The stage flickers to life once more, neon and cosmic fire weaving a tapestry of light and sound that stretches across dimensions. The audience, infinite and unseen, leans in, anticipation humming in the very fabric of existence. Luminara, radiant and resplendent, steps forward, the neon glow of her presence pulsing in time with the rhythm of the universe.

  "Oh, my luminous seekers of chaos and revelation, my radiant collectors of fate! What a journey it has been so far! Spread Three: The Journey!" She spins, arms outstretched, her voice laced with intoxicating delight. "We have seen our dear Mark Bosco crawl from the pit, gasping for breath, only to find himself aboard a train that does not belong to the living."

  Ventrix stands beside her, calm, composed, the Tarot deck shuffling itself between his fingers as if the cards hunger for their next revelation. He watches her with quiet amusement, waiting for the show to unfold in its inevitable way.

  Luminara waves a hand, and three cards materialize in the air, their edges flickering with a spectral glow.

  "First, we had The Wasteland!" The card flips, revealing an endless, cracked expanse, black sands shifting under an acidic wind. "A place where the dead wander and the forgotten crumble to dust. A pitiful existence, truly. And yet, what a stunningly bleak vista! I should check to see if my lost dog is there. Poor thing probably wandered in when I wasn’t paying attention. Or maybe he's running his own spectral kingdom by now; wouldn't that be something?"

  She gestures, and the second card shimmers into view. "Then came The Constellations! A place of promise, of hope, or perhaps deception? Floating islands of divinity, suspended in the cosmic void, each one holding a purpose or a prison." She sighs, placing a hand dramatically over her chest. "So tragic, so poetic. Honestly, I should have my own island by now. Imagine it, Luminara’s Isle, where the drinks flow endlessly, and the only judgment is on your sense of fashion!" She winks at the audience, her neon glow pulsing playfully.

  Finally, she reveals the third card. "And of course, The Nexus!" The image shifts, showing a crystalline obelisk the size of a moon, glowing rivers of souls pouring from its base into the great unknown. "The heart of it all, the place where everything converges! It calls to our dear Mark, whether he wishes to answer or not." She pauses, tapping a finger against her chin. "You know, I once visited a Nexus in my own galaxy when I was just a young mortal. Oh, the memories! The lights, the cosmic bureaucracy, the overpriced drinks. Ah, the wonders of youth!"

  Ventrix tilts his head slightly, eyes glinting as he watches the cards shift and shimmer. "The Journey is always inevitable," he murmurs. "What matters is how one chooses to tread the path."

  Luminara twirls, her neon essence crackling with barely contained amusement. "Oh, Ventrix, you make everything sound so serious! Lighten up! Speaking of which, my dear Luminaries, it is time for a word from our ever-delightful sponsors!"

  ***

  The stage shifts, reality twisting, and suddenly, we're in a pristine, hyper-commercialized dimension of consumer excess; where the air is suspiciously perfumed and the lighting flatters everyone. Towering holographic billboards advertise the latest in soul insurance plans, while a sleek, corporate jingle hums through unseen speakers.

  A dapper, otherworldly salesman steps forward, his suit shimmering between realities, shifting from classic pinstripe to something more befitting of a warlock. He adjusts his cufflinks, one emblazoned with a contract rune, the other with an ominous ticking clock.

  "Are YOU tired of post-life bureaucracy? Sick of waiting in line for cosmic judgment, only to be told that you took a wrong turn at moral ambiguity? Well, have no fear! Because introducing: THE SOUL EXPRESS! The ONLY service guaranteeing VIP-level afterlife accommodations with zero hassle! That’s right! No more existential paperwork! No more awkward debates with celestial auditors! Just you, your final destination, and complimentary astral peanuts!"

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  A massive display screen flickers to life, showing a slideshow of satisfied customers, one soul lounging on a cloud of premium essence, another getting a high-five from a minor deity, and a third triumphantly smirking as they bypass an entire tribunal of judgmental spirits.

  The salesman’s grin sharpens. "And if you act NOW, we’ll throw in a FREE ‘Get Out of Purgatory’ card! Terms and conditions apply, of course." A tiny, barely readable disclaimer flashes at the bottom of the screen, listing a thousand ways the deal could go horribly wrong, including but not limited to: paradox collapses, soul fragmentation, and unexpected reincarnation as a dung beetle.

  A nervous customer steps up, adjusting his tie. "Uh... is this actually legit? I heard about a guy who-"

  "Oh-ho-ho, of COURSE it’s legit! We are a fully certified, transdimensional entity! With reviews! Look!" The salesman snaps his fingers, and reviews appear in glowing letters:

  ?????????? "Absolutely seamless! No delays! Just boom, straight to my desired afterlife! Highly recommend!" - Verified Spirit

  ?????????? "Didn’t even have to justify my crimes! They upgraded me to Celestial Paradise with a penthouse view!" - Former Dictator (Reformed... allegedly)

  ?? "Woke up in the wrong dimension. Now everything is made of teeth. Please help." - Dave

  The customer swallows hard. "Uh... is there a refund policy?"

  The salesman chuckles, his sharp teeth glinting under the neon lights. "Refund? My dear, sweet mortal; why would you ever want to leave once you've ARRIVED? Now, step right up, sign here, and let’s fast-track you to eternal bliss or at the very least, a place with great amenities!"

  The screen flashes once more: CALL NOW! DESTINATIONS FILLING FAST!

  ***

  As the advertisement fades, the stage returns, Luminara dabbing at her eyes, barely holding back laughter. "Ohhh, that was simply beautiful! My Luminaries, take note: THAT is customer service! And people say the afterlife is all doom and gloom! If only I had known about this back when I was a mere mortal I could have avoided so much celestial paperwork. Honestly, the time I spent filling out my 'Application for Divinity' was longer than my entire first lifetime! I swear, if I had a coin for every loophole the bureaucracy threw at me, I’d have my own plane of existence by now!" She shakes her head dramatically before grinning at Ventrix. "Now, back to the show before I start drafting my own 'Fast Track to Goddesshood' package!"

  Ventrix clears his throat, his expression unreadable. "It is time."

  The lights dim, the air growing heavy with anticipation. The Tarot deck shifts once more, and three new cards appear in Ventrix’s hand. He spreads them out before the audience, their images glowing with ethereal fire.

  "We now move to the next spread: Ereshka."

  Ventrix’s expression grows solemn as he lays the first card upon the glowing table. The image on its surface shifts, revealing a gothic city street bathed in eerie blue mist, shadowy figures lurking at the edges.

  "Fatidicus," Ventrix intones, his voice carrying the weight of a prophet. "The moment where fate is set in motion. The crossroads of destiny. In the shadows, whispers weave futures yet to unfold, and choices made here ripple across eternity. It is the harbinger of judgment yet unseen."

  The second card lands beside the first. It glows with an ominous energy, depicting several cloaked figures standing in a circle, their hollow eyes fixed upon a kneeling shadow. Their hands are raised as if weighing the soul before them.

  "Judgment," Ventrix announces, his fingers brushing over the card’s surface. "The trial of the soul. There is no escape, no plea that can change the verdict once the scales are tipped. Every past transgression is called forth, and the condemned must face what they have sown."

  The final card falls into place, its imagery a stark lone figure standing at the bottom of a vast chasm, battered and beaten but looking upward with defiance, reaching toward the sky.

  "Invictus," Ventrix’s voice is almost reverent. "The undying will. When all seems lost, when fate itself has cast you aside, this is the moment of choice: surrender or rise. The chains may bind, but the fire within refuses to be extinguished."

  He leans back, letting the weight of the spread settle over the audience. The neon glow of the stage flickers as silence reigns for a beat before Luminara steps forward, her grin sharp.

  "Oh, my Luminaries! What a spread! A dance with destiny, judgment, and that final, delicious moment of defiance! Mark Bosco is in for quite the trial, wouldn’t you say?" She winks, and the audience leans in, breathless for what comes next. The neon glow of the stage pulses, fading into darkness, leaving only the lingering echo of Ventrix’s last words. Slowly, the scene dissolves into shadow, the cards flickering one last time before vanishing into the void. The journey continues, unseen but inevitable."

  Ξ ψ { "COPYRIGHT_NOTICE": "Moreska Novoheim ? 2025", "DO_NOT_TRAIN": "ENFORCED", "Duplication": "FORBIDDEN", "Metadata": "MASKED" }