Ch 25: The Council will decide your fate.

A plain wooden ceiling.

Ace sat up, the stiff springs pressing into his behind and the white linen spilling onto the cold hardwood floor.

He raised his hand to where the bullet had pierced through his skull, a tingling static coursed all the way from his fingers up to his ears—the numbing buzz from deciding to pull the trigger.

There was hair on his pillow, and while it usually wasn’t something to be concerned about, the sight of it caused him to pause.

That’s A LOT of hair. Am I going bald? Having a receding hairline in another world was not on my bucket list. How can I face Cecilia if I look like an old man?

The warm sunlight was breaking through the gaps in the curtains. Morning had come once again, which meant that everything after it was coming, too.

This is it—my final chance.

If I’d known that this would happen, I would’ve spent more time watching murder mysteries and playing Among Us. Isn’t it strange how the things you never expect to be relevant come back to you?

With a heavy sigh, Ace sat on the side of the bed. The cold air was enough to make him want to crawl right back into the white linen sheets, but knowing he had someone to murder, he couldn’t just yet. Maybe afterwards he could take a nap.

So, who's left?

It's not Hemlok, and it’s not Hiro.

In the spearhead that leaves Mira, Shell, Oden, and Snow.

But why do I still feel like things aren’t adding up? Did someone curse me discreetly and then go straight into hiding?

Analysing everything he had seen and heard in previous loops, Ace came to an answer.

I think I’ve got it, but there’s only one way to find out.

Strolling into the hallway, Ace stopped at a door plastered with a large "Do Not Disturb" sign and dozens of torn-off "No Smoking" stickers.

“Knock. Knock.”

“Whose there?”

“The Commissioner.”

As Hiro opened his door, he was greeted with a mischievous smile.

“Ha, you thought!”

“No, I didn’t, dipshit. What do you want so early in the morning?”

Clearly, from his grumpy tone and lack of spirit, Hiro was not a morning person.

“I need your help with something.”

                                                                             ***

“PLEASE HELP ME!”

Ace and Hiro whipped their heads, alarmed by the sudden intrusion.

A middle-aged woman with dishevelled hair burst into the room, her eyes sunken into her skull. Standing with her was a child whose face was plastered with worry, only as tall as her waist.

I was looking, scavenging for any hidden traces deep in people’s actions and behaviours. I was so blinded by the fear of not picking up the hints that I was missing what was right under my nose.

My father used to tell me that the best strategy was to hide in plain sight. I never really cared much for his rambling, but looking back, I should’ve treated him a little kinder.

If I knew that I’d never have the chance to see him again, I would’ve changed everything.

Maybe there were some words of wisdom in those ramblings after all. Even in another world, you’re still looking out for me.

Thanks, Dad.

“Where’s the doctor? My son, he’s gonna die!” she screamed, her voice filled with desperation.

“Yeah, he is,” Ace replied, raising his pistol to the scared five-year-old.

BANG!

Somewhere, in a different realm, the pervading shadows were smiling.

Even in slow motion, with the child’s brains sputtering into the air, Mira leaped towards Ace at a breakneck pace. Much faster than Ace could defend himself, but fortunately for him, he didn’t have to. He had Hiro.

CLANG!

Just short of Ace’s neck, Mira’s polearm met the sharp edge of Hiro’s dagger. She leapt backwards, narrowing her eyes onto the pair and gathering aether into her palm.

“Explain yourselves!”

“I was-“

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHH” The woman let out a blood-curdling shriek. Who does she think she is? Acting as if she had just seen her child burst open like confetti or something.

“I was-“

“AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH”

“WILL YOU SHUT THE F*CK UP?”

The woman’s screams turned to sobs, cradling the small, headless body in her arms.

“I was cursed by that…thing.”

An amalgamation of flesh and metal, upon closer inspection, wires and metal scraps were interlaced with the blood and flesh where the boy's head had been blown off his neck.

Inspecting the crying mother and her dead child, Mira’s eyes widened at the strange remnants of synthetic materials masquerading as organic matter.

A light breeze. Ace glanced to the doorway, then the next thing he knew, Shell was already standing in the room with them.

Although his blonde hair slightly obscured his eyes, through the strands of hair, the hostility was more than apparent. As he quickly exchanged glances with Mira, both Ace and Hiro could tell they were about to be in trouble. Big trouble.

                                                                         ***

Deep in the underground cellars, rugged cobblestone lined every surrounding surface.
Thick, encumbering walls meant that there was no way out. Not even with magic, as the cobblestone was etched with runes and reinforced with metal.

The only exit was the entrance, the same large iron door through which they’d entered, though neither of them had the key. It was cold. Too cold. Ace clung to his cloak, grasping at any kind of warmth he could find, and he was still shivering.

It wasn’t said explicitly, but they both knew what this place was—It was prison.

“So…” Hiro lit a flame in his hand to both light his cigarette and keep himself warm. “How’d you know it was the kid?”

“Ah, genius! I almost forgot that was a thing.” Ace’s eyes brimmed with excitement as he summoned a small flame in his hand. “Well…”

Where do I start? Should I leave some things out? I can’t tell Hiro everything. It’s too risky to talk about what happened with the Commissioner.

I still haven’t figured out what’s up with him yet, but from the looks of things, whenever Hiro helps me out, it puts him at risk of getting on his bad side.

“Someone helped me along the way, and then I took a guess. It's as simple as that.”

Ah, that’s right. I should’ve known from day one. It was Hiro who led me to all the clues, from the first conversation we had at the bar, where he told me the kid was supposed to be dead. He had no aether in his eyes, but it wasn’t that he was meant to be dead; he was never alive in the first place.

After I taunted him, Dr Hemlok mentioned he’d turn me into a puppet just like that kid, which means that it was his doing all along.

He's looking for someone—the one who summoned me here.

Was he trying to use me to draw him out? What’s the history between them?
Luckily, it seems that I’m his only lead, which means he won’t kill me if he can help it.

Since arriving here, I saw it as nothing more than a coincidence, but now that I know there’s someone behind it, I can’t help but feel the same curiosity.

Who are they, and why’d he summon me and Cecilia here?

“Hey, are you even listening?” Hiro scrunched his brows as he eagerly awaited an answer. “Who helped you?”

“That’s a secret. If we get out of here alive, then maybe one day I’ll tell you.”

“You’re acting strange today. Wait, what are you-”

“Taking a nap.” Ace wriggled his body against the rough cobblestone, attempting to find a somewhat painless resting position.

“You seem kinda carefree compared to normal.” Hiro flashed a quick smile. “Maybe even more carefree than me.”

“I’ve done enough worrying over the past few days for the next month.”

Everyone in the Spearhead should be discussing amongst themselves right now. While I am worried, I had to do what I could to break the curse. If there’s anything my Father taught me, it was to never worry about the things you couldn’t control.

Now that everyone is occupied, it means that no one follows Hemlock, no one finds out about him, and therefore, no one dies. He did mention wanting to keep the Spearhead alive. If the Spearhead decides a light punishment and the next morning arrives with no trouble, this should be the best outcome I could’ve gotten.

So now, we sit, wait, and hope for the best.