The Oldest Dream of Eternal Night
Chapter 44: Yuki, you better not screw up

Chapter 44: Yuki, you better not screw up

The night enveloped Lewis Center in an inky veil, the deserted streets bathed in the pale light of streetlamps.

At the same time.

St. Michael’s Church, a gray stone edifice with stained-glass windows depicting austere saints, stood at the heart of the city, its steeple piercing the sky like a sentinel. This was where Jane and Hannah attended services every Sunday.

Yara pushed open the heavy oak door, her combat boots clacking on the marble floor. Her black hair, cut in a sharp bob, framed a stern face, her green eyes scanning the darkness with precision. Dressed in a leather jacket and reinforced pants, she wore poisoned daggers at her belt, ready for action. A mercenary for the Order of Salvation, Yara wasn’t here to pray, but for a mission.

The church interior was silent, the scent of incense and melted wax lingering in the air. Wooden pews, polished by decades of worshippers, lined the Gothic arches. Yara descended a narrow staircase leading to the crypt, her footsteps echoing in the damp passage. An iron door, engraved with inscriptions unknown to the uninitiated, marked the entrance to a secret chamber. She knocked three times, and the door opened, revealing Father Dian in a black cassock. His white hair and wrinkled face contrasted with his piercing eyes, which seemed to see through the soul.

"Yara," he said, his voice raspy but authoritative. "You’re punctual, as always."

Yara raised an eyebrow, leaning against the cold stone wall. "I don’t have time for pleasantries, Dian. What did you call me for?"

The priest gestured for her to sit on a wooden chair near a table cluttered with parchments and flickering candles. The crypt, lit by torches, smelled of mildew and metal. Shelves groaned under the weight of parchments and relics—or rather, pseudo-relics. Dian sat, folding his hands. "The Wunder are flooding into Lewis Center. More than ever. The cause is a relic: the Medusa Coin."

Yara narrowed her eyes, her tone sarcastic. "A coin? Seriously? What’s the deal?"

Dian said nothing. He unfolded a yellowed parchment, illustrating the coin: a face half-skeleton, half-woman with serpentine hair, surrounded by occult inscriptions. "Die Hand im Schatten covets it. This coin allows a pact with an ancient spirit, which reveals the location of one of the five keys. These keys open doors—perhaps to Hell, perhaps to the Ancient Gods. The legend speaks of the Grail as the ultimate reward."

Yara snorted, crossing her arms. "The Grail? Are you kidding me? I’m not here to hunt fairy tales."

"It’s not a fairy tale," Dian retorted, his tone icy. "Die Hand im Schatten believes in these doors, and they’re willing to do anything to open them. The coin is here, in Lewis Center, and they’re sending agents to retrieve it."

Yara straightened, her interest piqued. "Okay, let’s say I believe you. Who are these agents?"

Dian handed her another parchment, detailing a pack of jackals, Terror-level Wunder pawns from the royal Chronos family. "They’re hiding in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts. Twenty, maybe more. You know jackals—they’re not clever, but their numbers make them dangerous."

Yara shrugged, a smirk on her lips. "Jackals? Barely evolved dogs. I can handle them alone."

The priest shook his head. "Not this time. The Order is assigning you a partner. A paladin, daughter of an influential member. She’s young, but promising. She’ll learn from you."

Yara growled, her tone dripping with disdain. "A kid? Great, I’ve always dreamed of babysitting. Does she even know how to hold a sword?"

Dian ignored the jab, handing her an annotated map of the warehouse location. "She’ll be here tomorrow. Don’t underestimate the jackals, Yara. They may be weak individually, but in a pack, they can overwhelm even you."

Yara grabbed the map, folding it into her pocket. "Yeah, yeah. I’ll turn them into rugs before they touch me. Anything else?"

The priest stood, his expression grave. "The Medusa Coin is more than a relic. If Die Hand im Schatten finds it, Lewis Center will become a battleground. Your brother, Yuki, and his friends... they’re already involved, aren’t they?"

Yara stiffened, her eyes narrowing. "Leave Yuki out of this. He’s not ready for your holy wars."

Dian sketched a smile. "He’s a Zodiac, like you. He doesn’t have a choice. The Order of Salvation keeps an eye on him."

Yara clenched her fists but didn’t respond. She turned on her heel, climbing the stairs with angry strides.

"And what about the manticore? You haven’t located it yet?"

"It’s more complicated than expected. It was some kind of sleeper agent. So it’s difficult for us to determine its identity."

"Hmm, I suppose a royal family is after it."

Dian nodded. "They’re not all allies, but rather rivals. There are even rumors of an alliance with the Mysterienkult."

’Yuki, you better not screw up,’ she thought, her mind already on the warehouse and the jackals. She didn’t like the idea of a partner, especially a novice, but she had no choice. The Order paid well, and if the Medusa Coin was truly at stake, she had to act fast.

Outside, Yara leaned against a streetlamp, the cool air soothing her anger. She took out her phone, sending a message to Yuki to check if he was okay. The reply came quickly.

Yuki: Yo, I’m back from Hassan’s barbecue. All good. You?

Yara typed, her tone softer than she intended.

Yara: Work. Watch yourself, okay? And keep an eye on Ben, he attracts trouble.

Yuki: Haha, don’t worry. Ben’s cool now. You sure you’re okay?

Yara put away her phone without answering, her eyes fixed on the church. She didn’t like hiding the truth from Yuki, but he wasn’t ready for the secrets or for Die Hand im Schatten.

She lit a cigarette, the lighter’s flame illuminating her face.

’The Medusa Coin,’ she thought.

"Who has it in the end?"

In the crypt, Dian remained seated, his fingers brushing a silver crucifix. He murmured a prayer, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He opened a drawer, revealing an old photograph: a woman... Mrs. Hakim. "The coin is closer than they think," he whispered.