A Knight of Swords

Introduction

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In the dark room, even the ticking of the clock seemed to slow down, compared to the beating of the heart at rest. Samara felt as if the air was moving like cool water, and the sweet aroma of Aunt Olga's scented candles made her more and more intoxicated. Twilight muted the room's colors, which spoke of the ocean and wave-kissed rocks. The memories of this house were always the ones that supported Samara in the most difficult moments. A heavy heartache weighed on the shoulders, but it was still nice to return - the loving, slightly crazy aunt Olga was always waiting here, full of surprises and endless topics of conversations. This time, she came up with an unusual "attraction" again.

Sitting down at the round glass table opposite Samara, Olga unwrapped the black bundle layer by layer. They were cards wrapped in a silk scarf. Tarot cards. The smell of candles reminiscent of forest berries, the incense of wood and cloves, the sweet perfume of Olga and the herbal tea steaming in the cup mingled with each other and entered Samara's nose in such a way that even her head became dizzy.

"First, I'll draw cards that will show the present. It's for you to make sure. Then we'll move on to the future," aunt Olga said, shuffling the cards and glancing at Samara from under her eyelashes. "Don't worry, Milashka. Olga knows what she's doing."

"A foolish game won't solve my problems. Besides, you know me inside out, so you can tell everything even without the cards."

"I only know what you tell me. The cards will tell more. You'll see." 

As the shadows and silhouettes danced on aunt's face, the softness in her eyes, green as summer leaves, disappeared, and the grandeur of the Romanovs was highlighted on her round face. This Olga, sitting behind the table, no longer looked like the usual aunt, loudly laughing and stuffing pastries. Now she seemed to embody another person, turning into a mystical High Priestes, stepping out of the Tarot card deck.Olga stopped shuffling and drew the first card.

"The Page of Cups", she said, and started shuffling the deck again. She didn't stop until another card fell out. "The Three of Swords," she murmured and started shuffling again. "The Nine of Swords. And... The Hermit."

Samara remained silent, holding her breath, waiting for her aunt to speak. She claimed to consider divination just a foolish game, but she tried to convince herself more than aunt Olga. She didn't want to believe in what a rational mind couldn't explain, but deep down, she was afraid to not believe.

"The cards show that you have experienced more than one loss. A knife was thrust into your back and your heart was torn to pieces. You are in despair, life has stopped, as if you were bound by invisible ropes. Those ropes are depression, fear, heartache and guilt. You cut yourself off from the world, closed yourself in your pain, nightmares and self-loathing. You see no hope. Some dark secret is oppressing you, and ugly thoughts are eating your soul from the inside. Should I draw additional cards to elaborate?"

"No need. I already know everything," Samara crossed her arms on her chest as if trying to protect herself with a barrier, but she shivered inside. She didn't tell anyone about her feelings, she hid them as the biggest shame, but she survived exactly what her aunt just told her. Her father's death, Sonny's deception, and the secret she swore she would take to her grave broke her down more and more every day.

"As you wish. Let's look to the future."

The aunt was silent for a long time, only shuffling the cards without taking her eyes off them, as if she was contemplating and could no longer see or hear anything around her.

The edge of the suddenly dropped card hit the table top. "The Ten of Swords," she said. "Look," she turned the card to Samara, "a man is lying face down, in a pool of blood, with ten swords stabbed into his back. He can't take the pain anymore, but can you see the horizon? The clouds are dispersing and dawn is breaking. Hope is not dead yet."

"What does this mean?" Samara asked with a shudder and took a good sip of the herbal tea that her aunt had praised so much.

"You will know everything soon. Just have patience. Let Olga finish the reading."

The aunt began to shuffle again and shuffled until the second card fell out:

"Death," she stated calmly.

Samara didn't even notice how her eyes widened. "Death? As if that's not enough for me. Don't even say anything more. I don't want to know who else is going to die."

"Just sit and be quiet," she scolded, jabbing her finger. "This card does not represent physical death in Tarot readings. It's a transformation. No more words for me!"

Olga grabbed the cards again, shuffling with the same concentration as before. She easily maneuvered between two states – the real Olga and that mysterious Priestess, into which she transformed tonight. Samara kept silent, tapping her fingers, trying to understand when she could have missed such an important biographical fact about her aunt.

"Knight of Swords," Olga smiled as the card fell and went back to work. "Oh, the Ace of Wands fell nearby. It will be hot!" when the Ace fell on the table, aunt jerked so much that even her chest tightened.

"From what..."

"Be quiet!" aunt hushed, pointing her finger to Samara's lips. "Ace of Cups," she said after a while. "The moon. The wheel of fortune", she monotonously named the cards as they fell. "Now, The Lovers!" her face suddenly brightened, but the next card that fell made her frown again: "The Nine of Swords. I noticed that the swords like you. The worst cards, but what can you do..."

Samara wanted to say that it's not surprising at all that the worst cards are falling, but she held back so that aunt wouldn't continue. The latter continued naming:

"Justice. The Two of Pentacles. And... the Queen of Swords. This card is very good."

"You just said that swords..."

"What happened to you today!? You won't talk like that, and now you're chirping like a canary. Will you let Olga concentrate? This is no joke."

"It's just a game..."

"A game, a game, but when everything starts coming true, you'll come to aunt, remember my word. And now listen carefully, Milashka, to what awaits you. Great love. True love. The one you've been waiting for all your life. And he has been waiting for you... But until good, you'll have to endure. Everything has its price."

"I don't want any love. I've had enough of it for a long time!"

"How many times will Olga have to ask you to listen!? Shut up and listen carefully. No squeak..."

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So... Samara listened to her prophecy and if you want to know what the cards predicted, you must read. Each chapter will contain explanations of all the cards, and the chapter itself will be a fulfillment of prophecy.