"Welcome to Clear...oh, more chosen," the hotel receptionist said as her eyes widened. She glanced at Rachel's black mask and mulberry eyes. "Where did you get your contacts from, if I might ask, chosen?"
Rachel blinked, her mulberry gaze distorting the natural lighting wherever she looked. "Contacts?"
Elijah nudged her and coughed.
Rachel scratched her head. "Oh yeah, haha, contacts right. It was some shop in Tyrial...forgot the name."
"We need seven rooms," Elijah requested as he dug into his jacket, then pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Also, where can I get some more smokes?" He asked as he handed Rachel his last cigarette.
The receptionist typed on the keyboard in front of her, eyes glued to the monitor. "We only got five at the moment. Many of the other chosen booked most of our rooms already. Also down the street is a convenience store."
Rachel sighed.
"Any double bedrooms?"Elijah asked.
"Just two," the receptionist replied.
"We will take them," Elijah said, then looked at Rachel. "You bunking with me tonight."
Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Ummm, why?"
"Because everybody is going to be knocking on your door the first chance they get, and I need to talk to you privately."
"About Emily, right?"
Elijah nodded. "Yup, take care of the room keys. I am going to grab some smokes."
"Who's going to babysit the broken flamingo?" Rachel asked as Elijah started to walk towards the entrance.
"Your call," Elijah flatly replied as he left the building. He stopped briefly to chat with Amos, Alice, Arthur, and Shiyu, who stood outside. His chestnut eyes paused on Sarah sitting on a wooden bench next to Arthur, mumbling to herself.
Rachel rubbed her neck and sighed, grabbing the hotel key cards before leaving the hotel lobby.
"Well?"Amos asked his mulberry mask, glowing underneath the streetlights.
"Not enough rooms. I am bunking with Elijah, and somebody gotta babysit Sarah," Rachel explained.
"This is all pointless, hahahaha," Sarah cackled. "We are doomed to die."
Everyone looked at Sarah with a thin-lipped smile as Rachel handed out the keycards.
"I carried her; she's someone else's problem now," Arthur insisted as he clutched his designer walking cane.
"We could just leave her," Amos suggested.
"She might snap out of it," Alice replied.
"For an assassin, you sure don't act like it sometimes."
"It's my profession, and I have morals. I took political contracts, not kill children and random people," Alice explained.
"Whatever makes you sleep at night, I guess."
"I will babysit Sarah if Rachel of Augustine promises to never use temporal powers again," Shiyu said, then looked at Rachel.
"It got us to where we needed to be," Alice replied with narrow eyes.
"We could have walked," Shiyu replied.
Arthur chuckled. "We would not have made it in time for Reunion Day."
"I walked from the divine city of Xinhua to Leonore," she explained as she pointed at her feet.
"So why did you get in Sarah's limousine instead of walking?" Amos asked.
"Because Emily got in the vehicle. I follow her."
"Well, she ripped a hole in reality, so good luck finding her with your bare feet."
"I will not be in a group that supports the use of forbidden magic," Shiyu said, then crossed her arms. "Either Rachel stops using it, or I am leaving."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "I wasn't planning on using it anyway."
"Then I will babysit the flamingo until you break your oath," Shiyu replied, then leaned Sarah on her shoulder.
"Forbidden magic ahahahaahah....you fool," Sarah cackled as Shiyu carried her inside the hotel.
"The two nutjobs in the same room...sure that's going to go well," Arthur jested, then sighed. "Think I am going to retire for the night."
"Same," Alice said, then followed Arthur inside.
"Rachel of Augustine, a moment if you don't mind," Amos said as Rachel turned around.
Rachel sighed. "Is this about my powers?"
"Sort of...more about Emily," Amos replied with a stoic expression.
"I don't know what she is, how she did what she did, or where she is," Rachel groaned.
Amos smirked. "I don't believe that for a second, but just answer this one question if you don't mind."
"Depends on the question."
"Do you remember events that we don't?"
Rachel paused, unable to look Amos directly in his eyes.
Amos nodded, then his face turned sour. "That answers my question," he said, then walked towards the hotel. "You don't want us ending up like Sarah...I get it."
Rachel's eyes widened as she stared at the cobblestone road below her feet. She glanced back as Amos entered the hotel, then scratched her nose.
The scent of juniper, honeydew, and cleaning chemicals hit Rachel's nostrils as she returned to the hotel lobby. Her mind lingered on memories, events, and secrets she could not share as she waited for the elevator. Vision of Emily's confusion and eerie grin riddled her thoughts as she lit a cigarette. She felt her presence like a ghost on her skin, a gnawing itch that she was nowhere and everywhere.
"You must be Rachel of Augustine, am I right?" A sharp male voice asked behind her as the elevator opened.
"Who is asking?" Rachel asked as she turned around.
Her eyes widened as she looked at the olive-skinned, toned man about the same age as her behind her. He had long curly black hair, deep brown eyes, and a steel-hued mask on the right side of his face. The man wore a gray sweater, a black patched punk jacket with anti-establishment insignias sewn into the fabric. He dug into his acid-wash jeans as his weathered boots streaked mud. Occult tattoos stretched up his arms.
"Name is Rusev Reigns," he introduced as Rachel cautiously entered the elevator with him. "You a mage or conduit of some sort?" He asked as he pushed the elevator closed. "What floor, by the way?"
"Third and no," Rachel flatly replied as she watched Rusev lean on the wall. "Are you?"
"Yeah...thought to ask. Your eyes scream I am not normal," Rusev explained as he pushed the third-floor button. He rubbed his rugged beard, then dug into his jacket for a lighter and a cigarette.
"You know my family?" Rachel asked as she watched Rusev light his cigarette.
"Nah...heard about you from other chosen around town. Reunion Day tomorrow...you excited or nervous?"
"More like dreading," Rachel replied as she smoked. "So what can you do?"
"Oh, you mean as a conduit?" Rusev said as he stretched out his hand towards Rachel.
Rachel's eyes widened as her feet left the floor. Her body felt light as a feather as she floated in the elevator. The weightless sensation dissipated as Rusev balled his hand into a fist, and then Rachel dropped back to the ground.
"I can manipulate gravity," Rusev said flatly as the elevator door opened. "Localized, been training to expand my reach...probably why I was chosen."
Rachel rubbed her neck as she thought about showcasing her abilities, but thought better of it. She looked him in the eye, then ran her hands through her hair, forcing a thin-lipped smile on her face.
"That's...cool," Rachel said as she left the elevator. "Nice to meet you, Rusev... good luck in the pilgrimage."
"Same...you wanna grab something to eat?" Rusev asked as he held the elevator door open.
"No, thank you...I am seeing someone," Rachel replied.
Rusev rubbed his neck and nodded. "Damn...well, alright then. Best of luck," he replied, then let the elevator door close.
Rachel entered her hotel room shortly after, placing the keycard on the coffee table. She glanced up at the fluorescent UFO light in the bathroom as she flipped the light switch on. Water poured from the bathroom sink as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Mulberry emanating from her eyes distorted the artificial light. Her fingers traced her eyelids as her reflection perfectly synced with her movements.
Knock....Knock
"It's me, kid," Elijah grumbled as he knocked on the front door.
"Coming," Rachel replied as she turned off the sink and exited the bathroom.
Elijah tossed her a pack of smokes as she opened the front door. "Any trouble?" He asked as he placed his magnum on the coffee table, then turned on the television.
"Shiyu is going to be a problem," Rachel muttered as she sat on the bed next to the window. "She wanted me to make an oath not to use my powers, and in return, she will babysit Sarah until she gets her marbles back."
Elijah nodded, then lit a cigarette."Don't worry about them... we've got bigger fish to fry."
"You mean Emily, right?"
"Yeah, got any idea where she might have gone?"
Rachel shrugged.
"We need to keep our eyes open for any sign of her," Elijah explained as he sat down at the coffee table. "You remember what she said about the ENGINE not having anything to do with what happened back in Corwood?
"Yeah...I also just met a conduit in the elevator who can manipulate gravity."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah... he's chosen as well. Steel mask."
"Is it possible for conduits to have multiple different powers?"
Rachel shrugged. "I don't know."
Elijah exhaled a cloud of smoke and then nodded. "We need to figure that out, and we gotta keep this between us...understand?"
"Goes without saying....what are you thinking, sourpuss?"
"I am thinking we are all being played, or this pilgrimage isn't the same as others, and Emily is the ticket."
"What do you mean?"
Elijah stared out the window, then rubbed his beard. "The way I see it, there are two scenarios," he said as cigarette smoke swirled towards the ceiling fan. "Either the rules are arbitrary, and the ENGINE plays favorites, or there are certain powers that fundamentally break the rules of the pilgrimage."
Rachel's eyes lingered towards the hardwood floor, but she didn't speak.
Elijah put his cigarette out in the ashtray and then looked at Rachel. "I think the rules might not apply to you either."
Rachel looked up with wide eyes. "How would we find out?"
"Don't know that yet...in the meantime, we keep going, business as usual," Elijah said as he stood up. "Tomorrow is Reunion day, so get some rest. This might all change once we get our powers."
Rachel breathed deeply, then bit her lip as Elijah's words lingered in her brain. Her mind drifted back to Mel's diner and Corwood, Tennessee. Her lips parted, but she forced herself to remain silent.
She already knew the rules didnt apply to her, but she couldn't explain how just yet.