Suspicion of Ohio

The plush suite of their Las Vegas hotel offered a stark contrast to the chaos of the lobby below. Leo was pacing by the panoramic window, phone still in hand, while Anastacia sat on a sofa, Mei curled up quietly beside her, seemingly asleep. Rho, in her default stationary mode, analyzing something.

"So, an invisible entity committed the murder?" Anastacia tried to connect the dots of Leo's previous revelations. "Maybe it's another supernatural organization. Perhaps they silenced one of their members for unknown reason?"

Leo stopped pacing, turning from the window. "That's certainly a possibility. A very plausible one." He ran a hand through his hair. "However, Rho has been working on this. She's just finished analyzing the victim's profile and cross-referencing it with recent data. And she's connected this to a string of other unexplained deaths that have occurred recently, all across the United States."

Anastacia sat up straighter, her interest piqued. "All across the US? What is it?"

"Regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity," Leo continued, his voice grave, "they all share one bizarre similarity." He paused for dramatic effect. "Every single one of them is from Ohio."

Anastacia tilted her head. "Ohio?"

"Yeah. Ohio," Leo confirmed. "The data doesn't lie. It's too specific to be a coincidence."

"Do you think another incident will occur soon then, perhaps related to this 'Ohio' connection?" Anastacia asked, her gaze distant as she considered the implications.

"I'm not sure," Leo admitted, shrugging. "The pattern isn't clear enough yet. But it's certainly worth noting. And speaking of strange global occurrences, The High Priestess also mentioned something curious recently. A bunch of spies from various countries are playing close attention to a remote town in Russia for some unknown reason. She thinks it might also be something supernatural developing there."

He walked over to a small table, pouring himself a glass of water. "So, until we have more information, I think it's prudent for us to stay away from both of those locations. Ohio and that remote Russian town."

Anastacia nodded. "Got it. Consider them on the 'avoid' list. Also, changing topics slightly, are you absolutely sure we should awaken Mei at Lau – The Sun's place? Isn't she a bit too young to suddenly be trusted with magic? It's a big step." Her gaze softened as she looked at the sleeping Mei.

Leo took a sip of water. "The world is getting a bit more chaotic, Anastacia. You've seen it. And as The Sun's ancient books had clearly stated, the younger they adapt to spiritual energy, the better they'll be at it. It's not about 'trust,' it's about giving her the tools to survive and thrive in what's becoming a very unpredictable reality." He then brightened, a new idea sparking. "We should also hop by Tower's place while we're there. I heard that the Fragment of Babel can enhance the abilities of others to learn languages incredibly quickly. We could drastically speed up Mei's general education with that."

Anastacia considered it, then a slight concern entered her eyes. "What if it also gives her the ability to understand animals too? Like, actually understand their barks and meows? Wouldn't that be absolutely terrible?"

Leo paused. "I don't think it could do that."

 _____________________________________________

"Sir," the agent began, his voice tight with suppressed urgency, "the Hell Gate is acting up again."

CIA Director Thompson's gaze sharpened, a muscle twitching in his jaw. "Again? That's the second time this month. Do we have anything that can wipe this thing out once and for all? Ohio too for all I care. I'm tired of these containment breaches."

"We do, sir, theoretically," the agent replied, hesitating slightly. "But..."

"But what? Spit it out, Agent," Thompson snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"We have a giant space laser, sir. Code-named Hyperion. It's in orbit, and it has the capabilities of destroying reality-warping anomalies in addition to, well, wiping out a few countries of its population if necessary. But..."

Thompson's eyes widened, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing his otherwise impassive face. "We have a giant space laser?! Why in God's name aren't we using it then? Why is this the first I'm hearing of it?"

"It has only been used once, sir," the agent explained, his voice quickening. "To destroy something... around the now Bermuda Triangle. And... "

"Stop stalling! Just tell me already!" Thompson roared, slamming a fist lightly on the desk. "Get to the point!"

"We lost the activation password for it, sir," the Agent blurted out.

Thompson stared, a beat of silence hanging in the air. "What did you just say?"

"Our department," the agent clarified, wringing his hands, "we lost the activation password to activate Hyperion. No one currently in the department remembers it. It was... it was extremely secretive, even within our own ranks."

Thompson leaned back in his chair. "Lost the password... Right. Is there any clue about what the password might have been? Anything at all? If not, can we at least recreate another weapon with similar capabilities to solve the issues?"

The agent shook his head slowly. "The password was last definitively known by former President John F. Kennedy. After his... unfortunate demise, the knowledge seemingly vanished." He paused, then continued, "As for recreating a weapon with similar capabilities... it may not be impossible in theory, but it would be exceedingly difficult. Hyperion's core is the Lance of Longinus that we secretly acquired during the Second World War. Removing the relic itself from Hyperion's current configuration would be considered far too complex and risky a task for us to attempt with our current resources and expertise."

"The Lance of Longinus?" Thompson murmured, leaning back, the sheer absurdity of the situation almost making him chuckle. "What if we find another holy relic? Would you be able to create another Hyperion with it?"

"I'm afraid not, sir," the agent replied, his voice laced with regret. "We don't understand how it fully works in the first place, at least not from anyone who's alive."

Thompson was flabbergasted. "You mean to tell me we have a weapon of that magnitude, powered by a literal legendary artifact, and we have absolutely no idea how to replicate it or even properly use the one we do have? This is beyond incompetent!"

"We concur, sir," the agent shrug.

"So, what's the workaround?" Thompson demanded, pushing past his exasperation. "We can't just keep the Hell Gate around forever. It's not a tourist attraction."

The agent hesitated, then offered the only solution he had. "We can only wait until the head of our department returns to resolve this incident permanently. They possess the knowledge and capabilities to handle such anomalies."

"And where is this 'head of department'?" Thompson asked.

"We can't reach them as of this moment." The agent admitted.

Thompson let out a long, frustrated sigh, running a hand over his tired face. "Great. Just great."

 ____________________________________

Deep within a secluded, ancient forest, a castle loomed, its stone walls now looking strangely pristine, hints of recent renovation gleaming in the faint sunlight. As Leo, Anastacia, and Mei approached the slightly ajar castle door, a figure emerged from the shadows of the entrance.

"I've been expecting you," a man's voice stated, deep and resonant. He was cloaked in a flowing black robe that obscured his face, but the familiar cadence of his voice was unmistakable. It was clearly Laurance, The Sun.

Anastacia raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her tone. "Laurance, what are you wearing? Trying out a new aesthetic?"

Laurance pushed back his hood slightly, revealing his usual smile. "Not impressed? It's a robe I had custom-made for occasions precisely like this. Do you want one? I have extras, in various sizes."

"Maybe later," Leo chuckled.

"Well, I shouldn't be keeping you waiting," Laurance gestured grandly with a robed arm. "Come on in, marvel at its renovation. I've been quite busy."

They stepped inside, and their eyes widened. The castle's interior was no longer the dusty, ancient ruin they remembered. It was now magnificently decorated with high-quality, antique-styled furniture, rich tapestries depicting celestial maps and arcane symbols, and strategically placed magical artifacts that hummed with a subtle energy. The centerpiece of the main hall was a grand, round table made of polished granite. Twenty-two custom-made chair surrounded it, each had a unique symbol representing one of the Major Arcana carved into its backrest.

"Love the place, Laurance," Leo said, his gaze sweeping over the impressive details. "This is quite the upgrade. Will this be our new official meeting spot in the future?"

"Yeah, I'm quite proud of it," Laurance affirmed, a genuine warmth in his voice. "Much more fitting for our discussions than Emperor's mansion, don't you think?"

Anastacia gestured towards a corner of the room where several oddly shaped items sat on pedestals. "I noticed some strange items over there. They seem incredibly dense with spiritual energy. Are those... new acquisitions?"

"Ah, I'm glad you noticed them," Laurance's smile widened. "Those were some other items hidden in another secret room, buried even deeper within my ancestor's first secret room. I haven't fully deciphered what all of them do yet. But check out this chest!"

Laurance glided over to a beautifully carved wooden chest and opened it. Inside, nestled on a velvet cushion, was a pool of glowing, iridescent liquid, swirling with soft colors.

"Whatever you put into it," Laurance explained, carefully dipping a small toy into the liquid, which reemerge as a small rock, "it transmutes it into either a gem or a rock. I think it depends on the memories or significance it holds to the person who used the chest. Not only that, but the resulting gem also has some supernatural abilities imbued into them, based on those memories. Fascinating, isn't it?"

He then moved to another stand, revealing a polished mirror. "And check out this mirror too. It can remotely view anything the user desires, the ultimate espionage tool. If only I can get it to consistently work without spontaneously showing me someone's breakfast."

Leo, however, cut Laurance short, glancing at the quietly dozing Mei. "Laurance, we would absolutely love to chat about all your amazing discoveries, but we're here to get Mei to unlock her spiritual energy. She's getting sleepy, and we have a long trip ahead."

Laurance peered at Mei, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "It's unlike you to adopt someone out of nowhere, Leo, but I commend the decision. Very well, let's head to the basement. That's where the real magic happens."

They descended a winding stone staircase. The basement was dimly lit by a cool blue light emanating from several torches fixed to the walls. "Cool lighting, isn't it?" Laurance remarked, gesturing around. "These are a special type of magical touch. They will never burn out naturally."

He ushered Mei gently towards the center of the large, intricately carved magic circle that dominated the basement floor. He then handed her a Roman Dodecahedron. "Hold this, Mei."

"Also," Laurance added, turning to Leo and Anastacia, "I discovered that my ancestor actually built this entire castle on a powerful leyline hotspot. That's why we can awakened our spiritual energy so easily when we first arrived here. It's a nexus of spiritual energy. And more than that, I believe we can also connect to the Other Side of the World through this location. I'm just not entirely sure how."

Leo knelt infront Mei, his voice soft uttered a message in Chinese. "Remember what I told you, Mei. Clear your mind, focus on the rhythm, and try to feel the energy around you." Mei nodded, her small brow furrowed in concentration, clutching the dodecahedron.

After around ten minutes of quiet focus, a subtle shimmer began to form around Mei. A very faint, almost imperceptible aura manifested, a delicate ring of metallic silver light that pulsed gently around her small form.

"There we go," Laurance said, a satisfied smile on his face. "Congratulations, Mei."

Anastacia stepped forward, a relieved smile gracing her lips. "Thanks for everything, Laurance. We really appreciate this."

"No problem at all," Laurance replied. "And I read your message about Ohio. That's definitely suspicious. I tried to scry on it, and I discovered some kind of turbulent when I focus on that region."

Anastacia nodded, a thoughtful frown on her face. "I wonder what truly is happening in Ohio..."