"Here are your uniforms," says Angelica as she tossed the boys their uniforms.

Surprised, the six of them gazed at the prestigious black suits that the fortuneteller had made for them. They were quick to notice that each were made uniquely for each and every one of them that fit to their liking, almost their style, yet maintained its uniform aspects. The men quickly darted their eyes to Angelica, realizing that she herself wore her own uniform. She looked professional in her attire which consisted of of a black suit jacket with a high collared shirt underneath it. A black tied is tied around her neck while a small, black corset wound around her stomach. Instead of having a skirt, the woman donned on a black pair of tight pants that were tucked into her black lace-up, high-heeled boots. On both her thighs were strapped with knife holders, and her hands were covered with finger less gloves.

The woman didn't have the usual warm smile she wore everyday, instead she had a straight face on with serious eyes. Her glossy black hair was kept to the way it was: loose with her bangs covering her right eye. The shocking part about her was her pale appearance. Angelica appeared sickly, despite their great diet and meals. However, her spirit was on fire as if she was angered and disturbed. It made her companions anxious, wondering what was the matter. But knowing her after living with her for a week, the fortuneteller would use her mysterious tactics to divert the question. 

Not all of them could take it though.

"Hey, Angelica! You're pale!" yelled Enzo, hurrying towards the woman.

She stood on the flight of stairs by the secret room where she converses classified topics with the cards. The man rushes to her and grabs her arm, and she doesn't fight back but lets him bring her down gently. Without a doubt he could feel her a little weaker than he usual firm stature and strength.

"I'm fine, Enzo," Angelica replied calmly as the man brought her to the living room where she sat on one of the chairs. "Just try on the uniforms that I made. I wanna see how you guys look with them on."

Hearing that , the men obediently went off to change. They soon returned fully clothed with the uniforms, and the sight of them brought a small smile on her face, full of relief. Jahan among all of the boys were surprised to find himself a uniform despite not being an Arcana holder. He was happy though. For once he was happy to be treated special because of his royal blood. The fortuneteller treated him the same way she treated the others, making no favorites, not even Alfieri who was with her the longest among the six.

Getting up from her seat, the woman made her way towards them and adjusted a few things, almost like how a lover would do to the man whom she loved as he us about to go on a journey. All six thought the same way and they felt their cheeks grow hot as a warm feeling came over their chests. And they found themselves avoiding Angelica's eyes.

"You're training will begin once we start out tomorrow," Angelica told them seriously with a menacing aura around her. "A storm has already brewed and we must prepare for what's to come."

Abelle looks at her with narrowed eyes as they all felt the tensed air around them. Pushing back his glasses, he asks, "A storm? Didn't expect to face someone so soon," as everything glanced at him.

The fortuneteller rubs her temples tiredly. "I've been feeling it ever since a few months back. It was vague at first, but it's clear now. Actually. . . I've encountered them. Only one. And he was stupid to face me," she replied.

"What do you mean? What did you do to him?" asked a tensed Pietro, feeling his beads of sweat stream down his face.

"I eliminated him after forcing out info from him."

"Eliminated?" the men repeated in sync.

Azad, Jahan's butler, looks at the fortuneteller with wide eyes, stunned. But instead of losing his composure, he kept calm just like the rest did. He didn't know what Angelica was trying to say but he knew that she was on the verge of spilling why she killed him. "So who was he to make you take his life? Better yet, who is he affiliated with to make you kill him?"

"The worst enemy the Arcana famiglia could ever face."

* * * * * * * * 

Chuckling darkly, a mysterious woman peered into her crystal ball where she saw the fortuneteller with the rest of her companions standing alongside her. An evil grin was curled on her red lips, amused to see them so tensed and so determined. Darkness hid her face but it's obvious that she was not alone for glowing eyes gazed at the woman intensely.

However, despite the darkness, it as obvious that several stood with her and they all had ecstatic grins.

"So it has begun, huh?" she asks. "The fun. . . has begun."

* * * * * * * * 

Standing alone in the hall stood a grandfather clock. The pendulum inside it swung in a steady momentum. The hands within the glass ticked with each second that passed. Its face faced the empty hall in front of it with only rows of flower vases standing in uniform lanes and spaces. They each were filled with the same flowers that were arranged in nearly the same way. Silence lingered with only the faint sound of the ticking clock breaking it. It was already past noon, and though no one was standing by the hall, the air was heavy, feeling so tense. It saddened the flowers in the vases, making them droop. Even the creatures around the mansion could feel the tense atmosphere from within. 

Inside the office of the head of the Arcana famiglia, was the source of the tense atmosphere where everyone was disgusted with each other. Their foreheads were creased into deep frowns that affected their entire faces as they stared at the floor. Several of the occupants had clenched fists and their teeth gritted with distrust and annoyance. A few of them had bruised faces and unkempt uniform, indicating a violent struggle. Among them was Debito whose lip was cut and had a battered face. Even Luca and Pace were injured, and only the mysterious Jolly was not. The bespectacled man had a calm on with a lit cigarette held between his teeth.

The auburn-haired man among them also was frowning at the situation before him that has caused a rift within the heads. His eyes stared at the long distance before him where the sea soon came into sight. He had his hands behind his back as the man took deep steady breaths, wondering how to handle it all. His wife was deeply disturbed beside him, hurt to see the members fight amongst themselves because of the news that Angelica would be returning. It seemed like not everyone was happy at the news.

Sighing, he turns to his friends with a dark frown on his face. 

"What is trust?" he asks. "What is trust that you would fight each other simply because you heard that one of are own would be returning with new members. I do not know what exactly you have against her, but it shouldn't cause our rift."

"When exactly would she return?" asks an eager Felicita, trying her best to ignore that her friends fought.

"She told us in her last letter that the length of travel would only be three days if they won't stop. But she plans to give us fine diamonds from the rough by the time they return so Angelica said one week. However, she told us that the road may be rough because she sensed a threat coming. . no. They're already here," her father replied grimly.

His companions stiffened at the sound of this, not believing the news.

"Threat? To the famiglia?" asked Dante, his eyes narrowing. "Are you saying that there is another power out there?"

Mondo nods. "Angelica encountered them during the first few days she had traveled towards Tiburio, but didn't report to us because she didn't find it significant at first and thought that the man was being foolish and stupid. But a couple of days ago that disturbance was getting to her and the feeling was intensifying. She only reported it to us yesterday. But at least she informed us everything in detail."

"I can't see any results with my fortunes," adds his wife, Sumire, so I can't confirm who exactly is this threat. However, I do get the feeling of a disturbance with my Arcana. . . almost as if Il Giudizio also feels it within the Arcana realm."

"Within. . the Arcana realm?" repeats a shocked Nova who stood beside Felicita and Luca.

The woman nods and sighs heavily. "Angelica also mentioned that the cards are more than they seem. They are not just mere cards that grant us powers as we all know about it. She also told us not to belittle them, and that the Arcana cards themselves feel tainted."

Felicita widened her eyes at this, feeling her heart pound with anxiety pacing it. It was more than she expected. "What did she mean by 'belittle' and 'tainted'? She's been speaking to the cards?" she asks.

"Heh?? You could do that?" a baffled Liberta asks as he glanced at her.

She nods. "I did it three years ago before the Arcana Duello when I was trying to strengthen myself. La Ruota Della Fortuna and Gli Amanti spoke to me before, but we haven't conversed since then," Felicita replied calmly.

"I believe all of us that made a deal with the Arcana without cheating have spoken to them at least once," agreed Mondo, shutting his eyes for a moment before facing Tarocco. "However, Angelica has been appointed as the 'Arcana emissary' after gaining their trust for the past so many months. But the ugly part about it is the fact that the cards have decided to show their true colors to her, that's why she took a long time in picking the holders, although she did mention that 'fate was what brought them to her' not by her own will."

"This sounds more complicated than finding the holders themselves," remarked Jolly as he lets out a puff. "Even if we made the deal with the Arcana, the mention of them 'showing their true colors' has an ugly vibe to it."

"It is, Jolly," Dante replied for Mondo. Turning to his friend, he asks, "But why would showing their true colors be ugly?"

"Angelica wouldn't say exactly why it's ugly, but she did say to start considering ourselves as making deals with demons," was all Mondo could sputter, and Tarocco could see the anxiety in his eyes.

But it was a good thing that that was all the man could say, because only with a few words the Tarocco was already shaken by it. The earlier feud was no longer that mattered, it was the return of the one that discovered it all alone in the dark.

* * * * * * *

The faint cry of the rooster was the first thing that woke Angelica, despite the sun not having shone yet, that faint sound was enough to wake the sleeping beauty. Her eyes fluttered open, completely deprived from her sleepiness, ready to face a new day. She herself was nervous about facing the people she was taken in by and then betrayed them. Her heart was beating a little faster than it should be, but she had to fight it, putting duty first rather than emotion. Getting up from bed, the woman slowly swung her legs to the bedside as she pushed back the covers.

Beside her were her belongings and outfit chosen. Her cat, Quorra, and Shandor; Zipporah, her falcon was perched at the edge of her bed, looking at her intensely. The woman just smiles at them as her animal friends flocked to her and cuddled with their tired master. Zipporah perched on her shoulder, her claws accidentally piercing through Angelica's fair skin. But the woman stays silent despite the pain, knowing that the creature didn't mean to harm her. It wasn't like she could help having such sharp claws. The falcon rubs its head against the fortuneteller's face, making Angelica chuckle fondly.

"Well. . . no need to worry about me, guys. I'll be alright," she cooed.

Suddenly she heard a knock on her door, surprising her to realize that someone was up so early in the morning. The woman guessed that someone was excited to leave already.

"Come on in," Angelica called.

Shortly after Enzo comes in, greeting her in the process as she got up from her seat. She just smiles at the approaching man, wondering what he had in mind. As always he had a straight face on, but his eyes emitted an obvious concern for the one who took him in, whether she tricked him or not, after all, she called him out from the rain that night. He was grateful for her kindness, and ever since then, his heart has been after her affection.

Suddenly seeing the woman's blood shoulder, he rushes quickly to her side and examined it before going through the drawers where he drew out ointment and bandages. Angelica was not surprised because she knew that Enzo was the one who kept the house in order aside from her. But because she was often weak, the man was the one who kept the house clean.

He kept silent as he tended to the wound, and she herself kept silent as well. Soon it was bandaged and the woman thanked him gently.

Gently he took her hand, afraid to look at her in the eye, but his eyes instead lingered on the satin dress she donned on. Enzo immediately felt his cheeks heat up, remembering that she may have only woken up. He gritted his teeth for having overlooked this fact. But he suddenly felt her warm hand against his cheek, causing the man to jerk his gaze up. Immediately his red eyes met her violet orbs as they stared into the very core of his soul. A warm feeling came to his chest, making his heart pound at each second silence lingered. 

Her velvety voice broke it.

"Is something disturbing you? Enzo?" she asks. "Though as of the moment, I have a good feeling why you came here for."

Enzo sighs, suddenly pulls the woman close, pulling her into an embrace. Angelica's eyes remained calm and composed, having anticipated his eager confession. "Angelica."

"Hm?"

"I've. . . been keeping these feelings in since that night when I first met you. I couldn't stop a minute thinking about you. . . I'm happy that I met a woman such as yourself came into my life. Will you. . . accept me? Will you marry me. . Angelica?"

The woman kept silent and still, contemplating how she should handle the situation she was currently in. She could hear his heartbeat pound within his chest, and she could tell that he was nervous other than being eager. Being confessed to happens so often that it had already became part of her lifestyle, which she hated because none of the man received her answers so well. But even if she said yes, like a curse, nothing good befalls them and all that they really get from it was heartbreak.

Sighing, she wished that it didn't have to be this way, but it was inevitable. "Enzo. . . don't. . don't you think that professing your love for me is too early? Even if we've known each other for two weeks, I believe that it was too early. . . for both of us."

"I thought so too," sighed Enzo. "I really was too hasty."

"Were you afraid that someone would snatch my heart away? Especially the fact that there are now six men, including yourself around me?" Angelica asks calmly.

"Angelica. . ."

"I'm afraid. . . that you shouldn't dwell around getting me as your wife. I am no one pure. I am not as you think I am. I am tainted by the darkness this world brings. I only serve one purpose, and it's no longer to seek my happiness. . . it's to seek the truth about the cards that we have made a deal with and destroy the threat that lies ahead of us. . it's not that I am saying no to you. I am just saying that we need to wait. . more," she explains as she pushed him away gently, and faced the man before her.

Enzo kept a calm face, but a small smile curled on his lips short after, having accepted her answer. Without a word, he cupped her cheek and bent down to hiss her lips. His eyes shut close, not wanting to see the look on her face. He didn't know whether or not she had a shred of feelings for him, but all he hoped for now was that it would develop during their journey.

Pulling back, the man turns on his heels to leave but her hand halts him, making Enzo glance back at her.

A glowing orange light shone on the two as the morning sun was slowly rising up in the beautiful, oil-painted sky. The clouds had the gentle colors of orange and pink, mixed beautifully in harmonious disarray. The soft cries of seagulls were screaming out by the wide horizon where the rising sun beamed at the creatures of the earth. The two could see the ocean sparkle from the gentle, yet bright light reflecting on the calm waters surface, revealing its tranquility. Being near the ocean, the village of Tiburio lit like a shining diamond as its people woke from their deep slumber.

It brought amazed smiles on Angelica and Enzo's faces; the two had never realizing how pretty the sunset was. The worries and troubles of the world had deprived them of their leisure and peace because they are always worrying about the challenges life may bring. It suddenly reminded them the carefree life they both once had when they lived as innocent children, but growing up had the negative effect of stealing away their precious innocence. The positive effect was that it took away their naïveté, so at least they are not easily bought.

Turning their gazes back at each other, Angelica continues, "Wake the others. We're leaving in an hour."

Enzo quickly nods his head and hurries off, leaving the woman whom he had grown his love for behind. The man, though they have made a deal with and have grown fond of, knew that they were worlds apart, he could see it through her eyes. Sadness lingered in them, lost of hope, and having discarded the past were what etched on them so clearly. It only made him more hungry to know her more, going to protect her at all costs.

I don't know what exactly you are hiding from us, but I'll protect you! Even at the cost of me life! Because you saved me! thought a determined Enzo as he hurried to wake up the others.

Knocking loudly on each door, the man would open each to see if the men were up, and unexpectedly he found them awake, up and ready to go. They donned on their travel clothes, sparing their precious suits from the journey. Enzo bore a surprised expression on his usually straight face to see them awake and ready. He was happy, but he managed to keep a straight face on that made them wonder if he was happy or not. They teased him about being so eager, but the man  calmly just shrugged them off, until Alfieri grabbed his shoulder to get his attention. Enzo was just about to make their breakfast, and the man cocked his eyebrow at the womanizer.

Alfieri was smirking at him, almost like  his face was saying, "You did something naughty didn't you?" It peeved the taller man, wondering what his friend had up on his sleeve. Shortly after, Abelle and Pietro caught them in a staring contest. The two were confused, though the bespectacled member simply kept his frown. The blue-eyed man quickly tries to intervene, but his best friend stopped him abruptly when Alfieri's voice broke the silence.

"Waking us up. . those were Angelica's orders wasn't it? You went to her early in the morning?" he asked.

Enzo glares at him. "They were," he told him.

"You didn't happen to have professed your love for her didn't you?"

Hearing this, their other companions were stunned at the accusation. It made their hearts pound, and it confused them very much to feel like a hammer thumped on their chests when they are facing a challenge right in front of them. Abelle quickly grasped the situation and the reason as to why their friend was so hasty.

"You feel threatened with us don't you, Enzo?" asks the bespectacled man as he pushed back his glasses. "The reason as to why you are so hasty is because that woman might develop feelings for one of us. And the fact that he doesn't have favorites is a solid proof that her decisions are unpredictable."

Hearing this, they all kept silent, feeling the heavy and awkward air around them.

Did you have to? Pietro thought as he glanced at Abelle. He knew that his friend tend to corner people bluntly, but this was something else.

They are all comrades.

"What's going on here?" asks Azad as he and Jahan emerged from their quarters.

"Uwahh. Are you guys fighting?" asks the boy, surprised at the presence of a heavy atmosphere.

Enzo just sighs as an eager Alfieri waited for his answer. He shuts his eyes off a moment, taking a deep breath before facing his friends. "I did profess. And I do feel threatened. I didn't want to feel this way, but I couldn't help but sense this uneasiness because Angelica is the only woman around."

"Sounds like a competition," sneered a sly Alfieri.

The Indian butler quickly intervened by coming between the two, glaring at both at them with his fierce golden eyes. "We should stop this. The woman will not be pleased if she finds out," he reasoned sternly.

"H-He's right!" Pietro nervously sputtered. "Miss Angelica will not be happy. Although we shouldn't be surprised if she knew about it anyway."

"Let's just get ready. I bet that woman's already all dressed up and coming down," says Abelle.

Suddenly they did hear footsteps coming down from the staircase, soon finding themselves in the woman's presence. She bore no face of disgust or anger, but instead, an amused smile was curled on her lips as Shandor clung on her slender shoulders and Zipporah climbed down the stairs on all fours. They didn't see her falcon get done with her though, guessing that the fortuneteller may have sent her out.

She donned her usual attire, but had boots on instead her slippers. On her arms was a bag and a cloak. Apparently she was not entirely done because a second bag also hung on her arms. Angelica kept silent, making her companions nervous. But soon after she started to chuckle and then laugh, making the men even more confused.

"Why are you all so stiff? It's almost like you dreaded me coming down," she remarked.

"Our apologies," says Azad and Jahan.

The others apologized right after.

"You know. . because we're comrades through the Arcana, we should start trusting each other. Consider each other as friends because we'll be stuck together for the rest of our lives," the fortuneteller tells them gently.

They remained awkward and stiff, silence was the only thing that emitted from their mouths. Seeing this, Angelica just smiles and goes down the stairwell and leaves them behind. Her footsteps echo as she goes lower and lower towards the third floor. And she soon disappears with their eyes staring at her shadow.

* * * * * * * *

Later, after they have gathered everything they needed, Pietro, along with his companions watch Angelica take a bag of money from a happy dealer. They couldn't be more surprised to see someone more than happy to take the house; it was beautiful after all and was rumored to have good luck. It made the men incredulous to hear such gossip from the townspeople. Angelica though saw it as an opportunity. And this time, they were confident that the fortuneteller was selling it fairly. Although, they felt uneasy when she turned to them with sly eyes. Typical of her.

Shortly she approached them with her cloak on her shoulders and everyone else had one on. Quietly she gave them each some of the money, despite them rejecting the offer.

"Hey, I don't want to have you ask me for money if you see something that might interest you," she told them sharply. "Better now than later; you're all grown men."

"You didn't have to tell us that," Abelle told her bluntly.

"What kind of training will we be having?" asks Alfieri, intrigued to have the woman so serious.

"First, I'll be teaching you how the Arcana works so that at least you'll have an idea. Secondly, I'm sure you've all had your experiences of crawling in the mud, so hand-to-hand combat. I'd like to train you intensely, different from how they normally train in Regalo," the woman explains.

Pushing back his glasses, Abelle asks, "I'm assuming that this is sort of like an experiment?"

"I'll confess, yes. If it works, you'll be as fine as those in Regalo in a week," Angelica told them slyly.

"Heh?? How is that possible??" asks a shocked Pietro.

"According to my calculations, that would be impossible," adds Abelle.

Azad and the others couldn't agree more, but he sensed that there was something up her sleeve. "What makes you so confident that we'll be as good as them?" he asks.

Chuckling, the woman replies, "Because your mentors will be your Arcana. Unlike the ones in Regalo, they simply train by practicing, however, even if they did practice, they are not able to unlock all the tricks and abilities the Arcana is capable of."

"And you discovered all this by doing so?"

"You'll soon see."

The woman smiles and shoved the money into their hands. All the while her monkey friend played on the men's shoulders, looking at the money with curious eyes. Zipporah simply stayed by Angelica's feet, waiting patiently for them to start their journey. Abruptly Angelica whirls around and forms a glowing white circular shield that had mystical patterns in it. An explosion boomed the next second and frightened screams erupted in the air. People ran away from the scene to avoid getting caught in it.

The men were stunned to finally see the fortuneteller's power with her arm stretched forth to where the shield was formed. Dust was hovering in the air, creating a screen from the powerful explosion. Even the cobblestone street was partially destroyed, but everything behind the shield was protected and spared.

A deep frown creased on Angelica's forehead, and her fist by her side was clenched into a ball. Her violet eyes stared ahead, right at the enemy.

"We've got company," she sternly mumbled, waking the shaken men. "I guess we'll begin our training here."

"Who's attacking us?" asked a shaken Pietro.

"Them. Those fake Arcanas."

~~~

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