The Fortune’s Twist

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The Beginning of the Unexpected

Cassandra had always been gifted. Or at least, that’s what she told herself. From a young age, she had been able to see things—things that others couldn't. At first, they were small glimpses into the future, fleeting moments that seemed like mere dreams. But as she grew older, her abilities became more defined. By the time she was twenty-five, Cassandra had become a well-known fortune teller, her shop nestled in the heart of the city, a place where people came seeking guidance for everything from love to business to life’s more mysterious moments.

Her crystal ball, tarot cards, and palm readings had helped many clients, and for the most part, Cassandra had been able to give them what they wanted. But as her reputation grew, so did the pressure. People began to expect not only insight but certainty.

One rainy afternoon, a new client arrived. The man, wearing a dark coat and carrying a large umbrella, entered her shop, his face obscured by shadows. He sat down across from her, eyes gleaming with something she couldn’t quite place.

“Tell me my future,” he said in a voice as smooth as velvet.

Cassandra hesitated. She had always trusted her visions, but something about this man unnerved her. Still, she picked up her tarot cards and began to shuffle them. As she did, a strange chill filled the room, and a vision flashed in her mind. A dark alley, a figure in a hooded cloak, and the words, "This is the beginning of the end." Cassandra’s breath caught in her throat, but she quickly dismissed it as an unsettling figment of her imagination.

She laid the cards out before her and began to read them.

“The cards show a path ahead, full of uncertainty,” she said, her voice steady despite the unease creeping up her spine. “There is a choice you will soon face—one that could change everything.”

The man’s lips curled into a small, knowing smile.

“Change everything? In what way?”

“I can’t say for sure, but there’s a shadow over your future. Something—or someone—will come into your life soon, and it will force you to make a difficult decision.”

The man’s smile faded, and for a moment, Cassandra could have sworn she saw a flicker of something dark behind his eyes. But then, just as quickly, it was gone.

“Thank you,” the man said, standing up. “I’ll be in touch.” He left the shop without another word, his presence lingering like a dark cloud.

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The First Prediction Comes True

The next few days were uneventful, but Cassandra couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Her visions had always been accurate, but they had never felt so... ominous.

Then, on the third day after the man’s visit, it happened.

Cassandra was walking home from her shop when she turned a corner and found herself face to face with a figure—one that looked eerily similar to the one she had seen in her vision. The figure was cloaked, standing in the shadows of an alley. Before she could react, the figure spoke, its voice deep and cold.

“You should have listened.”

It was the same words from her vision. The figure stepped forward, and before Cassandra could move, the man from her reading appeared beside her. He reached out and grabbed her wrist.

“I told you there would be consequences,” he said softly, his voice like silk. “Now you’ll see them for yourself.”

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The Unraveling

Cassandra couldn’t understand what was happening. The man’s predictions were coming true, but they weren’t supposed to happen like this. She had always believed her readings were meant to help, to guide others through their lives, not to plunge them into a twisted version of reality.

Over the next few days, she found herself caught in a whirlwind of events she couldn’t explain. The people she had read for began to suffer, one by one. A woman who had asked about her relationship found her partner leaving her unexpectedly. A businessman who had asked about his career lost everything in a sudden scandal. Each prediction she had made came true, but it wasn’t the future she had intended.

And then there were the dreams. Visions that no longer seemed like mere glimpses into the future but twisted, horrifying images of what was to come. She saw herself in grave danger, her life spiraling out of control. The man—whose presence lingered at the edge of her every vision—was the only constant.

One night, after a particularly disturbing dream, Cassandra couldn’t take it any longer. She went back to the shop, determined to find out the truth. As she opened the door, a gust of wind blew out the candles on her table, plunging the room into darkness.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered into the void.

The answer came not in words, but in a chill that swept over her, and a figure—tall, cloaked, and familiar—appeared before her.

“You saw the truth,” the man said, his voice a whisper of silk. “Now you must live with it.”

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The Final Choice

Cassandra knew then that the man had been more than a mere client. He was the one who had set this all in motion. He had known the power of her abilities and had used it to alter the lives of those around her. But why?

As she stood there, facing the man, Cassandra understood. The choices she had made—guided by her predictions—had consequences she had never imagined. Now, she had to make a choice herself.

“Will you stop?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Please. I never meant for any of this to happen.”

The man’s eyes glimmered in the dim light.

“Nothing can stop what has been set in motion,” he said. “But you can stop yourself from becoming part of the cycle. The question is—will you?”

Cassandra realized that her only way out was to stop predicting, to stop using her abilities. If she didn’t, she would continue to alter the lives of everyone she came into contact with, caught in an endless loop of consequences.

With trembling hands, she closed her eyes and made the decision. No more readings, no more glimpses into the future. She would live her life in the present, not in the shadows of what could be.

As the man’s figure faded into the darkness, she felt the weight of her choices lift, knowing she had finally taken control of her own fate.

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The End