Two months had passed since Edgar murdered the realtor’s husband. He opened up his shop, revived the factory, the dolls were being sold at an insane rate. His business boomed, he had ordered the Mafia to work together with the board to destroy Silof’s business. The board were a selective group of people that worked for Edgar and were at the top of the chain, managing the store, the factory, getting the second and third factory running. Edgar seemed to have won as the mechanical dolls were everywhere.

He was planning his next move, but what happened to Silof and Fay? They were hiding in an abandoned garden as Silof no longer had a house, he had not a single penny to his name. They were hiding in a lower class garden. In a hut, they had made from sticks and branches, people thought they were homeless, which they kind of were. The garden where they were hiding was called Cobblestone Haven.

Cobblestone Haven is marked by an ornate wrought-iron gate, its once intricate design now weathered by time and neglect. As visitors step through, they are greeted by a cacophony of colors and scents, a stark contrast to the monotony of the surrounding urban landscape.

Paths of uneven cobblestones wind through the garden, bordered by patches of unruly grass and wildflowers determined to reclaim their space. Sturdy benches, bearing the scars of years of use, offer a place for weary souls to rest and reflect. Rustic wooden arches, draped with vibrant ivy and climbing roses, create natural gateways between different sections of the garden.

The garden is tucked away between tightly packed buildings and narrow alleyways, it serves as a sanctuary for those who find solace in nature’s embrace. Fay leaned back against a chair they had made from the branches and leaves, “I am so sorry, Silof.”

He smiled as he prepared some edible berries, “Hey, don’t be bothered by it, what can we do? In two months, he changed the course of New Albion, he is practically running the town by now. This garden was a good spot. I am glad we can hide here.”

Fay sighed deeply, “It worries me that even the lower class has these stupid dolls. The radio broadcasts make me crazy.”

Silof chuckled, “Perhaps people should just stop broadcasting things, did you hear the one that is being run by a man named Lloyd?”

Fay slowly nodded, “I heard it, Silof, you know I have fallen for you, but I don’t know what to do. We have no house, we are not allowed to flee from New Albion, what are we going to do?”

A man spoke up, “You could come out of your house and talk to me.”

Silof gasped, they climbed out of the hut and saw Edgar, “How did you find us?”

He grinned, “I have eyes and ears everywhere. Besides, Fay hiding in a garden, that is so like her.”

“Edgar, we are not harming anyone, leave us be.”

He shook his head, “I have a proposal for you, for that proposal I want both of you to follow me to my house.”

Silof looked at Fay, “I think we rather stay here.”

Edgar sighed, “In case you haven’t noticed, that was not a question, you are coming with me.”

Fay grumbled, “Or what, you are going to kill me, like you killed the husband of that realtor lady?”

Edgar frowned his eyebrow and looked surprised, “How do you know about that?”

Silof put Fay behind her, “We saw it, everything.”

Edgar nodded, just, accepting it, “Come with me,” he started to walk away.

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Fay grunted, “I don’t think we have a choice,” they followed him to his house, people were walking around with mechanical dolls or using a cart to transport them. As they walked inside, Edgar sat down.

Silof looked around, “So, this is the heart of your black magic, are you happy now? I got nothing left, you destroyed my business, everything I have. I am pennyless.”

Edgar nodded, “Yes, now Fay, I am rich, and he is poor, leave him for me. Come back to me.”

Fay started laughing, “Oh my god, you are being serious?”

Edgar grinned, “You see, I brought back your dear dad, Jasper, he sits in my office with Annabel, they are playing cards. The only way you are going to see them, or talk to them is by coming back to me.”

Fay stumbled over her words, “I can’t do that.”

Edgar let out a deep sigh, “Fine, if you don’t come back, I will torture them, but not kill them, they are already miserable, do you want to have their torture on your conscience?”

Fay grumbled, “Please let me and Silof talk in private.”

Edgar smiled and left to his office, “Go right ahead.”

Silof looked at Fay, “You are not seriously considering his proposal, are you?”

She took him to his garden, Edgar had been taking care of it, much to her surprise. “Silof, I need to see Jasper and Annabel. They can help us defeat him. If I do this, I am staying with you, but it has to behind his back. I fear there is no other way to save New Albion, Annabel can outsmart him, but she needs me as an instrument.”

Silof grumbled, “I don’t like this one bit, he is getting exactly what he wants.”

She put her hands on his cheek, “Hey, I love you, I will stay with you, but I might need to put up a facade and marry him. I will not be intimate with him, only with you.”

“Do you really think he will fall for that? What if this operation takes years?”

Fay let her head fall against his shoulder, “If I must, I will do it, but it is not because I want to cheat on you, or because I love him like he is now. Unless you can come up with another plan to take him down, right now.”

Silof seemed to be thinking, “We can’t do anything, but Jasper and Annabel, are you sure they can defeat him?”

“Yes, I am sure, I know we have to sacrifice our morals, almost everything, but, I cannot do this without you. I need you, Jasper, Annabel, and my son, Byron. I am sure we will defeat him, but please, Silof, tell me what to do, if you say, no, then, we will look at New Albion burn together.”

Silof shed a tear, “Alright, we are doing this. It is going to take all our morals and destroy them.”

“Yes, but we are doing it for good, to save New Albion, he is doing it to make it burn.”

Silof let out a deep sigh, and they walked back into the house, Fay knocked on the door. Edgar came out and answered, “Yes?”

“If, you let Silof live in peace, not murder him, he can live in the garden, and you will let me talk to Annabel and Jasper alone, then, I will come back to you, I will marry you.”

Edgar had a massive grin from ear to ear, “I knew you would come back to me, I promise you that Silof will be safe, in his little hut in the garden. Annabel and Jasper, yes, there is a machine to see what you are doing in real time, there is no sound, but don’t even think about destroying them.”

Fay nodded, “Smart, I would not expect different from the man who is ruling New Albion from the shadows.”

Edgar pulled her engagement ring out of his pocket and offered it to her as he had a smug look on his face as he looked at Silof, “Here you go, Fay. You will be mine again.”

Fay took the ring and put it on her finger, “When did love and intimacy become so cruel and petty? A pit of loathing, disgust and hate?”

Edgar scoffed, “I said I would get you back, and I did, but I never said anything about love, now, Silof, scamper off to your hut.”

Fay held up her hand, “Wait,” she hugged him and slipped something in his pocket. “Bye, Silof.”

He shook his head while shedding a tear, “Goodbye, Fay.”

As he left, Edgar opened the office, “Come see your dad, and the woman who raised you.”

Fay walked into the office and saw two mechanical dolls, small ones playing cards. “Dad?”

Jasper looked up, he cracked a grin, Fay, you gave grown into a beautiful woman. I wish I could talk to you.

Fay smiled as she came closer, “I am glad you are fine, Annabel?”

She nodded and smiled at her.

Edgar walked closer, “Well, mom, Don’t you have something to say to Fay?”

She looked at Edgar, “What are you talking about?”

“Mom over here, can talk like us, she even punched me in the face.”

“Good, I would love to do that, punch you in the face, I mean.”

“Don’t be like that Fay, we are going to get married.”

“Yeah, you don’t care about what I want.”

“I do, I want the best for you, now Annabel, mom, talk.”

Fay stared at her, Annabel just shrugged, she sang the word, “Elysium.” Jasper joined her.

Fay sighed, “I think your mind has gone as well Edgar, she can’t talk.” She sat down, “You did it Edgar, you won, you brought back the dead, and you claimed my love, like putting a flag in the cheese.”