Despite their excitement and the profound impact of the performance, the trio couldn't shake a subtle sense of disappointment. Each of them yearned for the moment to last, wishing they could hold onto the magic forever. Yet, as the enchantment faded with the night, they realized that such moments were fleeting, leaving them with a bittersweet longing for more. They hadn’t seen their friend, Henry, all day. It was as though he had vanished into thin air. They had searched high and low, and though sometimes a familiar figure caught their eye, it always turned out to be a stranger. Just as the sun began to retreat, rising shadows weighed heavily upon their hearts. “Maybe we should just give up,” Takumi sighed, worrying, creasing his brow. Ashton shook his head, determined. “We can’t just leave him. He’s our friend.” Just then, a voice chimed in, breaking through their hopeless thoughts. “What’s the matter, dear? If you frown harder, your face might get stuck like that.” They turned to see a fortune-telling tent adorned with vibrant colors, draped in luminous fabrics that caught the dying light of the day. An older woman with curly hair cascaded over her purple robes, standing outside next to a tall man clad in dark leather armor. His eyes were piercing, sharp like the blade he undoubtedly carried. “Come inside, and perhaps I can help you find what you’re looking for,” she said with a mysterious smile, her voice melodic, inviting, and reassuring. Fiona’s eyes lit up, sparkling with excitement. “Oh my gosh! Can you read the future?” Her heart raced at the prospect of insight, a flicker of hope igniting inside her. The woman rushed toward the tent, her smile widening, while the tall man assessed the trio with a judgmental stare. Fiona turned back to her friends, her enthusiasm infectious. “You guys have to come with me!”

“Do you believe in this stuff?” Takumi frowned, a skeptically raised eyebrow serving as his first line of defense. “Hey, you’re not stupid for having a little fun, right?” Ashton grinned, trying to coax Takumi's uncertainty away. With a battle of glances exchanged Takumi’s defenses faltered. “Fine,” he relented, the curiosity in his silver-haired locks betraying his words. “Great! That’s the spirit!” Fiona exclaimed, her joy palpable as she pulled Ashton along while they entered the tent. The ambiance inside the tent was starkly different from the animated world outside. Candles flickered, their flames dancing to an unheard rhythm, casting wispy shadows that seemed to morph and twist. Incense filled the air with a sweet and smoky aroma that wrapped around them like a warm blanket, lulling their apprehension. The fortune-teller smiled with an inviting grace that seemed to defy age. “My dear, I can see the many paths that lead to the future. Would you like a reading?” Fiona stepped forward as if entranced. “Yes, please! I’d love to know what the future holds!” She turned eagerly to her friends, her wide eyes pleading. “Please don’t make me seem like a fool.” Ashton pushed aspiringly, “Of course not! We’ll all get our readings!” His excitement built just as Fiona had, mirroring her vibrant energy. Takumi stood off to the side, caught between skepticism and intrigue, acutely aware of the tall man’s unwavering scrutiny outside the tent. As Fiona entered another realm of fortune and fate, Takumi turned to the man guarding the entrance. “Why are you looking at me like that?” he stammered, feeling vulnerable under the guard's watchful gaze. With jet-black hair falling about his rugged visage and sharp eyes, the man seemed an enigma—an unyielding fortress of secrecy. “You’re different,” the guard replied softly, though his tone was devoid of warmth. “You’re not like them.”

“What does that even mean?!?” Takumi found his words questioning his instincts, yet the intensity in the guard’s expression unsettled him further. Ashton, noticing the tension, deflected by maintaining light chatter. “Nothing wrong with a bit of fun, huh?” His carefree nature contrasted with Takumi’s emerging dread. The moments dragged, filled with the chattering of joys from the tent, but Takumi could hardly shake the feeling of being evaluated, as though he wore a sign that read STARE ME.' The flickering flames outside danced against the night, which felt eerily alive—each rustling leaf amplifying his unease. “Next!” Fiona’s exuberant voice tied his attention back to reality as she exited the tent, a flirt of triumph on her lips. “I knew you guys would be there for me!” she cheered before dragging Takumi toward the table. As she went, the air lifted, as though the tent had nearly exhaled a sigh of relief. As Takumi crossed the threshold into the tent, he stumbled slightly, brushing against the flowing fabric of the tent wall. The woman’s smile never faltered, inviting him in with an ageless charm. “I haven’t seen a man with hair like yours for a long time,” she glided, gesturing to the intricately painted cushion across the table, “Come sit down and have your fortune read. Don’t be shy.” His heart raced; doubt gnawed at him, but curiosity tugged him forward. He cautiously settled into the colorful cushion, completely aware of the magical ambiance swirling around them. The table was adorned with cards and curiosities—talismans captured in glass, mysterious stones, and dried herbs sprouting from ceramic jars. Each object whispered secrets of mystique and tales unknown. As the woman shuffled the cards, a sly grin danced on her lips. “Let’s see what the universe has in store for you,” she assured, her tone woven with familiarity and wisdom. Each draw of the cards seemed to vibrate with magic, the air charged with possibility as Takumi leaned closer. The guard’s gaze outside remained vigilant, eyes of shadows resolved to protect the secrets of the tent and the destinies it held.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly sat down, feeling as though he had stumbled into a world far beyond his own. The concerns of his life back in the mundane realm faded into the background, replaced by the vibrant colors and shimmering energy that filled the tent. The fortune-teller was an enigma, an aura of wisdom surrounding her like a lush tapestry. Her curly gray hair danced with colorful beads and feathers that jingled softly as she moved. Her eyes, a striking shade of emerald green, seemed to penetrate through the veil of the ordinary as if reading the very soul of anyone who dared to sit before her. With hands adorned with an array of rings, she shuffled a deck of cards, the worn edges whispering stories of fate and fortune. "I would like to know your name, dear," she asked, her voice warm and inviting. Takumi's heart raced as he struggled to find footing in this peculiar world. "Takumi, ma'am… and perhaps I'd like to ask what's so strange about my hair? It's not unusual for us elves." He felt a flicker of unease rise within him; though the villagers were friendly to celestial walkers like himself, he wore his disguise like a second skin, ever aware that the wrong word could unravel it all.

The fortune-teller chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling with an unnerving knowingness. "Yes!! That is indeed true! But it is still only one bloodline if I am honest." Their gazes locked, and he felt his breath hitch as confusion washed over him. A chill raced down his spine; What does that mean? His mind whirled with pseudo-escapist fantasies woven from secrets and half-truths. "Forgive me, ma'am. Bloodline?" He managed to utter, embracing his facade in a bid to mask the alarm swelling inside. The fortune-teller leaned in closer as if the very air between them could carry the weight of her revelations. "Yes, dear Takumi, the bloodline that courses through your veins is not of this world. The cards reveal truths hidden even from you, and I sense a profound destiny intertwined with your celestial heritage." As she spoke, Takumi froze. She knew! Somehow, she had seen through his carefully constructed disguise. Aka the Robe tied around his waist barely hiding his tail. Could she read the future? Or could she see in him the marks of a heritage too great to be ignored? "I don’t understand, ma’am. What are you trying to say?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Her unwavering glimmer pierced his feigned indifference. "Your hair is the first sign. But there are others, Takumi. The cards speak of celestial beings who walk among us, their powers hidden until the time is right. I believe you are one of them," she said, gesturing to the intricate designs lined across the cards doing battle with the dim light. Curiosity gnawed at his sense of logic, threatening to pull him into this strange understanding she wove. "Only one celestial has hair similar to yours, with crimson eyes like yours," she continued a twinkle of nostalgia in her voice. "He was a true gentleman as I remember him. Poor things should have had a better ending." Her delicate fingers caressed yet another card, revealing how deeply history was intertwined with his identity. Takumi’s heart raced as he mulled over her words. Memories he had long thought did not exist, stirred within him, the concept of a past life igniting both anxiety and a strange sense of familiarity. Today’s revelations felt like a key turning in his fate.

"But let me tell you what the cards tell me. You will be reunited with an old friend from your past life, and oh my!" Her eyes widened, excitement spilling from her as she disclosed the twisted fate awaiting him. Takumi felt his pulse quicken, disbelief and wonder mingling until they were inseparable. An old friend? Was it even possible? She leaned closer, her brow scrunching as she hit him with the next punch, "Your future is filled with hardships. Have you been betrayed recently by a close relative or friend?" Takumi's breath caught, memories flashing before his eyes like fireflies in the night. The anticipation felt almost tangible, a vortex of untold events swirling around him. No lie could remain hidden if the cards were to be believed, and the dim confines of their space felt closed as shadows stretched, all drawn towards him. "No ma’am, no such things have happened to me... why do you ask?" he replied, clambering for calm amidst her looming presence. But alas, uncertainty gnawed at him like a mischievous fey, pushing him deeper into a fracture of anxiety as images of betrayal began to root in his mind.

Suddenly, Takumi felt a throbbing ache in his head, a pressure that tightened its grip around his consciousness. He blinked, determination clashing with the encroaching darkness. Everything around him faded to black as his mind succumbed.