Rathcliffe looked around the dark room as his eyes darted around, trying to find… something.
"Uhmm? Mr Rathcliffe, where are we?"
Rathcliffe, who didn't seem to focus on Abel, suddenly fixed his gaze on him.
"I thought you knew. This was where we had your curative therapy back at the hospital"
Abel's head felt light. Then a quick pounding followed after. It felt like a hammer was slammed on it.
"My dreams. This is just a dream"
"Yes. And a very special one" Rathcliffe said as he squatted down. A sofa magically appeared just under him for him to sit.
Suddenly, the dark room lit. The darkness shuffled away like a deck of cards as it began to take the shape of Abel's current room.
A chair moved on its own behind Abel. Rathcliffe gestured at it and said "Sit"
Abel took a seat and looked around, it looked as if he was in his room.
"Let's get to the nitty gritty. I haven't properly introduced myself now that you're sane. The names Josephus Rathcliffe, current Captain of the Hidden Walkers Belmont Diocese under the gracious love and care of the Goddess of Shadow Mihira"
Abel squinted as he tried to figure out what all he said.
"It's a mouthful, but just know that I'm in charge here. Now, how is it that I am in your head and you're still lucid Mr Abel Michaelson?" Rathcliffe didn't let Abel speak.
"I don't know" was Abel's answer.
Rathcliffe placed his hand on his jaw and hummed.
"Well, it's better this way. You have any questions?"
Abel did have questions, a lot of them.
"Firstly, I'm very confused how you're in my dreams right now"
"Don't be, I've been here a lot. I think our don't have much memory of what happened during the last month right?" Rathcliffe replied as he crossed his legs.
Abel shook his head in the negative.
Rathcliffe then took a piece of paper that seemed to appear out of thin air and began to read from it aloud.
"Good! Abel Michaelson, born May 23rd 1623 to Mr Roberts and Miranda Michaelson.
Both his parents died in a train accident ten ten years later.
On the 5th of July 1648, Mr Abel Michaelson lost his sister and only sibling, Sheila Michaelson, who died at her school to what is referred to as the great Fire of Belmont." After saying this, Rathcliffe looked at Abel, who seemed uncomfortable on his seat.
"I hope I didn't strike a nerve?" He asked with a smug look on his face.
"Well, I can't say you didn't"
Rathcliffe nodded and continued
"On August 10th, Mr Abel went on the streets and with a lunatic cry declared that the fire was caused by a second Sun mysteriously appearing in the sky. This incident continued for a whole week, until Mr Abel was told to stop. His reaction was to retaliate with acts of violence, causing the injury of a random citizen who will not be named in this report." This time, Rathcliffe lifted a brow and turned his gaze towards Abel, who shifted his face away, his head red with embarrassment.
"There's no need to panic. Not everyone would believe what they didn't see. You're special Mr Abel. An unsullied human was able to see what experts like us need spirit vision to comprehend. Well done!"
"Thank You"
"Now to answer your question. I am what they call a Transcendent. My aspect is the ability of dreams" Rathcliffe said, snapping his fingers and causing a cigarette to appear from nothingness into his open fingers. He snapped his other hand, creating a flame that he used to light it.
"What is a Transcendent?" Abel asked curiously.
"Super humans that use magic and borrow power from the higher realms. That should be a good enough answer now"
Abel opened his mouth and nodded.
"Then, that day. What I saw…"
"Don't continue speaking if you don't want to go mad again" Rathcliffe cut him off with a hand wave.
"Why?"
"Didn't Raphael tell you? Knowledge is power, but too much power is poison. There are things in this world that, until you reach a certain point of strength, you could die just from knowing about it"
Just as Abel was to ask another question, Rathcliffe stood from the chair abruptly and said
"Ahh will you look at that. It's almost wake up time. We'll talk later when we have time"
Then with a snap, Abel's dream room broke up like a soap bubble.
DRRRRRRINNNG!!!
The next thing Abel knew, he was in his room, laying on his desk with a pile of books just beside him.
His eyes fluttered as he looked up at the alarm clock ringing just a few centimeters away. It was 5:30am.
It was time to wake up…
***
"Ahh Captain it isn't fair. You promised" the cry of a girl resounded in the hall. Abel walked out from his room, having had his breakfast that was wheeled in by a maid at about 7am.
He walked into the hallway, only to hear a familiar voice whimpering.
"I'm sorry May, but something came up that we urgently need to take care of.
"That's unfair. It's exactly what you said last time"
"And what happened after the last time?"
"Humph!!!"
Abel walked downstairs to see May sulking whilst looking at the captain with a puffed up face.
She gave Rathcliffe a kick and walked away, mumbling something under her breath.
Rathcliffe turned to Abel who had just arrived and gestured to him.
"Martha, why don't Raphael and Abel go out on this one?"
Abel jolted as he looked at Rathcliffe with a questioning gaze.
"What did you expect? You want to know more about what happened on July 5th, you'll have to work for it" Rathcliffe said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Just then, a yawn came from the couch just by the lobby. Raphael sat up from it, looking tired and weary. His blonde hair tied to a ponytail was scattered in a messy bed head and his white shirt was opened, revealing his muscled chest.
"Work Cap'n, what is it this time?" He muttered as he grabbed a cold cup of tea that lay just on the small table before him.
"It's a missing child case, suspected to be kidnapping" Rathcliffe said as he waved a file in his hand. Then he turned to Abel and added
"This would be Abel's first case as an intern Hidden Walker. Let him learn the ropes as quickly as possible"
Raphael shrugged and bounced off the chair. He walked to his room to get changed, whilst Abel walked up to the Captain who had sat down to have a cup of what seemed to be strong dark coffee.
"Captain, can't the police handle this? At least it should be in their jurisdiction"
Rathcliffe lifted a brow as he took a deep sip of his coffee, then he answered
"This case is suspected to have Heretical elements involved. Fifteen kidnappings in the span of a month, all of them are children not older than twelve. That's what we call a pattern kid, a supernatural pattern"
Abel shut his mouth as he adjusted his waist coat and tie he was now wearing. He'd thought he would be doing office work, so he dressed formally.
Who knew on his first day in the job, he'd be thrown into the field.
A few minutes later, Abel was dressed in a street leather jacket and ragged trousers with a pair of worn shoes. On his head was brown coppola that had seen the test of time.
Abel could make a guess why he was dressed like this. As an officer, he knew about dressing incognito.
"Uh! Should I get changed?"
Raphael smiled brightly before he walked to Abel and tapped him in his shoulder.
"Don't bother mate, you'll blend in perfectly"
Then he led Abel to a cupboard just next to the receptionist desk.
He pulled a book back, and a clank followed. The wardrobe suddenly swiveled, revealing its back filled with various types of guns and other smaller arms.
Raphael grabbed a revolver and a cartridge of twelve bullets, which he handed to Abel.
"Strap up, you'll need it. In case"
Abel understood immediately and grabbed a holster which he wore under his waist coat.
Holding the weapon took him back to his days in the police force. The weight of responsibility that followed the weapon in his hands pressured him slightly, but he shook it off.
Raphael instead took a dual pair of serrated dirks with inscriptions and a small bag of throwing knives.
"Interesting choice" Abel commented.
"I'm a man of simple tastes. Plus with my fighting style, I'm more suited for these" he replied, weighing the knives and then tossing them into the air before catching them again.
Raphael turned to the captain who waved them away. Then he turned to May, who seemed to be engrossed in fidgeting with her nails.
"Hey, any words for us May?" Raphael asked calmly.
"Urgh! Just go, it's a piece of cake anyway…"
Raphael's face brightened now. He turned to Abel to signal them to leave.
"Oh, and new guy, Mr Abel… just keep your head down out there"
Everyone in the room froze. Then it returned to normal.
"O…k!" Abel replied, unsure of what she meant.
Soon, they both were going through the hallway that led to the elevator.
"Captain" the Nun Martha spoke up.
"Are you sure about letting Abel out so early?"
Rathcliffe took another sip and smiled back at her.
"Don't worry, he's a former officer of the law. As long as he plays his cards right, he won't be in too much danger"
Then he pulled a cigar out of his pocket and lit it. Taking a drag, he added…
"Plus Raphael is with him"