《The Preying City》


 The first hunt (1)

    The train station was crowded with all kinds of men and women. Tens of thousands of people entered and left the city every day. One could stand there and observe people throughout the entire day and still find a unique person every minute or two.


    Everyone was acting as if they were running out of time. The passengers who alighted couldn''t wait to leave the heated station and catch up on some fresh air while the others were in a hurry to get on the train and not miss their time. The porters hustled continuously for hours to earn enough to make the day worthwhile. Even the staffs couldn''t catch up on breaks properly. It wouldn''t be an understatement in the least to say that the Royal Station was the busiest place in the entire Estil kingdom.


    Vincent joined the wave of hundreds of other passengers on exiting the train and blended into the sea of people on the waiting platform. Carrying his suitcase in one hand, he skillfully navigated his way through the crowd and made for the exit.


    Having just come out, he was welcomed by the bustling streets of Kindlewich. Hundreds of pedestrians were walking by enduring the scorching sun while carriages and a few cars zoomed by the wide street. Vincent immersed himself in the moment as a strong sense of nostalgia hit him.


    ''I am finally back. It''s been six years. This place hasn''t changed much, still overflowing with life.''


    Collecting himself, he headed for the corner where multiple carriages were parked. He stopped in front of the closest carriage and spoke to the coachman, "Take me to the Golden Maple hotel please."


    "Certainly. How should I address you?" The coachman asked politely as he loaded the suitcase into the carriage.


    "You can call me Dr. Burns." Vincent answered while cleaning his spectacle with a small square cloth.


    The coachman doubted Vincent''s words but didn''t voice it out after looking at the gold rimmed glasses and expensive looking clothes. The young man looked too young to be a doctor and it wasn''t his business if a passenger lied to him. He would continue doing his work while maintaining a professional attitude. Besides, the young man looked rich and his destination was a high end hotel.


    "What brings you to Kindlewich Dr Burns? Judging by your clothes, I would say you are from Arcadia Empire." The coachman had served a fair share of passengers and could tell at a glance where they were from. The flowery pattern on the young man''s brown vest was a fashion vastly popular on Arcadia Empire but not appreciated much in Estil kingdom. By making a good impression, he could be called on in the future whenever people required a carriage.


    "I completed my studies in the empire. No matter how prosperous any place is, one would still miss their home. I came back because I couldn''t stay away from this city."


    "Welcome back to Kindlewich."


    "Thank you."


    "His highness really named the city well. This place does indeed set your soul on fire. It is only natural that you couldn''t stay away. I cannot imagine living anyplace other than this wonderful city." Every citizen residing in the royal capital had a certain pride and the coachman was no different. He jumped on the first opportunity to sing the city''s praise.


    "The king is indeed wise." Vincent went with the flow and conversed with the coachman. He learnt a lot of things. Though the city looked the same, many things had changed. It would have taken him many days to learn these if he didn''t have a chatty local to talk to.


    The carriage stopped by a luxurious hotel and the coachman alighted and helped Vincent carry the suitcase. Though old with graying hair, the coachman carried the heavy suitcase with ease. One could tell from his comfortable posture that he was used to it.


    "How much?"


    "20 penny please."


    Vincent took out two shillings from his wallet and handed it to the old man. "I enjoyed our conversation. It felt good to be welcomed by a true local. Consider the remaining four penny as my tip."


    "I found the conversation pleasant as well. Please don''t hesitate to call my company if you need my service in the future." The old man handed a business card in a practiced manner. "Please ask for Lachlan and I will be there to serve you."


    Vincent received the card and gave it a cursory look. It contained the company''s name and number. Putting it inside his pocket he asked, "Can you come pick me up at 10 a.m. tomorrow?"


    "Of course Dr. Burns. May I ask where the destination will be?" The coachman didn''t reveal his joy and asked in a professional manner.


    "We will go room hunting. Don''t worry, I will compensate you sufficiently." Afraid that the other party would decline thinking that much time would be wasted on such a tedious task, he promised to pay well.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "I shall see you tomorrow then Dr. Burns." The coachman bid Vincent farewell and parked his carriage in a nearby corner. The place was a great spot for people in his profession as anyone coming out of the hotel would most likely require their service.


    Picking up his suitcase, Vincent entered the hotel and got a room. He took a quick bath and ordered some food along with a newspaper. Soon, freshly cooked food were delivered to his room along with a newspaper. The food tasted great especially after the long travel. He spent the next hour reading the paper.


    ''I should catch up on my sleep. It''s going to be a long night tonight after all.''


    Making up his mind, he lay on his bed. Maybe it was because of the long and tiring train ride, he had a long, peaceful sleep. It was already past sunset when he woke up. Checking his golden pocket watch, he found the time to be 6:48 p.m.


    ''Time to make my move.''


    He changed into a fresh set of formal cloth which was rustic in comparison to his previous dress and retrieved a pistol from his suitcase. The weapon was pitch black in color and a size larger than its counterparts. Securing its custom holster to the lower end of his vest''s side, he placed the weapon on the holder. He put on a long black coat on top concealing the weapon. He grabbed a combat knife hiding it in his coat and put on a top hat at the end. Having completed his preparations, he locked the room and headed out.


    The air was chilly and the streets had significantly less people walking on it. But that didn''t mean that the streets were deserted. The streets of Kindlewich were frequented by the inhabitants of the city until late into the night. It was after all, one of the few cities in the entire continent with a bustling night life.


    Enjoying the bright lights and peaceful atmosphere, he made his way to the red light district. The place was full of bars and brothels. Beautiful women dressed in revealing clothes were walking the streets attracting customers using all kinds of methods. Stream of men were flowing into the area having just completed their work and looking for a place to enjoy the night. Vincent skillfully blended into the crowd and avoided all distractions and harassments.


    Soon, he was standing in front of a deserted alleyway. A blind peddler was seated in a corner selling completely white masks. Vincent approached the blind man and spoke in a rough voice, "How much?"


    "A pound for a mask." The peddler replied in a direct manner. A pound was a lot of money. A laborer could barely earn two shillings in an entire day and the man was asking for 10 days worth of earning for a single mask.


    Vincent retrieved a pound note from his wallet without making a fuss and bought a mask. The man having received the note, felt it to make sure that he was handed the right amount. Confirming that he got the full payment he continued, "The code for tonight is ''The whitewash got washed away''."


    Having memorized the phrase, Vincent left the blind man on the dark alley and rejoined the bustling streets. Feeling the mask inside his coat''s pocket, he made his way to the slums.


    The streets of the slum were narrow and filled with filth giving off disgusting smells. Starving people were sitting with their backs against the house walls. Their eyes were dim and devoid of life, almost as if they had no will to live.


    Tearing his eyes away from the depressing sight he increased his pace. As he headed deeper into the impoverished zone, the number of street lamps that were lit kept on decreasing. When he reached the heart of the slum, no traces of life or light remained anywhere. Even seeing a few feet in front of you would prove troublesome, let alone navigating through the area.


    ''This place fits the description. Now I just need to find the right person.''


    Vincent took off his glasses and put them away. Soon, his vision became as clear as day if not better. He could make out the seams between the tiles paving the road, read the horribly made shop signs and see the buzzing wings of the flies feasting on the garbage in a corner. Each and every details were extremely clear and the amount of information would leave a normal person with a headache.


    Confirming that his eyes had gotten used to the darkness, he put on the cheaply made mask. He mapped his surrounding after looking around. After failing to find the correct location, he continued walking around. He came across several places conducting shady businesses but wasn''t fortunate enough to find the person he was searching for. Just as he was wondering if he made a wrong turn somewhere, a man wearing a similar mask appeared in a narrow alley with a lamp in his hand.


    Vincent approached the masked man and spoke in a rough voice, "The whitewash got washed away."


    The figure nodded and replied, "Follow me."


    The duo took dozens of turns before arriving at an inconspicuous house. The man extended his hand carrying the lamp towards Vincent indicating him to carry it. Vincent took the lamp and stood still while the man knocked on the door. Another masked person opened the door slightly to get a look at the people outside. Recognizing the man who brought Vincent over, he opened the door and invited the duo inside.


    The inside of the house was well lit and the man took back his lamp and put out the fire. He scrutinized Vincent in the bright room and spoke, "Go upstairs to attend to your business."


    "What about my weapons?" Vincent asked to make sure that the masked men hadn''t forgotten about anything of such sorts. He didn''t want any trouble and was willing to remind the two.


    "You can keep them. Not like you can do any harm to our boss with it anyways." The man scoffed and replied in a contemptuous manner.


    Vincent ignored the rude remark and headed upstairs. All the rooms were firmly locked except for the one furthest. Steadying his nerves, he made his way to the room. A middle aged man was sitting comfortably in a reclining chair reading a book. He was dressed like a gentleman and gave off a very scholarly vibe.


    "Please come in." The man spoke before Vincent could knock. "Would you like to entrust a task to us? Or are you here to become a bounty hunter?"


    "Bounty hunter."


    The man put down the book and gave Vincent a cursory look. "You do know that you are required to complete a task before you can gain access to our channels right?"


    "Of course."


    "Very well. The howling wolves is a gang of supernaturals active in the red light district. Kill three of their grade 1 members or a single grade 2 member. You can find them in a bar that goes by their gang name. You have until sunrise to return with their fangs as proof. It''s a suitable task for a grade 2 supernatural like you. Do you accept?"


    Vincent nodded to show his understanding and got up to leave. The middle aged man could tell that he was a grade 2 supernatural at just a glance. A supernatural with the ability to do so was rare but also equally troublesome. He wanted to associate with the man as little as possible and left without making any small talks.

 The first hunt (2)

    Vincent stood in a dark corner gazing at the boisterous bar. The middle aged man had said that he could find his targets here. Going by the little information he received, the howling wolves should be a supernatural group made up of werewolves. Thankfully, they were one of the well known supernatural beings.


    A powerful gun was more than enough to take care of a werewolf even after it transformed. Now, all he needed to do was pick out the correct target. He had limited time and he lacked the means to take down a werewolf without using his gun. Hence, he had to make sure the target he chose would be a grade 2 supernatural or else the rest of the gang would be alerted of his presence and the job would become much more difficult.


    Vincent remained motionless and observed each person entering and exiting the bar. He could even see inside the bar through the glasses because of his extraordinary eyesight. Werewolves like wolves, lived in packs and had hierarchy within their group. He could tell apart the higher grade supernatural from the lower by observing their actions. The only problem with this method was that he could end up choosing a grade 3 werewolf. If that really happened, then even escaping would be near impossible.


    After two hours of careful observation, Vincent finally settled on his target. The man was in his mid twenties with a tall and slender build. Having spent his earning for the day, the target got up and headed for the door. His friends pestered him to stay a little longer and have some more drinks but he ignored them. He was out of money and he didn''t want his gang mates to learn that. He had recently advanced to grade 2 and was working on building up his reputation within the gang.


    Embarrassing himself by not being able to pay his bills was the last thing he wanted. He took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. Taking a deep breath, he enjoyed his puff and slowly exhaled. Glancing at the bar one last time, he started walking towards his rented room. The streets got quieter as he got closer to his room as the areas with nightlife were left behind.


    Taking one last puff, he threw the cigarette down and put it out by stepping on it. His nose started picking all kinds of smells and he hated the feeling greatly. It reminded him of when he first became a werewolf. He had to endure the horrible smells every day until he got accustomed to his new advancement. How he wished that he could move into the cleaner parts of the city. Sadly, he couldn''t afford it.


    Just as he was about to light up another cigarette to distract himself from the terrible stimulations, he picked up a foreign smell. A young man who smelled strongly like the corner near his gang''s bar indicating that he had spent a considerable time there. Strangely, there was no smell of the bar on the young man.


    "Come out. I know you are behind that wall. Why are you following me?" The man asked loudly as he prepared to act at any moment.


    "I don''t mean any harm. I just wanted to talk to you." Vincent came out with both his hands raised in the air. His cleanly shaven beard and young features gave off a harmless atmosphere and the man grew less wary.


    "Speak. What did you want to talk about." Still maintaining his distance, the man continued asking.


    "E...is, is it true that you guys have the means to make someone into a supernatural?" Vincent stuttered and pretended to be a nervous wreck.


    "You want to join us? What price are you willing to pay?" The man got interested. He was lacking in money recently and a vulnerable sheep appeared in front of him to be fleeced willingly. Suppressing his excitement, he began thinking about how to best empty the pocket of the man in front of him and he had already started daydreaming about how he would spend the money.


    "I am willing to pay you 20 pounds as a sign of goodwill. I can pay you 200 pounds more if you make me into a supernatural." Still acting meek, Vincent took out a 20 pound note and extended his left hand.


    The man tried his hardest to control his smug expression. He hadn''t met such a fat sheep till today and he had to make sure that the young man wouldn''t be able to leave without spending everything he could. Thankfully it was dark and the other party wouldn''t be able to see his expression, or else the sheep might grow suspicious. He could see just fine in the dark thanks to him being a werewolf and he took this opportunity to scrutinize the young man deeply.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Concluding that the youth was harmless, he approached and extended his hand to take the note. Just as he put the money inside his coat''s inner pocket, the young man moved like thunder and pulled out a knife. He was dumbfounded. He couldn''t move that fast even after transforming and the meek sheep had suddenly shed its clothing and revealed its true appearance of a wolf.


    Despite his best effort to create some distance, Vincent took advantage of his surprise and stabbed the knife in the man''s shoulder and yanked the knife downwards, tearing the pectoralis major and rendering his left arm useless. An intense pain assaulted the werewolf but he suppressed his urge to scream as he hurriedly freed his right arm from his coat''s pocket.


    Vincent let the man put some distance as he couldn''t retrieve a fang as proof if he didn''t let the man transform. He just stared at the man and waited patiently. The pain and anger overwhelmed the man as he glared at the attacker. Grey hairs began growing on the man''s skin at an alarming rate as his muscles began squirming. The sound of bones cracking resounded in the quiet street as the man''s skeleton changed its shape and even his skull began morphing as a snout grew from his mouth. Soon, he had undergone a metamorphosis and turned into a giant wolf. His clothes lay in shreds below him.


    The wolf glared menacingly at Vincent like it was looking at its prey and growled. Saliva dripped from its giant jaws and it lifted its injured leg to relieve itself of the excruciating pain. Its muscles had been turned and folded in complex ways during the transformation and it left the injury even more severe. Enduring the pain, the massive creature prepared to charge at the knife wielding man.


    Vincent looked at the wolf straight in the eyes without showing any signs of weakness or cowardice. Waiting patiently for the beast to make its move, he took out his pistol and took aim. A werewolf would lose a part of his rationality before he advanced to grade 5 and he intended to take advantage of this fact to put down the foe swiftly.


    Just as Vincent had expected, the wolf didn''t run away even after looking at the deadly weapon and charged. The speed was alarmingly fast and one wouldn''t expect such swiftness from an injured beast. A normal person would find it hard to keep his sight locked onto the wolf but this was not a problem for Vincent. He could clearly make out even the individual strands of hair on the charging creature. The details regarding the flexing of muscles along with the direction of the paws and many other things simultaneously entered his mind. With the help of all these information, he could predict the wolf''s next actions and his brain concluded that the beast was going to pounce at him.


    Without any deviations to his prediction, the beast took to the air and prepared to bite the armed man. Having waited for this moment so that there would be no chances of dodging while in midair, Vincent aimed the gun at the wolf''s head and pulled the trigger.


    The muzzle flash blinded the wolf for a moment and a bullet entered its head. The projectile carrying massive momentum exited through the back of the victim''s head along with bits of its brain mush and fragmented skull. The sound of the corpse crashing was drowned out by the loud gunshot. The tinkling of the cartridge case hitting the ground followed the deafening noise shortly and the splashing sounds of blood and brain fluids signaled the end of the short conflict.


    Vincent extracted the fangs using the knife and wrapped it in the man''s handkerchief. He picked up the cartridge case and walked out of the crime scene swiftly after retrieving his 20 pound note. The police along with other people would probably come here following the gunshot and he had to be far from here as soon as possible.


    Soon, he was back in the bustling streets of the red light district. He walked into a perfume shop and smiled at the shop attendant, "Can you show me the strongest perfume you have?"


    After buying two of the strongest perfumes he asked the attendant where the washroom was. Locking the door, he cleaned the fang and knife after flushed away the cartridge case and the handkerchief. Spraying a ton of the perfume on his clothes and body to prevent the werewolves from tracking him through smell, he exited the shop and headed for the inconspicuous house.


    Following the tedious procedure, he was back inside the room on the upper floor. He placed the fangs in front of the middle aged man and waited while the man studied the fangs. "A pair of freshly harvested fangs from a grade 2 werewolf. Congratulations, you completed the task. You are one of us now."


    Pushing a badge with a miniature version of the mask towards Vincent, he continued, "You can enter the violet room in the Singing Siren bar with this badge. Information about all the bounties entrusted to us will be there. You can claim your bounty at the same bar."


    Vincent nodded and took the badge and the fangs. He made for his hotel room without any delay and checked his pocket watch upon arrival. It was almost midnight and he packed his equipment and fell asleep.

 Settling in (1)

    It was 8 in the morning when Vincent woke up. Freshening up, he headed to the dining hall. The guests were enjoying breakfast with their company in the beautifully built hall. The servers paced around in a professional manner tending to the needs of the customers.


    Vincent grabbed a couple of toasts, a good helping of fruit jam and a poached egg. He moved to a quiet corner and sat on a small table. The white table cloth was washed clean without a single stain on it and silverwares were arranged neatly on top of it.


    Looking around, he noticed that all the lone guests were occupying the quiet corners while people with company were enjoying pleasant conversations in the brightly lit middle parts of the hall. A server brought over the day''s paper after noticing a lone gentleman having his breakfast.


    "Can you get me a cup of coffee please?" The server went away after nodding.


    Soon, Vincent was sipping his coffee as he flipped through the paper giving the big titles a cursory read. His eyes stayed on an inconspicuous news for the longest time.


    "A wolf found dead in the middle of the city"


    "A giant wolf''s corpse was found in the street right outside the red light district. This incident brings about a peculiar topic to light. A topic no one is willing to talk about. How is it that a wolf had made its way all the way to the middle of the city?


    The most likely answer is that the gangs had smuggled the poor animal to make it participate in dog fights. It is a popular sport among certain kinds of people and the gangs are happy to oblige since it opens up a great gambling platform for them."


    The article then proceeded to explain how the animal had most likely escaped and the gang members had no choice but to put it down in the middle of the street. The culprits had also taken away the beast''s fangs as proof. It also bashed on the inefficiency of the police force who couldn''t prevent smuggling of such a big creature.


    ''This is really convenient. This might be the news coverage but the authorities are probably investigating the case. They might have supernaturals with abilities to gleam something from the scene. I can''t afford to slip up or else it will come back to bite me.''


    Putting aside the paper, he began enjoying his food. The hotel didn''t have a good reputation for nothing. The food really was top quality. The jam was freshly made and had a very sweet and tart taste. Paired with the toast, it''s sweetness was well balanced and it worked very well together.


    Vincent checked out of the hotel and went out the lobby at exactly 10 a.m. Lachlan, the old coachman was already waiting for him. He hurriedly greeted Vincent and took the suitcase from his customer. The coach was soon on its way to a company that provided service to people who were looking to rent out their rooms and people who needed one.


    The employee was a middle aged woman with a round face and short legs. She put on a big smile and asked, "What kind of room are you looking to rent?"


    "A place with a bedroom, a sitting room, a study and an attached bathroom. It would be better if a separate small kitchen was also present."


    "How much is your budget?"


    "Money isn''t a problem. I am willing to pay enough as long as I am satisfied with the place.


    A rich customer had just come in and the lady started putting in extra effort in hopes of being able to seal the deal. "Which district do you want the place to be in?"


    "It would be really convenient for me if you could set me up with a place in  White Pearl district."


    "Certainly, the place is far from the industrial areas and the environment is much more peaceful as well. Please wait here for a moment. I will check up on our records for places that fulfill your conditions."


    Vincent took a sip of his lemonade as he looked out through the window. Lachlan was stroking his horses forehead and waiting patiently. Vincent on the other hand grew bored and couldn''t wait for the woman to be back soon. The room too was dull with nothing interesting to look at.


    The woman returned with a bunch of documents in her hands. She proceeded to show him each documents individually. The papers had a photo of the place attached along with the conditions placed forth by the owner of the house. After going through every document individually, Vincent decided on a house on daffodil street.


    "Is it possible to visit the house right now? If possible, I wouldn''t want to spend another night in a hotel."


    "Certainly. Please let me call a coach and we can be on our way."Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "That won''t be necessary. I already have one waiting outside." The group headed for daffodil street and stopped in front of a two storey house. It was painted blue and white and looked very cozy. The windows were large and shaped elegantly. Overall, it was a very pretty looking house from the outside. The neighborhood also looked well off and welcoming.


    The woman readjusted the documents in her hands and knocked on the door. Vincent stood behind her and calmly waited. A soft answer came from within and a young girl opened the door. She wore plain clothes and had her hair tied in a bun. She looked at the group outside and asked timidly, "Who might you be looking for?"


    Putting on a kind smile, the woman asked back, "Can you get Mr. or Mrs. Lee please."


    "Please wait a moment." Closing the door, the girl went to get the lady of the house.


    Soon, a woman in her mid twenties came back with the timid girl. She wore a blue dress and a matching shawl over it. Her face had a mature and serious look to it and her mannerisms matched her looks.


    "Mrs. Rosette, good day. Could this gentleman be here to check the room?" Mrs. Lee got straight to the point and asked.


    Vincent took the initiative and put his hands on his hat. Raising it slightly, he bowed slightly and spoke, "Good day Mrs. Lee. I am Vincent Burns. I am indeed here to take a look at the rooms. I hope we didn''t come at a bad time."


    Mrs. Lee observed him the whole time and smiled after approving of him internally. "It''s a good time. I was just reading a book. Please do come in."


    Vincent and Mrs. Rosette were taken to the parlor to be entertained. Vincent observed each room and found them satisfactory. Not only was the house designed well, the decors and paintings placed on the house complemented each other well. The lady of the house was a generous host as well. The timid girl had immediately brought over tea and cookies.


    "What do you do for a living Mr. Burns?" You had to know your tenants well before accepting them. Failing to do so would often invite trouble and bad relationships later on. Though this was her first time renting the place out, she had got enough advice from her friends and she intended to reject anyone who didn''t satisfy her requirements. So far, the young gentleman looked good. He was dressed in an excellent manner and looked rich as shown by his gold rimmed spectacles and golden pocket watch chain.


    "I am a certified doctor. I will start working on the Orient hospital soon."


    "Oh my. A doctor at such a young age. If you don''t mind me asking, how old are you?"


    "I will turn 21 soon."


    "Where did you study?"


    "I graduated from Imperial Arcadian University."


    "How impressive."


    "It''s nothing that impressive. I just had the privilege of being admitted early and receiving tutelage under great teachers."


    ''Not only does he have a great track record. He is well mannered and humble to boot. Young, rich and smart. Now, let''s get an understanding of his family.''  Mrs. Lee had a great first impression so far.


    "What about your family?"


    "My mother was my only family and sadly, she passed away six years ago." A gloomy expression made its way upon the young man''s face and Mrs. Lee felt bad for bringing it up.


    "I am very sad to hear that. May her soul find peace in the benevolent mother''s embrace."


    The benevolent mother was the goddess of love and kindness. People of Estil kingdom believed that she was the one who created all humans and hence everyone returned to her embrace once they died.


    Mrs. Lee asked some more light hearted questions to mend the mood. Once she felt like everything was back to normal, she went back to inquiring about him again. "Will you be living alone?"


    "Yes, I am quite used to occupying big spaces. I won''t feel comfortable unless I have at least a bedroom and study to myself."


    "Indeed. I didn''t appreciate such space when I was younger. Now that I have two kids, all I wish for most of the time is some time and space for myself. How about we check out the rooms now?"


    Vincent nodded and followed the lady as she began explaining about the house. It turned out to be a house built by Mr. Lee''s grandfather and he inherited it after the old man''s death recently. Mr. Lee worked as a secretary and had no means to build such an impressive house.


    Mr. and Mrs. Lee had really hit the jackpot by inheriting such an expensive property in such a prosperous area. Sadly, the upkeep of the house cost them a lot as they had to keep up their appearance in front of their neighbors and it was very taxing for them financially. They had finally decided to rent out the house a month ago but they barely got any prospective tenants as the price wasn''t something just anybody could afford.


    Vincent was satisfied with the place. Not only did it have all the rooms he was looking for but it was also just 10 minutes walk away from the Orient hospital. "Mrs. Lee, I am very satisfied with the place. Let''s settle on a price."


    "How about 12 pounds per month?  You will be required to pay for the first six months in advance."


    12 pounds every month was a considerable sum for most people but Vincent could afford it. Besides, he needed all the extra space for reasons he couldn''t tell others. He nodded and spoke, "How about 18 pounds per month for the rooms, meals, cleaning and laundry services? I am willing to make a down payment for  the first year."


    Vincent threw more money her way to ensure that he would get more than enough privacy and that he would be excused for things he might have to do while inconveniencing the others. He could pay for just the first six months, but he decided to splurge a little more at the beginning. People judged others based on their preconceived notions after all. Doing this, he would be spending the same amount of money in the long term while creating a stronger impression.


    Mrs. Lee accepted without a second thought. Not only was the tenant very agreeable, he was also generous with his spending. It would be stupid of her to not accept such conditions.


    Mrs. Rosette drew up the contract and handed it to Mrs. Lee. Reading the contract, she signed it and passed it to Vincent. Finding everything in order, he signed the document and took out his wallet. He counted the money and handed over a thick stack of cash to his new landlady. She counted it twice to make sure that she received the right amount of 216 pounds and paid Mrs. Rosette her commission.


    Lachlan helped bring his suitcase to his room and left after getting paid. Vincent locked the room and began exploring everything once again. The bedroom was spacious despite having a big bed in it. The study was well equipped with a study desk and book racks. The sitting room was lit up amply and was very cozy and suitable for entertaining guests. Washroom and kitchen were both small but functional.

 Settling in (2)

    A plethora of materials were laid out on the kitchen table. Some of them were everyday use items like salt and sugar. Beside these common materials lay items of unknown origin kept in containers of all kinds.


    Vincent had a serious look in his face as he held the wolf''s fang with a pair of tweezers. Submerging it in a gelatinous liquid, he picked it back up and let it dry on a glass. He repeated the procedure for the other fang and boiled some water in a pot. After the water started bubbling, he added some salt after measuring it and proceeded to pour in a cloudy liquid.


    The contents of the pot evaporated at a rapid pace and a gooey green substance was all that remained. Moving the remnants of the process to a laboratory glass tube, he dropped the fangs coated in a gel into the tube. The contents sizzled and the fangs melted at a pace discernible to the naked eye.


    Vincent breathed a sigh of relief and let the reaction complete. The sizzling sound gradually stopped and all that was left in the container was a light green liquid that had a light sheen to it.


    A soft knock came from the door and Vincent hurriedly cleared the table. Transferring the product to a small glass bottle, he composed himself and opened the door.


    Mrs. Lee was standing by the door and smiled at him. "I was wondering if you would like to join us for lunch. My children and the governess just returned from the library. It would be a good opportunity to get to know them. We will all be living under the same roof after all."


    "It would be my pleasure to join you. Could you give me a moment? I will be out in just a second."


    He hid the glass bottle inside a drawer and put on a waistcoat over his shirt. Following his landlady, he joined her kids and a young lady for lunch. The kids were both very young and energetic. The older girl looked about eight and had a cute chubby face while the boy was probably a year or two younger and had a face full of curiosity.


    "This gentleman is Mr. Burns. He is a certified doctor and just moved in today." Mrs. Lee introduced Vincent to the young woman and continued after turning to him. "The young lady is Beth Swan. She is working as a governess for us right now."


    Nodding to acknowledge the introduction, Vincent put on a gentle smile. "It''s a pleasure to make your acquaintance miss Swan."


    The lady in turn, got up and slightly lifted the hem of her dress while bowing. "Likewise, Mr. Vincent. I heard about you from Mrs. Lee. Welcome back to Kindlewich." She wore a light blue dress topped by a matching shawl and a bonnet. She looked very demure and carried herself like a true lady.


    "Thank you"


    "The girl is Marie. She will be nine soon. Though she looks demure, she is quite the trouble maker. Issac on the other hand might look full of energy but is very well behaved. I just hope he grows up to be a fine gentleman." Mrs. Lee introduced her children as the timid maid from the morning along with her companion served lunch.


    The atmosphere was merry and Vincent enjoyed the never ending questions from the kids. They were curious about anything and everything. Vincent talked a great deal about Arcadia and his travels. The duo were greatly fascinated by his descriptions and grew increasingly excited with each answer. The look in their eyes conveyed their strong interest and they wanted to hear a lot more.  Sadly for them, Mrs. Lee had miss Swan take them away for their studies.


    "My husband will be back later. Do join us for dinner. I am sure you two will get along very well." Mrs. Lee wanted her husband to meet with Vincent himself. Though she had been given the authority to settle on a suitable tenant, she felt like her husband should at least get to know the other party personally.


    "Forgive me for not being able to oblige Mrs. Lee. I already have a dinner appointment tonight. Maybe some other time."


    "That''s too bad. Do you want supper to be prepared?"


    "Yes. That would be excellent." Vincent got back to his room and unpacked. The suitcase was soon emptied and he moved all the earlier apparatuses and materials in it. Locking it secure, he pushed it below his bed.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    *****


    7:30 pm


    White pearl district


    Inside a luxurious restaurant, Vincent was dressed in a formal attire and waiting for someone. A middle aged man with a handsome face walked in  and joined Vincent.


    "Dr. Watson. It is a pleasure to be able to finally meet you. Teacher told me a lot about you." Vincent got up to welcome the man.


    "It is good to see you too, young man. Is Dr. Fredrick doing well?" The man had a soothing voice and a charismatic personality.


    "Yes. The teacher is doing great. He entrusted me with handing these letters and documents to you. He also asked me to convey his wishes to see you at the next medical convention."


    Taking the letters and folders off of Vincent''s hands, the man placed them inside his briefcase. "I don''t have it easy like him. I need to run my hospital while he can talk in front of his students and research. I regret being unable to attend the convention every year too you know. Don''t mind my rambling. I will write to him personally so that it won''t be hard for you."


    "I am sure teacher is just complaining because he wants to see you. He understands that your duties as the hospital''s director leaves you with little time." Vincent consoled the man and ordered some dishes. The two men enjoyed their conversation as they ate.


    "Vincent. I am greatly impressed by your knowledge. I can see why Frederick praised you so much. Your thinking is indeed ahead of time. Now I can''t wait to see you in action. He wrote to me saying that you have the most steady hands he has ever seen."


    "It''s nothing much when compared to the vast knowledge you have amassed. I look forward to learning a lot from you."


    "Haha, don''t be so modest. Alright then, I will see you next week in the hospital. I have to go for now. My wife will get angry at me if I get home late." Watson patted Vincent on the shoulders and left after paying the bill.


    Vincent popped open his pocket watch. It was just about to hit eight and a half. Grabbing his leather briefcase, he walked out of the restaurant and headed for the Singing Siren bar.


    Walking the streets he used to frequent as a child in such a chilly night gave him a refreshing feeling. The street lamps burned bright adding a calming beauty to this city and it awakened a lot of sweet memories in him. Just as he had begun relishing in the wonderful sensation, images filled with blood and gore invaded his mind. A bitter taste filled his mouth and his mood dropped instantly.


    He could never get rid of these horrible images from six years ago. They came back to haunt him again and again. Dark thoughts began filling his mind his senses dulled. Cries filled with pain echoed inside his mind and his body started trembling. Reaching for his inner pocket with shaky hands, he took out a bottle of pills. Struggling to put strength into his fingers, he gripped the top and gave it a twist. He poured out the contents and swallowed  a pill.


    His trembling subsided and his mind calmed down slowly. Putting the extra pills back into the bottle, he closed it firmly and placed the glass container back in his inner pocket. He took consecutive deep breaths and resumed walking as if nothing had happened.


    *****


    The Singing Siren bar was a popular establishment. Droves of men and women were occupying the huge lounge as they enjoyed the performance of the singing woman on stage.


    Vincent looked around and took note of several things. Walking past the couples enjoying their time together, he sat in a corner. A beautiful server dressed scantily approached him and asked if she could take his order.


    Handing her a 5 pound note, he leaned closer to her ears and asked, "What''s special on the menu?"


    The server pushed the money down her cleavage and put on a brilliant smile. "What are you looking for? Guns? Drugs? Or a good time?"


    "Get me your most powerful revolver and 50 rounds of ammunition."


    "That will be 20 pounds."


    Vincent ignored the high price and handed a 20 pound note to the girl. The guns here came with no records and no strings attached. So the higher price was perfectly fine for people in not the most well respected professions. Vincent had his custom pistol but he couldn''t waste it''s ammunition as he had a limited number of it. He would have to be frugal with them until he found a skilled ammunition maker working outside the authorities'' radar.


    The server returned with a glass of wine and a neatly wrapped present box. She sat next to him and handed the box over to him in a loving manner. Vincent undid the wrapping and checked the content. Satisfied with the merchandise, he nodded and pushed the wine to her. "For you my lovely lady."


    "You don''t have to be so skeptical you know. We are fair when it comes to trade, there''s nothing in the drink." Saying so, she downed the entire glass and made a satisfied expression.


    Vincent put the gift box inside his briefcase and got up to leave. The server leaned on him and brought her face next to his. The smell of her perfume assaulted his nose and a soft seductive whisper made its way into his ears inducing all sorts of emotions that made a man lose his reasoning, "If you are this generous all the time and want to have a good time. Look for me, I will give you a special service."


    He pretended to shrug off her advance and swiftly exited the bar. Calming his nerves, he thought to himself, ''Women really are dangerous. Their attacks are lethal in their own ways. Too bad I couldn''t get a single clue regarding the violet room. I will lay low for now. I will come back after I have sufficient information and ample preparations.''

 Will (1)

    Vincent finally got to meet Mr. Lee the next morning. He had a curved mustache popular amongst gentlemen of certain circles and a mole under his left eye. Dressed in a prim manner, he behaved very politely and agreeably.  The two had a long chat in the morning and Vincent managed to find out much regarding the city from his landlord.


    Vincent flipped the newspaper and read a report about a scuffle among two gangs that led to three deaths. "It looks like some part of the city aren''t safe at all. I have been noticing these news ever since I came here."


    "Indeed. The areas near the slums are specially dangerous. Rumors are, that there are many establishments that facilitate gatherings for dangerous people every now and then." Mr. Lee sipped his tea and continued. "The police tried cracking down on them multiple times to no avail. Dishonest people are as common as cockroaches there after all. Now that the authorities have stopped taking actions, the crime rate has shot up recently."


    Vincent pretended to be confused and asked, "Gathering for dangerous people? It doesn''t sound sensible at all. What do they even do there?"


    "I wouldn''t know such details. But Mr. Harper, my employer heard this from a local gang leader directly. He said that even the gang leader was cautious of these dangerous people."


    "Your employer seems to keep all sorts of company."


    "Not at all, the gang leader just happened to be a childhood friend of his. Will Gunsmith was his name, if I recall correctly."


    "Well I am sure knowing people in such occupation has its own merits. It has been rather rude of me to comment on Mr. Harper''s company. I ask for your forgiveness." Vincent put on an apologetic expression and bowed to convey his sincerity.


    "Please don''t be. I am sure you find these matters strange after having just returned from the imperial capital Wroling. It is said to be the most peaceful city in the entire continent after all."


    *****


    8 p.m.


    Outskirts of the slums


    Vincent was wearing a rustic black frock coat matched with a black pant. A top hat adorned his head and his lower face was covered by a brown and black checkered scarf. Only the upper bridge of his nose and his eyes could be seen. He wasn''t wearing his spectacles and given his common brown eyes, even a professional would find it difficult to recognize him after much scrutiny.


    Entering a rowdy bar, he approached the bartender and sat in front of the big guy.


    "What can I get for you?" The bartender had a soft voice contrary to his rough and burly appearance.


    "A whiskey and someone who knows a lot."


    The man placed the whiskey in front of Vincent and spoke, "Here''s your whiskey. As for the other order, you can talk to the bald man over in that corner. The total will be 3 shillings."


    "Thanks." Vincent paid four shillings to the bartender who smiled and pocketed the coins.


    Vincent went over to the bald man and pushed the drink to him. "For you my friend. I heard you know a lot."


    "You have come to the right man." Bald guy took a sip from his free drink and continued. "What do you want to know?"


    "Where can I find Will Gunsmith?" Lowering his voice, Vincent moved closer and asked.


    "Not a famous name that one, I tell you. But still expensive nonetheless. That will be three pounds."


    Vincent hated how the man was trying to cheat him by charging such a high price but could do nothing but pay up. Committing the bald man''s appearance to his memory, he pulled out three bills from his wallet and handed it to the man.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "East district of the outer slums. 4th street. The biggest house at the end of the alleyway."


    Vincent swiftly left after receiving the information and bought a hooded coat in the shopping district. Such an article was generally avoided by the well off people as it was popular among the people in dishonest profession. Donning his newly bought cloth, he headed for the location he had just received.


    Two hooligans were smoking right outside the house and laughing uproariously from time to time. The people living nearby found it annoying but dared not voice out any complaints. The men working for the owner of the house were all low lifes who weren''t scared of breaking the law.


    Vincent readjusted the scarf ensuring that his face was covered properly. He walked towards the duo as if he was going to one of the houses nearby. The hooligans didn''t pay much attention to him either and he approached them normally. Once in close range, he punched a guy in the solar plexus knocking him out cold. The other guy was shocked at the sudden development and tried to hurriedly grab his knife. Sadly for him, the attacker moved at an insane speed and had a knife to his throat before he could do anything. The young man raised his scrawny arms to indicate his surrender.


    "Turn around." Vincent spoke in a rough voice and hit the man in the back of his head with the blunt handle of the knife.


    Dragging two unconscious bodies inside, he headed upstairs after locking the door. He had expected more men to be present but found no other guards. Rejoicing at the amount of energy he could save, he headed for the master bedroom.


    A fat man was hugging a young woman to sleep. Both of them were naked and covered by a single thin blanket. The room had the smell of sweat and other bodily fluids. Pulling out his new revolver, Vincent put it against the fat man''s head. The cold metallic sensation forced the man awake and Vincent placed his index finger against the man''s lips.


    "Are you Will Gunsmith?"


    The man nodded with great enthusiasm to save his life. The movement however, shook the bed and woke the woman too. As the situation became clear to her, she placed both her palms against her mouth to prevent herself from shouting.


    Vincent praised the girl inwardly for her smart move and continued with his question. "Tell me about the special gathering."


    Will Gunsmith was sweating like a pig. Though he was the leader of a gang, he had never been in such a perilous situation. It was always him pointing guns at others. Calming himself to the best of his ability, he answered, "Dozens of dangerous people gather at the alley two blocks down from here every Friday. They mysteriously disappear after midnight and never come out. I have sent people to examine the place for secret passages and such but found nothing. It''s almost as if they all vanish into thin air only to congregate there next week all over again."


    Vincent cocked the hammer and asked in a threatening manner, "Are you lying?"


    The action scared the fat man and he began explaining hysterically. "I know it sounds like a made up story. But it''s true. Every last word. Please trust me."


    "I will be back for you if I find out that you lied. Please do behave well till then. I hope you two have a wonderful night. Farewell." Saying so, Vincent headed back for his room leaving both the man and woman in cold sweats.


    *****


    It was Wednesday morning and Vincent was enjoying the breakfast delivered to his room. He was very curious about how the people that had gathered together would just disappear mysteriously.  He couldn''t wait to find out but he had something important to take care of today. Finishing his food at a leisurely pace, he put on a morning suit and headed out.


    The destination this time was St John''s sanatorium. Hailing a coach, he arrived there after half an hour. Paying the coachman, he alighted the coach and entered the facility. It was a huge establishment maintained by the royal family and many chronically ill patients were living here.


    He was greeted by a female receptionist in the counter. "Good morning young sir. How may I help you?"


    "I am here to pick up the will of Austin Burns."


    "Can you specify your relation with him?"


    "I am his nephew"


    The woman acted professionally and Vincent answered her questions normally.


    "Do you know the exact date of his passing?"


    "I believe it was January 15th of the year 1613"


    "Can you also elaborate why you are so late? It has been three years. Forgive me for prying but this is a necessary part of the procedure."


    "Yes, I was studying in the empire and couldn''t make time to come back. It is a half month long journey after all."


    "Please wait for a while. I will check whom he had recorded as the recipient to his will. Also, please ready your identification documents."


    Vincent waited patiently for the receptionist to return as he looked around.


    ''So this is where you died. I hope you didn''t suffer too much.''


    "Mr. Vincent Burns, am I correct?" The woman asked as she read a document in her hand.


    "Yes, that is me."


    "Could you hand over your identification documents please."


    The woman checked the documents to see if they were authentic and handed over a sealed folder to Vincent.


    Taking back his documents, he thanked the receptionist and returned to his room.

 Will (2)

    Vincent got home and placed his briefcase down. Taking out the folder, he prepared to unseal the wax. He brought a short knife close to the seal but couldn''t bear to complete the action. His uncle had taken him away to the empire to keep him safe. He could still remember it like yesterday when the man would console him. His tears had wet the man''s shirt multiple times and he had been hugged to sleep in more than a single occasion. His uncle was also his best friend and he didn''t know if he was ready to read the last words of such a precious family.


    He had returned back to Kindlewich after making Vincent promise that he wouldn''t try to go back until he had graduated. In return, he would tell everything he knew about the incident to Vincent. Three  years went by and 17 year old Vincent lost the last family he had. He got the word that his uncle died in a sanatorium after contracting a deadly disease.


    He had studied like crazy back then and graduated at an age where most people would begin getting admitted to the university. He wanted to rush back here and learn the truth about the incident. For many nights, he had dreamed of finally knowing what had transpired. Now that the truth was before him, he was scared.


    As his emotions grew unstable, the images full of gore and blood came back to him once again. His breathing grew ragged and he could barely keep himself stable. Struggling to get the small bottle, he ingested a pill. His mind grew stable once again and he regained proper control of his body.


    Mustering his courage, he undid the seal and took out the contents. A letter and a key with number 4621 inscribed in it. Putting the key aside for now, he picked up the letter and began reading.


    "Dear Vincent,


    It has been three years since I left you. I don''t know when you will receive this but I pray that you are doing well until then.


    I spent  the first two years trying to find out more about the organization behind the incident. The only clue I had was the initial symbol your father, my dear brother had left me, a gate with seven men nailed  to it. After much digging, I managed to find that it''s the symbol for Seventh Gate. An organization hidden in the shadows. Their goal is to open the gate of Mesphiliene. I do not know what or where this gate is but whatever it is, it cannot be good.


    I searched all over but couldn''t find more clues. The longer I went without results, the more impatient and careless I got. Because of my impatience, I took a huge risk. I guess the risk paid off  as I learned a lot from it. But, I also suffered from a curse because of it and I have been rotting in this place for eight months now.


    I know I don''t have much time and even writing is tough for me. I will get straight to the point and hope you will forgive me for such a poor excuse of a last letter.


    The seventh gates'' members are all ''Missionary of desires''. A supernatural who has control over emotions and desires. Not only can they perfectly control their emotions but also affect others'' emotions and desires. They do not excel in combat but dealing with them is very difficult. I witnessed one amplify his victim''s fears to the extent of paralyzing him. But their powers won''t affect a person if they don''t feel strong emotions or desires.


    The members of this organization have no distinguishing feature and that is what makes this so tricky. I would have to left you with some leads but sadly, they noticed my presence and got rid of the channel I had prepared.


    I hate to say this but you are on your own if you intend to search for them. Knowing you, I am sure that''s what you intend to do but I will still say this just to erase my feelings of guilt towards your mother. Live a normal life if you can. I am sure your mother would have said the same to you.


    Moving on to the most important thing I need to say to you. I dug your mother''s grave. I know it''s a vile thing I did but I couldn''t not do it when I thought about her supernatural powers. She was a ''Secret keeper'' after all. Few people could unravel mysteries like she did. I couldn''t move my thoughts away from the fact that she could have left us a clue.


    I didn''t find any clues but I don''t regret doing what I did either. She had left the formulas for the advancement potions for ''Predator'' and an artifact for you. I don''t know how you will feel about this but her body dissolved and turned into the artifact. I have already appraised and confirmed this fact. It will allow the wearer to remain a secret in this world. The traces of the wearers very existence itself will be hidden.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The downside to using its power is that the wearer will slowly forget about themselves until they finally become a selfless body. A husk of their former self so to speak. But you won''t have to worry about this. The artifact was made because of her strong will to hide you from danger and it poses no detriments for you.


    I have also left the rest of my money for you. It''s only 3000 pounds but I am sure it will be of a great help to you. All of these things are left in the Royal bank''s special safe. I have left the key for you and you will just need your identification document to access the safe.


    I am ending my letter here. I hope that you will live a long happy life. Both for your parent''s sake as well as mine.


    Your loving uncle,


    Austin Burns"


    Vincent closed his eyes and folded the letter. A plethora of emotions were running wild inside him. Taking his time to process the contents of the letter he slowly picked up the key. He put the letter into a folder carefully and placed it in his drawer. It was the last memento from his precious family and he intended to keep it.


    Making up his mind, he headed straight for the bank. After showing the bank employees his identification document and the key, he was led to a room full of safes. The bank employee bought an identical key and inserted it into the safe with the corresponding number. He looked at the young customer and spoke, "Please insert your key on the other keyhole."


    Vincent did as instructed and the safe was unlocked. Retrieving a smaller safe from inside, he handed it over to Vincent and gave him some time alone in the room. Making sure that the employee was out, he opened the safe and checked the contents.


    A white piece of wood that looked like it had been cut out of a sphere and hollowed of its inner part lay there with other stuff. Picking it up, he stroked it lovingly and whispered. "It''s been six years, mother."


    He felt a warm and gentle energy from the mask. He could feel the artifact''s ''happiness''. Wiping away the tears that had welled in his eyes without him noticing, he placed the mask in his inner pocket. He looked at the rest of the contents. Two framed photos lay stacked against each other next to a thick stack of bank notes and a lonely sheet of paper.


    A younger Vincent was wearing a happy smile as he stepped on a dead wild boar with a hunting rifle in his hand. Two men who resembled each other stood behind him and a beautiful lady in white dress and a summer hat knelt beside him. Looking at the photograph took him many years back when he had gone hunting for the first time. This was taken to commemorate his first hunt.


    The other photo portrayed him and his mother together. He couldn''t recall when exactly this was taken but looking at his mother''s kind expression brought a smile to his face. He had wanted to be a supernatural like his mother, a ''Secret keeper'' and unravel the mysteries of the world. Sadly, life had different plans for him.


    The sheet of paper contained the recipe for making advancement potions for ''Predator''. Vincent was a grade two predator and advancing to a higher grade required the consumption of corresponding advancement potion.


    Moving both the photo frames and sheet of paper to his briefcase, he grabbed the thick stack of bank notes inside the safe. 20 pound was the highest denomination of notes issued by the kingdom. His uncle had mentioned that he had left 3000 pounds for Vincent and it looked like the stack contained 150 of 20 pound notes. He deposited the money in his bank account and returned home.


    He took a long bath to clear his head and took a short nap. When he woke up it was almost noon. He felt rejuvenated after the nap and took out the mask. Putting it on, he was surprised to be able to see and breathe as if he wasn''t wearing a mask at all. He had thought that the wearer would be blind and the mask was only good when hiding so it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.


    He stood in front of a mirror to see what he looked like to other people. He saw a man wearing a bath robe with a round white mask for a face. A bright moon was shining where the man''s glabellas was supposed to be and clouds made up of black ink floated all over the mask. It was fascinating to look at the drifting blots of ink which always covered part of the moon but never hid it completely.


    This reminded Vincent of the stories his mother used to tell him about mysteries and secrets as they looked at the night sky. His favorite had been the story of moon palace, a mythical palace filled with endless treasures. The only way to enter the palace was to figure out the secret behind the moon''s waxing. The reason had been established as the revolution of the satellite but the little kid used to believe that the moon palace really existed and wanted to learn of the secret.


    Suppressing his outburst of nostalgia, he decided to check the effects of the mask. He walked downstairs and into the parlor where Mrs. Lee was reading a book. Vincent walked to her and sat across her only to be treated like air. He started singing a nursery rhyme but received the same treatment. He got up and went to the kitchen where both the maids failed to notice him as well. He began pondering when the timid maid headed for Vincent''s room to deliver his lunch.


    Following right behind her, he waited for the girl to knock. He put a hand on the mask ready to take it off anytime and tapped her on the shoulder. The girl turned back and Vincent hurriedly hid the mask behind him.


    "Thank you for delivering the lunch. I can take it from here." He took the food from the girl and went into his room."


    ''Looks like normal people won''t notice me until I touch them. Now, I just need to prepare for the gathering.''

 Mr. Secret (1)

    Vincent spent the entire Thursday experimenting with the mask. He believed that he now had a good understanding of the mask''s abilities. Now, all he needed to do was attend the gathering tomorrow.


    He also needed to make enough preparations in case he found any clues regarding the seventh gate. He had breakfast and headed to the bank early on Friday. After the addition of 3000 pounds two days earlier, he now had 5300 pounds in his account. A sizable sum that would make one rich but a supernatural could spend such an  amount extremely quickly. There were many supernatural items whose allure were too great. One couldn''t not want to possess it after seeing one. Sadly, the costs were equally high and few people owned good items.


    Withdrawing 2000 pounds,  he headed back. Mrs. Lee invited him to join her for lunch and he agreed.


    "The city is getting scary lately. Three people were found dead this morning. Looks like their blood had been sucked dry. The police said that it was the work of Zulu bats. Do you think they are telling the truth?" Mrs. Lee asked about a news article featured on the day''s paper.


    "Zulu bats are indeed capable of such a feat."


    "I wonder what the authorities are doing? This isn''t the first time this is happening and the bats haven''t been eradicated for so long already." She continued with her complaints as she ate.


    Vincent finished swallowing and answered, "The bats sleep during the day and it is hard to spot them. They like to sleep with shadows behind their backs and their black fur makes for a really effective camouflage.  I wouldn''t be surprised if this matter persisted for much longer."


    ''Well, not like I can tell her that the culprit was actually a vampire. Is it a vampire on the verge of rampaging or is it a newbie with no knowledge? Why isn''t he controlling his feeding urges? If this continues, he will be captured or killed soon.''


    The two talked about a lot of other topics. Vincent learnt a lot of recent gossip materials from his landlady. He needed to keep his ears open for all kinds of information after all. Mrs. Lee on the other hand was happy to have found a companion who was equally interested in spicy gossips.


    *****


    Vincent left his room at around 10 in the night. The gathering started at midnight exactly and he wanted to know the area well. He was wearing his new coat with hood and the people avoided him to stay out of trouble. You could never know what a low life could do after all. You had to stay away from one, specially at such late hours.


    He went around the area twice, taking note any of any structures that might come in handy in a pinch. As midnight approached, he made his way to the gathering after putting on his mask. Tens of men and women were standing around  in the dark alley with clothing and accessories that covered their faces. Few spoke a word or two to each other while the rest preferred to be left alone. Vincent intentionally let his footsteps be heard so as to announce his arrival. It would be inconvenient for him if this was a gathering that didn''t welcome unknown or new people. By making his presence known, he could make out the nature of the gathering from the member''s reactions.


    Everyone turned around to look at the newcomer. Some glanced at him secretly while others checked him out openly. A few of the people present looked at him curiously but none approached him. He sighed in relief after looking at their reaction. It looked like getting a new member they didn''t know about every now and then wasn''t uncommon.


    Vincent had arrived right before the clock struck midnight and waited for the host to appear. The door at the end of the alley swung open and a short man in silver robe walked out. His hood covered more than half his face and making out his features was difficult. He looked at everyone and spoke ,"Looks like we have two new members tonight. My master will be happy. Now then it''s time to get going."


    As Vincent focused on the man to find out how he transported so many men without anyone noticing, the sound of metal grating against the ground resounded in the quiet alley. Everyone''s attention was suddenly drawn to the source of the sound. Looking over, Vincent saw manhole being pushed aside and a girl peeked out from below.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The girl had golden hair tied in a French braid. A masquerade mask with pointy ends and glittering stones embedded all over it covered the upper portion of her face. She looked over at the silver robed man and smiled, "Thank god you haven''t opened the door already. I thought I would miss the gathering." Saying so, she climbed out of the manhole and closed it with much effort.


    The silver robed man replied while chuckling, "I must say your entrance is still as grand as ever, Miss Mystique. My master had a really good laughter last time when he learnt of your style."


    The girl ignored the man''s remark and dusted her dress with her hands. Unfortunately, the smudges she got from climbing the manhole only spread further and into her glove as well. Sighing, she moved towards the silver robed man and bumped into Vincent. The girl was startled and apologized, "I am so sorry. I didn''t see you at all."


    Vincent was equally surprised. The girl hadn''t noticed him until they bumped into each other. This meant that the girl wasn''t a supernatural but a normal human. He couldn''t understand why the girl was here attending a gathering for supernaturals. She looked at him and spoke in an excited voice, "Mr. masked man. Is that a supernatural artifact? It''s the coolest one I have seen so far. Will you sell it to me for 10000 pounds?"


    The girl''s words caught everyone''s attention. 10000 pounds was enough to buy a mansion inside Kindlewich. Such an offer would make almost anyone dizzy but Vincent didn''t even consider the offer.


    "I am sorry but it''s not for sale." Vincent replied nonchalantly and waited for the silver robed man to continue.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, let''s settle down. I am going to open the door now." The silver robed man took out a golden key. The key was far too big to be used on the door in front of them. Besides, the man had just come out of that door. Vincent was befuddled at the man''s action but noticing that none of the others found it weird, chose to keep quiet. The key shrunk down magically and the man inserted it into the key hole. Turning the key, he opened the door. What lay behind the door was no longer the small dark room the man had come out of, but a luxurious room filled with chairs of exquisite craftsmanship arranged neatly in a circle.


    The people present entered the door one after another and Vincent followed after them. The key was an artifact that could magically connect two places using a door. Vincent had only ever heard about such an artifact from his parents and it had been a wish of his to own one when he was a kid. Years had gone by and the wish had died, and now he got the chance to see such an artifact in action.


    ''Looks like I hit the jackpot. The host of this gathering isn''t to be taken lightly. He is either incredibly powerful or incredibly rich. There''s also a slim chance of him being both  rich and powerful. I will also have to tread carefully for the host might have means to identify me. I guess it really is true that great opportunities don''t come without equally restrictive threads attached to them.''


    He sat on a free chair away from all the other members. He didn''t know anything about the gathering and wanted to just observe at first. Interacting from the get go could result in him giving away vital information about himself. He made up his mind to just watch from the sidelines and not interact with anyone for now.


    The girl from earlier came over and sat next to him. "Mr. masked man. This is your first time here right? You can ask me any questions you might have."


    Things rarely went as planned. Just as he had resolved himself to stay out of the playing field, the girl came up to him. Left without a choice, he replied in a rough voice, "Thank you."


    The grand door at the other end of the room opened up and a gold robed man entered the room followed by another silver robed subordinate. He sat on the most luxurious chair and the two silver robed men stood behind him on each side. He looked at everyone briefly and began, "It''s a pleasure to see you ladies and gentlemen once again. Looks like we have two new members today. Please do go ahead and introduce yourself. By the way, you can call me Mr. Collector."


    A big man clad in black from head to toe got up and spoke, "You can call me Big Joe. Combat is my specialty, so you can look remember me if you need to take care of something messy. I can hold my own even against grade three supernaturals specializing in combat for a minute or two."


    The man''s introduction generated a lot of buzz in the room. He clearly gave away that he was a grade two supernatural. He also spoke with confidence about being able to deal with combat focused supernatural of a higher grade for a while. A man who could make such a claim was either bluffing or extremely strong.


    Vincent could understand the appeal of making such an introduction. Getting jobs would be much easier that way. However, this didn''t suit his style and he wasn''t in particular need to money for now.


    He waited for the crowd to settle down. He took deep breath and got up. "You can call us Secret."

 Mr. Secret (2)

    "You have a very fitting name, Mr. Secret." The gold robed Mr. Collector adjusted his sitting position and continued, "As my name implies, my hobby is collecting rare things. Would you be interested in selling your mask to me? I am quite generous with the prices I offer."


    Vincent was going to reject the man when Miss Mystique butt in, "That''s not fair Mr. Collector. I have already expressed my desire to buy the mask. If anyone''s getting their hands on it, it''s going to be me."


    Mr. Collector chuckled and replied, "Trust me Miss Mystique you do not want that mask."


    "No. I am pretty sure I do. Lately, I''ve been feeling like I need to work my way up to my name. There''s nothing mystical about me so far but all of that will change if I get such an artifact for myself. Imagine how mystical I would look with a firmament adorned with a hidden moon for my face." The retort from the young woman was quite enthusiastic and Vincent never got to express his opinion.


    "No, no. Miss Mystique, you misunderstood my intentions. I am not trying to dissuade you from buying it because I want it for myself. It is too dangerous for you. Even I wouldn''t wear that mask if I had it. I just want to add it to my collection. As for you wanting to be more mystical, I can show you some of my collection tonight. You can buy them if you want. Money isn''t a big issue for you after all."


    "How is it dangerous?" The girl clearly hadn''t been convinced and continued with her questioning.


    "Can you can tell me what color Mr. Secret''s coat is after looking away?"


    "Of course I can. Such a simple matter...." Her words were cut short by surprise. She really couldn''t recall what the color of the mask wearing man''s coat was. A surge of fear and excitement hit her. She wanted to possess the mask even more now.


    "Similar things will happen to you if you wear that mask. Your very own existence will turn into a secret for you and you will slowly forget about yourself the more you use it. Think about how scary it would be to wake up one morning and not being able to recall your name or who you are?" Mr. Collector spoke gently this time. Her strong desire to possess the mask was immediately doused by the scary words.


    Vincent was flabbergasted. The man in gold robe could tell about the mask''s abilities and price of usage was at a single glance. Such an ability was not to be underestimated.


    ''Mr. Collector is probably grade 4 supernatural in the least. His ability allows him to appraise people and artifacts. But, why did he go out of his way to reveal so much? Is he trying to position himself in a dominant position and warn me at the same time? If so, he probably can''t tell what my grade and abilities are because the mask is hiding it. I guess he feels threatened because he ran into a supernatural who he can''t see through. I should strike back and not show any weakness. Or else, he might think I am easy prey in the future.''


    "I am sorry Mr. Collector and Miss Mystique. But, I have no intention of selling the mask. The two of you are probably reluctant to use it as well.


    A word of advice for you, Mr. collector, you have to control your urge to see through others. I can understand that it''s a side effect of your supernatural ability but you have to be careful not to provoke someone you shouldn''t. Life is fragile after all, you never know what could happen."


    Vincent spoke in a nonchalant manner but his words shocked everyone in the room. He had clearly threatened Mr. Collector saying that he wasn''t someone who the host could afford to provoke. Either he had a powerful person behind him or he himself was strong enough to take care of Mr. Collector and his henchmen.


    The smell of gunpowder filled the room and everyone grew nervous. Mr. Collector was a strong supernatural, the strongest in the room. It was a fact accepted by everyone in the room except for the two newcomers. But even they wouldn''t want to get on the bad side of a high grade supernatural. This was exactly why Vincent''s words were so impactful. He had clearly expressed his intention to retaliate to any forms of attack or threats.


    He was either strong or crazy. And no one wanted to mess with any of the two kind. Miss Mystique was the only one in the room who was excited seeing the course of events. Everyone in the gathering had told her that Mr. Collector was very strong and now a man who wasn''t afraid of clashing with such a strong supernatural appeared. She wanted to see the two battle it out personally. The conflict taking place in front of her made her blood boil and she couldn''t control her excitement. After all, it was for such stimulations that she attended the gathering full of supernaturals and sought such power.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Unfortunately for her, the matter didn''t escalate any further. Mr. Collector laughed and said, "You are right. Please do forgive me. My instinct compels me to dig and prod anything that I cannot see through. I hope you can let bygones be bygones."


    "I understand. The higher your grade is, the stronger your instincts become. We have all been there. It''s nothing much." Vincent breathed a secret sigh of relief and answered in a calm manner. His bluff had worked and the risk he took paid off. The most important advantage the mask gave him wasn''t secrecy but the means to bluff after all. No one would want to mess with something they couldn''t understand and this gave him an edge in many circumstances. Furthermore, by saying that he had been in a similar position, he implied that his grade was higher as well. This would give others the impression that he wasn''t to be messed with.


    The tension wasn''t as tangible anymore and Miss Mystique questioned in a puzzled manner, "Instincts?"


    "I guess this is a good time to tell you. You will be buying a potion from me soon after all. The potion doesn''t only give you supernatural abilities but also changes you from within. A supernatural has his own sharp instincts and you become compelled to do many things because of it. A perfect example would be how a vampire is compelled to feed on human blood. It is not a necessity for them but few are able to control their urges." Mr. Collector answered patiently. It could be understood from his words that Miss Mystique had made a deal to buy a potion from him.


    The young woman was fascinated by what she heard and asked excitedly, "Why?"


    Mr. Collector was left speechless. It was just something perfectly normal for him and he had never questioned it. He didn''t know how to answer her question.


    Noticing his dilemma, Vincent began speaking. "When you consume the potion, you stop being a human. Even humans have instincts. It might not seem apparent to you because a human''s instinct is well understood by everyone and it has become a normal part of our everyday lives. But this isn''t the same for supernaturals. Take a cat for example, their instinct to hunt compels them to do many things we don''t understand. They kill rats even when they don''t need it for food. It is similar to that. In a way you could say that we supernaturals are like domesticated cats. We live among the humans but we do things that they will never understand."


    This was a chance to appear knowledgeable and he didn''t want to miss it. Specially since he could answer it easily given his medical background. He had made a big bluff earlier and he needed to make sure his facade wouldn''t be seen through. After all, the consequences wouldn''t be pretty if his cover was blown.


    The girl seemed convinced and bowed to express her thanks. Vincent acted as if it was no big deal and went back to sitting calmly.


    "Does anybody have anything potent against vampires?" A lanky man stood up and spoke in a clear manner.


    Mr. Collector answered once again. "I have a stake made from Golden Oak. 1500 gold and it''s yours."


    A figure dressed to cover every inch of their body stood up and presented a blade. It had jagged tips all over it and looked menacing.  "A serrated blade made from titanium and blood crystal of three eyed centipede. The wound will not heal even with the supernatural regeneration of a vampire for some time. 250 pounds" Contrary to her outer appearance, the woman had a charming voice.


    "Anyone else?" The lanky man asked to see if he could get more options.


    Vincent was unsure if he should offer the poison he had made some days earlier. It''s effects would be underwhelming if the vampire was grade 3 or above. He lacked the means to gauge out anyone''s strength and he felt like he needed to change that. He made up his mind to ask Mr. Collector if he had an artifact with such a function. For now, he decided to probe further before offering his poison.


    "What grade vampire is it?"


    Doing this would be similar to asking the lanky man to reveal his grade but he chose to ask anyways. Some people weren''t really that conscious about others finding out about their grade and others in the gathering might already be aware of it.


    The lanky man turned out to be someone who didn''t mind and answered, "A grade two vampire."


    "I have a poison brewed using werewolf''s fangs. It''s really effective against your target. 80 pounds for 100 ml."


    "I will take it." He took a bottle filled with green liquid from Vincent and handed over the money. Turning to the woman with knife, he continued, "150 pounds. I would pay you 250 pounds if it was Damascus steel."


    "220 pounds." The woman tried bargaining.


    "180 pounds and no more." The man''s voiced strongly. Paying anymore would be beyond his current ability.


    "Deal." The two completed their transaction and several other members expressed their desires to buy and sell a variety of things. About half the offers and inquiry turned into successful transactions.


    Once everyone were done with their business, Miss Mystique looked towards Mr. Collector and began. "You promised to let me have a look at your collection of artifacts."


    The host raised his hand and the subordinate who followed him into the room handed him a mini suitcase. Opening it up, he turned the case towards her and asked, "Which one interests you?"

 Mr. Secret (3)

    4 items were placed neatly in the suitcase, each taking up a quarter of the space available. Picking up a white mask with black circle over the eye holes, he presented it to the young woman. Miss Mystique held it in her and scrutinized it. "What''s with this creepy mask. It looks like something a serial killer would wear."


    "You are right. It was the mask worn by Jake the butcher whenever he went on a killing spree. He had terrorized the small town of bull hill for two years before getting killed by a struggling victim. When the victim pulled the mask off the corpse to see who the butcher was, Jake''s skin came off with the mask. Now, it grants extraordinary strength and numbed sense of pain to the wearer. The downside to using this is that you become very violent when you wear it." Mr. Collector narrated the tale of the mask''s origin which led to the young woman handing it back immediately. She didn''t even consider the mask because it had a man''s skin attached underneath it.


    Directing her gaze to the brooch placed next to the mask, she asked about its origin and function.


    "That''s Dr. White''s brooch. He was a good man who worked tirelessly his whole life to help the poor. He contracted a deadly disease helping a poor leper in the streets. Even in his deathbed, he still cared about the sickly he couldn''t help. The brooch will cure your curses and health issues as long as you help the unfortunate while wearing it. A very rare benevolent artifact."


    Listening to the description, Vincent was tempted to buy it. The artifact was basically a way to always stay healthy without having to pay any big prices. He wasn''t the only with such a thought. Miss Mystique held it in her hands and asked, "How much?"


    "4000 pounds."


    "What? Why is this so expensive?" She complained in a childish manner. 4000 pounds was no small sum. For an artifact that could solve health issues and dispel curses, she felt like it was awfully overpriced.


    "You don''t understand. Artifacts which can dispel curses might not be rare but they have equally undesirable price of usage. This on the other hand is just as potent against curses and can keep the wearer in top shape while dealing virtually no harm. 4000 pounds is in no way overpriced. If I were to take this to a rich gentleman suffering from some incurable disease or getting on in his years, he would pay 10000 pounds or higher without batting an eye. Know that I am willing to part with this only because I see you as a valuable contact."


    Mr. Collector explained the reason behind the price and managed to convince the girl. His words were very logical after all. She put the brooch on the back of her mind and signaled for Mr. Collector to continue.


    "The origin of this syringe is unknown. It requires you to store a supernatural''s blood in it for 36 hours. After that, you can inject the blood into anyone and the person will receive the supernatural''s power for six minutes. It takes two minutes for the effect to kick in. The bad thing about it is that you will be required to consume raw blood from animals. You will also be weakened for the next 24 hours after you ingest the blood. If you don''t do it within three hours, you will lose your rationality and turn into a violent madman."


    Vincent had given up on buying the brooch as it was too expensive. But now he was interested in the new item presented by the host. The syringe could come in handy in many situations. Sure, the negative result was very scary but it wouldn''t be a problem as long as one consumed raw animal blood in time. With enough preparations and a good plan, the artifact''s downside could be negated by a huge margin.


    Miss Mystique wasn''t too interested in the syringe. The idea of consuming raw blood disgusted her. Besides she didn''t even have any means to recognize supernaturals, to be able to draw their blood would be asking too much of her.


    "How much?" It was Vincent who spoke up this time. Mr. Collector suppressed his smile and answered, "2500 pounds."


    "Too expensive. Make it 1500."


    "1500 is too much. How about 2200 pounds? It can come in really handy in a pinch after all." Mr. Collector tried to put in a good word or two to raise its price.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "If I find myself in a pinch, then there''s no guarantee that the blood already on the syringe will give me the necessary ability to escape or overcome it. Besides, it can only be used in certain situations. 1800 pounds." Vincent bargained by listing off the things that made the syringe less than ideal for most situations.


    "How about we settle for 2000 pounds then? I wouldn''t want to sell such a useful artifact if it weren''t for Miss Mystique here."


    "1800 pounds. Take it or leave it." Vincent remained adamant on his offer and took a hard stance. The man wouldn''t have bought out these artifacts if he didn''t need money urgently. No one would want to sell such items unless they were forced to. No matter how much Mr. Collector tried to put on a generous front, the fact that he was willing to settle for a lower price proved that he hadn''t brought out these artifacts just because he valued Miss Mystique. He called himself Mr. Collector after all, it was already weird when he was selling a part of his collection.


    "Deal." Mr. Collector didn''t argue further and accepted the offer. Vincent counted the money and paid the man. Receiving the syringe, he put it inside his coat. He would have to check its effects later on. Though the host was a supernatural who could appraise artifacts and other supernaturals, he didn''t want to trust his words blindly. Using a weapon you didn''t understand well was a mistake only fools made.


    Miss Mystique was intrigued by the interaction between the two. She had no experience with haggling or bargaining. These two men on the other hand were waging a war of words using their knowledge about supernatural items and combat. The air around them was different even when compared to the other supernaturals in the room. One was rich and strong with lots of artifacts that could do unimaginable things while the other was a mysterious man who seemed to be very knowledgeable about the supernatural world.


    Controlling her excitement, she looked towards Mr. Collector and asked, "So what does this jade hairpin do?"


    "This hairpin comes from the eastern continent. It harbors a female spirit who you can control when you wear it. You can communicate with her when you look into a mirror while wearing the pin. She might not have much power but detecting her is near impossible for most people. A very handy spirit who you can command as you wish. I think you want it?"


    He was right. She did want it. It was the item with most mystical properties to it and she wanted to get her hands on it no matter what. "How much?"


    "2500 pounds."


    "Deal." The young woman didn''t even bother trying to bargain and accepted the price. Vincent started wondering just how rich she was after seeing her not even feel a pinch after spending so much. And it looked like she wasn''t done yet.


    "I want the brooch as well."


    Mr. Collector smiled and began. "Of course. The total comes to 6500 pounds. Do you want me to pack them for you?" He sounded just like a kind shop attendant in a gift shop.


    "No. I will take them as they are."


    The transaction was completed and the host looked at everyone and asked, "Does anyone have anything else to say? If not, we can end the gathering for tonight."


    Vincent got up drawing everyone''s attention. "I will reward anyone who can bring me information regarding supernatural incidents involving people losing control of their emotions or going crazy and acting on their desires. If you can get me concrete information about the identity of the supernatural  behind these incidents, then I will reward you with 500 pounds."


    Big Joe put on a scary smile and asked, "Can I claim that reward if I kill him?"


    "No. I want him alive. If you can get me such a supernatural alive then I will pay you 700 pounds."


    Big Joe''s smile stretched even further and he replied, "I will keep an eye out."


    The rest of the members also made a mental note about the new request. Even if the huge bounty made it clear that the targets would be dangerous, just finding out information about the target would yield a huge bounty. Most of the people present didn''t have such a sum in their total savings. No one would want to pass up on such a good chance.


    Mr. Collector stood up after Vincent ended his words and spoke, "Let''s end the gathering here tonight. Now then Miss Mystique, since you are the most vulnerable, I will connect you to your manhole first." His words made most of the members chuckle but she pretended not to have heard it.


    He used the key used by his subordinate earlier and opened the door. What was behind the door was the alleyway where everyone had gathered before midnight. He closed the door after bidding goodbye to Miss Mystique and repeated the procedure once again. But, the place connected to the door this time was a different place.


    ''So this is how he makes sure that the members don''t enter into a conflict. That key sure is useful. I wonder what it''s price of usage is.''


    Soon, it was Vincent''s turn. Mr. Collector smiled kindly and spoke, "I hope to see you again next week, Mr. Secret."


    Vincent nodded and walked through the door. He found himself in a quiet alley. He had no idea where he was and wasted a good bit of time figuring out the way to the main street. He took off his mask before joining the bright street and headed home.

 Crazy Zombie Adam (1)

    Vincent woke up late because of the gathering last night. He would be going to work on the hospital from Monday and there were a lot of things he needed to take care of today and tomorrow.


    He had thought the 5000 pounds would last him for a long time. Little had he expected that he would end up spending almost 2000 in his very first gathering. He was thinking of checking out the violet room in the singing siren bar tonight. The bounties there would be the only way for him to earn a substantial amount of cash in a short time.


    He spent the entire day inside his room. There was little to do to pass time and he ended up reading the newspaper twice. When night finally arrived and few people were still out on the streets, he popped open his pocket watch to check for the time.


    It was almost 8. Closing it shut, he put on his hooded coat and walked out. He made his way to the singing siren bar and put on his mask. Walking by the normal customers who treated him like air, he walked up to the only person who had his eyes on him. The bartender.


    He retrieved the badge handed to him by the middle aged man in the inconspicuous house and handed it to the bartender. "The violet room."


    Giving the badge a close look, the bartender looked at Vincent and nodded. "Upstairs. The room with two big guys waiting outside. Show them the badge."


    Vincent took back the badge and headed upstairs. There were two men playing cards in front of a room. The hallway wasn''t wide but the two were occupying the whole place with even chairs and table placed there for convenience. The two noticed Vincent as soon as he walked up. Not only was the bartender a supernatural but the two guys were one as well.


    He repeated his action and showed them the badge. The duo hurriedly removed the chairs and table to make way for him. Vincent walked in to the violet room. The room was dimly lit and filled with expensive furniture. It looked more like a lounge rather than a place that dealt in death and money.


    Two other people were inside the room too. They looked like dangerous people and Vincent had no intention of approaching or talking with them. There were two separate boards with wanted handbills on them. The white board had the ones issued by the government while the black had ones issued by people on the underworld.


    Vincent took a casual glance at the white board and moved to the black one. The white board only had wanted handbills on normal people and the reward was also quite low. Besides, wanted people wouldn''t live in such a populated city if they had a decent head on their shoulder.


    The handbills on the black board were mostly for supernaturals. The issuers were likely gang leaders trying to put their rival gangs down.


    "Kill Bucktooth Bill


    50 pound bounty


    Bucktooth Bill can be found on Bill''s butchery in the northern slums. The target''s necklace can be presented to claim the bounty."


    "Kill Crazy Zombie Adam


    200 pound bounty


    Target is a large man with a knife scar running down his left cheek.


    Grade 2 zombie proficient in close quarter combat.


    Mainly active in areas near Bear''s Den bar.


    The thumb along with the ring can be presented to claim the bounty."


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Kill George Smith


    3000 pound bounty


    Target is a businessman dealing in textiles.


    Non supernatural but guarded by at least 3 grade 2 supernaturals.


    Resides in Pearl Smith mansion.


    Bounty can be claimed by presenting his wedding ring."


    There were various other bounties with all kinds of requests. The targets included gang leaders, gang members, merchants, supernaturals, normal people and even kids. Vincent looked over everything once again and took the handbills for Bucktooth Bill and Crazy Zombie Adam. He folded them neatly and placed it in his pocket. Directing one last look at the two others occupying the room, he walked out and headed home.


    His goal today was to just check out the violet room. He didn''t want to take action in a hasty manner without knowing his targets well. Besides, his main focus was still to find out about the Seventh Gate. For now, he decided to take things slow and learn the ins and outs of the supernatural world in Kindlewich. Knowing more never hurt after all.


    Reaching home, he made his way to his bedroom and took out the handbills. Reading it again, he felt like the gang members really needed to get better monikers.


    ''Does Bucktooth Bill sound dangerous or cool to these gang people? If I was in his shoes, I really wouldn''t know how to face other people. The bounty for him is only 50 pounds. He is probably a grade 1 supernatural. But the handbill doesn''t have any other information about him. Could this be a trap?''


    It wasn''t an uncommon occurrence when criminals baited bounty hunters with such handbills. The low bounty made one think that the target wasn''t strong. When they get to the location to take down the target, they will be ganged up on by the target and his accomplices.


    ''Hmm. This probably is a trap. I can''t think of a situation where a butcher would have a necklace distinct enough to stand out as his possession. On second thought, this Bill is either bait or stronger than grade 1 supernatural. I will put this aside for now. Let''s take a look at Crazy Zombie Adam. The handbill clearly tells that the target is a zombie and good at CQC. The issuer might have some beef with this guy. He might even know the target well enough. I should go take a look at Bear''s Den bar tomorrow.''


    Having sorted out his thoughts, he decided for his next day''s action and went to sleep. It would be a problem if he couldn''t catch enough sleep tomorrow and ended up sleepy on his first day of work.


    *****


    Vincent bought a sack coat and cheap brown trouser. Putting on his new clothes, he ruffled his hair and took off his glasses.


    Looking at the bustling streets full of people put a lot of strain in his eyes. Not only was his extreme dynamic vision a bother in such situations, the amount of information sent to his brain exhausted him quickly. Resisting the urge to put on his glasses back on, he walked to a street vendor and bought a pork biscuit.


    He bit into it in an ugly manner, spilling the juices over his coat and trouser. Satisfied with the stains they left on his attire, he walked into an alley and rubbed a little mud on his brown shoes and trouser. Now, he didn''t look much different from a factory worker.


    He sauntered to Bear''s Den bar. Taking one last look at his reflection on the glass window, he walked in and sat on an empty stool by the front bar. "One glass of ale."


    The bartender spoke without paying much attention to the new customer. "That will be six penny."


    Vincent scratched his head as he dug his trouser pocket for coins. After much struggle, he finally fished out six coins and handed it to the bartender. The man took the coins and pushed a glass of dark brown liquor to the young man.


    Taking his drink, Vincent moved away from the front bar and sat on a corner from where he could see everyone in the bar. Running his eyes through the customers, he picked out the people who seemed to be regulars. Focusing on the two men, he could make out their words perfectly. His eyes allowed him to read their lips easily. He didn''t even have  to put in much effort, his eyes and brain were naturally proficient in such a task.


    "Did you hear the new rumor?" The man in brown coat asked his companion.


    Shaking his head, the companion wearing black asked back. "What rumor?"


    "They are saying Big daddy Bob put a bounty on Crazy Adam''s head."


    "What? That can''t be true. Adam worked for big daddy for more than two years. Why would he do so?"


    Moving closer, the man in brown coat whispered, afraid that others would hear him. "Word is that Adam was caught having an affair with one of big daddy''s mistresses."


    "Which one?"


    "The one with the beauty mark under her left eye."


    "You mean the one with really big bosoms and thin waist?"


    "Yes, that''s the one. I saw Crazy Adam break a table earlier. He seemed really pissed."


    "Well. That''s no surprise, he got caught and has a bounty on his head. I would be leaving the town as soon as I could if I were him."


    Their conversation soon changed to which prostitute was the most beautiful in some brothel and Vincent finished his ale. Having completed his objective, he left the bar and headed for his room.


    ''Adam will probably try to make his escape tonight. I hope I am the only bounty hunter after him. Clashing against another hunter would be troublesome. I need to draw some of his blood to check the syringe''s ability as well.''

 Crazy Zombie Adam (2)

    Adam walked hurriedly with a suitcase in each of his arms. It was late at night and he didn''t care if people found it strange. The baggage in his hands weigh a lot, enough to render a strong man immobile because of the weight. But in his hands, they were as light as a feather. Hiding his face, he was making his way to the northern edge of the city. The railway leading to the royal station ran through this area and the channel was open. Many criminals liked to use this route to smuggle goods and make their escape.


    A coach was waiting for him there. He needed to make his way there and leave the city quietly. He was nicknamed Crazy Zombie Adam by people in the underworld but he wasn''t crazy enough to stay in a city where anyone could be aiming for his head. Resolving himself to pay Big Daddy Bob back a hundred times over in the future, he checked his surroundings and behind to see if anyone was following him. Bounty hunters liked to take action at night and he was very alert.


    Vincent followed the man from a safe distance. The mask hid his presence and a zombie whose senses weren''t sharp would never notice him as long as he didn''t get too close. His plan was to take action once they exited the residential areas of the city. Just ten minutes walk away was a deserted factory. Crossing through the place would lead them to the northern edge.


    Vincent was looking around for other bounty hunters as well. Few handbills had such a detailed explanation about the target and this would certainly attract others in the same profession. He had come well prepared to deal with a zombie. A grade 1 zombie had great strength and a very tough body. Advancing to grade 2 would give them insane healing capability and the ability to play dead while raising their strength and toughness simultaneously.  A grade 3 zombie had the ability to raise corpses into lesser zombies  and make it do their bidding. This ability made them very troublesome to deal with but a grade 2 zombie was only tough to deal with in close range. With enough firepower and preparation, one could take them down.


    Adam finally entered the deserted factory. Damaged machines and rusty metal parts lay everywhere. In a way, this had become a trash dumping site for the other factories in the city. Turning around, he dropped his suitcases and shouted, "Come out you dogs. I know you are here."


    Vincent was surprised. He had been maintaining  a good distance and a zombie shouldn''t have been able to detect him.


    ''How did he notice me? An artifact? That shouldn''t be the case. Even Mr. Collector was helpless in the face of my mask. Is he bluffing to check if anyone is following him?''


    Just as Vincent was trying to make sense of how he got discovered, a man in brown coat walked out. He was very tall. Even Adam who stood over a meter and 80 centimeters tall was dwarfed by the man. If not for his rather lean build, the zombie would look like a short body builder when standing next to him.


    "Crazy Zombie Adam. I didn''t expect you to be able to notice me." The man spoke in a haughty manner.


    Adam''s mood changed after looking at his pursuer. His expression warped into a furious one. "Kyle? You selfish bastard. I made you into the man you are and you come after me?"


    "I am forever grateful for what you taught me. That''s why I won''t kill you if I don''t have to. Why don''t you cut off your thumb and thumb ring? That way you can keep your life and I get to claim the 200 pound bounty." Kyle wasn''t too perturbed by his benefactor''s outburst and spoke calmly.


    "What makes you think you can take me down? You are just a mutt. Try me if you want. I will tear you apart."


    "We will see about that."


    Making his final statement, Kyle took off his coat and threw them to the ground. His muscles bulged as he crouched. His nails grew into claws and a thick fur covered his entire body. His head morphed into a wolf''s head and a long tail grew out of his rear end. In no time, the tall man had turned into a giant wolf and was growling at Adam.


    ''Looks like I was too tense. Even a werewolf didn''t pick up my smell or notice my presence and I was worried about being found out by a zombie. I really need to get used to the potency of my mask. For now, let''s let these two duke it out. It will be better for me if both of them end up exhausting each other.''Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Vincent was happy with the recent development. Now he just needed to swoop in at the critical moment and end the fight.


    Adam watched calmly as the wolf stared at him. He pulled out his revolver and took aim. The wolf charged as soon as it saw him reach for his gun. It''s speed was incredibly fast and it closed the distance in a blink of an eye. Still, Adam wasn''t fazed by it. He had been in similar situations dozens of times. They didn''t call him Crazy Adam for no reason. He let the wolf bite his arm and hugged the beast.


    Ignoring the deep scratches inflicted onto him by the oversized animal, he emptied his weapons'' entire ammunition on the beast. Discarding his revolver, he unsheathed his knife and stabbed at his former friend repeatedly. Kyle was all too familiar with Adam''s fighting style and had expected this. He ignored the multiple wounds on his body and bit harder as none of his injuries were lethal. Sure he was losing his strength because of all the bleeding and it wasn''t the same for Adam cause zombies didn''t bleed. The situation might seem unfavorable for him but he wasn''t the least bit worried. Everything was going according to the plan and all he needed to do was make sure Adam wouldn''t be able to dodge when the important time arrived.


    A second wolf charged out of a dark corner and headed straight for Adam too. Kyle had come with a companion. Werewolves showcased their full potential when they hunted in packs after all.


    The two wolves grabbed each of Adam''s arms and pulled hard. They were trying to tear him apart using brute strength. The zombie was incredibly tough and the endeavor was proving to be difficult but they would grind him down eventually. Adam''s arm were shredded in many places and the sight was horrifying but he didn''t utter a single cry. He endured the pain and burst forth with strength to free his right hand.


    Caught by surprise, the wolf couldn''t respond in time and was grabbed by the back of its neck. Kyle was upset by his companion''s performance but didn''t voice it out. The other wolf was still a grade 1 werewolf after all. Strengthening his bite, he put more power behind his pulls. A zombie had frightening healing capabilities and he didn''t want to give Adam the chance to rest.


    The struggle was drawing longer than the wolves had planned for. Just as Kyle was wondering how long Adam could last, the suitcase that his target had dropped earlier burst open. A pale corpse jumped out and hugged the weaker wolf. Opening its'' mouth wide, it dug its sharp teeth into the furry hide and tore off a good chunk of meat.


    Kyle was confused. A grade 2 zombie shouldn''t have been able to make a lesser zombie. He hurriedly dodged the blow from Adam''s now free right hand and put a safe distance between them.


    "How? You shouldn''t be a grade 3 zombie yet." Unable to reach a reasonable conclusion, he voiced out his question.


    Adam stared at the wolf straight in its eyes and answered, "I spent 300 pounds to buy this lesser zombie from a grade 3 zombie. Just because I can''t make one doesn''t mean I can''t control one. You are still too inexperienced." Having said his piece, he turned around and drove his knife through the immobile werewolf''s head. The beast twitched for a few seconds and went still.


    Kyle tore his eyes away from the scene and fled. He had failed to kill his target and lost a companion as well. He had made the companion into a werewolf by buying a potion from his own pocket. He was going to claim the 200 pound bounty and buy another one and add one more wolf to his pack. With a sizable pack, werewolves were one of the scariest supernaturals and an alpha wolf advanced much faster than other pack mates.


    Not only had he failed to kill Adam and claim the bounty, he had also managed to throw away the first potion he had bought for his companion. The loss of pounds hurt him more than the loss of companion but he didn''t have time to feel bad. He needed to get out of here as quickly as possible or else Adam would surely chase him after recovering. He had spent a lot of energy earlier and was bleeding but a zombie had a ridiculous amount of endurance.


    Just as he made a sharp turn, a muzzle entered his sight. The matte black component was pointed straight at him and a blinding flash rendered his eyes blind temporarily. He closed his eyes shut reflexively.


    Adam who was watching Kyle run with his tails between his legs was stupefied. A loud bang echoed throughout the factory and the huge beast fell to the ground never to get up again. He had emptied all 6 bullets on the wolf but didn''t even manage to injure it seriously. Now, a single shot had put down the beast. He couldn''t imagine what kind of power the gun had in it to deliver such a lethal attack.


    Just  as he was wondering about what weapon had so much power, a hooded man walked out of the corner and held the corpse by its neck. Dragging the mountain of flesh, he approached the zombie. Adam had thought that the weapon was probably a sawed off but was rendered speechless after looking at the oversized pistol in the man''s hand. As the man approached closer, a mysterious mask with a bright moon partially dark clouds entered his sight.

 Crazy Zombie Adam (3)

    Vincent could see the surprise in Adam''s eyes. He didn''t know if it was because of his mask or his weapon, but he didn''t care. Both the mask and pistol were formidable in both looks and performance anyways.


    He stopped just a dozen feet away from the huge man. Looking at the lesser zombie that was feasting on the dead wolf in a messy fashion, he asked in a grim manner, "You can control that thing?"


    "Yes." Adam answered in a servile manner. The fact that a werewolf hadn''t even noticed the man before it got shot from point blank range could mean only one thing. The man was strong. Strong enough to take him down instantly. The best thing he could do now was to satisfy the man''s curiosity.


    "That''s interesting. Did the creator relinquish his control over this thing?" Vincent grasped the man''s thoughts instantly and questioned in an interested manner.


    "Yes, other lower grade zombies can also control one that isn''t under the control of the creator."


    "What if the creator wants to control it once again?"


    "The lesser zombie obeys the one who made contact with it last. I should still be in control even if the creator wants to take back control."


    Nodding his head, Vincent looked at the man''s mutilated arms. "You seem hurt."


    "It''s no big deal. It will heal before the tomorrow''s sundown." Adam tried his best to smile and answered. He wanted nothing more than to get away from the masked man. Unfortunately, the other party seemed to have a lot more to ask him.


    "Why are you fleeing from the city?"


    "My boss put a bounty on my head." Adam answered dryly. He was way more tense than he was when two wolves were trying to rip him apart.


    "Why?"


    "I don''t know."


    Vincent aimed his pistol at the lesser zombie''s head and pulled the trigger. After a loud bang, the feasting corpse''s head exploded like a overfilled water baloon.


    Vincent aimed the gun at Adam and spoke while enunciating each word, "I DON''T LIKE LIES."


    ''Fuck. This guy can even tell when I am lying. What''s with his gun anyways. The head exploded instead of having a hole in it.''


    Adam cursed silently in his mind and answered fearfully, "I slept with his mistress. I wasn''t at fault. The vixen seduced me. I am not lying this time."


    Vincent lowered his arm and continued, "What''s in the other suitcase?"


    "My clothes, a zombie potion, some extra bullets, a couple sticks of dynamite and my saving."


    "A zombie potion? Not a grade 3 advancement potion?"


    Adam''s back was soaked with sweat. He didn''t remember when was the last time he sweated this much. A zombie almost never perspired unless they were in extreme danger and he didn''t dare to lie anymore.


    "Yes, the guy who is waiting for me at the edge of the city promised to help me if I made him into a supernatural. I went and bought the lesser zombie and the potion just today."


    "That''s good." Vincent''s words made the man relax and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    After ensuring that the man had his guard down, Vincent raised his gun and took aim once again. He pulled the trigger 5 times in a row, emptying the magazine. The zombie''s head was full of holes and he was no longer breathing.


    Vincent opened the suitcase and dumped out all its contents. He grabbed the 6 sticks of dynamite and 100 pound cash. Getting dynamite was hard inside the city even if you had money to throw and extra money never hurt anyone. He held the vial of red liquid gently and put it inside his inner pocket. Done with the task of looting the valuables in the suitcase, he walked away.


    A couple of minutes after Vincent walked away, Adam woke up and took a deep breath. His head hurt like hell because of the bullets. A zombie''s hardest body part was his skull and he had never been hurt this badly before. Cursing the man who robbed him of his belongings, he sat down on the ground and pinched out a bullet from his cheek. The process hurt like hell but he endured it.


    "A zombie playing dead is really no different from a corpse. That was fascinating to watch."


    Adam was startled by the voice and turned around. The same masked man was looking down at him with a gun pointed at his head.


    Vincent pulled the trigger once again. The bullet went through the zombie''s eye and destroyed the brain inside the skull. This time, he really was dead.


    Vincent pulled out the syringe and drew the man''s blood immediately. Storing the syringe back in his pocket, he unsheathed his knife and cut the man''s thumb. The fat thumb had a ring firmly attached to it, probably because his thumb grew too big for the ring but he never took it off. Vincent put the thumb inside a sock he found inside the suitcase and extracted both the wolves'' fangs as well.


    He picked up the cartridge cases ejected from his pistol and left the scene. He didn''t need to worry about being tracked using his smell or things like that anymore. He had the mask to hide him from such prying after all.


    Soon, he was back in the Singing Siren bar and he approached the front bar. Having caught the bartender''s attention, he took out Crazy Zombie Adam''s handbill and the sock. The bartender put on a serious expression and his eyes turned white entirely. Soon, the other customers acted as if the front bar didn''t exist and carried on with other things.


    ''So the bartender is a ghost. No wonder the bounty is to be collected here and not at the violet room. No normal person will  pay attention to him if he uses his powers. I guess it makes sense. The violet room always has one or more supernatural in there after all. It would be bad for the organization if its bounty hunters went after each other because of greed. I should take note to only claim my bounty when no other bounty hunters are watching me in the future.''


    The bartender confirmed the completion of the mission and paid Vincent 200 pounds. Giving the entire bar one last look, he swiftly exited the establishment and made for his room. He had work starting tomorrow and needed to get enough rest.


    *****


    Miss Mystique took a deep breath and held the jade hairpin in her hand. It had been two days since she bought it but couldn''t bring herself to put it on. She had been craving the supernatural world for so long but now that it was finally within her reach, she felt a little scared.


    ''There are no downsides to using this artifact. Mr. Collector didn''t mention any. Besides, this only harbors a weak female spirit. There is no need to be afraid. Come on Amelia, you can do this. Aren''t you going to be Miss Mystique? Don''t be scared of such a small thing. You have seen a key that can connect different places together and a mask with the freaking moon and clouds hanging over it. Pull yourself together.''


    Encouraging herself, she slowly put on the hairpin. She peeked from a single eye and looked at the mirror. It was fascinating. The mirror had a figure who looked exactly like her and wore the same clothes. But it wasn''t her reflection. The figure inside the mirror was observing her and she slowly composed herself.


    "My name is Amelia. Amelia Pears. What about you?" Miss Mystic looked at the mirror and asked.


    A voice rang directly in her mind. It was a weird sensation, almost as if someone was talking from inside her ears. "You can call me Luna."


    "Are you a ghost?" Her fear disappeared as her excitement shot through the roof. Here she was, conversing with a figure inside a mirror. Wasn''t this just like a fairy tale? She could barely contain her happiness. She couldn''t remember how long she had dreamt of a moment like this.


    "No, I am a spirit. I am what''s left of a living being if you separate the consciousness from the body. A ghost on the other hand is a supernatural being that possesses a little similarity to a spirit."


    Amelia didn''t really get it but was happy all the same. Till now, all she had learned about the supernatural was what she had learnt in the gathering. On top of it, the knowledge she could get her hands on were fragmented and she couldn''t make heads or tails out of it most of the time. Now, she had a servant spirit who could answer her questions.

 Elias (1)

    "How many types of supernaturals are there?" Amelia asked with much expectations. A new world had just opened up in front of her and she couldn''t control her excitement.


    "Hundreds of them. Very few people would actually know what all of them are." Luna answered in an almost mechanical fashion.


    "How does one advance to a higher grade?"


    "By consuming an advancement potion for your kind."


    "I know that. I meant to ask how would one get to the point of advancing after consuming the potion."


    "Different supernaturals have different methods. Good examples would be a vampire needing to drink blood or a hunter to hunt.  Basically, it''s what your instinct tells you to do."


    Enlightened by the answer, Amelia moved onto next topic that interested her greatly. "How are artifacts formed?"


    "There are various types of energy in this world. Once an item is imbued with huge amounts of energy of one kind, it gains mystical properties and powers. These items are called artifacts. A supernatural is similar in that aspect. You are consuming a potion filled with a particular kind of energy to grant yourself mystical powers. This is why most of the artifacts come from the remains of supernaturals or what they used frequently."


    "How does drinking blood help vampires advance?" The answer puzzled her even further and he asked away to sate her curiosity.


    "Vampires can absorb a certain kind of energy from blood. This energy will accumulate, enhancing the vampire''s abilities. A hunter can absorb the energy they require by hunting. Actions and emotions can also attract energies. It is similar to how a mask worn by a serial killer gets turned into an artifact with baleful abilities. The emotions and actions of the killer attracted the energy and it seeped into the mask."


    "Does that mean artifacts can be strengthened as well?"


    "Yes. But it''s a very difficult process. I am not aware of how it is done either."


    The girl spent the night inquiring about the supernatural world. It left her tired but also very satisfied. Hiding the bags under her eyes with light make up, she joined her family for breakfast.


    *****


    Vincent read the newspaper as he had his breakfast. The matter about Adam and the two werewolves didn''t make it to the paper. The city was far too big with millions residing in it and cases didn''t make it to the paper unless it was very eye catching or serious. Besides, the authorities hid supernatural cases to the best of their ability.


    ''I really need to be careful. I can''t believe that the little thought to see a zombie''s ability to play dead for myself got to me so much. I must remember to keep my instincts in check. If I don''t control my urge to play with my prey before I finish them off, I might find myself in trouble. But following my instincts does have its pros. I can''t believe how much progress I made just last night.


    I wonder if I am just this messed up or the predator in me is making me enjoy preying so much. I could get hooked to this feeling. But this is still messed up. I progress faster if I play with the targets or take them out with a stealthy move. I reckon that I could gather more energy by killing my targets in creative ways.


    I am halfway to reaching the energy threshold for grade 3 advancement potion consumption. I should begin gathering the ingredients for concocting the potion as well. This will cost me more money. Sigh. It really is expensive to advance. Thankfully, mother left me recipes for the advancement potions till grade 5.''If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Collecting his bearings, he finished his breakfast and put on his clothes. Grabbing his briefcase, he descended the staircase.


    Mrs. Lee was admonishing Marie for something she did. Hearing his footsteps, she turned to him and smiled. "Good morning, Mr. Burns. Dressed nicely today, aren''t you? Is it because it''s your first day at work?"


    Vincent smiled in return and raised his hat. "A good morning to you too, Mrs. Lee. Indeed, it is my first day at work today. I can''t appear too sloppy or else my coworkers might think ill of me."


    "Oh my, you don''t have to worry so much. You look excellent. I hope your day goes well."


    Marie was directing a pleading look at Vincent. She had got in trouble early in the morning and wanted him to rescue her.


    Smiling in response, he looked at her and spoke, "I would wish you a good morning too young lady. But looks like you are off to a bad start already. I shall wish you good luck in weathering this storm instead."


    Disappointed by his response, she put on a pitiful expression and looked at her mother. Mrs. Lee steeled her heart and spoke coldly, "You will get what you deserve. Don''t look at me like that. I will be sure to tell Beth to double your study time today."


    The interaction between the mother and daughter reminded him of his own childhood. His mood was uplifted greatly and he walked to the hospital happily.


    Standing in front of the director''s office, he made sure that his clothes didn''t have anything wrong with them and knocked.


    "Come in." Dr. Watson answered in a gentle tone.


    Vincent entered the room and greeted the man. "Good morning Dr. Watson."


    "Ah Vincent. I almost forgot that you were starting today. It''s good to see you again."


    "Likewise." Vincent replied humbly to the man. Dr. Watson was kind to him so far and he intended to treat the other party with similar kindness and respect. Besides, the man was also a good friend of his teacher to whom he was greatly indebted to.


    "I would like to have another long chat with you but now is not a good time. I will get someone to show you around first and then we can catch up some time later."


    "Of course."


    Dr. Watson rang a bell and a middle aged man dressed in the hospital''s staff uniform walked in. "Sam, will you show Dr. Burns to his office please."


    "Of course director." The fat man nodded slightly and turned to Vincent. "Dr. Burns, please follow me."


    Sam led Vincent as he explained about the hospital. It was charity run and tended to over 700 patients each day. Unlike most other hospitals, it was very clean.  Sam explained that it was because of the new regulations enforced by the Kindlewich Medical Association. The mandatory hygiene maintenance  decreased the risk of spreading disease but it also cost a lot and led to many hospitals going private. The people who could afford it would usually avoid charity run hospitals and rightly so. Most of them didn''t provide satisfactory services after all.


    Vincent''s office was quite small. It had all the necessary equipment and was built very practically. He spent the time treating people. Most of the patients were injured and required disinfection and basic treatment. Few patients were suffering from any disease and all he had to do was tell them to queue up in front of a doctor''s office who specialized in treating the disease.


    Lunch time was at 1 p.m. and Vincent went to a nearby restaurant after cleaning up. The cafeteria at the hospital served cheap food for the patients and the doctors all preferred eating out. The other doctors spent the time chatting with their colleagues. Being alone, he couldn''t do anything to pass the time. Occupying the table when he was done eating felt awkward so he decided to return to the hospital early.


    He had just entered the hospital when Sam came running to him. Catching his breath, the fat man wheezed out the words, "Dr. Bu... Dr. Burns, there''s a patient who needs immediate treatment. You are the only free doctor right now. Please make haste."


    Vincent was caught off guard. There were no doctors for emergency treatments during lunch hours. And this was just one of the many shortcomings of a charity run hospital. The establishment didn''t have the means to facilitate treatment throughout the day. He nodded and followed after Sam to a small room.


    A woman lay unconscious on the surgery bed, her head bleeding. A big man was standing by the bed as he hugged his crying daughter. The little girl still had a palm mark on her left cheek and it looked like the spot would leave a bruise for quite a while.


    He put the two on the back of his mind and headed for the bleeding woman. The skin on the side of her head had split open due to blunt trauma. The shock had knocked the woman out but it looked like she wasn''t bleeding internally. That was a good news but still, she required emergency treatment and Vincent couldn''t afford to waste any time.

 Elias (2)

    It was a good thing that the woman was unconscious. Only a few people could afford anesthesia and having your scalp cleaned and stitched wasn''t exactly a pleasant feeling. Vincent was done with her in about half an hour and the lunch time was almost over.


    The big man finally let go of her daughter who rushed to her mother and stared at the bald spot on her head. Her eyes were puffy from all the crying and her cheeks were purple from bruising.


    Vincent approached the man and spoke, "She lost quite a lot of blood but should still wake up in a day or two. Sam here will take you to where she can rest. If you don''t mind me asking, what happened to her?"


    The man gulped once and replied, "Thank you for treating her doctor. She was just out with our daughter when two of our neighbors went crazy and started fighting with each other. It was soon out of control and she tried to separate them. Marcus went mad as he picked up a brick and smashed it on her head. Marcus and Roy both got taken away by the police but they were acting like rabid dogs until a high ranking officer shared a word with them."


    ''Such an incident can only happen if both the parties are mentally unstable or a supernatural affected them somehow. Both of them lost control at the same time. Very few supernaturals can do this and a Missionary of Desire is certainly one of them. This could be my first lead, I can''t let this go.''


    "Why would they start fighting all of a sudden?"


    "I don''t know. But they said they were having an argument when a devil came and talked to them."


    Vincent was even more sure that this was the work of a supernatural. "A devil?"


    "Yes, that''s what they said. A man dressed in a prim manner came up to them and whispered something. They grew angry for no reason and began rampaging."


    Sam, who was listening in by the side spoke in a contemptuous manner. "A devil? Those mad dogs probably got scared by the police and lied through their teeth. No way a devil exists and is walking among us."


    "No, I know Roy and Marcus since I was a child. They aren''t the type to get violent. I believe that devils exist. I have seen a man turn into a wolf with my very eyes." The big man defended his friends.


    "Pui, you spineless coward. Your wife got hit by a mad dog and you are defending the mutt? Is that big body just an empty husk? Stop spouting bullshit. As if a man could turn into a wolf." Sam spat on the ground and mocked the man.


    "Sam, Let it be. Help him take the woman to a resting ward." Vincent cut off Sam and turned to the big man. "As for you, be sure to take good care of her."


    ''I need to find  out about where this man lives and find what the devil looked like from this Marcus and Roy. I want to ask the man his name and address but doing so might pull me into trouble. The high ranking officer who calmed the two was probably a supernatural working for the police. They will probably talk to this man later on to make sure nothing leaks out. If they learn that I was involved too heavily, I might be investigated as well. I need to be patient about this.''


    "Thank you doctor. Thank you very much." The big man thanked repeatedly and his daughter echoed after him. Vincent nodded and went back to his office. Lunch time was over and he needed to get back on his designated spot.


    He didn''t make any moves that night and waited it out. He was dying to take some action but held himself back. The man might be under surveillance of the police as the supernatural might have taken action against them for a reason. He didn''t want to risk anything even if he had the mask.


    *****


    The next day, Vincent reached the hospital and went to the resting ward. The woman hadn''t woken up yet. The man and his daughter were sitting on a chair by the bed. The man looked a little worn out while the little girl was asleep on his arms.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    The man stood up slowly so as to not disturb his sleeping daughter. "Good morning doctor."


    "Good morning. Did anything unexpected happen?" Vincent asked while putting on a worried expression.


    "No, everything was fine. Thank you for your concern."


    "Do look for me if something were to happen." Vincent dropped one last line and went to his office. He began pondering about how to dig into the matter without raising any suspicions. The man had probably already been contacted by the police and warned. If Vincent were to hint at anything, he might grow wary. Even if that wasn''t the case, there was a chance of alerting the authorities. But this was still the first lead he had and he didn''t want to give up.


    When it was lunch time, he went to check up on the woman once again. The little girl was bothering her father, "Papa, I am hungry. When are we going for lunch?"


    "Just wait for a while more honey. The nurses will be back after lunch and we can go to the cafeteria."


    "But the cafeteria''s food is bad. I don''t want to eat that."


    The man was put on a difficult position. He hadn''t been going to work since yesterday and taking care of his family until his wife was normal would cost a lot more than they would usually spend. While the cafeteria''s food wasn''t anything good, it cost little. Opting to eat out would prove to be costly because the hospital was in an expensive part of the city. All the restaurants nearby were quite expensive. Just as he was wondering how to appease his little angel, he saw the doctor who treated his wife approach him.


    Vincent crouched by the little girl and spoke in a gentle voice. "What''s your name young lady?"


    "Anna." She replied in a childish manner. She was no older than eight and was very curious about everything. The doctor was kind and she liked him unlike the other doctors who always looked serious and scary.


    "I am quite lonely and food doesn''t taste great when you eat alone. So, miss Anna would you like to have lunch with me?"


    The girl looked at her father and spoke in a cute manner, "Papa, can I?"


    "No, you have been so kind to us already. How could we trouble you any further." The man rejected apologetically while looking at Vincent. He was embarrassed that the young doctor had offered to treat his daughter after noticing his difficulty.


    "Please don''t think that way. I am new here so I don''t have any friends you see. Sharing a meal with such a lovely girl wouldn''t be any trouble whatsoever."  Vincent managed to convince the man and looked at Anna. "Now then, miss Anna, what would you like to eat?"


    "Can I get anything I want?" Anna asked in a voice full of excitement "


    "Of course."


    "I want to eat plum pudding."


    Vincent smiled awkwardly. He didn''t think any place would actually serve plum pudding when there were no festivities. But he had given his word and didn''t know how to tell the girl that she couldn''t have plum pudding. She was already jumping with joy and he didn''t want to disappoint the girl.


    He tried his luck at a bakery. They didn''t have plum pudding as expected. Thankfully, they did have a raisin pie and the girl was happy with it. He lead the happy girl to a restaurant and waited for lunch to be served.


    Vincent felt bad that he was using food to get information out of such a little girl. Suppressing his guilt, he put on a kind smile and asked, "Is the pie good?"


    The girl nodded and continued with the food. Once she was done with it, she grabbed the napkin placed in front of her and wiped her face. The clumsy action only spread the crumbs around her mouth instead of cleaning it. Vincent took the napkin and wiped the crumbs away. The girl was very talkative and talked to Vincent about a lot of things.


    They had a pleasant meal and headed back for the hospital. Vincent used the opportunity to ask about the incident yesterday. "Are Roy and Marcus doing fine?"


    The girl shook her head and replied, "I don''t know. The police took them away."


    "Were they always making trouble? I can''t understand why they would do such a thing otherwise."


    "No, both uncle Roy and Marcus are kind. They helped us in the past when we were in trouble. It''s the devil''s fault that they got in trouble."


    "What did the devil look like?"


    "He was wearing expensive looking clothes. Had brown hair and a burn mark on his right hand."


    ''Brown hair and a burn mark on his right hand. This will make it much easier to search for him. I should also check out on this Roy and Marcus to be sure.''


    "Where do you live?"


    "Barber street in the northern bailey district." The girl answered everything honestly and Vincent felt like he should make his inquiry seem like a normal conversation.


    "What do your dad and mum do?"


    "Dad works for a private investigator and mother helps at a local bar when they are busy. Lately the bar hasn''t been getting much customer and dad says we are burning through our savings because of it."


    "Don''t worry. It will be fine in a few weeks." Vincent lied through his teeth. He didn''t want to tell the girl that their situation would get worse now that her mother had been hurt. Trying to end the conversation in a normal note, he continued. "What''s your dad''s name?"


    The girl smiled at his comforting words and answered cheerily, "Elias."

 Elias (3)

    Vincent mulled over the little information he received. It was very fortunate that the man had a distinguishing feature. The only annoying thing that could come into play would be the current trend of men wearing gloves.


    ''I need to get real. Not like there''s just one or two men with brown hair and burn mark on their right hand. Millions of people in this city, and I need to track down such a guy. I have neither time, nor the means to get any result unless I get super lucky.''


    Straightening his thoughts, he led the little girl by her hand towards the hospital. Reaching the room where Elias and his wife were, he found a policeman talking to the man. Looking at the policeman, Anna hid behind Vincent. The men in uniform were trouble. She thought so because her father had been told off by them many times when he was working. They would even taken him to the station and lock him up if he ignored their warnings.


    Vincent looked at the little girl and smiled gently to assure her that everything was alright. He approached the policeman while Anna followed behind timidly. Vincent introduced himself and the policeman did the same.


    "You should be careful not to disturb the patient. She needs proper rest for the moment. I would really appreciate it if you could take your business outside. I can look over her for the time being." Vincent hinted that the police was being inconsiderate of the situation and offered his help to Elias. The latter nodded gratefully and followed the former out.


    Anna looked at her mother and glanced out the room from time to time. She was worried that the police would do something bad to her father. Vincent noticed the girl''s nervousness but didn''t meddle any further. Getting noticed by the authorities would be troublesome to say the least.


    He strained his ears hoping to catch a word or two. Sadly, both the policeman and Elias, who worked for a private investigator whispered softly and Vincent whose ears were every bit normal failed to get any information.


    Elias walked in a moment later. He looked a little down but put on a smile on his face as soon as he saw his little girl. Vincent didn''t inquire for fear of being suspected and advised the man on how to take better care of the patient. He walked out after receiving words of gratitude and spent the day working.


    He joined Mr. and Mrs. Lee for dinner. They had a pleasant conversation. The landlady asked about work to which Vincent replied that everything was fine. After the dinner, he denied their offer to join them for a game.


    "I am really sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Lee. A colleague of mine from work invited me to a small gathering. I have already accepted and it would be rude of me to not show up."


    Mrs. Lee put on an understanding expression and replied gently, "That''s okay. You should keep your words. You are new to work after all. Not showing up might leave a bad impression of you. You should get going. Don''t be late now."


    Vincent bid the married couple goodbye and put on a coat and top hat. Grabbing his mask, he put it in the inner pocket of the coat and left the house. He made his way to Elias''s house. His wife had been discharged after she regained her consciousness. The hospital wouldn''t bear the cost for patients who didn''t require the necessary care and such patients had no choice but to leave.


    Vincent suspected that the policeman had entrusted Elias with a task. The most probable work he would get would be to help track the so called devil. He had caught a glimpse of the man and was half an investigator. The police would certainly use him if they could. In the case that he was wrong about his guess, he would have just wasted a few nights and it wouldn''t affect him much.


    Elias was cooking and his wife who was still weak was talking to her daughter. The family then enjoyed a happy dinner and went to sleep. Vincent waited for a bit more to see if the man would make any moves but left after ensuring that he had fallen asleep.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    He returned the next night as well. Elias put on a sack coat after his family had fallen asleep and quietly headed out. He went from one bar to another and talked to various people, probably those in the same trade as him. After receiving negative responses from each of them, he persevered and moved onto the next place. Vincent was keeping his distance and following him quietly.


    Vincent confirmed that Elias had indeed been entrusted with the task to track down the man with a burn on his hand. He also learnt about a lot of places where he could seek out information. Unfortunately, the search yielded no result. Vincent noted the few places that sold information for money and returned home after Elias was done for the night.


    His routine was the same for the next day as well. Unlike him, Elias was searching the entire day and he seemed to have found a clue. Vincent wanted to follow the man but couldn''t because Elias would take action the next day and Vincent had to stay at the hospital. Suppressing his urge to call in sick, he worked properly the next day.


    Vincent rushed to Elias''s house directly after work was over. He was thinking about how to learn of what Elias found out. He considered if he should put on his mask and threaten the other party as Mr. Secret. It would yield result for sure but also risk Elias reporting about Mr. Secret to the police. Vincent didn''t want to do anything with the police and was ruminating over his options.


    Just as he was thinking of any other choices he could make, he caught sight of Elias''s wife coming out of a corner. She was pale because of the previous injury. She was supposed to be resting but she had a distressed expression on her face and was walking with much difficulty.


    She noticed Vincent and moved to him in a frenzy. "Doctor. Please help. Elias is hurt."


    ''Did things go wrong today? If I help now, the authorities might check on me. But if I don''t help, it would be equally suspicious and inconvenient.''


    "Did something happen? Why don''t you take him to a hospital, I lack the equipment necessary to treat a patient right now."


    Vincent put on a troubled expression and tried hinting to the woman that a hospital might be a better option. She said that the situation was very bad and Elias needed help urgently. Left with no choice, he followed her to the small alley where the woman lived.


    Elias was breathing roughly. There were cuts of varying sizes and depths throughout his body. The bed was dyed red by his blood and Anna was crying by the side. Noticing the kind doctor, she started pleading incoherently for him to save her father.


    "Please step outside. I would like to be undisturbed." Vincent spoke in a serious manner. The woman nodded and dragged her daughter away. Vincent locked the door and moved closer to Elias. He had lost too much blood. It would be impossible to save him without blood transfusion and such a process was impossible for the current situation. He had neither blood nor the equipment to proceed with it.


    "Listen closely. You won''t make it. If there''s anything you want to say, now is the time." Vincent hoped that this would prompt the man to speak about what he found. He was entrusted with the task by a police after all. If he died while on such a mission, his family would receive a substantial sum in compensation.


    "Shh.... save me. I can''t die yet. Ah.... Anna and Amara still need me. Save me doctor. I... I will do anything if you save me." Elias forced the words out weakly.


    ''I can save him with the syringe. That''s the only option if I wish to save him. I can also test the authenticity of Mr. Collector''s words with this. But if I do this, I would be exposing my identity as a supernatural to him. I still can''t trust him properly. He looks like a reliable guy who wouldn''t turn against his savior but looks can be deceiving. Do I take this risk?''


    "Those words," Vincent put power into his voice, "you better mean them. I will hold you to it if I have to."


    He popped open his pocket watch and looked at each of the individual needles. He also retrieved the syringe from a secret compartment in his coat and injected the content into Elias. He observed the watch and his patient.


    After exactly 118 seconds, the wounds on Elias''s body began healing at an insane rate. His sense of pain was dulled and he could barely feel the burning or stinging sensations. Suppressing his surprise, he got up and checked his body. He was perfectly normal in less than three minutes and he felt his own body bursting with power.


    Getting his thoughts straight, he genuflected and spoke in a reverent tone, "Thank you. Thank you so much doctor. I will keep my words. I will do anything you ask me to as long as it doesn''t hurt my family."


    He was full of regrets just earlier for taking the job from the police despite being aware of the risks. Almost all his saving had been used on taking care of his wife and he was desperate. After being injured to such an extent, he was aware of his impending doom and the thought of his family being left helpless scared him. He had decided that he would do anything if it meant that he would continue being with his family. Now that he had indeed been saved, he intended to stay true to his words.


    "That''s good. Tell me what happened to you."

 Jade Hairpin (1)

    "I was following a lead and reached a gambling den run by some gangs. I went down only to find dozens of men brawling like rabid dogs. They had almost no semblance of rationality. They were hacking or bashing each other with whatever they could find. Some unarmed men even bit and clawed at the others. It looked exactly like how Marcus and Roy were. I think it''s the same devil who is responsible for this as well. I tried to escape but ended up gravely injured by those madmen. Somehow, I fled through the sewer and managed to come up from the manhole right outside the house. Amara went to get help after seeing my state and here we are." Elias described what had happened with as much clarity as he could at the moment. He was shocked to find that he was healed in no time. It was miraculous and he was sure that the man in front of him was just like the man who he had once seen turn into a wolf or the devil.


    Vincent thought for a moment and continued asking, "Did you find the devil?"


    "No."


    "Did the policeman ask you to search for the devil?"


    "Yes."


    "Do you know about supernaturals?"


    Elias was new to the word but he could guess what it meant. He shook his head indicating that he didn''t know about it. Vincent explained to Elias what supernaturals were and continued, "This officer who entrusted you with this task, is he a supernatural?"


    "I don''t know but I think he is. He was the one who calmed down Marcus and Roy when they had gone mad." Elias thought hard and answered.


    Vincent recalled his introduction to the policeman. "This officer Mayven, what did he promise you for your help?"


    "He said he would pay me 10 pounds if I could report a clue."


    "I see, tell me when you feel like the power coursing through your body has subsided." Vincent then just observed the man while looking at his watch from time to time. Elias didn''t dare relax for fear of the miracle medicine having severe side effects. He had seen a drug that gave men insane strength and endurance but took the consumer''s life soon after. Elias told Vincent as soon as he felt the strength subside.


    ''328 seconds. Looks like Mr. Collector increased the time by more than half a minute to sell it for a higher price. It''s okay. If for nothing else, I can use this as a free magical healing drug. Now I just need to find a grade 2 zombie to get blood from. A vampire would do just fine for substitute as well.''


    Vincent closed the pocket watch and got up. He opened the door and spoke to Amara in a serious tone. "Take this money and get a vial of pig''s blood. Remember to hurry. The situation is serious."


    The woman nodded repeatedly and took off with her daughter. Vincent went back to Elias and continued, "Remember. I was never here. You escaped from the gambling den and managed to patch your wounds by yourself. Am I clear?"


    "Yes. I understand."


    "Good. Then you can go claim that reward of 10 pounds from our dear officer tomorrow. If you get another clue, inform me first. If I give you the go, then you can inform the police as well."


    Elias thought that the doctor wanted to get to the devil first and nodded to show that he understood. Then he put on an awkward expression and asked hesitantly. "What do I do about my injuries? I feel as fit as a fiddle right now."


    "I will deal with that in a while. First, I have some delicious juice for you." Vincent didn''t explain further and waited for Amara and Anna to be back. He heard knocking on the door and opened it. Taking the vial of blood from the woman, he handed it over to Elias, "Drink."


    Elias controlled his expression and forced the pig''s blood down his throat. Soon, he felt weak and a bit numb. Vincent handed him a piece of cloth that had been folded multiple times. "Bite this."


    The man was hesitant at first but eventually gave in and bit the thick fold. Vincent took out a surgical knife from his briefcase and made random shallow cuts over the man''s body. He then proceeded to wrap them with bandage in a way that made it look done poorly. Pulling the cloth fold out of the man''s mouth, he packed up.


    "Remember. I was never here. It should be the same even if someone asks your wife or daughter. You can always find me in the hospital during working hours if you need to inform me of something." Vincent warned one last time and Elias reassured Vincent that he wouldn''t do anything to give away the doctor''s identity as a supernatural.


    Vincent felt a bit conflicted about his choice. He had managed to find out about the syringe''s exact capabilities and found a henchman. But he also gave away his identity as a supernatural and he couldn''t exactly trust this henchman of his. After thinking about it for a while, he turned around and stared Elias straight in the eyes. "It''s a magical thing that you get to spend more time with your family. I hope you won''t make me do anything untoward. Goodbye."


    *****


    Joshua was a good kid. He didn''t have a father but his mother raised him well. She was a learned woman and she did everything she could to make a fine man out of him. Having sold some of her lands, she sent him to a school. He looked at how hard his mother worked for him and put his all into studying.


    Years came and went but he never slacked off and he became a fine physician. He spent the next few years treating the people in his village and built a good reputation. He came to fancy a beautiful girl. She was not just pretty but also extremely clever. Her name was Delilah and she was the daughter of a successful farmer.


    He courted her and she eventually fell for him. The two were a very happy couple, at least for the first few months of their marriage. Joshua loved her very much and did everything he could to please her. Delilah on the other hand, began questioning why she married such a man at all. He didn''t have anything that she looked for in a man.


    She had grown up reading books about forbidden love and romance filled with passion and obstacles. The lovers for the protagonists were always charming men with fortune, possibly noble and reading about them would make her heart throb. She did think she loved Joshua when they first met but her love died as quickly as it had bloomed.


    Joshua wasn''t rich, he didn''t dance, he couldn''t understand music, and most importantly, he wasn''t good looking. She couldn''t understand why she had married such a man. She deserved better. Much better. She was refined, beautiful, and learned, too good for this uncouth man.


    It wasn''t long until she began to detest him. Everything he did annoyed her and she couldn''t find a semblance of her prince charming in him. But she held on, she acted like a good wife in hopes that he would notice how bad of a match he was for her. Unfortunately, all it did was make him happy. He didn''t think that he would ever get to marry such a beautiful woman who loved him as much as he loved her.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    He didn''t notice her dissatisfaction and it pissed her off. The fact that he had grown lazy and fat recently didn''t help her anger either. She wanted to get away from him as soon as possible and was planning  on running away when she found out that she was pregnant.


    It was a lovely child. Joshua was so happy that he couldn''t stop smiling. He named her Amelia and did everything he could to make both his family happy. He was stuck to the little girl all day and this reduced their income. Delilah hated that she couldn''t buy the things she wanted because of the new addition to the family. Her good for nothing husband had even gone ahead and hired two servants to make her life easier.


    She had to give up on one of the few pleasures of her life because of the child and she hated her for it. She deserved a better family. A charming, loving, and passionate husband who could pamper her with all she could ever want. Was she not better than all the women in the village? She would question why her life had come to this and the more she thought, the more she hated the child who ruined her chance of running away.


    She grew melancholic and depressed. Her life was empty. There was no heart throbs, no prince charming, no fancy balls or beautiful dresses. This all changed when a man came to settle into the village. His name was Charles. He was good looking, learned, rich and passionate. It wasn''t long until the two of them started having an affair.


    Joshua was completely oblivious to all of it. He was happy with his life. His daughter was growing up to be a cute darling and his wife was still as loving and beautiful as ever. He began worrying about his daughter''s dowry and education and started working more. He spent less time at home and this created more opportunity for Delilah to slip away to her lover''s home.


    She would complain to him about how unhappy she was with her husband and how she wished that she could go away with Charles. Just the two of them. Charles would mention about Amelia and she would just stare at the ceiling unable to figure out what to do with the child. One day, she mustered her courage and told her lover that they should elope. When asked about what to do with the child, she answered bravely, "Let''s take her with us. It can''t be helped."


    The two made plans and she counted the days with much anticipation. Sadly for her, when the day came, her lover ditched her. For Charles, she was just another lover. She was indeed very beautiful but the fact that she had a child turned him off. Besides, she could ditch her husband for him, how could he be sure that she wouldn''t one day leave him as well.


    Delilah was heartbroken. She couldn''t understand why Charles would ditch her and that too through a letter. He mentioned in it that he would go away from her. He couldn''t live with himself if her name got sullied because of him.


    She grew melancholic once again. She began spending her time burying her head on books. That was the one thing that still made her feel alive. Reading the beautifully woven romantic tales made her crave the thrill even more.


    It wasn''t long before spring came to her life once more. A young man named Rocco moved in next door. He wasn''t rich but he was good looking and he shared the hobby of reading with her. The two would discuss about books for hours. Joshua was happy that his wife had made a good friend and treated Rocco well.


    Delilah and Rocco began exchanging letters everyday and they fell in love before long. She would read each of his letters over and over again. He had a way with words and it moved her. She stored each of their letter in a chest and kept them as proof of their love.


    Rocco was quite poor and couldn''t dress properly. She thought that she needed to change that and would buy him the articles of latest fashion without sparing any expenses. She took care of the household and Joshua trusted her to no end. Every weekend she and Rocco would go to a nearby town and spend the day in a luxurious hotel. She would cover all the expenses and it wasn''t long before the family''s savings had been all but spent.


    Joshua would work hard every day in hopes of giving a good life to his wife and daughter. It wasn''t long before he would have enough money to send his little sweetheart to a well known convent. She could learn about everything there and it would set her for life. Just as he was about to reduce his workload, Delilah came to him and said that a thief had stolen all their saving. He couldn''t bring himself to get angry at her. He consoled her lovingly and said that he would work hard all over again.


    She asked him what to do about the fees for the convent. He said that he would take a loan. She said that she would handle it and that he shouldn''t worry about such a thing. He agreed and went to play with his daughter. Looking at her face drove away all his tiredness and worries. He played with her and went to sleep.


    Delilah mortgaged everything Joshua owned for 2000 pounds and planned to elope with Rocco. Rocco asked her why she was so desperate and she answered that she was pregnant. Rocco was thunderstruck. He asked her if it was Joshua''s child or his own. She said that it was his. She was sure for she hadn''t slept with Joshua for years. She handed him the money and told him to buy the things necessary for their journey.


    Rocco fled that very night with all the money. He wasn''t ready to be a father to a child. Even worse when the mother was someone else''s wife. Delilah learnt of it the next day and was bewildered. She had given up everything for Rocco and he left her. This wasn''t the first time it was happening either. Heartbroken, she bought a cheap poison and swallowed it.


    As she lay there writhing in pain and agony, Joshua came to her. He started trying everything he could to save her. Sadly for him, he didn''t even know what she had drank. He pulled at his hair and screamed. He cried and proclaimed his love to her in all the words he knew. She looked at his tender gaze full of love and wondered where she had gone wrong. She had never noticed his love for her and chased after something that was never there. As an intense feeling of loss and regret hit her, she passed away.


    Joshua was heartbroken. He didn''t eat or drink for days. He reluctantly buried her and decided to live for his daughter. At least he had his little sweetheart with him. The next day, people from the bank came and told him about the mortgage. He grew furious. He refused to believe that his virtuous wife would have done such a thing.


    Sadly for him, papers didn''t lie and looking at his wife''s signature on the documents pulled him back to reality. He rushed to her room to see if he could find any clues. He had left it untouched to cherish her memories. He  turned everything upside down and found the little chest where she kept her letters.


    He read through everything and each page tore his heart apart. He had always thought that she loved him with all her heart. Why else would she remain so virtuous and beautiful? The truth about her adultery and affairs drove him mad. He spent the days doing nothing but sitting on his chair and staring at the walls.


    Amelia, his lovely little daughter did everything she could to cheer him up but he paid no mind to the antics of a six year old. One day, he just sat there looking at the whitewashed wall and lay motionless. His daughter came to him to call him for dinner. She pushed him a little because he didn''t respond to her. He bent over and fell down. She laughed thinking that they were playing and tried to tickle him. That always did the trick.


    It was different this time. Her father didn''t respond at all. He, who was so ticklish didn''t even budge. Growing scared, she called on the neighbors and servants. They said that he was dead. She couldn''t wrap her head around it. She was clueless as to what it meant for her.


    She was taken to an orphanage as soon as Joshua was buried. She spent the next six years on the badly maintained establishment. People would tell her about what a loose woman her mother had been. She got bullied often and she would escape to the library to hide from everything. There she read books about everything. Everything except for love stories. Those things disgusted her. The cheap idea of love and romance made her nauseous.


    Five more years passed by and she grew up to be a beautiful young woman. A few people came to the orphanage saying that the child of Delilah Pears had inherited a fortune of 50000 pounds. Rocco had made it big after going to the capital. He lived a lavish life but the thought of what might have become of his child haunted him for years. His worries and regret devoured him and he died a miserable death. Before his death, he left a will leaving his fortune to the child of Delilah Pears because he didn''t know what she had named their child.


    Amelia was the only surviving member of the Pears family and the property went to her.


    The dream ended and Amelia woke up startled. She couldn''t understand what had just happened. She didn''t even remember what her mother looked like. The only things she knew about her were the things she had heard from others. And they were only bad things. The dream was too vivid. It seemed too real. It was as if she was watching what had really happened. She didn''t know about Charles or his father''s early life after all.


    Afraid of what had just happened. She put on the jade hair pin and sat in front of a mirror.


    "Did you have a pleasant dream?" The figure inside the mirror asked in a calm manner.

 Jade Hairpin (2)

    "Was it you?" Amelia asked angrily. It was hard to quell the turbid emotions inside her. Suppressing the bad memories that had resurfaced, she glared at the figure in the mirror. She hated the nonchalant look on its face. It reminded her of Delilah as she continued deceiving her father. Now that she had learnt of the truth, she began feeling repulsed by the uncanny resemblance she had with her mother. "Why did you do it?"


    "I am a mirror spirit. My kind show people what they want to know about the most. Whatever you saw was simply what you truly wanted to know." The figure in the mirror wasn''t affected by the glare in the least. In fact, she looked straight at Amelia and continued, "Shouldn''t you be thanking me instead? I just answered the questions that had haunted you for years."


    Amelia was lost. She had not a clue as to how she should react. Luna took her silence as resignation and continued, "I wouldn''t go to tomorrow''s gathering if I were you."


    Amelia grew angry at the emotionless voice. Trying to calm down, she thought to herself.


    ''I need to talk to Mr. Collector. He didn''t tell me anything about these dreams.''


    Luna was about to proceed but Amelia took off the hairpin and threw it on the table. The spirit couldn''t communicate with her if she wasn''t looking at a mirror while wearing it. Taking a deep breath, she got back on her bed.


    She closed her eyes but couldn''t get the dream off her mind. Sleeping seemed impossible. The refreshed memory of her father''s death replayed continuously. It was the earliest memory she had and the horrible years that followed at the orphanage made their way into her heart once again.


    She was conflicted. She didn''t know if the dream she saw was real or fake. If it was indeed real, then she didn''t know if she was supposed to hate her mother. She had no recollection of the woman and she just felt lost rather than angry.


    She turned and tossed around as thoughts raced through her head. Before she knew it, it was morning. Waking up, she took a bath and sat in front of her dressing mirror. Getting ready for the day''s appointments, she wore a dress and some make up. Glancing at the hairpin, she set it aside and moved away. She didn''t want to wear the hairpin for now. She felt uneasy just thinking about the dream.


    *****


    Elias walked into the police station. He moved to the inquiry section and used the secret code handed to him by the officer.  "I am looking for Officer Mayven"


    The staff looked at Elias from head to toe. Finding nothing special about him except for the bandages, he spoke in a gruff voice. "Wait here. I will go get him."


    Officer Mayven came back following the staff and asked in a charming manner, "Mr. Elias, you are here earlier than I expected. Please come with me."


    Elias followed after the officer into a small room. The working desk took a quarter of the room and the rest were filled with files stored without any order. Mayven navigated through the mess in a practiced manner and sat on his chair. Elias took each step carefully so as to not step on anything. Everything looked important and he didn''t want to mess anything.


    "Please take a seat." The officer pointed at the empty chair across him.


    Elias sat down slowly and the officer continued, "How did you get injured?"


    "I tracked the devil to a gambling den. Dozens of men were fighting amongst themselves. It was exactly like how Marcus and Roy were acting. They spotted me and I got attacked. I got these injuries while escaping."


    "Did you patch yourself up?" Mayven looked at the bandages closely. "I must say it''s done poorly. You need to learn to bandage properly at least. It will come in handy."


    Elias maintained his poker face and replied, "Yes, I will keep that in mind."


    "Where''s the gambling den?"


    "In an unnamed alley in the slums."


    Mayven put on his coat and top hat. Placing a revolver into the holster on his belt, he grabbed his police badge. "Take me there."This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Elias nodded and guided the officer to the den. The door was firmly locked and they couldn''t find any other entrances. Just as Elias was going to suggest using the sewers to get in, Mayven stood before the door and kicked.


    BANG


    The door built to withstand siege was broken instantly. The attachment at the hinges came off as if it was glued together with a cheap adhesive. Elias was shocked. Half a dozen men would find it difficult to break through the door even with a battering ram and the officer accomplished the feat in a single kick.


    ''No wonder the doctor asked me if the officer was a supernatural. Looks like he had his doubts. I need to be careful not to give myself away. Who knows what he can do. He did calm down Roy and Marcus in just a few moments.''


    Mayven secretly glanced at Elias. Looking at his shocked expression, he confirmed that the man was indeed an ordinary person with no contact with other supernaturals. "Let''s go in."


    Elias had noticed the officer checking him out secretly. Thankfully, he had experience in faking shock and ignorance. He categorized the officer as a newbie in his mind and followed after him quietly.


    The scene inside was horrible. Mutilated corpses were strewn about everywhere. Not a single body was left completely intact. Some were crushed with multiple blows while others were cut into several pieces. A rancid smell drifted about the air and created a repugnant atmosphere together with the gruesome sight.


    "Where did you escape from?" Mayven ignored the disturbing sight and asked.


    Elias averted his eyes from the aftermath of yesterday''s carnage and pointed at a hole covered by a plywood. "I went inside that hole in a hurry. I was pleasantly surprised that it led to the sewer. The people were too busy fighting and didn''t bother with me."


    Mayven moved the plywood to the side and checked inside. Confirming that it indeed led to the sewers, he put the makeshift cover back in its place. "Let''s head to the inner room."


    Pushing the door lightly, he moved in like a stealthy cat. The situation in this room was even worse. Three corpses were disemboweled and one had all its limbs missing. The fifth corpse must have belonged to the winner of the fight as he had his entire body intact. The cause of death seemed to be loss of blood.


    Elias couldn''t even imagine how the bleeding man must have proceeded to tear off the limb and disemboweled the corpses. The thought of an existence such as the devil walking the streets scared him and he tried his best to steady his trembling hands. He pulled his sight away from the violent scene and closed his eyes.


    Mayven examined everything with much focus and stood up after several minutes. He patted Elias on his shoulder and spoke seriously. "You did a good job. Looks like it''s indeed the work of the devil. Here''s the 10 pounds I promised you. If you find more information, come straight to me."


    Elias took the note and put it in his pocket. This would help with his family''s situation greatly. He had experienced a lot of things since yesterday. Fortunately, he managed to live because of the doctor. The payment he received marked the end to this dangerous episode. A wave of relief passed by him and he thanked the officer.


    *****


    Vincent was having another normal day at work. It was quite busy but work was pretty simple. Today was Friday and he was wondering if anyone would bring any news regarding the task he had issued at the previous gathering.


    He sent the old man who was complaining about chest pain to the designated doctor and welcomed the next patient. It was a big man with bandages wrapped roughly around his body.


    "How did it go?" Vincent asked the man naturally.


    Elias sat down on the patient''s chair and replied in a brisk manner. "Everything went well. The officer didn''t suspect me and I got the promised reward."


    Vincent undid the bandage and began to redo it properly. "Did you learn anything new?"


    "Yes, I confirmed that the officer is indeed a supernatural. I saw him kick down a well built door in an instant. He also looks like a new guy to the job. "


    Vincent wasn''t surprised by the fact. He had expected as much. Moving his focus to the latter part of the man''s words, he asked, "Why do you think so?"


    "He was too occupied with visiting the place that he didn''t thoroughly question me. Even after reaching the site, he only asked me some basic questions and didn''t try to reach the very end."


    Vincent nodded. He wasn''t too interested in this information. Straightening his thoughts, he completed the bandaging and continued, "Good work. It would be good if the officer gained a good impression of you. That way he might tell you more about the case. You shouldn''t try too hard though. You experienced firsthand how dangerous this is last night."


    Elias nodded. He had no intention of getting himself involved like last night anymore. He was just a normal man and he didn''t want to throw away the life he had barely managed to keep. Besides, the experience yesterday made him appreciate his family even more.


    Vincent drew a rough map of the alley where the silver robed man came with the key artifact. "I want you to investigate the sewers below this place. Take note of any house that has a secret passage connected down below."


    Elias received the paper and put it away safely. Vincent continued. "Remember to dispose of it later on. Also, don''t go there to investigate on Thursday, Friday and Saturday."


    ''I need to get a good grasp of the underground passages as well. It can come in handy at any  time. Better safe than sorry. I will also have to see where I will be transported to after the gathering ends. The key should have a fixed range. I should be able to close in on the gathering spot by using the different doors where the keys connected. I hope Mr. Collector will connect me to a different place today. Determining the rough location will be much easier with three points.''

 Jade Hairpin (3)

    10 P.M.


    Unnamed alley, somewhere in the slums.


    Vincent reached the place earlier to explore the sewer passageways down below. You never knew when the authorities would try to crack down on supernaturals. Since Mr. Collector''s home was reached through an artifact, there wasn''t much danger there. The place he would have to be careful about would be this alley where everyone met before midnight.


    Donning his mask, he descended through a manhole and placed the cover back where it belonged. The place smelled horrible. He tried his best not to look at the murky ''river'' and walked around. Rats had made the sewers their home and one could hear their squeaks every now and then.


    Vincent got a general understanding of the network down below. With proper mapping and knowledge, one could move about the entire city through the sewers. Vincent was planning on heading back up when two people descended from the manhole. Vincent quickly hid in a dark corner and held his breath. With the mask on, it was extremely unlikely for him to be noticed unless the other party had a supernatural with special eyesight.  That itself was rare as well.


    A bearded man got down first and moved back to make space for his companion. The companion was a lean man with patchy facial hair and long nose. Looking around, he spoke to the bearded man. "Are you sure this is the place Bardo? I can''t imagine a rich naive girl walking through this sewer to get to the gathering you talked about. Surely she isn''t so dumb to keep on using this passage."


    "Shut up will you, Smith. Even if the girl doesn''t come here, I am willing to wait. If I get lucky, I will get rich overnight." Bardo spoke in a condescending tone and continued. "You can go if you want to. I wouldn''t have invited you if other people didn''t have the same idea as me."


    "You know I was just joking. It''s just that I usually spend this time drinking. I feel a bit out of place. You need me to scare off others anyways. Specially the girl. Don''t get mad."


    Vincent listened to the duo with much interest. He had previously surmised that Miss Mystique had only joined the gathering a week before him. It looked like the other members were trying to make a move on her. It was only natural. A normal girl with lots of wealth presenting herself like that obviously attracted a lot of attention.


    ''Do I stay and see if I can get anything out of this? There might be more parties coming though. It could turn dangerous. It would be good if I can bluff my way out of it if things get messy. I did put on a good show using Mr. Collector last time.''


    Vincent remained motionless and let the two men pass. The duo hid in a corner waiting patiently. They were checking to see if any other parties would make any appearance. They still had about half an hour before midnight and the girl could appear anytime. Same for the other people with same objective as them.


    The manhole cover was removed once again and it was Big Joe who descended. No one would mistake him for anyone else because of his abnormally large build. He was easily over two meters tall and his extra large clothes stuck closely to his body exposing his bulging muscles. The impressive size and mass wasn''t just the potion at play but years of training and perseverance.


    Bardo and Smith looked at the guy and remained in the dark corner without moving. It was a good hiding spot and Big Joe wouldn''t be able to notice them. Bardo was sure that the guy had boasted about his combat prowess and that he was a grade 2 supernatural. A supernatural that focused strictly on combat generally lacked the capability to detect camouflage and Smith was a ghost. He could use his powers to hide their presence.


    Joe didn''t seem to have any intention of hiding like the others. He just stood there and crossed his arms against his chest. Sweeping the passageways with his eyes briefly, he moved away from the ladder after hearing someone moving the cover.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    A man and a woman came down and stood on attention after looking at the big man. The man moved between the woman and Joe. He stared up at the giant man and spoke with animosity in his voice, "Big Joe. Why are you here?"


    "No reason. I think I might find a job here." Big Joe didn''t take offense at the man''s tone and smiled showcasing his white teeth. Unlike last time, he wasn''t even bothering to hide his face. His voice was still as boisterous and coupled with his imposing figure, it seemed as if he was looking down on the man.


    "Don''t pick a fight eagle. We didn''t come for him." The woman had a cold voice. She looked at Big Joe briefly before heading to a place further from him.


    Eagle followed after the woman and stood by her side. They had been planning on hiding as well but Big Joe''s appearance  forced them to make changes. There would be no point in hiding when the guy was standing there like a display mannequin. Eagle looked around to see if there were any other parties besides them. Having failed to notice anything out of order, he went back to looking at the giant man.


    *****


    Amelia walked slowly with a lantern in her hand. The same masquerade mask covered half her face and she was thinking of yesterday''s event. Luna had warned her against coming here today. She didn''t give it much thought until a little while ago but she began feeling a bit uneasy after reaching here. The spirit did seem much more knowledgeable and experienced.


    ''Should I return? I am getting a bad feeling about this. I was too agitated and didn''t even ask about the warning any further. What am I doing? I need to get a hold of myself. Mr. Collector should have a potion ready today. I can''t afford to miss it. A brand new world is just within reach. Pull yourself together.''


    Resolving herself, she took a turn. She was a little surprised by what she saw. Big Joe was having a standoff with a man and a woman. She had seen both the man and the woman in the gathering. The situation seemed tense and she didn''t know what to do.


    Then, it suddenly dawned on her. Luna''s warning replayed in her mind and the reason for other''s presence underground made sense to her. Amelia backtracked swiftly. She was nervous. It was a first time for her to be targeted by people with malicious intentions and her head went blank. She didn''t know what to do.


    ''They must have seen me right? I clearly took the turn with the lantern still lit. There''s no way that they didn''t notice me. What do I do?''


    She was pulled out of her thoughts by Big Joe''s loud voice. "We can still see the lantern shedding  light on the wall opposite to you. Why don''t you come out, Miss Mystique?"


    Waiting for her racing heart to calm down, she brushed her hair back and stepped out the corner. "Quite the surprise to find you down here. Is there something you want from me?"


    Listening to her nervous voice, Eagle put on a menacing look and spoke, "Getting involved with supernaturals when you are a normal human is ........."


    "Miss Mystique, I will ensure your safety. 50 pounds per night. How about it? It''s a great price that I am offering." Eagle''s words were instantly drowned by Big Joe''s loud voice. Joe put on a smile and continued. "You don''t have to be skeptical. I can take care of these two without any problem. I can demonstrate my might to you if you don''t feel so sure about my proposal. These two would make a good target as well."


    "Cocky bastard. I am gonna make you eat your words." Eagle charged at Joe while the latter prepared to receive the attack head on.


    Eagle was fast. He was already in front of the big man when his words had left his mouth. He balled his hand into a fist and punched out. He wasn''t a big dude but was built well. Adding the insane speed on top of it, the power behind the attack was anything but ordinary. A normal person would have suffered from at least a broken bone or two but Joe stood there as if nothing had happened.


    Amelia blinked her eyes in confusion. She was surprised by the hostile exchange of words between the two guys at the beginning but she had never expected the situation to escalate to quickly. What was even more shocking was the fact that Big Joe wasn''t hurt at all. The corners of his lips lifted revealing a wide smile.  He reached out with his hand and grabbed Eagle''s head and made a fist with his free hand.


    "Now, now. Let''s settle this peacefully like civilized people.  Mr. Bardo and Mr. Smith, why don''t you two come out as well. It''s almost midnight, we should get going or we will miss the gathering." Big Joe stopped in his tracks. He followed the source of the voice and saw Mr. Secret. Following his appearance, two other men came out of a corner. No one dared make any move and waited for the mysterious man to continue.


    Vincent gestured the people to leave and spoke. "Well then ladies and gentlemen, please get going. I will be following you shortly. But first, I would like to share a few words with Miss Mystique and Big Joe."

 Jade Hairpin (4)

    Bardo climbed out the manhole and Smith followed him closely behind. He still didn''t have a single clue as to how Mr. Secret had suddenly appeared. He had clearly spoken out both his and Smith''s name. It seemed like he either had a supernatural power that allowed him to gleam that knowledge or he had been there with them from earlier. It didn''t matter which option it was, the thought was still scary.


    A person who could find out their identity could send trouble their way, all he had to do was tip off the authorities about them. The royal family and those on power didn''t appreciate supernaturals who weren''t under their control and those exposed had a difficult time getting by. As for being able to be present alongside others without being detected at all, such an entity could easily take their lives without them even realizing it.


    ''Are all strong supernaturals this scary? I wonder if Mr. Collector is as formidable. He might not be. He did back down on last gathering once Mr. Secret threatened him. I better skip today''s gathering, I don''t know how to face the others.''


    Bardo put on a poker face and spoke to his companion, "Let''s go. I will treat you to whatever you want."


    "Tch tch.... Bardo. You seem pathetic right now. But I don''t hate this side of you. I don''t want to stay anywhere near that guy as well." Smith showed a helpless smile and continued. "There''s a new place opening up today. Let''s see what they have."


    The two swiftly departed and Eagle who heard their conversation spat on the ground. "Those spineless cowards. They were probably waiting for us to tire each other out before making their move. Look at them running with their tails between their legs."


    "Is your arm okay?" The woman accompanying Eagle questioned him. Her tone was still cold and her words sounded like formality rather than a genuine question asked out of worry or care.


    "It''s perfectly fine. Still, that bastard wasn''t joking around when he said he was confident on fighting a grade 3 supernatural for a while. It felt like punching a cloud of cotton. He wasn''t soft but all my strength was dissipated without me even realizing it." Eagle stared at his arm and replied. The earlier clash was very strange to him. Even when grabbed by Big Joe, it felt like there was no strength in the grip but he couldn''t break free.


    "Sounds like an interesting supernatural. I wonder what his abilities are."


    "Oh.... how rare. For you to be interested in another supernatural''s ability. I am more interested on Mr. Secret though. It was as if he appeared out of thin air. The guy Bardo had brought was a ghost and he saw through their camouflage instantly. He even spoke their names. They must be freaked out right now. I wonder if he learnt of their names because of his supernatural ability or he investigated the people in the gathering."


    "Don''t be ridiculous. If he had enough channels and resources to investigate everyone, he wouldn''t be in such a small gathering. I think he is new to this city, or else he would be attending a gathering with higher grade supernaturals." The woman dismissed her companion''s ridiculous theory and walked off. Eagle followed her and waited beside her. It would soon be midnight and they didn''t plan on running away like the other two.


    *****


    "Thank you for your help, Mr. Secret." Miss Mystique curtsied gently. She had calmed down considerably after the others had left. She had never even considered falling into such a perilous situation.


    "It is no big deal. I was just passing by when I sensed the conflict. I believe you should be thanking Big Joe instead. He had come with the intention of selling protection to you all along." Vincent lied through his teeth about having been just passing by. Appearing bigger and stronger had its merits and he didn''t want to pass up on this chance.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The young woman turned to the giant man. She looked up at him and memorized his face. He was the only one who didn''t bother hiding his identity and she was curious about him. She thought that he had talked big last time but it looked like he wasn''t bluffing. "Thank you Mr. Big Joe. I agree to your offer. Here''s 500 pounds for today and the next nine gatherings. "


    Big Joe was stunned. He had come here to take advantage of the situation and help the rich girl out. That way he could make some easy money but he had never expected to make it this big. He didn''t really put the other supernaturals in his eyes. If they intended to get back at him, it would be far from easy. Even if they grouped up, he was confident that he could last until the authorities noticed the commotion. His abilities made him very difficult to deal with and he was confident in himself.


    The notion of looting or robbing others put a bad taste in his mouth. He had been taught to earn his keep and he intended to do so without being led astray by greed. Pocketing the money, he looked at the girl interestedly and asked, "Aren''t you afraid that I will run away with your money?"


    "I don''t think you will. You did come here with the intention to sell your service. If you do run away, I will think of it as a mistake on my part." Her answer put a smile on Big Joe''s face. He was unsure if she was a good judge of character or a fool with too much money. Either way, he didn''t mind.


    Vincent took steps towards the manhole but was stopped by Miss Mystique. She collected herself and put forth her question. "Mr. Secret, I would like to consult you regarding something. The hairpin I bought last week showed me a dream. The spirit says that it was the events of the past and her words does make sense when I juxtapose it to what I know."


    "That''s impossible." It was Big Joe who answered instead. "The spirit is probably tricking you. I have never even heard of any supernatural or artifact being able to show the past. It''s farfetched no matter how I look at it. The hairpin doesn''t even seem that impressive to begin with. I might think it possible if it was a highly sophisticated artifact."


    "Is that so?" Amelia began doubting her initial judgment. What Joe said made a lot of sense.


    "It is a mirror spirit, am I correct?" Vincent asked and received a positive response. Giving it a little more thought, he asked once again. "What did the spirit say her name was?"


    "Luna."


    "Did she say that what she showed you was the past?"


    "Yes, she did."


    Vincent''s curiosity was piqued. Spirits didn''t lie and their name told a lot about them. That was what he had learned. If the spirit really said that it showed the past, then it must have been the truth. But the problem was that looking into the past was something far out of reach for even supernaturals of high grade.


    "When did you see the dream?"


    "Last night."


    "Just last night?" Vincent asked to make sure.


    The girl nodded. She would have remembered if her dream had been influenced any other time.


    Vincent looked at the girl and spoke in a serious tone. "Her name is Luna and she showed you the dream last night, which just turns out to have been a full moon night. I can at least tell you that it isn''t ordinary. Spirits don''t lie, so it was indeed the past if she said so."


    Amelia began feeling uneasy. Compared to Big Joe, she was inclined to believing in Mr. Secrets words. He appeared very strong and knowledgeable. The connection he showed to the spirit''s name and the timing for the dream also made the matter more eerie while adding substance to his words.


    Noticing the girl''s uneasiness, he spoke in a gentler manner. "You should know that artifacts require energy to showcase their ability. The negative effects are the result of the remnant will or emotion of the creator. If Mr. Collector couldn''t see through the hairpin, then it can only mean that its origin is far from simple. I would suggest you to not use it anymore unless you learn more about it. You can never know what price you will have to pay for using an artifact you don''t know well. It''s even scarier when the price is for looking into the past."


    She was scared now. She had already seen the past once. Just hiding one''s existence from the world cost one their memory about themselves when using the mask Mr. Secret was wearing. The price for looking into the past would be even more ridiculous. She knew that some artifacts had more negative effects than others but knowing that didn''t help her settle her fears when even Mr. Collector had failed to see through the hairpin.


    She made up her mind to go help some unfortunate people the next day. The brooch would help her get rid of anything bad if the hairpin had indeed left hidden effects on her.

 Blood Harvest (1)

    The gold robed Mr. Collector took his seat on the luxurious chair. His two subordinates stood behind him ramrod straight. Glancing at everyone briefly, he spoke with a slight smile. "Looks like we don''t have any new members today. I hope everyone had a pleasant week. Now then, let''s begin the gathering."


    Vincent was curious to see if anyone had found out about a supernatural capable of performing feats similar to what a missionary of desire could. He had promised reward big enough to sway most people here and some of the members should have at least tried. Unfortunately, it looked like no one had any results.


    The man who had bought a poison from Vincent stood up and faced Mr. Collector. "I managed to kill the vampire and I have his heart. Are you still interested in purchasing it?"


    "Oh... it looks like you had a successful hunt. Congratulations Mr. Grey. How much are you looking to sell it for?" Mr. Collector was a sly man. He let the seller present the first offer so that he could get a better read on the cheapest price he could offer.


    "It''s a grade 2 vampire''s heart, so 400 pounds should be a reasonable offer."


    "A vampire would have maybe bought it at that price as it helps them improve their strength faster. But as you already know, I am not a vampire and I do not have a particular need for it. You would also find it hard to find a vampire to sell it to considering that you killed one of their kin. Taking into account that I asked to buy it off you last week, I will offer you a generous offer. How about 300 pounds?"


    Everything he said made sense. Mr. Grey had no other channels where he could sell it and 300 pounds seemed like a good price in his eyes. He agreed and handed over a dark red heart the size of a fist to the gold robed man. Mr. Collector looked at the heart with great focus for a while and nodded. He handed the promised amount to Mr. Grey who took his seat once more.


    Miss Mystique looked at the heart with much interest. Contrary to how she thought she would have reacted when looking at a human heart, she was calm. It felt just like looking at an animal''s offal at a butcher''s shop. Holding back her urges to ask if she could touch it, she turned to Mr. Grey and asked. "Mr. Grey, can you tell me about how the hunt went? I can pay you for it."


    "You don''t have to. It wasn''t anything special. I just took the fight to him during the day. Unlike nighttime when they are one of the strongest supernaturals, the daylight weakens them greatly. My sneak attack worked and Mr. Secret''s poison worked wonders against him. The vampire was too weak to put up any resistance and the fight was easy after that." The man said just enough to satisfy the girl''s curiosity while not divulging a single thing about his abilities. He seemed like an experienced person when it came to interacting with other supernaturals.


    The young woman thanked the man and directed her line of sight towards the host. "Mr. Collector, I believe today is the day you promised me the potion."


    "Yes, of course. I was just about to bring it up." The host nodded and signaled to one of his subordinate who walked up to the girl and handed her a piece of paper.


    Miss Mystique unfolded the paper and read the content with great enthusiasm and focus. After pondering for a good while she seemed to have made her decision. "I will take number three."The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Excellent choice!" Mr. Collector cheered jubilantly. "I had a hard time procuring it. Even in the capital, few people can get their hands on this potion. You sure are lucky Miss Mystique."


    The girl took a glass vial with purple liquid from the subordinate and handed him 600 pounds. Everyone in the room were surprised. A grade 1 supernatural potion usually cost around 200 pounds. The price for potions varied according to what it turned the consumer into but 600 pounds was still a ridiculously high price for a grade 1 potion.


    She wore a smile she couldn''t control and it looked like she was extremely satisfied with the transaction. The other members started wondering if the girl was being spendthrift like before or the potion was really worth it.


    "Will you be able to get the grade 2 potion as well?" Miss Mystique asked as she looked at the beautifully colored content in the vial.


    "It will be difficult but I believe I can manage it. It won''t be anytime soon though. Well, not like you have to worry about it. There''s still a long time before you will be ready to advance." Mr. Collector answered the question calmly and Amelia wondered if he was being truthful.


    The other members began getting involved as well. There were various offers and transactions but nothing interested Vincent and he had nothing to sell as well. He had turned into a onlooker who was there just for show. He could see that people were still observing him. In their eyes, he was a mysterious man who was extremely strong.


    He was a subject to be observed and be wary of for everyone else. It was a price he had to pay to maintain the image he had established for Mr. Secret. He sighed secretly and reminded himself to not show any signs of weakness or abnormality.


    Noticing that no other members had anything they needed to address, Mr. Collector clapped to draw everyone''s attention. "I have the information regarding a nest of trolls. If anyone would like to join me for the hunt, please make your intention known right now. I will make preparation accordingly."


    Mr. Grey took in the information and asked, "How many trolls? The location?"


    "4 trolls, the nest is located near the Blackwood salt mine. Are you interested, Mr. Grey?"


    "150 pounds and I am in."


    "That''s not a problem at all." The host looked satisfied with the addition of an experienced supernatural to his force. He was more than willing to pay 150 pounds in exchange for a troll''s blood, which was a natural miraculous healing drug.


    Eagle and the woman accompanying him also enlisted. Three more people joined and the prospect of witnessing a supernatural battle with her own eyes excited Miss Mystique. "I want to join too."


    "Hahaha," Mr. Collector laughed heartily, "I don''t see why not. But do make sure to just watch and not to anything stupid."


    He then looked at Big Joe and asked, "Won''t you be joining us? This will be a really good opportunity for you. If you will really perform as well as you claimed, then I wouldn''t mind paying you as much as Mr. Grey here."


    Big Joe looked at Miss Mystique and accepted. Mr. Collector then directed his gaze towards Vincent to ask if he would be joining . Even he was interested in this man whom he couldn''t see through.


    Vincent turned to the host and answered, "I want the blood instead of money."


    "How much?"


    "Quarter of the total harvest."


    The amount was a bit too much but Mr. Collector accepted nonetheless. He could think of it as the price to learn about the newcomer and witness his abilities firsthand.


    Straightening his back, he spoke in a serious manner. "The participants are to reach the north gate of the mine at 8 P.M. sharp on Sunday. Now then, let end it right here for tonight."


    Miss Mystique was allowed to leave first once again. The others soon followed and it was eventually Vincent''s turn. Stepping out the door, he was once again greeted by an unfamiliar place. He explored the surrounding and made his way back to his room. Including the point of exit he had used today, he now had three coordinates in total. Using this information, he could roughly gauge the range of Mr. Collector''s key.

 Blood Harvest (2)

    Sunday


    8 p.m.


    North gate of Blackwood salt mine,


    This place would usually be bereft of people except for the guard stationed there but quite a number of people were present tonight. As for the guard, he was sound asleep. He wouldn''t  be waking up anytime soon no matter what happened.


    The people present wore hooded robes to hide their identity. Everyone was waiting patiently for Mr. Collector to make his appearance. Except for Miss Mystique who kept on glancing around restlessly, no one showed any signs of nervousness. Big Joe stood beside her and made a mental note to teach the girl basics for appearing calm and collected so as not to be seen as easy prey.


    Vincent looked at everyone. Besides him, Miss Mystique and Big Joe, six others were present. He knew for a fact that Mr. Grey was strong. Big Joe had an ability that allowed him to nullify shock, an unusual power. Vincent was quite interested about what supernatural the big man was. Mr. Eagle had an impressive speed and strength but hadn''t used his other powers in the previous clash. These were everything he knew about the people present.


    ''I wonder what abilities Miss Mystique gained. She noticed me by herself today so I am sure that she is already a supernatural. The potion was expensive but she seemed very satisfied. Must be a potion with a very attractive power.''


    Vincent''s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps. He looked over and saw Mr. Collector''s two subordinates carrying a heavy chest. The master however was nowhere to be found.


    Mr. Grey waited for the duo to put down the chest and asked, "Where''s Mr. Collector?"


    "Master will be here soon." The short subordinate who always used the key to pick everyone up replied as he massaged his forearm.


    The other subordinate unlocked the chest and opened it. The contents were hidden by a black cloth. Vincent was wondering what was below the cloth when Mr. Collector made his appearance.


    "Looks like everyone is here. I hope everyone completed their preparations." He walked to the chest and removed the cloth. Tools used for butchering were arranged neatly inside. The metal edges gleamed underneath the moonlight as if to show off their sharpness. "Let''s get right to the task. We have to be done with the trolls and extract their core blood before half an hour. Anymore, and I am afraid the specialized police will be here."


    Vincent wasn''t surprised. If Mr. Collector could find out about this troll''s nest, then so could the authorities. The monsters were usually eliminated by the specialized police department which was made up of supernaturals who worked for the kingdom. Cases such as this where unaffiliated supernaturals had the first move was rare. Monsters were full of valuable resources and the kingdom did its best to secure that the majority of it landed on their hands.


    There were also cases where the specialized police used information regarding monsters as trap to lure and catch unaffiliated supernaturals. Vincent was more interested in knowing what the host had done to buy half an hour. From the little impression that he had of the man, he knew that Mr. Collector was meticulous.


    The group made their way to the inside of the woods in a moderate pace. Mr. Collector led the way and the rest followed behind him carrying a tool or two that was originally inside the chest. Even Miss Mystique was carrying a large cleaver. The contrast between her appearance and the weapon made for a comical sight.


    Big Joe followed right beside her carrying a giant meat saw. He observed the people in front of him. This was his first time hunting a monster and he wanted to take in what everyone was doing. His focus was mainly on Mr. Collector and Mr. Grey. The former looked relaxed and had nothing different about him while the latter was giving off a sharp feeling. He stood out from the rest of the members and gave off a feeling of confidence and experience.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    As for the last member who was supposed to be strong, Mr. Secret, still couldn''t be read. He carried no tool from the chest and walked behind everyone in a leisurely fashion. The mask hid his entire face and it proved difficult to read him even on a superficial level.


    Big Joe did feel a little uneasy because he couldn''t make heads or tails out of this masked man but it also gave him a sense of security. Having a strong person with you was almost always a good thing. If things ever got rocky, the presence of a strong individual definitely helped a lot.


    This was his first time participating on such a hunt and the presence of two high grade supernaturals put him at ease.  Mr. Collector had brought along two of his subordinates who were probably grade three and the master had bunch of artifacts. His strength should be in the upper tier even for grade 4 supernaturals. The masked Mr. Secret on the other hand was still as inscrutable as ever. His powers were a mystery, so was his grade.


    Joe wasn''t even sure if the masked man was strong at all. He had the urge to test it but quickly chased the thought away. Though he was no expert in such things, he had seen enough of the dark world to know not to mess with things you can''t see through.


    Soon, the group were standing in front of a small rock formation. The structure seemed like a cave made from stones artificially. If not for the giant stones that weighed dozens of tons each, anyone observing it would say that it was made by humans.


    "Is this really made naturally? Why does it look as if it''s arranged symmetrically?" Miss Mystique as usual, couldn''t suppress her curiosity and voiced out her thoughts. She was right. The structure did indeed look like a roughly made house.


    "That, my dear Miss Mystique, is because it was made by a titan''s child when he was playing around." Mr. Collector answered the young lady''s question calmly. His words attracted everyone''s attention. Such a sentence left everyone slightly shocked and unsure of whether the man was joking or telling the truth.


    "But that can''t be true. Aren''t titans just a myth?" The curious Miss Mystique followed up with another question. Titans appeared on nothing but mythical stories from ages ago. Unlike other monsters whose stories still circulated around and words of their sighting occasionally turning up, titans were but the characters in epic sagas or tales.


    Mr. Collector smiled sadly and answered, "If you ask the people in kindlewich about ghosts and vampires among other supernaturals, they would probably think of you as a young lady lost in the splendors of fantasy tales. But you and I both know that they are real and very much present among us. Why is it that Titans cannot be real just like any of us? Just because they aren''t around right now doesn''t mean that they didn''t exist."


    "Are you telling me that the tales of how they were born from the earth with each possessing magical powers is true?"


    "Indeed. They were the very first life forms on earth and they populated this world. Their children all had magical abilities who in turn had their own offspring. This cycle continued with each generation being significantly weaker than the previous ones. The world was slowly stripped off of its magical properties until it became the one which you now know."


    The young lady was fascinated by the tale. In the version she knew, Titans were but giants who lived before any humans roamed the earth and wielded unimaginable powers. They were portrayed as gods in many tales. Mr. Collector however told them as the creatures born from the earth itself, each possessing incredible abilities. But his words also bought a lot of questions into her mind.


    "Did we also come from a long line of their offspring?"


    "That is what I believe. Monsters are just the creatures who still retain their supernatural abilities. You could say that they are the original supernaturals and we are just fakes who got our powers through potions."


    There was so much more she wanted to ask but now wasn''t the time for such topics. They had limited time to get their work done and she didn''t want to pull everyone down. As much as she wanted to know more about monsters and titans, she was looking forward to a supernatural battle even more.


    The people present tensed up visibly as they made their final preparations, not even the experienced Mr. Grey was any different this time. Perhaps, it was because he understood just how dangerous the upcoming fight would be.


    Mr. Collector took off his golden robe and in its place, donned a shabby piece of cloth. The article had blood red spots all over it and torn in many places. It looked like something taken off the corpse of a homeless man. The ends had loose pieces of fabric which danced like tentacles in the dark in an eerie fashion.

 Blood Harvest (3)

    Mr. Collector looked behind him and observed everyone. After finalizing that everyone had made their preparation and their only member who wouldn''t be participating in combat had moved back to a safer spot, he nodded to his two subordinates. The duo retrieved a big cauldron from the chest and poured in dozens of ingredients.


    Their actions were smooth and practiced. The contents boiled even without any fire or heat source. Thick green smoke began coming out of the cauldron and a strange smell spread out.  Amelia began to feel a little apprehensive as she stared at the nefarious looking smog. Just as she was wondering if she should move further away, the taller subordinate waved his hand.


    The green gases started spiraling around each other and moved back into the cauldron. This continued until the smoke which had almost turned cloudy filled the container to its brim.  Just looking at the spectacle would give a normal person chills.


    The shorter subordinate then lifted cauldron with ease and threw it towards the cave. Despite his small build, the power contained within his body was terrifying. The cauldron which easily weighed more than a dozen kilograms was flung almost 50 feet away.


    Crash!


    The cauldron made out of clay shattered upon impact, letting loose its harmful contents. The gas spread around like wildfire, clinging to every corner and crawling up the walls. Soon, it had taken up most of the cave''s space and the excess gas made its way out.


    Everyone watched in fascination as the giant cave was filled with smoke in less than a minute. Even for supernaturals like them, it was a rare sight.


    Mr. Collector watched the entrance with seriousness and moved forward. The shabby robe he now had on began fluttering strongly despite the absence of wind. The loose strips of fabrics grew longer as they danced around like tentacles. Beneath the moonlight, it was a strangely enchanting and uneasy sight.


    His subordinates moved just a beat slower and stood behind him. Their backs were ramrod straight and their gazes sharp. Their muscles tensed up, ready to take action at any moment.


    Chaotic footsteps echoed out the cave. They were rushed and abnormally loud. The slight tremor in the ground gave the group a slight sense of how big their opponents were going to be.


    Human like silhouettes grew larger on the screen made up of green smoke as the residents of the cave made a run for the exit. Their outlines grew clearer and darker as the distance between the two parties shrunk.  Before long, the first troll blew through the green fog and stared at the unwelcome visitors.


    Three other followed behind him shortly. They easily stood over four meters tall and were built like sturdy walls. Two long fangs protruded out their maxilla, giving them a sinister look. Grey and white fur covered their entire body. The trolls looked like giant humanoids with fangs and angry faces.


    Mr. Collector calmly stared at the giants growling at him and issued orders. "I will take on the one closest to us, my subordinates will deal with another. I shall leave the other two to you ladies and gentlemen."


    As soon as his words ended, his robe''s tentacles grew dozens of meters long and headed for the trolls in tricky angles. His enemies were clearly unprepared as they split up hurriedly. The attack didn''t hurt any of the four but he didn''t mind. His goal was to separate the trolls and it had been achieved.


    The two subordinates quickly closed in on the troll to the left. The tall subordinate waved his hand and his action was followed by a strong gust of wind. Dust and sand were blown towards the troll on the farthest left. Faced with the cheap attack, it covered its face with the back of its palm. The short subordinate took this opportunity to rush in and move behind his opponent. He retrieved a thick rope from under his robe and tied it around the troll''s thigh.


    Surprised, the giant looked down and found a thin string coiled around his thigh. The tiny man pulled on the other end and it tightened. Annoyed at the uncomfortable feeling, it tried to swat away the pesky little human. The man was nimble and he put some distance between them immediately. Ignoring the pest, he began pulling at the thread to snap it. But no matter how much he pulled it didn''t snap or give way. In fact, it only seemed to squeeze him tighter.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "It will really snap if this goes on. Hurry up." Rudy watched Toby frantically dodge the giant hand as he spoke cheerily.


    Toby directed a glare at his companion and shouted, "Give me a hand."


    Rudy shrugged and did as he was told. Anymore playing around and both his companion and his master would be unhappy. He was a little exhausted from his previous work but he could go on. Mustering his powers one more time, he directed the green smoke that was slowly thinning out to gather together. A blob about half a meter wide formed under the influence of his ability and moved towards the troll chasing Toby.


    Seeing the cloudlike green sphere approaching him, the troll wanted to dodge but it followed him as if it had a mind of its own. Annoyed, he slapped it away. The cloud dispersed only to congeal together and head in his direction one more time. Ignoring the thread that was still getting tighter, he tried to get away.


    Toby exploded with power and pulled the free end of the rope. The troll hadn''t expected the pest that was only running away to try and fight him. Surprised, he couldn''t brace himself in time and was brought to his knees. Both his arms were on the ground and he could no longer deal with the green blob. He held his breath to try and not inhale the gas but under the influence of the taller subordinate, all his efforts were in vain as two green streams entered his nostrils.


    The giant body overflowing with herculean strength slowly lost power as the troll couldn''t even stand properly. His consciousness became fuzzy and he collapsed unable to put up anymore resistance.


    The two subordinates were the first ones to complete the fight. Rudy took in deep breaths as he approached Toby who was raising a giant axe above the troll''s head. Mustering all his strength, Toby brought down the axe. The sharp and heavy axe head whistled as it tore through the air with great speed. But even so, it failed to cut anymore than quarter of the neck. Toby let go of the handle and grasped it once more. He yanked with all his strength and pulled it out. The deep cut was already showing signs of clotting and if left alone, the troll would be completely healed in less than a minute.


    "What frightening regenerative powers. No wonder master wanted their core blood even when he had to pay such a high price to Redwolf. I just hope Redwolf manages to hold back the special police till he said he would." Rudy stared at the large wound and spoke. He was out of strength and quite exhausted. Multiple usage of his powers had worn him out and he plopped down to the ground.


    Toby hacked at the neck repeatedly and finally managed to behead the troll. He dropped the axe and gently massaged his palm. The work had been taxing and he needed to catch his breath. Beheading the monster turned out to be tougher than the entire fight. "Redwolf might have a terrible reputation but he always gets the job done. His pack is no joke. He accepted the job, he will see it through to the end. We only need to worry about collecting what we came for before the time ends."


    The two sat beside each other and stared towards the others. Mr. Collector held the upper hand throughout the fight. The troll couldn''t get close to him nor could it get away. He repressed the monster using nothing but his robe. In fact, he was extra careful not to use any of his abilities. If others figured out your powers and grade, they could be prepared to deal with you and the best way to stay safe would be to have as much cards in your hands as possible.


    Mr. Grey and some others were dealing with the third troll. The experienced man was wielding a sawed off which he used to shoot every once in a while. His target was always the troll''s face and he managed to land his hits even when the monster was on guard against him from the beginning.  Mr. Grey was getting help from four others, each wielding different powers to keep the troll busy.


    A man breathed fire at the giant every now and then, forcing the monster to retreat and cover up. Flames were highly effective against the troll as it had trouble regenerating burnt parts. Even so, the burns were but superficial injury to it. Two other men were using machetes and knives as they moved around the troll and kept it busy. Their enhanced physique allowed them to stay safe and even if they did get into a rough spot, the fire breathing man would come to their rescue. As for the last member of their team, she was a tall woman. She kept her distance silently muttered to herself in a hysteric manner. Every time she stopped her mumbling, the troll would freeze for a moment or two. The others would use this opportunity to inflict a serious injury on the troll. The team seemed to be doing well. They would eventually complete their work but the problem was that it might take longer than the time they had.


    Despite the continuous injuries inflicted on it, the troll continued fighting and its wounds healed naturally. On top of their ridiculous healing prowess, their endurance was top notch and Rudy had no doubt that the team would run out of time unless they received some form of help.


    "How does it look? Did you take note of everyone''s abilities and performance?" Toby retrieved a giant cleaver and asked his companion. Rudy had been entrusted with the task of finding out about everyone''s abilities by their master and he was curious about it as well.


    "More or less. I have the general understanding of everyone present. The only problem is that Mr. Secret isn''t making his moves at all."


    "What do you mean?" Toby asked with a puzzled look on his face.


    "Just what I said, he hasn''t done anything at all." Rudy answered helplessly as he looked at the masked man who stood there watching while Big Joe, Mr. Eagle and his female companion fought the troll.

 Blood Harvest (4)

    Amelia was watching everything from a distance. It was like she was in a fairytale. A battle between monsters and supernaturals was taking place right in front of her. It still felt surreal to her. Though she had become a supernatural herself, witnessing such a fight firsthand still left a deep impression on her.


    She was taking in everything she could and her heart beat with excitement. The sight of dozens of people running around and using magical abilities left her yearning for similar experience.


    The young woman was especially impressed by Mr. Collector''s display of power. Throughout the entire fight, he had the complete control and he hadn''t even used any flashy abilities yet. She wanted to see him use some more of his powers but her wish wouldn''t be coming true. She straightened his thoughts and directed her sight towards Big Joe.


    The hulky man was facing a troll head on. Everyone else used their agile maneuvers to dodge the troll''s attacks but he was different. He welcomed the monster''s hits with his body. Punches, swipes, slaps, kicks.... nothing seemed to work against him. The monstrous strength seemed to all but dissipate once the attacks reached him.


    The troll however refused to accept the outcome and continued its attacks in a frenzy. Making sure that the troll''s entire attention was directed at the big man, Mr. Eagle''s companion made her move. She unsheathed two short daggers and moved with incredible speed. Her hands moved with a blur and when she stopped behind the troll, the monster already had deep lacerations below its knees.


    With its tendons severed, the monster couldn''t stand straight and fell beneath its own weight. Using this opportunity, Mr. Eagle made his move. He stood before the kneeling troll and bit his palm. A big chunk of muscle was missing from the part but he didn''t even flinch at his own action. His jaws moved in a rhythmic fashion as he chewed his own flesh.


    Amelia cringed as she watched the scene. She couldn''t believe what she was seeing. Resisting the urge to look away, she took a deep breath and continued watching. Mr. Eagle chewed some more and spit out a fleshy pulp deep red in color.


    The piece of mushy flesh rolled to the hand of the troll and stuck to it. The red piece of flesh seemed to come to life as it started unfolding and growing at a visible rate. Soon, it had grown into a lump of flesh that covered the entire palm.


    Alarmed at the unexpected development, the troll used his other hand to try and pull off the tumor. Unfortunately for him, as soon as he grabbed it, it stuck to his other palm as well.  Despite his best efforts, the troll was unable to free his hands. Especially since he couldn''t use his lower body as leverage as he was in an awkward position.


    Mr. Eagle took deep breaths as he mustered his strength once more. He had spent most of his energy when making the fleshy pulp earlier. The fleshy bindings would come undone once it ran out of energy and given the resistance the troll was putting up, it wouldn''t be long until it would run dry.


    Just as he was about to take another bite from his palm, his companion spoke in a stern voice, "There''s no need."


    As soon as her words reached his ears, she moved once again and made several cuts on the giant arms. Each cut was made carefully and managed to sever the important muscles. Thankfully, trolls were humanoid monsters and resembled humans in more ways than one. Otherwise her attacks wouldn''t have been nearly as effective.


    Now, the troll couldn''t put anymore strength on its arms as well. Its legs were still healing and the group had a little time until it got rid of its vulnerability. Mr. Eagle was surprised by his companions actions and spoke in a teasing manner. "I didn''t know you had such a soft side to you. If only I found out about it sooner, I might have been kinder to you."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The woman glared at her companion and Mr. Eagle looked away and chuckled awkwardly. She was dangerous and had a short temper. He wasn''t willing to test the waters. "It''s immobile but how do we finish it? I can hold it down maybe one more time. I am not good at offence and you won''t be able to kill it with your daggers either. I don''t  think Big Joe has anything capable of finishing it off either."


    Big Joe thought the same and remained silent. Mr. Eagle did say the last part of his sentence in a ridiculing matter but he didn''t mind. He was prepared to offend the man or anyone else with the intention to rob Miss Mystique. The money he received from the girl was enough to compensate him for the enmity he had created.


    The woman looked behind her and spoke, "I think you have watched enough Mr. Secret. Don''t you think it''s time you did your part?"


    Vincent had been prepared when he had accepted this mission from Mr. Collector. Because the reward was a troll''s core blood, he had brought a powerful one use item capable of killing the troll in an instant. It was a rare item but he was willing to part with it to upkeep his image of a mysterious and powerful man. But from the looks of it, he could get by without using it. He was lucky that the three who had come with him were all relatively powerful when compared to their peers of grade two supernaturals.


    He walked closer to the struggling troll and spoke in a deep voice, "Get back."


    Everyone retreated silently. The person in question was possibly a grade four supernatural. The power he could burst forth with would terrifying and they didn''t want to get caught up in it.


    Amelia directed all her focus on her masked benefactor. Mr. Collector was powerful beyond what she thought was possible and Mr. Secret was supposed to be at least as strong as him if not stronger. She could barely contain her curiosity.


    What kind of powers will he use? He even asked the others to move back. Must be a super strong attack that will effect not just the troll but everyone nearby.


    She looked at the mask one more time and suppressed her envy. She couldn''t really remember any details about the mask before even if she tried. But now that she had turned into a supernatural herself, she could finally look and not forget about it. The clouds that looked as if they were made from dark ink floated idly, always hiding the moon in the firmament partially. Just a glance at it and she was filled with awe and admiration. Now, she was even more excited to see what Mr. Secret would do.


    Mr. Eagle, his companion and Big Joe were similarly watching the masked man intently. No one could make out anything about him and the scene to come would be the first clue they would have regarding his abilities. They followed his every action and refused to look away. They didn''t want to miss it. Rudy and Toby similarly stopped everything else and focused on Mr. Secret.


    More than half the people present were looking his way. Vincent could understand what was going on in their minds.


    I am sorry but I will have to disappoint you. I am just a grade 2 supernatural like the most of you. You won''t be seeing anything special.


    Ignoring the slight sense of guilt that arose in his heart, Vincent walked to the helpless troll and pressed the muzzle of his pistol right by the monsters molars. He glanced at the troll who was staring at him with venom in its eyes and pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    The bullet tore through the cheek and shattered the teeth behind it. The gun was much more powerful than any normal firearm found in the common market but even its round failed to come out the other end.


    A maddening pain transmitted to the troll''s brain from its gums and it flailed around mindlessly. Vincent waited for the monster to calm down and shoved two sticks of dynamite through the hole in its cheek. After that, he calmly walked away and aimed at the dynamite after having put enough distance. The troll moved around restlessly but his arms followed the monsters movement perfectly. He could pull the trigger anytime and the bullet would find its mark. His enhanced eyes picked up even the most minute of movements and details. His arms which were impossibly precise because of his supernatural ability. Combined together, they made him into a better marksman than any natural human or trained soldier.


    He pulled the trigger once again and the gunshot rang out. But immediately afterwards, it was drowned out by the sound of explosion. After the big flame died out, all that was left was the troll''s headless corpse. Even a monster of such endurance and power wouldn''t have any chances of surviving if a dynamite exploded in their face.


    Vincent casually put his pistol back in its holster and walked to the now dead troll. Everyone else watched him stupefied. They had expected him to show some amazing power and kill the troll. Many had even began guessing about how he would do it. No one..... absolutely no one had expected the mysterious and strong supernatural to rely on a dynamite to get the job done. Why did he even have dynamite on him to begin with?

 Killers on the loose (1)

    The food was delicious but Amelia didn''t really have much appetite. She took a little bite every once in a while as she reminisced the event from earlier. It still left her heart racing when she thought about it. Though the end was anticlimactic and she couldn''t witness Mr. Secret''s abilities, she was fine with it. She had yet to process many things. Besides, she believed that some things were better as a mystery. The charm and allure would disappear if you could see it clearly.


    "This roasted lamb is amazing. Money sure is nice. I wish I could eat like this all the time." Big Joe was stuffing his face with the food placed before him.


    "I can understand that you are a big guy and need to eat a lot. But it wouldn''t hurt to eat slowly you know. Everyone''s staring at us." She looked at her ''bodyguard'' and spoke helplessly.


    "Who cares about them. I used a lot of energy earlier. I need to fill myself. Who knows what will happen next. The special police didn''t even show up but I don''t think they will let us go just like this. There may come a time when we will have to make a run for it."


    "Aren''t you really strong? Why are you scared of the police?" Amelia asked in puzzlement. The big man would simply stand there and look down on anyone attacking him. He didn''t bother moving against Mr. Eagle nor the troll. It didn''t make sense for him to fear the police.


    Big Joe sneered and answered. "You really don''t know anything. No supernatural is invincible. The trick to getting stronger is to survive. And if you want to survive in the world of supernaturals, you need to know your place. There are supernaturals in the special police force who will make anyone you know seem like a helpless man."


    "Even Mr. Collector or Mr. Secret?" She suppressed her disbelief and whispered.


    "Of course. Grade 4 supernaturals are all strong but they are just the weakest among mid grade supernaturals. I have heard that the chief of special police force is a grade 6 supernatural, just a grade shy from being an immortal. Below him are several grade 5s and at least a few dozen grade 4s." Joe stopped eating and answered her in an even quieter voice.


    "Immortal? Are you really okay telling me this for free?"


    " Don''t mind it. It''s not a big secret anyways." He shrugged her off and continued. "High grade supernaturals are also called immortals. There are only a handful of them in the world and each one of them wield unimaginable power."


    "Are they really immortal?" There was a hint of disbelief and longing in her voice. "Do they never die?"


    "It''s not that they cannot be killed. It''s just that they don''t die of natural causes. Once one becomes a grade 7 supernatural, they will be free from the grasp of mortality..... well, at least normal mortality... I guess."


    "Have you ever met an immortal?"If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    He looked at the young woman as if he was looking at a fool. "Are you stupid? Of course I haven''t. I don''t even know a person who knows a person who has come into contact with an immortal. In their eyes, we might be nothing but insignificant things. If you wanted to meet one, you would have to be able to garner their interest first."


    She wanted to retort but her words refused to come out when she saw a couple of policemen entering the hotel. It was almost 8 p.m. and the police wouldn''t be here unless something serious had happened. Fear gripped her heart as she remembered Big Joe''s earlier words, "There may come a time when we have to make a run for it."


    ''Are they here for us? There were no signs of their presence during the fight. Why are they here now.''


    Amelia nudged Big Joe and pointed to the police''s direction with her eyes.


    Big Joe looked down and continued eating as if nothing had happened. "Act normal. Let''s hope that these guys are just normal police and not the special police."


    She nodded her head and tried he best to act normal. Maybe because it was her second time being in such a pinch, she couldn''t calm down. Anyone could tell she was nervous with just a glance.


    The officer in charge shared a couple of words with the manager of the hotel ad stood still. The manager grabbed everyone''s attention and spoke in a professional manner, "There seems to be a curfew in place. I am sorry to inform you that all of you will have to stay inside the hotel until sunrise tomorrow. I hope that you will understand and bear through this inconvenience."


    An elderly gentlemen stood up. He was dressed in a prim manner and had a neatly combed hair. Despite his age, the clean shaven look gave everyone an affable impression about him. "I am really sorry officer, but I have to reach Kindlewich by midnight. I have to attend an important meeting early in the morning tomorrow and I cannot afford to be late."


    The officer moved forward and replied to the elderly man. "I am really sorry sir. But there are killers on the loose. The situation is delicate and we cannot afford any mistakes. Please try to understand."


    Their conversation went back and forth and Amelia grew increasingly nervous at the sight of other policemen checking out every guest in the hotel. As the gazes slowly inched towards her direction, she couldn''t help but shiver despite her best efforts to calm her racing heart.


    ''Shit! He is coming my way. Am I too suspicious?''


    "Excuse me miss, can I ask you some questions?" The young man in his police uniform stopped before her and asked politely.


    "Ye.. Yes, please go ahead."


    "You don''t have to be so nervous. I just need you to tell me your name and purpose here."


    "I am Amelia Pears... I am here just to sightsee."


    The young man sat down on the empty chair in front of her as he smiled brightly. Despite the outer appearance, the smile was scary in her eyes. He spoke in a soft voice to avoid others overhearing their conversation."I see. Now I just need you to prick your finger and drop your blood on this stone."


    "Why?" Everyone was looking her way and she couldn''t stop herself from trembling in fear.


    "This is a special stone. Once you drop your blood on it and you lie near it, it will glow red. If you tell the truth, then it will glow green. You don''t have to worry, if you are innocent, then you won''t remember anything that has happened tonight."


    Amelia looked at the dull stone in front of her and didn''t know what to do. If she really did drop her blood on it and the stone worked as the man claimed it did, then her life could be in danger. If she didn''t it would be the same as admitting her guilt.


    Just as she was desperately looking for a way out, Big Joe flipped the table. The young policeman was pushed down by the table and the big man grabbed her from behind. "If you don''t want this innocent girl to be harmed, then you will back off and let me leave silently."

 Killers on the loose (2)

    ''What''s going on?''


    Amelia was dumbfounded. Big Joe now had a piece of cloth covering the lower part of his face. Unlike the normal attitude he displayed, he looked fierce and violent. His big hands squeezed her throat and she found it hard to breathe.


    "Let her go. And then we can talk about letting you go." The young police crawled away and tried to placate the big man. He had thought that the two were partners and was trying to sound them out slowly. Never had he imagined that the girl was a hostage taken by the man. Thinking about it now, it did make sense. The girl was unusually nervous, it must have been because she was scared that the criminal might try to harm her because of the police''s presence.


    Big Joe glanced around quickly and spoke in a cocky manner, "Do you think I am stupid? You will make your move as soon as I let this girl go. Don''t test me. I won''t hesitate when snapping her neck. I will give you 30 seconds to disarm yourselves and huddle in that corner over there."


    "You know that''s not possible, let her go and we can work things out.... " The young policeman was trying to get the man to let the hostage go but was interrupted by his captain.


    "That''s enough Wren. Do as he says." The leading officer spoke in a commanding voice. Securing the safety of the hostage came first and he really couldn''t afford to test the criminal''s guts.


    The police unit moved to the specified corner under the officer''s command. Big Joe looked at the revolvers discarded between him and the policemen.  He didn''t feel any safer even after the police had disarmed themselves because half of them were probably supernaturals. They all looked like either grade 1 or 2 supernaturals. Under a normal circumstance, he wouldn''t have paid any attention to them and walked out, but he couldn''t do the same now. Dealing with them individually would be a piece of cake but dealing with all of them together would be another matter entirely.


    He moved back while still facing the unit occupying the corner. Amelia''s lithe body was dragged along and she found it hard to breathe because of the rough handling. She had finally managed to organize her thoughts.


    ''I get it that this makes it easier to fool the police but do you really have to be so rough? I am suffering over here.''


    She knew that she couldn''t be picky and let herself be dragged about until their backs were against a window.


    Clang!


    The glass shattered and a cool breeze assaulted her back. Just as she was wondering what would come next, her vision darkened and she fainted.


    ******


    The dining hall was chaotic. Some of the guests heaved a sigh after the kidnapper had jumped off the window while the rest felt uneasy  at the thought of a killer roaming outside.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Few people were worried about the hostage who had been knocked out.


    A young man walked out of the crowd and approached the girl. The officer intercepted him and said with a strong tone, "I am sorry but I will have to ask you to keep your distance."


    "It''s okay. I am a doctor. Let me help." Vincent replied in a soft voice.


    The officer stepped aside and ordered his subordinates to help people settle down. He then went back to the doctor and crouched beside him. "How is she?"


    "Just unconscious. She will probably come to in a few hours. I am more worried about her mental health. It must have been a very scary experience."


    Vincent was about to leave after confirming the girl''s situation but was stopped by the officer. "I must thank you for this. It was very brave of you to step up right after such an event."


    "It is my duty as a doctor. Pay it no mind. You must be occupied with all these things happening. I shouldn''t be taking anymore of your time."


    "Please, I insist." The officer flashed a smile and sat down. With a simple gesture he ordered a subordinate to take the unconscious girl away. "Can I ask what you are doing here, doctor ....."


    "Burns, you can call me Dr. Burns."


    "Yes, Dr. Burns, may I inquire as to your business here? I believe that you aren''t from around here given that you are staying over at this hotel."


    "Indeed, I live in Kindlewich. I am here to take a breather. I was having quite some trouble getting used to my workplace, so I thought sightseeing here would be a good idea. I had heard that there are some great rock formations here."


    The officer''s gaze sharpened but he immediately concealed it.  "Haven''t you heard of the rumors regarding sightings of monsters near these rock formations? Many people are scared to go there because of this hearsay."


    "Well officer, it''s as you say. Nothing more than rumors. As a man of science, I find people who believe in monsters to be quite stupid. Wouldn''t you agree that it is unreasonable that monsters would actually exist in the first place?"


    The officer smiled awkwardly and nodded his head. "Of course. It is stupid indeed. How was the rock formation? Did you come across anything interesting?"


    "It was truly a sight to see. Isn''t nature wonderful? To think that such a formation could be made naturally, I couldn''t believe that it was not a work of man at first sight. I plan on coming here with my colleagues next time."


    "Of course. I am sorry that we got side tracked. My intent was to thank you properly. Your actions were commendable, I will have to get back to my work for now. Thank you for your time."


    "It was a pleasure. I wish you luck in catching the murderers. I shall retire to my room for now." Vincent bid the officer goodbye and headed for his room.


    ''The unit seemed to lack a supernatural skilled at tracking. They didn''t even try to pursue Big Joe. Most of the members were normal people. Is the department here understaffed? Or did something else happen that required them to divert their resources?


    It doesn''t matter for now. Looks like Big Joe got away and Miss Mystique is free of suspicion because of his quick thinking. It seems like he is a reliable companion. At least to her.''


    Locking the door, he opened his suitcase. It was filled with clothing articles and some necessary products. Emptying the case, he reached out for the secret compartment and retrieved four vials. Each container held blood red liquid.


    The group had spent a lot of time on butchering the troll to finally get the core blood from its heart. Despite their massive size, the core blood present on a single troll''s body barely filled these four little vials.


    Vincent retrieved the syringe he had bought from Mr. Collector and filled it with the blood on one of the vials. Having completed the task, he put everything back on the secret compartment and closed the case.


    An invisible incorporeal body watched the entire process. It made sure to take note of his every action and passed through the wall, disappearing as silently as it had come. The entire time, Vincent had no idea that each and every action of his was being monitored.

 Echoing Gorge (1)

    Vincent walked into the hospital casually. He had achieved his goal of getting the troll''s blood and had left for work as soon as the curfew had ended. He had already informed Mrs. Lee yesterday that there was a good chance of him staying over at a friend''s house.


    Miss Mystique was questioned once she woke up. She was still a bit nervous but thanks to the groundwork laid by Big Joe, she got away without any suspicion.


    Most of the other guests in the hotel were also checked. He was spared the troublesome checking because of his exemplary actions. Even if he were checked, he had already hidden all of the important things away. With how rushed the examination was and how vast the number of people the police needed to check was, it was almost impossible to get caught.


    Any experienced supernatural with ample caution would be able to get away. Specially since the unit lacked a tracking supernatural or one adept at discovering others of their kind. Pushing the events to the back of his mind, he entered his office and continued with his day as if nothing had happened.


    ******


    Mr. Collector looked at the man in front of him. It was a lanky man with stubby beard and graying hair. "What is it now? I paid you upfront as soon as you agreed to my words."


    "Don''t be so cold now. I did the job perfectly. I even took care of all the supernaturals good at tracking as you said. The least you should do is hear me out." The lanky man spoke reproachfully.


    "Fine. Speak." Mr. Collector''s tone did get a lot less colder but his words were incredibly short. It was almost as if he couldn''t wait for the other party to speak and leave right away.


    "I want you to sell me some of the troll''s blood."


    Mr. Collector looked at the stupid grin on Redwolf''s face. He could feel his blood boiling but he forced himself to calm down. "You already know how important this is to me. To think that you would try and propose such a deal when knowing fully how I will respond. Are you sure you aren''t here to pick a fight with me?"


    "Of course not." Redwolf put on a ''shocked'' expression and continued, "I just heard these rumors going around. A middle sized supernatural group exterminated a group of trolls. No one knows which group it is. And of course, you and I both want to keep it that way. Unfortunately, as it turns out, the payment you gave me earlier provides not nearly enough incentive for me to keep my mouth shut. I came here today hoping that we could that."


    Mr. Collector grinded his molars in anger. He wanted nothing more than to tear apart the man in front of him. He had chosen Redwolf because he knew the man''s temperament well. With how he had paid a huge sum in the beginning, the lanky man should have stayed put. He hadn''t even considered the other party trying to blackmail him. It was an oversight on his part for not failing to take into consideration the allure of troll''s blood.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Are you sure you want to do this? You should know that I do not like being provoked like this." The anger in Mr. Collector''s voice was apparent and it made his stance clear. He had absolutely no intention of giving in.


    "Come on. You know I wouldn''t do that to you. We have known each other for a long time. I just heard that you gave away quarter of your harvest to someone else called Mr. Secret. I just want you to tell me about him and we will be done. He doesn''t matter to you anyways."


    "If you know that I gave away a quarter of the harvest to him, then you should also know that all of his abilities are a mystery. Why don''t you be direct and admit that you are here to ask me to not interrupt when you deal with him."


    A serious look appeared on Redwolf''s face for the first time. He looked straight into Mr. Collector''s eyes and spoke, "I want your word that you won''t backstab me when I deal with him. You do that and you getting your hands on troll''s blood remains between us. As long as you ensure that none of your people talk about it that is."


    Mr. Collector ruminated for a while. The room was cold and silent the entire time. While the host was taking his time, Redwolf didn''t seem to try and rush him. As a sly man, he knew well that speaking now would only serve to agitate the other party. The lanky man waited patiently, assured that he would get what he came for.


    He wasn''t wrong. Mr. Collector sighed and spoke monotonously, "Fine."


    The corners of Redwolf''s lips rose to reveal a wide smile. He pulled a folded paper from his inner pockets and handed it to Mr. Collector. "A contract written by a word keeper."


    Mr. Collector took the contract without speaking and unfolded it. He read through it once. Finding nothing unusual, he began reading it aloud. "I hereby swear that I won''t interfere when Redwolf deals with Mr. Secret. Either directly or indirectly. If I break my words, may I die a slow painful death."


    Redwolf touched the paper and continued, "I hereby swear that I will keep the identity of the person who obtained the troll''s blood from Blackwood salt mine a secret. If I break my words, may I suffer the same fate as the other party agreeing to this contract."


    As soon he completed his words, the paper caught fire. It burned with great vigor and went out just as quickly. Not even a wisp of smoke or any trace of ash was left behind.


    "It was pleasure doing business with you." Redwolf turned around and left for the door.


    Mr. Collector''s face warped into one full of hate and anger. Being taken advantage of felt horrible and he could no longer keep his calm. He grabbed a bottle by his side and threw it at the wall. The fragile vessel shattered into thousands of pieces but it didn''t quell the man''s anger. He tossed around whatever he could find and the entire room was a mess in no time.


    His head cleared up a bit and he looked around. Once the mess he created entered his sights, he grew calm and rational once again. Sighing, he plopped down on his chair.


    ''It''s fine. This could work out to my advantage. While Redwolf is strong, the masked fellow shouldn''t be too weak in comparison. If Redwolf comes out on top, I will have to let it go for now. Even if he fails, I will at least be able to learn of Mr. Secret''s abilities. Him hiding all his abilities bugs me.


    On second thought, this works out better for me both ways. Even better if they end up killing each other or at least tiring themselves out.''

 Echoing Gorge (2)

    Ben woke up with a horrible headache. Memories of last night flashed through his mind as he slowly gained some clarity. Suppressing his nausea, he got up and fetched a cup of cold water for himself.


    The drink was refreshing and he felt a lot better after just half a glass. He looked at the clock and realized he was running late. Washing up in a hurry, he put on a fresh set of clothes and headed for college.


    "Hey Ben. Didn''t think you would actually come to college today. You were pretty washed up last night." A young man walked up to him and began speaking.


    His memories were still a bit blurry but it was slowly coming back to him. All he could recall for now was barrels of alcohol and a crazy rave.


    "By the way, is your cheek alright? It looks painful."


    ''Cheek? What''s wrong with my cheek?''


    Ben touched his cheek gently. A stinging pain forced him to remove his hand. He winced uncontrollably and tried his best to recall what had happened to his cheek. "I am alright. How did this happen to me?"


    "You don''t remember? Well, I am not surprised given how much you drank. You got into a..." The bell tolled loudly drowning out the rest of the young man''s words. It signified the start for classes and the duo were still well outside the classrooms.


    "Shit! We are late. I need to run now. I will see you at the echoing gorge."


    "Wait up. What''s that?" Ben called out but his friend was long gone. Sighing, he decided to ask later on and headed for his class.


    *****


    Elias walked into his new office. It wasn''t spacious or pretty. But it didn''t matter to him. It was his and it made him happy. Just sitting on his chair behind the desk filled him with immense happiness. Officer Mayven had instructed him to set up an office as a private detective. The cost had been borne by the officer as well.


    Mayven wanted a pair of ears working for him secretly and Elias seemed to fit the bill for what he needed. Elias was hesitant about it. On one hand, he was scared about getting involved with more cases regarding supernaturals. On the other, he worked for the doctor who was also his benefactor. Unsure of what to do, he had gone back to the hospital and consulted the young man who had saved his life.


    "Why not? It''s a good opportunity for you. If you do well, you might be more useful for me as well." Elias still vividly remembered the doctor''s words. The uncertainty hadn''t left his heart but he couldn''t help but beam with happiness whenever he stepped into his office.


    It had been two days already and no client had come. He had no work except to sit around and look at the ceiling but even such a mundane routine was strangely enjoyable.


    Elias finished reading the newspaper for the third time. The contents were nothing important. Majority of the space was occupied by news written just to sell and lacked any real substance. He began contemplating if he should subscribe to Kindlewich Times instead of this cheap newspaper when the doorbell rang.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    He was surprised at first and started wondering if someone had come to the wrong place. The guest being a client never crossed his mind. After all, the office was in a bad place and he had zero reputation as a private detective.


    The bell rang once again and Elias hurried to the door. Opening it, what came into his sight was a woman who had covered the majority of her face. He had worked for a private investigator before and wasn''t surprised. Some clients liked to keep their identity a secret because of the nature of their request.


    Before a person acquired a private investigator''s license, they had to pass a strict examination and sign a document that obligated them to report any case that could harm others or disrupt peace. Such being the case, clients could freely commission a private investigator while hiding their identity.


    "Is this Sound Private Investigations?" The guest asked, a little fidgety.


    Elias suppressed his surprise at the appearance of a client and snapped out of his thoughts. "Yes, it is. Please come in."


    He led her to the office and sat on his chair. Pointing at the chair meant for client to seat on, he spoke in his best professional voice. "Please take a seat. Would you like some tea?"


    "No thanks." The woman sat down and looked around curiously.


    He observed her for a while and felt awkward. The client seemed to be lost in thought and didn''t speak. He coughed to catch her attention and asked. "Can I ask how you found out about this place?"


    "Hmmm...." She thought for a while but didn''t answer. Instead, she leaned in a bit closer and whispered. "Is it true that you keep all of your client''s details a secret?"


    "Of course. Everything about the client will be kept confidential. We will also do everything in our power to fulfill your request."


    Nodding in satisfaction, the client adjusted the shawl covering her face. "I want to entrust you the task of finding a person."


    "Do you have the person''s details? Name, age, appearance.... anything that could help me find the person."


    "The person goes by the name of Dr. Burns. He works inside Kindlewich. As for his appearance.... he is a young man in his twenties. Black hair and black eyes. A little taller than average."


    Elias''s pupils dilated in surprise and he froze for a moment. Collecting himself, he acted normal and smiled. "What business do you have with Dr. Burns? Forgive me for asking but we are required to ensure that you do not possess any ill will towards the person you are searching for."


    "He is a benefactor of mine. He saved my grandfather from drowning some time back. My grandfather wants to pay him back."


    ''A lie. I don''t know what business she was with the doctor. I cannot ascertain whether she means good or harm but I must to something about this. Letting her go might lead to some harm befalling him.''


    Elias could easily tell that the girl was lying. Her voice was a little stiffer when compared to earlier. In addition, he could pick up more subtle signs indicating that she wasn''t being truthful. He had picked up the basics for such things when he worked for the investigator previously. In fact, he was quite skilled at it. He hadn''t worked in this line of work for half a decade for nothing.


    "How do I contact you? I will need a way to inform you once I find any clues or the person himself." He tried to pry out more information from the woman. If she told him a method to contact her, that itself would be a clue he could use to find out more.


    "I will check up on you every few days. Here is two pounds in advance. I will pay you five pounds more when you do find him. I wish you good luck."


    "Please allow me to see you out." Elias stood up and walked right behind her. He was still hesitant about what to do next. He didn''t know if he wanted to tail her to find more or immobilize her. He was extra cautious in everything he did after learning of the existence of supernaturals and he couldn''t help but think about what fate would await him if the woman was one as well.


    The doctor was a supernatural and there was a high chance of the client not being a human. He started sweating a bit. He really didn''t know what he should do. He was scared to make a move on her but he also couldn''t not do anything when he thought that his inaction could put his savior in danger.

 Echoing Gorge (3)

    Vincent walked out of the hospital and headed for Elias''s new office. He had gotten a message from the new investigator to get to the office as soon as he could. No other details were written on the little slip of paper he received and he had no idea what to expect.


    The only task he had entrusted Elias with was to find clues regarding the ''devil''. Given how little time had passed and how the investigator was busy setting up his new office, Vincent was highly skeptical that any clue would have been dug up. This confused him even more. He couldn''t understand what required his attention so urgently.


    Honestly speaking, he didn''t like the situation. It would be best for him if he kept contact with Elias to the minimum. After all, the officer named Mayven was also enlisting the man''s services. He could tell that Elias was deeply grateful towards him, but he had seen enough instances where people turned on their benefactors.


    Vincent increased his walking pace and entered an alleyway. It wasn''t the best place to have an office but he could understand why Mayven wanted it here. It would be inconvenient for him if Elias was neck deep in other work.


    Standing by the door, he knocked twice lightly. In a couple breath''s time, the door opened and Elias ushered him in.


    Vincent walked past the man and sat down on the chair behind the desk. He looked around and found all the necessities to be present in the office. "Looks like officer Mayven didn''t spare any expenses. It''s a pretty good office that you have here."


    "Thank you. I will try to be worthy of such an office." Elias answered a little nervous.


    "So, what is this urgent matter that required me."


    "A woman came by to entrust me with the task to find a person." Vincent nodded to signal the man to continue. "I asked for more details and she said that the man went by the name of Dr. Burns. Black hair and eyes. A little taller than average."


    Vincent was surprised but didn''t show it on his face. He quickly thought about everyone that could possibly know this much about him and still not directly be acquainted with him.


    No one came to mind.


    Specially someone who would actually get a private investigator to find him.


    "And how did you handle the matter?" Vincent forced himself to think calmly and decided to ask for what happened next.


    "I accepted her request. She was heading for the door and I knocked her out."


    Vincent certainly hadn''t expected the man to go to such an extent. But it worked to his favor. He could talk with this client himself and figure out her motives. "Where is she?"Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Elias moved to the safe placed in a corner of the room. It was big. Probably two meters in length and a meter in breadth. Vincent had no idea why such a big safe was placed in an office. It didn''t fit well in the place at all but he could guess what was inside the safe.


    Without any surprise, the content was indeed a human body. He moved to the safe and checked her pulse. She was just unconscious. Pulling the shawl down, he could recognize the face. It was a young woman who had just become a supernatural recently.


    ''The only way she could find out about me if I think about it rationally would be if she asked the policemen. They would readily answer her thinking that she just wanted to thank me. I had taken that into consideration when I stood out last night. What doesn''t make sense is her coming to Elias, a private investigator to find me.''


    Vincent couldn''t understand how the situation had come to be. He couldn''t recall any loose ends he had left no matter how many times he looked back.


    ''Was she sent here by Mr. Collector? He should be the one most likely to identify me. He also has contact with her. But this still doesn''t make sense. Why would he tell her about me and why would she come to a private investigator to find me.''


    "Leave us alone for a while." Elias nodded and swiftly left the room.


    Vincent carried her out and placed her on the chair. Raising the glass with water on the table, he sprinkled some on the unconscious woman.


    Her forehead creased to the stimulation and she woke up soon after. She looked around and found herself in a familiar room.  What had happened slowly came back to her and she grew alert immediately.


    "I heard you were looking for me. Now that you have found me, can I know why?"


    No answer.


    The girl seemed dazed. It took a while for her to come to.


    Receiving no answer, he looked her straight in the eyes and asked once again. "Why were you trying to find me?"


    The girl had collected herself but she still didn''t answer.


    "Let me rephrase my question. What do you know about me?"


    "You are Mr. Secret."


    "How do you know that?"


    "I saw the troll''s blood and the syringe you had bought from Mr. Collector."


    "When and where?"


    "Last night. When you were packing up."


    "That shouldn''t be possible. You were unconscious back then. And I was in a completely different room." Vincent lost his calm for a while. The girl made no sense. But her body didn''t show any signs of lying. He knew just how bad she was at lying and it confused him even more.


    He was going to ask her once again using a different method but then recalled that she had consumed a potion recently. The girl could indeed be telling the truth. But if that was the case, then she had to have some really rare ability. He could tell that she wasn''t a ghost because she wasn''t pale and her body was still under the care of a police. Besides a ghost who could turn their body invisible and weightless for a little while, he didn''t know any other kind of supernatural who could spy on him without him realizing it.


    "It''s true. Trust me. I can go out of my body and roam around freely." Miss Mystique spoke as she moved her hands exaggeratedly.


    "Alright. Let''s assume for a while that what you are saying is true. You still haven''t answered my first question."


    "I was just curious. I didn''t mean any harm."


    ''She is only telling half the truth. She is hiding something from me.''


    "Can you prove that? Or at least show a little bit of sincerity?"


    She was rendered speechless. She couldn''t prove it and froze with nervousness.


    After a little thinking, her expression brightened up. She looked straight at him and said, "I have a clue regarding the supernatural you were searching for."


    Vincent was intrigued, "Go on."


    "Have you heard of the echoing gorge?"

 Echoing Gorge (4)

    Vincent and Elias walked behind the young lady. She had promised to lead them to the echoing gorge. Vincent had asked her about it but received no concrete answer. All she said was that he would understand it once they reached there.


    Vincent was sure that the girl didn''t know what was there either. She wouldn''t answer how she knew about it either.


    No, it was almost as if she couldn''t answer.


    One thing was for sure. She wasn''t normal at the moment. She was being influenced by something.


    ''Is it the policemen from the salt mine? Or is it Mr. Collector? This could very well be a trap but that wouldn''t make much sense either. If they already know so much about me, there is no need to go through all this hassle.


    What''s bothering me even more is that the first private investigator she came to was Elias. It can''t be a simple coincidence. He is the only supernatural who had any actual means of contacting me. There shouldn''t be anyone who knows about his relationship with me. This gets fishier the more I think about it.


    What does the party influencing Miss Mystique want?''


    Vincent felt uneasy because of the unknown party that hadn''t made its appearance but that was all the more reason why he had to follow the young woman. Torturing her for information held no merit as she was completely oblivious to her situation and didn''t know anything.


    The hidden party wanted Vincent to follow her into the echoing gorge and that''s what he had to do. Going against their wishes when they knew so much about him wouldn''t bode well for him.


    Miss Mystique walked ahead casually. She took turns in the least travelled roads and alleys. Looking at her, anyone might think that she had lived her whole life in this neighborhood.


    Elias was surprised. He could confidently say that he knew most of the town well. But the area she was taking them to was a decrepit neighborhood where only homeless people sometimes went. It was a part rife with crime and dishonest people. Even he would have a hard time finding his way here and the girl was navigating through the confusing alleys like it was her backyard.


    He wanted to ask the doctor where they were heading but the serious look on his face deterred him from doing so. He looked lost in thought and he didn''t want to disrupt him. He was curious about the girl as well but he didn''t pry into it.


    Nearly half an hour later, they had finally reached their destination. The night had settled in and the moon was illuminating the open area an ethereal silver.


    It was rare to find such an open area inside the city. Vincent looked around to get a grasp of the area. He had no idea why the area was empty. The land prices inside the city was nothing to scoff at and he couldn''t understand why such a vast area was left untouched.


    Elias could guess what the doctor was thinking and he took the initiative. "This was a peaceful neighborhood just until three years ago but it burned down in a massive fire. More than three thousand people lost their lives to the fire and thousands more were injured. Lots of people reported sightings of ghosts afterwards. Many people thought of it as just the empty talks and a construction company started rebuilding the settlement.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    They had but leveled the area when the workers started catching cold mysteriously and no one could explain why. Despite the repeated attempts, no construction was successful and some workers even died. In the end, the rebuilding project was shut down and this area is still empty."


    Vincent nodded in response and turned to Miss Mystique. "Is this the echoing gorge? I don''t see any gorges though. In fact I see nothing special here."


    "Echoing gorge is just the name. It doesn''t refer to the place though. It''s a rave." The young woman replied without turning back.


    Vincent followed her gaze but still saw no signs of any other humans. He had thought that he might be able to learn the motive of the hidden party after reaching the place but he still didn''t receive a single clue. In fact, he was even more confused now. "Where''s the rave?"


    "It''s not time yet. Maybe it will begin a bit later." She shrugged as she answered.


    Left with no choice, Vincent decided to probe a little about her situation. "You seem awfully calm. Aren''t you scared?"


    "Scared of?"


    "You know my identity. The best way to ensure my safety is to silence you. And the best way to silence someone is to kill them." His voice was cold. Elias got goose bumps just listening to him.


    "You wouldn''t."


    "You don''t know that."


    "Yes, I do."


    "How?"


    "How? Isn''t it obvious? It''s because.... b... because..." The girl was confused. She couldn''t pinpoint why she thought so at all. Looking back, she had never been to this place but she seemed to know every nook and corner. The name ''echoing gorge'' itself was unfamiliar to her until just this morning. In fact, she was sure that she had never even heard of it.


    She grew silent and Vincent learned what he wanted to know. For now, he could conclude that the party influencing Miss Mystique wasn''t going to harm him. At least not until they had made enough use of him. He didn''t mind much as long as this did indeed lead him to a missionary of desire.


    Vincent sat there thinking. He was still in his work cloth. He had come straight from Elias''s office and the new investigator was dressed in a fashion similar to his. As for the girl, she was lost in thought, very confused and a little scared. The three waited patiently for a good while.


    Still no sign of anything.


    Vincent grew tired of waiting and asked the girl. "Are you sure we are on the right place?"


    "We should be....." She paused momentarily and got up. "Follow me."


    The two men got up and followed after her. Vincent didn''t complain and Elias walked behind him. They didn''t travel for long. The three soon found themselves in front of a half constructed mansion. Two burly men were standing  at the entrance.


    Miss Mystique stepped aside and gestured Vincent to take the lead. He approached the guard and stopped in front of them.


    "Three people. That will be three pounds for the entrance fee." One of the guard spoke as he extended his palm.


    Vincent fished for his wallet and paid up. He walked into the mansion followed by his two companions. Contrary to the unfinished outside, the inside was built luxuriously and was polished completely. Different works of art adorned both sides of the hallway and servants could be seen coming out of the kitchen in the far end. They busied themselves with carrying refreshments and snacks to the basement.


    The stair that led upstairs was only half complete so he could conclude that the rave was happening downstairs. He took a quick look at the kitchen and headed down.


    As soon as he entered the basement, he was surprised by the vast space available. The floor was smooth and sandwiched by walls that were unfinished and resembled jagged hills. Just as he finished taking in the structure''s  shape, he was hit by an aggressive atmosphere.


    It was absolutely crowded. Swathes of people were shouting excitedly as they waved around the money in their hands. A few staffs went around with a betting boxes while scantily dressed waitresses went around serving alcohol.


    Prostitutes pulled customers inside private booths every once in a while. Each of them were pretty and dressed in enticing manners. Even the waitresses were a cut above the rest in terms of looks. The establishment even had card tables with pretty dealers for people who weren''t into bloody sport.

 Echoing Gorge (5)

    Elias looked around. The excitement in the air was overwhelming. Audiences all had this zealous look in their eyes and even a grown man like him found it a bit frightening.


    Looking up at the stage, he saw two men grappling each other. There was no referee in the match and he wondered whether there were any rules at all. The fighters were both burly and built well. The bearded fighter was holding the fighter with a scar across his face in a choke hold.


    The scarred man''s face was turning redder by the second. All he could think of was breaking free and taking a deep breath. His vision was growing blurry and his consciousness slowly slipping away. He flailed his arms around in a desperate attempt.


    Watching the fight reach its end, the crowd cheered loudly. The people who had bet on the scarred man began cursing loudly while the others laughed uproariously. The sound rose to a crescendo only to be drowned out by a blood curdling scream.


    Everyone directed their attention to the fighting ring where the bearded fighter was rolling around in pain. The screams that escaped him were shrill and high. The scarred fighter lay on the ring, his back resting against the cold surface. His diaphragm heaved up and down with each breath he took and his face slowly gained its original color.


    He looked at his opponent and then at his bloody right hand. It just struck him that he had crushed the man''s testicles earlier. He had been trying to break free desperately and didn''t consider the consequences. Now that he had a clear head, he felt cold from within. He looked at the VIP booth and met eyes with the owner of the place.


    The owner had a high nose and chiseled face. His blue eyes gave one an impression of familiarity and kindness. He wore a luxurious coat above his shirt and a top hat sat on his head. The neatly combed hair reached down to his shoulder and an ever present smile was plastered across his face. He looked back calmly at the scarred fighter without moving a muscle.


    A switch flipped inside the scarred man. A visceral joy overwhelmed him as he heard his opponent''s screams. The blood on his hand and on the floor seemed to turn into an addictive shade of red. The crowd''s fervent cheering fueled his desire for violence and a newfound strength overflowed through his body.


    The tired body which he could barely move until just a moment ago moved as he willed and he exploded with power. He got on top of the screaming man and started raining one hammer blows after another to his face. The sound of his fist hitting the bearded man''s flesh reached his ear giving him a strange pleasure.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Similar to him, the bearded man seemed to grow violent as well. The pain which rendered him incapable of thought or action gave him incredible pleasure and each hit he received felt great. But while he enjoyed the pain, he was also overtaken by the desire to destroy the man on top of him.


    Having made his decision, he drove his finger into his opponent''s eyes. He could feel the eyeball pop and gooey white fluids slid down his fingers. A fist handed on his cheekbone and he was stunned.


    The scarred man backed away as he screamed in pain. Both his palms covered his left eye. A splitting headache followed the excruciating pain and a mixture of blood and intraocular fluid seeped out.


    The crowd was stunned into silence by the gruesome sight. It felt cold inside the heated basement all of a sudden.


    The owner clicked his tongue and clapped his hand. A wave of invisible energy swept through the crowd and the atmosphere changed immediately. The excitement which had all but disappeared returned once more. The audiences cheered like beasts and a few brawls broke out between the audiences without any signs.


    "Kill him!"


    "Rip him apart."


    "I put a lot of money into you. Put more power into your strikes."


    "Move your ass. Why are you crying like a pussy."


    The crowd exploded with all sorts of curses and cheers. Even Elias got influenced and started cheering. Vincent grabbed him by the neck and knocked him out.


    ''The owner doesn''t have brown hair. He doesn''t wear a glove as well and I can''t see any burn mark on his hands. He is not the one whom Elias had encountered.''


    Vincent made a conclusion and looked at Miss Mystique. He wanted to go deal with the owner and didn''t know what to do with the woman. He was surprised by what he saw. The easily excitable girl was sitting calmly in front of the bar and drinking from a bottle.


    "Are you okay?" Vincent asked as he put some distance between them. She was clearly acting abnormal and he decided it was best if he stayed a safe distance away from her.


    "Of course I am. I haven''t felt this good in a long time. How I have missed this sensation. The only regrettable thing is that the alcohol tastes bad. What a shame." She answered with a reminiscing look on her face.


    Putting the bottle down, she redirected her gaze to the ring. The scarred fighter was choking the bearded man while the latter delivered one punch after another. Both the men possessed great strength. The bearded fighter couldn''t breathe at all. His thoughts were growing slower but he didn''t mind. There was not an ounce of fear in his mind. He was growing high on asphyxiation and he had never felt so good.


    His hits grew lighter and lighter. Until finally, his arms dangled loosely and his body fell like a puppet whose strings had been cut loose. The scarred man looked around and roared in victory. Blood still flowed from his mangled eye socket but he paid it no mind. He was immersed in this amazing feeling of victory and nothing mattered to him.

 Echoing Gorge (6)

    ''She''s like a completely different person right now.


    No!


    She is a completely different person.


    Is it possession? Forget it. That''s not the important thing. What I need to figure  out is how she found out about me and Elias as well as this place. I still can''t think of any clues that could have revealed my identity.''


    The way Miss Mystique was acting was completely unlike her usual self. She was far too calm. Vincent wanted to confirm whether it was a case of possession or switched personality but the situation wouldn''t allow for it. He had to deal with the owner for the man had already noticed the young man and woman not affected by his abilities.


    Vincent wasn''t equipped with any weapons. He wanted to check Elias''s body for one but didn''t. He was unsure whether the party possessing Miss Mystique knew of his grade. Either way, the situation had been set up so that he would be forced to reveal the cards up his sleeve.


    Ridding his head of all unnecessary thoughts, he navigated through the chaotic crowd and moved to the VIP booth. The owner likewise exited the booth and waited for him in an empty spot.


    Soon, the two were standing face to face. "What can I do for you?"


    Vincent smiled to the owner''s question and replied back. "Why don''t you tell me about your Seventh Gate?"


    The slight smile that had never left the owner''s face disappeared at once. His brows furrowed and a serious look came over his face. "You shouldn''t know that name. Where did you hear it from?"


    "You need to but answer."


    "I am afraid I can''t do that. Looks like the only option for us is to resort to violence. What an unsightly situation we have found ourselves in." The owner took off his hat and placed it gently on a chair. He combed his hair back with his hands and looked straight at the young man. His blue eyes glowed red for a split second and a wave of energy seeped into Vincent''s body.


    Vincent''s body started trembling uncontrollably. One wave of fear after another hit him and he fell to his knees unable to put up any resistance.


    "What a disappointment. I thought you would have come prepared since you knew the name of our organization. But, it looks like you can''t even shrug off the effects of a simple fear. Not that I mind it. Now let''s hear where you learnt of the name." The owner walked closer and stopped right beside Vincent. "It''s scary isn''t it? I know the feeling. Don''t worry, you tell me how you learnt of the name and I will stop the fear."If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Missionaries of desire were capable of freely manipulating a person''s emotions. Fear was their most powerful weapon. Unless they were facing opponents with no life in them,  few could overcome the fear they could afflict.


    He had used this method dozens of times and he had yet to fail. Once under the effect of their fear, even the most courageous of men would be unable to stand their ground and keep their mouth shut. The young man in front of him was doing considerably well, at least he hadn''t wet his pants.


    Slight sounds came out of the genuflecting man but he was unable to make any meaning out of it.


    ''Tch... looks like he''s too scared to even speak coherently.''


    The owner reduced the intensity of fear by a little bit and crouched down. Bringing his ear closer to the young man''s mouth, he asked once again. "Where did you learn of the name?"


    He was sure he would receive an answer this time. The person in front of him was completely defenseless.  A smile crept up his face when he thought about the reward he would receive when reporting this matter. Almost no one knew of the name ''Seventh gate''. If someone did, they were taken care of swiftly. The reward for cleaning up was also hefty and he couldn''t help but feel lucky for running into this easy prey here.


    The girl who was drinking nonchalantly was also a supernatural but he didn''t need to worry about her. She was a grade one and he could clearly sense it. While the man in front of him was a grade two, it looked like he was very foolish. Approaching him without any weapon or preparation would be the last mistake he ever made.


    The young man could finally make out syllables clearly. An answer would be coming soon. The smile on the owner''s face grew wider but it was immediately forced away by the scream that escaped him.


    He moved away and covered his left ear with his hand. A stinging sensation came from the point where he touched his ear. Bringing his palm in front of his face, he found it covered in red blood.


    Shocked, he looked at the young man who was trembling helplessly just until a moment ago. What he saw wasn''t a defenseless man but a cold pair of eyes staring back at him. Furthermore, the madman was actually chewing on his ear. He watched in horror as the young man swallowed it.


    He was stricken with fear but he acted quickly. As a missionary of desire he could also control his own emotions. He got rid of his fear using his ability and tried to influence the young man who was slowly getting up.


    Nothing!


    The young man got up without any difficulties.  Flustered, the owner used his powers again. Still nothing. He used his powers again and again as he backed off. He had used his ability over a dozen times without anything to show in return. The young man closed the distance slowly and stopped right before him.


    "How are you alright? I don''t sense any artifact with you either. Why isn''t my fear working on you?" The owner asked with a resigned look on his face. He had gotten too cocky after seeing the man down on the ground that he didn''t even fetch any weapon. He couldn''t believe that he had made such a rookie mistake and cursed himself inwardly. Now the only option for him was to understand why his powers weren''t working and work his way around it.


    "Live six years in fear and your little tricks starts feeling like child''s play." Vincent cornered his opponent against the wall and glanced back at Miss Mystique. She was still going through one glass of alcohol after another as she enjoyed the spectacle of dozens of men fighting like rabid dogs.


    Having failed to discern the hidden party''s true motive once again, he redirected his gaze back to the owner. A devilish smile unknowingly crept up his face and his eyes shone bright. Together, they made him look insane. "Now then, let''s have you answer my questions."

 Echoing Gorge (7)

    "What makes you think you can make me talk?" The owner stopped backing off and smiled at the young man who stood in front of him. His opponent acted as if he had already won. Just that attitude was enough to ignite his fighting spirit.


    It was unfortunate that he was only a grade two missionary of desire. If he was only a grade higher, he could manipulate the others to attack his opponent instead of just fighting each other.


    Straightening his thoughts, he took a boxing stance. While it was true that his kind was physically weaker than most other supernaturals, anyone underestimating him would have trouble coming their way. He belonged to an organization that existed for centuries and each member went through hellish training. Unlike the other unaffiliated supernaturals who resembled more of a street ruffian, he was a well trained combatant.


    "You want to box against me? That''s fine by me." Vincent took the same stance and approached the owner.


    A fist came flying to his face but he dodged it cleanly. Moving inwards, he  unleashed a flurry of blows. Each of his blows were quick and heavy but the owner guarded his vitals surprisingly well. Enduring through the attacks, the owner kicked towards the young man''s groin.


    Forced to back off, Vincent moved back and observed his opponent. While the man was well trained and proficient in the art of combat, Vincent outclassed him in power, speed, and most importantly, physique. The owner had baited him into boxing and used a lethal kick. This showed that he was experienced but Vincent had never once thought that they would be boxing like two good sports. He wouldn''t fall for such cheap tricks.


    The owner closed the gap and threw one attack after another. Each targeting vitals such as the eyes, ears and groins. Vincent skillfully dodged the attacks. In his eyes, the quick, lethal attacks were nothing but slow movements. Grabbing the arm that was trying to poke his eyeballs, he clenched his fist and punched.


    The owner was shell shocked. All the air in his lungs got knocked out. While he was indeed slower and weaker physically, the young man was nowhere near this quick. He had no idea when the hit had connected. All he knew was that his condition wasn''t good. His mouth opened involuntarily to suck in a deep breath but he couldn''t inhale. The pit of his stomach felt like it was burning.


    Before he could recover, a fist landed on his temple. Unable to handle the impact, he fell head first to the floor. He was dizzy. He didn''t know how but his ears were ringing as well.


    ''I almost blacked out in one hit. I can''t fight him. But I am sure I can''t outrun him as well. This is bad. The only thing to do now is to try and lead him to a trap while preserving my life.''


    "Arghhhh!" A sharp scream escaped from him. Looking at his hand, he noticed that his pinky was bent in an unnatural angle . It was already starting to swell.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Changed your mind about speaking yet?" Vincent moved closer and whispered into the ears of the man screaming in agony.


    "F*ck you!" The owner cursed out in pain and anger. He hadn''t even closed his mouth when he heard a snap.


    Another wave of pain hit him and his second finger had been bent as well.


    He wanted to curse but held back after recalling what the young man just did. Pulling his hand back, he held it with his other to ease the pain. Cold sweat began dripping down his face and he inched back slowly.


    His back against the wall, his mind raced to think of a viable solution to get out of this sticky situation. The screams and shouts coming from the people annoyed him to no end. He couldn''t think straight. The pain was only getting worse and his ears stung every once in a while.


    "Don''t worry. You still have eight more fingers. Even  if I fail to make you talk till then, you still have 24 more ribs buy more time. I don''t think you are resilient enough to last that long. Trust me when I say this. I WILL make you speak." The young man had a devilish smile on his face. It almost looked like he was enjoying it. "Now, let''s hear your name."


    The owner gulped and spoke in horror, "Cameroon Barrett."


    "Are you a part of the seventh gate?"


    "Yes."


    "Good. Now tell me about the seventh gate."


    "The seventh gate exists to open the ga......." Cameroon began wheezing like a dying old man.


    Vincent, who had been listening with complete focus was alarmed. He was finally close to learning something and the man began showing abnormalities. He couldn''t lose this lead. But before he could do anything to try and understand what was happening to the man, he was hit by a wave of fear.


    Fear strong enough to render him immobile.


    Rooted to the spot he was standing in, he could do naught but watch as a new pair of hands emerged from Cameroon''s back. From small hands resembling those of an infant, they grew at an alarming rate. But as it grew, the man seemed to grow leaner and weaker. Before long, his cheeks had sunken in and his body had become nothing but skin and bones. The hands growing from his back however, had grown into hairy muscular limbs.


    Vincent tried everything he could think of but he just couldn''t drive away the fear gripping his heart. His body refused to move and laid prone on the ground. The others occupying the basement reacted in a similar to Vincent. Many lost control of their bladder, some fainted right away while some lay there shivering  on the pool of their piss as if they were naked on the coldest day.


    Cameroon struggled to move even a single muscle. The giant arm growing on his back had sucked him dry of his energy. Enduring the excruciating pain, he parted his lips and barely let two words out. "Help me...."


    Even his eyelids started getting heavier and he could no longer muster enough strength to utter another word. He was helpless and in unimaginable pain.


    The giant arms twitched a little. The fingers moved slowly and began learning the range of its motions. Step by step, it gained full control of itself.


    Cameroon was aware of it. Though he couldn''t control the arms, he could feel them moving. His eyes shook in fear as the palms circled around his shoulders. The right arm grabbed his chin while the left arm his right temple.


    SNAP!


    The man was dead before he could register what the arm was trying to do. His emaciated face still had a look of horror in them. His now dull and lifeless eyes reflected the light from the lamps. His thin frame looked like a withered tree that was about to collapse in the face of a hurricane. And without any surprise, he did fall.

 Echoing Gorge (8)

    "Oh my. Looks like he is dead. A bit faster than I expected." Miss Mystique walked past Vincent and sat down with her chins resting on her palms. A melancholic look adorned her eyes as she stared down at the horror filled face of Cameroon.  "Human bodies are so fragile. But I guess it''s this very imperfection that makes death so beautiful."


    Vincent looked dull as he stared ahead blankly. His knees still touched the ground and he hadn''t even bothered standing up even after the fear had disappeared. He had thought that he would finally learn about his enemies.


    Maybe because he had let his excitement get the better of him, the loss hit him even harder. For a moment, he was truly lost. But then Miss Mystique''s words brought him back to his senses. His emotions were in turmoil but he brought it under control. Standing up slowly, he organized his thoughts.


    "Hooooohhh" He took a deep breath and looked straight at the young woman.


    Curious, she turned to him to see what was going on. The man had a murderous look on his face. Her heart skipped a beat and she moved back involuntarily. The wall of the booth touched her back and Vincent moved.


    His movement was completely unlike before. He had crossed the dozens of steps between them in a blink. His fist moved at a frightening speed.


    Bang!


    The fist had passed her by before she could even react. Looking to her left, she saw the fist lodged into the concrete wall. Cracks resembling spider webs spread from the point of impact.


    "I don''t know who you are or how you know what you do about me. But one thing that I do know is that you knew there was a curse placed on him that would activate when he tried to speak about the Seventh gate. I don''t know why you are doing this but I don''t care at this point. If you don''t give me a reason to let you go right now, you won''t leave this place alive. I am sure you wouldn''t want to die here inside this fragile body." Vincent spoke in a menacing manner.


    He was almost reaching his breaking point. He was fine with being used by the hidden party as long as he could get a lead on the Seventh gate. But she had deliberately lead him here and orchestrated for the event to unfold as it had. This, he could not stand and the best thing to do was get rid of her if she couldn''t prove that she held value for him. This risked his identity being exposed if she had a partner but if she didn''t, it ensured his safety.


    "Extraordinary vision and a physique that greatly enhances the speed and toughness of the arms. Those are the traits of the giant punching mantis found in the northern exotic isles of the continent. As far as I know, no other supernatural possess these traits. The only way for anyone to have these abilities would be by copying or taking. Only a handful of supernaturals can do that. With that in mind, it''s not hard to determine what you are.


    His fear stopped working on you after you ate his flesh. To be able to nullify the target''s abilities on you after consuming the their flesh or blood. That is an ability unique to a very rare supernatural.  I had never met a predator until today. I must say, you didn''t disappoint me. You haven''t even used your trump card and your punches are already hard to follow with the naked eyes. I had never even thought that a predator could be even more terrifying by taking a normal animal''s ability rather than a supernaturals''." The fear and shock disappeared from her eyes as if it was all an act. A chilling calm replaced all her emotions.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    It was now Vincent''s turn to be caught by surprise. Predator was a very rare supernatural and few people knew of it. The woman however, determined all of that in such a short period of time. She was either greatly experienced or had an ability that let her analyze things to an almost superhuman level. There were also some other methods but the chances of her using those would be astronomically low.


    Satisfied by Vincent''s shocked face, she continued, "I can understand why you are angry. But trust me, this was the only way. Even if I had told you that it would turn out this way, you wouldn''t have believed me. As for why I did this? It''s to prove that we know what you want to know."


    She did make sense and he couldn''t refute her words. It would have been clear to him if he had thought this through.


    ''Looks like I wasn''t clear minded at all. I will have to keep this in mind for the future. I can''t believe I would start losing my bearing after all this time.''


    Vincent remained silent to acknowledge her words. Seeing that she had no intention of speaking further, he asked without hoping to receive an answer. "Who are you?"


    "We are a messenger of the temple of knowledge."


    "What business  could a messenger from the temple possibly have with an insignificant person like me?" The temple of knowledge was an ancient organization of supernaturals. They claimed that their purpose was to find the answer to everything. If she was part of that organization then it did make sense that she would know about him. Few things could be hidden from them.


    "I want to extend to you an offer. Become a seeker for us and we will reward you with answers equivalent to what you contribute for our cause."


    "I never knew that the temple accepted outsiders into their ranks."


    "We didn''t. But the times are changing. You should already know this but a war is coming. No one can escape it."


    "What if I refuse?"


    She smiled in amusement. "You underestimate the temple. We come knowing that you will accept."


    "Fine. I accept. Now tell me about the seventh gate." Vincent spoke in a resigned tone. It really felt like she knew everything. It was better to just go along with her wishes. She had come prepared after all. Besides, the deal wasn''t bad at all.


    "You need to contribute to our cause before you get to ask. As a sign of goodwill, we will give you a piece of advice though. You should take the Emoss bug with you when you attend the next gathering. You will need it. We have to go for now. You don''t have to worry about cleaning up the place. It will be taken care of. As for this girl, tell her that the jade hairpin is the price she paid for all that she learned." Right as she finished her sentence, her body collapsed to the floor unconscious.


    Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Vincent dusted off his clothes. Crouching by her side, he tried waking the young woman up. Unfortunately, she was out cold. Left with no choice, he carried her and headed for the unconscious Elias.


    He kicked the man but received no response. Vincent repeated his action once more and the new investigator finally woke up.


    The man rubbed his eyes and observed his surroundings. Looking around, he was shocked to see the swathes of injured men and women unconscious. Some were even sleeping on top of yellow liquid and he didn''t want to know what it was.


    He checked his own clothes to ensure that he hadn''t ruined his new suit. Finding just a little bit of dust here and there, he felt relieved.


    "Get up. We are leaving this place." Vincent spoke as he adjusted the sleeping girls'' position to make it easier for himself.


    "Where to?" Elias asked as he gulped.


    "To bury her of course. Also burn the place down." Vincent spoke coldly. Elias sucked in a mouthful of air and backed off from him. "Tch... I am joking. Someone else will clean up the place. This girl is still alive. We are leaving this place. Or do you intend to join these people instead of your family for the night?"


    "Hahaha of course I knew you were joking." Elias scratched the back of his head awkwardly and followed Vincent out.

 Warning (1)

    Amelia woke up with a headache. Her stomach churned as she tried to sit up and it induced a wave of nausea.


    The events of last night flashed in her mind. She remembered all of it until the moment she started drinking. It was a strange feeling. She was sure that it wasn''t her but she remembered all of it as if she was the one doing it.


    As she pushed her brain to try and recall the events afterwards, another pang of headache hit her and she felt fluids rushing up her throat. She got up in a rush to run to the washroom and realized that this wasn''t her room.


    Left with no choice, she randomly opened a door in a hurry. Thankfully, it was the washroom. Supporting herself with her hands on the washbasin, she emptied her stomach. The bitter taste of her gastric fluids and cheap beer lingered on her tongue.


    ''Couldn''t they have served better alcohol? Ughh... my stomach hurts.''


    Done with the emergency, she freshened up and returned to the bed. The room was medium in size and decorated plainly. Little sunlight came through the window that was facing west but the room was warm enough.


    Grabbing a glass of water for herself, she organized her fragmented memories. Now that she started making sense of what had happened, she got scared. A different consciousness had taken over her right before she entered the mansion. She was being influenced subtly even before that but she had overlooked it in its entirety. No, it was more like she was being influenced in such a manner that she found nothing strange.


    She needed to know what had happened. She had a lot of questions that needed answering but most importantly, she needed to know why her. Unless she figured all these out, she wouldn''t be able to rest easy.


    Having made up her mind to figure out everything, she got up and headed for the hotel''s counter. "Excuse me, can I know who brought me here yesterday?"


    The lady in the reception was a middle aged woman wearing a blue dress. "Don''t you remember? A gentleman wearing glasses carried you here. You were dead drunk. Thankfully you had a good friend. A young woman shouldn''t be drinking so heavily, specially so late into the night. Do you have any idea how dangerous it can get?"


    The receptionist answered her question and proceeded to warn her about the dangers of a staying out late for a young lady. She even recounted some events that had made it to the news.


    Amelia smiled awkwardly and replied, "Thank you for your concern. I got carried away by alcohol yesterday. I will keep your words in mind."


    She checked out and walked away immediately. She didn''t know how to respond to the lady''s concerns. She wasn''t used to being treated with kindness. If she could, she would rather deal with people who wanted something from her.


    Chasing away the unnecessary thoughts in her mind, she headed for a rowdy neighborhood. It was where Big Joe lived for the moment. He had told her to come find him if she ever found herself in a pickle.


    For the moment, he was the only one she trusted. He was different from other supernaturals she had met. She wasn''t sure if it was his work ethic or just his personality but he made sure that she was safe from harm. The actions he took back in the hotel in black wood salt mine had earned her trust. At least to some extent.


    She took a deep breath and knocked on the door twice. The door opened a little and a pair of eyes observed her from inside. She could tell that it was Joe just by how she had to look up to match his eyes.


    "Come in." Joe spoke and moved back to make space for her to walk through. "Sit down. What brings you here?"Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I think I have something inside me." She spoke in a tone full of panic. She could hold back the anxiety and fear because she didn''t have anyone to rely on. But now that she had made her way to someone who could help her, her emotions burst out like an overflowing dam. "It can control me without me knowing about it. And then I did things and I knew things that I didn''t know about. I don''t know when it will control me again. Help me."


    "Calm down. You aren''t making much sense. What''s inside you? Did the police do anything?" Joe spoke gently and placated her.


    "I don''t know. I don''t know if it''s the police. I feel like I will know if I can remember what happened afterwards but there''s a giant blank in my memory after a certain point."


    "Tell me what you know."


    Amelia began narrating what had happened after he had jumped from the window to run away. She skipped the part about learning of Mr. Secret''s identity and her going to the private investigator. Mr. Secret had saved her once and stepped in to make sure she was safe in the hotel after black wood salt mine incident. She didn''t want to create more complications and also felt like she owed at least that much to him.


    "So you are telling me that you walked to a half built mansion in a deserted place. And that you had no idea about the place or its name but u suddenly seemed to know about it?"Joe asked once more to make sure.


    She nodded expectantly.


    "It sounds like possession rather than a controlling ability. But it''s not a standard possession as well. If it was, you wouldn''t have remembered anything. I need to make sure of some things. Take me to the mansion."


    The two headed for the mansion. Amelia''s memory were a bit jumbled and shaky but after repeated attempts, they finally reached their destination.


    Joe was surprised to actually find a mansion in a place like this. He knew what had transpired here and how all construction had been cancelled after the leveling had been completed.


    "It''s in there. In the basement." Amelia spoke apprehensively. The party that had controlled her had lead her here and she was scared to go in. Besides she could still clearly remember the madness and chaos.


    Noticing her fears, Joe took the lead and opened the door. Peeking in, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Looking back, he spoke in a reassuring manner, "What are you scared of. I am here. Follow me."


    The girl stuck close to the giant and walked into the mansion. The first difference she noticed was that the artworks decorating the walls were missing. Now, it resembled a house that had been abandoned mid construction.


    "It wasn''t like this. There were expensive vases and paintings throughout this corridor and the kitchen was inside that room on the end of the corridor." Moving to the room where the kitchen was supposed to be, she found it empty.


    Joe noticed the shock on her face. "Let''s go down first. Cleaning this place up wouldn''t be hard but removing a giant fighting ring and a bar is another matter altogether."


    She just nodded half heartedly and traced his footsteps. It was the same downstairs. Everything had been cleaned. There was no fighting ring, no bar, no booths. It was just one giant basement with jagged walls.


    "What do I do? I am scared. I don''t even know when I will become like yesterday once again." She broke down emotionally. She didn''t consider herself a good person but she had tried to live virtuously. Having endured a decade and a half of tough life, she had finally started seeing good days. Even so, her life felt empty and meaningless and she had turned to the supernatural world to feel alive. It hadn''t even been a week after she turned into a supernatural and she found herself once again in this unfair situation.


    Big Joe was at a loss. Miss Mystique always seemed to bright and cheerful. Never had he expected her to be so frail. He approached her and patted her back awkwardly. "it''s okay. You have Dr. White''s brooch that you bought from Mr. Collector. I think you can recover your memory loss with its help. Mr. Collector did say that it could get rid of curses. A small problem like memory loss shouldn''t be an issue."


    "Mmm... " Amelia wiped away her tears and nodded heavily. Being comforted felt warm and she resolved to herself to not let Joe''s concerns go to waste.


    She took a deep breath to alleviate her runny nose. "Big Joe, are you my friend?"


    "I don''t know about being friends but I will do my best to fulfill your requests as long as you pay me. I am still working to pay off the advance you had given me on the sewer."


    She found his answer even warmer. Even if he didn''t say yes, she considered him a friend of hers already. Being able to confide in someone during such a tough time was a wonderful thing. Setting her emotions and thoughts straight, she turned to him and spoke cheerily, "Let''s go. We will spend the entire day helping the poor and unfortunate."


    Big Joe looked at her disheveled look and spoke with a beaming smile. "Of course, it''s hard to find good Samaritans like us."


    The two walked out of the mansion and headed for Amelia''s home. She needed to fetch the brooch as well as some money.


    A man in dark clothes was observing the duo from a safe distance. He was well hidden and the two didn''t even notice him.

 Warning (2)

    "How did it go?" Vincent asked Elias who had just entered the room.


    Elias was shocked. The room was locked and he had just used the key to get in. How had the doctor got in? He had no idea but he repressed his emotions and answered. "She woke up at 7:24 and headed for the  settlement district west of the old station. There she met up with a big man who goes by the name of Big Joe. They exchanged some words and headed for the half built mansion.


    The place had been completely cleaned up. No traces of any of the previous activities remained at all. It was just as you said it would be."


    Vincent nodded in acknowledgement and asked again. "What did the two do after that?"


    "They went to the Pears estate in the ruby district. There the girl and the man rested for a while and they left once again. This time for the slums where they spent the entire day distributing food and cloth to the starved and homeless." Elias answered professionally. He found the actions weird but didn''t put in his inputs. He was tasked to tail the girl and report her actions and that''s all he had to do.


    The girl was indeed acting strange ever since she visited his office yesterday. Now that he thought about it, he wouldn''t be surprised even if the girl did something crazy. Doing charity was actually a surprisingly normal course of action coming from her.


    "Did you find their identities?"


    "Yes, the girl''s name is Amelia Pears. She will be twenty this year. She is said to have inherited the estate and all her fortune from a man named Rocco. For a more detailed report, I will need more time." Elias stopped to observe Vincent''s reaction. Seeing that he didn''t show any dissatisfaction, he continued, "The man''s name is Joshua Grim. He moved to his current place of residence two years ago. He makes a living as a person who does odd jobs. But that is all just a cover. He seems to be secretly doing some other things late at night every now and then."


    "That''s good enough for now. You don''t have to dig any deeper." Vincent got up and handed a ten pound bill to the investigator. He then picked up a paper and pen from the desk and wrote a few lines. "Warn Miss Pears exactly as I have written here. Make sure to do it anonymously. As for how you do it, I think a private investigator would know better."


    Elias bowed in gratitude and escorted the doctor out. Coming back in, he read the paper once and carefully folded it. He was going to place it inside his pocket but after thinking carefully, he burned it to ashes.


    A myriad of thoughts ran through his head. He began wondering what had been done with all the people present inside the mansion. They were all unconscious but still very alive. The doctor said that someone else would come clean the place up and he hadn''t given it much thought at the time. But after having seen the mansion once again personally, he couldn''t help but start questioning what could have had happened. Were they held somewhere? Were they even alive?You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    His guts told him that they were probably all dead. He knew that it was the answer that was most likely to be the truth but he just couldn''t rest easy knowing that. There were many people among whom were the staffs just working there as well as people with family. The thought left a bad aftertaste in his mouth and he couldn''t help but feel upset.


    Lost in thought, he sat there like a grumpy old man. He sobered up eventually and looked at the clock. It was already nearing six and he would have been home by now. Locking the place up, he headed home. His gait lacked the usual boldness. He was still not feeling like himself and he didn''t realize that he was already standing before his room.


    The laughter of his young daughter and loving wife came from inside. They seemed to be playing and Anna burst into laughter every now and then.


    Listening to this, Elias resolved himself to do whatever it took to keep his family happy. The upset look on his face was replaced by a bright smile and he turned the doorknob. Walking in, he greeted his angel of a daughter and wife warmly.


    "How was work today?" His wife asked him worriedly. Though he had a smile on his face, she could make out the distress in his heart.


    Touched by her concern, he smiled even brightly and answered. "A little tiring. But it''s only to be expected. I am a private investigator now after all. Can''t be slacking off."


    *****


    Vincent threw his briefcase and slumped on his bed. He was mentally spent. He hadn''t had a proper rest for almost half a month now. The event last night had specially taken on a toll on him both mentally and emotionally. He knew he needed some rest but he couldn''t afford it. The messenger of the temple had told him that he needed to bring the Emoss bug when he went to the next gathering.


    That sentence had bugged him and he still couldn''t get it out of his mind. It was a simple sentence but it implied a lot of things. First of all, it hinted that a danger he couldn''t handle with his current strength would be laying there. Second, it was a warning to him. That he shouldn''t try anything funny because they knew everything about him. The bug was his trump card and he had hidden it really well. The fact that the temple knew about it meant that they could read him like an open book.


    This bothered him greatly. He didn''t feel safe with them because he knew for a fact that the temple never did things that way. If he was really made a seeker then they would have given him a token by which to identify and contact him. He had already been offered the position and he had accepted. But he still hadn''t received a token. This only meant one thing. They would test him to see if he was worthy.


    And the reason why he had been advised to take the Emoss bug on the next gathering. There could only be one, because whatever obstacle he encountered there would be his test. To pass it, he had to overcome it. If he couldn''t do so he would have failed their test. How they would deal with him then, that he didn''t know.


    Even after sorting all this out, he still couldn''t figure out why the messenger told him to take the bug with him. With it, his safety was as good as guaranteed. It didn''t make sense. If he used the bug, it wouldn''t be a test as it wouldn''t reflect on his capability.


    If the messenger wanted him to know that he had no secret in front of them, then just mentioning about the bug would have been enough. There was no need to advise him to take the bug. He couldn''t make head or tails out of it. It didn''t suit the style of the temple at all.


    In the end, he gave up. He was already tired, it felt like working on a task that would get nowhere. Catching some rest would be a lot more fruitful.

 Warning (3)

    Amelia walked around the slum once again. Joe was accompanying her just in case anything happened. He couldn''t help her even if she was possessed once again but just his presence put her heart at ease.


    Today was the third day she was doing this already. Joe''s idea really worked. She had recovered all her memories yesterday. But the dialogues Mr. Secret shared with the one who had possessed her had been strangely muted. She had come today in hopes that she could recall the conversation. Unfortunately it looked like that wasn''t going to happen.


    But her actions weren''t fruitless. Judging by the actions and body language of the two in her memory, they had come into an understanding at the end. With how she had settled the angry Mr. Secret, she could conclude that he had been offered something which he couldn''t resist.


    The only thing that she still couldn''t figure out was why it was her who was possessed. If the objective of the hidden party was to contact Mr. Secret, they could have done it by possessing anyone else. Even possessing the private investigator would have been much more easier. She could tell that he was a normal human who would be a lot easier to influence. Besides, he also had contact with Mr. Secret already.


    She really wished that she could share her experience with someone and get their input on it. Joe was right beside her but she didn''t dare do it. If she spoke unnecessarily, he could also get embroiled in this situation and she didn''t want that. As much as it sucked, she would have to push through by herself until she figured out enough.


    The bread in her hands was almost all gone and she just needed to find some more homeless people. The brooch wasn''t going to help anymore and she didn''t want to waste her efforts.


    Joe was following behind her. His mouth opened wide as he let out a yawn. He looked tired and had some bags under his eyes. Just as she was about to ask what he had been up to last night, a starving man approached them. He stood still and took a good look at the duo.


    The man confirmed that these two were indeed the one he needed to leave the warning to. "Miss Amelia Pears?"


    Amelia was shocked. Not even Big Joe knew her name. He could have easily figured it out if he dug around. She would tell him if he asked but he hadn''t and she didn''t feel it necessary. A starving man in the slums wouldn''t know her name. She was sure that this was their first meeting. "Yes.... That''s me. What business do you have with me?"


    "Do not look for your jade hairpin and you won''t have a similar experience again. Whatever you learnt of that night, keep them to yourself. If you don''t go looking for trouble, trouble won''t find you."A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    The man quickly turned around and walked away. Joe immediately moved to give chase but was stopped by the girl.


    "What is it? He might know something. Don''t you want to know about it? It''s a clue right in front of us." Joe asked back a little worked up.


    "No, the man said not to go looking for trouble. His words have already given me a clue. Whatever happened to me happened because of the jade hairpin. I hadn''t thought of that because I had locked it away after you and Mr. Secret warned me. I feel relieved now. The loss of 2500 pounds does hurt but I can handle it."


    Joe was disgruntled but he let it go. He could understand that she was genuinely scared. "Fine. But I will never be able to understand how you rich people think. I would gladly risk my life for 2500 pounds."


    She just smiled at him. Joe felt a little awkward as well.


    ''Maybe I shouldn''t have made that comment. Well whatever, what''s done is done. Let me just change the topic.''


    "Do you think the hairpin was something special? If a supernatural like you was possessed without even you realizing it, the possessor should be at least a grade 3. I would say he is likely to be even higher. For them to come after it personally, it must hold some good value."


    "I don''t know. I am just happy to be rid of it." Amelia handed the rest of the food to Joe and hopped away cheerily.


    *****


    Elias returned to his office after confirming that the warning had been delivered. Done with all the task he had been entrusted, he let out a sigh of relief. He had been tailing the young woman for three days and he was scared at every moment around her. She had led him and the doctor to the mansion previously and he could never be sure if she would do such a thing again.


    He couldn''t help but ask himself if following the woman was safe at all. Even if he hadn''t witnessed the madness that had ensued after he was knocked out, he had still seen the violent fight in the ring. Besides, he could still infer some things after looking at the aftermath. It was a scary world and he didn''t know how to cope with this new fear that haunted him.


    The new investigator had some sandwich as he read the day''s newspaper. He had missed the previous two days issues as well and he planned on catching up right now. The office wouldn''t be seeing any clients anyways. Information was valuable, specially for someone in his trade. You could never tell what would come in handy.


    His intention was to unwind and relax as he read the paper. Unfortunately for him, several of the headlines caught his attention. The contents described crimes of peculiar natures and phenomenon that couldn''t be described as normal. He would have normally skimmed over them and gradually forget about it. But after learning of the supernaturals, he couldn''t help but link these to them.


    Just the incidents that couldn''t be covered up by the authorities numbered this many in a daily basis. He couldn''t even begin to imagine how many more cases were never discovered or buried under the rugs. There also had to be heaps more which weren''t worth the news. Without him noticing, it was almost sundown.


    Just like how he had done it for the past few days. He hid his worries and fear under the mask of his smile. Locking the door, he headed for his home where his family would be waiting for him. In this scary world, it was the only place which could give him peace of mind.

 The Mark of the Hidden Temple (1)

    Vincent woke up feeling refreshed. He had been sleeping properly for the past few days. His body felt light and full of energy. Freshening up, he joined Mr. and Mrs. Lee for breakfast.


    "Have you gotten used to your workplace yet?" The lady of the house asked with a smile.


    "Yes. Thank you for asking. I have grown quite used to it." Vincent replied and asked back. "Marie and Issac seem quite lively. Did something good happen?"


    "They are going for a picnic today. It really is hard to understand their excitement. I wish I had just a portion of their energy. Looks like I am getting quite old." Mr. Lee answered with a sigh. "Working all day everyday gets quite exhausting. These kids on the other hand can go on for ages without getting tired. Oh, how I envy them."


    "Hang on Mr. Lee, the weekend starts tomorrow. Besides, if you grumble like that, you might really turn into an old man soon." Vincent commented casually.


    "That''s right. I keep on telling him that how you see yourself is important but he never pays much attention to my words." Mrs. Lee used the opportunity to express dissatisfaction with her husband.


    "My dear.... do you perhaps mean to bring up the matter of buying the expensive cutleries once again saying that it will help you maintain a better self image? Those are for the posh people to show off. We have to spend in moderation. The prices of goods increase by the day and you can never have enough money. Living in this city is only going to get more and more expensive. We have to have at least a decent amount of saving for any unforeseen circumstances." Mr. Lee shut down his wife before she could bring up the topic.


    The couple seemed to be in sync with one another. They could easily tell what the other was thinking. Unfortunately, they didn''t seem to share same views at all and went back and forth throughout breakfast. The two would turn to Vincent from time to time and ask for his opinion. He tried his best to reply in a way that would make it seem like he wasn''t siding with anyone but also supporting both at the same time.


    Vincent finished his breakfast quickly and lied about having to get the hospital earlier. Staying any longer would only increase the number of bullets he would have to dodge. Getting changed, he headed for work.


    The day was uneventful. Everything went by smoothly and before long, his shift was over. He walked back home and took a nap.


    He was woken up by the maid''s knocking. It was time for dinner. The Lee family made it a point to have a sumptuous dinner every Friday. Though the landlord often complained about the cost, his wife would have none of it. Besides, the man himself enjoyed the food despite all his complaints. Vincent ate quite heartily and retired to his room.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Locking the door, he sat on a reclining chair. Taking off his glasses, he shut his eyes. He lay there motionless as a myriad of thoughts raced through his head.


    It was the night of the gathering again tonight. He knew a challenge that he would find hard to overcome awaited him. He had no idea what kind of danger he would have to face but he couldn''t not go there. The messenger''s words had made it clear. It was a trial for him.


    He was feeling uncertain and a bit fearful. He could very well die if things went south but he couldn''t back out. He had prepared for the worst the moment he chose to walk the path of revenge. It didn''t matter what he had to do, he would do it. If a small trial like this could stop him, he was bound to fall sooner or later.


    His eyelids snapped open revealing a pair of dark eyes. Unlike his easygoing look, his eyes were full of resolve now. They gave off a sense of strength and conviction.


    Vincent put on a dark coat and equipped himself with his trusty pistol. The syringe he had bought from Mr. Collector went in his inner chest pocket along with a bit of fresh animal blood he had bought from a butcher while on his way home. They were both placed in a small strong container to prevent any accidents.


    He would have normally just put on his mask and headed out. But today was different. He had been advised to bring something with him by the messenger herself. Though he didn''t put much emphasis on her words, it was always better to be on the safe side. Besides, she had no reason to make such an unnecessary remark if it wasn''t required for the trial.


    Placed beneath his bed was his suitcase. Hidden deep in its secret compartment was a test tube with a bug in it. Taking it out, Vincent looked at it carefully. An insect that looked like a mix between a grasshopper and a cricket lay inside. A third eye was growing between its two normal ones but they were all shut tight. The bug lay there motionless, almost as if it was dead.


    He looked at the sticks of dynamite he had hid alongside the test tube and felt it was a pity. If only they weren''t in the middle of the city, these sticks would have been another weapon he could use. Unfortunately, if he used it here, he would be sure to catch the attention of the authorities.


    Suppressing his urge to pick up the dynamites, he placed the test tube in his pocket. He was all ready now. Donning the mask, he jumped down the window.


    It wasn''t long before he reached the usual gathering place. Mr. Collector was present as well. Behind him stood his two lackeys followed by all the other regulars of the gathering.


    Standing a few meters away from them was another group consisting of about a dozen men. A lanky man with stubby beard and graying hair stood at the front. Seeing Vincent approach, he smiled with enthusiasm and stepped out.


    ''So this is my test? A pack of werewolves led by a grade four. No wonder she told me to bring along the bug.''


    The challenge he was facing seemed almost impossible. But strangely, he felt no fear. His heart beat in excitement and blood rushed along his veins like a tidal wave.