Tyler and I crossed the busy street to get to his car when I spotted Agent Grant standing by the vehicle. His yellow suit and smug expression upon my approach stood out even in the hundreds of people passing by.

“Aliyah Dawn. What a surprise seeing you here. Mind answering a few more questions?”

“Please. You expect me to believe you weren’t spying on me? And what’s with the suit? You look like my auntie’s banana pudding.”

He chuckled. “My daughter is having a birthday party later, and yellow happens to be her favorite color. Don’t you think I’d be a little less noticeable if I was following you?”

Tyler confronted Grant. “So what’s your deal, then? You some old pervert admiring her or something?”

“Well, I’m something, and that’s a government agent. You’d be smart to get out of my face, kid.”

“What if I don’t? Guys like you always think you can do what you want because you’re the law.”

Stepping in between them was a struggle, but I managed to push Tyler back and lock eyes with Grant. “You have no right to harass me or threaten my friend. Leave us alone and go about whatever investigation you’re doing.”

“Actually, my investigation was shut down, and I believe you know why. I think it’s time the two of us had a conversation off record.”

I was unsure whether to accept or decline his offer. “And why should I believe that or even talk to you?”

“Because I have information on Alvin Steinberg, the man you’re working for. Real information. Not the lies I’m sure he told you. In exchange, I want you to tell me everything that was discussed between the two of you yesterday evening. And please, don’t try to falsify the event to deceive me. I’ll know if you’re lying or telling the truth.”

Despite his shadiness in our previous encounters, the way he spoke now felt more open and less interrogating. There was nothing to lose and everything to gain, so only one answer was viable.

“Fine, but we’ll talk tomorrow. I have to get home to my sister.”

“Understandable, but I’m afraid I can’t do that. After my daughter’s birthday party, I have an important meeting scheduled outside of the city. We need to have our conversation right now.”

Mya was my top priority, but an opportunity to learn more about Alvin was something I couldn’t pass up.

“Alright, whatever. We can talk in here.” I gestured my hand to the coffee shop we were standing outside of.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you in there.”

As he walked inside, Tyler stopped me from following behind. “What’s this guy talking about? Are you sure you wanna be alone with him?”

“No. That’s why you’re coming with me.”

We entered the shop decorated with an eclectic theme and saw Grant sitting on a sofa with his hands folded on the wooden table. He gave us a closed-lip smile as we sat on the couch across from him.

“Okay, Grant. You wanted this, so you start first,” I said. “I’m not saying anything until you tell me about Alvin and what he’s really up to.”

“I can tell you about him, but one question,” he narrowed his eyes at Tyler, “why is he here?”

“’Cause he’s my friend. Either he stays, or I go.”

His stare continued until he sighed. “I guess he stays.”

“Okay, now tell me what I wanna know.”

He cleared his throat before speaking. “Alvin Steinberg. Even I’m in the dark as to what his true motives are. For nearly thirty years, he’s assisted some of the top scientists in the country. Throughout those decades, he’s made countless petitions for the position of chief science officer, but was denied each time. It wasn’t until he discovered the virus going around that he was put into a role of power. I’m sure he informed you of this disease I’m speaking of.”

“Yeah. The one that can turn desires into reality.”

“Exactly. But what if I told you this so-called virus isn’t actually a virus, but a curse that can’t fully be explained by scientific means?”

Tyler leaned forward in his seat. “I knew it. It’s magic, right? That’s what’s causing all of this? It’s gotta be.”

Grant sat back with his arms crossed, looking out of the glass window at pedestrians walking by. “I was baffled myself the first time I was told about the curse,” Grant admitted, turning his attention back to us. “For a long time, the government has been tracking the activity of a cult known as the Black Mask. The group believes the world is full of sinners, and that the planet is in need of cleansing.”

Stolen novel; please report.

“They’re not wrong about that,” Tyler jumped in.

“Two members of the Black Mask in custody confessed that the cult performed a year-long ceremony. This ritual is responsible for putting a spell on people in the city. It reveals their strongest aspirations and gives them the people to manifest it. It’s only airborne in certain boroughs of New York City for now, but the purpose of the spell is to expose sinners in the world so that members of the cult can track them down and kill them. Despite his claims of not believing the paranormal, Alvin Steinberg knows about the Black Mask, but he refuses to take their existence seriously without proper proof of what they did.”

Saying my mind was blown would be the understatement of the year. As I sat and absorbed the information, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy from the reveal of the Black Mask. A new element to my nightmares.

“Did you think I was a member of the Black Mask?” I questioned.

“Yes, because of accusations from this person.” He took out his cell phone from his pocket and showed me a photo on the screen.

“Her name is Robyn Rose. She was considered a member of the cult around the time of Valeria Vasquez’s death. On the morning of the incident, I followed her around Ravenvale High School and watched her go up a staircase leading to the roof. As I waited for her to come back down to begin my interrogation, you bumped into me on your way up the same staircase. When she finally reappeared, she told me you were the one I should keep a watchful eye on, which prompted me to investigate the roof. When I did, there was blood everywhere. That’s when I looked down and saw your body lying next to Valeria Vasquez.”

Tyler slammed his fist on the table. “So it must’ve been Robyn who started those damn rumors about Valeria killing Aliyah.”

“I would assume,” Grant agreed. “If I had my ability at the time, I would’ve known Robyn was lying and continued my investigation on her.”

My brows shot up in surprise. “Wait, you have an ability? So what you’re saying is—”

“Yes, I’m a Dreamer. Just like I know you are.”

Tyler glanced back and forth at the two of us before voicing his thoughts. “Dreamer? Is that the name we’re going with for people with powers?”

I nodded at his question, but my eyes were trained on Grant. “And what exactly is your strongest desire?”

“It’s quite a simple one, actually. It’s to always know when I’m being lied to. Unfortunately, it only works with direct questions.”

My face contorted in doubt. “That’s it? There’s gotta be a deeper reason for why you have an aspiration like that.”

“Well, I can ask you the same thing. Why is it that someone your age cares so strongly about helping others?”

“’Cause helping people is what makes me happy. Period.” My answer caused him to snicker. “And if what you’re saying about your ability is true, why didn’t you just ask me if I was a member of the cult when you first saw me?”

“Because I never lay all my cards on the table, even if it would give me the answers I’m looking for. You gain more information by letting the culprit crack under pressure. Impatience gets you nowhere in my line of work.”

Exhausted from taking in so much information, I took a deep breath and rested back on the couch. “Fine. And I’m guessing it’s my turn to give you what you want?”

“That would be nice.”

“Alright, here it goes: I was kidnapped and drugged by some masked guy who works for Alvin. By the time I regained consciousness, I was in Alvin’s lab. He explained the virus—or curse—to me and revealed the other Dreamers he was keeping for experiments. He claimed he was using them to find a cure, but they were being held against their will inside these unbreakable glass cells, so the whole thing was really messed up.”

Grant appeared in deep thought with his chin resting on his fist. “Interesting. I knew he was given his own laboratory after so long, but no agents were ever given the location of it. He must be using it for some sort of unlicensed experiment on humans with abilities.”

“He also knew about my ability to find Dreamers with negative desires and threatened my family if I didn’t help him track Dreamers down. We came to an agreement, and something was put over my head before I was escorted out and brought home. That about sums it up.”

“Are you gonna do anything about this?” Tyler asked Grant.

“I can’t, unfortunately. Whether it’s by an ability or not, Alvin has manipulated every government official in the state. They follow his exact orders and do whatever the hell he wants them to do. I have no power, and now with this information, I can safely assume he ordered every agent to drop the Black Mask investigation and instead find Dreamers for his experiment. If his ability is manipulation, I’m guessing it doesn’t work on me because of my own ability to see through lies and deceit. Still, this is a major crime, and something has to be done.”

A waitress walked over to offer her service, but we declined and sat in silence for a moment. There was so much to take in. So many discoveries, yet so many mysteries.

“Alvin was right about one thing, though,” Grant said, pulling me back in. “This curse indeed acts like a virus. It’s slowly infecting all of us and changing our DNA. If nothing is done, we’re in for a world-changing pandemic.” He removed a card from his pocket and slid it across the table to me. “My number’s on there. I’ll be outside the city for the next two days, but I want you to contact me if anything new arises. Can you do that, partner?”

“Oh, so we’re partners now ‘cause you said so?”

“Well, after an exchange like this, I’d say we are. We have nothing against each other, and based on our individual abilities, I’d say we both want the same thing. Justice and peace.”

He rose from his seat and extended his arm for a handshake. I responded with a scrutinizing glare before standing and gripping his hand.

“Fine. Partners.”

With our agreement intact, he walked out of the coffee shop. Tyler nudged me to get my attention.

“Aliyah, that group he was talking about…the Black Mask or whatever…do you really think they’re the bad guys in all this? I mean, they go after evil people and punish them. What’s so wrong about that?”

“Ty, they’ve cursed the city and killed people who didn’t fit their moral standards. None of that screams ‘good guys’ at all.”

He looked away and shrugged. “I don’t know. I think they’re making the world a better place, but whatever. Just know I got your back, no matter what.”

“I know. Thank you.”

We walked out and entered his car with more questions than answers. With the cult known as Black Mask added to the equation, it was no doubt in my mind that an unavoidable confrontation with them was coming my way.