Chapter 172 - 155: Card Array: Crossing Bridge

"Tonight’s spread is called the ’Crossing Bridge.’ I’m walking you all through it to give you a feel for the atmosphere."

Mrs. MacNeil hovered her right hand over the card representing the "Bridge."

"Edmund."

"Yes, Ma’am."

"You will turn over the ’Bridge’."

Edmund hesitated for a moment before reaching out and turning it over.

[The Hanged Man·Upright]

The card depicted a man hanging upside down from a T-shaped cross.

One of his legs was tied by a rope, while the other was bent into the shape of the number "4".

The hanged man’s face showed no fear; instead, it radiated tranquility.

"The Hanged Man." Edmund frowned. ’The omen from this card isn’t exactly good.’

"The Hanged Man, upright," Mrs. MacNeil said with a nod. "The essence of the Bridge is ’surrender’ and ’waiting’."

She glanced around at the four Newcomers.

"The Hanged Man represents willing sacrifice, suspension, and a change in perspective.

This time, during the Crossing Veil, we are essentially ’exchanging’ our own positions for the stability of the Seal."

"The Hanged Man, upright, tells us that this ’surrender’ has been accepted."

Mr. Hutton added from the side, "The Seal itself is willing to accept our group to go down and perform the repairs."

"So it’s a good thing." The young man’s shoulders relaxed.

"Yes," Mrs. MacNeil nodded. "The Bridge is stable."

She hovered her right hand over the "Start" card.

"Maggie, you’re up."

Maggie reached out and turned it over.

[The Star·Upright]

The card depicted a naked woman kneeling by the water.

With her left hand, she poured water from a jug into a pool, and with her right, she poured water from another jug onto the land. Above her head were eight stars.

"The Star! Hope!" Maggie said, somewhat excitedly.

"It means our starting point is one of hope and clarity," Mrs. MacNeil nodded.

"The Star, upright, tells us that when we set out tomorrow, we will be in excellent condition.

The repairs over the past few days have stabilized the outer Exoteric Division, so we will be descending from a very stable ’starting point’."

She hovered her right hand over the "Crossing" card.

"Richard, it’s your turn."

"Yes."

Richard reached out.

His fingers stopped half an inch above the card, and he could feel it "Breathing" beneath his fingertips.

He turned it over.

[The Moon·Upright]

Richard had seen this card once before.

"The Moon in the ’Crossing’ position..." Mrs. MacNeil began her interpretation.

"While we are ’crossing the bridge,’ we might encounter some illusions."

"What kind of illusions, specifically?" Theodore asked.

"That can’t be determined beforehand." Mrs. MacNeil shook her head. "The characteristic of The Moon is precisely that ’things cannot be determined beforehand’."

She glanced at Richard.

"Your inspiration is quite high. The Moon’s influence is most severe for those with keen Perception."

"..." The color drained from Richard’s face.

"Remember one thing," Mrs. MacNeil cautioned. "During the ’crossing,’ anything that makes you ’want to take another step forward’ is an illusion of The Moon."

Richard recalled the first time he had entered the Inshore Waters and the voice in his chest that wasn’t his own.

He nodded. "I’ll remember."

"Good." Mrs. MacNeil moved her right hand over the "End" card. "Theodore."

"Y-Yes." The stable boy’s hands were shaking. He wiped them on his pant legs first.

He turned it over.

[The World·Upright]

The card depicted a dancing woman encircled by a wreath of laurel leaves. In the four corners were the heads of a man, an eagle, a lion, and a bull.

"The World!" Theodore said in disbelief.

"The World, upright." Mrs. MacNeil was also pleased. "The ’end’ of this Crossing Veil is completion, fulfillment, and closure."

"So, a good ending?"

"A good ending." Mrs. MacNeil pumped her fist to encourage them. "We will succeed."

Everyone around the table breathed a sigh of relief, but Mrs. MacNeil hadn’t finished.

"Success, but not without setbacks."

She added, "During this Crossing Veil, in the ’crossing’ process, there will likely be a confrontation. Someone will be injured as a result."

"As for what that confrontation is... there’s one last card left. I’ll turn it over myself."

She moved her right hand over the "Obstacle" card and turned it over.

[The Devil·Reversed]

The card depicted a goat-headed Demon with two people chained at its feet.

But the card was reversed, so the Demon was on the bottom and the chains were on top.

"The Devil, reversed."

Seeing The Devil card, the expressions on the faces of the Newcomers, who had just been feeling pleased, turned grim once more.

"The Devil, reversed," Mrs. MacNeil interpreted, "symbolizes a constrained power, a bond that is about to be broken."

She looked up.

"Our obstacle is..."

She didn’t need to finish the sentence. Everyone knew what the obstacle was.

The one in the Seal, "she who eats Shadows."

"She will struggle while we are Crossing the Veil," Mrs. MacNeil continued to deduce.

"The reversed position tells us her power is ’suppressed,’ but ’struggling’."

Mr. Hutton nodded. "The source of the ’confrontation’ we must face lies here."

"Will she get out?" Theodore swallowed hard.

"She can’t get out," Mrs. MacNeil shook her head. "The ’reversed’ position of The Devil means ’cannot get out.’ She can only reach a hand out when the Seal is weak."

The Divination was complete.

The five cards lay on the table. Mrs. MacNeil studied them for a moment before gathering them up one by one and returning them to the deck.

"Remember this," she said to the four Newcomers.

"Tomorrow’s Crossing Veil will be a success."

"There will be setbacks before we succeed."

"There will be one confrontation. Someone will be injured, but no one will die."

"We’ll remember," the four of them answered in unison.

"Now, go Sleep."

Before going upstairs, Richard glanced back at the table.

The cards on the table had already been cleared away.