[Tadhana]

Despite the upbeat beats of Lady Gaga pounding in her ears, Kali was feeling so tired that she was falling asleep in the middle of turning pages. Slowly but surely her eyes were drawing shut, sheer fatigue taking over them. She was startled back to full awareness, however, when she felt a shadow fall on her and the book that she was currently reading and a short greeting muffled by her music was apparently directed at her, causing her to look up at whatever was blocking the light.

The first thing she saw was flaming red hair, so vivid that it stirred a faint recollection on Kali's part. "It's that guy. From...that place." was the best she could muster at that moment. He did seem familiar, but for what reason? Did she owe him money? Had she wronged him in a past life? There was just something about his demeanor that reminded her of a predator about to lunge at its prey, which made her doubly wary of him.

But then curiosity got the better of her. Whatever did he want from her, she wondered. Twisting a finger around the cable of her left earphone and pulling it off, she addressed this stranger with an ever eloquent...

"Yes?"