What the hell is going on?
Vince's eyes stayed locked on the compass. Its arrow spun wildly, twitching as if it had lost all sense of direction. Then, in an instant, it stilled and pointed sharply toward the right, toward the edge of Gita's mountainside.
He glanced back at the group, who were already preparing to head into the city.
With forced pride in his voice, he called out,
"Adam, something's caught my attention since we arrived. I'll be back soon."
Adam, chewing a strip of jerky, turned and flashed his usual pleading smile. He raised a finger and pointed toward a building on the first floor of Gita.
It was built from dark red brick, two stories high, surrounded by a tall iron fence. Seashells and dried fish decorated the outside, while the lower windows gleamed with glass so clean it reflected sunlight. The upper windows, in contrast, were drawn over with heavy blue blinds. A weathered sign hung at its center: Central Hotel.
"Sure, no problem, Salomon. Once you finish, meet us there. We'll be waiting in our room. Just tell the receptionist you're under the name Adam Tomayro. I'll even give you extra gold for the revolver."
Adam Tomayro… what a strange name. But fine. My father's secret comes first.
Gripping the shovel tighter, Vince turned in the compass's direction. Just as he began to put distance between himself and the group, Adam's voice rang out again.
"Oh, and Salomon. With your luck, you'll probably find another artifact, hehe! Just remember, once you unlock your first stack, your brain will be hit with unbearable pain and pressure.
When that moment comes, when it peaks, say these words."
Adam stopped. He took a deep, deliberate breath, and his voice shook as he spoke.
"The first made today, but will soon fall astray to the hand of the mortal. I pledge to say, the first will always be the last in the mind of."
The air grew heavy. A crushing pressure spread out from Adam, slamming against Vince's chest. It barely touched him, only a faint pounding in his head, but the others staggered. Their bodies bent under the unseen weight as if their minds were being wrung out.
What is this? Why is it affecting them so much more than me? Are these words tied to being a
Stacker?
Then, just as suddenly—
WOOSH!
The pressure vanished. Adam straightened, breathing ragged, then smiled faintly.
"And after that, you say your full name."
Vince stumbled back a step, sweat rolling down his temple. The eerie display rattled him, though the strain hadn't crushed him like the others.
He steadied his voice. "Um… Adam, what does that rhyme even do? Why does it matter?"
Adam rubbed his throat with a wince. "Questions, questions, always questions. We love it. Well, Salomon, that rhyme eases the pain you'll feel when becoming a Stacker. It will only work during that process, and I beg you, never say it again afterward. You'll need all the will and mental strength you can muster."
Vince's heart raced as the rhyme echoed in his mind. The first will always be the last in the mind.
Should I trust them?
The rhyme worked. Jasper even had his rifle pointed at me, yet Adam gave me knowledge that could change everything. Something that could strip away my weakness, that could make me more than just a fragile human. Strong enough to face those demons.
Vince had always been weak, always powerless against demons or creatures. He'd lost hope long ago, but now… now there was a chance.
Human.
Human.
Human.
He clenched his fist. So what if I'm human? What's the worst that can happen?
Confidence welled inside him, smug and dangerous. He gave a slight bow before turning on his heel and heading toward the compass's direction.
The moment he was more than ten yards away, Adam and the others finally exhaled as if they had been holding their breath all along.
Adam wiped sweat from his brow, sucking in air. Jasper leaned on his rifle for support. Sydney nearly collapsed to her knees, gasping. Ara braced himself on both hands, his face pale.
Sydney was the first to break the silence, her voice raw.
"W-Why the hell would you do that, Adam? You used the Rhyme of the First Coming! Are you insane?"
Ara straightened, still breathing hard.
"She's right. You didn't warn us, and you threw those words at him like they were nothing. What's your plan here?"
Adam steadied himself, then raised his arms with a smile that didn't match the seriousness in his eyes.
"Calm down, calm down. Look at him. The boy's clueless. He'll use the First Coming Rhyme without a second thought. And that compass of his… it reeks of an artifact. I'd wager he'll stumble into an event soon enough. When the time comes, two outcomes are possible. One, the rhyme destroys him, which I have a plan for. Or two, the impossible happens… he survives it. But let's be honest, he's human. No ordinary human could withstand it."
Then Adam's expression melted into his usual charming grin.
"So relax. Everything is under control, right between my fingertips."
Ara frowned.
"Are you sure you have everything under control?"
Adam spread his hands wide.
"Of course. Adam is never wrong."
Ara chuckled dryly. "Whatever. Do you want us moving?"
Adam's eyes darkened, his grin twisting into something closer to madness.
"What kind of question is that? I always need you three. You're the reason we've made it this far."
He clapped his hands together.
"Ara, follow the boy. Stay in the forest, on the outer edge. If anything strange happens, come back. Jasper, you and I are heading to the black market, we'll need a handwritten spell and other supplies. Sydney, go to the hotel and book a room. Then reserve a table at a restaurant for six o'clock, under the name Ara. After that, buy bread from a local shop. Drop your name while you're there, in case we need to get our hands dirty without drawing suspicion."
The group nodded, splitting off toward their tasks.
-
Four hours earlier, on the far side of Koburn Forest, two figures moved quietly through the trees. Arvin and Chessie wore dark cotton shirts tucked into black trousers, heavy boots muffling their steps.
At Arvin's hip gleamed a silver revolver. He carried a cane in one hand, a pen in the other. Chessie held her notebook and pen, with a dagger cloaked in shadow at her side.
The silence stretched until Chessie finally broke it with a sharp whisper.
"Why weren't the dogs released?"
Arvin's voice was low and steady.
"They refused to enter. Like they'd seen something horrific. Which means something happened here while we were gone. We'll start at the backyard and track the footprints."
Chessie let out a sigh of irritation.
"These pants are too tight."
Just as she complained, Arvin suddenly thrust out an arm to stop her.
On the ground ahead, half-buried in leaves, was a white box.
Beside it, clear in the dirt, was a footprint.