Zuri stepped back as Makun entered, keeping the small table between them. Her apartment looked the same as this morning, cluttered shelves, the smell of incense and coffee, but something felt different.
Her.
Studying him with those sharp eyes, head tilted slightly like she was trying to solve a puzzle.
"Sit." She pointed at the same cushion he had used hours earlier.
Makun sat. "What do you see?"
"You're different." Arms crossed, she remained standing. "Something has happened to you since this morning, right?"
Different. The word hit him like cold water. She can tell. Just by looking at me.
He knew she was mentioning the thing that happened with the Presence. But he had to make sure she told him exactly what she meant.
"Different how?"
"You have access now. To things most people can't see or touch."
Why is she so vague.
"What kind of things?"
Walking to her kitchen counter, Zuri leaned against it, creating distance between them.
"Reality isn't what most people think it is. Hidden behind our everyday life there is a whole other world. Most people have no way to access it. But you, somehow, have been given a way in."
Seated there on the cushion, Makun felt confused. By design or by circumstance he was a very logical guy. If it was not for one of his exes mentioning him being cursed he would never have given another look to Zuri.
But here he was. Having to believe there was a whole other world hidden underneath this one.
Without the experience in the bathroom he would think of her as mad.
"A way into what?" He had to know.
Quiet for a long moment. Helping him was going to bring her great trouble and she knew that from the readings. But he had sounded so convincing when he begged her to let him in.
Here they were. Her giving him information when she wanted nothing to do with him.
She sighed like she was making a decision she would regret.
"When I did your reading this morning I saw very strong spiritual forces behind you. Attached to you. I've never seen anything like it in fifteen years of practice. People do have bad luck, curses, karmic ties. But yours..." She paused. "Yours was something I could not explain."
Fifteen years.
The number stuck. Zuri looked so young, which meant she had been doing this since she was a kid.
And she's never seen anything like what was on me. Just what is on me for it to be this bad.
"What kind of forces? Why is it happening to me?"
"I do not know why you. But it is the kind of force that doesn't let go. The kind that follows bloodlines. Generational curses. Things that get passed down." Rubbing her arms like she was cold. "But now something's changed. Those forces, they're not the same. Now that you have access to the Veil, to this world, you might have a chance."
Bloodlines. Generational curses. Veil. His chest tightened. No knowledge of what any of this meant, no knowledge of who his family was, no idea what he could have inherited.
By now he could feel there were holes in her explanations. But what did he know to judge her.
Leaning forward. "What world?"
"The Mystic World. Hidden. Layered over everything normal people see." Her voice flat, matter of fact. "Like I said before, people are born and they die without ever knowing something like this exists. Now you know."
Of course he knew. But that was not enough. The entity had mentioned him diving deep into mysticism and he needed to know more.
"How do I learn about it?" Almost desperate now.
"Trust me Makun, you don't want to learn about it. I advise you against it." Her voice sharpened. "It's treacherous, dangerous, full of vice. People will use you, manipulate you, consume you if they get the chance. Everything has a price and everyone wants something. As long as they could benefit it did not matter who they destroyed."
"But I need to know." The desperation leaking through. "You said no one can help me. That means I have to help myself. If I don't learn about it how can I survive?" A pause, looking at her. "You're right. Something did happen. I can see things now. Particles, energy, things I don't understand. My head feels like it's splitting open. If I don't understand what's happening to me..."
"You'll go insane." She finished the sentence. "Or worse."
Silence.
A long moment of her staring at him, then she pushed off from the counter.
"There are places where you can learn. Markets. Here in our city they appear between midnight and 4 AM in different locations around the lower city. Mystics trade there. Knowledge, objects, services. I think you can get what you need from there."
"How do I find them?"
"Follow the energy. You can feel it now, right? You see it?" Waiting for his nod. "The markets draw that energy like magnets. You'll feel the pull if you're walking in the right areas after midnight."
"What do I look for once I get there?"
"Just walk from stall to stall. You might meet people who trade spiritual knowledge for payment. They'll deal with anyone if the price is right. Some are trustworthy. Most aren't." Walking to a drawer, she pulled out a pen and paper. "There are signs. Ways to recognize who's safe and who's not."
Writing quickly. A list.
"Mystics who wear silver jewelry openly are usually safe. I'm not sure but I heard they belong to an institution that enforces order. Avoid anyone who won't make eye contact, the eyes are windows to the soul and they might be hiding something. Avoid anyone who asks about your family or bloodline in the first conversation. And never, ever make a deal with someone from the Hollow Court."
"What's the Hollow Court?"
"No idea. We don't even know how to detect them. But that is information passed around." Handing him the paper. "The markets move. Pier district on Monday nights. Warehouse district on Wednesdays. Old Town Plaza on Fridays. But they're not always in the same place twice."
Looking at the list, her handwriting sharp and precise. I need to be careful. Really careful. One wrong move and... He understood he was entering a place he had no idea how it functioned. Danger might be everywhere.
"How do I pay for information?"
"Cash works for basic stuff. But real knowledge costs more. Memories. Favors. Years off your life. Resources. Potions. Anything that can benefit a practitioner on their Route. Just be careful what you agree to."
Years off my life. His blood went cold. They can actually take that. What kind of world is this.
"Is there anyone I can trust?"
"No." Immediate. "Trust yourself. Everyone else has their own agenda."
Folding the paper, he put it in his pocket. "I know I'm imposing on you. Thanks for your help."
"I didn't do it for you. I did it for my own conscience." Walking to the door, opening it. "This is all I can give you. Don't come back here."
"What if I need more help?"
"Find someone else." Holding the door open wider. "I've already risked too much by telling you this."
Standing, walking to the door. In the hallway he turned back.
"Thank you."
Her expression softened for just a moment. "Be careful. This world eats people like you for breakfast."
The door closed. Locks clicked.
Standing in the hallway staring at the wood.
Direction now. A place to start.
But also something else.
He was completely on his own.
The mystical world was out there waiting. And according to Zuri it was full of people who would use him, manipulate him, consume him.
But what choice do I have. Stay ignorant and go insane. Or learn and risk everything.
It was also the only place he might find answers.
Heading for the stairs.
Time to see what the Night Market had to offer.