The Torn Weft ~ COMPLET

The possessed of the park

The advantage of the organisation's vans was their ability to travel differently. No traffic jams, no speed limits... the vans had, for the most part, the ability to weave in and out of the veil while remaining on the human side. In this way, they passed through other vehicles without ever hitting them... it was like being ghosts. But even if they had no speed limit, they were still restricted in the time of transport since it was not teleportation. Teleportation was possible but required a lot of energy and preparation. Similarly, the car would return to 'normal' near places of worship or other spiritually protected areas. There were referenced and approved places where the Between world and the human world merged, for it was not to be believed but the two worlds were close. All the tales of ghosts, werewolves and vampires had a basis in reality. The coexistence of the two worlds had always existed. Populations migrated, but the junction points were monitored, and the immigrants controlled... but sometimes, intentionally or not, the Weft tore itself apart and let through those it should not. It was possible for a human to get lost in the Between world, but much rarer, as humans were unaware of the truth of the veil and what it hid, it was considered merely scary stories and those who were confronted with it either disappeared and never reappeared or were picked up by a team of Cerberus. Depending on the time spent or the seriousness of the matter, the human would be taken in charge by the organisation and 'cured'.

The headquarters of this branch of the Gates organization was located in the Bronx neighborhood of West farms. It was a new facility, but it was necessary because it was on one of the Great Rips. The Great Rip of West Farms was notorious for allowing the intrusion of many creatures and creating a climate of poverty and delinquency. Since they had moved in and the rift had been repaired, the neighbourhood had calmed down and found a new lease on life. Their building was a stone's throw from the Bronx Zoo and the river. It adjoined an old church and faced an old veteran's cemetery and, with clinics and other hospitals nearby, was a central location for the protection of the Between world.

They took the underground entrance to the car park to reach the new building, topped with solar panels. The magic barrier recognised their lifeblood and let them through. The entire building was dedicated to the organisation with accommodation and offices. There was an entire floor devoted to a library of occult books, another to the laboratory, and others that served as a museum and repository for more or less dangerous objects. There were roof gardens and a small greenhouse where medical herbs and other more harmful ingredients were mixed harmoniously, there were physical training rooms, shooting rooms, places of worship as well as a protected basement where magic and other spells were practised.... everything was done so that the organisation could, in case of need, be totally autonomous. A part of the Torn Weft was left open to allow them to enter the Between world if necessary and this room was secured with numerous spells and other prayers.

It had been two years since Gwen had joined the organisation and lived here, but he still hadn't seen everything. He liked the red brick building at the base and the modern materials above, the contrast between old and new perfectly summed up his vision of his current life in the world. He got out of the car with the two big leather bags without really caring about the others. His mind was already focused on the manuscripts. He didn't even see Misery reach for a bag and went straight to the lift. When the door closed on him, Misery looked at him and sighed. Tragedy patted him on the shoulder.

— Being in love with an ignorant kid, big deal... cheer up brother!

Misery clasped Tragedy's hand on his shoulder as he looked at Mutulu, then at his brother—in—arms. Their relationship, both of them, was even more complex than the one he did not have with Gwen. Agony stepped forward, pulling the witch by her silver chain.

— You are too much in your head, my sweet, too much. You are dogs, I am a she—wolf. I know what I want and what I don't want. Come on, come over here, Zia. I'll put you back in your cage. You've done well.