"I'll let you decide"
Altair gave Soul a somewhat judgemental look as if he already knew the answer to his question when his lips curled up in a satisfied grin
Soul his glaze never leaving that of the grey haired man infront of him marely shallowed,a cold uneasy sweat coming down the side of his face because he shallowed hard before answering
The next day
It was a hot morning,the sound of birds chirping filled the clear sky and Soul and Altair sat in a bakery Soul had a bewildered look as he watched the older Altair running around like a child ordering baked goods and other sweets
Altair with a victorious look on his face sat down across Soul handing him a vanilla sponge cake with powder sugar on top
"Here try this it's great and it as a lemon filling"Altair said with a grin on his face
Soul raising an eyebrow took a bite and then wiped the remaining powder sugar from his lip then stared at Altair with a seemingly blank and sleepy expression
"What are we doing here?"Soul as slurred before yawning
Altair smiling sheepishly with a nervous chuckles lowered his glasses slightly then looked at soul expressionless face and his somewhat cold state
"Your not the social type aren't you and we here because I have to explain to you what happens next"Altair mumbled
he paused and took a large bite of his sponge cake eyeing Soul before continuing
"guess this makes it easier,we erased you from all public records and faked your funeral now you just case number 44 and as such are now under the HCS watch list as a low ranking anomaly,"
Soul gave Altair a confused look,he wasn't a very social person correct but that didn't mean they had to erase his nonexistent social life just because of some late night incident and the casual tone in which Altair had said it all was infuriating
Overwhelmed by his sudden uncontrollable desire to sleep and the information he was gave he broke into a nervous smile
'what exactly is all this some sick joke'
"Uh...what exactly is an anomaly Altair and why the hell did you need to erase my social life like I'm some kind of serial killer"Soul shouted with a nearly broken voice then gave Altair a stern look
Altair raising his hands in surrounder marely made a goofy expression with his tongue sticking out before looking around to see if Soul outburst didn't draw attention
"Will before you throw a tantrum like a child, anomalies are things that don't follow the rules of reality and choose calamity and suffering anywhere they can and the HCS is a secret society created with the sole purpose to contain such threats"Altair said with a serious voice his smirk and goofy expression replace momentarily with a look of pride
Soul eyed widening with the implications of this,his entire world as he knows it is now gone and now his involved with a cult like society his thoughts drafted the paranormal obsessed Mimi who's probably still shaken by the result events
'I just she wasn't as crazy as I thought'
"So you see we basically the blizzare police and we can't have any of loose ends or it will make the public think it's then end of the world or something, while we on the topic the artifact you ate was especially nasty"he casually said while ordering more baked goods this time however to go
Soul confusion only increased as they both existed the bakery into a armed flying truck
Altair opened the back door and gestured for Soul to enter which Soul reluctantly did
With the loud thud of it's metal door and the locking from the outside, Altair entered in the passenger seat and throw Soul a book wrapped with leather with markings on it's worn brown cover
"Here something to read on the way"Altair said while putting the driver's shoulder with a wide grin
"Where are you thinking me now?"Soul muttered before furrowing and looking at the book,his face filled with dread as he looks for answers from Altair
Altair with a smile marely gave him as dismissive wave before facing the road ahead
Wrestling with the uncontrollable desire to sleep and Altair remarks,the journey felt like an eternity but it was only a three hour drive
They reached the West outskirts of the camp and the Hovervan stop and lowed itself with a loud thud
The sound of the doors opening made the half awake Soul close his eyes due to the sudden change in brightness
Altair with a wide mischievous grin told Soul to follow and as Soul walked out his eyes widened as masked man with rifled aim at him stood guard all across a massive fortress wall
Soul looked at the surrounding environment and didn't see a single sign of life besides from that armed man and Altair casual demeanor,the sky was as grey as the walls of the fortress and the send beneath his feet
He was accompanied into the fortress were more man stood guard.Soul was beginning to think he was some kind of criminal then remembered what Altair said about his execution
was this the reason why even though here masked faces he can feel the malice and fear coming from them
his thoughts were quickly shattered by the rough, gritty voice of a very large man who seemed to be the commander or leader of the place
The man wearing deep green uniform with golden starts on his broad shoulders and a massive scar on his brown skinned cheek and a flat top hat covering his grey hair
His voice was as commanding as it was intimidating and Soul knew messing with him would bring unfortunate consequences
Altair on the other hand marely walked towards the commander and patted his shoulder and then gave him his signature grin
"General.....oh I mean commander Iron great to see your still as brooding as always"Altair quipped before pointing at Soul coursing the guards to tension up
Commander Iron marely starring at the gray haired young man then gestured for the guards to lower their weapons and then walked with them inside the fortress
Once inside,a massive Steel door slammed shut and bright light ignited revealing an almost futuristic containment facility made almost completely out of white marble and with people in white coats buzzing around a stark contrast to the Ruin worn and battle hardened look of the fortress exterior
Soul looking around saw the emblem of a chained Crow and his eyes narrowed in recognition from that book Altair had gave him
The fortress he was in is one of the H.C.S organisation containment and study facility Crow's lock and was named such due to its role during a great war that happened five thousand years again and the artifact it now houses,he could be more impressed with this historical landmark but he was still fighting sleep
Altair Keepin a watchful eye on him sighed as he looked at the commander
"His fading fast let's get him to the containment room"Altair said his voice leas casual and more serious Before grabbing Soul hand and the commander Shoulder and then in a flash of light teleports them into cryopod room were one was left open specifically for Soul
Altair wasting no time putting him into the pod and closing it gave Soul a worried look
"The artifact he consumed was number 26 aka calamita tortum was a special grade ananomly and it seems he as not fully digested it thus he will go though a trail."the commander said with a almost cold robotic voice pausing only for Altair to process in information as he looked down at the tablet in his hands
"We will assign a suitable agent to eliminate him if he fails the trail and that display of power from you Altair wasn't needed, I'll be sure to add that in my report "added the commander before giving Soul a dispassionate stare then stepping out of the room leaving Altair and the barely conscious Soul
Soul to tried to worry was only able to hear half of what was said but he looked at Altair in hopes he'll properly explain but Altair worried and unsure look sent shivers down his spine and he had a disheartened expression
"Listen kid,the finger you ate once belonged to a four armed mad God who once terrorised the Western continent and was worshipped as a tyrant by a cult following who in his death cut his fingers from his hands and whatever your about to experience isn't real thus don't trust anything or anyone "hissed Altair each word carrying the seriousness of the situation
Soul drifting closer and closer to sleep began to brink repeatly Altair words becoming more distorted and distant as he continued explaining but one thing was edged in his into his mind survive before he full into a deep dreamless sleep
After what seemed to be days he opened his eyes with a buzzing in his eyes he couldn't believe what he was seeing