Chapter 87: Curiosity.
『"They don’t pay me enough for this shit." — The Book』
"A hundred!" Raj exclaimed. "How’s that even possible?"
The Book hovered near the fireplace, unusually still now. Its pages no longer fluttered playfully. "First," it said softly, "you should understand something very important."
Something in the Book’s tone made the room go quiet. "The Apostles," the Book continued, "operate on an entirely different level from the rest of you."
Hiro slumped onto a sofa. "Cool. Way to rub it in."
"What you encountered in Tokyo were not ordinary Vessel Awakeners," the Book said. "Especially not the one you call the Collector."
Amara’s eyes narrowed. "So those were all really Spirit Weapons."
The Book tilted toward her approvingly. "Hard to believe, I know." It drifted slowly through the center of the room. "A Vessel is only meant to manifest one Spirit Weapon."
"So does he have one or a hundred?!" Raj asked with growing confusion in his voice as he scratched his head.
"Ugh. He has one Spirit Weapon," the Book said, irritated. "The others belonged to people unfortunate enough to meet him."
"Okay, now I’m confused. You just said—" Raj frowned. "Then how the hell does that guy have, like... a hundred?"
The atmosphere in the room had changed completely from the Book’s growing impatience. "You all call him the Collector," the Book said slowly. "That should already answer part of it."
"In hindsight, the name, and the way he spoke? Not subtle at all," Amara said. "But you’re really telling me this guy collects Spirit Weapons like Pokémon cards?"
"He doesn’t collect weapons per se," the Book corrected softly. "He collects ownership."
"If that’s the case, what happens to Awakeners whose Weapons get their ownership ’reassigned’?" Hiro asked, making air quotes.
"Do I need to spell it out for you?" the Book said, and the expression on everyone’s face indicated the answer to that question became apparent.
Sophia stared at the floor for a long moment before finally speaking. "If they’re so powerful..." she said quietly, "...then why didn’t they just end us?"
The room stilled again and the Book turned toward her slowly. "Why indeed. That’s the million dollar question isn’t it?" The Book drifted lazily upward. "But I suspect that’s not the question you four want answered."
Immediately, Amara’s expression changed and the Book noticed.
"You’re interested in knowing about the other one." The Book’s cover creaked softly. "About the silent Apostle."
The room went quiet. And so the Book told them. Not every detail. Not every moment. But just enough for them to understand.
Elizabeth Hayes. Jonathan Trevor. A teenage Awakening that ended in blood and guilt. A child surrendered to state care.
Years later, another husband. Another death. Another child. Ethan.
The story unfolded piece by piece, summarized carefully through the Book’s voice while the room listened in horrified silence. By the time it finished, nobody looked remotely okay.
Hiro’s hands came up to cover his face and Amara knees felt weak as she fell on the sofa, right next to him.
Raj just stared blankly. And Sophia... Sophia looked like she understood something terrible about guilt now.
After a moment of processing, Amara spoke first. "...does Ethan know?"
The Book rotated toward her. "Yes," it replied softly. "He’s learning it right now. Same as you."
Amara closed her eyes briefly.
"Shit," Hiro muttered quietly.
"Poor Ethan," Raj said, his eyes going distant afterwards. Suddenly, he looked up sharply. "Wait." His brow furrowing harder. "Hold on. How did the Apostles even find Ethan’s big bro?"
The Book became very still and the room seemed to darken around it. "What do I look like? A plot device for answers?"
Amara’s eyes narrowed. "What are you not telling us?"
The Book did not respond immediately. Then softly, almost thoughtfully, it said, "the leader of the Apostles recruited Michael because they recognized what his Spirit Weapon would eventually become... something capable of opposing the Shield."
Silence crashed into the room and everyone adjusted their posture immediately.
"Wait." Raj stared. "You can know somebody’s Spirit Weapon before they Awaken?" he asked the question which was on everyone’s mind.
And for the first time since appearing, the Book seemed hesitant. Then its cover creaked slowly into what somehow resembled amusement.
"Let’s just say," it murmured, "their leader has ways of knowing things."
"You think Ethan’s gonna be okay?" Sophia asked.
The question hung in the air longer than expected.
Amara realized immediately that Sophia wasn’t just asking about Ethan. She was asking for herself as well.
The Book, however, sounded utterly uninterested. "What do I care?" it replied simply and vanished with a soft pop, leaving them alone with information that felt heavy.
"His brother," Hiro said into the silence. "Ethan’s brother is a freaking Apostle. Trained specifically to counter Bastion. And now they’re on a collision course that fate itself designed!"
"Dude," Raj said, leaning against a wall.
"Duuuude," Hiro replied.
In that moment, the door to the Relaxation Center slid open and Ethan walked in. He looked pale and exhausted. Like something inside him had been hollowed out.
"Buddy!" Raj straightened. Across the room, everyone tensed up a bit.
Ethan’s eyes moved to each of them, studying their faces, and immediately understood. "You know," he said quietly.
Amara didn’t insult him by pretending otherwise. "...yeah."
For a second, Ethan just stood there. Then he sighed. "The Book."
"Yeah," Amara confirmed quietly.
Ethan nodded once like part of him had already expected it. Then he moved into the room carefully, as if his body might fall apart if he wasn’t conscious of every movement.
"I have a brother, Michael Trevor" he said. "And he just may have something to do with my mother’s death..." He sighed.
Amara tapped the free space on the sofa beside her and Ethan took a seat.
Meanwhile, Raj looked like he wanted to say something but couldn’t figure out what. So Sophia spoke first instead, her voice surprisingly calm.
"You don’t know if it’s true," she said quietly.
Ethan looked at her.
"The Book manipulates. Twists things." Sophia swallowed once. "So don’t beat yourself..." she paused, looking at Amara now. "...over something you can’t be really certain of."
Ethan stared at her for a long moment. Then gave a tired nod. "That’s..." he exhaled shakily. "Did not expect to hear that from you."
"Well don’t get used to it." Sophia looked away. "And for what it’s worth," she said quietly, "I think your mother would be proud of who you became. Despite everything. Maybe even because of it."
"Thanks, Soph," Ethan said as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
At the same time, a tiny sound escaped Hiro before he quickly disguised it as a cough and Sophia glanced at him briefly. Not angry this time.
Her eyes shifted toward the untouched pie still sitting nearby, staring at it for several quiet seconds. "...you said that was cherry?" she asked finally.
Hiro blinked once, then immediately sat upright. "Yeah." He stood up, grabbed the plate and quickly slid next to her. "Your favorite if I’m not mistaken."
She took the plate and took a bite. "Pie is good. But next time you offer a peace offering, I’d prefer anything with meat in it."
Hiro stared at her for a second, then smiled. "Noted."
He leaned back, pointing at the pie. "Also, I think I know a thing or two about grilling. Watched, like, twelve hours of grilling videos. I know what reverse searing is, Sophia."
Back on the couch, Ethan finally exhaled shakily and sank deeper into the couch beside Amara. And for a while, nobody spoke.
Then Amara shifted a tad, making room beside her now that Hiro was gone. Without needing to say anything aloud, she tapped on her lap.
Ethan looked at her once and understood immediately. He adjusted himself on the sofa until the back of his head rested against her lap.
Amara’s expression softened almost instantly as her fingers slid gently through his hair in slow, careful motions.
"You’re allowed to have been loved, Ethan," she said softly as she kept stroking his hair. "Michael not having those things doesn’t mean you didn’t deserve them."
Ethan stared up at her. But before he could respond, Raj was walking towards the table with trays containing bag of chips and cold cans of beers and sodas.
"So... today’s been a real shit show." He carefully set down the trays. "You guys interested in movie night?"
"Movies and food?" Sophia stood up slowly. "Count me in."
Hiro’s face lit up. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." Sophia managed a weak smile.
"That’s the spirit," Raj said, already reaching for the remote.
They began planning, arguing over movie choices, debating food orders, slowly transforming from traumatized soldiers back into something resembling young adults.
***
[Somewhere in the Apostle Compound]
Michael Trevor stood alone inside the massive training hall, his Spirit Weapon rested across his hands. A greatsword.
Except, calling it a sword felt insufficient somehow.
The weapon looked enormous. Far too large for any normal person to wield, the kind of blade that should have required both hands and all of someone’s strength to lift.
Yet Michael carried it effortlessly as he swung once.
"You’re thinking about him again." The Collector’s voice came from the shadows.
"I’m thinking about the Convergence," Michael replied calmly without turning around. "Fifteen days."
The Collector stepped into the light with his a lazy posture. "The leader wants you there." A small grin spread across his face. "Probably thinks you’ll meet him there."
Michael’s grip around the sword tightened.
"Are you ready for that conversation?" the Collector asked.
For several seconds, only silence answered. Then Michael swung the greatsword again. And where the blade passed, the air itself seemed to lose conviction.
"I’ve been ready for nineteen years," he said quietly.
Finally, he turned. And his eyes—Ethan’s eyes, Elizabeth’s eyes—held absolutely no warmth at all.
"The real question," Michael said softly, "is whether he’s ready for me."