Sumendu and Diya stood frozen as the old woman spoke their names—softly, familiarly—as though she had known them since birth. A chill raced down their spines. This was their first meeting. How could she possibly know who they were?
Sumendu was the first to recover. He drew a breath, about to speak, when the old woman suddenly laughed.
"So," she said casually, "how is the game of darts going for you?"
That single sentence short-circuited their minds.
How could she know that?
She smiled—a knowing, almost indulgent smile—and looked directly at Sumendu."Isn't it astounding," she said, "that I seem to know everything you've done so far? Even what you were just thinking—that somehow events are not being driven by you, but through you."
She paused, letting the words sink in.
Sumendu finally spoke. "How do you know all this? Who are you? And who are we? Why is this happening to us?"
"Relax," she replied calmly. "Let me pull a card for you first."
She shuffled the deck slowly, deliberately. Each movement felt agonizing. Finally, she laid three cards face up on the table.
The Past: Ten of SwordsThe Present: Page of WandsThe Future: Wheel of Fortune
They stared at the cards blankly.
The old woman laughed again—a low, mischievous laugh—and began to explain.
"The Ten of Swords represents a definitive end," she said. "An ending to a pattern you are currently unaware of—but one you will soon recognize. When you do, it will shock you both to your core."
She tapped the second card."The Page of Wands shows a crossroads. A choice you must make. Once made, everything that follows will depend on it. There will be no turning back."
Her finger moved to the final card."And the Wheel of Fortune tells us that the wheel was set in motion the moment you threw your first dart, Sumendu. Destiny has begun its rotation. There is no reversing it now."
She leaned closer.
"By throwing that first dart, you triggered destiny to take you into the past—into a pattern that has repeated itself again and again across time. But this time is different. This time, once you observe the pattern, you will be given a chance to change it once and for all."
Her eyes narrowed."Whether you succeed will depend entirely on how the two of you analyze the past and attempt to influence the present."
She straightened, her tone darkening.
"There is danger as well. If you throw the final dart and enter the last phase of this pattern—and fail to return to the present—it will prove fatal. Not just for you, but for everyone around you."
She gathered the cards and rose slowly.
"Now go home," she said softly. "It is almost time to throw the next dart."