It didn’t take that long from walking the all the way from Mervin’s house back to this police station. Honestly, seeing the building I used to work in and remained untouched for over six years is a little nostalgic; and with that, it reminded me of the times I spent with Eve. I recalled a few adventures, challenges and battles we had in the past. all of them are etched in my mind like it was only yesterday.
Regardless, what matters is getting my daughter and leaving this cursed city. With that, we reached the main entrance of the station after using the key Mervin gave me, having found myself to be welcomed with a familiar sight. Everything in this waiting lobby is clean and empty, the receptionist is no longer there as well.
“You used to work here before, how was it for you?” Azrael asked to which I nodded with an indifferent face; remembering the good and bad old days of my youth. When I first joined, this place was filled with people rushing around, coming and going, working tirelessly to get things done.
Then came the day when everything changed—I retired and raised family until it went into shit. Still, it is nice to see this place again even if it is ominous to be here. “Yeah, I did…” I answered, staring at nowhere in particular. Then, after a few seconds of thinking, I finally spoke out loud. “When I think about it now, the past is like a dream,” and with that, a sudden memory of a long forgotten event flashed in front of me; the moment when I had to sacrifice some people for the greater good. My vision blurred as a few tears streamed down my eyes of having to remember that again.
Seeing my sudden tears, Azrael walked up to my side, “Adam…I am sorry if I brought any sort of unpleasant memories to your past,” she said. Even though her words sounded sweet to me, it does not change the fact that the past is already written in the books of time. There is no point in changing anything about it. All that is left to do now is to accept it and move on.
Shaking my head, “let’s just hurry, okay? I just want to get this done and have my kid back, that is all that matters at this moment,” immediately afterward began to walk away, adding no further comments or desire in continuing the conversation as she quietly followed suit.
As we silently walked to the empty hallway, we eventually came across Mervin’s room, a door marked ‘High Officials Only,’ it has been long time since I last saw this. Seeing this room brings back many nostalgic feelings; the memories of a life where my companions-my family was alive.
“Come on, this is where his room is,” motioning Azrael to enter the room. At this moment, something made me hesitate for a second, then decided to push past it, stepping inside. Inside the office, the interior has drastically changed from the past. From a cluttered desk with piles of paperwork to an open-space with bare walls. A few paintings on the wall that were hanging there once, are gone. The floor was replaced by polished marble.
However, there was something that caught my eye. It was the similar trenchcoat I used to wear, merely placed on Mervin’s chair like a piece of furniture. Glancing at it, the coat looked to be in a better condition than the last time I saw it.
I approached and took it, wearing this piece of memory that is important to me; it is like the closest thing to a part of myself—a link to the past.
At my side, there books after books is stored on large shelves in the corner of the room; looking like it was from the previous century. I then recalled the past, when Chief Walker used to be filled with books and documents. From the looks of it, not much has changed in this room, except for the contents of the bookshelf.
Azrael starts to approach and inspect the books, picking up one before walking up to me with held book, “this is it,” showing me the book, the cover was rusted and faded from the years. The title reads: ‘Humanity’s Ritual.’
The title’s name made me grimaced but nonetheless took it from her, “thanks,” holding it as a warm feeling enveloped in my hands. Looking down to the front page; there were numerous symbols and scribbles written in different languages with various alphabets. The language itself is ancient and difficult to read.
In cases such as this, I would to be lazy and ask her to help me decipher the content, but somehow, this is something that is meant to be solved by me myself—I have to solve without her help.
I preferred to do things on my own.Releasing a loud sigh, I quickly flip the pages and allow the inscrutable contents to seep into my mind, allowing the images to form in my brain; letting me be able to understand the book better. After a while of following my gut feeling and instincts, the contents of the book became more clear like the words are slowly forming themselves.
A quick scan on the contents showed me the general plot of the book; it is about summoning a powerful entity that embodies humanity itself, allowing any request for information at the cost of sacrifice in those that the person treasures the most.
Tempting to do that as I am willingly to do that if it means saving my daughter. But in the latter, I would not do something like that, given that my loved ones are the most precious thing to me.
“What does it say?” She chimed in, curious about the contents in the book.
“It talks about a ritual summoning a powerful entity,” I replied, not knowing how to explain it properly to her, “although, the problem is that I need a specific set of tools and ingredients to get his ass here.”
“Well, you have the book; what more is needed?” Azrael asked, looking back to the book.
“Aside from this book? I need chalk to draw a large circle pentagram and a chalice of blood in the middle, some candles, a dagger to draw my blood, a feather from a crow I will use to perform the summoning—if everything goes according to plan,” I explained to her. She grinned bemusedly. “Ah, that sounds like fun,” she exclaimed before snapping her fingers, the room became empty with the exception of available ritual already set up in the middle of this place; with only the empty chalice inside the circle. “Here you go handsome, just be careful with this stuff.”
Yeah, yeah. No need to tell me that twice, “thanks…I mean, it. You are really great help, you know that?” Complimenting her had resulted Azrael to blush at my words, which makes me feel strangely warm inside, “do you also mind giving me a dagger?”
“Sure,” she nodded. Then with a few flicks of the wrist, the knife appeared in my hands.
“You are the best,” I said after grabbing it, approaching inside the circle before drawing my own blood in the empty chalice, mixing it with the blood from the dagger. A drop of blood fell down; leaving a single trail of red liquid in the center. It was time to start the summoning.
Just after that moment, I was teleported to a different world so to speak; the environment instantly changed into desert and it appeared as if there was sandstorm surrounding me. Although, the wind that blows past my hair was not hot as the sun was still shining brightly in the sky.
