Chapter Summaries

At the Tarot Club, Alice’s antics made Klein lift the barrier and resume the meeting, where she asked Audrey about the Great Smog. Audrey explained how the Churches stopped the Despair Witch and the True Creator’s descent, while the meeting ended with her promising to bring more of Roselle’s Diary next week.

• Klein asked Alice to give him a clearer warning if she caused trouble again, then lifted the barrier and told her not to let it happen again.
• Alice asked Audrey for details about the Great Smog Event, and Audrey said the Church of the Goddess had stopped the Despair Witch and prevented the Primordial Witch from awakening.
• Audrey explained that the Church had also disrupted the Aurora Order’s ritual and cut off the True Creator’s attempted descent into the Real World.
• Alice regretted that the Despair Witch was probably dead because she had hit Alice painfully, and the World remarked, “Good hit.”
• Audrey thanked Mr. Fool’s Blessed for saving Backlund and said she could not obtain more Roselle’s Diary entries until the cleanup was over; Klein agreed to wait another week.

At a Tarot Club gathering, Derrick described escaping a time loop and shared his Chief’s theory that Amon and Ouroboros were Kings of Angels. Alice warned that knowing more could be dangerous, then offered to share gossip about the True Gods.

• Fors gave Klein three pages of Roselle's Diary, and Klein introduced Emlyn as the Tarot Club's new member, Mr. Moon.
• Alice asked Derrick whether he had escaped the loop and learned that he had found a mural depicting Ouroboros after following her and Klein's reminders.
• Derrick said he had not yet delivered Alice's gift to Amon because something had happened on the way back to the City of Silver, though he no longer felt watched.
• Derrick recounted how he escaped the loop and told the Tarot Club that his Chief suspected Amon was the Angel of Time and Ouroboros the Angel of Fate.
• Alice warned Derrick that if his Chief had revealed the other Kings of Angels, Derrick might have been killed by lightning, then offered the gathering gossip about the True Gods.

At the Tarot Club, Alice shared a shocking account of the Creator’s betrayal and madness, then casually described dying at least five times. The members abandoned their questions about the Kings of Angels, and the Trading Segment began with Derrick updating Fors on her Spirit Eater Stomach Pouch.

• Audrey, Fors, and Alger reacted cautiously as Alice prepared to share gossip about the True Gods, while Alger wondered whether one of the Creator’s betrayers had been the Lord of Storms.
• Alice said that three Kings of Angels had betrayed the Creator, gained benefits after his passing, and advanced to become True Gods, after which the Creator fell into madness.
• Derrick reacted with relief that the Lord had not abandoned the City of Silver, while Emlyn questioned how the Creator could have gone mad after dying.
• Alice counted at least five times she had died, frightening Emlyn into deciding not to draw her attention again.
• The Tarot Club dropped its investigation into the Kings of Angels and began trading, as Derrick told Fors her Spirit Eater Stomach Pouch would be delayed by two days.

At the Tarot Club, Emlyn White asked how a Sanguine could grow stronger and became the target of Alice’s questions about Vampire rumors. Alger offered him a way to inherit power through potions, and Emlyn ended the meeting still insisting that Sanguine did not sleep upside down or behave like the stories claimed.

• Fors negotiated with Alger and agreed to sell him the Dragon-Eyed Sea Eagle Eyeball for 2,000 pounds.
• Emlyn asked the Tarot Club how a Sanguine could increase his strength, and Alice excitedly asked whether he was a Vampire.
• Emlyn corrected everyone that he was a pureblooded Sanguine and explained the Sanguine ranks and their history, then argued with Derrick over who had copied whom.
• Alger interrupted the argument and offered to explain how Sanguine could grow stronger; after Emlyn rejected using his kin as potion ingredients, Alger suggested inheriting power through the Potion method.
• During free communication, Alice questioned Emlyn about coffins, sleeping upside down, and having a pregnant wife, while the other members struggled to contain their laughter.

The Tarot Club debated how members could recognize one another, and Alice proposed using middle-finger gestures as a secret code. Alger suggested temporary signals arranged in advance and permission to pray to Mr. Fool in emergencies, leaving Klein grateful for the alternative.

• Derrick asked Mr. Fool what gesture the Tarot Club should use to thank him, and Alice proposed giving one another the middle finger as a secret code.
• Audrey and Alger objected to a single shared gesture, and Alice noted that Amon might be able to enter the gathering despite the Gray Fog.
• Alice proposed adapting Morse Code with different middle fingers, and Alger recognized it as the Gustav Code associated with Emperor Roselle.
• Alger explained that the Tarot Club concealed its members from major factions and suggested arranging temporary signals during Monday gatherings.
• Alger asked whether members could confirm suspicions by praying to Mr. Fool in emergencies, and Klein agreed.

Alice read Roselle’s diary and learned that women in the Sauron family’s Hunter pathway became men at Sequence 4, then went to Bravehearts Bar to observe the Dogs Catching Mice game. She secretly used Doom to sabotage both dogs, amused by the gamblers’ reactions.

• Alice read Roselle’s account of the Sauron family’s gender-changing Hunter pathway and decided she would remain female.
• Alice went to Bravehearts Bar to study Dogs Catching Mice while resisting the urge to bet.
• Alice watched the black dog charge at the mice and used Doom to make it slip and injure itself.
• Alice noticed the gamblers’ anger and realized the black dog had a strong reputation.
• Alice watched the black-and-white dog strike at the mice, then secretly used Doom on it too.

Alice turned a Dogs Catching Mice game into a fight between the two dogs, leaving neither able to catch a mouse and causing Warren to win his bet on zero. After Warren collapsed, Alice questioned the bartender about his sudden run of luck and why he was considered unlucky.

• Alice used Doom to disrupt the dogs until they fought each other, and then manipulated the contest so both dogs ended up unable to catch a mouse.
• Warren won his bet that neither dog would catch a mouse, while the other gamblers lost their stakes.
• Warren collapsed while counting his winnings, and the bar staff handled the incident before the next game began.
• Alice asked the Bartender about Warren and learned that he had been kicked out of Osenny Tavern after winning repeatedly for several days.
• Alice asked why Warren was called unlucky despite the possibility of getting rich or dying after his sudden streak of wins.

Alice reflected on what it meant to be a Winner before leaving the gambling venue, while Amon discovered Derrick’s delayed delivery and read Alice’s letter. Alice then visited Audrey and complained about the long walk through her enormous villa.

• Alice told the bartender that the house always won in the end and understood how luck and calamity could help someone act as a Winner.
• Derrick returned to the City of Silver and prepared to find a chance to hand over the delayed delivery.
• Amon found the site of a Ritual of Bestowal, recovered his familiar bottle, and read Alice’s painting and letter.
• Amon wondered why Alice had not sent the message directly to him with a Sacrifice Ritual, then disappeared with his avatar.
• Alice visited Audrey’s villa, complained about its size, and left Audrey surprised that she had not even sat down.

Audrey spoke with Alice about her unconventional ideas and tried to explain how death and harm affected the people close to those involved. Alice suggested making the bereaved forget the dead instead, leaving Audrey disturbed by how easily Alice treated grief as a problem to solve.

• Audrey invited Alice to sit, then asked whether she had fed Susie chocolate; Alice denied it but looked uncertain when Audrey asked if she simply had not gotten the chance.
• Alice told Audrey that Mr. Fool's Sequence 4 was called "Circus," and Audrey connected the name to the pathway's circus-themed professions.
• Audrey asked what Fate pathway Beyonders were suited to do, and Alice proposed running casinos that either ruined gamblers with debt or made them die of happiness.
• Audrey explained that the deaths would sadden the victims' families and friends, using her bond with Susie as an example.
• Alice reasoned that if people forgot the dead, they would not grieve, and suggested churches could save on compensation payments by erasing those memories.

Alice discussed the Church’s need for believers and her growing disregard for human life with Audrey, then returned home and found Amon waiting inside. His unexpected arrival left Alice reflecting that her constant thoughts of him had brought him to her door.

• Alice told Audrey that the Church needed believers and admitted she feared she was taking human lives less seriously, explaining that divinity was a form of corruption.
• Audrey asked Alice about feeding Susie chocolate and gossiping with Mr. Fool, but Alice avoided giving her details.
• Alice asked Audrey about roast swan, then worried she would have to walk through the corridors to leave and wished she knew Travel.
• After returning home, Alice pictured her living room and found Amon sitting inside, greeting her with a smile.

Alice found Amon waiting in her room and tried to defuse the encounter by offering him coffee, but her improvised drink exploded and Amon punished her by violently disturbing her spirituality. The chapter ended with Alice hiding her hatred behind a smile before biting Amon’s hand.

• Alice entered her room, found Amon waiting on the sofa, and cautiously approached him despite his teasing.
• Alice asked whether Amon wanted coffee or tea, then served him a cup of coffee made from random ingredients.
• Amon invited Alice to drink the coffee with him, but the cup exploded and splashed its contents near him.
• Amon punished Alice by piercing her spirituality, then removed his Monocle and confronted her about wanting to kill him.
• Alice smiled at Amon, grabbed his hand, and bit down.

Amon teased Alice about her humanity and her mysterious nature, while Alice asked whether he had really given birth to 108 children. After punishing her for laughing, Amon explained that he had come to ask why she had not sent him the letter through a Sacrifice Ritual.

• Alice failed to bite through Amon and insisted that she was human, prompting him to tease her about being a Monster-pathway God without Characteristics or Uniqueness.
• Alice asked whether Amon had become pregnant with the Fool’s child and given birth to 108 children, as she recalled from a story.
• Amon told Alice to shut up, then struck her when she continued laughing, leaving her trembling in pain.
• Alice asked why Amon had come to see her, and he said he wanted to know why she had not sent the letter through a Sacrifice Ritual.

Alice discussed why she had never performed a Sacrifice Ritual for Amon, then showed him a bottle containing a version of himself. She proposed that Amon prank Will Auceptin by putting chili peppers in his ice cream, and Amon hinted that she might be able to persuade him to kill Will instead.

• Alice admitted that she had never dared to make a sacrifice to Amon and asked whether someone could jump into a Sacrifice Channel.
• Amon teased Alice about her provocative questions and warned that he might not like whatever offering she sent him.
• Alice asked whether Amon had spare clothes, then fetched a bottle containing a cursing version of him.
• Amon returned the monocle to Alice and urged her to advance faster because he worried he might accidentally play her to death.
• Alice proposed that she and Amon sell Will Auceptin ice cream filled with chili peppers, and Amon said she might be able to persuade him to kill Will.

Alice discussed Amon’s offer to help kill Will Auceptin and declined, while Amon tried to lure her to the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Their conversation turned to Alice’s humanity and an absurd book about Amon, before Alice asked why he had never tried to seize her body or identity.

• Alice refused Amon’s offer to help kill Will Auceptin, explaining that she considered the infant more controllable than Ouroboros or the consequences of killing both.
• Amon offered to take Alice to the Forsaken Land of the Gods if she could find him something entertaining, and Alice nearly agreed before a splinter’s sting broke his influence over her.
• Alice and Amon argued over whether she was human and whether Fate was raising her like a good-for-nothing.
• Alice called Amon “Dead Crow” and said she had read a book claiming he gave birth to 108 children, prompting him to tell her not to mention it again.
• Alice reasoned that Amon’s anger suggested the book’s claim had some basis, then asked why he had not tried to seize her body or identity and whether he simply did not want to.

Amon threatened to kill Alice, but she persuaded him to make chili-sauce ice cream and then asked him to take her to Will Auceptin. After Amon used magic to make Alice unnoticed, Velma arrived carrying Will, and Amon again asked Alice what kind of death she preferred.

• Amon threatened Alice and asked her to choose how she wanted to die, while Alice challenged him and requested chili-sauce ice cream as her last wish.
• Amon produced an ice cream truck and chili sauce, made the unusual dessert, and watched Alice taste it; Alice said she could only feel the pain of the spice.
• Alice asked Amon to teleport her to Will Auceptin's home, and he used Conceptual Stealing to get them there.
• Amon cast Unnoticed Magic on Alice, and Velma arrived carrying Will Auceptin and asked for ice cream.
• Amon asked Alice once more what kind of death she wanted.

Amon caught Alice after her spirituality warned her of danger and teased her about killing and studying her resurrection. Before knocking her unconscious, he answered her questions and left her hoping to advance to Sequence 4 before they met again.

• Amon caught Alice and joked with her as she admitted that she preferred painless deaths and asked him to record her resurrection.
• Amon adjusted the Monocle over Alice's eye and reminded her of their previous encounter, then answered that possession was a Sequence 4 ability.
• Alice compared Amon's many avatars to cockroaches, and Amon said he was not angry.
• Alice asked Amon to bring cards next time and reminded him to send her back somewhere people could see her.
• Amon said he hoped Alice would be Sequence 4 by their next meeting, then knocked her unconscious.

Aaron discovered that Velma’s ice cream was spicy after the silver infant in the mirror warned him to throw it away. Alice found that her monocle could not be moved and had robbed her of her sense of taste, and she learned through divination that it was the price of improving her Stealing Technique.

• Velma brought home ice cream, but Aaron tasted it and discovered it was spicy after the silver infant in the mirror warned him about it.
• Alice woke at home, found the doorknob missing from her bedroom door, and confirmed from a newspaper that it was Saturday.
• Alice bought Dixie Pie and sweet iced tea, then realized she could no longer taste anything and could not move her monocle.
• Alice replied to Evelyn’s letter and divined that the monocle improved her Stealing Technique by taking away her sense of taste, and that it could not be removed or moved.

Alice struggled with the curse attached to Amon’s Monocle, which made food taste bland while she wore it, and endured a frustrating weekend before appearing at the Tarot Club in unusual clothes. Klein learned about her predicament and teased her, while Alice called her outfit a new skin.

• Alice considered seeking help from Klein, the Tarot Club, Bernadette, the Goddess, or the Church of Evernight, but Bernadette’s brief reply that she was familiar with curses did not reassure her.
• Alice recited Amon’s Honorific Name to curse him, and Amon amusedly told her to keep wearing the Monocle because she liked his gift.
• Alice kicked the sofa in anger, hurt her foot, and discovered a hole where her doorknob should have been before deciding to deal with the landlord later.
• Klein received Alice’s account of the curse and joked that she could now wear Amon’s Monocle all the time, prompting her to insult him too.
• At Monday’s Tarot Club, Audrey greeted Alice and asked about her sack-like outfit, and Alice explained that she called her clothes her new skin.

Alice’s strange remark about calling clothes “skin” left the Tarot Club bewildered, while Klein tried to explain it through The World. The meeting shifted to Alice asking for help lifting a curse, and her imitation of Klein’s words about Amon left everyone wondering what had happened between them.

• Alice’s remark about clothes being “skin” alarmed Audrey and the Tarot Club, while Klein had The World ask whether she had been idle before.
• Alice explained that long hours of classes had left her deeply impressed by other things, prompting Alger and Audrey to suspect Mr. Fool had made her attend lessons to keep her out of trouble.
• Alice asked whether anyone could lift curses, and Alger glanced instinctively at Mr. Fool.
• Alice imitated Klein’s remark about Amon’s Monocle, leaving Audrey, Alger, Derrick, and Fors wondering whether she had encountered Amon.
• Emlyn asked who Amon was.

Alice told the Tarot Club that Amon’s return gift was a cursed monocle that would steal her sense of taste, and asked for help removing the curse. Her worry that losing taste might make it harder to confirm she was human left Alger and Klein concerned about her sense of identity.

• Alice cursed Amon after explaining that his return gift would steal her sense of taste, and Audrey told Emlyn that Amon was a King of Angel.
• Alice said the monocle was cursed so that she could neither remove it nor move it, and Alger offered to ask around about breaking the curse.
• Alice asked how she could confirm she was human if she lost the feeling of being human, and Alger urged her not to judge her humanity by taste.
• Alger considered Alice’s need for sensation, while Klein realized she might be questioning whether she was human and felt a subtle worry.