Zoé is a young immortal. She is only 186 years old. Currently, she works in an incredible library of the occult, located in Budapest and curated by a very old immortal called Ikshan. Unfortunately, one day she stumbles upon a terrifying monster in a...
"We're going to need a sorcerer. Or at least a magician," I say.
I'm alone with Leno. Zoé went back to her apartment for well-deserved rest, and I decided to have a little chat with our handsome man from the past. Every time he materializes in the room, I swear, he takes my breath away. He's always a little confused at first, and I have to use all my willpower not to hug him to comfort him.
I mean, I don't know him and I have no idea what he thinks of me. I cannot invade his space like that. Sure, I'm a hugger. But in this case, I prefer to keep my distance. He's been through a lot. I don't want to scare him away.
I did give him a blanket, though. We're in the middle of a snowstorm in Budapest, and it can be quite cold in the Library. He looked surprised and he thanked me with a nod and a cautious smile. I smiled back when I saw him wrapped in the giant multicolor piece of cloth.
I noticed he always scrutinizes me when I talk. He seems to study every detail of me, every gesture, like I'm some kind of mystery. I could find it rude but I don't. Everything is indeed a mystery to him. I cannot even begin to fathom how disturbing the whole situation must be for him. So I let him do what he needs to do.
I asked him about his ideas to break the curse. He thinks reenacting the original ritual could counteract the spell. He described to me the ceremony he had undergone, and I turned slightly pale. It's a very complex one. I can't do it by myself. We'll definitely need a professional for this one.
Leno nods. "Do you know any?"
"Magicians, yes. But sorcerers... the ones I know, we are not exactly on the best of terms. And they won't accept collaborating. Even this man I had contacted to expand the library, well, I was very nice to him and, still, it didn't end well."
"It doesn't matter. They would not help, anyway. Not to free me. Nobody will give such an order." He shrugs.
"You know, they are more like mercenaries than anything now. The time when they had convictions is long gone."
He frowns. "In my time, they would have never acted without orders from the hierarchy."
"Yeah, but the thing is, there is no hierarchy any longer. And it's been like that for a while."
He seems stunned. "You mean the Akandjat is no more?"
I nod. "I know it's hard to believe because it was very powerful in your time, but their whole structure collapsed a long time ago. There are some rumors about a few factions who would still exist in secret, but there is no proof of that."
"So much has changed. I would have never thought the Akandjat could become vulnerable enough to disappear. I mean, not that I'm unhappy about it, but..."
"What did you do to them?" I try.
I see a flicker of fear, of hurt, and then of anger in his eyes.
"They took everything from me. And I had my revenge."
اوووه! هذه الصورة لا تتبع إرشادات المحتوى الخاصة بنا. لمتابعة النشر، يرجى إزالتها أو تحميل صورة أخرى.
