed, Junmyeon isn't pleased at all. What surprised them both though, is the fact that Junmyeon kept on having recurring nightmares, in which a goat-like figure roamed around in the palace. She soon understood that it wasn't just a nightmare, but the sad reality. In the late hours of the night, all three of them came up with a plan, one they would execute at noon on the following day. And here they are, almost at noon the next day, standing in Sehun’s wing in the palace, in front of the door of his room.

“So, what exactly are we going to do...?” the Count asks.

“It's quite simple,” Baekhyun answers, “We will make him come out, to learn as much as we can about the creature. Because this creature is definitely not just Sehun. It has its own personality and it might be dangerous, even more than the late Count. The dream you had, it gave me an idea. We will make him come out by using food as a bait. If he's as hungry as you've seen in your dream, it should be easy.”

Just as he ends his sentence, a groan shakes the walls and startles the three individuals, who look at each other with wide eyes.

“We wouldn't want to make him wait, right?” Soyoung says, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

She opens the door and they enter the room. It's warm inside, but at the same time the room is stuffy. The light around the room is red and residual magic emanates in waves. A fourth presence is definitely here, invisible to them. They all get to work and arrange magical supplies around the bed and food on the bed. When it's done, they all sit on the bed. 

“Soyoung, you'll be in the middle. Take the Count's place for now. Junmyeon and I will be on each of your sides.

When she goes to her designated place, Soyoung can feel claws brushing against her arms. She tries not to think too much about it, concentrating on the plan.

“Let's play a game. One of the Count's favourites was truth or dare.”

“No way I'm playing that,” Soyoung whispers, making Baekhyun and Junmyeon laugh.

“Chicken...”

A mocking whisper comes from the corner, barely there but still heard. They all look at each other, worry in Junmyeon’s eyes and confidence in Baekhyun’s.

“Let's just play another game then,” he continues, “the Count's favourite of them all: Tarot.”

Baekhyun takes out his deck and starts shuffling the cards before handing them to Soyoung.

“Past, present and future. Let's each turn one.”

Soyoung lays down three cards and Baekhyun motions for the Count to choose first. He chooses the first one, revealing the High Priestess, reversed.

“As long as I've known you, you've had an incredibly powerful sense of intuition. But you kept that part of yourself secret, I never really knew why,” Baekhyun says.

“Such things are not necessarily a gift,” Junmyeon answers. “It feels like the card understands...”

A moment passes in which nothing can be heard. Then the three return their attention to the cards and Baekhyun chooses the second one. It reveals the Devil, upright.

“A trap that I've let myself fall into... A bond I refuse to escape.” Baekhyun looks kind of anxious. “It was Sehun’s favourite card... What could it mean?”

His gaze falls on Soyoung, before motioning to her to turn the last card, which reveals Death, reversed. As Soyoung touches it, the card talks to her. “You are the same. Nothing has changed. You have forgotten everything you learned. But the power to transform yourself grows inside of you.”

“The power to transform?” Junmyeon asks.

“Death is transformation,” Baekhyun answers. “It would have been the Count's favourite, if he understood it. Instead, he spent his life running away from it, wanting Death to be under his heel, because even after all the death he caused, he still cowered at the face of it.”

“YOU TAKE THAT BACK!”

To everyone's surprise, a sudden burst of wind makes Baekhyun fly across the room and pins him to the wall. Soyoung and Junmyeon immediately stand up from the bed.

“I never cower to no one! Take it back!”

“I wouldn't dare, because it's not the truth,” Baekhyun says with arrogance.

The creature screeches before all the lights go out.

“You are impossible, Baekhyun! Impossible to love, impossible to hate!”

A sudden light appears in the dark, glowing from Baekhyun’s chest. A seal... When did he get this?

“For someone with this, you're high and mighty about following the rules! And look where it got you, your sweet little Soyoung is here by your side.”

“And look where it got you Sehun, trapped between two realms...”

“You think I'm trapped, Baekhyun? You think you're the only one able to pass between? Just because I don't choose to show myself doesn't mean I can't! I can do it whenever I want to!”

With that, the lights suddenly come back and in front of them stands the goat, physically there and definitely touchable. Its claws are around Baekhyun’s throat, threatening to strangle him, but Baekhyun stays calm.

“Don't even think of forgetting me,” he warns, “when I'll come back, I'll be stronger than ever.”

And with that he suddenly disappears, as if he was never there in the first place. Baekhyun falls to his knees and both Soyoung and Junmyeon rush to him.

“You both saw that, right?”

Both nod, speechless and dumbstruck.

“My nightmares are true after all...”, the Count whispers.

“Indeed,” Baekhyun answers. “And with what he said... I'm pretty sure he will make an appearance at the Masquerade. I think he won't come out until he's fully transformed.”

“We will need to avoid panic. Let's keep it a secret for now, there's no need for people who are not involved to be a part of this.”

“Yes, even more as we don't know who we can trust.”

Silence floats around them before they all get to their feet, cleaning up the room before coming out of it. As they are going down the stairs leading to Sehun’s wing, a chamberlain comes rushing to Junmyeon.

“My Lord, there is someone by the fountain, waiting for you! It's important!”

The Count immediately takes off to the garden, Baekhyun and Soyoung hot on his heels. Guards soon follow them and when they are at the fountain, they encircle the man kneeling in front of it, who's refreshing his face. He stands up slowly before turning around, a smile stretching his lips.

“Doctor Park!” Junmyeon exclaims.

“Count, forgive me for disturbing you.” His smile is arrogant and he exudes confidence. “I have come to accept my punishment, for guilt was eating me alive.” Soyoung doesn't buy his words, they're too ironic. “Do what you want of me, I am Count Sehun’s murderer, after all.”

Everyone stands speechless, looking at the doctor as if he had grown a second head. The Count is the first one to react, ordering his guards to arrest him. Soyoung turns to Baekhyun, who looked at the doctor with resignation. What did that mean? And furthermore, did Baekhyun know the doctor?

11. Justice

(Upright: Justice carefully weighs every option, making her choice with complete objectivity.

Reversed: Justice has allowed bias to cloud her judgement, darkening the world with chaos and lies.)

The following day, as news travel that the murderer of Count Sehun has finally been caught, the city is in a frenzy. As Baekhyun and Soyoung make their way through the crowd and towards the Coliseum, it seems like the whole city has come to assist to the trial. Once they enter the Coliseum, Junmyeon waves at them to join him in his box. The noise is even louder in the arena, with people talking and shouting. Soyoung can hear what they're saying among themselves, wondering about the murderer and why he decides to turn himself in after three years. The magicians sit and Soyoung leans towards Baekhyun.

“Do you know him? The doctor?”

“That I do,” he sighs. “We were working together to find an antidote to the Red Plague. He's always been stubborn, though I really wonder why he decided to turn himself in. He must have a plan, but I wonder what...”

The chatter in the arena subsides a little when the doctor enters