The ominous hourglass sent a shiver down Ez's back, because something felt wrong about it. Well, obviously. It was creepy and its existence made no sense, but its energy just struck the young witch as... well, unnnatural.

Gemma was just as rattled. Maybe more so. An Adapted would be accustomed to weird things disappearing in their presence. Knowing this strange phenomenon existed so close to Gemma heightened the sense of concern.

Looking for answers, Gemma asked about Ez's powers. It made sense; maybe something turned off her aura, somehow. Unfortunately, "No dice. I don't feel the gems in my stomach. Nothing's happening. I swear this isn't me; tarot cards definitely don't do this usu--"

The black sand in the hourglass, coarse like pebbles, ticked away as they hit the bottom of the hourglass. What troubled Ez, breaking her concentration, was the sudden violet tethers that materialized from the hourglass, connecting to where each woman hid their heart. As the beads fell, Ez could feel an almost imperceivable tightness in her chest. "I... I really don't like this."

Okay, this was supposed to be a friendly night, but something was wrong. Ez had to think like The Crystal Witch and focus on the problem. "I don't know what's happening, but... well, it happened after we drew the Death card." Suddenly, Ez liked that card less. "Hypothetically, maybe that hourglass is counting down to rebirth. I don't think waiting to find out is the best choice."

Taking a deep breath, Ez looked down at her deck, placing her hand on the cards. She felt some vibration; nothing physical, but instead like touching the cards came with a hidden frequency. "Maybe if we finish the set? It's five cards. We have one, so maybe if we finish the reading, we beat the clock?" Ez was not willing to consider what came next if that plan failed. Something about the deck called her.

The witch held the deck up to Gemma. "Draw the card with me?" Without her powers, Ez felt more exposed than normal, but she did not want to back away from Gemma yet. Safety in numbers.

The hourglass, wherever it came from, should not have been inside Gemma's adapted aura, and there were only a handful of explanations for why it was there anyway:

1. It was some kind of a hologram or other trick (but Ez seemed just as confused by it)
2. She was hallucinating (but then so was Ez)
3. Her aura stopped working somehow

The last one, at least, they could test.

>>"No dice. I don't feel the gems in my stomach. Nothing's happening. I swear this isn't me; tarot cards definitely don't do this usu--"

The hourglass was still counting down. Ez looked worried, and Gemma could relate. Being a very rational person, she never liked things that defied explanation.

>>"I... I really don't like this. I don't know what's happening, but... well, it happened after we drew the Death card... Hypothetically, maybe that hourglass is counting down to rebirth. I don't think waiting to find out is the best choice."

"You think the cards are doing this?"

>>"Maybe if we finish the set? It's five cards. We have one, so maybe if we finish the reading, we beat the clock?... Draw the card with me?"

"What, like Jumanji?" Gemma arched an eyebrow. She had to admit, Ez's guess was as good as any other (of which they had none). She looked at the cards for a moment. She really did not want to draw another one. But she did want the hourglass to go away. With a sigh, Gemma steeled herself, and drew another card, flipping it over.

Suddenly, moonlight flooded the entire room, as if a stage light had been turned on. Outside the building, dogs began to bark.

Ez acknowledged that blaming the cards for what they were going through was a hard sell. This was a first for her, regardless of her willingness to believe in the supernatural. She remembered that old adage: Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.

Either a mutant found a way to evolve past an adapted’s invulnerable aura, or they were dealing with something new. Something, given the timing, tied to the cards. Gemma brought up a comparison Ez found close, but off the mark. ”Jumanji? The video game movie?” She shrugged. ”Close enough, I guess.”

Despite her hesitance, Gemma revealed the next card. Ez could not read it immediately due to the immediate and blinding light. From the streets, she heard… dogs? She strained her focus on the card as her sight acclimated. A woman under the water, two howling wolves, and the titular Moon.

”The Moon,” she shared, thinking of the ways she could interpret the new card. ”Symbolism and metaphor, which feels like a fuck you from fate.” They were being assaulted by symbolism, so Ez hoped the card was not just there to mock them.

Other options. ”Facing fears, trusting intuition. Mysteries, visions, a spiritual experience. Something obscured we can’t see yet.”

The witch’s musing was interrupted by a shout from the streets. Jumping to the window, she saw someone on the ground with a bloody arm. Past him, two large dogs ran up the steps into the apartment building. ”Speaking of facing fears, two intimidating looking beasties just entered and I’m betting I know where they’re going.” She spoke quickly, feeling time slipping away. Hourglasses filling fast, beasts on their way to her door.

She had to trust her intuition right? ”We’re drawing another card now.” Waiting for the dogs to get to them wasted too much time. Who knew if Ez could fight them in an enclosed space with an adapted so close? Ez pulled the next card and winced, expecting some new problem.

Opening her eyes, Ez blinked and looked around the room. Nothing? She looked at the card in her hand. ”The High Priestess? Well, that’s—”

Aggressive barking and howling broke her concentration as heavy paws thundered down the hall. They were fast, because Ez definitely thought they had more time. The slam against her door said otherwise. The door held, but she suspected it would not for long.

>> ”Jumanji? The video game movie? Close enough, I guess.”

"What video game?" Gemma blinked. Sometimes she plain forgot the generational difference between the two of them. Either way, the example worked. On a theoretical level.

The next card definitely brought a lot of changes. The image was not very friendly either.

>>”The Moon. Symbolism and metaphor, which feels like a fuck you from fate... Facing fears, trusting intuition. Mysteries, visions, a spiritual experience. Something obscured we can’t see yet.”

"So... the mystery card is telling us that this is a mystery?" Gemma ventured. She would have to trust Ez's interpretations, but they did not seem to come with any sort of a solid explanation.

The howling, on the other hand...

>>”Speaking of facing fears, two intimidating looking beasties just entered and I’m betting I know where they’re going.”

"You think the card conjured up dogs...?"

There were dogs in the card and now dogs outside. Not the nice Lizzy kind either.

>>”We’re drawing another card now.”

"Sure." Ez took the next turn, and held up the next card... but if there was any kind of a result, Gemma could not see it.

>>”The High Priestess? Well, that’s—”

There was a loud banging at the door and Gemma jumped. Dogs could not break a door down, could they?... Normal dogs, anyway. "What's... a high priestess?"

As someone who was doing her own tarot readings since puberty, Ez felt confident in her ability to read the possible meanings of a card, but she never had to do it with this kind of pressure. Piecing together puzzle pieces she could not see while a looming death clock followed her made it hard to think. The vigilante was no stranger to stress or life-or-death situations; she just needed to adjust to what the universe was throwing her.

The Moon was not helpful unless it was a hint to trust their gut instincts going forward. Maybe there was something bigger going on they were waiting to be revealed. Until then, they had to stay on their toes as they made their escape.

Ez’s door was doing its best to hold up, but they had to move quick. Ez offered a hand in case Gemma needed support fleeing toward a rooftop up the shaky metal stairs. The High Priestess was a weird one. ”Dreams, visions and insight. Intuition? Serendipity? Heck, it could be occult or hidden knowledge.” Now there was a thought. Though… was she willing to entertain it? Ez believed in the Goddess and the ways the universe tugged and influenced things, but this was very… direct. She pulled herself over the bricks, scrambling to her feet on the roof. ”As for how that’s gonna manifest? Hell if I know.”

”The lost daughter of crystals can’t see what’s in front of her, it seems.”

Ez’s head swiveled to the low, feminine voice and found a figure shrouded in red. Red dress, red cloak, red hood. Her face, however, was obscured by the hood. Ez glared, stepping away from Gemma enough to feel her gems in her stomach. Not concerned in the moment with revealing more of her mutation, her hands flared with flame. ”I see someone who owes us answers. Are you doing something here?”

Painted red lips smirked from under the hood. ”I do not need to; the universe is sharing its prophecy with you all on its own. It is up to you to prove you’re listening.” she advised both women.

They made their way to the roof on the fire escape. Gemma was not used to doing things like this anymore. She did not dare look down as they climbed.

>>”Dreams, visions and insight. Intuition? Serendipity? Heck, it could be occult or hidden knowledge. As for how that’s gonna manifest? Hell if I know.”

So, the deck kept telling them that things were being mysterious. Big help. There was a reason Gemma found esoteric things somewhat hazy...

>>”The lost daughter of crystals can’t see what’s in front of her, it seems.”

There was someone else on the roof. Someone in red. Gemma's brow furrowed. She had dealt with cults before, both pro- and anti-mutant, and she was not going to trust some conjured up red-dressed priestess right off the bat. Neither did Ez, apparently, because she stepped away, and conjured up flames.

>>”I see someone who owes us answers. Are you doing something here?”

>>”I do not need to; the universe is sharing its prophecy with you all on its own. It is up to you to prove you’re listening.”

Maybe this woman was a mutant. Maybe her powers somehow found a way around adapted auras. It was still a more likely explanation than magic...

"I'm listening. Who are you?"