Jack Mystery's masked face tilted. His translucent form caught the faint lamplight. He looked less like a concerned investigator. And more like a hunter examining a broken trap.
"We don't fight the metaphysic law, Night." He stated flatly. Addressing the illusion Reina had projected into the room. "Not with our current level. Not with our current skills. We can't stab silence. Just like we can't punch gravity."
He stopped for a second and continued. "We can contain it though. Or negotiate its terms. Or, rewrite the fundamental code that governs it. But only if we know how. We are not rewriting anything today. Not with the limited things we know."
He gestured dismissively toward the closed window.
"The entity, the Deep Silence, is locked down for the night now. We have roughly twenty to twenty two hours before the risk cycle begins again. We need to use those hours intelligently."
He didn't wait for the illusion to respond. Turning instead to the assembled group of terrified students, Mr. Keener, and the two children.
"The priority is the village's safety." He said. "The villagers need to understand what is happening, and they need to move. Or, if they choose to stay here, they need to avoid leaving the building two hours before and two hours after sunset. Just to be safe."
"True." Reina agreed. "This is not some spirit that can be warded off with salt and prayer. If you are incidentally outdoors during the time that creature was there, you die. That is the law."
Mr. Keener cleared his throat nervously. "I'll try to talk to them tomorrow."
"You should tell them precisely this... The deaths are caused by a phenomenon tied to the seal beneath Farmer Drumbell's lightning-struck tree. Anyone who steps outside two hours before and after the sun sets will risk death. No exception."
He paused, letting the severity of the instruction settle. "For those willing, we facilitate their departure. Temporary evacuation. Get them to Lonestone. Or any other safe place. Songstress Village won't be safe when sundown hits, not until this entity is dealt with."
"And then..." Jack continued. "You need to tell the local priest to submit the report of the Law Grade Entity, Deep Silence, to his main church. Or the headquarter of the Trinity Churches. They might have old texts, old methods, old records. Anything that might help handling the terror."
He turned his masked gaze towards the teenage members of the group... Alenna Keener, the sculptor's daughter, and her two classmates, Nick Glaiver and Harold Mason. They were transcendent Mystic Scholar students. Valuable assets who could help more with their connection and research capabilities.
"Night told me the three of you were students of Lonestone Academy. It's another great place to start. Go back. Consult your professors. Dive into the libraries."
The illusion Jack Night added. "Right. You should research about the Law Grade Entities. Specifically, the Deep Silence. And dig into the lore of Nerea the Empyrean Songstress and Hearth the Array Wright. They're the ones who sealed it. Their knowledge might be key to resealing it, or even destroying it."
The students nodded. Their earlier fear was now tempered with a nascent sense of purpose. Alenna, though still pale, met Jack Mystery's gaze with a flicker of resolve.
"Mr. Keener." The illusion Jack Night continued. Addressing the sculptor. "You should take your nephew and niece to Lonestone. Keep them safe there. This is not a place for them to be. Not now, during this ordeal."
Mr. Keener's shoulders slumped slightly. A mixture of relief and a lingering sense of helplessness washing over him. His daughter, Alenna, was already a transcendent being. But his younger relatives were just children.
"Will you be coming back to Lonestone too?" He asked.
The illusion Jack Night shook his head. "No. I knew this village has a library, small as it may be. We'll conduct our research there."
Jack Mystery then addressed everyone present. "I won't be able to do anything during the day. But I had a lead to someone who might know how to handle the Law Grade Entity. I will try to contact her."
He didn't elaborate. But the one in his mind was the Rainsister. In two days, the monthly Fateless Gathering will start again. Hosted in Rainsister's living room in spirit realm as usual.
Rainsister was the one known as the Goddess of Knowledge. An ancient being with countless knowledge and unmeasurable power. If anyone could offer guidance on how to deal with a Law Grade Entity, it would be her.
"That would be the plan." Jack Mystery concluded. His form was already beginning to dissipate. "I'll be back when I got the information. We will find a way to deal with this terrible entity."
With a final, lingering gaze that seemed to encompass everyone in the room, Jack Mystery vanished. Leaving behind only a faint shimmer in the air. And the heavy silence of the night.
...
The following morning dawned with a persistent drizzle. Painting the already somber Songstress Village in shades of grey.
Mr. Keener gathered the remaining villagers in the muddy backyard of Farmer Drumbell's home. His face was etched with a worry that seemed to age him years. The air was thick with unspoken fear. And the faint, lingering scent of damp earth.
"I have news." Mr. Keener began. His voice rough with emotion. He gestured to Jack and Reina. "These transcenders, hired from Lonestone City, have discovered the cause of the terror that has befallen us."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "It is not a curse. Not a plague. It is an entity. An ancient one, woven into the very fabric of our village's history."
He looked towards the gnarled, lightning-scarred tree at the edge of the yard. "Our ancestors, Hearth and Nerea, they sealed away a creature we had known in the story as the Deep Silence. There. Underneath that tree."
"It was a being of pure stillness. Of absolute quiet." He continued. "But two weeks ago, a terrible lightning strike slightly damaged the ancient seal. Now, this entity is unleashed for a few hours each day. During the twilight. If anyone is out, and gets touched by it..."
A murmur rippled through the villagers. The legend, dismissed as folklore, was now a terrifying reality. The deaths, the eerie silence that often preceded them... It all started to make a dreadful kind of sense.
Jack, now in his Jack Night persona, approached Father Minnow. The village priest. "Father, this is beyond our current capabilities. We need aid from those who specialize in dealing with entities of this caliber."
He laid a hand on the priest's shoulder. "I need you to deliver this information to the Trinity Churches. And to whoever else you deem necessary. Contact your higher-ups. They might possess the knowledge or the power to combat a Law Grade Entity like the Deep Silence."
Father Minnow nodded. His face pale but resolute. "I will, Mister Night. I will make sure the message is delivered with all haste."
...
Under the persistent drizzle, Mr. Keener, made their way to the steam-powered train stopping at the small train station at the edge of the village. Accompanied by his nephew and niece. Along with the three university students... Alenna, Nick, and Harold.
The train platform was slick with rain. And the atmosphere was heavy with unspoken goodbyes. And the weight of the uncertainty that still clung to Songstress Village.
Jack and Reina stood a little distance away. Watching the train pull away. A thin trail of steam dissipating into the grey sky.
Once they were gone, the couple looked at each other. A sense of purpose settled between them.
"To the library, then." Jack said. His voice was calm despite everything.
The village library was a small, humble affair. Tucked away in a building that seemed to sag under the weight of its years.
Old Haymaker, the librarian, was a man whose skin seemed as weathered as the books he curated. He greeted them with a measured curiosity.
Chief Flute, the village chief, was also there. He joined them. Eager to offer any assistance. The weight of leadership burdened him. He wanted the threat to be ended as soon as possible.
Days bled into nights.
The trio... Jack, Reina, and Rune, who floated near Jack's shoulder, emitting soft pulses of light, pored over ancient scrolls, brittle parchments, and faded village chronicles. Stopping only during meal times.
They meticulously researched the history of Hearth and Nerea, the founding couple. And the legends surrounding their founding of Songstress Village. They cross-referenced local folklore with what little they knew of Law Grade entities.
But the Deep Silence, it seemed, was a creature of unique and terrifying properties. And the methods of its sealing were lost to time. Or perhaps deliberately obscured.
The librarian and village chief accompanied them for a while. But they didn't have the stamina and concentration of transcenders like Jack and Reina.
...
The early hours of the second day of research still yielded no breakthroughs. The rain had stopped. But an oppressive humidity hung in the air.
Late afternoon... Jack felt the familiar heat from his inventory. He quickly excused himself.
"I need a moment." He mumbled to Reina, the librarian, and Chief Flute. Heading towards the small, outhouse-style restroom behind the library.
Inside the cramped space, Jack closed his eyes. Focusing his will. A shimmering, crystal coin materialized in his palm. The number [1] at its center flickered. It was almost time for the Fateless Gathering.
He had always entered the gathering as Jack Mystery though. So, he quickly transformed into it. [Incarnation Shift].
The bulky, muscular form of the human mercenary disappeared. Replaced by the mysterious specter of a masked magician.
The crystal coin appeared again. Floating on air. The number on it changed from [1] to [0]. A familiar request appeared. Would he join the Fateless Gathering?
Without any hesitation, Jack mentally answered 'yes'. Dizzying sensation immediately washed over him. The world dissolved into a kaleidoscope of light and shadow.
He reappeared. Floating inside Rainsister's cozy living room. Exactly as he remembered it. Soft lamplight bathed the space. Illuminating shelves packed with books.
The beautiful deity, Rainsister, was there. Reclined gracefully on a plush, comfortable couch. A steaming mug was cradled between her delicate hands. Her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders. Catching the light from a nearby ornate lamp.
No other people. He was the first to come to the Gathering this time.