"Thank you, Asher."
Gwen's voice was barely above a whisper, her cheeks flushed pink as she looked at her cousin from just inches away. The Charm of Telekinesis hung around her neck, its purple glow soft and warm against her skin.
"Don't mention it." Asher leaned back, giving her space, and tilted his head curiously. "So? Now that you've had some time with it, do you feel anything special from the charm?"
"Special feeling..."
Gwen lowered her gaze to the pendant, then slowly raised her hands. She focused intently, trying to recreate the telekinetic surge she'd felt earlier in the Rust Bucket. Maybe she could alter the gravity inside the RV, or lift something without touching it.
Several seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
"It's not responding like before," she admitted, frowning at her palms. "When I first put it on, I could lift everything in the RV without even trying. Now it feels... dormant."
"Maybe the initial activation drained its energy," Asher suggested thoughtfully. "Try something else. See if you can make it glow, or, I don't know, sense magical auras or something."
Gwen cycled through every trick she could think of. She concentrated until her head hurt, tried meditation, even attempted to channel energy through her fingertips like she'd seen in movies. Nothing worked. The charm simply hung there, beautiful but seemingly powerless.
"Well," Asher said, stroking his chin with exaggerated thoughtfulness, "there's one possibility we haven't considered. The Charms of Bezel are supposed to have unique properties. Maybe this one needs time to recharge, or maybe its power works differently than we expected."
"Differently how?" Gwen asked, clutching the pendant in her hand. A hint of disappointment crept into her voice. "It felt incredible before. Like I could do anything."
Grrrrowwwl.
A loud rumble echoed through the RV, and Ben's face immediately turned bright red. He crossed his arms over his stomach and looked away, pretending nothing had happened.
Asher laughed and patted his own belly. "Perfect timing, I'm starving too. Grandpa, let's find somewhere to eat!"
"There's a great little restaurant nearby," Max called from the driver's seat, a nostalgic smile crossing his weathered face. "They serve the best river prawns in the county. Trust me, you kids are going to love it."
He hit the gas, and the Rust Bucket rumbled toward town.
It was just past eleven in the morning when they arrived.
The restaurant was already packed with customers, the lunch rush in full swing. Waiters weaved between tables carrying steaming plates of food, and the air was thick with the mouthwatering aroma of fried seafood.
"Wow," Ben muttered, scanning the crowded dining room. "We're gonna be waiting forever."
After a few minutes of searching, they managed to snag a corner booth that had just been vacated. Max flagged down a server and ordered several plates of their famous fried prawns.
"I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," Ben groaned, slumping against the table. "How long do you think it'll take?"
"With this crowd?" Asher glanced around at the packed restaurant. "Probably a while."
Gwen absently toyed with the charm around her neck, her expression pensive. "I still can't feel anything from it. Maybe the telekinesis was just a one-time thing..."
At that exact moment, a commotion erupted at the table next to them.
A family of four was hastily gathering their belongings, the father speaking urgently into his phone. ", emergency at home, yes, we're leaving right now, "
"I'm so sorry," the mother said to the approaching waiter, who was carrying a massive platter of golden-fried prawns. "Something's come up. We have to leave immediately. You'll have to throw that away."
The Tennysons exchanged startled glances.
"That's... quite a coincidence," Max said slowly.
The waiter looked at the abandoned feast, then at the Tennyson table. "Excuse me, this hasn't been touched. If you folks don't mind, would you like to, "
"We don't mind at all!" Ben practically lunged across the table. "No sense letting good food go to waste!"
Within seconds, the platter was deposited in front of them. Steam rose from the perfectly crispy prawns, the scent absolutely divine.
Asher's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he watched Gwen. She was still holding the charm, and he could have sworn he saw it pulse with faint light just before the other family left.
Interesting. Very interesting.
The four of them dug in with enthusiasm, conversation dying as they focused on the incredible meal. The prawns were everything Max had promised, crispy on the outside, tender and succulent within, seasoned to perfection.
"These are amazing," Gwen admitted between bites, her earlier disappointment temporarily forgotten.
No sooner had they finished the first platter than their own order arrived, another mountain of golden prawns, still sizzling from the fryer.
They ate until they couldn't eat another bite.
"Ugh." Ben leaned back, rubbing his distended stomach. "I think I'm gonna explode."
"Same," Asher agreed, sprawling lazily in the booth. "Worth it, though."
Max chuckled and raised a hand to signal their server. "Alright, let's settle up and get back on the road. Waiter! Check, please!"
The server approached with a broad smile that seemed far too enthusiastic. "Congratulations! You're our one-hundredth table today, which means your entire meal is on the house!"
Dead silence.
"I'm sorry," Asher said flatly. "Did you just say free?"
"Absolutely! It's our restaurant's policy, every hundredth customer gets their meal comped. Lucky day for you folks!"
Ben's jaw dropped. Max blinked several times, as if waiting for the punchline.
Gwen stared down at the charm in her hand.
It was glowing.
"Xiao, I mean, Asher," she breathed, using his name carefully as the waiter walked away. "Do you think...?"
"I know," Asher replied, his grin spreading wide. "That's no coincidence. First the other table leaves right when we need food, and now a free meal? Gwen, that charm isn't just for telekinesis. It's got some kind of luck enhancement too!"
"But that doesn't make sense," she protested, though her voice lacked conviction. "The website said the Charm of Telekinesis only grants levitation and the ability to move objects."
"Maybe the website was incomplete. Or maybe the Charms of Bezel have properties that aren't widely known." Asher leaned forward, eyes bright with excitement. "Think about it, Hex had multiple charms on his necklace. What if wearing one charm for a long time lets you tap into the abilities of the others? Like a magical residue effect?"
Gwen considered this, turning the pendant over in her fingers. The purple glow had faded back to its dormant state, but she could have sworn she felt something stirring within it.
"I guess we'll find out," she said finally.
"Oh, we definitely will." Asher's smile turned mysterious. "I have an idea for a perfect test."
After their stomachs had settled, the Tennysons piled back into the Rust Bucket and continued their journey. The road stretched out before them, winding through scenic countryside and small towns.
And the luck continued.
Every traffic light turned green as they approached. The usual construction delays and detours were mysteriously absent. When they hit what should have been rush-hour congestion near the city, the lanes cleared as if by magic.
"This is getting ridiculous," Ben said, pressing his face against the window. "We haven't stopped once!"
"The charm," Gwen murmured, gripping it tightly. "It has to be the charm."
Max said nothing, but his eyes kept flicking to the rearview mirror, watching his granddaughter with a mixture of wonder and concern. The Charms of Bezel were powerful artifacts, powerful enough to make even a retired Plumber nervous.
But before anyone could comment further, the Rust Bucket rolled to a gentle stop.
Asher sat up straight. "Grandpa? Why are we stopping? The light's green."
Max's expression had shifted from relaxed to grim. He nodded toward the street ahead. "Take a look for yourselves."
Through the windshield, they could see a group of rough-looking men surrounding a terrified shopkeeper. One of them was shouting threats while another rifled through the man's pockets. Classic shakedown, broad daylight, not a cop in sight.
"Seriously?" Ben groaned. "Can't we go one day without running into criminals?"
"Apparently not," Asher replied dryly. He studied the scene with calculating eyes, then turned to look at Gwen. "Actually... this might be perfect."
"Perfect?" She stared at him. "Asher, those guys are robbing someone!"
"Exactly. And you're going to stop them."
The words hung in the air.
"Me?" Gwen's voice cracked. "Asher, I can't even get the charm to work consistently! What am I supposed to do, hope they trip over their own feet?"
"That's exactly what luck powers do," Asher said patiently. "Besides, you wanted to be more than just the girl who gets taken hostage, right? You said it yourself last chapter, you want to fight criminals and be a hero."
"I, " She hesitated, remembering her own words. The memory of being helpless while Hex pinned her to a ceiling still stung. "But I don't have a costume or anything. I can't just walk out there as Gwen Tennyson!"
Asher's grin widened as he pointed out the window. "Then it's a good thing we stopped right next to a Halloween store."
Sure enough, a colorful shop sat on the corner, its windows displaying an array of costumes and masks. A black cat mask caught Gwen's eye immediately, sleek, mysterious, with purple accents that seemed to match her charm perfectly.
Lucky Girl.
The name surfaced in her mind unbidden, as if the charm itself had whispered it.
Ben looked between his cousins, then sighed with exaggerated resignation. "Fine, fine. Go play hero. But if you get in trouble, "
"She won't," Asher said confidently. He met Gwen's uncertain gaze with steady assurance. "Trust me, Gwen. You can do this. The charm chose you for a reason."
Gwen took a deep breath.
Then she opened the door and ran for the costume shop.
Elsewhere...
In an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town, shadows pooled like living things. Hex sat in the darkness, his breathing slowly returning to normal as his wounds knitted themselves together through sheer force of will and dark magic.
The Archamada Book of Spells lay open before him, its pages glowing with eldritch light. He'd been studying it for hours, trying to absorb its power, trying to unlock the secrets that would let him destroy that accursed fire creature.
But something was wrong.
No matter how hard he concentrated, his magic remained unchanged. The book should have amplified his abilities tenfold by now. Instead, it felt like he was grasping at smoke.
"What is happening?!"
In frustration, Hex grabbed the necklace around his throat, the chain that held his precious Charms of Bezel.
His fingers found empty space.
One of the settings was bare. A charm was missing.
"No," he breathed, his skull-painted face contorting with rage. "No, no, NO!"
The memory crashed over him: the museum battle, the fire creature's devastating punch, the way his necklace had been torn and scattered in the chaos. He'd been so focused on escaping with the spellbook that he hadn't noticed, hadn't checked,
"It must have fallen during the fight," he snarled, rising to his feet. "Or that wretched creature stole it from me."
Without all the charms, the Archamada Book of Spells couldn't unlock its full potential. The ritual he'd planned was impossible.
Hex's eyes blazed with murderous intent.
"I will find my charm," he vowed, dark energy swirling around his clenched fists. "And when I do, that fire creature and everyone he cares about will burn."
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