Igor continued to savor the Gulai Kambing, seemingly oblivious to the dramatic shift in cosmic alignment happening right next to him. The aroma of the dish masked the subtle ozone scent of reality tearing itself open.
The Djin, who had existed only as a cold, disembodied voice in Agung's mind, finally manifested.
A low, dry, distinctly feminine laugh echoed through the restaurant—a sound like dry leaves skittering across pavement.
"As expected of my lifelong partner," the Djin sneered, the words now spoken aloud, crisp and laced with contemptuous affection. "No matter the era, no matter the vessel, you'll always choose the chaotic path. You'll always be A Fool."
The Manifestation
The blue-green light that had just blessed Agung with his new Arcana suddenly condensed. It didn't just appear; it resolved itself behind the counter, right next to the gleaming wok.
The Djin was breathtakingly, jarringly beautiful, yet utterly cold. She was tall and slender, draped in dark, flowing garments that seemed to absorb the light. Her skin was a pale, almost crystalline white, and her eyes were a stark, unsettling silver. Her expression was eternally bored, yet possessive.
On her right thigh, clearly visible through a split in her flowing dark dress, was a sharp, stylized Roman numeral: XIII.
Agung's mind, reeling from the sudden physicality of the entity that had been his disembodied boss, immediately recognized the number: the Death Arcana. A symbol of transformation, transition, and—more often than not—inevitable finality. A perfect, terrifying symbol for a being weary of a stagnant world.
"You... you can materialize?" Agung stammered, momentarily forgetting his newfound Fool status.
The Djin, whose presence was an immediate drop in temperature, gave a languid, dismissive wave of her hand.
"Of course I can, chef. I simply found it more entertaining to be a silent, nagging thought. Now that you've promoted yourself to the protagonist of this pathetic little hub, I suppose I must make myself equally inconvenient." She rested her hip against the counter, her silver eyes sweeping over the restaurant, lingering briefly on Igor.
"And you," she said, addressing Igor with a dismissive sigh. "You old puppet master. You encouraged this."
Igor looked up from his Gulai Kambing, meeting her silver eyes with his yellow ones.
"I merely acknowledge potential, Lady XIII," Igor stated smoothly, taking another spoonful of the spicy curry. "The Fool requires a guide, and the Guide requires an active subject. The terms are mutually beneficial."
Lady XIII turned her attention back to Agung, a possessive, predatory smirk replacing her bored expression.
"Very well, Fool," she said, her silver eyes raking over his slightly obese form and humble apron. "You have your Arcana, and now you have your silent partner made manifest. Do try not to die too quickly. That would ruin the first truly interesting thing to happen in my eternity."
Agung swallowed, the full weight of his new cosmic situation—a destiny-plotting entity eating mutton curry and a beautiful, terrifying, immortal woman with the Death Arcana on her leg leaning on his counter—settling upon him. He was definitely the Fool.
"Understood," Agung said, forcing himself to straighten up. "Then let's make this interesting, partner."