Bab 9: The Marked One
Rebecca's fingers danced over the keyboard, each tap of the keys blending with the low hum of electronics in her apartment. A half-empty coffee cup sat within reach, the spoon resting lazily on the rim. The faint scent of jasmine incense lingered in the air—a reminder of her earlier visit to that strange temple on the edge of Chinatown.
Her eyes narrowed at the screen. The puzzle was maddening, a series of disconnected fragments that refused to make sense. Jalal's talk about ancient symbols, Aaron's unsettling account of that bizarre place, and the monk's ominous warning all swirled in her mind.
Someone close to you has been marked.
The words clung to her thoughts, stubborn and insistent, no matter how hard she tried to focus. Who? Marked for what? She knew too many people, each stranger than the last—contacts, sources, informants. It was like trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing. She chewed the tip of her pen, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
Her phone buzzed, the screen lighting up with a name that made her pause: James Carter.
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth before she could stop it. James... The guy had a way of showing up when she least expected it. Sweet, goofy, and so painfully awkward it was endearing. His nervous charm was like clockwork, always stumbling through conversations, especially when she teased him—and Rebecca loved teasing him.
With a playful grin, she picked up the call. "Calling me after hours? Didn't know we were on those terms, Carter."
The pause on the other end was almost comical. She could practically hear him scrambling to think of a response, probably blushing. The mental image made her chuckle under her breath.
"Hey, uh, Rebecca," James stammered, the nervousness in his voice evident even through the phone. "I was wondering if we could meet? I need to talk to you. It's about the disappearances... and some other stuff."
Her grin faded, and the playful spark in her eyes dimmed. Disappearances? James was not the type to bring up serious topics like that out of nowhere.
"You?" she asked, suspicion creeping into her tone. "Since when are you interested in ghost stories?"
There was a beat of silence before he answered, far too quickly. "I'm just... curious."
Rebecca's brow furrowed. Something wasn't right. James wasn't curious—at least, not about dangerous things. He was the cautious type, someone who stayed out of trouble. This sudden interest? It set off alarms.
And then the monk's warning whispered again in her mind. One close to you has been marked.
Her heart tightened in her chest. Could it really be James? The idea was ridiculous... wasn't it? But the more she thought about it, the less ridiculous it seemed. James had been acting strangely the past few days—distracted, skittish, like he was carrying some secret he couldn't explain.
Rebecca bit her lip, her mind racing. If James had stumbled into something dangerous, he wouldn't even realize it. And if the monk's warning was right—real—he was already a target.
"Alright, tech guy," she said, her tone softening but still tinged with concern. "I'll meet you. But if this turns out to be a wild goose chase, you're buying me dinner."
"It won't be." There was a flicker of relief in his voice, though it was still wrapped in nervous energy. "Just... trust me? I'll explain everything when we meet."
Rebecca let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine. I'll be there in ten." She hung up, staring at the phone in her hand as if it could offer answers.
The monk's words returned, weaving themselves into her thoughts.
If James was involved, whether knowingly or not, it was only a matter of time before he became a target. And if that happened... Rebecca wouldn't stand by and let him face it alone.
With a sigh, she shut her laptop, grabbed her jacket, and headed for the door. Whatever was going on, she would find out soon enough.
---
Chapter: Shadows and Secrets
James leaned against the brick wall outside Tech Haven, watching the bustle of New York fade with the evening. The hum of the city, the sirens in the distance, and the occasional flicker of streetlights all blurred together, but the weight pressing on his chest felt heavier than anything around him. He raised a can of lukewarm coffee to his lips, the bitter taste doing little to calm the mess swirling in his brain.
This wasn't what he signed up for. Sure, he lived in a world where the Hulk rampaged through Harlem and Iron Man showed up on TV, but having superpowers himself? That was a whole different game. The thrill of flight, speed, and lightning was intoxicating at first, but after facing those creatures—the Furies—things stopped feeling fun real fast. The memory of their red, glowing eyes and the cold whispers that slithered through his mind still gave him chills.
Somebody was pulling strings. Someone dangerous. And worse, whoever it was knew exactly what James carried inside him. He took another sip of coffee, muttering under his breath, "Yeah, Carter. You're living in a second-rate superhero movie, and you don't even know how it ends."
He shook his head, as if trying to physically cast the thoughts aside. Rebecca. He needed answers—and if anyone could dig them up, it was her. She was relentless. If there were weird cracks, shadow creatures, or urban myths, Rebecca would have her nose buried in all of it. That much he could count on.
His eyes flicked down the street, catching sight of her. She strolled toward him, a confident sway in her step, her leather jacket pulled tight over her frame, hair loose over her shoulders. She was an anomaly: tough and self-assured but able to throw on a playful smirk at a moment's notice.
She raised an eyebrow as she approached. "What's up, Carter? Calling me out after hours now? Didn't know we were that kind of friends."
James scratched the back of his neck, awkward as ever. "You could've said no."
Rebecca gave a soft laugh, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Fair point." She tilted her head, scanning him with that investigative gaze of hers. "So… what's this about? Sounded urgent on the phone."
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, searching for the right words. "I, uh… I wanted to talk about those disappearances. You know, the ones linked to those cracks."
Rebecca's playful demeanor faltered, her eyes narrowing. "What's gotten you so interested all of a sudden?"
James could feel her starting to connect dots, and it made him nervous. "It's just… weird. You've been looking into it, and I figured, y'know, you might've found something."
Rebecca folded her arms, leaning closer. "What aren't you telling me, James?"
Before he could answer, a cold wind swept through the alley, prickling his skin. A shiver ran down his spine as the streetlights flickered. His stomach twisted as he caught movement—shadows slithering beyond the edge of the light, writhing like oil slicks come to life.
Then he saw them.
The Furies.
Their twisted bodies slid out from the dark, limbs elongated and grotesque, red eyes burning with malevolent hunger. The same creatures that had attacked him before. They were back—and this time, Rebecca was in their crosshairs.
"Oh, hell no," James muttered under his breath.
Rebecca froze, her playful sarcasm vanishing the second she saw the creatures. "What... what are those?" she whispered, her voice tight with disbelief.
"Something bad," James answered quickly, his heart thundering. "We gotta go. Now."
Without waiting, he grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him, heading toward the back of the store. The creatures hissed, their voices dripping with malice, closing in fast.
Rebecca yanked her hand free, anger flashing in her eyes. "What the hell is going on, James?!"
"I'll explain later!" he hissed, throwing a panicked glance over his shoulder. The Furies glided closer, dark tendrils licking at the ground like smoke, eager to catch them.
They ducked behind a wall, pressing into the shadows. The alley was tight, but it gave them cover—for now. James knew they didn't have long. The creatures could sense him, drawn to the power thrumming inside him. And the longer Rebecca stayed with him, the more danger she was in.
"Stay here," James whispered, catching her gaze. "I'll draw them away."
"No way in hell—"
"Rebecca, please!" James cut her off, voice low and urgent. "Just trust me. I'll be fine, but I need you to stay hidden."
Rebecca hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. The fire in her eyes didn't dim, but she gave him a slight nod. "Fine. But if you get yourself killed, I swear I'll murder you."
James gave a tight, nervous grin. "Deal."
He shot out from behind the wall, throwing his hands up like a madman. "Hey, ugly! Over here!"
The Furies snapped toward him with an ear-piercing shriek, their bodies twisting unnaturally as they slithered after him. One of them broke off from the pack—and that's when James's heart plummeted.
It was going straight for Rebecca.
"No!" James roared, but his feet felt sluggish, heavy. He couldn't reach her in time.
The creature lunged, razor-sharp tendrils aimed straight for her chest. Rebecca gasped, frozen in place, arms raised instinctively to shield herself.
There was no time to think. Only one way to save her now.
James threw his head back, letting instinct take over. "SHAZAM!"
A blinding bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, slamming into him with a thunderous crack. Power surged through his body like wildfire, and in an instant, James was gone—replaced by Shazam.
Rebecca's jaw dropped, her mind struggling to process the impossible sight before her. James—no, Shazam—stood tall in gleaming red and gold, eyes burning with determination. He shot forward, faster than thought, intercepting the Fury mid-lunge. His fist connected with the creature, and the impact shattered the air like a bomb going off.
Rebecca staggered back, still in shock. "You've got to be kidding me…"
Shazam didn't wait. More of the creatures surged from the shadows, drawn by the lightning. He turned, scooping Rebecca into his arms in one fluid motion.
"Hold on!" he shouted, a bit excited despite the chaos.
Before she could protest, Shazam shot into the sky, the city shrinking beneath them in a blur of lights. The wind howled around them as Rebecca clung to him, heart pounding in her chest.
"This is insane!" she yelled over the rushing air.
"Welcome to my life!" Shazam shouted back, exhilaration and fear mixing in equal parts.
As they soared into the night, the Furies left behind in the streets below, James knew one thing for certain:
The shadows weren't done with him. And neither was the one hunting him.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone