My vision was spinning, and my stomach was ready to throw everything up. I was lying on the ground, and it was hard to see what was approaching.
Slowly, Naomi's voice began to echo.
"Kobba…"
Her voice sounded distant, but it was getting closer. As I regained consciousness, other sounds emerged. Another voice—older, it seemed—and in the background, the sound of… a car engine?
"Wake up already! We're out of time."
Naomi was speaking while lightly slapping my face. The other voice grabbed my arm.
"Get up! This isn't a hospital. At your age, I used to drink all kinds of stuff and never ended up like this."
I turned around, expecting to see an old lady, but she looked about twenty-five. Her skin was extremely pale, her hair short, and her body covered in tattoos of playing card suits.
I looked forward again, now with clearer vision. We were in a room at the back of a garage.
"Where are we? And who's this girl?"
"Girl? Naomi, I told you not to bring just anyone into my workshop. What nerve! Back in my day, disrespecting a master like that… You wouldn't want to know what happened."
She wouldn't stop complaining, and Naomi was clearly letting it play out just to laugh at my expense.
"He's the master's grandson. He's working with us now."
Naomi wiped tears from laughing so hard before continuing.
"Kobba, this is Valentina—the first Soul Vestige your grandmother ever met."
"First? How many years ago was that?"
She didn't look old at all, and normally that would be a compliment, but I realized that age and appearance were touchy subjects for Valentina.
"Are you implying I'm how old? That's not something you say to a wise woman!"
While she kept yelling in my ear, I glanced out the window overlooking the garage. The walls were covered in torn posters and tools hanging like weapons. The smell of grease mixed with something else… something burnt.
There were at least five other people inside. Did they all know about the Nanas? Were they all Soul Vestiges? I wasn't sure how safe we were in there.
"The master built a global refuge network for Nanas and Soul Vestiges to gather and survive."
"So everyone here…"
"Yes, they all are."
It was fascinating. I hadn't stopped to think that there were Nanas scattered all over the world. Each day, my responsibility grew heavier. But why did I have to be the chosen one?
...
Valentina walked us to the door and said she'd heard rumors of a monster roaming the cemetery… Yes, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Zeki had mentioned not being a killer, and Naomi seemed to know something.
"What did you see in his mind? Was he a murderer after all?"
"When I touch someone's forehead, I only get brief flashbacks of their life. In the visions I saw, he seemed like a thief—and he had a partner."
"Like Bonnie and Clyde?"
"Exactly. Then I saw a woman dead in a bathtub, and from the water's vibrations, it looked like a hot tub. His hands were shaking and covered in blood. He looked terrified and ran."
So we're dealing with someone who killed his partner. But how do we help him resolve that if she's already dead?
We kept walking toward the cemetery. Naomi seemed to know Los Angeles well. I guess she'd come through this portal many times, while I only knew it from GTA 5.
Unlike Havenmere, the night in Los Angeles was a light show. The glow from buildings, clubs, and headlights blended with the moon and stars.
"It's really beautiful here at night. I don't usually like going out, but I'll admit—this time was worth it."
I turned to her and saw a subtle smile as she looked directly into my eyes. That moment felt like it passed in slow motion, but then…
"How long are you going to stare at me? We're here."
She cut the mood as fast as she could.
...
Hollywood Forever Cemetery—here we go.
An emotionally heavy place. Beneath us lay the resting souls of many, famous or not.
As we entered the cemetery, we heard a sound. It was like someone crying. Naomi went ahead, and we tried to approach quietly.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"
He sobbed endlessly. It was Zeki, kneeling in front of a grave.
Naomi signaled for me to wait and observe from a distance. That grave stood out too much. Were they really that famous as thieves?
"I don't remember much. Everything's blurry. But I swear—I didn't mean to kill you."
There it was—the confession. But it only confirmed my doubt. I turned to Naomi and whispered in her ear.
"How do we fix this? Is there any way to bring her back?"
"No and yes. But be quiet."
"How long are we going to wait?"
"As long as I say."
"But what if—"
"There's no 'what if.' Just do what I say."
We started losing focus on the mission, raised our voices, and Zeki heard us.
He jumped toward us. His body was now completely puppet-like, and his eyes couldn't stay fixed. The tentacles around his mouth twisted as if trying to form words. But all that came out was a wet, threatening hiss.
I couldn't move. My legs were trembling.
"You. I have to take you. The master said to bring you."
I closed my eyes and just hoped it would be quick. But luckily, that pink beam lit up again—it had to be Naomi. I heard the impact and opened my eyes. I saw a fox girl kicking a giant goat-octopus creature.
After the kick, Zeki was thrown back, rolling and smashing through three tombstones. Naomi chased after him, and Zeki didn't hold back.
He seemed faster and stronger—but lacked technique. Naomi, on the other hand, could read every move. Her combo of punches and kicks was incredible. Was she Naomi Pikita or Alex Poatan?
I moved closer to get a better look. She seemed tired.
"We need to hold him! I can't keep this up much longer!"
A rope wouldn't hold him—not even with the strongest sailor's knot. We were out of injections. What could possibly restrain a monster like that?
He was completely out of control. What could bring him back? His true purpose. I wasn't the one he really wanted.
I ran to his partner's grave and finally saw her name. Kelly Graham. Wait… Kelly Graham? Where had I heard that name before? Born in 1991… Hollywood… They weren't criminals. They were actors. And the tragedy was real.
"Kobba!!! Do something! You're going to get us all killed!"
Naomi could no longer keep the upper hand. Each of Zeki's punches felt like a hammer. Each of Naomi's dodges—a desperate dance.
As I ran back, I tried to remember something. Kelly Graham and Zeki Jordan… If they were a duo, what was his real name?
"ZJ Davidson!"
He stopped. As if the name had pulled an invisible string inside him. His eyes, once lost, tried to focus. Tried to remember.
"Kelly Graham and ZJ Davidson—both actors found dead in an apartment in Los Angeles."
Zeki grabbed his own arm and threw himself to the ground in a desperate attempt to restrain himself.
"Kelly… We were at our peak… and then I…"
He began to cry, unable to say another word. I approached Naomi to check on her.
"Need help? Are you okay?"
"I'm just a little dizzy. But how did you remember that?"
"They made a Bonnie and Clyde movie that got really famous. I remember the whole world was shocked when they were found dead. ZJ killed Kelly and then…"
"Wow… He must've come back here to apologize. To try and end the guilt inside him. We need to get him out of here immediately."
But suddenly, we heard the guards' voices.
"There they are!"
At first, we thought dealing with guards would be easy—after all, we'd just fought a Nana. But then a grenade was thrown.
Naomi, even dizzy, dove to the ground with me. A toxic gas spread from it. To me, it smelled like burnt diesel. But to Naomi and Zeki, it was something terrifying.
They slammed their heads against the ground, as if they just wanted it to end. I held Naomi and hid with her between a tombstone and a tree.
Two people appeared. One was Professor Grimm. The other—a girl with long hair down to her legs, completely white eyes, and wearing a black suit with a skirt.
"Where do you think they went, Grimm?"
"Ssshehehe! Doesn't matter. With this prize, they'll have to come after us eventually."
Zeki couldn't do much. They put a collar on him. I didn't know what the Hunters would do to him. All I knew was—I had failed my first mission.
"My dear little egg, Kobba. I'm giving you one more chance to choose the right side of this story. Dinner will be served. Don't be late."
Was that an invitation or a challenge? In that moment, I promised myself—I would get Zeki out of their hands.