Bedlam Shamble

Chapter 1: A Boy Named Kai

The Joker perched on the edge of a crumbling stone wall, his mismatched eyes scanning the desolate landscape below. A chuckle escaped his lips, mingling with the eerie silence. He turned, as if addressing an invisible audience, and his voice cut through the air like a finely honed blade.

"Ah, dear reader," he began, "you might wonder why people are so consumed by the desire for power. Allow me to enlighten you with a tale older than time itself."

His fingers twitched, and with a flick of his wrist, a card appeared between them—an Ace of Spades. He held it up to the sky, where the sun dipped below the horizon in a blaze of orange and crimson.

"Long ago, there were four kingdoms: Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades. Each thrived in harmony until the scales tipped. Balance shattered like fragile glass. Chaos ensued. Armies clashed; blood spilled for reasons lost to time."

He lowered the card, flipping it over his knuckles as he continued. "In their madness, they forgot what they were fighting for—power for power's sake became their mantra. And so, I intervened."

His eyes gleamed with an otherworldly light as he leaned forward, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I created 52 cards imbued with mystery and potential beyond comprehension. I chose 13 from each kingdom and entrusted them with these artifacts. Their purpose? To protect their people and halt the senseless war."

A smile tugged at his lips. "And it worked peace reigned once more. But," he said, "that was three thousand years ago."

The Joker stood up and stretched his arm. "Yet here we are again. Why do you think that is? Why do mortals cling to power like moths to a flame? Is it fear? Ambition? Or perhaps something darker?"

He paced along the wall's edge, arms outstretched as if balancing on a tightrope. "Power promises control in an uncontrollable world. It seduces with whispers of grandeur and dominion."

Stopping abruptly, he turned his gaze back to his unseen audience. "But remember this: power is as fleeting as the wind. One moment you hold it; the next, it's gone."

With a flourish, he tossed the Ace into the air. It spun gracefully before vanishing into thin air.

"So tell me," he asked softly but with undeniable intensity in his gaze, "what would you do if given such power? Would you protect or destroy?"

The wind picked up again, rustling leaves in response—or perhaps in contemplation.

"Think on that," he finished with a grin that promised more questions than answers.

* * *

Kai emerged from the shadowy hole, dirt smudged on his cheeks, his dark purple hair sticking up in tufts. His smile was wide, triumphant even, as he heard the voice calling out to him.

"Kai!!!"

He looked up to see a girl with bright blonde hair, hands on her hips, her expression torn between exasperation and amusement.

"Didn't I tell you to stop going into those holes? You won't find anything in them. Unless you want some worms?"

"I do need worms," he replied, holding up a squirming handful.

Mei's eyes widened before she shrieked, falling back onto the ground, her legs flailing.

"I'm sorry, Mei, hahaha," Kai said, offering a hand to help her up. She took it, muttering under her breath as she stood.

"You're impossible," she said, dusting off her skirt.

The orphanage loomed behind them, a sprawling building of stone and timber that had been their home for as long as they could remember. The Church of the Kingdom of Spades managed it, providing shelter and guidance to the children who had no one else.