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Chapter 19
Hidden Motives
The room was quiet, nestled in the midst of a cluttered apartment. Shiori lay on an office desk, his hand curled in Apricot’s gentle grip. She looked at him with concern, her eyes heavy with grief. Though he maintained a tough expression, the subtle winces that occasionally crossed his face betrayed his pain. His clothes had been peeled away from his side, revealing ribs that broke through a sea of black and blue bruising. Fresh, snow-white towels were placed under his back, steadily soaking up the blood that pooled there.
Several boxes were scattered around the office, their labels and logos unfamiliar to Apricot. On another desk, a set of monitors displayed live data from the stock market and news in a flurry of green and red numbers. The other side of the room housed a refrigerator and a small kitchen. The blinds were drawn, allowing only a sliver of light into the dim space. Above Shiori, two incandescent lights hung from the ceiling, their bright glow casting a makeshift surgical ambiance over the scene.
A man in a brown shirt and black pants emerged from the kitchen, holding a long needle. “Looks like we match now,” Apricot joked, attempting to lighten the mood.
Shiori turned his head, grumbling, “Not half as much, but yeah, I really wish I didn’t. This will slow me down.”
Apricot smirked, her worry still evident in her eyes. “You better not. I won’t be carrying you again.” Shiori chuckled in response, the movement causing him to wince and let out a pained grunt.
The man showed Shiori the needle, and Apricot noted its impressive length – about six inches, she estimated. “This should alleviate your discomfort,” he said. Without warning, he plunged the needle into Shiori’s side. Shiori jolted, letting out a loud yell. As he lay back on the table, he gritted his teeth and huffed through the pain. “You could have told me the damn thing would feel like a spear injecting lava into me,” he grumbled.
“Ma’am, you’re not going to want to see the rest of this,” the man said, addressing Apricot. “I need to ask you to step outside while I get more acquainted with Lord Kinjo’s insides.” Apricot glanced at Shiori, who gave her a confident nod, reassuring her that he was in capable hands.
Immediately following the surgery, Apricot helped Shiori into a sleek black sports car that had just pulled up. Once she had him settled in the passenger seat, she moved around to the driver’s side. As she glanced at him, she thought, He looks awful. He remained zonked out for much of the ride, his eyes barely open, weighed down by sedation.
On Shinjo Street, Apricot expected the car to stop in front of the Spook House. Instead, it continued around the back, revealing a second entrance she had been unaware of. The black sports car entered the hidden carport, and as the platform raised to the next floor, the sound of metal clanking filled the air. A meticulously organized garage came into view.
Once the car was parked, Apricot looked over at Shiori, who seemed oblivious to their surroundings. She stepped out and walked around to help him out of the car. Lifting the latch, she peered down at him, his mouth slightly frothing and a lifeless look in his blue eyes. He mumbled, “Don’t let my teeth fall out of my face.” Despite her concern, Apricot couldn’t help but smirk at his odd comment, even as it pained her to see him in such a vulnerable state.
With her head positioned under his armpit, she joked, “Come on, Prince Kinjo.” She hoisted him to his feet and helped him out of the vehicle, noticing how limp he was, almost collapsing to the ground. Bracing herself against the car, she managed to keep Shiori upright. “Shiori, get up.”
As he slumped over her, he remarked, “Maid lady, my legs feel like jelly.” Apricot sighed as she dragged him from the car toward a set of polished metal doors that reminded her of elevator doors. “You’re a pretty handsy lady, has anyone told you that, miss?” Shiori mumbled, making her blush. As they neared the doors, they automatically opened, revealing an opulent living room.
Apricot’s eyes wandered over the ornate décor, and she observed, “Shiori, you have too much money for your own good.” The baroque-style furnishings seemed custom-made, likely one-of-a-kind creations.
“I would be flattered, but a common maid isn’t hard to impress.” A surge of anger threatened to overtake Apricot, but she held back as Shiori’s chuckles indicated his lack of awareness of their surroundings.
“So where’s your room, Mr. Royalty?” she asked dryly.
“Hmmm, that sounds nice. It’s down the hall, anyway.” She wasn’t sure what he meant, but she didn’t really care. A hallway at the back of the marble-floored room led to the other side of the apartment. After walking down the hall, she peered into the first door to find Shiori’s study, a typical high-end office with an impressive view of the city.
As they continued down the hall, Apricot groaned, “You’re getting heavy.” Pushing open a wooden door, she was surprised to find a plain bedroom. A bed sat in the center of the room, with a vanity against one wall and an open closet. “I didn’t expect it to be this modest,” she remarked.
Once Shiori was settled on his bed, Apricot left him to rest and returned to the living room. She marveled at his vast personal book collection, noting the absence of a television or computer. The opposite side of the room boasted floor-to-ceiling windows with a clear view of the city.
As she browsed the large bookshelf, Apricot selected a random title. She mouthed the words “The Cihilbil” but struggled to pronounce them. The cover was woven, and the pages appeared aged. Though unfamiliar with the title, she figured it would be a good way to pass the time.
Settling into a plush leather armchair, she rested both legs on the side of the seat. As she delved into the old fairytale, she watched the sun move across the sky. The story centered on an arrogant woman who schemed to make the prince of the land fall victim to a faerie’s spell. Apricot found the tale strange, with an unwanted lover repeatedly attempting to steal the woman away. It turned out that the unwanted lover was the faerie’s brother. She was deeply engrossed in the book when a voice broke her concentration.
“You’re still here,” Shiori said, his dazed gaze meeting hers. She nodded. “Why?”
Setting the book on her lap, she replied, “I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“Yeah, I am,” Shiori said, taking a deep breath as he entered the room. “A lot of books, huh?”
“Yeah, there are,” Apricot agreed, still slightly annoyed by his earlier maid comment. “I was just reading The Cihilbil.”
“Syolbel,” Shiori corrected her pronunciation.
Apricot rolled her eyes. “Right.”
“The importance of knowledge cannot be overstated. It sets us apart from commoners. They don’t seek knowledge; they’re content with their lives. Nobles, however, have a duty to guide the masses with their wisdom. It’s not an easy task,” Shiori mused.
Apricot rose from the chair and placed the book back on the shelf. “So what about the guy who’s breaking the seals? I can’t find anything about him. Trust me, I’ve been looking too. Though I found some information about the ancient seals. Seems they were used in old times for rituals.”
“I know, it troubles me as well. Two more seals were broken after the first one. The whole world noticed. The Okabe family doesn’t even care to hide it anymore. But how can you explain that? Nothing, short of a missile, could account for such an event,” Apricot nodded in agreement. As Shiori traced his fingers over the spines of books, he rested his hand on one. “I don’t like the recent developments,” he muttered. “It’s all too public. It won’t be long before Kyo musters the effort to deal with us. The only thing holding her back is my lineage. Once she forgets that, she’ll be on us fast. That machine…”
“What happens if all the seals break?” Shiori didn’t reply, his gaze remaining on the books. “Shiori, what happens if all the seals break?” Apricot asked louder, more authoritatively.
A slight smirk played on his lips. “Funny thing, I don’t know. What happens next is a mystery to me. My life was spent studying the mystic arts because I was to become the high priest of the Kinjo Clan. However, I learned that my grandfather had other plans for me. To foil the Okabe’s plans if they tried to carry them out again, he asked me to keep an eye on them in secret.”
Apricot leaned back against the bookshelf. “Come clean, Shiori. What are the Okabe family’s plans?”
Shiori glanced at Apricot but kept his face turned away from her. “Well, I guess you might as well know everything. They want a whole new world. They’re planning to make this world disappear. Since ancient times, the Okabe family has been a death cult. The war between Uchella and Okabe was settled by treaty, but there has been conflict between us for a long time. Legend has it that the Okabe family would summon spirits and monsters from other worlds to fight on their behalf. They wanted a machine to bring forth a new world, but they never succeeded. Neither did they find the devil or the god they sought. Most of the seals were here before the Blue Ash Crisis. Each seal was built up after a sacrifice. This is where their power comes from. In order to protect the seals, buildings are constructed around them, making them the center of attention. With only two left, they may be preparing to release something. Perhaps they wanted to make a pact with that god or devil. That much is certain. Some kind of powerful being that has been bound for a long time will be released when the seals are broken.”
“That’s terrible,” she uttered the words without thinking. Apricot walked a few steps, musing about what it all meant. As if it mattered at all. Nothing made sense to her. How could they possibly do this? Then another question occurred to her. “What if it’s not the Okabe family destroying the seals? What if it’s someone else?”
“Some loner destroying the Okabe family seals,” Shiori pondered the thought for a few moments. “That might be worse. Could be some fanatic who wants to unleash some sort of ancient evil on the world?”
“If the seals are the Okabe family’s source of power, breaking them would take the Okabe family out of the picture, wouldn’t it?” Apricot suggested.
Shiori shook his head. “Whoever the seal breaker is, someone must stop them.”
“Then we stop them both. The Okabe family and the seal breaker. Both must be intertwined in some way.”
Shiori snickered. “You might be right.”
The glow of several large monitors cast a dim light across the room, bathing the various cables and stacks of servers that lined the walls in a faint, eerie glow. In this hidden control center, a small group of individuals – a few men in suits, a pair of officers, and Empress Kyo – observed the intense battle between Apricot, Shiori, and the Volkner suit from multiple angles.
As Apricot’s arm erupted into flames, one man gasped in shock, “A witch!”
Empress Kyo, her eyes locked on the scene playing out before her, clapped her hands together. A slow, sinister smile spread across her face, as if she had just discovered a long-lost treasure. The azure pupil of the pendant hanging around her neck seemed to darken, almost engulfing the entire eye in its inky depths.
“I found you, my witch,” Kyo whispered, her voice laced with a mix of delight and anticipation. “Right on time.”
The atmosphere in the room shifted, as the onlookers exchanged wary glances. They could feel the weight of the revelation, the knowledge that a witch had revealed herself in their midst. Tension hung heavy in the air, and the gravity of the situation was not lost on them.
Kyo’s eyes remained glued to the monitors, her interest piqued by Apricot’s display of power. Within her, a mix of emotions swirled – excitement, fascination, and perhaps a touch of envy. She knew she had to act quickly, to harness this newfound force before it slipped through her fingers. The stakes were high, and Kyo understood that the balance of power was now more precarious than ever.
As the others in the room continued to watch the chaotic fight unfold, they couldn’t shake the feeling that they were standing on the precipice of something monumental. Their hearts raced with a mixture of fear and adrenaline, as they tried to comprehend the magnitude of what they had just witnessed. The world, it seemed, was about to change – and they found themselves at the center of it all.
Amidst the lively chatter of guests at the Spook House, Apricot sat at the bar, engaged in conversation while stealing the occasional glance at Shiori. He leaned against the counter behind the bar, engrossed in a book yet interjecting the conversation with his trademark off-color remarks. A sense of camaraderie filled the room, and for a moment, everything felt right.
However, Apricot’s attention was soon drawn to a figure standing behind the glass doors, clutching a thick file of papers under his arm. As the doors swung open, the figure was revealed to be Cortez. Shiori glanced up from his book, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “So you finally scampered on over.”
Cortez moved towards the end of the bar and slammed the file down with a resounding thud. Shiori reached over, placing his hands on the papers. “So, what is this?”
Barely glancing at Shiori, Cortez responded in a calm, yet strained voice. “I’m done.”
Shiori grunted, “What does that mean?” Apricot’s heart clenched at the sight of Cortez’s expressionless face. They hadn’t spoken since the incident, and guilt washed over her as she recalled the terror in his eyes that night.
Suddenly, Cortez’s dead eyes came to life. “What the hell do you think it means? I’m done.”
He turned to walk away from the bar, heading for the exit. Shiori, in a swift motion, slid over the bar and grabbed Cortez’s shoulder. “Who said you could be done?”
Cortez threw off Shiori’s hand and yelled, “I’m tired!” The room fell silent as all eyes turned to them. Looking at Apricot, he said, “And you, Apricot, you should be too.”
Shiori straightened his posture and glanced down at the file, his fingers resting on it. “Okay. Leave.” He watched Cortez walk out of the room, a crooked smile playing on his lips. “Come help me out with this, Apricot,” he said, lifting the file and taking it into the back room with him.
“What am I, your assistant now?” Apricot retorted, irritation seeping into her voice.
Shiori chuckled, “Hardly, honey. You’re not cut for the pedigree.” The mood had shifted, and the weight of Cortez’s departure lingered, casting a shadow over what had once been a carefree evening.
The table was awash in a sea of documents and notes, weaving a dark tapestry of abductions, sacrifices, hidden tunnels beneath the city, and paranormal occurrences. Amid the chaos of information were notes on the practices and purposes of the rituals, as well as numerous photographs of crime scenes that made Apricot’s stomach churn. Images of open bodies, mutilated animals, and various locations around the city where these heinous events took place filled the pages.
“Shiori, listen to this,” Apricot said, her voice wavering as she read from a paper. “Having witnessed the circles of power in the city, I am convinced that these are ancient monuments. It is through these places that sacrifices are most commonly performed in the city. Those who practice sacrifices claim to do so in the service of the ‘Black God.’ The group that practices these rituals lives below the city. According to their beliefs, the ‘Black God’ founded this city and brought with him prosperity for the small village that once existed here.”
She continued, her eyes widening with each word. “As I study the papers of Uraias Hilderic, I am becoming increasingly confident that he understood these ancient myths, which is why he chose this site for the Blue Ash project. In my opinion, the circles of power serve to bind the black god to this world. As a result, I am growing suspicious of the Okabes. It is impossible to ignore the fact that they are, at the very least, aware of the cult’s activities if not direct participants. The files on Uraias Hilderic have been destroyed. Except for the few documents listing him as the head of the Blue Ash project, there are no public records for this man.”
Pausing for a moment to let the information sink in, Apricot went on. “If everything I have discovered is true, Uraias Hilderic survived the explosion and is leading the cult’s activities below the city. My suspicion is that these arcane rituals are used by the nobles of Uchella to usher in a new world. It’s a term that keeps appearing. Is it possible they intend to create a new world separate from this one? Their language suggests this to be their ultimate goal. Furthermore, there are key locations around the city that have been designated as sites for the genesis of this new world. Although I have no idea why they choose the sites they do, it is clear they have a method and a reason for doing so. As I learn more about these sites, I will continue to investigate them.”
Shiori’s eyes gleamed. “These documents are what we’ve been searching for. No wonder Cortez hates the nobles. Pull up a chair, honey, because by the end of the night, we’ll have read through all of these,” Apricot declared with steely determination.
As they delved deeper into the documents, Apricot surmised that the phantoms haunting the city were a direct result of the cult’s activities. These spectral entities were drawn to this world because the power the cult wielded came from their realm. Among the cult’s goals were the merging of worlds to become gods, the creation of a new world to rule, and the ultimate sacrifice of this world to achieve their twisted desires. Cortez’s father never uncovered how they achieved these aims, but he theorized that the rituals performed today were likely the same or similar to those performed in ancient times.
Exhausted, Apricot lay sprawled amidst a sea of papers, a tiny rivulet of drool seeping onto the documents beneath her. She awoke with a start, eyes blinking open to the sight of dusty records and grisly photographs. Pushing herself upright, she stretched her stiff limbs, yawning loudly as she surveyed her surroundings. Shiori sat in a corner, engrossed in a document. Glancing up, he remarked, “You’re up.”
“Sorry,” Apricot apologized, rubbing her eyes. “I didn’t mean to nod off like that. How long was I out for?”
Shiori smirked, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Several hours. I’ve got some coffee brewing in the kitchen. I’d be happy to grab you some if you want.”
Apricot shook her head, declining the offer. “No, but I think I’ll step out and get some fresh air.” She couldn’t help but think that Shiori’s considerate gesture was out of character.
Shiori nodded. “There’s news,” he said, capturing her attention. “Kyo is holding a ceremonial dedication tonight.”
Curious, Apricot moved closer to Shiori, who was peering at a message from Akagi on his phone. “What does that mean?”
“Means they’re making their move,” Shiori explained. “Akagi managed to get all the information on it. They wanted to keep it secret, and they’ve brought several sacrifices for this ritual. However, I think it’s a trap to lure us out.”
Apricot furrowed her brow. “A trap to draw us out? What do you mean?”
“Akagi said they usually encrypt this stuff heavily. This time, though, the encryption was elementary. He didn’t even break a sweat decrypting the message. It’s practically an invitation to us.” Shiori scowled, stroking his chin.
“So, we’ll ignore it?”
Shiori shook his head. “No, we can’t. If it’s a legitimate ritual, then not intervening could spell disaster for us. If it’s a trap, we can only hope Kyo is there. Either way, this ends tonight. We can put an end to the Okabe family’s ambitions for a new world, at least. They won’t have another opportunity like this for a long time.”
“Why?” Apricot asked, intrigued.
“The alignment between the other world and this one. They’re close together dimensionally right now. It’s the prime time to perform a ritual. After tonight, they drift further apart, reducing the power that can be drawn from the other world.” Shiori gestured to the notes. “So, in a way, it was meant to be this way. And guess where they’re holding the ritual?”
“Where?” Apricot inquired, her heart racing.
“The grand temple garden. Where the largest seal is located. It’s the oldest one, too. So, you know who will show up. It’s perfect. This is where it all comes down.” Rising from his seat, he added, “While I make preparations, would you mind checking on Cortez for me? He won’t answer my calls. It just goes to voicemail. I’m worried about him.”
“Yeah, I can do that,” Apricot agreed, her mind already preoccupied with what lay ahead.
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