Specter

Chapter 40 (Day 3): The Motives Of The Circle

We last read Chapter 39, in which the butler Sylvester visits the Rusted Citadel Memorial Cemetery to pay respects to his former boss, Margo, who was one of the many people valiant enough to die to obtain liberty and freedom for the Citadel and its inhabitants. His prayers, however, are interrupted by the arrival of twins Marcel and Marcelle, siblings who own a tailor's shop in the section of the Rusted Citadel that used to be the high-class district under the Iron Kingpin's rule. However, they're currently wearing comical penguin costumes at the moment because Marcel decided to put on a "Sub-Zero Savings" event at the shop; eventually, even his sister Marcelle begins voicing her disapproval of the costumes. She and Marcel inform Sylvester that King Ryker has called for an emergency meeting at the Obsidian Sanctum and that every member of his court should be in attendance; the butler quickly gets the hint and begins trekking back to the Sanctum while Marcel and Marcelle return to the tailor's shop to switch into better clothes.

This time, King Ryker and every member of his court meet in the Obsidian Sanctum's banquet hall to discuss Specter, Bonnie, T.J., Logan, and Dashie's findings from the ruined house.....

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-Obsidian Sanctum, Rusted Citadel, Asia-

That evening, after dinner, King Ryker regrouped with Specter and the others in the Obsidian Sanctum's debriefing room. Now, almost the entirety of his court was present around the long rectangular table in some way: himself, Specter, T.J., Ollie, Logan, and Dashie. Additionally, Sylvester walked down the entry hallway and took his place at one of the remaining empty seats, with both Marcel and Marcelle—now in regular clothes—close behind him. Lastly, although Doc wasn't physically present, live audio feed of his face was clearly visible on a tablet screen neatly propped up on the table in front of what would've been his "seat" otherwise.

And, of course, the sole newcomer—the only one whom King Ryker hadn't heard of before in any way, shape, or form—was Specter's younger sister Bonnie, who had arrived with both T.J. and Logan a while ago with the Resident's archaic book within their possession.

"Thank you all for coming," King Ryker said to each and every single member of his court once they had settled in. "I'm sure we're all on edge about the recent discoveries involving Imperator Barrows, Rogue, the Shattered Circle, and their ultimate plans for the Citadel. Specter, T.J., Logan, and Dashie have already informed me of everything, and we intend on filling you all in as well. But first....." He warmly gestured to Bonnie, still welcoming her as though she were one of his own even though this was his first evening working with her. "I believe we have someone new joining us.....?"

Bonnie nodded, then slightly slid her chair backwards to give herself enough space to stand up to her full height.....but she was still notably shorter than Specter.

"Hey, everyone," Bonnie greeted, sounding more dire than cheerful given the current circumstances. "Long story short, I'm Bonnie, and I'm Specter's younger sister. I didn't think I'd ever see her again.....even now, a small part of me thinks this is all just some kind of dream. At first, I wanted nothing more than to bring her back home, but she's let me know that the fate of the entire Citadel is at stake, so I'm pretty sure that can wait for a bit."

"I'm sure she's happy to see you again," Ryker commented. "Seeing how well you two get along as siblings makes me long for the relationship I could've had with my own sibling.....if he hadn't turned to evil."

"Of course, Your Majesty," she replied on instinct due to Ryker being the ruler of the island city. "But I don't think there's anything we can do about it now. So.....let's focus on this."