They took out a pair of rounded glasses and put them on their head, which was concealed within their cloak. After a few silent seconds, they looked at me.
"I sense you have much to say...but don't know how to say it." They said, their raspy voice sounding once again.
I remained silent, fidgeting with the cuffs of my sleeves as I looked at the individual for a few moments. The inside of the tent was frigid, and I had a strange, almost habitual feeling that I was being watched.
"Why did you...summon me?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly as I took a step back. My hand wrapped around the edge of the tent's flaps. The cloaked figure let out a low chuckle as they reached under the wooden table. After a few moments they revealed an object—a box.
The box was mostly raven black in color, with red painted edges. Atop the lid was a metal skull sticking out, its bony mouth wide open as if to devour anything it encountered. Along the sides of the box was a pattern resembling a snake's skin, and on the side facing the cloaked future was an object sticking out of the box, it appeared to resemble a bone.
"I sense turmoil, desire, something brewing within you." Their raspy voice lowered to almost a whisper as their boney, slightly dark fingers opened the lid of the box. The hinges squeaked audibly as I saw the contents inside. There were three objects.
One of them appeared to be a cylindrical object coiled in blood-red fabric, a small, black bone that seemed to resemble an animal's, and a small, blood red jewel that seemed to glow in the faint light. I gazed at the items for a few moments, my expression unchanging for a few moments before I asked a question.
"Why are you showing me these things?"
A low, almost seductive chuckle could be heard from under the cloak. "You're troubled inside, child."
At that moment they grabbed another object from under the table, it appeared to be a black candle. With the snap of their boney fingers, the candle was set ablaze! Crimson flames ignited from the ink-black wax of the candle.
They held both of their hands towards the crimson flames, their rounded glasses glistening slightly. "Look into the embers, and tell me what your mind sees."
I slowly leaned forward, staring into the crimson flames. After about twenty seconds, I looked back up at the figure, scoffing. "I don't see anything."
"Of course you don't. You're seeing with the eyes, not the mind." At that moment, their hands darted forward, taking hold of the side of my head. "H-hey!"
They pulled my head forward, my head in almost dangerous proximity with the candles flames. "Now...what do you see?" They asked again, their voice a low purr.
I could feel my vision getting hazy around the edges, as if my vision was focusing like a camera's lens directly on the crimson flames of the candle. Within the embers, I could see illusory images. I heard faint, almost muffled groans, followed by a grunt of pain. My eyes widened when I saw what was occurring.
"Do you see this outcome? Is it one you desire?" They asked.
I watched as the thick kitchen knife punctured through my fathers shirt, the area quickly darkening from the wound. The man stumbled back as he fell to the floor, clutching the wounded area with his right hand as his breaths came in sharp, hoarse gasps.
My figure stood over my father, but my form was unlike what I had ever seen. My body was illusory, almost entirely composed of shadows and illusory after-images. Shadows black wings spread from my back, and a pair of malevolent horns protruded from my skull. My eyes, which were previously brown in color, now radiated with a malevolent, crimson hue.
"I can't be a victim anymore..." My voice sounded. It sounded layered and guttural.
The vision ended the moment their grip loosened around my head. I let out a sharp, breathless gasp as I sent myself back, almost falling back in the wooden chair. The surrounding air was tense, almost heavy. After a few seconds of breathing, accompanied by contemplating what I just saw, my gaze shifted back to the cloaked figure in front of me.
"What...was that?" I asked, my voice low and shaky, my heart thumping heavily in my chest.
"The subconscious, the desires." They replied, clasping one hand over the other.
"Desires?..." I was taken aback by this statement. It was true, I didn't want to see my father ever again—and I didn't hesitate to attempt homicide those few nights ago. But my form...the form I saw wasn't me. I was dark, composed of shadows. And my voice was guttural and layered, almost like a demon.
"Why did I look like that?" I could feel my face turning slightly pale, a strange, numbing coldness overcoming my senses the longer I looked into the now extinguished candle.
"Everyones spirit body is an amalgamation of their deepest desires, their traits, what makes them...well...them."
"Spirit body?" I continued.
They nodded their head. "It can only be seen...be heard...and he used...if you consume the proper characteristics." At that moment, they unwrapped the cylindrical object, revealing a vial filled with a glowing red powder.
"This is a characteristic for one of the fifteen Pathways that govern this world..."
They paused for a beat, the atmosphere in the tent almost bitterly cold now. "...you desire to be freed of control, for love, for...justice." Their glasses glinted with a crimson hue as they grabbed the blood charm and black bone.
I didn't rush to grab them. When I did I felt a strange burning sensation in my forehead when I took hold of the objects.
"The first is the Blood-Moon Charm. Sealed Relic of the Apocalypse Pathway."
"Apocayplse Pathway?" It wasn't any of the Pathways that Catherine had originally mentioned. The moment I said that, I felt an inexplicable sense of fear wash over me, and the burning intensified slightly.
"Mysterious, little is known about it." They replied.
They gestured towards the charm again and kept explaining in detail. "On a night where the blood moon reaches its pinnacle, the charm's effects will be greatly enhanced. With it, you can perform divination, reach into other places, and perceive people's emotions."
They turned their head towards the black bone. "As for the Whisper-Wishing Bone, it's another Sealed Relic, this one pertaining towards the Reaper Pathway."
After smacking their lips for a few moments, they kept explaining. "But this one comes with a downside. It can be used to communicate with deceased spirits for approximately thirty-three seconds, but as the user continues to utilize this object, they will gradually turn into an undead creature."
"Like...a zombie?" I asked, feeling a small surge of fear.
They let out a low, almost humored chuckle. "Zombies are creatures of children's stories, boy. Undead creatures can range from mutants to demons to devils."
"I'll turn into a demon?" I quickly recalled the illusory form I had seen in the flames, connecting the appearances.
"Thats only one of your fates if you use it recklessly."
I peered down at the Whisper-Wishing Bone and Blood-Moon Charm, feeling my body tremble slightly.
"I-I'm confused...why give me these?"
They cocked their head to the side, clasping their bony hands together as their tone turned solemn.
"Humans are epitaphs of their desires, their longings. Maybe achieving some sort of power will satiate your bones."
My gaze remained fixated on the items. In the corners of my vision I could see shadows that danced and leapt, and I could hear illusory murmurs.
"Come back to me after a full moon cycle, and give me your results."
"I...I will." I replied, the burning on my forehead gradually dissipating.
I left the tent grasping both of the objects in my hand. The blood-red powder was stored into my coat pocket. I felt a hand on my shoulder the moment I stepped out.
"Where were you?" Shinso asked, his expression neutral, yet I could see some concern in his eyes. I quickly stowed away the two items and looked towards him with a small smile. "I saw a cat."
He was no longer grasping the woven basket of groceries, and Carter and Ayumi were nowhere to be seen.
"Where'd Ayumi and Carter go?"
Shinso sighed. "They're up ahead and they're waiting for us. They only sent me back here to look for you."
"Good to hear."
...
Stepping back into the Parterre de Fleurs, Carter put the groceries down on the table and took a step back. He then turned back to us and smiled.
"Now that we have groceries, perhaps we should have some lunch?"
We all walked into the dining area of the apartment, and Carter laid out the ingredients for the meal.
"Y'ever had fruit salad?"
"No." Ayumi shook her head, looking at the fruit adorned with eyes, noses and mouths. "At least fruit salad with food like that."
"Don't worry, they're harmless to the tongue." Carter reached into the drawer and took out a small knife, digging it into the thick, hardened skin of the melon. At that moment, one of the mouths of the melon—adorned with sharp teeth—began to holler in pain. The scream was guttural and ear-piercing, causing Carter to wince as he stabbed the mouth with his knife.
Thick, semi-transparent green juice leaked from the stab wound. He then grabbed a small dish nearby and collected the green fluid. "This can be refined into a fine sauce."
"Yeah..." I began to feel a little nauseous upon seeing the green liquid spilling out from the melon. I watched as all the eyes on the melon's surface rolled back, showing only the whites as they perished. Every movement on the melon—no matter how sudden—ceased in an instant.
"Well, I'll continue chopping this up." He handed the folded paper to Ayumi, and she began to read the other ingredients. "Three slices of Draknog Fruit, three cups of diced Blananas, and one and a half cups of Draknog juice."
"Blananas?" I peered into the basket, noticing one of the fruits I had seen earlier when entering the market. I saw a bunch of purple bananas with spines protruding from their surfaces. Perhaps those were the blananas Ayumi had mentioned in the recipe.
"Take this." Carter handed Shinso another knife. This one was smaller and more polished. The edges were teethed.
The indigo-haired boy picked up one of the blananas, letting out a yelp as the tiny spikes dug into his skin. He immediately dropped the object, stepping back.
"Yeah, I forgot they're spiny. Sorry."
"Yeah, yeah." Shinso grumbled, swinging his knife downwards into the blanana. I watched as a thick red liquid dripped from the fruit as Shinso chopped it into tiny pieces. Now I knew why they were called blananas—they had blood inside them.
"Where's the bathroom?" I asked Carter, using a herculean amount of effort to conceal the discomfort in my voice. My face was slightly pale and I began to feel lightheaded.
"Hmm...you can head back to your apartment room." Carter raised his head and pointed down the hallway.
...
I dashed into the bathroom, the running making my legs turn to jelly as I bent down over the toilet, gagging. I expected a flood of vomit to spill into the bowl—but this time—I felt no negative effects. My breathing gradually returned to normal and the pounding in my head ceased in an instant. All of the sudden, I felt a strange buzzing in my pocket.
Raising an eyebrow, I dug into my trouser pockets and took out the item. It was the Blood-Moon Charm! The red pendant on the end was glowing and vibrating an ethereal red color, illusory swirls and blurry images flashing by. The moment the glowing of the necklace ceased, my body returned to normal in an instant.
Did the Blood-Moon Charm do this? Did that necklace just remove my nausea?!