After some more conversation that led nowhere, they all went back to their respective houses. Jack refused to call them homes.
When Sky began to walk into their room, Jack called out to them.
They turned around, looking confused.
"I have something to show you," he explained. "Something strange."
Sky must have seen the stress in his eyes, as they turned to follow him without question.
He led them into his room, closing the door behind him so Dane wouldn't see. It's not that he didn't trust Dane, he seemed like a good guy, but Dane was not fully in control.
He took out the children's book he'd found at the library. It looked like it was made by a child, with scribbles and poor drawings.
"What is it?" Sky asked, looking at the book. They examined it from all sides, attempting to see what made the book so important.
"I found it in the library," Jack said. "It just phased into existence."
That made Sky step away from it slightly.
Sky wanted nothing to do with this.
The fuck did Jack mean, phased into existence?
This whole town was messed up. Sky couldn't wait to get out. Not even a month ago, they were living life normally. Now, they were dealing with mend bending abilities and magic fuckery.
And don't even get them started on Jack's reaction. He must be as dumb as he looks if he thinks they are going to mess with that book.
He can investigate the mysteries book of magic all he wants.
Sky was seriously debating just walking out of the town again. Last time they tried that, they ended up back in the house after taking a step outside of the town.
They used to have some faith in the government, but the Ministry just left them to die!
"What do you mean by phased into existence?" Sky asked Jack, hoping for a better explanation.
"It just, phased in," he explained. "It flickered into existence like it was fighting to get in."
It was fighting to get in. If this book was sentient, they were unequivocally fucked.
Jack saw Sky grow silent. They looked to be deep in thought, perhaps pondering the implications of such a book.
Jack was stumped on what to do. Hopefully Sky came up with an idea. He knew they were unable to say much unless in character, but they seemed to have a good head on their shoulders.
He sometimes had some trouble discerning the real Sky. He'd assume things about them based off fake memories. He kept reminding himself he'd only known them for a short while and his impression of them is inaccurate.
He had the same issue with Dane and Isolde. He barely knew them, but he had memories that spanned a lifetime. He 'knew' that Dane's favorite food was cake, but it was probably not true. He didn't have that issue with Elliot, as he'd known him before all this.
And Annie. It was as if he had to fight his subconscious to even remember her existence. He knew they needed to save her, but he found himself forgetting that.
"Maybe we give this as a birthday present," Jack suggested. "There's something in my mind telling me that this would make a great present."
But he didn't know if that thought was his or not. It could be the influence of the town or even the book. But this might be the key.
After all, something that could fight against the town to appear before him had to be useful somehow.
He'd been reading the book front and back. From what he could decipher, it talked about the imprisonment of The Little One. It seemed The Big Ones betrayed them in favor of power. Was it mythology of the god, perhaps?
If it was, it wasn't one he'd heard before. Why would the gods abandon the truth? The truth is the most important thing in the world; without it nothing matters.
"You could," Sky said thoughtfully. They appeared to be holding back something. Maybe it was something they physically couldn't say.
Did that mean Jack was on the right track? Or was Sky just as clueless as he was?
The next day came far too soon. He dressed up in his suit and red tie, still as wrinkled as always.
He, Sky, and Dane walked together to the church. Along the way, more and mor people joined them. By the time they arrived, it felt like the entire town was walking with them.
Elliot was in the lead of the group, pushing open the church doors.
The church was one that worshipped The Matron of Last Embrace. Not many people in Yudror worshipped The Matron, as death wasn't something many wanted to think about when a war could break out at any time. It was often overlooked that The Matron was also the god of love, and not just death.
The Matron of Last Embrace was far more popular in third-world countries, where they often held superstitious beliefs regarding death.
It was strange to have a town in Yudror with only a single church. Even in a small town like the one Elliot lived in there were two, Church of the Shepards Light and Church of the Tidal Shorn.
The church was decorated very warmly. It made Jack feel comfortable, unlike the more utilitarian design of the Tidal Shorn church his parents would drag him to every Wednesday.
The church had rounded corners and brighter colors. Entering felt like a warm hug. He could see why the church gained such popularity outside of Yudror. It was gaining traction in the more urban parts of Yudror as well, though Jack had only visited such metropolis' a few times a year.
"Welcome!" a voice sounded from inside. "It's wonderful to see the whole town here!"
Jack looked around and saw Mr. Danvers standing on a stage at the other end of the room. The room itself was well-lit, container cushioned seating and long pews that looked akin to couches.
"Presents for Eddie can go over there!" he pointed to the right side of the room. A large round table sat where he pointed.
"The birthday boy will be here in about thirty minutes!" he announced. "Until then, feel free to mingle with your neighbors!"
Jack looked around for familiar faces. He saw Albert clinging to Isolde's leg. Isolde was trying to coax him into playing with the other children.
A bit further away was Elliot and his family. Jimmy, Elliot's fake little brother, was looking around for friends. He soon located Al, his face lighting up as he ran towards Al and Isolde.
Elliot appeared to be happily chatting with some girl. His false memories told him it was Shirley; a girl Elliot had liked in high school. They currently had a will-they-won't-they relationship where neither had enough courage to say how they felt.
It would have been cute if it was real. Instead it disgusted Jack. All these memories and emotions were messing with his head. He felt violated and affirmed his desire to destroy whoever was behind this.
Dane was currently attempting to flirt with a few girls Jack had seen walking around town. From the looks of it, Dane was failing in a spectacular fashion.
Jack wondered if he was truly as hapless as this town made him seem. Was Dane actually a Casanova being suppressed by a malevolent entity?
As he thought this, Dane attempted to flex, showcasing his scars. Unfortunately for him, his arm hit a rather large man who quickly shoved Dane to the ground. The girls laughed and began to walk away while Dane was lying on the ground in defeat.
Jack really hoped Dane wasn't that bad at flirting in the real world.
Sky was currently walking around, talking with everyone and acting like a social butterfly. This was the plan they'd come up with. Sky would talk to everyone and try to get a read on them, while Jack stood by and watched everyone from the side.
He soon saw Daniel, a stranger he remembered as a friend.
Daniel was walking around with his clunky camera snapping photos, the flash going off in their faces.
Jack just continued taking stock of the situation, watching everyone in the sprawling room.
Suddenly, he heard Mr. Danvers yell over the crowd.
"Eddie will soon arrive!" he said enthusiastically, his face breaking out into a wide grin. "But first I must make an announcement!"
The crowd was dead silent, unwilling to speak.
"I must thank you all for the sacrifices you have made. Without you, this town would never have had the chance to become so great."
He walked over to a door, slowly opening it.
"Your presence has done wonders! Eddie and I couldn't have done this without you."
He fully opened the door, allowing Eddie to walk in. The child had no expression and didn't say a single word. His movement was slightly jerky as he followed his father onto the stage.
"We have all gathered here to celebrate Eddie's seventh birthday. But it is more than just a birthday. It is a celebration of life."
He picked up a drink glass off the table next to him on stage, downing the whole thing in one go.
"And what is life without the gifts of others?"