Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 216: The City of Popolis

Chapter 216: The City of Popolis

"Enough!" Thomas bellowed as he aimed his revolver at Alex. "You will release us from this entrapment and we will go our separate ways, either that or I show you just how quickly I can pull a trigger."

Alex remained unmoved, merely regarding Thomas for a moment, his gaze drawing a close parallel to how one would stare at something pathetic.

"Thomas, no!" Gerald intoned loudly as he grabbed Thomas’s wrist. "Alex is right, something doesn’t add up about all this."

"... You." Thomas stared at Gerald, confused that one of those he trusted would so easily fall prey to the words of a stranger. "Is his money that more important than our friendship!"

"Of course not but think!... How can it be that despite being placed here to watch over the Labyrinth, the D.O.D and even the Church have paid no heed to this place? Does that even make any sense?"

"That... of course, I told you those bastards only think about themselves!"

"And the Acolytes?... How do we explain that we have never seen them yet know enough about their cult and how powerful their leader is?"

"Who said I haven’t seen them?"

"Describe just one... go ahead." Alex felt it right to interfere at this point, his dark irises boring into Thomas, leaving him completely flustered.

"That..." Thomas trailed off, his expression revealing the uncertainty in his heart but it didn’t take long before he lashed out, a clear sign he was trying to avoid the truth gnawing at his heart.

"Why do I have to tell you anything?"

"Denial." Alex calmly intoned as he let out a heavy sigh.

Glancing at the bedroom where Watson passed, he felt the urge to go in and look but had an idea of what would be inside without having to look.

But before that, he spoke up. "When I woke up yesterday, I looked out the window and I saw carriages and a few people moving about. Back then, I felt something was wrong with the scene."

Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Now I know why. There was no sound, my mind in its muddled state, caused me to fill in the sounds and left me convinced that everything was normal. Tell me, have you seen a carriage?"

"Carriages?" Gerald furrowed his brows. "It’s been a while since I saw those. Who would want to go out when the Shadows are around?"

"Indeed, yet that scene was shown to me and I believe... it was merely a result of the truth of Popolis trying to hide itself from my presence."

"Your presence?" Gerald raised a brow, confused by Alex’s strange words.

Alex pursed his lips, unsure of how to respond.

It took a while before he let out a sigh, clearly the words he wished to say were too heavy for him.

"Would you believe me if I said no one knows what is happening in Popolis, despite how serious it is?... Trains still pass by and merchants sell their goods, yet not a word got out about the dire situation here."

"You are not saying something, Alex. What do you mean by your presence?" Gerald pressed but Alex replied with a heavy gaze before he continued.

"I cannot claim to know what happened to Popolis but what I do know is that everything happening right now is but an illusion."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because of you, Gerald."

"Me?"

"Tell me again where you met me?"

"On the outskirts..."

Alex shook his head. "Think again."

"..." Gerald remained silent as he pondered Alex’s words, the only one willing to think for a second.

It didn’t take long before his expression shifted and he was left... empty.

He staggered back but thankfully black and white tendrils helped him remain standing.

"Do you remember now?" Alex inquired softly.

"... I... It was at the gate... I tried to attack you but.. you did something to me." Gerald muttered as he glanced at his right hand which at some point had begun to shift states, switching between a normal hand and one made of pure darkness.

Thomas was taken aback by this as he took a step back. "Gerald..."

"So that’s how it is." The middle-aged priest muttered as he stared vacantly at Gerald. "I have sinned greatly against the Only One God, I must repent."

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and began to mutter a prayer.

By the time he was done, a brilliant light exploded from within him and he crumbled to ashes.

Alex frowned at the sight but didn’t say anything, clearly privy to why the priest took such a drastic step.

"What happened to us?" Gerald asked after he’d gotten some semblance of himself back.

Meanwhile, Thomas stood at the side, confusion etched on his face to find that not only was Gerald a shadow, but the priest had killed himself so casually.

Everything he believed in was crumbling so rapidly, that he was unable to make heads or tails of what was happening.

Alex shook his head. "No idea. When I made my... entry into Popolis, the surrounding darkness left my mind slightly muddled, an aspect that I have come to experience much of from a certain madman."

"But the way you were when I found you at the gates..."

"I...had just escaped a rather gruesome fate. My body needed time to heal, time which I didn’t have so I opted to rush in here and hope that as my body heals, I can use other means to pry out the information I need."

At the same time as he spoke, Gerald’s phasing hand seemed to gain some balance as it turned black with white lights twinkling on it.

"You used me."

"As a metaphorical Trojan horse, to scope the land and figure out what I needed to know. Also to protect me, thankfully it worked as I’d hoped."

"What do you want?" Despite realizing what he was, Gerald seemed to be taking things calmly, mostly as a result of Eternal Night but partly also his strong mental state.

Alex sighed. "I want to figure out what happened to Popolis and why it’s like this. After that, I can plan further."

"... I can’t remember much."

"Don’t worry, you won’t have to." Alex calmly replied as he got to his feet and slowly walked over to stand before Gerald, the latter forced to meet his gaze.

"This..." Thomas tried to speak but found himself unable to do so.

Alex reached out his hand and gestured for Gerald to take it.

Gerald didn’t immediately do so though as he wondered if he wanted to go forward.

Currently going through an existential crisis, he wished for nothing more than to believe he was real.

"...If I take your hand, what will happen?"

"I will take a peek at your past as a result of your connection to me, allowing us to understand what happened to you and to this city." Alex calmly replied

Gerald hesitated, his gaze laced with uncertainty but after suppressing his inner turmoil, he reached out and grabbed Alex’s hand.

Pa

A moment later, a beautiful and familiar scenery unfurled in place of Eternal Night.

It was a city... It was the City of Popolis.