By the next morning, the first rays of sunlight pierced through the windows, rousing Jett from his deep sleep in the backseat of the car. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, his body still aching from the previous night.

Glancing toward the front seat, he saw Eric still driving, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Jett wondered just where they were going. He looked out the window and saw little beyond the blur of trees and houses passing by.

Soon, Eric pulled up to a stop in front of a library with classical columns and large arched windows. Jett could see that the building was old but well maintained.

"Out," Eric commanded.

Jett climbed out of the car, stretching his stiff muscles from the long journey. Eric followed, and as they both stepped away from the car, Eric's ring glowed a dull gray. Suddenly, the car broke down into useless scraps of metal and parts. Jett was shocked but followed Eric as he walked towards the library.

Eric knocked on the library door and called out, “Neil, are you in?”

Soon, a man appeared at the entrance. He was tall and lanky, with salt-and-pepper hair that had thinned at the top. He wore a comfortable-looking cardigan over a simple shirt and pants.

“Hey, Hodge. It’s been a while,” Neil greeted with a friendly smile.

Eric scowled slightly. "I told you to stop calling me by my last name."

Neil chuckled, unfazed. "And I told you to stop being so uptight." He then glanced at Jett and nodded. "Is he the guy?"

Eric nodded and asked, “Did Charlotte get here yet?”

"Yeah," Neil confirmed. "She's waiting inside."

Eric turned to Jett and introduced him to Neil. "This is Neil. We'll be staying here for the time being."

"Inside a library?" Jett asked, unsure.

"The library's just a front," Eric explained. "Come on."

Neil smiled warmly. "Well, come on in. Mi casa es su casa."

Ignoring Neil's comment, Eric and Jett followed him into the library. Once inside, Jett noticed that the library looked even bigger on the inside.

Neil led them past the front desk and through a series of rooms lined with even more bookshelves and study tables. They reached a restricted section at the back of the library, and Neil opened a door that led them into a different part of the building altogether.

This part of the library was more modern, with polished floors and glass walls separating different areas. There were several rooms, including a kitchen area, a couple of bedrooms, and a lounge. They walked through a small hallway and into a room where Charlotte awaited them.

Charlotte looked up from a comfortable chair in the lounge area and managed a small smile as Eric and Jett entered.

Eric spoke first. "We won't stay here for long, but it'll suffice for the meantime."

Jett looked around, scanning the area. Then, he asked, "Where is Whimsy?"

“Dead,” Eric replied bluntly.

Jett’s heart sank a little at the news. “What about Morris?” he asked next, almost afraid to hear the answer.

There was a long silence from Eric. Then, he delivered the news in the same cold tone. "He's dead, too."

Jett fell silent; he could feel an emptiness growing inside of him. He wondered just how much more loss he could endure before he broke. Neil left the room, leaving the two alone to talk.

"Eric, I'm sorry about Morris," Jett said, his voice trembling slightly.

Eric's response was cold and direct. "Don't apologize. It won't change anything."

Jett stammered, "I—I guess you're right."

Eric's expression remained hard as he asked, "What about Mick?"

Jett's voice trembled slightly as he replayed Mick’s death. "I couldn't save him. Liam killed him right in front of me." Jett's eyes dropped to the floor, feeling immense grief and guilt.

Eric's response was unexpectedly gentle. "I'm sorry."

Jett shook his head. "It's okay. It's my fault."

Eric's tone turned cold again. "Yes, it's your fault, but I could've at least tried tracking Mick down instead of allowing an idiot like you to rush in on your own."

Jett remained silent, unable to deny that Eric was right. However, Eric could’ve at least sugarcoated it. Jett already felt bad enough, as it was.

Eric mused aloud, "But why would Liam kill Mick? I thought Ezekiel needed him for something."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Jett frowned. He felt slightly angry as he remembered what Liam had told Mick. "It was all a lie that Liam made up just for his own pleasure."

Eric nodded, his expression darkening further. "I see."

Jett changed the subject. "That man who attacked me, Devin. Do you know him?"

Eric nodded and said, "Yes, he's a member of the Legion."

"What is the Legion?"

Eric's answer was succinct. "Another group of people who are after you."

Jett sighed, the weight of it all crashing down on him. "So now I have to watch out for Ezekiel, random bounty hunters, and the Legion as well?"

Eric simply nodded.

Jett asked another question. "Can't you just track down Purge so that we can convince him to get rid of the bounty he placed on me?"

Eric’s response was as direct as ever. "Purge isn't easy to find. Even if we found him, there's no guarantee he would listen to reason."

With that, Eric turned and left the room, without waiting for Jett’s response.

***

Three hours later, Jett lay on a modest bed in a room within the secret part of the library. The room was small but comfortable, a single bed pushed against the wall, a wooden nightstand with a small lamp, and a sparse shelf holding a few books. The walls were bare, and a narrow window allowed faint natural light to stream in.

Jett couldn't shake off the words Devin had said to him earlier: "You wield one of the most powerful rings in existence and yet you can't even use it to its full potential. What a waste." Those words gnawed at Jett. He had always thought he was getting better with his abilities, but Devin’s critique showed he was not. Was he really deserving of the ring?

'I've always been aware that my ring holds immense power, but I never quite knew the extent of it,' Jett thought, staring at the ceiling. 'Could Devin be right? Am I really wasting this gift? But what am I supposed to do with it? I can’t just unleash its full potential when I know nothing about it.'

As Jett was lost in his thoughts, Eric barged into the room. Jett glanced at him, then muttered, "You could at least knock, you know?"

"Knocking wouldn't change anything. We need to talk."

Jett pushed himself up and sighed. "What’s going on?"

Eric got straight to the point. "I want you to come with me. There's a lead we need to follow."

Jett looked at Eric curiously. "To where?"

"You'll find out once we get there. There's something we need to investigate."

"What about my bounty?" Jett asked, surprised.

"It's fine as long as you don't get captured," Eric said with his usual pragmatism.

Jett titled his head in suspicion. "You rarely want me to have anything to do with what you’re doing, so why do I have to come with you this time?"

"I have my reasons," Eric said, offering no further explanation.

Jett sighed, realizing he wouldn’t get more out of Eric. "Alright," he agreed reluctantly.

As they were about to leave the room, Jett asked, "What about Charlotte?"

"Neil will take care of her," Eric replied, clearly not interested in prolonging the conversation.

With that, Jett and Eric left the secret part of the library, making their way back to the main room, where Neil waited for them. Neil looked at them with a questioning expression.

"Where are you two going?" Neil asked.

"Don't worry about it," Eric replied, his tone leaving no room for further questions.

Jett and Eric exited the library and approached the piles of scrap metal that were once a car. Eric's ring glowed grey, and the scraps reassembled themselves into a different car entirely. Jett watched in awe.

"I've got to get a ring like that," Jett joked.

Eric didn't react to Jett's humor. "Get in," he said, gesturing for Jett to take the passenger seat.

Jett climbed into the car, then Eric followed suit, climbing into the driver’s seat. After a few minutes, Eric sped off.

Eric and Jett drove through the night and into the early hours of the next morning, their journey taking them through winding country roads and onto more urban highways. Eventually, they pulled into the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Jett leaned back in his seat, taking in the surroundings with a sense of unfamiliarity. "Where are we?" he asked, squinting against the morning sun.

"You don't go out much, do you?" Eric responded dryly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Jett shook his head. "The only place I've ever known is Allentown. Even then, I didn't know the place very well."

"Your life is lonely," Eric commented without emotion, keeping his attention on the traffic.

Jett's left eye twitched slightly. "Yeah, I know that already. Just tell me where we are."

"We're in Harrisburg," Eric said, his gaze briefly meeting Jett's.

Jett nodded slowly. "What are we doing here?"

"Trying to find a potential wielder," Eric replied.

Jett looked puzzled. "What?"

Eric pulled out his phone from his trouser pocket and scrolled through it for a moment before handing it to Jett. "Here, read this," He said, showing Jett a news article from the previous day.

The headline read: "Two Boys Found Dead on Road; Mystery Deepens as Both Boys Die from Rare Diseases."

Jett read the accompanying text: "Jason Turman, 16, and Fred Coker, 17, were discovered dead on the side of a quiet residential street. What made their deaths unusual was that both boys had died from different diseases, one from necrotizing fasciitis and the other from fulminant hepatitis—illnesses they had never shown signs of before."

"Okay, but why am I following you this time?" Jett asked, handing the phone back to Eric.

"Like I said before, I have my reasons," Eric stated, dismissing the question.

Jett muttered under his breath, "Not like you ever tell me anything, anyway."

Eric finally parked his car in a more secluded area. Jett climbed out of the car immediately and Eric followed suit, then Eric locked the doors. After making sure nobody was watching, Eric’s ring glowed grey and the car once again broke down into useless metal scraps.

"I did some research and narrowed down two suspects: Sheila Kidd and Ryan Robbins," Eric continued.

"Why those two?" Jett inquired.

Eric began with Sheila. "Sheila was in contact with Jason and Fred before they died. She's a medical student, knowledgeable about diseases and pathogens, and she has a reputation for performing experimental treatments on people. It’s possible she did something that led to their deaths. Her acquaintances also said her experiments were almost like magic itself. Therefore, she could also be a wielder."

Jett nodded in understanding. "And Ryan?"

"Ryan is Jason's cousin. Rumors have it that Ryan had connections to the occult and was heard arguing with Jason shortly before he died," Eric explained. "He was also spotted in the area around the time of the boys' deaths."

Jett rubbed his temple with a smile. "So now I'm a detective, huh?"

Ignoring Jett's comment, Eric handed him a piece of paper with Sheila's address on it. "You will take Sheila while I will take Ryan."

Jett looked at the address, then back at Eric. "I'm not good at this. How will I even interrogate her? I'm not a police detective or anything. I'm just nineteen."

“You will figure something out,” Eric said bluntly.

Eric turned to leave, but Jett stopped him with another question. “What if a bounty hunter comes after me? Or what if I get attacked by a member of the Legion or something?”

“Don’t get caught,” Eric said, walking away.

Jett stood there for a moment, staring at the paper in his hand, wondering, 'Did Eric hit his head or something suddenly?'