Eric spat out blood, a frown settling on his face. "Look. Adam. I know you think I deserved that, but what happened wasn't my fault. I had no choice!"

His plea went ignored as Adam considered what to do next. Sure, Eric had a stronger Talent – but no one was invincible. Hmm. Maybe I could steal his soul with a painting...wait, can he block that too? Eric should have a Talent of similar 'quality' to mine.

He wouldn't know until he tried. For now, he just had to fight until an opening presented itself. There wasn't time to make a plan any more detailed than that. No way he came in peace.

Adam fell into a battle stance – just as Eric, still on the ground, wobbled around like a worm and cried out, "Wait, wait! Hear me out! It really wasn't my fault! C'mon, man!"

"Why would I bother listening to you?" Adam seethed. Although his voice raged with fury, his thoughts remained frighteningly calm. Eric is strong. Even if he's just pretending to be apologetic, it might be worth playing along instead of escalating.

Which was easier said than done.. His fists trembled, demanding more blood. "You had your chance right after the contest – and you threw me under the bus!"

"I couldn't have explained it there!" Eric exclaimed, seeming to lose patience. "Listen...can we talk? Please? C'mon." He looked up at Adam with a pleading gaze, smiled nervously. "It's totally fair if you hate me for what happened, but I promise that I hate myself way more for doing something so awful to my best friend."

Guilt stabbed at Adam's heart. Self-loathing launched a follow-up attack immediately after. Why should he have to feel guilty? It was ridiculous – bordering on pathetic –for his hatred of Eric to waver for even a single second.. How long had it been since Adam had managed to go to bed without thinking of how much he resented his former friend? Almost a year now?

No...less than that. The thought was both abrupt and surprising. Sometimes, lately, I've just been so busy that I forgot to hate him.

Huh.

Adam chose not to unpack that thought just yet. Instead, he shook his head and refused to let go of his anger. "No. Get out of my sight."

"See, I can't do that either," Eric said, apologetically. "Had to write to the Emperor to get an excuse to come to the Mines – which means I'm now here on official business. Just leaving isn't an option."

"On that," Tenver said, suddenly appearing with his sword drawn, "we agree."

Whether it was due to the knight's stealth or Adam and Eric distracting each other, Tenver had quickly stepped up beside the fallen Hangman, lifting Eric's chin up with his blade. "A Hangman should not be allowed in the Puppet Mines, by either law or reason. How did you come here?"

"And you are..." Eric squinted his eyes, chin still resting on the edge of Tenver's sword, then smiled in belated realization. "Oh! You're the kid of the former Emperor, right? Fancy seeing you here. Sorry, you don't have clearance for this conversation. Can you go?"

Adam heard Tenver's gauntlets grip his sword handle tighter. "I asked a question."

Eric sighed. "And in return, I'll ask you one of mine. Do you know what Hangmen are capable of? Do you know how useless any serious attempt at hurting me would be? Do you really think you can order me around, pretty boy?"

"Aye, Hangman. Neither my lord nor I could hope to hurt you with our Talents." Tenver's voice was nonetheless unperturbed. "However, you might not survive if this cavern was to experience a sudden cave-in."

"Well, maybe not," Eric said, laughing. "But you definitely wouldn't survive." His laughter faded slightly when he saw Tenver's smirk. "And you...don't care."

Tenver's grin only widened. The two held their gazes for a time, until finally, Eric gave an aggrieved sigh and shrugged. "Great. Just my luck that Adam was having tea and biscuits with a suicidal bastard," he muttered. "Fine – what do you want? I need to talk to my friend here!"

"You have not my lord's permission to address him," Tenver said, with an overly-amiable tone, "so I shall speak in his stead. Unless I've mistaken my lord's intentions?"

Adam shook his head. "No. Go ahead." If anything, he was glad to have some extra time to process his emotions.

And his knight was happy enough to take the lead. "Answer my question, Hangman," Tenver began. "How and why did you get here?"

"I'm like Adam," Eric said. "I've got more than one Talent. One of them lets me breathe underwater, sort of. Also have some stealth Talents that let me sneak by unnoticed. I'm sure Adam has similar things. Lucky us, eh? Wonder if it happens to everyone from Earth."

YOU GODDAMN IMBECILE! Temporarily, Adam forgot about his fury over Eric's past sins, but only because his present transgressions were even more infuriating. While Tenver had alluded to being aware of Adam's origins, there was no way Eric knew that fact. This idiot was just spouting out secrets like they didn't matter. Had he always been that dumb?

Thankfully, Tenver didn't appear concerned about this particular point. "What of your reasons for coming here?" he insisted. "If you can't convince me that they are sufficiently reasonable, then I might just have to drown us in the rain of a crumbling cave."

"C'mon. I know you're the serious, royal type and all, but..." Eric let out a dismissive cackle. "Like, you're not really gonna kill yourself on a whim just on the off chance I came with bad intentions, right?"

"Earlier, you asked me if I knew what you were capable of. I am. And you – a Hangman – have entered one of the last bastions for Puppets. Should you prove a risk to them, why..."

Tenver copied Eric's cackle, then finished it off by raising his chin and flashing an eerie sort of smirk. "Mayhap I would call that gamble a bargain."

Adam had no desire to intervene in the conversation just yet, but his past with both men told him that things could and would escalate if he didn't say something. "Eric," he stated, in a dry tone, "don't test him. Tenver isn't lying."

"You've gotta be fucking with me," Eric said, gaping open-mouthed at them. "That's a bluff. You just don't want to talk to me."

Images of the numerous decapitated heads inside leather bags flashed in Adam's mind. "Really, really not bluffing. He'd do it."

Eric alternated between sending a disbelieving stare at both men, before eventually throwing his arms up in exasperation. "Okay, then what do you suggest?" he demanded. "I have an explanation, but what if it's not enough to convince that pretty psycho over there?"

An idea came to Adam's mind. "Let's bring you to the Grandmaster. You can make your case to him."

"Hold on. You think I'm a danger to the Puppets, so you want to...take me to their King? Seriously?" Eric cackled again, veering into a sneer at the end. "For the sake of all that fucks, please tell me that at least you aren't that dumb, Adam. The robot lover over there ain't gonna go for it."

"Actually, in fact I find my lord's idea to be most splendid," Tenver said, sharing a quick glance with Adam. "Let us go at once."

This would have been a terrible plan under any other circumstances, but right now it was their best chance at getting Eric under control. Even now, Adam couldn't forget the overwhelming pressure he'd felt when standing near the Grandmaster. If anyone here can kill Eric...it's him. There was always the chance Eric might be able to kill the Grandmaster, but in that case, there was no real plan B, regardless. Not one with any chance at succeeding.

Furthermore, Adam also had another reason for his suggestion. I think I can use the presence of a Hangman in the Mines as a bargaining chip. Even if Eric was bullshitting them – which he probably was – Adam could pretend to play along, get him out of the Mines, in exchange for the Grandmaster agreeing to some concessions.

"Alright, then let's get going," Eric grunted. "It's been a long fucking day. I want sleep."

At that, without waiting for a response, Eric leaped to his feet, pushing Tenver's blade away from his neck like the weapon was a mild inconvenience. He started walking towards the tunnels, only turning around to say, "Yo, start moving. I'm tired, remember?" before leaving without a care in the world.

As if he'd never considered that Tenver or Adam might attack him while his back was turned. Or worse, maybe he had considered that – and came to the conclusion that it wouldn't matter if they tried. Also, where is that stupid fuck going? He doesn't know where the Grandmaster is!

"Let's get going," Tenver murmured. "I don't want him alone in the tunnels."

"I'm with you on that one." Adam paused. "I...may have to catch you up on a few things at some point."

"Later," the knight said, with a dismissive wave. "More importantly, thanks for backing me up when I was bluffing."

Adam laughed. "Please. You weren't bluffing. If you really thought he was about to go on a rampage, you wouldn't have thought twice about killing yourself to try and bury a Hangman alive."

"True," Tenver acknowledged, gesturing for the two to start walking. "Not sure if I could've killed you to do that, though."

--

It was an oddly quiet walk to the Grandmaster's Workshop. Eric didn't attempt to explain himself further, Tenver made no further threats, and Adam was more than content to have some time to sort out his feelings.

Eric...why did you do it?

Adam knew that was a silly question with an obvious answer: jealousy and greed. No matter how many times he thought of the whole thing, that was the only possibility that made sense. Eric had believed that Adam's painting looked amazing, and wanted to take credit for it – whether for the glory, the prize, or both.

Even so, there was a part of him that hoped he was wrong. A part deep, deep inside him that still wished, still begged for there to be a good reason why Eric had done it, always searching for any sort of justification that would let the two be friends once more.

Worst of all, if he was being fully honest...he didn't have to dig very deep into his heart to find that wish.

Don't hesitate, Adam told himself. He gripped his shirt over his chest, as if threatening his heart to stay quiet. Don't you dare trust him. Never again. He had repeated that last thought to himself countless times over the past few months. Occasionally, he would drop the 'him' from it.

Their trio didn't take long to reach the Grandmaster's Workshop. Once they'd arrived and introduced themselves, Eric stepped forward, leaning into a grandiose bow. "Allow me to make things clear, Your Puppet Majesty," he said. "This is all in our best interests, you see."

To Adam's mild surprise, the Grandmaster didn't appear surprised at the three requesting an emergency audience. Then again, even if he was surprised, chances were that the Puppet's expression was hidden by the dark shadows in his throne room. And considering how he seemed to have eyes everywhere, maybe he was already aware of Eric's presence in the Mines.

Which raises the question...why let him come talk to Tenver and me? Why weren't we warned?

But this wasn't the time to think about that – not while Eric was trying to explain himself. Adam had to listen closely.

"My story starts on Earth," Eric began, in a theatrical tone, prompting Adam to cringe at his openness. "I met with a man you know by the name of Lawrence, the First Painter. You, ah, do know him, yeah?"

From atop his throne, the Grandmaster nodded. "Aye. Our paths have crossed before."

"Well, I met him after Adam told me about the contest. Lawrence told me everything." Eric shrugged both shoulders and raised his hands, as if that was explanation enough. When no immediate praise followed, an annoyed smile crept up his face. "Oh, for fuck's sake – let's not play riddles here. The guy told me about the Painted World, and about how he was looking for a Painter to come help him fight the Rot."

In the near-total darkness of the Grandmaster's Workshop, Adam couldn't make out Eric's face as he said this. However, he could feel the Puppet King's oppressive aura stirring in disarray, like a flame that grew wilder and stronger after a gust of wind. "You claim that to be his goal? Speak, Hangman!" the Grandmaster demanded. "Lawrence wants to fight the Rot?"

"I mean, yeah, why wouldn't he?" Eric asked, scornfully. "Have you seen it? Rot kinda sucks. Thing is, the plan sounded really dangerous, and when I saw Adam's painting..."

Eric trailed off, a hint of regret entering his tone. "I knew he was going to win. And I just couldn't let my best friend get himself involved with something life-threatening, you know?"

Never had Adam wanted something as badly as he wanted to see Eric's face while his former friend uttered those words. Are you...are you serious? Or is that more bullshit so I'll buy your explanation? He strained his eyes, but the darkness was unrelenting, shrouding Eric's expression in a mask of dusk.

Not that it mattered. Even if Adam could see his face, and somehow found a sorrowful expression there, he wouldn't have been ready to believe it just yet. Eric fooled me into thinking he was my friend for years. How hard would it be for him to trick me one more time? I can't listen to my emotions – I have to listen to cold, hard reason.

"Why didn't you explain that to me before?" Adam asked, softly. "And why did Lawrence tell you everything before you won his contest?"

"You wouldn't have believed me!" Eric protested. "At the time, you were desperate for money, driving yourself crazy, seeing things that weren't there, thinking I didn't love art anymore – no way you would've been objective about it, man."

Yes, I would have. If you had told me that my room was on fire, I'd have jumped out the window without a second thought. That's how much I trusted you. You knew that. You know that. "And what about Lawrence?"

"Don't ask me!" Eric fired back. "Look, we're talking about an insane sorta-immortal magic man who owns paintings you can jump into. I don't understand why he did any of this shit. Maybe he revealed his secrets because he thought it would motivate me? I mean, I was sort of in a slump at the time, and Lawrence wanted the best possible artist he could get."

His tone brightened. "Of course, back then, the best was you, Adam. And I couldn't let you get dragged into danger because of that."

Adam wanted to believe him. If it was true, then not only did Eric not betray him, but he'd done what he did out of a sense of friendship. There were discrepancies in his explanation, but it was so tempting, so easy for Adam to just push it all into the back of his mind...

He said I was looking for things that weren't there, that he always loved art – but he also just admitted he was in a slump.

...So easy to not think about it. All he had to do was set aside his doubts, and he could have his best friend back. The man he grew up with for years. The person who comforted him when his mom died. The genius he followed to college. The artist who inspired his passion. So tempting, so easy, so much to gain...

If he just ignored that feeling of wrong screaming inside him.

"Of course, you ended up here anyway," Eric said, with undisguised bitterness. "It was all for nothing. Figured the least I could do is try to help out in any way I can. So...you know. Here I am. Heard the Emperor wants you dead for treason, and I decided to fix that."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The Grandmaster spoke up first. "How? A mere Hangman cannot raise his voice against the Emperor."

"No – but he can ask for a prize." Eric tossed an envelope at the throne. It was a long distance, yet the letter smoothly flew across before it came to rest in the Puppet King's firm grasp. "I did some research and found out about a Ghost killing travelers to the Puppet Mines. Wrote to the Emperor asking what kind of reward the person who killed it could get. That was my excuse for chasing after Adam, yeah?"

The Grandmaster opened the envelope with a thunderous, clashing motion, as if he were splitting the very skies rather than reading a letter. "The Emperor's seal," he whispered. "It is real."

Beside Adam, Tenver's fist clenched fast and violently enough that he could hear the motion in the dark.

After a brief pause, the Grandmaster pressed on. "The Emperor claims to find the Ghost not only distasteful, but also most concerning, as it could easily escape the ship and attack..."

The Grandmaster hesitated. When he continued, it was in a harsher, more severe tone. "...And attack actual people." A heavy silence fell over the room. "As for your reward: the Emperor says he would grant amnesty for any crimes committed against the Empire."

"An odd prize to mention in a letter," Tenver sharply stated. "Treasures, land, marriages...there's so much more an Emperor can promise a man. Crimes? How oddly convenient."

Eric laughed with renewed bitterness. "Yeah, see...I may have committed my fair share of, well, I don't want to say crimes, but let's say the Emperor has been mildly inconvenienced by some things I might have done. And let's say that maybe the fines are getting heavy." He shrugged. "Would you believe that's why the Emperor used amnesty as bait for me to do his dirty work?"

That, Adam could believe.

"It's not like the other Hangmen would've wanted to mess with Puppets," Eric said, through a huff. "I mean, look at me! I'm practically a hostage right now. Who'd want to risk their lives for this?"

No need to risk your life, though, Adam noted. You could've raided Baltsar's ship while it was docked somewhere, killed the Ghost of Waters, and never gone into the Mines at all.

"Clarify your purpose," the Grandmaster ordered. "Make yourself plain."

"Haven't I done that already?" Eric sighed again, as if he found the Grandmaster beneath his intelligence. "Adam is my best friend. I tried to keep him away from this world, and failed. Since he's here, I'll at least try to get him forgiven for stealing Aspreay's soul and taking over his city. He happened to kill the Ghost before I could, which, hey, means less work for me."

The Grandmaster didn't allow Adam to respond. "Then is your business here done?" he asked, dryly. "Will you take your leave, Hangman?"

"Oh yeah, of course...as soon as Adam agrees to leave with me. If he insists on being stubborn, I'll just hang around here for a little while longer 'til he changes his mind. You won't mind if I abuse your hospitality, will you?"

It was a loaded question. Eric was capable of besting nearly every single person in the Mines, except for arguably the Grandmaster himself. And considering how much restraint the ruler was exhibiting right now, Adam doubted that it would be an easy battle. Eric is being brash because he knows that a fight, win or lose, would result in lots of collateral damage. Enough that the Grandmaster just wants him gone.

A heavy silence stretched on. Eventually, Eric broke it by clapping his hands together. "Fine. You want more incentive? How about this – I stole an ability off that fuckhead from Gama's corpse. I can control Curses."

Baffled, Adam stepped towards him. "Wait! You...you stole Belmordo's Talent? I thought you killed him!"

"I did!" Eric beamed. "You're welcome for that, by the way."

Don't thank me, I played you for a useful idiot. "You can steal Talents from corpses?"

"You can't?" Eric sounded sincerely surprised. Then, with more hesitation, he added, "Well, only for a few minutes after death – if their soul hasn't completely left their body. Even then, the Talent tends to be weaker than it would've been if they were alive. Sometimes there's also glitches that...anyway, doesn't matter! Know what does? That I can place Curses on myself. Get what I mean, King of the Puppets?"

The Grandmaster let out a low, thoughtful hum that reverberated through the workshop. "You mean to use it as a bargaining tool?"

"Yes. Watch me!"

Eric Gryphon

Curse:

If Adam accompanies Eric Gryphon out of the Puppet Mines, and meets with the Emperor regarding the absolution of all crimes committed against the Empire, then Eric Gryphon shall never set foot inside the Puppet Mines again.

Adam blinked in disbelief, glancing at his tablet a couple times to make sure he'd read it correctly. Had Eric just willingly placed a curse on himself? No – that's not all.

"If you can convince Adam to let me take him to the Emperor," Eric joyfully explained, "then you'll have a guarantee, on penalty of death, that I will never burden you with my presence again. And as I'm the only Hangman who can easily go through your multiple layers of natural defense...it's a pretty good deal, isn't it?"

It was, in fact, an extremely good deal for the Grandmaster. Yet that wasn't what caught Adam's attention the most. Rather, it was how this was also a good deal for him.

The curse would force me to go with him to meet the Emperor, but it also acknowledges that the supposed prize for having killed the Ghost is real...and I have killed the Ghost, so that could be good for me, but...

But going along with it would mean trusting Eric.

"Well, feel free to think things over," the Hangman announced. "I'm going to get some sleep."

"I shall walk you to your quarters," Tenver said, with zero inflection. Even in the darkness, Adam could make out his knight's shape walking toward the plagiarist. "You are prohibited from exploring the Mines unattended."

"Ah, right, right. Guess I'm technically your prisoner for now, huh?" Eric barked out a mocking laugh. "Isn't it funny? You gotta find this at least a little funny. I'm your prisoner, but only because I'm allowing you. Isn't that kinda odd?"

"Walk," Tenver said, in a blunt monotone. "Now."

Eric laughed again, as if Tenver had been joking around with him. "Yeah, of course. Let me just give my good friend a hug before I leave."

Without waiting for a response, Eric started making his way toward Adam. And without waiting for consent, he wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. The embrace brought Adam back to his first day of college, when they'd reunited after a year of separation. "I missed you, buddy," Eric said, in a low voice.

It took everything Adam had not to hug him back. Don't trust him. Don't trust him. Don't trust him. Don't–

"One more thing," Eric added, in an even lower voice. "Be sure to extort as much money from the robot as you can. Your city needs it, right?"

Adam stared at his vague shape in the darkness. Even without being able to make out his expression, there was no mistaking that smirk anywhere. For a while Adam stood there in silence, processing what he'd just heard. It was only after he heard Eric and Tenver's footsteps disappearing into the tunnels that he let himself reach a conclusion.

He placed that curse on himself so that the Grandmaster has reason to give me anything I want in a negotiation, Adam reasoned. Eric is trying to...do things for me. Show me that he cares.

That wasn't necessarily a good thing.

But it could wait.

Such things were the problems of Adam, broke college student. Right now it was time to stand as Adam, Lord of Penumbria. "Grandmaster," he began, in a serious tone, "how should I address you? It occurs to me now that I know not whether to call you Serena, your title, or something else."

The Puppet let out an amused chuckle, with the slightest hints of bitterness at the end. "Pity that even I don't know sometimes. My original body seems so distant...yet my existence persists nonetheless. Life has this ever-annoying habit of forcing you to bear with reality. But you know that as well as I, don't you, Painter?"

"Less so than you," Adam politely replied. "But to a degree? Yes."

He nodded, seeming to straighten his posture. "My title is Grandmaster, and that is how you will refer to me." There was a pause. "Although this generation knows me as Armando."

"This generation?" Adam asked quickly. "They've known you as other things?"

The Grandmaster – Armando – laughed. "It's better to fool your friends if you can. As far as the Puppets are aware, we've had a new Grandmaster every hundred years or so, each after the last perishes. My eternal bodies are a secret to all."

It didn't escape Adam that the Grandmaster had seen fit to inform him regardless. Why? A show of trust, an allowance given his demands to know more of Earth, or...was there another reason?

Either way, another thought stood out to him even more. And it was the perfect starter to put the Grandmaster off-balance during their negotiations.

"Surely you jest!" Adam loudly exclaimed. "Grandmaster, do you truly mistake that absurdity for truth?"

Armando remained impassive. "No one knows of this ability, or of my multiple identities. It is much easier to control the Mines this way."

"You really think so?" Adam began. "Then let me ask you a question, Grandmaster. How do you think Valeria meant to kill the Ghost of Waters?"

"The detective woman? What does she have to do with–"

"Valeria admitted multiple times that even if she managed to solve the mystery behind the murders, she wouldn't be able to kill the Ghost. Yet she also seemed content to force it out of hiding anyway. Why do you think so?"

The Grandmaster's laughter echoed throughout the room, emanating from multiple bodies within the cavern walls. "She knew of your skill, Painter."

"But she didn't know I was going to be there," Adam pointed out. "And she still boarded that ship with the intention to slay the Ghost of Waters. With that in mind...what do you think her original plan was?"

All dozens of bodies fell silent at once. "Make your meaning clear."

"Maybe you missed her declaration. I believe you were hiding somewhere as Serena at the time. See, at one point, Valeria attacked the Ghost of Waters in a rage."

Ferrero cried out in shock as Valeria cried out in revenge, the Detective raising her sword and ignoring Adam's order. "DAMN—YOU—TO—THE—ROT!" She leaped forward. "GRANDMASTER IF ONLY YOU—"

"Curious choice of words, wasn't it? 'Grandmaster if only you–' Now what could she have meant by that?"

Adam let his words hang in the air for a cruel moment. I want you to feel curious. To want me to keep talking. To feel like I know more than you. To feel like I'm your equal.

It was a tall order when confronting a nigh-immortal being with multiple bodies, but Adam lacked enough shame to attempt it. "I'll tell you what she meant – you were absent from the room, and thus couldn't help with our fight. Her original intention was to corner the monster, then force you to reveal yourself."

"That's not possible, that's...that insolent detective!" The Grandmaster's fury was sincere, burning bright red. "For what reason would she do so?"

"Leverage, most likely. You forbade her from leaving the Mines without your say-so." Probably because she was nosy enough to have discovered some inconvenient truths. Every ruler had a few of those. "Valeria planned on forcing your secret out in front of Ferrero, who she planned to use as an extra witness."

I'm not sure if she's aware that Ferrero is in love with her. She might just think of him as an old acquaintance that would be amicable to a deal like this. Either way, it'd be easy for her to keep him on her side.

"Understand, Grandmaster? Your secrets aren't as safe as you think." Chances were, only Valeria knew of it. "Your power is not as mighty as you presume." Truthfully, just standing in his presence made Adam want to pass out. "You don't know half of what I do." This would only be true if the Puppet was more ignorant of Earth than it seemed. "And I'm offering to help the Puppets establish relations with the Empire. Do you really think you can refuse my price now?"

It wasn't the silence that hurt, but what it heralded. Every time Grandmaster Armando contemplated something, the atmosphere – the sheer aura of his strength – seemed to burn the air around them. As more time passed, Adam found it harder to breathe, his vision started to blur...

And still his knees would not bend..

"What number did you specify before?" the Grandmaster said, at last. "Ten million orbs?"

"I believe so."

"Fine," he grunted. "You can have them."

Adam shook his head. "Yeah. So. The price changed. It's 20 million now."

"PAINTER!" The Grandmaster cried out in disbelief. "Do not mock me."

"That's my line, Armando. 20 million, and it won't go any lower."

"I already know the original price is sufficient. Before, you said it was an acceptable amount–"

Adam held out his hand to interrupt the Puppet. "And when I said that, you didn't have the safety of your people hinging on me leaving the Mines peacefully with a Hangman, did you?"

Even now, Adam couldn't bring himself to trust Eric – which didn't matter much when it came to negotiations. Whether the man was sincerely trying to make amends, or was using this ploy as bait, Adam would gladly milk it for all that it was worth. And if I'm forced to see the Emperor...I'd rather greet him with more Orbs in my pocket.

"How dare you!" The Grandmaster bellowed. "You would use my people's lives as bargaining chips?!"

"Why not? You seemed perfectly happy to use my people's lives as bargaining chips a moment earlier. Weren't you trying to convince me to accept the deal for their sake?"

Adam stared unflinchingly into the darkness. After a while, he felt as though the darkness stared back at him. His heartbeat raced, his breath caught, his world started to spin, and he heard the Grandmaster say: "Accept the deal, Painter. 20 Million Orbs–"

"–21 Million," Adam replied, firmly. "Every time you reject my offer, the price goes up."

"Do you have any idea how easily I could kill you, Painter? Do you understand how a mere snap of my fingers could compress your body into specks of dust so small that your loved ones would be unable to throw them to the wind at your funeral? Do you understand–"

"–22 Million."

"–Puppets would never let the secret of your death get out. We will face no repercussions. Penumbria would be hunted down, burned–"

"–23 Million." Adam smirked at the darkness. "Kill me if you must. It won't be good for your people, though."

The silence that followed was contested only by the angry grunts muttered by the Grandmaster. "Painter...my own people need Orbs as well. I cannot afford–"

"–24 Million." Adam let his declaration sink into the Puppet's mind for a moment. "You're free to make any speeches you want, Grandmaster. I won't stop you. But it will cost you to make me listen to them. 24 Million Orbs, and I'll tell you everything I know about Earth, then leave the Mines with Eric."

At this, the Grandmaster surrendered.