Spirit

The Beginning of the End

"Listen to me!"

"Listen to me now."

"You have powers beyond what you can imagine!"

"You have powers beyond what you can imagine!"

"You-"

"-can-"

"-release-"

"-all the spirits. Release them to the human world." A calm voice narrated through my ears, although its owner was unknown.

I could barely open my eyes to identify the person talking to me. Everything was blurry and spinning. Not a great combination.

I couldn't feel my arms, nor hands, nor feet. I tried with great effort moving any of my limbs, but as soon as I did, I heard the rattling of chains.

"Dangling off the air isn't a real comfort, isn't it?" The voice said again. "So was finding you, Luke." The man came into focus, and I stared into the face of the man I used to make fun of, the man who I thought, until now, was an innocent man trying to help some crazy people.  The face belonged to-

"Paul..." I croaked.

He chuckled. "I was scared you would've caught me way before that, Luke. No so smart, turned out."

I gave him the finger through my chained hands.

He chuckled again, a small laugh I used to think it was filled with warmth. Turns out it was just... what was it?

"What-" I started.

"Oh, yes of course, you want explanaition. You have powers I want. The so-called Dragon told your mother way before about the profecy. Of course, your mother couldn't hide it from us. After all, she was one of the greatest agents here in "Hakem"-"

"No-" I whispered.

"Yes," he whispered back. "Both your parents were in "Hakem", they too wanted a world where Casters would not have to hide. But your mother felt that she needed that power to herself, that selfish bitch. She was good, but selfish.  She wanted you for herself."

"Fuck- off-" I tried to form a confidence I didn't have.

"No cursing, Luke. She bothered me to go and look for both of you, I killed her, and lost you. Waste."

He gazed at the wall, as if regretting and reliving that memory.

"That's when things got wrong. I couldn't find you. All those others worthless pieces of shit couldn't find you. Until, my own daughter, Leena, found you. Said her spirit talked to her, or some shit, as well as her 'friends', told her you were in the hospital. I quickly impersonated the manager of the hospital, an old doctor I luckily worked for. I killed him after I told everybody else he gave me his post and went for a retirement.

"Then I had to listen to my daughter. See who they got into the hospital, make sure you would hang out with them so I would make sure you would get introduced to the Caster's world. Alicia went in the way, I finished her off-"

"Alice-"

"What?" He asked absently. "Oh yes Alice, well she's dead." He looked at me then laughed, a freakish laugh that almost seemed unhuman.

"Then, you know the story. You went to Chinatown, learned about your real power, we attac-"

I stopped listening. "Learned about your real power."? He had been fooled. By his own daughter. Leena obviously hadn't told him yet about the parchment. Or was she going too? Too much was going on my mind I didn't pay attention to Paul's question.