Chương 96: Surprise Visitor

Evel took a long, deep breath, closing the VTR ahead of him. The curtains in his room were mostly closed, causing the only light to get through to be filtered into ornate patterns scattered on the walls. He stared at the machine ahead of him for a few minutes. His eyes darted to the clock, then back to the VTR where he'd just sold some information to Anonymous, which would eventually find its way to all the Banners. Information about the passing of Blake and the Mayor's involvement.

He'd framed it in a way that Redigo were the one selling the information. Maybe the different parties would see it as an act of defiance and begin working against the Mayor's defiance. A sad attempt at defiance. He sighed, grabbing a nearby cloth and placing it over the machine. He changed out of his bloodied clothes, and with one final look over his shoulder at the machine, he left his room. Although his house was average in the neighbourhood, it really was too big for Evel.

Other than his own room and occasionally the kitchen, most of the other rooms weren't used. He toured around, as if a stranger in his own home, taking a look at all the old furniture he'd never used and the decorations he'd never changed. Finally, he settled in the living room, sitting on the black leather couch facing the windows. The curtains were drawn, but a narrow gap offered a glimpse of the world outside. The skies began to take on a light orange hue as the days grew shorter.

People were out on leisure walks, enjoying the weeks of the harvesting season before the air grew frosty. Evel remained glued to the couch, blankly staring out as groups of people continuously walked by his vision. His eyes remained unfocused until the familiar buzz of the VTR dragged him back to reality. Probably an estimate of how much his information was worth. Information on the deaths of Blake and Graham. He looked towards his room, his eyes lingering.

After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed the top hat by the door and left his house. The sudden brilliance of the evening light hit him, making him wince. He put on his top hat and let his eyes slowly adapt. The streets were busy, as people returned from work and went out for their evening shopping. The constant chatter of the passerby wasn't enough to drown out the question that remained a plague to his mind, however. The same dreaded choice.

On his first day in Ichoris, Albert had initially suggested he quit the military. The suggestion felt like nothing more than a joke, or maybe a test with a clear wrong answer. Now, he wasn't sure. Control over my own life? Evel stopped at the wooden billboard, his eyes travelling through all the posters. Medicine from Acies, plays and theatres from Prachar, basic technology and furniture from various private companies. Even his own circus, The Ichoris Legerdemain, advertised here.

He found himself staring at the different Banners' posters, reading the same few words over and over without processing any of them. Reaper… Even after he'd left, he could still see Redigo's logo, the rusted chains.

"Same as usual?" The vendor at the food cart politely smiled. Evel blinked, recollecting himself back to reality.

"Yes," He lightly shook his head, then politely nodded.

"Thank you." Grabbing a paper bag, the vendor filled it with a few loaves of bread and matched it with a few fruits and vegetables. Evel took hold of the bag and waited as the vendor crouched down to grab another bag of frozen lamb. He completed the transaction and continued his walk. He'd take the long way on the way back while he weighed his options. Quitting looked attractive at first. Since the beginning of his mission, Agent had promised him the circus would be entirely under his own name.

If he did quit, then he'd still keep his role as a magician and continue to employ all those who had grown reliant on the work he provided. The circus would bring in good revenue, and he'd be free to spend all his time working on improving his performance even further. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. It wouldn't be a bad life. Until, of course, somebody more powerful decided they needed his business.

Even if he tried to refuse, it would be completely futile. He'd learnt that from Yosten already. As somebody weak, he'd either have to live in isolation or away from society, or constantly live by the whims of others. A life of hoping that nobody of importance took note of him. The other option was to push forward with everything he had and reach the higher stages with all his might. The only way to get out from under the thumbs of people like the Mayor was simple.

He'd just have to grow to be far stronger than them. During Albert's confrontation with the Mayor, he'd heard the name of the next stage: Anvil. Beyond even Weaver, a stage that felt so out of reach. That was the bare minimum he'd have to reach. And who was Evel? Evel was a man with no notable lineage, given a harmless ability and a horrid affinity. In the recruitment trials, he had practically no combat experience and had a frail body unfit for combat.

He relied on Bremin and Diana, then on Monique, to make his affinity usable. Even now, he was only surviving on Albert's training and a few lucky spurs of inspiration in the midst of combat. A man completely and utterly disadvantaged who continuously managed to catch a lucky break. What happened when the lucky breaks stopped? How was he to compete against monsters like Bremin or Diana, or those with powerful backing like Lucien or Igneos? A strange feeling arose within his heart.

On the one hand, he did want to become stronger. To become so powerful that nobody could tell him what he had to do. Live exactly how he wanted to live, and with the people he wanted to live with. Become so strong that the world couldn't take away anything important to him. On the other hand, the goal felt practically impossible. Evel wasn't so naive as to think becoming an Anvil would solve all his issues. Even if he got stronger than the Mayor, then what?

Wouldn't a stronger, more powerful person lower their gaze at him? In the end, neither option really fixed the problem at hand. I wonder what Julius would do… Evel sighed. The skies had grown a deep orange, and the streets lonelier as Evel approached his house. Once he got close enough, the strange sight pulled him out of his thoughts. The front door was slightly open, softly creaking in the breeze. His eyes narrowed, studying the door carefully.

He slowly placed his groceries on the ground beside the door and placed his hands into his pockets, holding onto his deck. He'd lost a lot of cards in battle, and although he probably could have recouped them, it hadn't crossed his mind. Either way, he had enough for a few fights. His eyes darted from wall to wall, scanning the floors and ceilings for any signs of a break-in. If it really was an intruder, then they'd been careful not to leave behind any hints.

If they were careful enough not to leave tracks, why would they leave the door open? Evel continued searching. Nobody was in the living room. The kitchen was clear. The bathroom was empty. He remained light on his feet, going door to door. He kept an open ear for any movement and continued to scan around for any clues. Nothing. Finally, he arrived at the final door, his bedroom. He held three cards close to his chest, creeping forward. The door creaked open, and his body tensed. Nobody so far…

He took a deep, quiet breath as he prepared himself. Then, he burst into the room, quickly scanning every wall. Then once again behind the curtains and under the bed. Letting out a long, ragged sigh of relief, Evel allowed his shoulders to drop. He pocketed his cards and rubbed his temples. His thoughts had been so scrambled since the newspaper article, and even more so since the recent battle. Thankfully, at least this time was another instance of his paranoia.

As he was poised to leave the room to go make his dinner, a small movement came from the closet. He froze. The shuffling stopped. He reached for the cards in his pocket again, swallowing back his spit. He extended his arm towards the closed closet. Slowly, his hands reached the sliding door's handle. He took a deep, silent breath as he prepared to open it. But before he could, the door slipped open on its own. A shadowed figure smirked before releasing a loud, threatening noise.

"BOO!" Evel's heart dropped, and he released a scream from deep within his heart. He jumped back, summoned Eth, and immediately threw three cards at the figure hidden within the closet. With no room to maneuver, his feet caught the edge of the frame, and he tumbled awkwardly onto the bed. He scrambled back to his feet, throwing himself into a defensive stance to finally look at his attacker as his heart hammered out of his chest. The intruder was wearing a brown leather outfit, lined with belts and pouches.

Her face had gone pale, framed by shoulder-length jet-black hair. Her left pupil was a deep amber, and her right a striking silver lined with complex designs. She was breathing in rapid, shallow gasps. In her hands, a small silver knife gleamed–she had deflected two of his cards, while the final one had dug deep into the woodwork just inches from her neck.

"You almost killed me!" The stalker gasped. Evel stared dumbfounded, lowering his hands as his pulse finally began to slow.

"Diana?"