Survival Game, Book 1: The Fool

Act One: Chapter Seven

Ryou stood, mouth slightly agape, at the sight he walked into when he went through the door. It was more akin to entering a portal to some other realm and he couldn't believe he'd walked into another room. All around him were different environments, each one seeming to have its own territory. To his right was a field of lush spring grass with a large sakura tree tucked into the corner of the room, its pink petals covering the ground below it. Beside it, the grass became a more vibrant green and the tree that occupied it was full of green leaves that seemed to thrive in the sunlight and humid weather of summer. In the next field was one of autumn, with dried brown grass, falling brown leaves that'd withered and collapsed onto the grass to meet its cruel demise, and a tree with bright orange leaves partially covering the branches. After that was winter, with the tree fully bare and trying to survive under the harsh snow storm that swarmed around it. The snow had piled up high enough to cover the roots and weigh down every branch. Eventually the snow faded into a storm when spring repeated itself, and the tree remained barren, what remained of its branches desperately hanging onto the bark in an attempt to not join the others in the dead grass below. And after the storm... all that was left of the tree was nothing but black, sodden bark, rooted miserably into the dark dried grass. It was truly a pathetic setting to uphold, though the sun behind it gleamed brightly in the clear blue sky and the air that surrounded the area was warm with the promise of summer.
"There's a story behind this room." The speaker—somehow able to be hidden in the strange conditions of the room—turned on and the flamboyant sounding voice spoke. "Like the seasons and the weather, the path fate leads you through is never always an easy one. Things change as you progress and you'll face hardships along the way. I want you to figure of the story fate tells of here. Keep in mind that this tree could symbolize something more than what it seems." That was a hint, Ryou guessed. So the tree actually symbols something... or maybe someone? He approached the spring setting first, assuming that's where it began. Spring is the start of the seasons, signifying new beginnings. Maybe this person, assuming that's what it symbolizes, had something new in their life, something they were hopeful about.
"Does the tree symbolize a person?" Ryou asked, running a hand down the tree's bark as a petal landed in his russet hair. "Since it's spring, something new must've happened to them, right? Like a new school year or a new event in their life.... Wait! Maybe this could be like that story, when someone confesses to their lover under a sakura tree, they are promised to be together. Or something like that..." Maybe the person had a new relationship.
"Correct." His mentor answered, a hint of approval at Ryou's quick thinking. "But, this is a little less cliche. This person wasn't confessing their love for the other. It was more complex than some simple high school crush. It was more of a promise. A promise of eternity, where from that day forward, they'd begin their new life as destined to be wed, whenever fate brings them to that point."
"Then summer must represent their time together, when they were happy and things were going good." His mentor never corrected him so he went on. "And in autumn, things begin to change. Something bad must've happened. It's like something got in their way. And winter must represent the hardships they endured from whatever got in their way, while the storm is when these issues are fading but it's still too hard to bear, so by the summer... it's over. Everything that made them happy had died."
"Hm. You are correct, to some extent. Look closer at the trees. My cards will tell you the rest." His mentor coaxed. Ryou obeyed, examining the tree once more. His cards...? At first he didn't see any card, until he looked closely and noticed something carved into the tree. VI was scraped into the wood with some sharp object, possibly a dagger. "V... I...? What does that mean? Is it a symbol?" Ryou asked in confusion. He squinted, turning his head in different directions to try to see something. It was then he noticed some letters labeling the strange symbol. "The Lovers?" He read it aloud. "Then, the next one would be..." He approached the next tree, almost alarmed at the blast of warm air that hit him as he left the cool spring breeze. How did he make this? He wondered as he noticed the next symbol. XVII: THE STAR. "I'm not sure what this means... a star? What does the star signify?"
"The Star signifies hope and infinite possiblities." His mentor replied. So it means the lovers were hopeful for their relationship. Ryou guessed as he walked towards the autumn setting. The next symbol was labeled HIGH PRIESTESS. Could that mean a powerful woman? So, did someone come between them? Or did the woman of the relationship come into power and abandon her spouse? The next one seemed to help confirm that theory in some way, with the winter setting displaying the words, THE TOWER on the tree. I dunno much about this kind of thing, but doesn't The Tower mean destruction? So when that woman came along, everything began to fall in ruin. He assumed, trying not to stay in the freezing ice and snow that fell from some place Ryou could never determine. The next scene didn't help, rain pouring onto him in just the few minutes he was there. He quickly looked at the next symbol and ran to the next one, thankful for the sudden blast of hot air. The previous one was The Moon, from what I could tell. Between the snow and the fact that the symbol was upside down this time, he could barely make out the words. The final one was The World, upside down like the one before it. "The last two... what do they mean?"
"The reversed Moon can mean darkness and betrayal, while the reversed World can mean incompleteness or bad endings. This case can apply to both meanings." His mentor answered.
Ryou nodded slowly, thinking about what each card would mean. "I now see what I did wrong. It wasn't something that ruined the lovers, it was someone, a woman and possibly a friend or a coworker. That event caused nothing but chaos and destruction, most likely from the woman's betrayal. Then... I'm guessing the story ends bad or doesn't end at all." He replied, hoping he was correct. "But... the trees form a circle, wouldn't that mean the cycle would repeat?"
"Yes, you're mostly correct, so you'll pass the test. However, fate was much more cruel. The woman who'd destroyed the lovers had ruined the life of one of the couple. She destroyed them and in the end, they'd lost everything and was broken down into a hollow shell, alive yet dead at the same time." His mentor explained, his voice full of sorrow that made Ryou wonder if this was more than a fictional story. "As for the circle, you are correct. Eventually, rather it be years from now, you'll return to the place where you began, where fate first led you down your destined path. But, in this story, such a thing has yet to happen. Maybe it never will, who knows? Either way, it's a tragedy no matter what the outcome is. Continue on, the door to the final test is in between the summer and autumn areas. I'll be waiting for you there." The speaker cut off once more.
The final test... So far, all of them were fate related and none were difficult. What would await him now? He said he'd be waiting for me... meaning I'll finally meet him in person. His eagerness from passing the first test hadn't return and now he was anxious about both encountering his mentor face to face and the final test. And the thought of the story he'd just heard of lingered in his mind. Why'd he want me to know that? It seemed too serious to be fake, but what does it have to do with me? He shook his head, trying to focus on the next test only. I can't think of that. One more test and I'll pass the requirements for the AX drug. Then the hard part will begin... He pushed through the door, heart racing at all the upcoming challenges, and cleared the lovers' story out of his head.