11 The Black Market

[Warning: Sensitive Contents ahead, please be advised.]

*

Black Market, in truth, was not a place, but rather a name used for the secret auction and gathering from people who practiced dark magic. They used the term Black Market to mislead people.

Although it served as a secret gathering for people with an interest in occult and dark magics, several lunatics whose excessive inclination turned them into maniacs were present as well. They were the reason behind the dark rumor about the Black Market.

One incident caused by those lunatics of the Black Market sent terror to the residents of the slums. 

One night, a drunk civilian lost his way and accidentally stumbled into the most isolated part of the slums where a Black Market was happening.

Around fifteen people, more or less, were wearing dark brown robes. Their faces were shadowed, their heads covered by the hoods of their robes. They were circling three upside-down crosses, whispering chants.

Three naked children were hung upside down, each nailed on the upside-down cross. The children were already on the verge of losing their lives. The drunk man gasped at the ghastly sight, and fears pierced through his heart, sending chilling horror down his spine.

One of the children's stomachs was cut open, her inside was hanging out. The other two children, a whole was embedded onto their chest. Suddenly, the men in the robe burst into maniacal laughter, sending the drunk man trembling in apprehension, his drunk state immediately disappeared. His knees turned to jelly, causing him to stumble and rustle.

All of a sudden, all the men in the robe turned to his direction simultaneously, as they all at once ceased their maniacal laughter.

Their gazes, peering at him from the shadows of their hoods, sent a shiver down his spine before he could even scream in horror. He quickly straightened his body, preparing to run, but before he could take a step, something sharp struck his throat. The blow rendered the drunk man immobile, and he collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide and dilated in apprehension.

The horror didn't end there. The next day, a church stood at the heart of the town square, its stone walls stained with blood. Words, written in blood, were inscribed upon it: "Great Atticus will come and prevail!"

In front of the church, the people were stunned to their core by the most gut-wrenching sight. Four upside-down crosses stood, each bearing a child and an adult man. Their stomachs were emptied, and their eyes bulged open in a haunting stare. On the ground, human organs were arranged to spell out the chilling message: "Warning: No encroacher at the Black Market."

After the terrifying incident left the residents sick to their stomachs, the church was determined to identify those responsible.

However, the Black Market was never an organization, it was only formed through a common consensus between people like Nolan in secret means to hold their auction in different locations.

Mostly, they used the newspaper as a tool to communicate: cryptic headlines, embedded symbols or code, or even puzzles and anagrams. By weaving these elements into a newspaper or chapter, they created a tool that looked normal on the surface, but hidden within was the communication for those who understand the code or message.

*

At the Loic estates, after dinner, Nolan brought Elwin into his hidden chamber in his room.

The small hidden chamber was tucked away behind a concealed door. Only he and Atticus knew of it and now, Elwin. 

A thick, musky scent of incense and old parchment filled the room as they entered.

The dim light of a single flickering candle on the table filled with open books and parchment, cast long shadows on the stone walls, revealing shelves with books and strange, ancient artifacts and esoteric symbols carved into stone.

Elwin shuddered slightly as he scanned the whole room, however, he couldn't deny the fascination that tugged in his heart.

"This is…amazing," he muttered, walking from one spot to another and checking each weird and creepy collection that Nolan stored in the room, "All of these are yours? How did you even manage to get all these?"

Nolan smiled and felt proud to show him his hidden chamber, "It was hard but through proper research and with the help of Atticus."

Elwin paused and glanced at him, his one eye covered in gauze, "Your butler?"

"Yeah. Although my parents are not against my interest in dark magic, they do not approve of helping me to acquire materials. All the stuff here was gathered by me and Atticus and a little help with my brother." Nolan replied as he strode towards the table and scanned through the papers and parchment on the table.

Elwin walked near him, "I know that we just met, but, I have this feeling that Atticus is…" Elwin fidgeted, reluctant to continue his words, and angered the person who offered help to him. Nolan provided him with medical for his bruises and even gave him a change of clothes and fed him delicious food.

"Weird? Strange? Or Scary?" Nolan guessed his next word and reached for the parchment with its edges torn and worn out, "Everyone in the house thinks of him that way. A rumor circulated among the servants that he is not a human."

"And his name is the same from that evil God that heretic people worshiped!" Cried Elwin, "A-are you not scared of him?"

Nolan flipped through the pages of the parchment in his hands before he handed it to Elwin. Elwin reached for it and was barely able to read its content through the dim light from the candle.

"I-I'm sorry, I… I can't read…" He admitted, blushing, "Will you tell me what is written in here?"

Nolan gazed at him. Elwin had a fluffy, curly ginger hair. His big green eyes appeared to glimmer through the reflection of the candle.

"What's written there is how to concoct a potion that would instantly kill someone without any trace on their body. It would appear like they die from their sleep."

Elwin gasped, "Why…why are you giving me this?"

"You can live here with us after we kill your parents, how about that?"