Chapter 21

The voice that called out to her was familiar, and one Rosya wasn't expecting to hear. Was it an auditory hallucination? Yearning for something familiar? But why did it have to be his voice? Was it a trick to make her lose her mind? For sure, Rosya wasn't about to stay and find out. With all her strength, she twisted and turned on the chair, until she lost her balance and fell to the floor.

The chair broke into several pieces, but her invisible restraints remained. Footsteps approached, and she tried to crawl in the opposite direction. But the more she crawled, the tighter her restraints became, like a coiling snake preventing its prey from escaping. It was getting harder to breathe.

'I need to get escape,' was the phrase repeated over and over in her mind. However, she didn't get very far. Her eyes focused on a pair of black shoes.

Rosya lifted her gaze and saw a handsome man, glasses framing his golden eyes and wearing a stylish black suit and crimson tie.

"Ansem!" Rosya cried out.

Ansem smiled at her. How was it possible that he was still alive? The last time she saw him, they had killed him. Was Rosya finally losing her mind?

Setting on the floor the duffel bag and briefcase he was carrying around, He knelt before Rosya and examined her.

"Very brave of you, detective." He smiled. "But reckless. Guess you two share that in common."

"Don't just stand there," Rosya gasped. "Are you going to help me or not?"

Ansem mouthed a word that Rosya didn't quite catch, and ran his fingers where the restraints were tighter. Like he could see them.

A crackle of light followed, and Rosya felt the pressure that was choking her. Keeping her from moving to loosen until she could finally breathe normally.

Rosya sat on her knees and tried to pull herself together.

After a few minutes, she faced Ansem.

"Why are you alive?" She asked. "We saw your dead body back in the tunnels. Gustav was..." she stopped herself there.

"It's complicated," Ansem replied. "But I can't die."

'Can't die,' was Ansem an immortal? But Rosya knew that according to legends, an immortal couldn't die the way they found him in the tunnels. But his expression showed a pang of easiness when he said that last part.

Who was Ansem, really?

"Are you ready, detective?" Ansem asked, extending his hand to her.

Taking his hand and helping her back to her feet, she said, "Of course I am."

"Good, your partner is going to require our help. So it's time to get moving."

Rosya's attention fixed on the briefcase. "What's that for?"

"It's the reason it took me too long to get back here," Ansem replied. "Had to pick it up from at my workshop."

"What can you do about this place?" Rosya pointed at the cuts of meat surrounding them.

Ansem examined his surroundings. He understood very well what was being done, what was the room used for.

"The only thing left to do," he said. "I'm going to burn it to the ground. The dead deserve their proper rest."

Ansem lead Rosya out of the room, and as they were leaving. Ansem traced sigils in their wake. Once out of the room, Ansem spoke some words in a low voice. Rosya watched as the entire room became engulfed in flames, how the flames licked the bodies, turning them to ash. She felt a sense of satisfaction seeing it all burn.

"It's time we meet up with Gustav," Ansem stated.

"Do you know where he is?"

**

Gustav had become an unwilling guest to the strange 'banquet' celebration that Becker had mentioned. He had no idea what was going to happen. But he knew it wouldn't be good for him or anyone else in the city. A murder had become something darker, the stakes became higher, and now he didn't know how to proceed. What action to take.

In the semi-darkness lit by braziers, a parade of figures dressed in gold and black robes walked in the room carrying plates with slabs of raw meat. They chanted as they approached the central structure in the room.

More figures walked into the room, wearing masks and white hoods, and took their places at the circular altar in the center of the dome. Were these members of the council? Gustav could make a mass arrest under the charge of a criminal conspiracy. But the whole spectacle reminded him of mass. A twisted version of mass.

Becker, dressed from head to toe in a crimson robe etched with black symbols. A trident-like staff in his hand walked to the top of the circular altar, walked on to the edge and addressed the attendees.

"Tonight is a special celebration. A feast of the most hallowed. A culmination of years of sacrifice and devotion. For tonight, we will ascend the ranks of humanity to lead it down a new path."

Then he glanced at Gustav and smirked. Raised his trident and pointed at the entrance.

The heavy double-doors opened and a two figures walked in. One of them was taller than the other. One of them was, without a doubt, Richard Aimes. The other didn't recognize, for its face was hidden under a hood.

"The lamb of sacrifice has arrived. Let us raise our glasses in her honor!" Exclaimed Becker.

The guests raised their glasses as the two figures approached the altar until they joined Becker at the top. Becker slowly removed the hood from the smaller figure and Gustav's heart sank. It was Natalya. But something was different. Her golden eyes were dark and devoid of emotion, like those of a doll.

"You bastard! What did you do to her?" Gustav shouted.

Becker smiled at him. The look of anger on Gustav's face was exquisite. The man that had escaped death and continued to be a thorn in his side, helpless to do anything, was just part of the punishment he had in store for him.

Richard handed Becker a scroll, it had the color of blood. The banquet had begun. Becker unraveled the scroll, and even in the poor light of the dome, Gustav realized they did not make the scroll from animal skin.

"The masters foretold that the banquet will guide the child of creation to new horizons. Its flesh willingly given, blood freely offered to the faithful and under the red moon of Axa'sus. The new gateway shall be opened." Becker read from the scroll.

Gustav tried to break free, but the two figures had pinned him down. Their strength was inhuman. So, he could only watch as Richard undressed Natalya. Strange symbols marked her naked body. They set her on top of a large stone slab with canals etched onto the surface.

"Natalya!" Gustav called out. "Listen to me! I'm here to save you!"

Becker found it amusing. Calling out to Natalya as she would listen to him. She had undergone a ritual to force her spirit to submit. The sigils on her skin worked as shackles. It wasn't ideal, but it there was no other way. The outside world had tainted her.

Richard handed a ceremonial dagger to Becker, and he stood at the side of the stone slab. Slowly, he raised it and chanted.

"Lamb, thy flesh consumed for life everlasting..."

"For life everlasting," repeated the guests and Richards in a chorus.

Gustav couldn't take his eyes off Becker and Natalya. His mind racing to figure out a way to stop this ridiculous ritual and save his daughter. He came to realize this feeling that was welling up inside him. It was dark. A chimeric mixture of love and hate.

Becker's blade was inches away from Natalya's skin. When the blaring sound of an alarm echoed in the dome, followed by an explosion that blew out the double doors. The guests stood up from their seats and watched expectantly for something to walk through the entrance.

"What the hell is going on?" Becker snarled. Then he turned to Gustav. "Is this your doing?"

The dagger flew off Becker's hand and skid across the floor of the altar.

"No. That was my doing." Ansem landed on the altar, his weapon drawn.

No one was more pleased than Gustav to see that Ansem was still alive. Was he pretending to be dead? Was this all part of his plan? Anyway, he was glad he'd finally arrived.

"The alchemist," Becker growled. "He warned me about you."

Before Ansem could reply, Richard lunged at him and both fell off the altar.

Gustav tried to break free and reach Becker, but the two figures holding him in place didn't budge an inch. But one of them fell dead to the floor. Shot right through the head. This was the moment he was waiting for.

With one of his captors dead, Gustav threw the other one over his shoulder and dashed at Becker, punching him right in the jaw.