Causality - 7. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

(Sid’s Excerpt from the Book of Fate)

Mysteries are overrated, especially if the mystery involves ghosts, magic, and secrets from your so called “partner”, who doubles as some kind of Taoist Wizard. I feel like some part of me knows what is going on, but I just can’t reach it. I don’t rely on my intuition much as my empathic skills make that a moot point, but there are times, when I make leaps of logic. As Patrick was giving off anxiety and Alex’s words were less than auspicious; a normal conclusion to these expressions would establish this solo journey is dangerous and potentially deadly. However, my intuition tells me it was not as dangerous as what Patrick might be led to believe. On the other hand, while it might seem safer to investigate leads, my intuition is telling me that it is going to be more dangerous for Patrick and me. It’s a paradox of causality and outcomes.

Human perception is divided between the world we physically understand and the world that our experiences create. In psychology, the latter is what intuitive thinking draws its origins from and the former is where deductive reasoning arose. In modern times, the concept of psychic phenomenon is usually scientifically analyzed into the category of intuitive thinking. A skeptic would claim intuition is nothing more than a subconscious analysis of existing experiences to reach a certain conclusion. However, I know better of course with my experiences and understanding of my gifts.

With the tension growing more palpable due to our extended silence after Alex’s departure, I took the initiative and try to start conversation.

“So, where are we going?”

Patrick half whispered our destination; though, I suppose for a ghost, it might just be his normal tone, “Mt. Sinai Hospital, it’s the best place to find sources and gather information.”

I know the teaching hospital very well; I donated to it in my parents name along with many others annually. It’s one of the world’s best medical facilities and one of the oldest hospitals in New York. I was a guest during their ceremony for opening the first geriatric specialty emergency unit. No other hospital in the New York had ever created an emergency unit specially catered towards the elderly, except Mt. Sinai. It seems counterproductive to be heading to a hospital that attempts to save the elderly from natural illness, when we are seeking information about a ritualistic killer that goes after teenagers. Logically, it doesn’t fit, but Taoism as far as I know is usually counterintuitive in terms of balancing extremes.

Supposedly, if you are seeking knowledge of something; you should be aiming for its opposite. For example, if you seek lava, you must go to the top of a snowy mountain. As a student of psychology and rational expectations, I know this way of thinking “usually” does not work. Though, snowy mountain tops can be dormant volcanos on rare occasions, which is counterintuitive and the correct place to look for lava.

As I was driving, I posed more questions to the ghost trying to steer his thoughts away from his boyfriend, “So why are we going to a hospital that is renowned for working with the elderly?”

Patrick responded with his soft ghostly voice, “Due to a comfortable passing, ghosts here are more accommodating, plus we have a few other sources that drop by there from time to time.”

Intrigued, I pressed him, “Oh, like Death gods or something?”

Patrick gave a thoughtful reaction with many layers of complex emotions, “No, we try not to get in the middle of their jobs. Those guys are cool, but humans and death gods aren’t meant to interact until death, so only a few ever have breaks to talk. Alex says it is usually a bad omen if Death has free time to chat. Outside of the obvious, the hospital is a nexus for transition and transformation; human beings don’t all choose to become ghosts, go into reincarnation cycle, or go to “heaven” or “hell”. In every belief system, there’s always a choice to work as a guardian for others.”

Letting those words sink in, I realized what he meant, “You’re talking about Angels, or in Taoist aspect, “Guardian spirits”. So when people die, they have a choice to be…a volunteer social worker, basically?”

Patrick confirmed my guess, “Yes, I suppose you can call them that. They travel around giving help where they can and there are benefits to choosing that path over being a ghost. Though, not everyone is suitable for the task and the dangers are many even in making that choice. Souls aren’t given the option unless they merit it in their life.”

I felt a slight twinge of bitterness, “Is that what happened with you? You didn’t make the cut, but Alex wouldn’t take no for an answer?”

Patrick, surprised by my intuitive leap briskly answered, “Yeah, kind of, but I had not lived long enough to test.”

I could see Patrick was open to telling me everything he knew. But with that one statement he made it clear he would give me nothing related to Alex. He showed his willingness to be a friend, but also his loyalty to his partner. I knew Patrick would be the easier to approach, but I didn’t know he was so straightforward in his expressions.

I admire that in a guy. If he were my boyfriend, I’d move heaven and earth, because truth is something rare in human beings and rarer still in gay guys. Part of it comes from hiding in our little closets for so many years; part of it comes from how we compartmentalize our lives in order to fit in to modern society. Even the most “proud” gay guys hide themselves and their words from everyone including their partner. If given time to fester, this behavior leads to shattered relationships, something I know from personal experience. They aren’t being true to themselves or their desires. In Patrick, I don’t sense this façade of pretense; he is the embodiment of truth.

Of course, I wanted more answers to the questions concerning how the magic works behind Alex and him, but I don’t want to lose a good friend. He’s been more than gracious and helpful; in contrast to Alex’s stern appearance and apathy, based on my inability to read his emotions and my observations. I envy the harmony in their extremes.

I must switch to questions that are more circular to get answers. “Am I going to see other ghosts, angels, and whatever in the hospital? I mean I never saw any before you and I am an empath? I know the Chinese superstition is that you must be really unlucky to see ghosts, so does that mean I am going to get really lucky to see an Angel?”

Patrick glowed with delight at the innuendo for a moment, “hmm…”lucky”…sounds interesting”, a flood of lust came off Patrick for a moment then dispersed into a serious calm, “To answer your question, not really. Ghosts are visible to most people under different stress situations. Perception is influenced by how you feel. Our eyes are trained to perceive things in a certain light spectrum, but they are able to absorb a wider variety of light that is not processed. Luck really has nothing to do with it, but people are usually under more stress when they think they’re unlucky. Didn’t you learn that in psych 101?”

Damn, he’s smart and right about cognitive psychology. However, I was half expecting something about cosmic energy, magical auras, and spiritual senses. The thing he described sounds like a new treatise rather than something mystical. The bizarre reality is that I am learning this stuff from a ghost. Still, he maintained a few degrees of separation from telling me everything. He’s actually smarter than the airhead lust-filled persona he shows off or the gay “mother” routine this morning. My empathic ability cannot pierce Alex’s defenses, but when used on Patrick, it is like staring into a perfectly clear glass. I wonder what he could have been if he were still alive. I know from experience how death robs you of chances.

I had to ask one more question that was forming from my own thoughts, “Patrick, can you tell me about the afterlife? Do you…”

Patrick gave off an odd feeling, partly comforting and partly regretful, “Alex told me about what happened to your parents. If you are asking about what happened to them, I don’t know. The afterlife is not some perfectly connected realm, where knowledge is common and universal. If you are asking if there is pain after death, then I can absolutely tell you, yes. Ghosts might not have physical bodies, but the pain from death is always hanging around our core being. You can’t change how you died or what you were feeling at that moment. Death gods, reapers, or whatever people call them do what they can to teach spirits to let go of those final emotions. However with more violent and sudden deaths, the souls sometimes get completely lost. It is not a divine punishment or some pseudo-religious limbo; it is merely our humanity that keeps us from moving on.”

For some reason, my thoughts focused on the memory of my parents’ death again, but I broke through to something else I had held back for years. For a moment, I felt the fire again. There were so many emotions around me, but fear, loss, and regret were the strongest. As I felt the pain increasing from the fire, a sudden cold and icy hand touched my…balls. I blinked back to reality in time to hit the brakes for the car. Patrick had just groped me again, but I had no time to respond as honks and expletives of angry New York drivers were far more threatening than the ghost next to me.

As my driving stabilized, I responded to the incident, “What just happened? It felt like I was back...”

Before I could finish my words, Patrick comfortingly counseled, “Sid, you were exposed to their final moments and final pain. I can’t tell you it will go away, but if you bury it, you will never be able to accept it. The ghost that entered your body yesterday used those buried memories to paralyze you, like a snake using venom before consuming its prey. We got rid of the ghost and healed your mind, but the old wounds are still very raw. Don’t lose yourself to the past.”

I didn’t want to respond, but I knew he was right. I’m supposed to be the psychological professional here, but I am getting a session from a ghost. The world is a weird place.

(Patrick’s Excerpt from the Book of Fate)

Sid really needs to learn to let go. I thought Buddhism was really big on the concept of living a simpler life without emotions tying you to suffering in the world. However, if he really could do that, then his soul wouldn’t have given up his nice spot in the deva realms to descend back into normal human life cycle. Ugh, I hate how this stuff is so contradictory and paradoxical, but that’s how Asian philosophy works. According to Alex, things might look like Western Kantian circular reasoning on the surface, but in fact, it’s actually eastern “nautilus” reasoning, an evolving cycle of actions that may resemble what came before, but evolves and changes. I trust Alex’s wisdom, but I wonder about his actions.

Alex, why are you doing this? I don’t know the history of Japanese and Chinese secret societies, but recent history is not a good indicator of friendly relations. There’s too much blood between the two cultures for different reasons over the last two thousand years of wars, ideological struggles, and philosophical antagonism. In short, I am worried about my boyfriend; even though I know he believes he has everything under control. That’s his big problem; he bites off more than he can handle himself.

Beyond worrying about Alex, Sid is going to get a taste of something weird at Mt. Sinai. Mentally, the recent possession hasn’t completely been healed, even with his Buddhist deva alter-ego’s assistance; it was too much to hope for a fast cure. There are things at the hospital that will defy logic, defy conventional wisdom, and defy good or evil dynamics. I know he has been there before, but the places we are going are not on any guided tours, listed maps, wings, or even known specialties. As one of the oldest hospitals in New York, it’s really famous. I got an internship at the hospital; I was probably the only freshman to ever score an internship at Mt. Sinai. Of course the job was recording responses of elderly patients for a cognitive disorder study, but it was still a job.

Beyond my personal connection, it is also one of the oldest centers of study in the US by several different secret groups, including the Water Elemental and Wood Elemental groups of the Tao-Ming. I know neither Alex nor I can reveal any stuff to Sid openly, but Sid can learn it through his experiences or from someone else that is not bound by rules. I know how to read in-between my boyfriend’s lines; the benefit of being linked spiritually and romantically. Besides, whatever damage is still within him from either physiological effects of the spiritual possession or a latent psychological issue related to his parents’ death retriggered by the possession, it was best to seek a professional. Alex understands the general aspects of souls and spirits, but he has not devoted himself to that line of knowledge.

As we entered the hospital at the side entrance, a security guard glanced at Sid; then he went about his business. As metal detectors and other normal security arrangements are present, it was a good thing Sid is unarmed. We entered without raising any alarms or creating any noticeable disturbance in normal routine. If there was even a slight disturbance or a flash of Sid’s Federal Agent ID, there would be nothing interesting in this visit. The Tao-Ming, along with every other secret society and group, operate on “normal”. Alex taught me over the years why the secrets, conspiracies, and X–File crap is needed.

While the hospital had several well-known wings, its free chronic care clinic is not as well known. The geriatric emergency room, intensive care, and clinical care get a lot of press; the free care unit is a depressing place, where people are suffering from long term diseases without any major funding or photo-ops. The patients going here have mundane illnesses like diabetes without insurance or adequate means of support.

Sid whispered, “I feel something this way; it’s a strong emotion. It is familiar…”

The direction he was pointing toward was near a group of the hospital’s exam rooms in this wing. Usually, there’s nothing earth shattering here, but late at night, I know other things are happening inside these rooms. I know who he was sensing, but I don’t want Sid to meet her. While I disagree with Alex on hiding things from Sid, she is one person I completely agree with my boyfriend on. What she does is a necessary evil, but it is also far beyond the realm of human conscience. Before I could warn him, Sid was already approaching the door.

I cautiously suggested, “We might not want to deal with her, especially at night.”

Sid turned the knob without hesitation. That’s one part of Sid’s personality I know bugs Alex; he is willing to explore the unknown despite what dangers maybe behind the door. I was the same way, when I was alive, I liked to test my limits and keep challenging them. I understand the need for new frontiers, but I also paid the ultimate price for it.

There were two people in the room, a skinny disheveled Caucasian male with unkempt hair and tattered clothing and an old black woman in doctor’s robes with noticeable gray hairs and lines on her face. She appeared nonthreatening, but I know for a fact this was no ordinary exam and she was no ordinary doctor. Her name is Amunet, Alex told me in Ancient Egyptian it meant “the shadow goddess”.

Amunet paid no attention to us, but her companion writhed in displeasure to see another human being, he angrily blasted, “Hey, this is my stuff; go find your own. I paid for something that will take the edge off before my big guitar solo…Yeah, all I need is just something to get me feeling right and then I’ll be on top.”

Amunet held a syringe in one hand and said with a deep sultry voice, “Don’t worry child, this stuff was made just for people like you, who could not catch a break. You will get a chance to reach your full potential again. In a world that is only offering despair and failure, everyone needs a little help. My price is small for a perfect moment of bliss.”

Amunet is not just a drug dealer; she was the original drug dealer from as far back as 3000 BC. Her drug is a combination of rare plants, roots, and selective genetic material, which allows a user to experience an entire lifetime at their full potential in moments. A depressed homeless street musician, who could not get into a good art school or a band due to bad choices, could live out a “perfect” life, where every choice he made was successful. The bliss she offers to people is real, but it comes with an extreme price.

After they enjoy their moments of peace, they’re life energy is completely drained from them by Amunet and they die. It may sound like an ancient form of euthanasia, but Amunet is not doing this out of a desire to bring peace to the misery of human existence. Without their life energy, Amunet and others would be compelled to kill indiscriminately for energy. The proper way to think of this is ethical butchery to maintain order.

Life energy is the most valuable commodity in the world. Ghosts and other beings require life energy to remain on this plane of existence. The Tao-Ming and others require life energy as the basis of advanced technologies and techniques. Amunet is a dealer and user of this energy and a seller to spirits, creatures, and human beings, who require it.

Alex told me that without people like her, the old monster and horror stories you remember as a kid of people being consumed by evil creatures would not be relegated to fairy tales. Whether it comes from the Chinese Dark Tales, the Indian Sutras, Zoroastrian glyphs, or even the comparably benign Grimm’s Fairy Tales, history has been recording a common theme for thousands of years. A few thousand homeless, dejected, and unwanted souls per year have allowed relative peace to exist for several thousand years. Modern sensitivity would call this a barbaric practice, but modern civilization believes mankind is at the top of the food chain with our advanced technologies and knowledge. When you learn what Alex and others like him know, human pride in defining morality and concepts are completely absurd.

I didn’t feel right about it either, but after all the years tracking rogue ghosts, demons, and human beings, who took life energy randomly from any person that crossed their paths; I’ve come around to Alex’s thinking. One of the Tao-Ming’s principle missions is “to maintain order without enforcing order”.

Amunet began to change, her skin grew darker and her age lines were pulsing veins of blood. Her eyes changed to an unnatural yellow and, as she opened her mouth, her retractable teeth appeared. While the Ancient Egyptians and Nubians worshipped her as a goddess, modern people would call her a Vampire. She glanced over at Sid with a look of desire, but fell upon the old man like a lioness on an antelope. However, she was not draining his blood like the cliché; instead, a blue hued aura flowed from his body toward her. As the life energy drained, his body began to rapidly age and degrade until there was nothing left, except a shriveled shell of meat and bones.

Sid grew uneasy at the sight of her draining the man’s essence; he whispered sheepishly, “She wants me, too. I can feel it. There’s something cold and primal about what she’s doing. We have to do something, call Alex or get that security guard back.”

I knew better on both counts, “She’s only doing what comes naturally to her. Alex knows this about beings like her. Also, the body will disappear long before the guard gets here. Just leave her alone, dude. As I was trying to tell you, we shouldn’t be here. This is her job and her livelihood.”

Sid shook his head in disagreement, “She just drugged and killed that guy. How many other people is she going to kill? Someone has to stop her, here and now. A person’s life is more important than any kind of job or natural order.”

Sid doesn’t get it; do you stop a spider from eating a fly, a hawk from eating a mouse, or a whale from eating hundreds of fish? Nature is not about right and wrong of individuals; there is system of existence, where death creates life and life creates death. Jeez, Sid, you got to get off your soapbox and watch the life sucking vampire in front of you.

Amunet turned her attention towards us, “No, child, you should not have come tonight at the start of the lunar cycle, it’s the “Time of the Shemu”. Patrick, a ghost is always a welcomed customer and friend to me, but you know what my kind does to anyone with a pulse that comes uninvited into our midst. I can’t allow him to leave here without being turned.”

Damn, why didn’t Alex tell me the full moon is also the synchronizing point for vampires? During the day, Amunet would be a great help as she is not involved in any of the politics of the Tao-Ming, but during certain nights, I would avoid her if I still had a real body. Being turned into a vampire isn’t just fun sparkle effects or moody immortality depression like Twilight or an Ann Rice novel. From what Alex told me, they suffer physical pain every moment they live. The physical pain is created by their slow and steadily decaying bodies that can only be partially offset by an infusion of life energy. However, every infusion of energy gives relief at shortening intervals from 1 year of life energy giving1 year of relief to 1 year of life energy giving only6.12 days of relief after 1200 years.

Sid sternly rebuked Amunet, “I do not want to be one of you. Just kill me if that’s the only choice. I don’t want to live a lie or become a murderer.”

Amunet grimaced at Sid out of curiosity, “Why a liar? Was what he felt not happiness? Can you promise him the same kind of joy in life?”

I turned to Sid, who showed no signs of fear at the situation, “No, because you offered him a lie. I saw a glimpse of the life you gave him; it was pleasurable, but there was no joy. He might not live to fulfill all his dreams or desires, but so what, he would have continued the attempts. True happiness is made by experiences, not fantasies that lead to death; even though we all die, our actual experiences impact the world long after we are gone.”

Trying to calm Sid down and get us out of this situation, I floated to Sid to whisper, “Dude, she’s a vampire, who has been doing this for almost 5000 years. We caught her in the middle of a meal and I doubt what you said made her any less pissed”, then I echoed over to Amunet, “Sorry Ms. Am, we didn’t mean to come in. We were just trying to find a guardian or someone to help us figure a case out. Sid’s an empath and he doesn’t know when to shut up, please forgive him.”

Amunet’s grimace faded, “I see...give my apologies to Alex for what will be done! I cannot allow him to leave here alive or dead.”

Without warning, Amunet grabbed Sid and threw him to the ground, Sid screamed, “Help me, Patrick!”

I was about to jump in, until Alex telepathically screamed to me “Let her taste him…”

(Alex’s Excerpt from the Book of Fate)

Patrick, you got to let her taste Sid’s life energy. I know it sounds very stupid, but if the Book of Fate is right, she will help him, because she owes him a debt from his past life. She wouldn’t help him or us, if we asked this openly with what we know. In fact, I can bet even money she or someone she knows is helping the murderer.

The murders were not done by a vampire, but life energy transference and brokering is her business. She would know who is trying to acquire such unique energy and for what purpose, but she would never tell me due to the neutrality agreement between the Tao-Ming and her group. Even though, there is always a chance the Book of Fate is wrong, because at its most fundamental level, it is a probabilistic model for the future. The chances and benefits from success outweigh the potential cost to Sid and us.

In reality, you guys have an easy mission with two probable outcomes: success or failure. A simple binary outcome may be more dangerous, but your outcomes are certain. When dealing with other secret groups with either advanced knowledge or technology, you are fighting against an infinite amount of possibilities and outcomes. There is no preparation.

The Japanese Shinto groups are difficult due to what they know; they know how to evade most probabilistic outcomes from the Book of Fate. Basically, they hide themselves from entering history as direct participants, unless you know what you are looking for. Rules of engagement with them is based on counter-intuition; stuff that will screw with your head if you ever think about it too much., The fatal flaw with their strategy is their reliance on the art of deception; they know how to create imaginative illusions, but you must accept it to be fact. While it may seem peculiar, the Tao-Ming holds a great respect for certain Japanese concepts as they understand the illusion of reality.

Thinking back, our relationship to Shinto-based clans is complicated by history and events. Prince Shotoku, the regent of Japan during the 7^th century CE, wrote a series of texts hidden histories in his commentaries describing the nature of statecraft and Japanese strategy. I have read them all and understand their context based on the Book of Fate; during that era, the Tao-Ming in coalition with our Buddhist allies helped the Soga clan of Japan defeat the Shinto based Mononobe clan, reducing the influence of traditional Shinto clans and creating a peaceful Buddhist aspect in Japanese culture. The Mononobe clan was an offshoot of Qin Dynasty’s Tao-Ming exiles and local Japanese clans that took them in. In Japanese, “Mononobe” means weapons’ creator. The legendary Japanese histories were not fictional; they had technology that could destroy large areas of land and advanced flight.

While most mainstream Japanese historians believed the Mononobe clan was exterminated as a power bloc after the Battle of Shigisan, the truth was that a core element of their order remained. They could no longer fight Tao-Ming head to head after the battle for nearly a thousand years, but they flourished and developed their traditions and techniques. In their traditions, homosexuality was something far less taboo than it was in western cultures. While people imagine conservative war hawks to be bible thumpers and regressive individuals in the west, conservative traditionalists of this clan were technologically progressive and socially open to same sex relationships among males. However, their view of female sexuality was far less open, due to long held concept of misogyny.

Throughout history, they have sought vengeance against the Tao-Ming, who became their only major obstacle to dominance. From Toyotomi Hideyoshi with the late 16^th century invasions to Hideki Tojo during World War II, an endless pattern of war has existed, whenever elements of this group seize power in Japan. They usually masquerade themselves as ultra-conservative nationalists, who want to bring glory and prowess back to the state. However, their ultimate desire has been one of conquest. The Tao-Ming is not a united organization across all five elemental groups, but we have learned to be cautious of old foes.

As I headed down the street to my appointed destination, I could tell there was something not quite right with the air. There was something off about the low lying fog that felt heavier than usual. This could possibly be a ploy to release some kind of psychotropic agent into my body to reduce my resistance or it could merely be an additional amount of oxygen being pumped into the area from an atmospheric device. My guess is the latter, rather than the former, because they would only use drugs if they intend to kill me and dispose of my body along with other innocent bystanders. Bringing attention by having mass deaths would not be their style. If they merely want to unsettle me, a slightly higher concentration of oxygen is undetectable and would fade into the background of New York’s polluted air supply.

Anything is possible with these guys, so I must keep my cool as I enter this seemingly simple restaurant.

A greeter was at the front desk. She was wearing a traditional light pink geisha outfit with matching wooden clogs. I took a good look at her: a painted face of white and rouge with age lines, short stature approximately 5 foot 2 inches in height, a set of false eye lashes with almond shaped eyes, and a hair piece with too many hairs stacked on top. Yes, she was not a real geisha, but possibly a Vietnamese or southeast Asian woman. She caught sight of my entrance and gave me a gentle bow and smile.

I spoke to her politely: “I am here to seek a table for foxes and dragons.”

Her expression did not change as she responded, “Yes, I will guide you to our private room.”

We walked into a room that looked like a coat room, but there was a sliding door at the end of the racks, revealing a staircase. It was rudimentary, with a single door at the top, leading to a most unusual room. The ceiling, walls, and floor were composed of electronic panels displaying a 3D underwater scene. There was a simple stone table with four stone chairs that were only noticeable in the contrasting light from the doorway. The faux-geisha guided me to a seat and poured a cup of tea. Then, she went back to the doorway and left me alone. The black surface of the door was consumed by the underwater landscape. Without the contrasting light from the door, there was no discernable exit or even edges to this aquatic illusion. The sounds of rushing water, ripples from fish and larger sea creatures, and the occasional distant cry of a whale could be heard. As I waited for my hosts, I felt a nauseous sensation overtaking me, I know this is all an illusion, but I felt as if the air pressure was changing and the room was actually moving. My guess is this room is a circular rotating 3D room like the Toronto tower, but in addition, also has the ability to adjust air pressure and air quality to simulate an underwater experience. Coupled with increasing oxygen levels earlier, they are trying to manipulate my stress and mental defense levels. This is how waterboarding and interrogation should be done to maximize efficiency. If these guys were not bent on world domination, they could be working for Sea World’s new attractions.

I meditated for what seemed like hours, though through my connection with the Book of Fate, I knew only 47 minutes had passed. Then, a voice called out to me, “Hello Keeper”.

I opened my eyes to see 3 others had joined me in the room and taken their seats. They were all dressed in suits that covered their entire body, revealing no features except two eyes. While ninja outfits came to mind, these were not merely dark full body suits; they were techno-camouflaged. In essence, if I did not see their eyes, I would not have known they were in the room with me. Very clever, they could have been here the entire time or have just arrived suddenly without my notice; again, they are attempting to throw off my perception.

I replied dryly, “I thank you for the view and accommodations. I assume we are here to discuss the investigations both our groups have undertaken.”

The same voice from before spoke, but I did not notice any mouth or facial movement from individuals seated, “We would prefer you desist in this investigation and all spirit assets you have commissioned be removed. Also, we know you have approached Amunet. We have been maintaining surveillance of your partners.”

Mutual distrust and mutual observation is a hallmark of an advanced civilization; spycraft has been around long before the CIA, KGB; or the eponymous James Bond motif. The average American and even European citizens believe the world is a noble place, where secrets and privacy can be held on a pedestal. However advanced technology like the Book of Fate is a reminder that privacy is an illusion of mankind. The Shinto clan is merely levelling the battlefield by producing actionable intelligence as I had done with a simple review of my book.

“As I am aware that the flash grenade was provided by someone within your group from the unique light waveforms,” I smiled and shook my head. “Well, I am not sure if we can come to terms, but perhaps we can exchange answers and questions. For I have the full support of Amunet and her people in my investigation, I doubt she would willingly support you considering what I know.”

The same voice responded, “No, we do not need answers from the shadow goddess; we already know the entire truth of these murders and what their purpose is.”

I knew they would be ahead of us and bluffed with Amunet’s support, but I have to push back even harder and play to their vanity, “Oh, I had no idea you knew so much; I had hoped you were merely investigating this case rather than being accomplices in whatever ritual is being conducted. As you know, the Tao-Ming and Illuminati have agreed to a mutual defensive condition, if your group ever attempts any acts of aggression on such scale.”

Silence was held for a few moments, which I guess was done to assess my threat of bringing in a third power into this investigation. I don’t doubt groups such as the Illuminati would have sent someone else to investigate this issue as well, but my threat added a prior agreement that could spell open conflict. Also, I was probing them for information; I was not certain whether they knew the masterminds behind these rituals or not.

The voice replied, “We are not responsible for these deaths, but an old foe is about to rejuvenate itself. This foe is known to you as well and I would guess neither the Tao-Ming nor Illuminati want to deal with it, as you know how powerful its influence has been on both of your groups in the past. Unlike your groups, we seek to actively destroy all potential threats rather than compromise or establish lasting relations.”

Only one active creature is powerful and influential enough to fit this bill, “You are after the Jiǔwěihú or to you the Kyūbi. She is going through her thousand year regeneration cycle right now. Yet, why are you immune to her ability to influence hearts and minds? Surely, we have more to gain by working together to end this threat.”

The voice emphatically exclaimed, “Our clan is not merely of the Mononobe blood, we are descendants of Emperor Konoe and Tamamo-no-Mae, Kyubi herself. Our bloodline makes it our mission to eliminate her.”

I knew their lineage, but that does not offer them anymore protection than anyone else. This need to kill her was nothing more than an old feud between them and their ancestor; partly from anger and partly from envy. In nature, the animal species of Vulpes, or the fox, are socially based around dominance and conflict; they fight amongst each other to prove their strength. The stronger the fox, the more power and resources it possesses. When the Tao-Ming originally created the Nine Tailed Demon Fox, they blended an exceptionally dominant fox with a human being. All her descendants carry the same desire for dominance and power.

Based on what they have said, I see no more need to continue “If we cannot come together in common cause, then I shall depart…”

The same voice adamantly countered, “You shall neither continue the quest, nor leave this place. If you truly seek to aid us, then give us knowledge of powerful weapons, techniques for tracking her, or the support of your agents among the spirits.”

They are in no position to demand anything, so they must be holding a trump card “Why should I do such a favor for you? I doubt you can hold me for long.”

The voice replied simply, “Open your eyes”

With that, I was not in the room anymore. I was back in my old childhood house with Patrick wrapped around me physically. He was no longer a ghost, just the boy I fell in love with. I could smell his stupid banana shampoo and sesame oil tainted breath from the cheap Asian market snacks.

I know this is an illusion of reality, but the feeling of his warm body and hard cock pressing against my stomach was something I missed. My gun is near me and I know what it symbolizes for my mental defenses. To end this illusion, I must give up my deepest desires and shatter my own dreams.

As I picked up the gun, the “fake” Patrick awoke, “Can we snuggle a little more?”

For a moment, I hesitated as I felt longing; can I enjoy this illusion for a while longer?