The Seeker | Volume 2

Suddenly everything shrank back, and I was brought back to Dexter's establishment with a slap to the face. When my vision eventually recovered and became less hazy, I was on the floor with all the candles around me glowing a bright red. I wasn't on the floor when I began my divination, but this was strange. 

"You were acting weird so I had no choice but you "wake" you." Dexter said as he backed away and allowed me to sit up. When I looked outside the window dark clouds overhung the sky; and a group of black ravens soured overhead the run down part of the kingdom in a small mob. 

"I didn't see anything of use in my divination. I can pay you extra if you tell me more things." I said as I looked back towards Dexter; who was now sitting on the couch petting his gray cat; which was purring with a soft sense of content. 

"Like what information?" He asked as he looked up from his pet. I paused for a few moments before replying in a solemn voice: "Do you know or are you aware of any other people who had previously engaged or were a part of Ian Vinigrad's group? If you're aware of their whereabouts I'd like to talk to them." 

Dexter suddenly looked out the window and across the street. On the other side of the street there was a long abandoned warehouse with vines creeping up from its stone-bricked gaps. "I do."

...

After feeding Izuku again, Katsuki left his chamber and returned back to his room alone. It was raining outside as usual but the clouds seemed to have lifted up a bit, letting a tiny bit of sunlight pierce the gloomy atmosphere.

His crimson eyes looked outside upon his kingdom for a few moments before leaving the streets and moving back towards the circular rug near his bed. Every day and every night he'd kneel on that rug and pray to the angels who had previously helped him seal Izuku's corrupted influence and even establish the kingdom 500 years ago.

He kneeled on the rug, closed his eyes, and began silently praying, something he was all too familiar with. Every time he did so the same blistering emotions came and went like a breeze. He'd always felt remorse for how he'd felt treating Izuku. He'd also felt anger for his inability to help his friends' condition; and he felt terrible for Izuku's inability to see Hazel; his own daughter. 

A pair of heavy footsteps entered the room as a red haired young man pushed aside his spiky bangs, his crimson eyes filled with a tiny taint of warning and caution upon watching his friend's daily ritual.

"I'm starting to lose hope in him, man. If they haven't responded even after months they either don't care or they've done everything they could. Who knows how powerful the entity inside Izuku is; it could be beyond our comprehension. 

Katsuki's eyes suddenly shot open as he turned to look at Kirishima; a new blistering feeling of rage now rushed over his spirit. "Don't say such things." He growled. Kirishima took a few steps back and sighed softly. "I'm sorry, man," 

...

"A lot of the patrons in Ian's group were members of the historical society. Some were high ranking officials who'd have years of experience with documents, and they'd be able to fulfill all of his demands. While there were merely those looking for work during the week; the mostly unemployed who didn't feel like working in a factory or mill." 

"I'd assume that's why the homeless and impoverished people were here, because Ian was here too, giving them cheap jobs and tasks." I said. "If Ian was looking for the cards he would have had to make an exchange and give the patrons something in return. Do you know anyone and what they wanted back?"

Dexter nodded. "There was a young woman of desired looks. Her name is Sylvie Mulligan. She is a member of the historical society downtown. The only thing she wanted from Ian was one of the cards once he'd gotten a hold of one. The Vitality card."

"That would leave Ian with 36 cards left after the exchange. But due to his mysterious disappearance, I'd surmise that Sylvie is now looking for the deck herself without many clues? Or did Ian know a handful about the cards' whereabouts without needing a divination?"

Dexter suddenly looked back into the living room where my ritual site was still intact. "Your strange reaction in the middle of your divination had me thinking about Ian's current condition. Ian actually did divinations, it explains why he had so many candles and the necessary ingredients within his house."

I pulled out the sun-charm from my pocket, which was swinging idly in my hand. "He didn't have something like that though. If it wasn't for his needs of the cards he would've immediately pursued getting a charm like that."

Dexter suddenly leaned forward and carefully took the charm from my hand, cupping it gently. "I've heard somewhere that having a charm like this amplifies the effects of a divination to up to 30%. Due to the fact that Ian didn't possess any charms like that I'd suppose his divinations weren't entirely accurate." He explained as he rubbed the charm with his thumb. 

"So Ian also did a divination that was supposed to lead him to the location of the cards? Would you mind if I do another one, this time to locate Ian's whereabouts and motives for retrieving the cards?" I asked as I stood up and carefully took the charm back from Dexter.

Dexter nodded and sighed. "It'll cost you a little extra. Ian never charged divination fees if they weren't long. But due to my little buddy here It'll cost you a tiny bit more." 

I nodded silently as I approached the divination circle I'd previously cast. I gripped the sun-charm in my right hand and closed my eyes. In my hand I could feel it begin to pulsate like a heart, a clear indication that the ritual was ready to begin, and my spirituality was extending like an arm.

"Ian and Sylvie's whereabouts..." I repeated in my mind 3 times. I visualized the sun-charm in my mind and extended my left arm forward to grasp the illusory image in my mind from the real world. When I flicked my hand the sun-chaem began spinning quickly. Images and scenes flashed before my eyes briefly. 

One of a woman with chestnut brown hair and a shawl scouring the dark market. Another of a skeleton somewhere I wasn't aware of; somewhere dark and foreboding. "Is that Ian?" I observed the grim scene more carefully, attempting to rip past the layers of spirituality and unravel its features and get a clear view. 

I quickly conjured my spiritual projection up into the throne room, sitting on the throne of the Apocalypse whilst still holding the spiritual projection of the sun-charm. The illusory image of the skeleton continued to play out before my eyes. Maggots and rats were eating away at it, and its bare-bones smile was missing a large number of teeth.

"Maybe this was before his death? Maybe someone stomped his face prior to his death? But I don't know for sure..." I extended my spirituality outwards, attempting to drag the scene towards me like a magnet. Before I could see anything a seal appeared over the image; one I didn't recognize. It was a circle with tentacles wrapping into its center. In the center seemed to be a palm with a mouth of razor sharp teeth right right on it. The seal was glowing a bright green.

"I don't know that symbol..." I observed the symbol more carefully, but after a few moments it disappeared along with the fleeting images it carried. I sat there for a few moments before descending back down into the physical plane. I figured the symbol I saw was connected to both of them. Divinations were not the type to tell you the exact answer unless it was a more moderate problem, so I could unravel its clues and possibly distinguish what the symbol was.

"What did you see?" Dexter asked, now sitting on the couch where he previously was. "I'll show you."

I grabbed a piece of paper I found on the desk and began to draw a symbol I saw with charcoal. The circle, tentacles and the palm with the mouth and teeth. When I showed it to him his eyes widened a little and his brows pricked up. "The Sleepless Foundation?"

"Is that the name of the organization? Why did I see them in my vision then?" I asked, looking back at the branded paper. Dexter took the paper from me and studied it carefully. "Because they were involved in this. A divination's accuracy does fluctuate depending on the presence of the charm, so I'd surmise that they were involved to a certain extent."

"A certain extent? Is there a reason they didn't involve themselves fully?" Dexter nodded after hearing my question. "The Sleepless Foundation was established as a branch of the Underworld Committee near the end of the previous epoch. The organization was created by a powerful Lord of Angels: De-Taylel." He explained.

"A Lord of Angels? Are they still alive today?" I asked in curiosity. Dexter shook his head and sighed. "It's unknown. The last time of his involvement in history was the previous epoch's transcendence war. Otherwise, all secrets and knowledge about him have been purged from history."

"Do you know anything about the Sleepless Foundation though?" Dexter shook his head. "Unfortunately I do not. The only traces of their power were left near the beginning of the current epoch. Apparently scholars surmise they fled into the shadows to hide themselves and the influence of their powerful leader."

"They hid due to angelic influence. Is there someway I could trace this influence and unravel their location? It may seem risky but just because it's a low possibility doesn't mean it's a zero percent chance." I said as I stood up and returned to the center of the room ready to cast another divination. Suddenly, a loud whoosh wisped past my ears; and a silver bullet hit the wall beside me, inches from where I would've stood.