Chapter 29: The Head and the Game
...
The Council Chamber
The great doors groaned as they opened.
Eden's council chamber was quiet, save for the faint crackle of lattice-light running through the floor's golden veins. The tall spire-windows glimmered faintly against the ash-choked sky outside.
At the center of the room, on his throne of foresight and silence, sat Zero.
And through the doors came Mr. P.... walked forward.
His coat was torn and blackened, streaked with blood. His hair hung loose over his cracked sunglasses, and his footsteps left faint red prints on the pristine floor.
He carried something in one hand.
Something heavy.
He stopped at the foot of the dais, his cigarette dangling dead between his lips, his eyes tired... not the sarcastic smirk bastered they expected, just the quiet of a man who had killed what he loved.
And then, without ceremony, he threw it.
Luther's head rolled to a stop at Zero's feet.
The golden veins along its neck still flickered faintly before going dark.
"Here," Mr. P said flatly, his voice hollow.
"What I promised you."
The silence that followed was deep.
As accompanied by the smoke that curled into the air , to hope in filling the slience.
Zero's crimson eyes lingered on the severed head. Then, slowly, he looked up at Mr. P.
"You've changed," he said calmly. "Less clever. Less loud... Less Mr. P."
No answer.
Zero rose from his throne, descending one step at a time until they stood nearly face to face.
"Don't mistake this for redemption, Paku," Zero continued, voice cutting.
"You've wasted years playing your little games, dragging your feet, sulking in corners and making your quips, while I carried this city on my back. Do you understand what you've cost me? What you've cost him ?"
He kicked Luther's head lightly, as if to emphasize the point.
"You know very well you didn't have to kill him.. There was no need Paku but a act of defiance."
Zero leaned in closer, his tone turning cold and sharp... like a superior speaking to a lazy subordinate.
"You want your Elian back right? Then listen. For once in your life… take this seriously. Follow my instructions to the letter. Or Elian will never be found.... i'm helping you here and you are not helping me."
A tense beat passed. Mr. P didn't speak, didn't move.
Zero stared at him a moment longer before straightening his coat and turning.
"Clean yourself up," he said, already walking toward the doors.
"You look pathetic."
And just like that, he was gone.
The doors closed behind him with a low, final thud.
...
Shadows Speak
Mr. P stood alone in the council chamber, the faint light glinting on his cracked sunglasses.
For the longest time, he said nothing.
Then, from the corner, a soft voice cut through the silence:
"You're such a great actor… aren't you?"
From the shadows stepped Rei, his silver eyes catching the light.
Mr. P didn't even look up.
Instead, the corner of his mouth twitched into the faintest smirk.
"Shhh," he murmured. "You'll spoil the game."
Rei folded his arms, leaning casually against a column.
"Did you take care of what I asked?" Mr. P asked quietly.
"Yes," Rei replied evenly. "The package is safe and sound. Waiting for your next… immensely insane thought process."
Mr. P finally chuckled, low and rough.
"Well look at you," he said dryly. "Somebody grew a sense of humor after I died... Proud of you, boy."
Rei smirked faintly at that, fading back into the shadows.
The chamber fell silent again.
Mr. P bent down, plucking Luther's head from the floor, and set it gently on the edge of the dais.
For a moment, his fingers lingered on the golden veins, still faintly warm.
"Good boy," he murmured under his breath.
Then he straightened, lit another cigarette, and exhaled a long stream of smoke into the empty air.
"Ahh fuck... where do i start."
...
The Choir of Sins
Far beyond Eden, in the blackened cathedral of the Oval, the Choir gathered in the dark.
The flames in their braziers burned low tonight. The banners hung heavy.
Lust stood at the center, her mirrored skin catching what little light remained, her arms crossed.
Clone 3 stood nearby, silent, his chipped mask hiding his expression.
Whispers passed through the assembly... faint, fearful.
"Is it over?"
"Is he… really the Dead?"
"They say Mr. P handed his head to Zero himself…"
"They say Eden has already begun hunting the rest of us…"
Clone 3 finally spoke, his voice quiet but sharp.
"This isn't the end... Not by a long shot."
The room stilled.
His gaze swept the faces of the Choir... their doubt, their fear .. and he raised his chin slightly.
"Everything is still in motion. Everything. Paku's moves don't end here. You'll see... we will come on our feet and they won't know what hit them."
Lust's reflection rippled faintly as she looked at him.
And in the dark, she whispered just loud enough for him to hear:
"Lets hope so."
...
Sanctuary... Zero's quarters
The sanctuary was quiet.
Too quiet.
Zero stood alone before the loom of foresight, the golden threads now nothing but a tangled, sparking web. Each one he tried to touch burned his fingers and spat back at him, as though mocking him for ever thinking he could control their future.
The faint metallic taste of blood lingered on his tongue... he'd bitten it, hard, to keep himself from screaming the moment Mr. P had walked into the council chamber, coat torn, hands bloody, and thrown Luther's head at his feet.
…This isn't how it was supposed to happen. Not yet. Not like this…
His fingers curled into a fist. The weave hissed as another thread disintegrated under his gaze.
My plans… years of calculations… delicate pieces moved into place… all of it... and that man still outmaneuvers me. Still makes me look like a child playing at prophecy... He will never understand, his way of thinking is flawed.
Zero turned away sharply, his robe sweeping over the marble floor. He drew a breath in through his nose, let it out slow through his teeth. Another breath. Another. Forcing himself to steady his trembling hands.
Calm down. I've been through worse. Eden has burned before. I rebuilt it. Piece by piece. I can do it again. Just… think. Next move. Next piece. Next sacrifice… then it'll all fall back into place.
He pressed his bleeding fingers to his lips, shut his eyes, and exhaled slowly.
When he opened them again, they glimmered not with anger... but with cold, razor-edged calculation.
Let him think he's beaten me. Let him enjoy his little trick. Because when this is over… he'll understand. Everyone will understand. As I let you beat me once and I won't let you beat twice this time.
One last glance at the broken loom, and he murmured, barely audible in the vast silence:
"…Checkmate isn't called until the final move."
And in the quiet of the sanctuary, he began his planning.
In the quiet of the council chamber, Mr. P leaned back against the throne dais. With a pad on his hand Elian's signal link: 85%
"I found you."
He flicked ash onto the floor, his sunglasses hiding his eyes.
The severed head of Luther sat on the edge of the throne platform.
And somewhere inside him, though he didn't say it aloud… he smiled.
END OF VOLUME ONE...