Seed slumped in the back of the taxi, staring out the rain-streaked window as the city blurred by. The driver tuned into some old radio station, oblivious to the thick awkwardness hanging in the air of the back seat.
Mira sat beside Seed, arms crossed, her pink eyes fixed on the passing buildings, her golden halo hovering her head,it's shine flickering. The silence was broken only by the swish of the car's tires on a wet pavement.
Seed shifted, his trench coat rustling, and cleared his throat. "So, uh, Mira... how long you been with the MMA? You look... young for this stuff." He tried to smile, hoping to break the ice. She didn't even glance his way, just huffed and kept staring out, completely ignoring him. Seed waited a beat, then sighed. 'Fine'. He leaned back, crossing his arms too. No point forcing it. The girl was like a locked door, and he didn't have the key.
The awkward silence dragged on. Seed's mind wandered to the system of the Book of Death. He thought about his stats, the SP he hadn't used yet. As if on cue, red smoke pulsed from the skull mark, and the screen popped up in front of him. His eyes went wide.
"Shit," he muttered, swiping at the air like he was shooing a fly. The screen flickered but didn't go away. He waved harder, his hand cutting through it, panic rising. Did Mira see that? He shot her a look, his heart pounding.
She turned slowly, her pink eyes narrowing at him like he was nuts. "What the hell are you doing, old man?" Seed froze, then let out a nervous laugh. "Uh, nothing. Just... stretching." He realized then that only he could see the screen. Like it was in his head or something.
Made sense, with the User thing. He sat back, face hot from embarrassment. "Sorry. Weird habit." Mira rolled her eyes. "Crazy old man," she grumbled, turning back to the window. Seed sighed. What a Great start to their partnership.
He focused on the screen again.
[BOOk of Death: Entry Profile]
[1666th Entry: Seed Wallace]
[Status: Bound Adept]
[Level: 5]
[Death Energy: 5110/10000]
[Corruption: 13%]
[SP: 5]
- Strength: 18
- Speed: 17
- Dexterity: 25
- Constitution: 25
- Perception: 31
He looked at those five Stat Points sitting there. Last time, dumping points into Constitution had triggered that wild Bound Adept evolution. Maybe it would trigger another evolution again.
"Put all 5 into Constitution," he thought, and the numbers shifted:
[Constitution: 25 >>> 30]
He waited for the rush, the hair flaring, the power surge. But..... nothing happened. No voice booming in his head, no stat boosts. He muttered to himself, "huh,I Guess the threshold's higher now." The screen faded.
The taxi rolled to a stop outside the abandoned site on Mill Road, a half-built warehouse looking like a skeleton in the fog. Chain-link fence wrapped around it, warning signs flapping in the wind: "Danger: Keep Out." Puddles reflecting the gray sky, and the air smelled like rust and wet concrete.
Seed paid the driver and stepped out, his boots splashing the muddy ground. Mira hopped out too,her halo glowing faintly. They stood at the entrance, Seed's tattoo warmed, and the red smoke pulsed again.
[Death Prediction].
His breath caught. It had been days since one of these, he almost forgot they happened. But what whis one now?
[Mirabella "Mira" Thorne, Abandoned Warehouse on Mill Road. Squashed to death by multiple beams. 12:45 p.m.]
Seed's heart dropped. "Oh God," he muttered, eyes wide. That was less than an hour from now.
Mira didn't notice his shift in mood, already striding toward the entrance, her skirt swishing against the wind.
Just stay back and let me handle everything, old man," she yelled over her shoulder as she ran into the compound, her voice full of rash teen attitude. "I don't need a babysitter messing things up." She ducked under a loose chain, her halo shining like a target in the dark.