Two Dark Books
In the hidden chamber beneath the bar, Xu Mo slowly woke up.
After the duplicate Darkhold had been absorbed into the Star Tower, he had tried every method he could think of, yet he was unable to extract it.
In the end, he could only give up. Strictly speaking, Agatha had been destroyed by the Star Tower as well, and both she and the copy of the Darkhold counted as the Tower's spoils.
When Xu Mo opened his eyes, Hill and the girl he had rescued weren't relieved — they were shocked. Both instinctively took a few steps back, putting distance between themselves and him.
Hill even drew her pistol and leveled it at Xu Mo.
"Who are you?"
They knew the witch's soul had tried to invade Xu Mo. For all they knew, the person before them could just as easily be Agatha wearing his skin.
"Relax," Xu Mo replied wearily. "The witch has been completely eliminated."
He sounded dispirited, still frustrated at having seen the Darkhold slip through his grasp.
"How do you prove you're really you?" Hill pressed, keeping her gun trained.
Xu Mo blinked at the oddly specific demand. After a pause, he spread his hands helplessly.
"Alright then, how do you want me to prove it?"
Hill thought for a moment, then asked:
"What color was my dress the first time we met?"
She slipped off her jacket, leaving only the fitted tank top beneath, her athletic frame on full display. Xu Mo couldn't help letting his eyes flicker across her form — purely in appreciation, of course — as he summoned the memory.
Thanks to his enhanced mind, his memory bordered on photographic.
"Black," he said simply.
Hill nodded. "I'll trust you… for now."
She holstered her weapon and started toward the exit.
"We'd better move before more vampires get here."
Xu Mo fell into step behind her, raising a brow. "That's all it takes? You believe me because I answered one question?"
Hill turned back, slipping her coat on again.
"That question was irrelevant," she said coolly. "But you just stared at my chest six times without even realizing it. I don't think Agatha would be interested in my figure."
Xu Mo froze, then smirked despite himself. Professional agent indeed.
"Well, if that's your method, maybe you should test me a few more times, Ms. Hill…"
---
They took the elevator back to the bar's basement. By then, the place was abandoned.
Just as they prepared to leave, a shimmering black portal irised open nearby.
The true Darkhold, guided by Chthon himself, streaked from the void and buried itself into Xu Mo's consciousness.
"Not again…" Xu Mo muttered before collapsing, eyes shut.
Hill reacted instantly, catching him. With the rescued girl's help, she got Xu Mo onto a chair.
The girl hesitated, then whispered, "Did he… open a bookstore in his head?"
Hill exhaled sharply. "Maybe. First a witch, now two Darkholds inside him? He's a walking classified file."
---
Within Xu Mo's mindscape, the genuine Darkhold streaked toward the Star Tower.
The closer it drew, the more Chthon could feel his own essence leaking away.
But to his shock, the Star Tower only grew larger, looming impossibly far no matter how he tried to close the distance.
"Damn it! What is this thing?" Chthon snarled.
Sensing the trap, he tried to pull the Darkhold back. But at that moment, the Star Tower finally stirred.
A beam of dazzling light burst from its peak, striking the Darkhold.
"No!!" Chthon howled. His consciousness was erased in an instant, leaving only the true Darkhold — which dissolved into motes of light and sank into the Tower itself.
Xu Mo, watching, was dumbfounded.
Judging by its ancient aura, this had been the authentic Darkhold. And since only Chthon could truly command it at this point in history…
So the God of Chaos himself showed up just to repossess a pirated copy? Xu Mo thought bitterly. Stingy doesn't even begin to cover it.
Standing before the Tower, he pleaded:
"C'mon, big guy. Two identical books — can't you leave me one? Even the knock-off would do!"
The Star Tower, as always, remained silent and immovable.
Xu Mo tried everything to coax a reaction, but the Tower ignored him completely. At last, he gave up with a sigh.
---
Kamar-Taj.
In the ancient hall, the Eye of Agamotto hung suspended above its dais.
The moment Chthon stirred the Darkhold, the Eye snapped open, flooding the chamber with golden radiance.
"Oh no…" Master Wong's face darkened.
Before he could act, a portal opened. The Ancient One stepped through, serene as ever. With a wave, the Eye of Agamotto settled around her neck. She formed a mudra, channeling streams of insight from the Vishanti through the relic.
Her eyes opened slowly. Wong immediately approached.
"What happened?"
"The Vishanti just warned us," the Ancient One said gravely. "They sensed Chthon himself touch this world through the Darkhold."
Wong's eyes widened. "Chthon? One of the Four Elder Gods… stronger than Dormammu?"
"Precisely." The Ancient One's tone was calm, but heavy. "But it was only for a moment. He vanished as quickly as he appeared. Whether he departed or merely concealed himself… I cannot yet tell."
She turned her gaze toward the mural depicting the New York Sanctum.
"Either way, from this moment on, the Earth is in danger of falling into chaos."