The room fell silent. Save for the lingering crackle of residual electricity in the air.
Baroness Artheim stood amidst the ruined chamber. Her chest was heaving. Her eyes swept over the devastation. Over the ashen remains of her enemies. Then landed on Jack Mystery.
Her expression, though still formidable, softened with a flicker of gratitude.
"You intervened." She stated. Her voice was gruff. Devoid of pleasantries. But not unkind. "My thanks. Your timing was... impeccable. I will handle the rest of this mess."
Her gaze flickered to the approaching sounds. The distant shouts and alarm bells that signaled the law enforcement was finally arriving. Drawn by the now-faded echoes of the titanic struggle.
She expected him to leave. To vanish as mysteriously as he had appeared.
Jack didn't vanish immediately though. Instead, he reached into the swirling depths of his spectral form. Into his system inventory.
He retrieved a single object. A coin. Crafted from a material that looked like polished, translucent crystal. Cool and smooth even through his ghostly touch.
On one side of the coin, intricate symbols of swirling water droplets were etched. Catching the dim light. On the other, a string of glowing numbers pulsed softly.
"Take this coin." Jack said calmly.
With a subtle mental command, Jack used his telekinetic power. The crystal coin floated silently across the ruined room. Directly into Baroness Artheim's outstretched hand. It settled there. Cool against her skin.
"That is a Fateless Coin." Jack explained. His voice was a calm whisper that carried clearly in the quiet room.
Rune pulsed with a deep golden glow. Signifying the importance of the item.
"It was an invitation, of sorts. It gives you access to the Fateless Gathering. Hosted by the Goddess of Knowledge, Rainsister, herself." Jack continued.
Baroness Artheim looked from the glowing numbers to Jack. A question formed in her eyes. The coin felt... significant. Powerful.
"Just like me, and several others, you are a Fateless." Jack added. His tone was of a matter-of-fact. "The number you see etched there will decrease by one each hour. When it reaches zero, the coin can be activated."
He paused for a while, before continuing. "It will allow you to attend the monthly gathering of other Fateless individuals. A conclave of those who were outside the reach of destiny."
Jack paused again. Allowing the weight of his words to sink in. "It was an invitation, not a command. Whether you choose to attend, when the time comes, is entirely up to you. But the opportunity will be there."
He offered no further explanation. The distant shouts were growing closer. The thud of heavy boots on stone clearly audible now. Footfalls of guards, retainers, perhaps even law enforcement officers.
Jack had played his part. He had helped delivering vengeance for Neone. Securing Baroness Artheim. And now offering her a glimpse into a world beyond her current understanding. His duty here was done.
With a final, almost imperceptible nod, Jack Mystery floated backward. He didn't fade out of existence with a dramatic burst of light or smoke.
He simply stepped into the deepest shadow cast by a broken pillar. His spectral form seemed to dissolve into the deeper darkness.
Rune flickered once. A brilliant flash of gold. Then vanished with him. Leaving Baroness Artheim alone in the wreckage.
...
Life in Lonestone City resettled into a familiar rhythm for Jack.
He spent most of his days in his workshop. A sanctuary of gears, runes, and mechanical diagrams. His current obsession was spatial containment.
The [Spatial Amber] he had plundered from the Strange Forest Realm was an extraordinary material. Very suitable for space-based objects.
He aimed to replicate the Hoi-poi Capsules of the anime Dragon Ball in his previous life. Pocketing vast spaces into tiny, portable objects.
The schematics he designed were complex. The enchantments were even more so. He spent hours, often days, dealing with the idea. Lost in the intricate dance of steam-power and rune-craft.
Rune, in her mechanical fairy form, aided him enormously. It buzzed around. A silent, helpful glowing assistant. Picking needed tools and handing it to him without verbal commands.
However, progress was slow. The prototypes either collapsed into dust. Or warped local reality in alarming ways. He was far from completion.
When the gears of invention grew weary, Jack would shift to his kamaitachi's form. As Racer Jack, the hyper-fast kamaitachi, he would zip through the roads and streets of Lonestone City.
Rune, now in the form of lightning-fast winged furball, guided his path. Easily finding people in trouble. Or crime in progress.
The small yet speedy vigilante would be dealing with the city's petty thieves and street thugs. Whenever there was any trouble that could be solved with speed, he would be there. Accompanied with his trademark, non-stop annoying commentary.
Late night would bring another shift. As Reina was fast asleep, Jack Mystery would appear. His spectral form drifted through the shadows. An invisible, silent judge.
He didn't chase criminals with physical force. His work was psychological. Subtle. For the guilty, he wove nightmares and mental torture. For the worthy, he delivered sweet dreams, visions of comfort, hope, or forgotten joy.
He was a whisper in the subconscious. Either a balm or a blight. Depending on the target.
Rune, a glowing will-o'-the-wisp now, often danced around him. Her colors shifting with the karma quality of each target. Guiding his spectral path.
This established routine lasted without intervention for several days. But it was eventually interrupted one evening.
A knock came at their door. Not the usual neighborly calm one. This was hesitant, urgent. Reina answered it.
Standing on their porch was Mr. Wedge Keener. Their neighbor. A sculptor known for his melancholic, powerful pieces. He was a man of quiet dignity. But tonight, his face was etched with worry. He fidgeted with his cap.
"Mr. Keener?" Reina greeted. Her voice was calm. "Is something amiss? Please come in."
As Mr. Keener entered their living room, and sat, Jack and Reina accompanied him. Jack gestured for Reina to pour their guest a drink.
"What troubles you, Mr. Keener?" Jack asked in his calm and steady voice. He recognized the man's distress.
Mr. Keener wrung his hands. "Forgive me for disturbing you, Mr. and Mrs. Night. But... I know. You two... you're different. Not merely skilled, but... transcendent. I might be a normal person. But my daughter was... well, a Mystic Scholar apprentice."
He swallowed. His gaze darted between their composed faces. "It was my sister. She... she lived in Songstress Village. Died unnaturally, they say. I was preparing to go for the funeral. But then... I've got more news. The village is cursed."
Jack listened, his expression neutral. Reina's hand subtly touched his arm.
"They call it the Twilight Death." Mr. Keener continued. His voice was dropping to a near whisper. "Fourteen people already died. Every single one, dead when the sun went down. Anyone outside their house at sunset... they just die. No wounds, no illness. Just... gone. Cold."
He shuddered. "My daughter, Alenna, she's home from Lonestone University. She insists we go. For her aunt. But... I'm afraid. Truly afraid to be another victim of some supernatural horror."
He looked up, his plea stark. "I need your protection. I need to hire you. To guard us."
Jack considered the request. Songstress Village wasn't far. A mere five-hour train ride. The pay wasn't the issue. Decent neighbors had a duty to help each other.
"Keep your money, Mr. Keener." Jack stated. His voice was firm. "We'll accompany you. Consider it a neighborly obligation."
Reina nodded. A small, comforting smile for Keener. "We will ensure your safe passage and stay, Mr. Keener. When shall we go there?"
Relief washed over the sculptor's face. "Thank you. Thank you both. I… I don't know how to repay this kindness. We will depart tomorrow morning."
...
The next morning, the Lonestone City train station was bustling.
Steam billowed from locomotives. Porters shouted. And travelers hurried in their paths. Jack and Reina, pragmatic as ever, arrived well ahead of time.
Jack, in his Jack Night form, wore practical traveling clothes. A sturdy trench coat over his durable gear. His Spatial Backpack and Spatial Belt carried way much more than their visible size.
Reina, elegant even in similar functional attire, complemented him. Her dark hair was a stark contrast to the morning light.
Rune, the tiny mechanical fairy, perched on Jack's shoulder. Occasionally adjusted a miniature cog. With a delicate, almost invisible movement of her wings.
Most people would not notice her. She was enchanted to be invisible to normal people after all. Only transcendent individuals could see her.
They quickly spotted Mr. Keener and his daughter, Alenna. A thoughtful-looking young girl. Carrying a leather-bound book alongside her traveling bag. She had her father's melancholic eyes. But with a sharper, academic glint.
"Good morning, Mr. Keener! Miss Keener!" Jack greeted with a polite nod.
"Morning, Mr. Night! Mrs. Night!" Alenna replied. Her gaze was lingering on Rune. A flicker of curiosity could be seen in her eyes.
Just as they were about to head for their platform, two more figures pushed through the crowd. Their expressions were a mix of excitement and mild exasperation.
"Jack! Reina! Fancy meeting you here!" Nick Glaiver called out. A wide grin was on his face.
He was an energetic young man. A Mystic Scholar student from Lonestone University. Quite reliable. But, too extroverted in most cases.
Beside him was Harold Mason. His bespectacled best friend and fellow student. He looked calm and composed.
Jack raised an eyebrow. A hint of amusement touching his lips. He, Reina, and Nick had fought together before. In a skirmish against the invasion of cockroach-men during the train incident near Mirebarrow Town.
They had met again during the opening of the Treasureland Junkyard. That was when Nick introduced Harold to them.
"Nick! Harold!" Jack acknowledged. "A long way from the lecture halls, isn't it?"
Nick bounded over. Practically vibrating with suppressed energy. "Well, you see, Alenna here is our classmate." He explained. Gesturing toward Alenna Keener, who offered a small, polite smile.
"And when she mentioned she was heading to Songstress Village. With its current situation... Well, Harold and I thought it prudent to offer our assistance. For academic purposes, of course. A real-world case study in localized phenomena!" He finished with a flourish.
Harold nudged him. And said with a flat expression. "Mostly, Nick heard Alenna was going. And he's been trying to impress her for months."
Alenna's cheeks flushed slightly. But she didn't deny it. Nick simply grinned, unrepentant.
Jack held back a sigh. He had anticipated a somber journey. A quiet investigation. Now it seemed they had acquired an unofficial entourage of enthusiastic, if somewhat naïve, students.
This trip to Songstress Village was already tinged with unnatural death. Now, it was shaping up to be more complicated than he'd initially envisioned.
He glanced at Reina, who merely offered an almost imperceptible shrug.