I sit under the shade of a tree three blocks down from my old home, the smell of burning waste flooding the air. The birds in the trees stay quiet, too dead inside to sing, and yet even in this horrid wasteland lives kindness.
Down the alleyway between two small stores, a shimmer of light catches my eye. A small blue light glows faintly. I leave my spot under the tree and walk over, the light growing as I head further down the path. At the end is a wooden door, a blue gem embedded in the handle. It looks rare; how it has not been stolen yet is the true mystery.
Against all reason, I reach and wrap my hand around the handle and give it a firm twist. "Click," and the pressure lessens as the door creaks open. A brilliant light seeps out, trying to escape as I enter. A warmth spreads over me, strange yet familiar—heat, but more evenly shared.
The building is an old tavern, a common sight in this part of the kingdom, and yet this one seemed different. The tables were covered in a soft glow. The air smelt of wine and beer, which itself was more pleasant than the waste-filled outdoors. The people in here, despite wearing secondhand clothing and surviving on little, seemed happy.
I took a seat on a small stool near the far left of the tavern. A rectangular shape dug out of the side wall made way for an in-tavern store—weapons, canned goods, clothing, and other mediocre, slightly damaged but decent-quality-for-the-price equipment. On the far right was the main area of the tavern, where the only man in a suit could be seen. He poured drinks and served customers with a soft smile and a hearty laugh.
He then turned and locked eyes with me. His smile faltered when he noticed my missing arm. Even while pouring, he kept glancing back more and more until he put down his breaker and walked over.
"Good morning, sir." His smile was warm. His hair was short and cut neat, his features were defined and handsome, the kind of face you would willingly trust. Yet something felt wrong. Yes, it was his job, but he seemed a bit too friendly, too nice, too eager to speak to me.
"Afternoon," I replied.
"I haven't seen you around before. You new to the area?" He said, eyeing my stump. "Well, regardless, I couldn't help but notice you're missing a limb."
"Yep, you going to offer me a discount for cripples?" I say sarcastically. It's either pity or disgust people feel when someone like me even breathes near them.
"No, no. I was wondering if you have any powers and would like to purchase any items to help you fix the gap your lack of arm may give you." I could see the slow grin start to appear from the corner of his lips, the devilish smile of a businessman ready to sell what he can for a crazy price for a crazy profit.
"Sadly, I'm part of the majority, sir—no powers whatsoever." I sigh. Nothing good would come out of potentially joining a scam.
"Ah, that is sad indeed." But then his smile only seemed to grow larger, the hunger for wealth in his voice increased. "Did you know, sir, that everyone has a power deep down, but only a lucky few can unlock it… but that's not the only way."
"I'll stop you there. I don't want whatever drug, pill, or chemical you want to inject into me as your little test subject." I thought that would shut him up or annoy him and make him falter, but he only smiled more, his eyes lit up.
"How about this—you come talk to a friend of mine, and he can explain in greater detail. In return, I'll pay off your fees." Fees? What fees could I possibly have? I haven't bought or drank anything. I haven't consumed a crumb of food.
"What fee—"
"Why, the 40 silver nox entrance fee, of course." That's when I realised it was too late. The second my hand twisted the shining blue doorknob and entered the tavern, I had started a tab. And at 40 silver nox, while only having 13 bronze box in my pocket—which is just over 6 silver nox—it was nowhere close.
"So that's how you run this scam."
"Not a scam, just business." His smile pissed me off, looking so happy. It was now either speak to some random man who could scam me of my organs or be in debt my first day on the streets.
"Lead the way." And like that, I followed him past counters and shelves to the back door of the tavern. But instead of going through, he flicked his wrist and a painting floated off the wall, revealing a hidden tunnel. Telekinesis—a scary power to see, let alone fight. No point in angering the man, it seems.
"Please follow the path and make a right when you see the cages. Do not turn left." He smiled. "We don't allow non-staff to go left."
I slipped through the hole and crouched through an underground path. And like the man said, there were cages near the end of the tunnel. On either side of the tunnel were identical paths; the only difference was the right was lined with lamps, lit with a brilliant blue fire.
Then the cries became clear. The sound of weeping came from the cages, but I didn't dare look inside. I didn't need another reason to feel uneasy. So I went right and followed the path of light as the tunnel slowly went from a damp cave path to a cobbled walkway of a metro tunnel.
Again, another wooden door, but this time a red gem on the door handle. It shined as beautifully as the blue but brighter and deeper. Twisting it was like the same as before, but this one felt smoother, faster to turn, while the blue felt slow and hard to twist—a clear difference.
As I stood in the doorway, an old man sat at a dinner table opposite me, eating what seemed to be roast beef and wine. His eyes looked over me not as some random person who just entered the room, but as if he knew and expected me to walk in.
"Welcome, Jayden Matsuki. A strange name indeed. You don't seem to be from the Eastern Kingdom, yet you have an eastern family name. How intriguing." Those were his first words to me, and it made me feel dizzy. How did this man know my name? I didn't recognise him from anywhere—a new face, and yet he looked at me like I was a close friend.
"You know me?"
"I'll know you soon." A cryptic and annoying answer, but to be expected at this point.
"So, what do you want?" I ask straight, no uncertainty, just a full forward question.
"It's not what I want; it's what you want. You see, five years from now you need help, and you come to me. You beg for my help, and I accept, but by then it's far too late, and we both perish."
"You can see the future?"
"The most likely future. It's never 100 percent, but it's a future I do not wish to live. And from my research, the next best possible outcome was to come find you five years before you lose your other arm."
A total brain fuck. If what the old man says is true, then my life ends in five years—in a shitty way. The only reason I even consider believing this is because I have nothing else. No life, barely any cash. Even if I leave, maybe I'll die tomorrow instead. I'd rather die in five years by this man than tomorrow to this city.