Chapter 14: Summons and Secrets
The first rays of light broke over Cap-Haïtien as if peeling away a veil of dreams. Peterson stood on the rooftop of his building, staring into the slowly brightening sky. His body was sore from the intense training the day before, but the burn in his muscles reminded him he was alive. He has power now ,a strange, dangerous power, and the responsibility that came with it pressed heavier on his shoulders than any bruises.
His hand instinctively touched the glowing symbol on his chest. The mark of the Veve glows faintly. The medallion had vanished after fusing with him in the bathtub, but the voice still lingered deep within his consciousness. It whispered!
"You've taken the first step. The Veve's Path awaits. Master your strength—or be consumed by it."
Peterson mumbled "This thing sounds scary sometimes , I hope it doesn't get me into too much troubles "
Downstairs, Jean-Daniel was already knocking on the front door like he owned the place.
"Yo!! Where you at ? , hurry up! We've got skeletons to summon, gear to make, maybe a chicken to sacrifice or something, I don't know!"
Peterson smirked and jogged down to meet him. Wilkens was there too, looking more anxious than ever, holding a journal he had filled with diagrams, notes, and even what looked like a detailed sketch of the Bone Scout wearing a top hat.
"Ready?" Jean-Daniel asked.
"No," Wilkens replied immediately. "But I brought snacks and ointment, so I guess I'm committed."
Jean-Daniel looked at Wilkens and shook his head in disbelief.
An hour late They returned to the abandoned lot behind their school. Peterson wasted no time. He closed his eyes and called out:
"Summon: Bone Warrior!"
The ground trembled. Dust swirled in spirals. A full-sized skeleton burst from the ground, this one clad in makeshift armor formed from rusted roofing tin and street signs. It stood tall, holding a blunt wooden staff.
Wilkens gasped. "Bruh!! It's like a haunted scarecrow!"
Jean-Daniel stepped forward. "Lemme spar with it I want to see how strong is your little bone puppet." He giggled.
Jean-Daniel took a fighting stance.
Peterson shout " Begin! " The skeleton lunged. Jean-Daniel dodged, rolled, and countered with his Bullrush skill, knocking it back with impressive force.
"That skill's insane," Peterson noted.
Jean-Daniel grinned. "Told you, I'm a natural... woah!! ." The skeleton launch a surprise attack and Jean-Daniel barely dodged it.
"Alright!! Now I'm hyped " Jean-Daniel shouted.
Training took the whole morning. Peterson summoned different types of bone units—one with shields, another smaller scout with speed. He crafted a new belt using scrap metal and leather straps Wilkens found in an abandoned garage.
[New Item: Reinforced Scrap Belt – +5 Defense, +2 Inventory Slots]
"I feel like a video game character," Peterson muttered.
"You are a video game character," Jean-Daniel said, panting. "And I'm your hilarious sidekick " He laughed ". And Wilkens is the nerdy support guy who randomly saves everyone in the future , I hope ,"laugh out loud".
"I'll take that," Wilkens said. "As long as I get cool glasses."
"Nerd" Jean-Daniel added.
They all laughed
That afternoon, Jean-Daniel leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"I talked to Rigo last night."
Peterson tensed. Rigo was the leader of a small but well-connected gang in their neighborhood. Jean-Daniel had once run errands for them—nothing violent, mostly deliveries and watch duty. Still, it wasn't the kind of crowd you wanted to be noticed by.
"What did he say?"
"I asked him if he has any job and you could be useful with your skills, because you are Smart, Quick and Reliable."
"You didn't tell him about my powers, right?"
Jean-Daniel held up his hands. "Of course not! I'm not stupid. I said you're good at carrying and keeping quiet about things. They need help moving some cargo later this week."
Wilkens looked concerned. "Isn't that… illegal?"
Jean-Daniel shrugged. "Only if you get caught , but you won't let that happen will ya!! " Peterson just shrugged.
"Comforting... I guess" Wilkens said flatly.
Peterson took a long breath. "I'll do it. But we gotta stay sharp. No stupid risky decisions "
Jean-Daniel fist-bumped him. "Now you're talking."
The boys stay chatted a little long about the plans and went home after that .
That night, the voice returned.
"Power alone is not enough. You must grow. You must learn. The world will not wait for you to catch up."
[Daily Quest Unlocked: Summon 3 Bone Warriors, Craft 1 Weapon, train with a Party Member]
He sat on his bed, flipping through Wilkens' sketches and notes. Every page had something strange there are symbols from the medallion, diagrams of fighting forms, weird math that Wilkens insisted was "important."
His mom knocked. "You alright in there?"
"Yes, Mom. I'm Just reading a book."
"Alright Son, Don't stay up too late okay. You have school tomorrow."
"School! " It almost felt like a side quest now. But Peterson knew better. If he let that slip, he'd draw attention. And attention was the last thing he needed.
The next morning at school, things felt… normal. Almost. Amanda and Miranda, his twin sisters, kept sneaking glances at him during lunch. He knew they were watching, just like always. But they still didn't ask any questions, which kinda frustrating him a little bit.
In math class, Naëlle walked by Peterson's desk.
"Hey! Pete You look tired," she whispered.
"Yeah! I had a Busy weekend you know." He smiled.
She smirked. "well Try not to look mysterious, It doesn't really suit you."
Then she walks back slowly to her chair ,she gives a last glance then grabbed a notebook and pencil to do some work.
Jean-Daniel leaned over. "She likes you, bro, you better make your move before somebody else's does."
"oh! Shut up man." Peterson smiled in his barely mustaches
Wilkens snorted. " Love birds, cho cute "
They both glanced evilly at Wilkens.
He shivers.
Later that week, Peterson and Jean-Daniel met Rigo in a dim alley behind a convenience store.
The gang leader was taller than Peterson as expected, with narrow eyes and tattoos creeping up his neck. He looked them both over.
"Peterson right?"
"Yeah."
"You clean?"
Jean-Daniel cut in. "He's solid boss, I assure you."
"Alright then" Rigo reply
He turned around and reached from behind a dumpster and handed them two duffel bags. "Deliver these to a guy on Rue St. Marc. Don't look inside. Don't talk to anyone on your way there. Don't stop. You get seen, you run."
Peterson felt a chill but nodded. "Understood."
"Good, Don't screw it up." He smirked
They took the bags and walked silently for two blocks without looking back before Jean-Daniel spoke.
"Are You okay Pete?"
"I'm fine. Just… focused."
"Don't worry, This is nothing, the Real missions starts later."
Peterson frowned, he didn't like the sound of that.
They got to their destination after a long walk, luckily this no one was following them, and delivered the bags with no issue.
Later on Back in their alley training ground, Peterson sat cross-legged, experimenting with a new command:
"Summon: Bone Archer."
Right From the dusty ground, a skeletal figure emerged with a crooked spine and a bow made of bent rebar.
Peterson shouts " Fire !"
It drew back a glowing arrow and fired it into a stack of empty cans.
Jean-Daniel who was lost in thoughts jumped by the sunrised sounds of scattered empty cans.
"Yo! What the... That's new!" Jean-Daniel shouted.
Wilkens with thong sticking to the side of his mouth wrote frantically. "We need to track their power levels for battle tactics."
Peterson smiled. And For the first time, he felt in control, as he was lost in his thoughts thinking about what more can he do .. he hears a whisper
The voice returned.
"The deeper you go, the harder it will be to return. But you're ready… aren't you?"
He stood, looking at his friends.
"Yeah," he said softly. " I'm not fully sure but,... I think I am."
[Chapter updated]