Wavering Soul - An Unbound Saga

Chapter One - Awaken

"A-Azura" A voice echoes around her head as she thrashes restlessly in her bed, trying to shake the nameless voice cutting her sleepful night short. Azura erupts from her bed, panting from her mindless cardio. Her blue eyes dart around the room, trying to locate the source of the faint voice...nothing.
"A-Azura" the spectral voice called out again. seeming louder and clearer before. The tone in the voice seeming more distraught too. Azura's eyes bolt back open with a gasp as her breath gets sucked back in. Her mind frantically tries to find a logical reason, sleep deprivation? No, she sleeps ten hours every night, well besides last night that is. Trying to dismiss it from her mind she gets dressed into her school uniform with her white button up shirt with only the top button undone and a red neckerchief tied and tucked under the collar. Her navy blue, pleated skirt hanging just above the knee and black knee high socks pulled up with tiny white bows facing out. The perfectly dressed student. As she pulls her blouse off of a hanger in her closet, A box falls out from under it. It's a box of cards. But not just playing cards, these were special. Azura pulled the box up from the floor to inspect it. the maroon felt box with gold detailing on which seemed to glisten, even with direct light. In Calligraphy reads 'Tarot Cards of Lazhar'.
"Azura!" Seiryu, Azura's mother called out as she was now running late and all her friends were waiting outside to walk into school together.
"Right Mum, Just coming" Azura replies as she hurriedly stuffs the cards in her bag before slinging it on her arm and dashing out of her room and down the stairs. "Bye Mum" Azura calls out before kissing her cheek and rushing out the door. "Hey guys," Azura says to the small group.
"Took ya' long enough!" Tes, a slim, pale boy says with a huff jokingly.
"D-Did I keep you long?" Azura asks, apprehensive about Tes's remark.
"Nah we just got here, lighten up a little" Mallow, a short girl with dyed green hair says to Azura whilst elbowing Tes in the ribs.
"Yeah, I just had a messed up morning," Azura says rubbing her head whilst letting out a staggered sigh.
"What's so messed up about this morning? Are you okay?" Mallow asks concerned

"Besides the 'hearing voices in my head calling out my name'

thing. I'm perfectly fine" Azura giggles nervously.
"Oh, God," Mallow whispers and looks at the floor in silence as they walk through the park where the Sakura trees are in full bloom as cherry blossom buds litter the dark branches and with a gust of wind, smothering the paths in pale pink petals. Azura stops in her tracks and simpers, pulling out her phone.
"Why did you stop? we're already later than usual." Tess states boldly.
"Just go ahead, I just wanna take a few photographs," Azura replies gazing at the trees. She pulls the phone to eye-height and pushes the screen.
"Oooh, lemme see" Mallow smiles as Azura catches up with them. Azura shows her the screen, only to watch her face light up. "Wow, so pretty" Mallow smiles as they keep walking, Tes leading ahead by a couple of paces. Soon they arrive at the gates of 'Cherry Hill High'. They walk through the courtyard to the main corridor where rows of lockers stood. Azura walks to her locker, dodging the large mob of people trying to do the same. she rotates the lock and the door swings open. Her lack of organisation shows as her locker is heaped with scrap papers and old books. She slumps her bag into the locker as she reaches her hand in for her supplies. Blindly searching, her hand rubs against the instantly recognisable velvet box, her hand slows and caresses the gold detailing. Azura rips her hand away as she feels pain on the finger that she was resting on the box.

"Fuck, Ow!" Azura asserts as she looks down at her finger. She pinches the tip of it as two parallel dots of blood rise. A bite? Confused, she reaches into the bag and pulls the box out. Examining the box, Azura studies the gold drawings to see a pair of snakes either side of the middle piece. It glows just like before as the word Lazhar fades from gold to a blood red and the disappears. The blank space sits for a while before, like an invisible pen was writing, It began to be filled again. A.Z.U.R.A. Fear falls over Azura as she reads her name on the box. 'Tarot Cards Of Azura'. She throws the box onto her bag in her locker and slams It shut and pushing her back against it.

"Azura, you ready to go to study?" a voice calls out. Azura's closest friend, Aiko is waiting at the far end of the corridor with a lollipop in her mouth and her sketchbook hugged tight to her chest. Azura's trance is broken by her voice.
"Y-Yeah just coming," Azura shouts back dismissively, she scurries her feet across the busy floor, trying not to bump into anyone. She walks side beside Aiko to the study room, her being in the upper years, Azura doesn't have days full of lessons, so she hangs out there to study. They both sit down at neighbouring computers.
"You seem, distracted, are you okay?" Aiko asked concerned.
"No, I'm going insane" Azura breathes.
"Oh really, Azura the calm, level-minded, straight 'A' student, insane? I wouldn't believe that if there was a gun to my head!" Aiko returns

"Voices in my head, inanimate objects biting me, words

changing. Definitely insane" Azura responds. "Oh, and another question. Do you know anything about Tarot Cards?" She asks hoping for an answer
"Tarot cards? As in the 'Fortune telling' kind Well, I know there are twenty-one 'Trump' cards and four suits; Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles all with their own Page, Knight, Queen and King" Aiko describes. Azura nods and searches for more information using the computer in front of her.

The day flies by as Azura scribbles and draws notes about these mythical cards. The last period's bell rings thought the school as the halls and corridors erupt into noise as pupils pour out of the many classroom doorways. Azura heads to her locker hurriedly, more intrigued by the box than ever before, hell, she hasn't even seen the cards inside them. Mallow waits for her by the east side gate at the end of every school day.

"Hey, wanna head to 'The Little Prawn' for a bite to eat. I'm starved," Mallow pouts
"The little Prawn? What is it? I haven't heard of it before." Azura asks curiously.
"It's a new sushi place just by the edge of the mall. It supposed to have a Maguro Nigirito to die for. I just wanna try it so bad" Mallow says excited about food.
"Sure, I'll buy. My treat" Azura smiles
"Uh, are you sure? Well, thank you!" Mallow smiles and hugs Azura. Truth be told, Azura wanted to get home as the craving to know about this box burns deep in her, but she couldn't turn her down. They head in and order their food whilst both on their phones. The food comes and they eat rapidly, filling them up.

"Ugh, that was so good!" Mallow exclaims, clearly full.
"Yeah, it was great" Azura smiles in agreement.
"Thank you for the food. I'll buy next time. Goodbye Azura, see you Monday" Mallow waves as she walks the opposite direction. Azura pushes her headphones in and speedwalks to her house. She dashes up the stairs to her room and throws her bag onto her bed. She changes out of her uniform and sits crossed-legged on her bed as she slowly and extra carefully pulls the box out of the bag. she unbuckles the small leather fasten and flips the top open. One by one, she slowly pulls the cars out and lays them on her bed. She reads the titles off of them in a hushed voice to herself. As the last card is pulled. A flash of purple light erupts from the box, blinding Azura as she throws the box down to rub her eyes.

"A-Azura" The familiar voice calls. "Use them, to fight. You are not alone, but they are coming, they want our souls" The voice. Like a child's.