The lights from the ceiling nearly blinded me when I opened my eyes. I turned round and realized I was in a room. I couldn't hear or see anything else. It felt like I was in the middle of the field of a quiet stadium. My description wasn't even near what I felt. Even fields like that had the breeze of fresh air but this place had none, nothing at all. I moved to the door and still there was no sound. It almost felt like I had been abducted by aliens. I turned the door knob slowly, trying to make the least possible sound. The sense of adventure I felt earlier turned to pure anger and a little bit of fear. This fear wasn't one that would make me tremble. It was simply fear of the unknown. Fear that everything was going to be disappointing as always.
I walked through the empty hallway still thinking of the possibilities of what was ahead of me. My abduction theory almost won before I opened the double doors. The space was huge and the whole place was noisy. I was surprised I couldn't hear anything from so close because I didn't notice any sound proof doors on my way in. I was wondering how they managed to pull it off. My anger grew even more when they all went about their work like some cooperate organization and ignored me entirely. I was angry because it was the first time I wasn't in the spotlight. They all seemed normal but what intrigued me was how they were all in groups and their dress code. They were all too casually dressed. It all seemed like one giant tech company. They all seemed to be analyzing something but none of it made sense. I didn't see why someone would kidnap me and bring me to their workplace. There was nothing for me to analyze. It would have been easier to know what they were made of if I had walked in through the front door consciously.
I turned round multiple times but none of them paid any real attention to me. It was scary because I knew they had noticed me and some of them stared with pure distaste, it was like I didn't belong there and they didn't want me there. A tall muscular figure appeared from nowhere and walked towards me. Most people will feel intimidated by the muscles but it never bothered me. I had a fine physique of my own and I worshipped it.
"Follow me" he said simply and walked on.
I knew I have had awkward moments but this was topping the charts. He didn't say anything all the way. he simply stood in front of a door and gestured for me to enter with a smile on his face. I was a little surprised when I saw her in the room. Her smile had turned into a wicked grin and I was sure she felt good and proud of herself. I wanted to ignore her but I couldn't get over her beauty. There was something about it that felt a little out of place.
"Do you mind dropping the act?" he almost shouted looking at her and suddenly I felt a large sensation leave me.
It felt like I had washed myself in the shower after I had been very dirty.
"Would you people mind getting to business?" I asked as polite as I could although I was fuming with rage.
I didn't know anything about them or what their intentions were so I was playing it safe.
"Okay, first let's start with introductions. I'm H" he said then turned to the others in the room, "this is Spence and that is Emy, you two have already met" he said.
I realized I didn't get her name at the bar.
"That doesn't answer my question" I replied and this time they knew I was serious.
"You're not going to tell us your name?" Spence asked in what seemed like a whisper.
"I know you people know a lot about me. Probably more than necessary so from where I stand, I'm the only one in the dark here. I don't suppose you're dumb to have abducted the wrong person?" I replied ending my last statement while looking at her.
Her grin had disappeared and her eyes had turned dark. I knew she wanted to kill me at that moment and I knew if I continued provoking her, she might do it at some point.
"That's fair. We are a small faction of a larger organization known as THE DECK" he said simply.
"I'm the operations manager here, Spence is our chief analyst and Emy is in charge of field operations, at least while her sister is out for a mission" he answered but I wasn't satisfied with his response.
His muscles screamed military and I could tell from his eyes that he has seen his fair share of blood but the information he had given was too blunt. There was nothing there that I didn't already know. Everyone could predict what he just said.
"The deck? As in the cards?" I asked trying to push the subject for further explanation.
"Exactly" Spence replied with too much amusement.
"We specialize in terminating unseen threats" H responded coldly but it sounded cool coming from him.
My first guess was they were part of some secret military task force working under the shadows but the revelation that came next was something never expected.
"Okay, where do I fit in all this?" I asked trying to get to the bottom of the issue fast.
"We have a vacancy and with our unique recruitment methods it seems we have a match with you" Spence responded and this time there was no smile and I knew everything was getting serious from there on.
I didn't know what they really specialize in but I knew whatever he was talking about I wasn't the right person. At least that was what I thought first.
"I don't know how your recruitment works but I don't think I'm the type of guy who'd risk his life to save someone else let alone the world" I explained knowing well that I was giving up on a chance to have the adventure I craved for.
"Here I was thinking you actually wanted to get out of that boring life of yours" Emy said rolling her eyes.
"Here I was thinking you and I could still work out" I said with a sarcastic smile.
"Oh really? You seemed to be doing fine as my lapdog not long ago" she said trying to hit a nerve but I was well over that.
"Tonight had nothing to do with. If anything, I saw right through your act the moment you entered the bar. I was even going to ditch you but I decided to explore my sense of adventure and it led me here" I explained and they all looked surprised.
They looked to each other and Emy nodded when they looked to her. it was some kind of approval but I didn't know what it meant.
"You mean you've been pretending with her the whole night?" Spence asked me in a surprised tone and I knew then that something was going on and they didn't understand it.
"Yes. I mean she is beautiful but she's no goddess" I said in a low almost quiet tone.
"Can you two give us a moment?" H said politely and they all left the room.
H approached me cautiously, almost as if I was dangerous. I hadn't seen that at first but when I looked into his eyes all I could make out easily was surprise. The fear I saw earlier had vanished instantly.
"How do you think the world works?" he asked immediately and I was confused. I didn't know how to respond to such a question. I realized then that I never had to answer such a question before.
"How do you think people get grouped into their societal status?" he paused for a moment, "just humor me" he continued with a smile.
I waited for a while but there was nothing pleasant to say. I never once stopped to ask myself that question. And now as a joke I can't even seem to have a reasonable answer.
"I think we are distinguished by how hard we work and how far we're willing to go in order to achieve our dreams" I replied simply and it was really satisfied with my response.
"Does it mean you don't believe in fate and destiny?" he asked again but this time I felt ready. It seemed I had a reply before he even asked the question.
"I don't believe our fate is sealed the moment we are born and that makes our destiny unpredictable, even to ourselves" I said with a smile and he reciprocated.
It felt like a test and I expected more. The thrill of answering questions I had never thought of was satisfying and I wanted more.
"Your answer seems almost close but I didn't expect you to get it taking into account the reality you live in" he said and the last words hit me hard.
He spoke of reality and with the look on his face he was sure we lived in different realities.
"Your answer about destiny is correct. We all have unpredictable destinies. We make our own destiny by forging our own path but fate is something else" he paused, then continued, "when it comes to fate it's not unpredictable like you think. Our fate is sealed the moment we draw breath and what we do with that fate shapes our destiny".
I stared at him skeptically. His answers made no sense and then I realized it was the reason why he spoke of different realities.
"Do you play cards?" he asked suddenly.
"Not really. I'm not much of a gambler" I replied with ease.
"I see. Our fate is like cards of the deck. The card you're dealt at birth determines your fate and that shapes your destiny" he continued.
Things were getting out of hands and he started to sound a bit crazy. He sounded like a person in a cult and the whole thing was coming together. The name of their organization and all that he said added up exactly. My thought first about them being a secret government organization seemed false, if anything they were a cult and I was really in danger if I didn't play it smart.
Spence and Emy walked in suddenly. It seemed they were watching all along. I looked in the room but there were no cameras. I wondered how they had known exactly when to enter.
"Everything is ready" Spence said. He seemed a bit elated but Emy still had that unreal expression.
She handed a box to him which I later found out was a deck of cards. It contained tarot cards. I didn't need to be too smart to know that they were planning a ritual. I knew I had to play along if I wanted to leave there alive.
"When these cards go up, you will see some writings, read them out loudly" H said as he faced me.
Emy and Spence went back, almost as if they were leaning against the wall. H brought the box to his face and whispered something. He suddenly spilled the cards from the box towards me and to my surprise the were all hanging. It felt like I was hallucinating. The cards surrounded me and kept moving round; all twenty-two of them. I waited for a few seconds and before I could ask of the writings he was talking about it appeared like magic. When he spoke about it, I didn't expect it to be in Latin. I wanted to ask him but he wasn't there anymore.
I read it out as I could see it, 'Vultus Fatorum, Voluntas Deorum. Manus vestras evoco ut mihi ostendatis quod mihi sorte datum est' (Faces of fate, will of the Gods. I call forth your hands to show me that which I'm dealt)
I was suddenly in nothingness with everything pitch black. The cards were still there with me. A faint light appeared and grew gradually into a very large face. It looked at me for a while and said a word, 'Stultus' then dissipated. I wondered what it meant but I had no idea since I didn't have any knowledge in Latin.
The bright light nearly blinded me and before I could open my eyes, I saw them rushing towards me.
"What did he say?" Emy asked without hesitation.
I handed them the card in my hand.
Spence took it but his excitement vanished immediately he looked at the card.
"What is it?" H asked.
Spence turned the card to them and said exactly what the face said, "Stultus".
They all looked to each other and the surprise on their faces was very evident. I didn't know why this simple Latin word caused so much concern until I looked at the card I gave to Spence. I was shocked by what I saw; The Fool.