Chapitre 84: Felix Megistus - Chapter Seven
"We'll need to meet with him." Guy said as we departed the undercity.
"Oh, please no." Liora piped up from behind us.
"Yes."
For three relentless days and nights, we surrendered ourselves to a fervor of preparation and research, the kind driven by desperation and the gnawing grip of urgency. Our temporary base, an old, secluded cabin that Guy had used for similar situations in the past, became a sanctuary of frenetic activity and sleepless nights.
Between cups of strong coffee and the occasional stale sandwich, we pored over old manuscripts and digital archives, hunting for any reference that might give us a clearer picture of what to expect. Every so often, Guy would disappear into another room, returning with yet another dusty tome or an ancient map that looked as though it had been rescued from the clutches of time itself.
The second day was dedicated to gathering supplies. We prepared like soldiers going to war. Our arsenal included not just physical weaponry, which Guy insisted on checking and rechecking for functionality, but also an array of protective amulets and charms. Liora busied herself with concocting various potions and enchantments. Her skills in defensive magic were unmatched, and by the end of the day, each of us carried an assortment of vials filled with shimmering liquids that glowed softly in the dim light of the cabin.
Using the intricate knowledge I had amassed over years of dealing with entities both benign and malevolent, I crafted wards and spells that would alert us to spying eyes or unwanted followers. The air around the cabin grew thick with the power of these spells, a silent sentinel guarding against the intrusion of the supernatural.
The final day before the arrival of the Hat Man was spent in a state of heightened alertness and muted anticipation. The cabin was filled with the low murmur of whispered incantations and the occasional clink of glass as Liora carefully packed her potions. By the time the first streaks of dawn colored the sky on the third day, signaling the imminent arrival of the Hat Man, we were physically exhausted but mentally razor-sharp. We walked from the cabin to the lot at the foot of the hill.
Scant few godrays pouring onto the horizon did little to ease my weariness. We stood in the empty space, the gravel beneath our feet crunching softly as we shifted our positions. The Hat Man approached with an eerie calm, his silhouette dark against the graying sky, his red eyes glowing faintly under the brim of his worn hat.
"Judas." I stared at him, my expression set in stone. "Never a pleasure."
"Likewise, Grecian-spawn," he retorted with a thin smile that didn't reach his eyes.
He turned to Baptiste, eyeing the obsidian peacemakers hanging from his hands, "Guy! I see you are still using what I sold you."
"Are you sure she should be here?" His gaze flicked towards Liora, who stood slightly behind, a look of shock crossing her features. "Hasn't she betrayed you?"
"It's fine, Iscariot." I reassured myself, though my tone suggested anything but ease. "Chyme's Codex, where is it?"
Judas chuckled, a sound that seemed to chill the air around us further. "You too? Quite the hot commodity this age."
I narrowed my eyes, "Judas, cut the theatrics. If there's anyone who would know where to find it, it'd be you. Spill it."
His thin smile twisted on in its corners, "I am afraid I have no inkling of its whereabouts."
I did not miss the slight emphasis he placed on his ignorance.
He tipped his hat back slightly, revealing more of his gaunt face, the red eyes studying us with an unsettling intensity. "Felix, always so direct. Let me be clear—I genuinely do not know where it rests. However," he paused, a sly grin spreading across his face, "I might know of the one who does."
Guy grunted, his impatience palpable. "What's your price?"
Judas's smile widened. "You two, always so pithy. Let's just say, curiosity, boredom, a bit of both? Or perhaps I just enjoy watching my favorite mortal and immortal scurry about, chasing after lost relics and causes just as such."
I resisted the urge to flame him. "We do this everytime, Judas. Just give us a name."
Judas looked from me to Liora, then back at Guy. He seemed to ponder for a moment, as if deciding how much to divulge. "There's a collector, resides in the shadows of the Carpathians. Not too far from where Manon... well, you know. He's eccentric, dangerous, and not particularly fond of visitors. Certainly a challenge, but if you're daring enough, he might have what you seek. Or lead you to it."
"And how do we find this collector?" Liora finally spoke up, her voice steady despite the clear tension.
Judas's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than comfortable. "Follow the trail of the fallen stars. Where they align, the path opens. And Felix, be cautious. This collector does not take kindly to those who disturb his solitude."
With a final nod, the Iscariot turned and began to walk away, his figure slowly blending into the morning mist until he disappeared completely. We were left standing in silence, each of us processing the cryptic clues he'd left behind.
"Well, that was cryptic and mildly threatening." Guy broke the silence first. "Just how we like it, right?"
I sighed, feeling the weight of the upcoming journey. "If he was warning about the journey for the codex, perhaps I made to hasty a deal."
Liora nodded, her face set in a determined line. "Let's gather what we need and head to the Carpathians. If this collector really knows something about the Codex, we can't let this chance slip."
As we stepped into the dense tapestry of my otherworld, a realm woven from the threads of my own magic and will, the very fabric of reality seemed to pulse with energy. This dimension was always a refuge, a place of power where I could bend the laws that governed the less malleable outside world. Yet, as we slipped through the portal, I felt an unfamiliar twinge—a hesitation born of the company I now kept.
As we progressed along the path that I conjured with a mere thought, the familiar landscape began to stir memories long suppressed. The faces of Liora and Guy were jarring contrasts to the solitude I had so carefully cultivated over the years. Seeing them here, inside an expression of myself, felt like an intrusion, albeit one I had allowed.
They walk through my mind's garden as if it were a park crafted for their pleasure. Once, the thought of sharing this space would have been unbearable—yet now, I find their presence oddly comforting. Is this what I've been missing? No, it can't be. I've fortified myself against such weaknesses. Yet, why does the sight of their ease, here in my most private sanctum, cause these walls I've built to tremble?
Guy, ever the pragmatist, kept his eyes on the path but let out a low whistle. "Always knew you had flair, Felix, but this—this is something else."
I managed a tight smile, the compliment slicing through my defenses like a blade. "It's nothing. Just a shortcut."
Their casual acceptance of my world, their unguarded wonder, felt like a weight pressing down on the carefully constructed persona I presented. The aloof, all-powerful Felix was faltering, cracks forming as the genuine connection I had long avoided began to seep through. The easy camaraderie we once shared, now resurfacing after years of deliberate distance, was both a salve and a torment.
They shouldn't be here, seeing this, seeing the parts of me that even I dare not examine too closely. And yet, I cannot wish them away. Not truly. Is this weakness? Or is it merely human? Perhaps I've been alone with my power for too long, unchallenged, unaided, insulated from the very human experiences that once defined me.
"Are you alright, Felix?" Liora's voice, soft and filled with an emotion I couldn't place, broke through my internal conflict.
I nodded, forcing a solidity I did not feel. "Yes, just thinking about our next steps."
My hands hovered just over the outer ring, I chanted into my armillary globe, "Per potestates antiquorum ad inveniendum scientiam. Verte sphæram in circuitu, ostende mihi veritatem. Da mihi potestatem scrutandi montes, ut inveniatur preda mea."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone