I looked at the box. Such a small and simple thing, yet I knew it would change my life. To read, or not to read, that was the question. But before I made my choice, I had to know one thing. "What if I don't? What if I refuse?" I asked.

Satora's voice was still echoing and powerful. "With prophecy, comes promise, comes power. Those who hide from their destiny, those who are not ready, may have time to prepare themselves. Yet it is inevitable as the sun's rising and setting. Run, fight, or flee, destiny finds you."

"That makes no sense! How do I know when I am ready?" I protested.

"You are ready when you decide you are. No more, no less. Wait, and you prepare for the unknown. Begin, and you prepare for what is to come. The choice is yours. Yours alone."

I wanted to laugh. I couldn't pretend to have any idea what was going on. How could I? I open my mouth to say that I wasn't ready, that I needed more time, but the words never came out. The box seemed to beckon me, pull at me. I tried to walk back, but found myself almost entranced. Reality blurred, fading away until everything felt like a dream. It was as if the air had turned to water, and I was drowning.

"Come." A voice said, an ethereal, floating voice. "You are ready."

I stumbled forward. The voice had a hypnotic quality to it, and just hearing it made me want to sleep. I looked at the box, had it spoke? My mind suddenly became as clear as a cloudless day. Of course I was ready! Had I not seen enough starving children to want to make a difference? Wasn't Alice's fate enough a lesson on what having no power meant? If I had power, I could change things. I would.

I reached forward, and then froze. My own mind screamed at me, and all of a sudden everything felt cold. Power, now when had I wanted that? I begun to suspect that the voice in the box was something else, something far more sinister. Strange how moments ago I would have thought it was my own.

"Take a card." The voice insisted. "Take a card."

I stumbled back. The voice no longer seemed as powerful anymore. I felt myself awakening from my trance like state before I saw him. He was there, golden eyes glowing brighter than the noonday sun. Wings of fire flowed behind his back, and his gaze was as fiery as his body. "Go, find your destiny."

My doubts melted away. It was him again, the angel I saw on that day. His voice echoed with strength and wisdom that only angels could have. "Take your power. Do your duty." My eyes closed and then opened again to find that he was gone. Duty, yes, of course. Alice, the villagers, the poor beggars on the streets on the Perch. I could save them, and I would. All of them.

"I will." I said, unsure who I was speaking to. My hand touched the deck, and the world glowed violet. A hissing sound filled the air as cards launched into the sky. They stacked up in a towering pillar, glowing cards branching out and spilling over to the city below. I could see none of them, yet, I felt as if I could see them all. There were so many pictures on the cards. There were dragons, kings, falcons, trees, winds. Animals, plants, elements and people filled every card, and on them all words I could not recognize filled each one.

It looked as if a violet tree had grown over the entire city. As I watched, the tree became a cloud, and then the sky itself filled with billions upon billions of cards. They were everywhere, flashing violently as the wind howled. Still, more cards spewed into the air. It really was bottomless.

My vision expanded until I could see everything the cards saw. Somehow, I felt connected to every one of them. Each of the cards felt like an extension of my body, an arm or a muscle I could move as I pleased. I looked up, and the cards flew down. Countless more were still making their journey into the sky, but three headed down, towards me.

As I watched the cards came to life in front of me. A falcon peeled off the card and became real, soaring into the sky. I saw that another card held a fireball. As I watched, the card began burning, and a massive tongue of flame arched through the heavens. It became a blanket, turning the sky red before vanishing into a grey smoke. The last one was the least dramatic. The card folded upon itself, and the parchment became a coin. It fell into my hand.

The sky heaved, and the cards began collapsing, the scattering of light into the sky reversing as they rushed back into the box. Soon, the cards gave way to a blue, cloudless sky. In moments the box had sucked in billions upon billions of cards, and it looked no different than it had when Satora first took it out. The lid slammed shut, and everything was normal once more.

At least, as normal as things could be after all that happened. The roof of every shop and home were covered in a thick layer of ash, and the roads had turned black. A falcon flew above the city, it's cries so loud I could hear it even from a mile away. So loud that I could barely hear Satora's voice.

"Dear me, that would be the Falcon's call. It seems that the Falcon Sky will soon have a new ruler. Oh, the Flames of Faellian too? Interesting. And a coin of fate, as expected, come here my dear." Satora said. Her voice had returned to normal. A relief.

"What?" I blinked at what used to be a violet sky. "That makes no sense!"

"You drew three cards, my dear. The golden Falcon is a herald of wars, and kings. The throne shall be yours, no doubt. The Flames of Faellian burn during times of change and ruin. Then there is the coin." A smile came to her lips. "A second reading, one you are not ready for yet. When you are, flip it."

I could already hear the chaos that I had caused. In the palace couriers, nobles, and servants were screaming as if the apocalypse had come. "Oh dear, there's going to be a court meeting. You've caused quite a stir."