Charles had reached the bottom of the elevator shaft. The moment he arrived at the noisy site, a teenager holding a liquid-filled jar called out to him from a nearby elevator entrance. "Esteemed Governor, I was just looking for you. Is this the item you're searching for?"
Charles was instantly alert. He quickly took the jar and gave it a gentle shake. Inside, a hemispherical skull was faintly visible, sloshing in a brown liquid filled with ice shards.
The wax-sealed cap was pried open. Just as the teenager was about to ask how to verify its authenticity, he saw the Governor of Hope Island reach in with his iron hand, fish out the skull, wipe it twice, and place it on his own head.
Charles closed his eyes for a moment before taking the skull off, a disappointed look on his face. "No, it's too big. This skull isn't mine. Where did you find it?"
The teenager stared, stunned for a second, before quickly recovering and hurriedly leading them up a slope.
