《The Silence Syndicate》


 An Unfortunate Beginning

    486 P.C. Landen Town (Outskirts of the Mourn Kingdom)


    In a back alley, two underfed street urchins were huddled next to each other. One was keeping watch for any unfavorables or guards while the other rested.


    <hr>


    ¡°Charles... Charles wake up! CHARLES!¡± The young boy¡¯s pale blue eyes snapped open at the panicked shout of his companion.


    They were huddled next to each other in a dirtied corner of a back alley behind Mrs. Thompsons house. Charles eyes gleamed with alertness as he quickly assessed what had made Billy wake him with such urgency. There were only two scenarios for a fast wake. Either Mrs. Thompsons husband was out back disposing of the unsold bakery goods, or someone was in the back alley they needed to be wary of. There were many dangers to their small duo such as other small urchin groups, gangs, or in the worst case it could be the guards looking to punch away some stress to distract themselves from ongoing attacks by the Corrupted. After all, who would care if one or two street urchins turned up dead out of sight and out of mind.


    ¡°I just saw one of Tommy¡¯s scouts staking out the alley. We need to leave before the rest come!¡± Billy responded in a hushed whisper looking quite exhausted and gaunt. His pale blond hair looked dirty and frazzled but the panic brewing behind his green eyes got Charles moving quick enough. Tommy had no sympathy for the street urchins and his gang was ruthless to those that didn¡¯t want to fall under his leadership. There was word that he had ties to a much larger criminal organization and ran his gang in Landen town following their doctrine. Urchins that didn¡¯t heed Tommy¡¯s orders or weren¡¯t crafty enough to avoid his group were quickly beaten into submission or quietly disappeared.


    Charles knew there wasn¡¯t any time to waste. They needed to get moving and fast. There were a couple of different shelters that they could find reprieve in. Small hidey-holes they¡¯d staked out in case they needed to avoid their typical hangouts for a while and lay low.


    ¡°Which scout was it?¡± Charles questioned in a quiet whisper.


    ¡°It was Riley!¡±


    ¡°Corruption damns us all! Of course it''s Riley again!¡± Charles cursed and his eyes widened in panic.


    ¡°That demon girl has been chasing us for weeks! We¡¯re going to have to hide in the sewers again.¡± Billy grumbled and frowned.


    Charles matched the same frown his companion made at the thought of the sewers. He hated the sewers. It was easy to catch a disease staying down there too long, and if they were very unlucky, they could run into a Corrupted Beast. However, it didn¡¯t seem like they had much of a choice if the alternative was getting caught by Riley. Damn her eyes, she seemed to take great pleasure in hunting them down every couple of days and upturning their already difficult lives. Soon they might have to leave Landen, since she''d been getting better at tracking them down.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Charles quickly bundled up the spare rag he¡¯d been using for a blanket and wrapped up their store of stale bread they¡¯d been gathering from the bakery. By the time he was finished, Billy was already ready to leave. After doing a brief once over to make sure nothing was forgotten, they rapidly made their way to the manhole located in the center of the alley. The boys squatted down on either side and shifted the heavy metal plate, leaving enough of a gap for them to climb down. After catching their breath for a moment, Billy was first to start his decent into the sewer.


    ¡°Over here! It¡¯s the same prey I''ve been chasing for a couple weeks! Hurry up before they escape!¡±


    At the sound of multiple footsteps and the unmistakably feminine voice coming from further up the alley Charles started panicking.


    ¡°HURRY UP!¡± Charles hissed towards Billy who still had some of his head sticking out of the manhole.


    Billy didn¡¯t say anything, but his speed noticeably increased.


    Once Charles saw that Billy was far enough down, he quickly clambered onto the ladder and lowered himself with as much haste as possible. Being the rested one, he was in charge of moving the covering back over the top.


    At the sound of boots hitting stone got closer and closer, Charles gripped the cold metal and pulled as hard has he could to try to shift the plate back into place without making too much noise. Charles felt lucky that the covering was only partly shifted out of place, and it slid back with much less effort than lifting it took. With one last big tug, the plate was almost completely back into place when Charles made a big mistake. He paused to take one last glance towards where he heard the voice coming from. However, instead of catching a glimpse of his beautiful tormentor, he was met with a pair of muddy boots blocking his vision.


    Two pairs of hands quickly grasped either side of the manhole cover and removed it, exposing Charles head to the sunlight again. As he felt an icy sensation of fear in his chest his eyes met with a young yet enchanting looking girl with greyish-black hair and hazel eyes who looked at him with a large toothy grin.


    ¡°Got You!¡± She smiled sweetly as the other two boys with her quickly reached down and grabbed Charles shoulders lifting him off the ladder and back into the alley.


    Charles took one last glance towards Billy who looked up towards him frozen in fear. He signaled him to keep going with a slight head nod and a resigned grimace and dropped the rag bag that held the bread down, hoping that Billy would be able to retrieve it.


    An action that didn¡¯t go unnoticed.


    ¡°There is another one further down, but I aint going down there to get em¡¯.¡± The larger of the two boys said.


    ¡°Also, this one dropped sometin¡¯ down the hole.¡± The other one whispered.


    The girl looked at the manhole thoughtfully for a moment before returning her gaze towards Charles who was now struggling to free himself from the grasp of the boys.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. We got one, I¡¯m sure Tommy will be pleased. Give him a knock. Don¡¯t want him too tired from wrigglin¡¯ before initiation.¡±


    The larger boy quickly spun Charles around and punched him hard across the jaw knocking him out cold.


    ¡°May I help your soul find Silence.¡± Riley took one last look at the unconscious boy and placed her hands together and whispered a prayer. The larger boys lifted Charles by his arms and the group slowly started making their way back up the alley.

 (1) Ritual and Revelation

    486 P.C. (Undisclosed Location)


    Urgh my head is killing me¡­ Charles slowly regained consciousness in a stone room with an iron door that was firmly shut. There were several other young urchins also in the room, some were even awake, but none were making a single sound. The only source of light was coming from a wall candle located in the hallway outside the room.


    Charles tried to slowly stand up however his legs felt weak, and he also noticed there was a weighted prisoners anklet attached to his right foot. Charles looked toward a younger girl who was nearby and tried to ask her about their current location or why everyone was being silent. However, he found that when he tried to use his voice that no sound came out.


    ¡°Hello.¡± He waved and mouthed the words despite his rising panic at seeming loss of his vocal cords. The girl just continued to stare vacantly forward and that¡¯s when Charles noticed that most of the other urchins in the room all shared that absent look.


    Alright well this is bad. Very bad even. I thought I was getting taken to Tommy to get the living shite beaten out of me before passing onto the great beyond but now I¡¯m stuck here in some sort of freakish dungeon.


    Charles thoughts continued to speed by at maximum velocity. He had no idea where he was. He had no idea how Billy was doing, and he had no idea what was going to happen to him next. All he knew was that he was stuck in this room full of zombie like urchins.


    **Tap Tap Tap Tap** The sound of steady steps came from the hallway that placed Charles¡¯s confused panic at bay but brought his anxiety into overdrive.


    A fully grown man wearing a black cloth over his head along with matching light armor stood at the doorway and peered through the prison bars towards Charles. For a few brief moments, Charles and the masked individual made eye contact before the man turned around and headed back to where he came from. A few minutes later an excited young girl¡¯s voice could be heard.


    ¡°Thank all that is silent, he¡¯s finally awake! Took him long enough. Tommy was getting impatient to start the initiation.¡±


    Riley once again made her presence known as she appeared at the doorway peering towards Charles with the same manic grin she had when he first saw her. Behind her stood the same masked individual from earlier.


    ¡°Have a nice dream sleepyhead? It might be the last good one you have for a while you know.¡± Her hazel eyes met his icy blue ones as he thought of all the bitter curse words he could use in this situation before recalling he couldn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot about the medicine. Don¡¯t worry your voice will come back after the initiation or maybe not¡­ depends on how you do. Haha!¡± She giggled as if she¡¯d just made an extremely funny joke.


    ¡°Anyways, Xavier would you be so kind as to help our potential chapter member with removing his anklet and make sure he gets to the ritual room without causin¡¯ a fuss. I¡¯ll go inform Tommy that we can start the initiation soon.¡± Then she disappeared like the wind down the hallway.


    The clanking of iron keys and a loud metallic click rang out as the man now known as Xavier opened the cell door and approached Charles. He was a mountain of a man, and the extremely heavy prisoner weight seemed like a light toy in the hands of the masked man as he expertly unlocked and removed the metal contraption.


    The man didn¡¯t speak after the anklet fell to the floor with a soft metallic clink. He just stood there silently waiting with a hand outstretched towards the open-door, beckoning Charles to stand and exit the cell.


    Charles stared blankly at the man for several moments before his intuition started sending warning signals that the large man was becoming impatient. Slowly, and with a silent groan, Charles made his way to his feet and shuffled out the door.


    The hallway was like the interior of the cell with large stone cut walls and floors with periodic candles spreading sparse light along the way.


    Xavier quickly overtook Charles and started walking down the path in the opposite direction that Riley had ran towards. He didn¡¯t seem worried at all that Charles would attempt to run away and maintained a slow and steady stride down the hallway.


    To be honest, he would be right to assume that Charles wouldn¡¯t run away. He had no idea where he was, and he¡¯d just watched the man casually move around a weight that he couldn¡¯t budge. Charles had a feeling that if he tried to run away things wouldn¡¯t end well for him.


    He continued to silently hobble after the man for what felt like several minutes until the reached what appeared to be a grand entryway. Two other individuals wearing the same uniform as Xavier stood on either side of the entrance and didn¡¯t acknowledge their existence beyond a quick glance. Beyond the guards, stood an ornate silver door that had a large engraving of a skeletal reaper with a boney finger raised and three notches etched across its forehead, it seemed to be hushing everyone entering the room. Xavier walked up the door and lightly tapped a metallic knocker against the door before it swung inwards allowing them to enter.


    The interior was pitch black. The only light came from a torch hung on the wall at the entryway. Xavier removed the torch and started walking forward. The pale orange flames struggled to illuminate more than a few feet around them.


    Charles felt himself becoming more and more nervous as he continued following behind Xavier. His body was still sore and the unknown of what was about to happen to him now wasn''t improving his situation. He even had the realization that this might be the first time in his entire life where he wished he could go back to picking up stale bread for an evening¡¯s meal. While Charles was lost in thought, he didn¡¯t notice that Xavier had stopped walking and walked straight into the back of the large man.


    **Thump**


    The sound of Charles backside thudding onto the ground echoed slightly into the darkness.


    **Scritch Scritch Scritch** What sounded like a thousand claws scraping against stone echoed quietly from below as Charles felt every hair on his body stand on end. Suddenly, Charles felt a firm grip on his arm before being hosted across the shoulder of Xavier who was now definitely pissed off. Very fearful and unsure of what he¡¯d just heard, Charles lay paralyzed as Xavier approached what appeared to be an old rope bridge that hung over a chasm of darkness. With practiced and balanced steps, Xavier made his way at a much faster pace than before. Charles felt every sway of the bridge as he bobbed side to side from the man¡¯s shoulder.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    A minute or two later they reached the end of the bridge and arrived at what appeared to be a large bonfire pit. Intricate calligraphy painted in inky black swirls covered the stone platform surrounding the main basin.


    ¡°Welcome to initiation unenlightened.¡± A deep and smooth voice came from a man who somehow Charles had failed to notice until that moment. He was seated on the far side of the fire pit in a meditative position. He wore the same black garbs that Xavier wore except this man wore a skull mask that looked very similar to the reaper etched into the first door.


    Charles nervously started towards the man still unsure of where of what was about to happen or what those sounds from earlier were.


    ¡°If you would be so kind as to put him down Xavier. We will begin shortly after Riley and the Silent Watchers arrive.¡±


    Charles suddenly found himself on both feet again as Xavier swiftly placed him the ground and respectfully retreated towards the bridge they¡¯d just walked across.


    Slowly they came, first those that Charles assumed the masked man referred to as the Silent Watchers. He couldn''t tell how many there were, but they all wore long silky robes with large hoods that completely concealed their faces and body. The only thing that stood out against their black garb was three grey notches embroidered at the front of their hoods. The new arrivals walked at a steady pace and slowly formed a circular formation around the fireless pit.


    Finally, Riley arrived, only now she had changed into a black huntress garb that matched the clothing of the others gathered on the platform. Her eyes quickly found Charles who was still standing bewildered at the same spot he''d been placed down at. She silently mouthed the words ¡°Good Luck,¡± before smiling at him like a childhood sweetheart and moving to stand next to the skull masked man.


    ¡°Now that we have all gathered, let us begin a new round of initiation and hopefully the birth of a new charter member.¡±


    The skull-masked man slowly walked forward until he faced Charles directly and the man¡¯s grey eyes met Charles¡¯ blue ones. ¡°My name is Thomas Mourning and I shall be the Reaper in charge of your initiation. May your soul find enlightenment from Silence.¡± He whispered softly at the end which was softly repeated by everyone other than Charles and Xavier.


    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s get you comfortable. ¡°Thomas snapped his fingers and a swirl of ash rose from the pit and formed a black chair behind Charles. He then reached out and slightly pushed Charles''s chest causing him to fall backwards onto the magical construct that swiftly restrained his arms and legs.


    Charles couldn''t believe it.


    A Magician!!!


    If he could speak, he would be shouting like a child who just spotted a dragon flying over his house. Magicians were extremely rare and were usually only spoken about as legends. In the Mourning Kingdom you could count the number of magicians on one hand. They were a kingdoms greatest superstars and war deterrents at the same time.


    Wait¡­ Thomas Mourning. Mourning is the family name of the royals. IMPOSSIBLE! Why would a royal come to the outskirts of the kingdom to run a gang?! It makes no sense!


    Charles felt his thoughts continue to spiral out of control as the panic of being in presence of a magical being and being fully restrained wreaked havoc on his emotions. The Silent Watchers began to sway side to side rhythmically, and Charles could only watch on in uncertainty and fear as the pit suddenly burst into eerie green and black flames that now illuminated the pale marble platform.


    ¡°Once upon a time our great world was a beacon of life and thriving magical energy. It was a healthy world which would enable humanity and all its future generations to live happy and peaceful lives. However, humans became too greedy and drew too deeply on the magical reserves of our world which led to the outbreak of the counterbalance, the Corruption. Slowly many of the peaceful magical and non-magical creatures of our world had their wills eroded as the Corruption changed the very magical fabric of their being. That is what lead to the creation of the Corrupted Beasts. Although they may be the bane of humanities existence. They are not evil; they are simply the representation of our worlds¡¯ will heal itself. Who are we humans to speak out against our mother world when we are the cause of the very issues that plague us? Who are we to think we have a voice when the truth is the world only needs our assistance and silence?¡±


    Charles was getting more and more freaked out by the second. First, he had no interest in how the corruption came about. Secondly, these people were clearly all lunatics or some kind of demonic corruption worshiping cult. He¡¯d never heard of a group that viewed the corruption as anything other than the enemy of humanity but somehow, he was unlucky enough to get involved with the only such group probably in the entire human realm.


    ¡°Initiate, you will now undergo a ritual called the Purging. Participation is mandatory. If you can take in the corruption and withstand the changes brought by it, you will be reborn and awaken great power as one of our charter members. If you are blessed and are chosen, you may even awaken a power akin to my own. Fail and you will join the many mindless you saw earlier in the cells. I pray your soul is enlightened by Silence.¡±


    With a wave Tommy reached into the dark inky green fire and pulled out a brightly glowing ember. The small smokey ball of light burned harmlessly in Tommy¡¯s hand and illuminated the reaper mask in a magical greenish glow. He slowly approached the now visibly struggling Charles, who had been spending the better part of the mans¡¯ monologue frantically trying to escape despite the futility of fighting the magic that bound him. However, the closer Tommy approached the less Charles struggled and the more fear he felt. It was somewhat horrifying and cathartic to see possible impending doom approach and not being able to do anything about it. Charles imagined this is how mages felt in the golden age before they lost control and felt their magic turn them into Mindless ones, flesh puppets with no consciousness or sense of self.


    ¡°Relax sleepyhead. Everything will be just fine. Soon you will be reborn and learn what it means to be one of us.¡±


    Riley had somehow appeared behind him at some point and was now lightly massaging his temples and scalp while whispering encouraging words, which given the circumstances Charles found both mildly terrifying and soothing.


    ¡°May Silence allow this young soul to find enlightenment and to allow him to be reborn as one of us.¡± With those final words of prayer and the slow rhythmic dancing of the Watchers surrounding the pit, Thomas released the ember which floated lazily in the air before turning to fine smokey wisps that entered Charles nose and mouth.


    It burned, it burned worse than any normal burn that Charles had suffered his entire life. Worse than the time he reached into a piping hot bread oven and scalded his hand. Worse than the time was beaten near death by the local guardsmen. This was true agony it felt like his insides were melting. He couldn¡¯t breathe, move or even think with the amount of pain he was currently feeling. The veins along his entire body rose to the surface and it looked like snakes were writhing under his skin trying to escape.


    His hair changed from a dirty dark brown to a greyish black. His skin remained tanned from many years spent under the sun but noticeably turned many shades paler. His irises alternated colors from an icy blue to a dark grey. Two long horns of black mist extended from either side of his forehead marked him as a corrupted being.


    Charles felt his vision change colors and for a moment he could see everything even into the pitch-black depths of the chasm surrounding the platform. Far down below, there were thousands of Corrupted Beasts that silently looked back. However, terrifying as the sight was, Charles couldn¡¯t find it in himself to care as the soul burning agony was only increasing. He wanted to scream with every fiber of his being but couldn¡¯t make a sound, so he just let out a muted scream.


    After what felt like an eternity, the pain reached the point where Charles started wishing for death. As his sense of self was on the verge of being completely eroded and corrupted, something strange happened, a small black wisp left the large magical fire and entered his body. Instantly, he felt a powerful soothing sensation, and could hear some quiet magical words that he was somehow able to interpret.


    Your soul is worthy¡­


    I have no name, but you may call me Silence. I accept you into my family child, rest in peace as your mind and body is reborn.


    Charles suddenly had a vison of a large multi-winged angel reaching out towards him. Twelve pairs of majestic inky black wings supported the rather eldritch looking being in a vast expanse of darkness. Charles couldn¡¯t find the beings¡¯ eyes but felt as if he was wrapped in a warm blanket as he fell into a deep slumber.

 (2) Movement and Mistrust

    468 P.C. Maltecha (Capital City of the Mourn Kingdom)


    <hr>


    Captain Rodrigo Dawns sat fixedly on a wooden chair, his piercing golden eyes stared at a map of the capital city and its surroundings. He donned the ceremonial armor of an officer of the kingdoms knight corps and had the interwoven dragon badge of the civil police pinned on his left breast. He had long brown hair which he tied behind his head along with some morning shadow he¡¯d forgotten to shave off in his vexation.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. We can¡¯t find out where they are getting their supply of Elixir and anyone we capture either offs themselves or can¡¯t speak.¡± He mumbled to himself, while a head sergeant stood awkwardly behind.


    The sergeant coughed lightly and gently placed a wooden crate full of green luminous tinctures in front of the captain.


    ¡°This was all my squad could find in that old warehouse you managed to sniff out. The ones on guard fought us to the death, and the ones we captured haven¡¯t said a word or even made a sound for that matter.¡±


    The captain reached into the crate and carefully withdrew one of the vials. The liquid shimmered an enamoring verdant green. Who could imagine that this little vial of undiluted drug was enough to kill everyone in a small city if handled improperly?


    ¡°This shite is the last thing the Kingdom needs. How these criminals managed to concoct this piss green pandemic is beyond me. I got enough problems dealing with the Corrupted Beast waves and now the king has ordered me to spend my little remaining free time trying to find out how to stop this drug from rotting the kingdom from the inside out.¡±


    The captain carefully placed the vial back into the crate and grabbed his pipe from a corner of the wooden table. ¡°Ignite¡± He murmured, and the contents of the pipe were set aflame. He took a deep drag and sighed a puff of smoke. He then returned his gaze back to the map which was slowly turning more and more colorful. On the bottom left-hand corner of the map the lower district where the raid took place was circled in bright red ink. There were several other red circles seemingly placed random points throughout the lower district. However, there was one outlier. There was a large red circle in the middle of the map that represented the noble¡¯s district.


    The reason why the king had gotten on his case recently was because there was a group of nobles who decided that they wanted a taste of the euphoria known as Elixir. That wouldn¡¯t have been as big a problem but one of the nobles was the third the son of Duke Alfred Mourning. The pleasure house they were found in was completely purged and after coming off their high all the nobles involved have been suffering life-threatening withdraws since. Part of the reason the sergeant delivered the crate of pure Elixir to the captain was because he needed to transport a portion to the duke¡¯s estate to help treat the noble''s son.


    ¡°Given our current information the Elixir is most likely being produced outside the city and brought in through the lower district where inspection is less rigorous. The only direct lead we have on the outside production is that carriage driver we picked up who was transporting a few cases of the stuff from Landen.¡±


    The captain took one more deep drag as he stared ponderingly at the map for a few moments.


    ¡°Sergeant, tell the troop that we are going on excursion. I¡¯ll go make my delivery to the duke¡¯s estate now.¡± He exclaimed slowly with an accompanying billow of smoke.


    ¡°Where to sir?¡±


    ¡°The City of Misfortunates, Landen.¡±


    <hr>


    Landen (Landen Compound):


    Charles slowly awoke and found himself shirtless laying on a soft cotton bedspread in a well-lit wooden room. For a moment he had no idea where he was, then the memories from the ritual and the pain came rushing back in like water through a broken damn.


    For a moment, Charles felt like he was going to have a panic attack. However, a strong sensation of calmness arose from the depths of his chest and mind and pacified his emotions. With his newfound clarity, Charles took a moment to look around the room he was in, it was barely furnished with a single bed and a mirror on the far side wall. Charles observation was cut short as he felt soft breaths hit the side of his neck.


    Looking to his left, Charles was surprised to see Riley snuggled comfortably around his left arm. Her hair was frazzled, and she wore a pair of grey pajamas. He couldn¡¯t help thinking she looked extremely comfortable and beautiful at the same time as she continued to take slow even breaths.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake initiate. I would like to formally welcome you as a new member of the Landen chapter.¡± The deep and unmistakable voice of Thomas quickly woke Charles from his revelry and his eyes quickly moved to take in a rather handsome young man standing at the doorway.


    Thomas¡¯s long black hair was now a platinum blonde and instead of the dark grey eyes that left an impression on Charles at the ceremony, this version of Thomas had golden irises as bright as the sun. He was well built and wore a loose-fitting set of grey training clothes.


    ¡°What happened to me?¡± Charles was surprised when he could finally voice his thoughts again. It seemed the medicine they¡¯d made him take had worn off.


    Thomas stared into his eyes for a moment as if thinking about the best response.


    ¡°Allow me to answer your question with my own. Can¡¯t you feel it?¡± Thomas¡¯s aura changed, his eyes and hair shifted colors and two inky black horns rose from his forehead. The Thomas from the ceremony was standing in front of Charles again.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Only this time, Charles didn¡¯t feel any fear from the man. Instead, he had a strange feeling of kinship. He also noticed that the change in Thomas had woken Riley who was also staring at him waiting for a reaction.


    Charles felt a calming chill rise in his chest as he suddenly remembered the floating eldritch angel in the vast world of darkness.


    Snapping out of his recollection he found that Thomas was back to normal, and Riley was smiling at him contently. Feeling slightly confused, Charles caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He looked very similar to Thomas except he had three white notches that formed a strange birthmark going across his forehead.


    ¡°Wha-a¡± Charles reached up and felt his face in the mirror. Unbelieving that he was the same being reflected in the mirror.


    ¡°It¡¯s called shifting silly. All the high tier chapter members can do it. Just focus on the chill your currently feeling, close your eyes, and imagine it being pulled into your chest to shift back.¡± Riley chirped from the side.


    Charles immediately attempted to change back, he silenced his random thoughts and envisioned the cold sensation filling his body slowly receding into the center of his chest. When he opened his eyes again, his body was normal once again. However, he could now feel a strange pressure from his chest; like a lid holding back liquid. Charles realized that shifting between the two forms may be more natural than he initially thought.


    ¡°Your thoughts are written on your face.¡± Thomas mused. ¡°Yes, it is exceptionally easy to change between the two forms. However, shifting is very different from the training you will have to undergo to utilize your magical abilities. One is a natural ability like breathing, while the other is like learning how to run.¡±


    Charles was slowly coming to terms with the fact that he was now some sort of corrupted shapeshifter when Thomas¡¯s words really sunk in.


    I can use magic?!


    It would be a dream come true. Magicians were respected everywhere, money would never be hard to get, food would always be plentiful, and he would never have to fearful of a normal city guard again. However, despite his newfound fondness for the companion¡¯s life decided to drop in his lap, Charles was still wary of his new kin¡¯s intentions.


    However, if they can teach me how to be a magician it would be worth it to stick around. I would be much more at ease if I knew if Billy made it out safe from the sewers.


    ¡°Why are you frowning?¡± Riley poked the side of his cheek disrupting his train of thought.


    ¡°Oh, nothing. It¡¯s just a lot to take in.¡±


    Charles glanced towards Thomas who had an unreadable expression while silently observing him from the doorway. The man met his gaze before briefly checking a silver timepiece.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite alright. Surviving the ritual without becoming a Mindless is no simple feat and you may still be confused about the changes you have experienced. Don¡¯t worry, it will all make sense in due time. While you are still getting accommodated, Riley will show you around the compound.¡±


    Just like that, Thomas turned around and left, leaving Charles alone in the room with Riley. Charles shifted awkwardly on the bed. Although he still thought Riley was beautiful, it didn¡¯t change that fact that she¡¯d hunted him for weeks, forcefully abducted him and then made him an unwilling participant in a ritual that had almost killed him.


    ¡°Well sleepyhead congratulations on becoming a member of our chapter! I will do my best to be a good huntress and guide you properly around the compound. OH! And before I forget, what was your name again?¡± She spun around. The gray pajamas fluttered as she twirled in a circle and faced him with a wide smile.


    She¡¯s completely insane, so why do I find her so attractive? He thought absentmindedly.


    ¡°Anyone in there?¡± Riley waved her hand in front of his eyes.


    ¡°My name is Charles.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Charles¡­ Charlie? Chara, Cara, Char-char¡­ hmm. Nope! I still like sleepyhead the best. Anyways, there is a change of clothes in the nightstand by the bed. I¡¯ll meet you outside the room in a couple of minutes.¡± She pointed to his bared chest and gave him a wink before walking out the entryway and shutting the door behind her.


    Charles was slightly embarrassed he¡¯d forgotten his lack of shirt but was also relieved to finally get some alone time not locked in a cell or in an alleyway.


    He sat back down onto the bed, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath trying to make sense of everything that had happened so far and what his short-term goals would be. First, he wanted to find out exactly what happened to his body and to learn more about magic; he also wanted to explore the compound and see if he could find some potential places to escape from while he was figuring everything out.


    Let¡¯s get dressed first.


    Charles pulled out nightstand drawer and withdrew a set of grey training clothes that look the exact same as the ones Thomas was wearing earlier. He quickly slid into the clothes, surprised at how well they fit and at how comfortable and light they felt. Charles sighed softly. What did it say about the life he lived so far for this to be the nicest pair of clothing he¡¯d ever worn?


    Charles finished putting on the training clothes and took one quick glance in the mirror. He looked less like a street urchin and more like a monk in training now. Whatever the rebirth had been had added some much-needed weight back onto his bones, but years of malnourishment would require him to eat a bit more to fill out.


    He took one last look in the mirror before opening the door and walking out into the hallway. Riley was there waiting. She¡¯d changed out of her pajamas into a slightly more form fitting training outfit.


    ¡°You look a lot better than when I first metcha¡¯ sleepyhead.¡± Riley gave him quick once over and nodded approvingly before starting to walk towards a wooden stairway nearby. ¡°Well let¡¯s get this show on the road, we¡¯ve got a lot of ground to cover. The first place we¡¯re headed is my favorite place in the entire compound. The training arena!¡±


    Charles just nodded silently and followed behind. He wondered what kinds of people he would meet along the way and if they would fall higher or lower on the Riley insanity scale.


    <hr>


    Thomas''s Office (Landen Compound):


    In a dimly lit room adorned with heavy velvet curtains that blocked out the sunlight. Thomas was conversing with a Silent Watcher while seated at an oaken desk covered in piles of paperwork.


    ¡°Something went wrong, his reaction to us after the rebirth is completely outside standard parameters. Normally, after a newly converted does their first shift and senses our similar source of power they should feel an inherent trust and faith in us. However, he still seemed to harbor suspicions about his situation and somehow managed to retain most of his ego.¡± Thomas mused aloud.


    A masculine yet quiet whisper came from under the dark hood of the Watcher. ¡°Clearly, he has the favor of Silence. His inheritance may be of a higher quality than even your own. We should leave him with his hunter and observe him a while before taking any drastic measures. We must keep the Silence.¡± The Watcher raised a gloved hand to his mouth in a hushing motion.


    Thomas shifted into his Reaper form, slowly nodded, and responded in a soft low tone.


    ¡°If it pleases the Silence. I will continue to observe the boy before reaching out to headquarters about this situation. However, if too many irregularities appear I will take matters into my own hands. Nothing can be allowed interrupt the plan.¡±