Chapter 3: Tarot Cards

As dawn breaks over Castlehaven, a flock of birds takes flight from the castle's towers, turrets, and spires. The sun rises above the horizon, casting its warm light upon the castle and the surrounding landscape. The soft, pink glow that envelops the castle gives way to a brighter, more vibrant light, signalling the start of a new day. For Lena and Jasmin, it means that classes are about to begin.

As the sunlight filters into the room, Lena stretches and rises from her bed. She turns to see Jasmin still asleep and walks over to her bed, softly calling her name. "Jasmin," Lena whispers, "it's time to wake up."

Jasmin stirs, blinking her eyes open as she adjusts to the light. "Good morning," she says with a sleepy smile.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Lena replies with a grin. "We've got our first class today, Divination class to be specific."

Jasmin groans playfully, "I don't know how much I believe in divination; didn't the cards say I can sleep today as long as I want?" she stretches her arms and yawns while looking at Lena with sleepy eyes.

"Come on, you told me you'd try it!" Lena says and pulls on Jasmin's blanket.

As Lena persists in trying to get Jasmin out of bed, Jasmin's heart races with conflicting emotions. She knows that she has feelings for Lena, feelings that go beyond friendship, but she's too afraid to voice them. What if Lena doesn't feel the same way? What if their relationship changes and they're not as close as they once were? Jasmin can't bear the thought of losing Lena, so she clings tightly to the blanket, but eventually, the blanket slips through her fingers, leaving her vulnerable and exposed.

Lena's eyes wander over Jasmin's slender form, wrapped in blue and silver pyjamas from the mist house. Her long, slightly messy blond hair spills over the pillow, framing her delicate features and making Lena's heart skip a beat.

Lena smiles reassuringly at Jasmin, sensing her friend's apprehension. "I know divination isn't really your thing," she says, "but it means a lot to me that you're willing to give it a try."

Jasmin looks up at Lena, her heart swelling with affection. She nods, a small smile on her lips.

Lena hands Jasmin her uniform, the blue and silver colours matching her pyjamas perfectly, and watches as her friend gets dressed. Lena can't help but admire how beautiful Jasmin looks with her long, slightly messy blond hair falling in soft waves around her face. Jasmin catches Lena staring and blushes, but Lena just grins and playfully nudges her shoulder. "Let's go, if we rush, we might be able to catch something to eat on the way," Lena says, grabbing Jasmin's hand and pulling her out the door.

Lena and Jasmin hurry down the castle's winding staircases and through the bustling courtyard, dodging other students on their way to class. As they approach the Divination classroom, they hear the sound of Professor Willow's voice from within. Lena quickly pushes open the door, and she and Jasmin slip into the classroom just as Professor Willow begins to explain the day's lesson.

"Good morning, class," Professor Willow says, her voice carrying a musical lilt. "Today, we'll be exploring the art of tarot reading. Tarot cards can be powerful tools for divination, allowing us to gain insight into the past, present, and future. But they must be used with care and respect. Now, I want each of you to select a deck of tarot cards from the table at the front of the room and shuffle them thoroughly."

Professor Irene Willow is a tall, slender woman in her mid-thirties with dark hair pulled back in a neat bun. She has sharp features and piercing blue eyes that seem to take in everything around her. Her clothes are elegant and flowy, with lots of silks and chiffons in deep purples and blues. She has a calm and reassuring presence.

Once everyone in class had collected a deck of Tarot cards and starts to shuffle, she orders everyone to group up in pairs which leads to a lot of students walk around, especially groups of three are discussing which one of them shall find another partner and let the other two be a pair.

Lena and Jasmin use this time to walk around the classroom looking for a cozy place to sit down before all the best spots are taken.

They find an arrangement of soft pillows and decide to sit there, and Lena opens her book about divination while Jasmin inspects the room.

The Divination classroom is filled with an air of mystique and magic. The walls are painted a deep shade of purple and adorned with tapestries featuring astrological signs and symbols. Soft, glowing orbs of light float in the corners of the room, casting a warm glow across the space. The floor is covered in a plush, deep blue carpet that muffles footsteps and adds to the cozy atmosphere.

There are several tables scattered throughout the room, each adorned with a crystal ball and other divination tools and across the entire room where many different pillows on the floor placed.

As Lena shuffles her tarot cards, she explains to Jasmin how each card has a unique meaning and how they can be interpreted in numerous ways. "So basically," Lena says, "you can use the cards to ask a question about the future and see what the cards reveal. It's kind of like a puzzle that you have to piece together, we can start with yours and I can help you read them. simply draw three cards and place them in front of you."

Jasmin listens attentively, feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the information. She draws three cards from the deck and arranges them in a row in front of her. Lena studies the cards for a moment before starting to explain their meaning.

"Okay, so the first card represents the past, the second card represents the present, and the third card represents the future," Lena says, pointing to each card in turn. "In your case, Jasmin, the first card shows that you've recently overcome a challenge. The second card indicates that you're currently feeling uncertain or indecisive about something. And the third card..." Lena pauses, her eyes widening in surprise.

"What is it?" Jasmin asks eagerly.

"It's the Sun card," Lena says, grinning. "That's a really positive sign! It suggests that you're going to experience joy, success, and happiness in the near future."

Jasmin can't help but feel a rush of excitement at Lena's words. She's always been a bit sceptical of divination but seeing Lena so happy and enthusiastic about it is contagious. "That's amazing!" she exclaims. "I'm so glad I decided to come to this class with you."

Lena nods, her eyes shining. "Me too," she says softly. "This is the best day ever."

As Jasmin watches Lena grab her three tarot cards, she feels a sudden sense of curiosity. What will the cards reveal about Lena's future? She leans in closer, eager to find out.

Lena shuffles the deck of tarot cards, her heart beating a little faster with excitement. She draws three cards and places them in front of her, studying them intently. Jasmin watches her friend, curious to see what the cards will reveal.

"The first card represents the recent past," Lena says, pointing to the card on the left. "It's the Tower card, which suggests a period of upheaval and chaos. That's definitely been true for me recently."

Jasmin nods sympathetically, knowing that Lena has been dealing with some personal issues lately.

"The second card represents the present," Lena continues, pointing to the card in the middle. "It's the Three of Cups, which symbolizes celebration and joy. That's interesting, especially after what the cards revealed about your future, Jasmin."

Jasmin nods, a smile spreading across her face. She can't help but feel a sense of excitement at the thought of Lena experiencing happiness and success.

"And the third card..." Lena trails off, her eyes widening in surprise. "It's the Lovers card."

Jasmin's heart skips a beat as Lena's eyes meet hers. Could it be possible that the cards are revealing Lena's true feelings? She tries to hide her growing excitement, not wanting to jump to conclusions. Lena, however, can't contain her emotions and lets out a gasp.

"I... I can't believe it," Lena says, her voice barely above a whisper. "The Lovers card. It's...it's about love, Jasmin."

Jasmin's heart pounds in her chest as she watches Lena's face light up with a mix of emotions - excitement, disbelief, and maybe even a hint of fear.

Jasmin can feel her own heart racing, her mind spinning with possibilities. Could Lena really be in love with her? Or was it just wishful thinking on her part? She decides to take a chance and speak her mind. "Lena," Jasmin says, her voice soft and nothing more than a whisper but she can't get herself to say it. Lena's eyes widen while she looks into Jasmin's blue eyes and a huge smile spreads across her face. "Jasmin, I..." she starts to say, but then she's cut off by Professor Willow who announces the end of class.

After their divination class, Lena and Jasmin walked together towards the Great Hall for lunch. As they sat down and started chatting, a new teacher they had never seen before approached them.

He had a tall, imposing figure with a stern expression etched onto his angular face. His hair is salt-and-pepper, cut close to his scalp, and his piercing black eyes seem to bore into anyone he looks at. He always wears formal robes, which are black with silver trim, giving him an air of authority. His demeanor is cold and aloof, and he rarely smiles or shows any kind of warmth towards his students.

The teacher, named Professor Barnes, had been informed by Dante Grimstone that Jasmin had attacked him and broken his nose. Lena immediately stepped forward to defend her friend, explaining that Dante had actually started the fight and Jasmin had acted in self-defense. But Professor Barnes was unmoved and declared that Jasmin would be punished with a day of community service in the library. Jasmin, not wanting to make the situation worse gives in and stands up, "Let’s talk later okey?" She says looking at Lena who seems devastated by the situation. "Okey." Lena mumbles as she watches Jasmin walk behind the Professor and loses herself in the view on her long blond hair. She decides to go back to the dormitory alone and study while she waits for Jasmin to hopefully return soon.

Jasmin tried to take it in stride, seeing it as an opportunity to get to know the librarian and explore the vast collection of books.

As Lena arrived in the dormitory, she saw that Jasmin's bed was empty and first felt worried about her friend and then guilty that she couldn't do more to help her. She sat on her bed and tried to focus on her studies, but her mind kept wandering to thoughts of Jasmin and the unfair punishment she had received. Finally, as evening turned to night, Lena went to bed, hoping that Jasmin would return soon and that everything would be all right.

Jasmin had a good lengthy conversation with the Librarian Professor Theodore Stonebridge and they get along quite well after spending an entire evening together in the library where she was organizing the books other students just left there laying around on the desks and cleaning some quite dusty parts of the Library. It didn’t seem to stop with the available clean-up work.

After what felt like an eternity Professor Stonebridge claps in his hands and informs Jasmin that her punishment time is over and she should return to her dormitory before he thanks her for the excellent work she did and the pleasant conversations though the evening. "If I can help you with anything, please don't hesitate." He says and waves at Jasmin who smiles and waves back before leaving the Library.

She quickly walks through the castle and up the long staircase to the mist common room. She's worried Lena might be already asleep; she steps carefully up the wooden staircase until she reaches the top floor with the 1st year sign and opens the door to enter her dormitory.

Only lid by the moon shining though the magical invisible roof, Jasmin looks through the room and sees Lena laying asleep in bed with a book next to her.

Jasmin walks over to Lena, carefully not making any noise. She grabs and pulls the book about potions slowly out of Lena's hand and places it on Lena's shelf. She waits for a brief moment while admiring Lena peacefully sleeping. "Sleep well Lena." she whispers and walks slowly over to her own bed and switches into her pyjama before laying down under the blanket.

She's exhausted from the long day and quickly drifts off to sleep to the sound of Lena breathing which she is glad she can hear again, knowing she is here with her.