Kaden stood in front of a shelf filled with what seemed like an endless stack of books, which was almost funny because right in front of him was a cart filled with a dozen more. His job was to restack the books on the shelf and make sure they were in alphabetical order, which he hated to do on a normal day. But today, his mind was clouded, clouded with the story he had heard from Jeena. The story about the crimson stone, about vampires and such, which was strange because he usually moved on from the stories Jeena told, always ready for the next one.
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He never believed such a story could be real, but Jeena's eyes—so serious, so full of sadness—filled him with curiosity.
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While doing his job, he found himself taking a few glances at the crimson necklace that hung around Jeena's neck. He didn't know why, but he wanted to know more about it for it wasn't every day that one would see a supposedly world-ending artifact?
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"A power that doesn't belong in human hands," he thought. "That's what she called it."
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"You seem distracted," Jeena said as she walked toward him. She stood beside him and began grabbing books from the cart and placing them on the shelf, not saying a word a she waited for Kadens answer.
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"Distracted, me?" Kaden said with a smile. "I don't know the meaning of the word," he added, unwilling to share his thoughts with her.
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"Oh, of course you don't," Jeena laughed.
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Kaden smirked, loving to see Jeena's smile. But as he looked at her, he found his gaze drifting downward to the crimson necklace that gleamed in the light.
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"You said that this little necklace has been passed down in your family, right?" he said, returning to his work.
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Jeena looked at him, her face confused at first. "Yes, that's right," she said with a smile. "It wasn't always a necklace, but whatever form it took, it was always in the hands of my family," she said, looking down at her jewelry that she grabbed ahold of with her fingers.
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"You also said it had the power to destroy the world?" Kaden asked again.
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"Indeed I did," Jeena said, once again returning to the task of organizing the books. "Glad, you were listening."
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Kaden smirked, "Then I guess that makes you the most powerful person in the world, doesn't it?" Kaden asked with a small laugh.
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Jeena halted in her task, thinking hard about what he had just said.
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"No, I wouldn't say that," Jeena simply said as she looked straight ahead at the book shelf.
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"Why not?" Kaden asked, curious. "A world-ending power—shouldn't that make you number one?" he asked.
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"Power, especially strong power, usually comes with a big sacrifice," Jeena said, her tone serious. She looked at him, no longer smiling. "Don't be so quick to seek out power, Kaden. You won't always like where it leads." She said.
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Jeena got up and began to walk away, seemingly ready to end the conversation between her and Kaden.
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Kaden stood up and looked at Jeena as she continued to walk away. "Is power really such a bad thing?" he asked clenching his fists together. "Is it really such a curse?"
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Jeena stopped walking and looked back at Kaden, her smile returning, but the look in her eyes seemed to be pity. Quickly, that look disappeared and Jeena began to laugh out loud.
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"Come on, Kaden!" she yelled between laughs. "You know it's only a story." She continued, "Honestly, this is the first time I think you've ever taken one of my stories so seriously."
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"Um..." Kaden said, his cheeks becoming bright red with embarrassment. "I'm not taking it seriously," he said defensively. "I'm just a little bit curious about your family history." He looked away. "After all, I believe this is the first time you've ever talked about your family."
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Jeena sat down in her chair behind the front counter. She turned and faced Kaden as she crossed her legs. "Well, honestly," she said, resting her face in the palm of her right hand. "There's not much to say, really. My family and I don't get along very well," she explained. "So I guess it's a good thing we don't see each other very often, huh?" She laughed.
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"I guess..." Kaden said in a low voice, seeing how bothered Jeena was about the topic. "Well, uh... who needs them? After all, you've got me," Kaden said with pride as he fist-bumped his chest.
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Jeena looked at Kaden, surprise etched on her face. Soon, she began to laugh. "Indeed I do," she said.
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Kaden felt a warmth spread through him at her words. He watched as Jeena leaned back in her chair, her laughter dying down but a genuine smile remaining on her face. For a moment, the weight of the story and the world outside seemed to lift, replaced by a comforting sense of comfort.
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"So," Kaden said, trying to lighten the mood further, "any new stories up your sleeve, or do I have to wait until tomorrow?"
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Jeena chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure I can come up with something to entertain you," she said, her eyes twinkling. "But for now, let's finish organizing these books. They won't shelve themselves."
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Kaden nodded, feeling more at ease.
***
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The hours of the day moved forward until the sun began to set, and day turned to night. It was in this newfound darkness that they stood perched on top of a building, looking down at the storefront labeled "Backward History."
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"Is this the place?" one of the shadowy figures asked, his face hidden completely in the darkness.
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"Yeah, it matches the description perfectly," the other shadowy figure replied.
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"Do you really think we'll find it here? Find her?"
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"Who knows? We're here anyway, so we might as well check it out and eliminate anyone that gets in our way."
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The two figures exchanged a nod before silently descending the fire escape, their movements smooth and silent as they disappeared into the darkness surrounding the alleyways that led to the small bookstore.
***
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Author notes: Please support my work on Patreon for early access to new chapters. https://patreon.com/DarkMatteromniverse
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