Jonathan had no idea what to expect when he stepped into the rectangular portal, but this was certainly not it. For one, he did not fall through it. In fact, it just felt like he had taken a single step forward and found himself in a different place. And for another, the room he was now in, looked like it was plucked right out of a mediaeval movie set.
The spacious hall was constructed entirely of stone bricks, from the surrounding walls down to the floor where he stood. Every one of them was even and square, a testament to a kind of work ethic reminiscent of stonemasons of the past.
But not every part of the room belonged to a Shakespeare play, though. Modern-day light bulbs hung on the walls in place of where fire torches should be, properly illuminating the dark wooden doors that fitted snugly in the walls. A large desk presented itself from the end of the hall with its regal red colours. A brunette man behind it stood up and brushed by it, walking towards a gawking Jonathan.
“Welcome to the Immortal Paranormal Association.” He stretched out a hand. Jonathan shook it absentmindedly, still wondering how that man had hair locks so perfectly coiled.
“Maximus, at your service.” The man pointed to himself. “Well done, my associates.”
“Aww… the poor boy looks so confused,” Lucy’s sultry voice tickled Jonathan’s ears. He turned back. His two escorts were standing behind him, and the rectangular portal had already disappeared with nary a trace.
“Introductions, everyone!” Maximus boomed in a rather lively tone. “It’s so nice to see our ranks increasing so quickly.”
“He already knows our names…” Duncan mumbled. “Whatever, let’s get this over and done with. Ahem. Duncan Ward, the last living witch doctor in the world. Born in 1384 AD.”
“Oh me next, me next! My birth name is Lucy Carpenter, and I’m a vampire born in 1019 AD.”
“And I have been known as Maximus Augustine Lopez for about a century. Please do not question me about my birth name, for I have long since forgotten it. I was born in 1676 and I’m the founder of this organisation.”
“Jonathan Warner. Born in… 1979, I guess? Is this some kind of joke? Do you really expect me to believe vampires and witches are real? What is going on?”
“You doubt? Oh, I’m so hurt.” Lucy pouted before grinning, revealing fangs extending slowly from her mouth. She looked up slyly at him as a small red glow flickered in her irises. Jonathan trembled in fear and backed away until a click froze him in his tracks. He spun around, coming face to face with the barrel of a gun. Maximus pulled the trigger.
Shock kicked his senses into overdrive, and Jonathan watched the world move in slow motion again. He plucked the bullet from the air, moving so slowly it almost seemed stationary. A second gunshot rang out while he examined the bullet, and he felt a small disturbance in his hair. A crushed bullet bounced off the floor.
“Did… did you just shoot me?”
“So powerful…” There was an unusually warm smile on Maximus’ face. Jonathan stared blankly at him and turned to Duncan and Lucy, who also had an equally confused look on their faces.
“I’d like to offer you a job,” Maximus said. “As immortals, it is imperative that we keep a low profile. However, there are paranormal forces that threaten to reveal our identities to the world at all times. Our mission is to maintain the paranormal stability that keeps us hidden.”
“Woah woah. Can we just pause for me to ask, like, several hundred questions?” Jonathan spluttered. “What happened to me? How are all of you immortal? How did you find me? Why am I here? How is all this even my problem?”
“You’re right, it’s not your problem. But you are in dire need of credits, are you not? I have enough connections in the world to let you live like a first-class citizen for eternity.” Maximus sauntered to Jonathan. “And besides, we’re in the business of knowing things, my friend. Be patient, all will be revealed to you if you join us. Or would you rather waste a couple of centuries living without finding anything out about yourself?”
Jonathan stared at the ground intensely for a moment before looking back at Maximus. “What’s the catch?”
“The catch is, there will be a black market auction happening at one in the morning, two nights from now.” Maximus waved his hand lazily. “Join your new associates and guard the auction. Make sure no paranormal beings cause any trouble there.”
“I wasn’t informed of this,” Duncan spoke up.
“I’m informing you now,” Maximus replied. “Happy to work with you, Mister Warner. Here’s a token of goodwill.”
There was a buzz on Jonathan’s wrist. He flipped it and his eyes widened in surprise at the green figure this time. There were more than enough credits in his account now to buy an entire apartment for himself and Oscar each.
Maximus tipped an imaginary hat to Jonathan and waved his hand.
~ ~ ~
The sky was already dark when Jonathan strode into the familiar sights of Whitacre Street. He probably would have saved a whole hour if he came back alone, but his new colleagues insisted on walking him home as a gesture of courtesy. Well, at least he knew the way to his new workplace now. He turned into the alley, eager to see Oscar again when he spotted a familiar figure waiting for him just outside his shelter.
“Christ, Anya. You’re scaring my neighbours.”
Detective Anya folded her arms. “They shouldn’t be scared if they haven’t done anything wrong.”
“We’re all sinners, Madam Officer.” Jonathan led Anya back out into the main street. “What do you want?”
“I came to check if you are alright. Somebody reported a gunshot here last night and the gangsters that slipped through our fingers had the audacity to rob a bank just this morning. I’ll never forget the crime scene. Eighteen robbers were completely drained of blood while eyewitnesses only mentioned a crushing darkness. The cameras didn’t help either.” Anya sighed. “Where have you been, anyway?”
“I was out looking for a job,” Jonathan replied quickly. After all, that was not a complete lie.
“A job?” Anya raised an eyebrow. Jonathan kept his expression neutral. Anya may be a seasoned police officer, but he had known her for his whole life. Hell, he could probably evade her probing even if she had telepathic abilities. Fortunately, she was not in the mood for interrogation tonight.
“Anyway, I want to apologise for last night. I’m sorry for being so pushy,” Anya said. “I guess you’re right; there is a part of me that is doing this for credits. But believe me when I say that I have not forgotten what I promised you in our foster home. I truly became a police officer to help people like you, Jon. I’ll let you know when I find out more about—”
“Tell me about the auctioneer’s murder.”
“What?”
“You said you needed my help. What kind of friend would I be if I turned you down for real?”
“I… Thank you, my friend.” Anya’s face brightened up considerably. “So… would you believe me if I told you that vampires exist?”
“W— Wha…? O— Of course not.” Jonathan laughed nervously and looked away. “Why… why would I?”
“I thought just as much,” Anya’s tone dropped. “There were two puncture wounds on the auctioneer’s neck, just like your father, and the eighteen robbers this morning. That is no coincidence.”
“The murders happened seventeen years apart. What could be the common motive between them?”
“The auctioneer was in possession of a unique gem called the Lily Noir right before he died. It’s now missing. If I recall your father’s murder correctly, your mother also reported a missing necklace, correct?”
“Why does that matter?” Jonathan looked away. “She could’ve just been lying to cover up her tracks.”
“What?” Anya gasped. “How can you say that about your—”
“You weren’t there, Anya!” Jonathan fought to keep his emotions down. “Dad and Mom were always fighting. She never cared for our family. All she wanted was more and more credits, even at the expense of my father’s health. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was intending to claim insurance credits from his death.”
“That must’ve been hard for a young child to see.” Anya bit her lip. “Let’s just focus on our case then, alright? Clear and present is the missing Lily Noir. We need to find more clues about that gem’s mysterious disappearance.”
“What’s a Lily Noir?”
“Not ‘a’; ‘the’. The Lily Noir are three gems made in honour of three sworn sisters. They were of different races and classes, and the world hunted them for being together. Unable to bear the world’s persecution, they committed suicide together in hopes that death will not judge them like the world did.”
“That sounds a tad overdramatic.”
“Nobody knows who manufactured those gems, and that’s where their value lies. They were named after their unique obsidian black colour and three-petalled flowers. Rumours have it that these gems appear uniformly black to the world but will only reveal their true colours under the right conditions.”
Jonathan scratched his chin. “So you’re thinking that the auctioneer was killed because of the gem? Why not just wait for the auction and buy it off?”
“You clearly haven’t been to an auction, have you? Do you have any idea how much any item there is going to cost?”
“Fair point,” Jonathan said. A sudden realisation flashed across his face, and he reached into his coat. The gem he had stolen from Harred’s place had been missing ever since this morning.
“What is it?”
“My— Erm… phone. It’s missing.”
Anya fished out a phone from her pocket and passed it to him. “I found it on the street. You’re lucky nobody decided to pick it up for themselves. This place is such a slum.”
Her eyes lit up. “Hey, why don’t you move in with me?”
“No thanks, my life’s pretty good here.”
“But it can be better. Think about how good Oscar’s going to have it,” Anya pressed. “My place is pretty big. C’mon, I won’t charge you rent if you play nice.”
Jonathan glanced back at the sleeping beagle beside his sorry excuse of a home and thought back to the credits in his account. He could buy himself an apartment now, but with the United World Government’s horrible decision to shuffle the entire world population around, it was going to take years before one could be constructed for him. Hell, even the United Kingdom was going to be sundered into ‘sectors’ in a few more years. New world politics; Jonathan never appreciated those kinds of things.
“You know what? You’re right.” Jonathan surprised even himself with his amiability. “Give me a day or two to pack.”
“Awesome!” his childhood friend piped in an uncharacteristically adorable tone. “Oh, do you know that old lady?”
Jonathan turned to the direction Anya was pointing. An old lady shuffled over and greeted them with a toothless smile.
“There you are, young man.” The old lady took his hand. “Thank you so much for saving me from that reckless driver earlier. Come to my place; I simply must share my dinner with you.”
“Looks like you have a date, Jon. I’ll keep in touch.” Anya flashed a polite smile at the old woman and briskly walked away before Jonathan could question what was happening. He gave the old lady a confused look, which she returned with a cheeky smirk. His eyes widened in shock as her silver hair began to regain its dark colour and the wrinkles on her face faded before his eyes.
“Come with me, Jonathan.” Lucy Carpenter held his forearm as dark particles crawled up his wrist.
“I have a favour to ask of you.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEOmX5pb6P
