"Then this is the big night," said the stranger.
"That's right, we're leaving tonight," Gellahan confirmed as he set down the few belongings he was carrying.
"But how can you be sure you'll find what you're looking for?"
"I can only hope, but I'm convinced. This place itself is already proof, but I can't risk revealing it to the world. So I'll bring something back."
"Wow, so you told the whole world that gods exist and that you would prove it without even being sure you could do it? Pretty bold. But there's something I don't get, Spencer, what is this place exactly?"
Nicolo had taken out a pen and paper. He had to write down every bit of information he got. He couldn't forget anything.
"It's going to take a long time to explain," announced Gellahan as he sat down in one of the chairs in his hotel room.
He continued, "Several years ago, before I found you, I was doing research on ancient Nordic peoples and their relationship with mythology. Those studies led me to the discovery of many writings written by a foreigner who lived among the Vikings. Most of these texts talked about their way of life and customs, but one subject particularly caught my interest. The stranger wrote that he had been taken to a place directly linked to the gods, a place not always visible, not always tangible. A place that would react to the presence of gods. It was brief, unclear, but the author took the time to describe precisely where this place was located." His detached tone began to change as he let himself be carried away by his own story.
"So after that, I searched for this place for a long time. For nearly a year, I devoted my life to it. At the end of that period, I had found four locations that were possibly what I was looking for. Each of these locations were rocky walls in forests at the foot of dark mountains. Of course, when I found each one, there was nothing unusual, but I had spent so much time and energy that I couldn't just leave them there. So a few months later, I went back, I installed several devices, cameras that activate at the slightest movement, and other tools with many different functions. Twice a year, I go there to do maintenance."
"And did any of that lead to something?" asked his interlocutor, who seemed doubtful.
"That's when it gets interesting!" Gellahan stood up, unable to stay seated, filled with passion, too excited to remain still while talking about something that thrilled him so much. "A few days ago, an earthquake was recorded, and its origin came from deep underground. But nothing was communicated about it. Moments later, one of the cameras I had installed in one of the four locations activated, and before my eyes, the rocky façade I was looking at changed. A rune appeared, and a passage formed. It was insane, I couldn't believe my eyes, yet there it was."
'Places like this exist?' Nicolo thought. 'A passage opening inside a mountain, invisible and impossible to touch without the intervention of a god's energy. It could be similar to where Soren was, before he blew it up.'
The stranger sighed. "Yeah, I'd like to say that's the craziest thing you've told me, but it's not. Maybe faced with something like that, I'll finally believe you."
Gellahan approached him and grabbed his hand. "I thought you had come to believe in me, Sōsuke! But I assure you, you'll see I'm right. I don't know how far it goes, but you have the genes of gods."
Nicolo stopped writing for a moment, shocked. 'Genes of gods? Does this guy have a divinity with him? Sōsuke, that's a Japanese name, isn't it?'
"Yeah, we'll see about that," Sōsuke replied.
'I have to contact the others. The mission might be much more complicated than expected,' Nicolo thought. He grabbed the paper he had scribbled on to summarize the situation, so he could get back to listening as quickly as possible.
He pressed the button to contact Akyo and Soren, then glanced at his paper. "Damn it. It's unreadable."
—-------------------------------
Soren and Akyo were waiting in their room, talking even though they had nothing left to say.
"Akyo, Soren, can you hear me?"
Soren had removed his earpiece, so Akyo motioned for him to put it back on.
"We're here, Nicolo. What's going on?" Akyo replied.
"Several things. Gellahan and his partner are leaving tonight, so make sure to watch the hotel entrances and exits. Don't lose them."
Akyo and Soren looked at each other. "His partner?" Soren thought. "Wasn't he supposed to be alone?" So he asked, "Wait, what do you mean his partner?"
"Oh right, I forgot to mention it. While listening through Gellahan's microphone, I overheard a conversation between him and a stranger in his hotel room. Apparently, the guy has been staying there since Gellahan arrived in Bergen. But that's not all."
"What do you mean?" Soren asked.
"According to Gellahan, this man has divine genes."
'So we're going from tailing a simple human to keeping track of a potential god,' Akyo thought. 'This city is cursed.'
"So we'll be facing a god? Will we have to fight?" Soren asked with a grin on his face.
"Calm down, we don't know anything yet, and we're not necessarily going to fight," Akyo said plainly.
'Yeah, yeah but I hope I'll get the chance' Soren thought , wanting to test out his ability in a real fight.
"One last thing, Akyo. The guy with Gellahan is called Sōsuke. That's Japanese, right?"
"Exactly. What's a Japanese guy doing here?" Akyo replied.
"Perfect. If things go wrong, you'll get to face one of your compatriots! Domo, as they say."
'Is he making fun of me?' Akyo though matter-of-factly .
Nicolo continued, "Alright, I need to get back to listening. We never know what they might say while I'm talking to you."
The transmission cut off, leaving Akyo and Soren in doubt. 'Gellahan might be accompanied by a divine being?' Akyo thought. "Say, if Gellahan has a god with him, couldn't he just use him to prove his claims?"
"It's possible, but who knows? A divine being doesn't necessarily mean a god. Look at yourself, you're technically more of a creature than a god. There might even be other races in this world. Some mythologies talk about elves, demons, and many other beings," explained Akyo.
They spent the next two hours watching the hotel entrance across from theirs, waiting for Gellahan and his mysterious ally to leave.
Around 11 PM, Akyo, still staring at the building's door, saw two silhouettes come out. One man was clearly Gellahan, and the second was 'He's tiny,' Akyo thought, completely surprised.
"Soren! Get up, it's time to go."
Soren stood up. "We're going through the window again?"
Akyo sighed. "Yeah, fine, if you want."
Soren grinned and opened the window before jumping out. Akyo followed, and the pursuit began.
—-----------------------
Gellahan and Sōsuke finally left the hotel. "How long will it take?" Sōsuke asked.
"A little over two hours, I think. Aren't you cold like that? Walking around shirtless at this hour won't go unnoticed. Especially with that tattoo." He looked at Sōsuke. 'Why do I even bother saying that? Looking like this, he won't go unnoticed anyway.' He wore very little, just large torn black pants held together by a shimenawa tied at the back. He had no shirt, showing a red tattoo on his left chest going down his arm. His blond hair was tied with a small rope, keeping his spikes pulled back. Only the strands falling over his face escaped the knot. He was blind in his left eye, with two scars likely responsible. His other eye was a beautiful blue.
Feeling judged, Sōsuke asked, "Is there a problem?"
"No, no, forget it," Gellahan replied.
They left the city, walked along a road for about twenty minutes, then entered a forest. They ventured through it for hours. The further they went, the wilder and more beautiful nature became.
Sōsuke was getting impatient. Everything looked the same. He didn't feel like they were making any progress. "Are we close?" he asked.
Gellahan didn't answer. He stopped.
'What is he doing?' Sōsuke wondered. He followed Gellahan, and when he turned to catch up, he saw the entrance to a cave.
"This is it," Gellahan said. "It was just a rock wall the last time I came, and now it's the entrance to a cave that looks completely natural. Let's go!"
Sōsuke didn't even have time to reply. Gellahan was already inside, so he followed.
The air was humid and dark, but they continued deeper. Gellahan noticed rare runes carved into the stone.
The passage was narrow, but after about fifteen minutes, a faint light appeared. Gellahan hurried, and when he emerged from the narrow stone corridor, he found himself before something he never thought he'd see.
A massive chamber with a paved floor, a high ceiling supported by gigantic stone pillars stretching across the room. These pillars seemed to indicate the path leading to the end, where stairs rose to a higher platform with a chest. Behind it was a mural depicting two male figures, one reaching out his hand with some kind of sphere, and the other making a motion to take it, as if an exchange was being portrayed.
Sōsuke entered as well. "What is this?" He was speechless.
They approached. Gellahan stood at the foot of the stairs. "Do you think the proof you're looking for is inside that chest?" Sōsuke asked. His voice echoed through the immense chamber.
"We'll see," Spencer said.
As he began climbing the stairs, Sōsuke leaned casually against one of the huge pillars. He was watching his companion climb when he heard barely perceptible sounds coming from the tunnel behind them. He couldn't make them out clearly, but they were getting louder.
He was sure now. These were footsteps. "Spencer!" he called.
"What?"
"Don't you hear that? Someone's coming."
Spencer turned around, and Sōsuke took a defensive stance.
Seconds later, they saw two men enter the room, one dressed entirely in black, the other with purple hair.
Seeing them, Sōsuke shouted, "What the hell, who the fuck are you two?!"