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Cyberpunk Edgerunners: David Martinez With A System! [11]
🕑 Added 2025-01-20 14:05:11 +0000 UTCMisty’s voice was calm, almost hypnotic, as she shuffled the worn tarot deck in her hands.
“Some believe that the unknown is the devil—that it should be exorcised through divination.”
“Others say that change itself is the devil. But that’s not entirely true.” Her fingers moved deftly over the cards, her gaze flickering up for a brief moment.
“We are changing every second, constantly becoming someone new.” She paused, flipping a card absently between her fingers before continuing.
“Change itself isn’t the scary part. The real fear is not knowing who you’re becoming.”
“The most important thing is knowing which path you’re going to walk.” She finally stopped shuffling. Her eyes lifted, locking onto him with a piercing intensity.
“Just like you right now, David.”
“You’ve been reborn with cyberware. But where do you plan to go from here?”
For a second— David felt like he had been stripped bare, like his very soul was exposed under her gaze. A strange chill crept down his spine.
Misty… What the hell was with this woman? Her presence shifted, like something otherworldly had descended upon the shop.
Like she was no longer just a woman, but something more. Something watching him from beyond the veil.
David swallowed. Just as suddenly as it came, the moment passed.
Misty smiled. “Relax, don’t be so tense. That was just me rambling.” Her tone returned to normal, casual and warm as she glanced back at her deck.
“Now, let’s do a simple reading.”
“We’ll look at your past, your present, and your not-so-distant future.”
David exhaled. “Yeah… sure.”
….
“Alright, let’s start with your past.” Misty drew the first card and placed it gently on the countertop.
It depicted a man hanging upside down, his entire body bound in strings. Behind him stood a group of shadowy figures, watching with malicious intent.
“The Hanged Man.” David’s expression stiffened.
Misty tapped her finger lightly against the card.
“The Hanged Man represents sacrifice.”
“It means that in order to gain enlightenment, one must first give something up.”
“The Hanged Man’s suffering paves the way for rebirth.” Her gaze lifted slightly, watching his reaction.
“You’ve recently experienced a major turning point, haven’t you?”
“Someone close to you died because of it.” David’s lips pressed into a thin line. Slowly, he nodded once.
“Yeah… yesterday. My mother, Gloria Martinez… she died in a car accident because of the Animals gang.” Misty’s expression softened.
“I’m sorry. My condolences for your mother, David.” Her voice was gentle, a rare sincerity in this cold city. Then, without another word, she drew the second card.
“The Magician.” David’s brows furrowed. The card depicted a charismatic figure, someone overflowing with potential, talent, and leadership.
“A person of great talent and presence,” Misty explained.
“A leader.”
“Someone who possesses immense potential.”
But then—
She frowned slightly, tapping the card with her nail.
“But this card is reversed.”
“Which means… an addictive personality, instability of the mind.”
“A dangerous tendency toward obsession.”
David blinked. “…Huh?” A drop of cold sweat rolled down his temple. The first card had freaked him out because it was too accurate— But now? This was the card that had represented Johnny Silverhand in the game.
It was one thing if the Hanged Man fit his backstory. But why the hell was he pulling the Magician now?! Mental instability? Was this about cyberpsychosis? That wasn’t possible. The system had explicitly told him that he was immune to cyberware-induced psychosis.
Did that mean… Something else? Misty must have seen his discomfort because she smiled reassuringly.
“Relax.”
“It’s just a reading, nothing more.” Misty’s fingers lingered for a moment before finally drawing the third and final card.
The moment it landed on the countertop, both she and David frowned slightly.
“The Moon.” Misty’s expression darkened, her voice dropping to a serious tone.
“The Moon represents mystery… but also dreams, desires.”
“And, of course… sleep.”
“The death ritual of the Night.” She sighed, gazing at the card as if trying to glean something more from it—but nothing came.
“David, the tarot cannot see your future.” Her eyes flicked up, meeting his.
“But if I can give you one piece of advice—”
“Follow your instincts.”
“That is always the best path.” By now, her usual warm smile had faded, replaced with a rare seriousness. She wasn’t joking. She was genuinely warning him. And that was enough to make David pause.
He could ignore anyone else’s bullshit— But Misty’s tarot readings had always been eerily accurate. If even she couldn’t see his fate, then what the hell did that mean?
A shiver ran down his spine. Before he could dwell on it further—
“Ka-chk—” The front door swung open, the bell chiming loudly, shattering the heavy atmosphere.
A large, broad-shouldered man stood in the doorway, his jacket slightly unzipped, revealing a strong frame.
His hair was pulled back into a small braid, and his presence alone screamed street warriors. His sharp gaze scanned the shop— Then hesitated.
“Hey, Misty… uh, I didn’t walk in on something, did I?” Misty’s demeanor instantly relaxed.
“No worries. The reading just finished.” She gently gathered the tarot cards from the counter.
But David?
David had frozen in place, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Then—
“Jackie Wells?!” His voice cracked slightly as he stared at the man like he had just seen a ghost.
….
Jackie Wells.
That name hit like a punch to the gut.
A name tied to a story that had never left him.
If someone asked him, “Who was the most tragic character in Cyberpunk 2077?”
There was only one answer—
Jackie fucking Wells.
The guy who had always had his back.
The guy who had dreamed big but never got the chance to live it.
The guy he had tried every possible way to save, only to fail every single time.
No matter what route he took—
Even if he stole an AV from the rooftops.
Even if he ghosted the entire Konpeki Plaza without a single alert.
Jackie always died.
Every. Single. Time.
And that?
That had left a hole in his heart.
Becoming a Night City legend didn’t matter.
Owning Afterlife didn’t matter.
