Something is sitting across the desk from her. It has four hands: two steepled in front of its mouthless face, one extending a hand of five tarot cards towards her, and one clasped painfully tightly around her wrist.

"Choose."

"Buh--choose what," she says, startling awake.

The shadow clings to her hand, smiling with its blank white eyes. "A card."

"What are the cards? What do they do? Why do you want me to choose one?

"They are choices of your fate. They will send you to a new world. This is because it is the Law."

"What do you mean by fate? How will they sent me to a new world? What's the Law?"

"A new life. You will awaken in a new place, perhaps in a new body. The Law is the Law of the World."

"Why me? Why anybody? What do the cards do?"

"You cannot defend yourself. To break down the order of the world and the Law. It depends on which you choose."

"Why do you want to break down the order of the world and the Law? What are the choices?"

"It is our purpose. There are five choices: the Hermit, the Hanged Man, the Chariot, the Fool, and the Empress."

If Daphne uses her free hand to grab a pencil and scribble on her papers, is this thing going to stop her?

"How are they different?"

It appears this thing does not like her taking notes. Its fingers are crooked and painful digging in against her hand.

"Each sacrifices something for a new kind of power."

Fuck this thing--

"What does the Hermit do?"

"You will sacrifice your ability to express yourself for the ability to think and act with perfect precision."

"...Sacrifice the ability to express myself like how?"

"You will be unable to express emotion."

Welp we can just file that away for nightmare fodder later on.

"What does the, um, Chariot do?"

"You will become strong, powerful, inflexible. The aspect of steel will be yours."

"What does that mean?"

"You will become much more physically powerful and talented, but new academic and social concepts will be more difficult for you to learn."

Eugh. Almost as bad.

"What does the Empress do?"

"You will gain tremendous magical power: in exchange, you will give up any hope of ever being safe again."

Why is every single option terrible.

"What about the Fool?"

"You will give up your body and future for a chance to dictate your own fate."