The night had grown late, and exhaustion weighed heavily on him after the intense skill use and unexpected encounter. He needed to return home to rest and process everything he had learned. Tomorrow would require careful planning and potentially difficult decisions.
As Marcus directed his wheelchair toward the factory exit, his thoughts returned to Devin and the possibility of a human contract. If the Wraith's information about cycles and patterns was accurate, forming such a bond might have greater significance than he had initially realized. It might connect him to those previous Contract-bearers—to a legacy he hadn't known existed.
The journey back to his apartment was uneventful, the city's late-night emptiness allowing him to travel unobserved. By the time he reached his building, mental and emotional exhaustion had nearly overwhelmed him. He barely managed to prepare for bed before sleep claimed him.
Throughout his journey back, constant questions ran through his mind: Was vengeance still his purpose? Or had something larger begun to take shape—something that transcended his personal loss and connected to forces beyond his understanding?
His dreams were troubled that night. Fragmented visions of burning coal eyes, of golden contract threads spanning centuries, of Mrs. Abernathy's face transforming into that of a medieval woman tied to a stake. It was quite a bizarre dream.
The next day would bring no easy answers, but it would bring decisions that could not be delayed. About Voss's offer. About Devin's potential. About whether to continue his solitary path of vengeance or acknowledge that he might be part of something far more complex than he had imagined.
The Vitality Wraith, his nemesis and the last entity he wanted advice from, had called his ignorance a threat to stability. Tomorrow, he would begin addressing that ignorance, one way or another.
…
Morning arrived with newfound clarity. Marcus felt fully refreshed, the mental strain already gone. Yesterday, the Wraith's revelations had shaken his worldview, challenging the singular focus of his vengeance with uncomfortable possibilities. If what the creature claimed was true, about cycles of power, about previous Contract-bearers, about his own family's knowledge of his "mark", then his path had implications far beyond personal revenge.
With a contemplative look, Marcus lay in bed, watching dust motes dance in the sunlight streaming through his window. The system interface hovered at the edge of his awareness, ready to expand at his command, but he left it minimized for now. Some thoughts required old-fashioned human contemplation.
The Vitality Wraith had known things it shouldn't have; it knew details about his family, about the accident, about his Contract skill's mechanics. It had spoken of patterns and cycles, of worlds beyond Terra, of powers older than human civilization hidden beneath society. Most disturbingly, it had suggested that his vengeance was shortsighted, that it was a distraction from larger forces he was unwittingly part of.
Was it manipulating him? Almost certainly. But to what end? If it truly saw him as a threat, why engage in conversation rather than attack? If it merely sought to confuse him, why provide specific, potentially verifiable information like the black crystal beneath the Authority headquarters?
His communication device chimed with an incoming message, interrupting his thoughts. It was from Devin:
"Morning. Just checking in after yesterday. Everything okay?"
Marcus hesitated before responding. His relationship with Devin had evolved rapidly from professional to personal, and now he faced the decision of whether to formalize that connection through a contract. The system had flagged their high compatibility, and Devin himself had expressed willingness to help "more directly" with Marcus's plans.
But the system's warning about human contracts creating "permanent bonds that cannot be severed without significant trauma" gave him pause. Was he prepared for such a commitment? Did he fully understand what it would mean for both of them?
He typed a simple reply:
"I'm fine. Considering your offer. Need to discuss in person. Available today?"
Devin's response came quickly:
"Off duty until 4. Can come by whenever."
"Noon."
Marcus replied, then set the device aside.
He had four hours to decide about Devin and about Voss's offer to join the Spectral Response Division. Both decisions would shape his path forward, potentially closing some doors while opening others.
Marcus expanded the system interface, ready to begin his day with a comprehensive assessment of his resources.
[USER STATUS: MARCUS THORNE]
[ORIGIN SKILL: LORD OF CONTRACTS (LEVEL 1)]
[CONTRACTED ALLIES: TEMPEST (LEVEL 4, 87%), WILL (LEVEL 3, 30%), AUTONOMOUS WHEELCHAIR (LEVEL 3, 42%)]
[EXISTENCE POINTS: 0]
[TRANSCENDENT RANK: F]
His skills had advanced significantly thanks to the electronic waste harvesting. Tempest was approaching another evolution threshold, Will had reached a new level with enhanced telekinetic capabilities, and his wheelchair had gained improved defensive features. He was objectively more powerful than he had been just days ago.
But power alone wouldn't resolve the questions raised by the Wraith's revelations. For that, he needed information.
—He needed to verify the creature's claims from sources he could trust.
The black crystal beneath the Authority headquarters would be nearly impossible to confirm without accepting Voss's offer. But there was another claim he could investigate immediately: the historical existence of previous Contract-bearers.
The Transcendent Library at the Professional Shopping Center had extensive historical archives, including digitized records from before The Awakening. If there were documented cases of individuals with Contract-like abilities throughout history, he might find references there.
Decision made, Marcus directed his wheelchair to the bathroom to prepare for the day. His morning routine had become remarkably efficient with his enhanced skills—Tempest providing lift and support, Will handling objects telekinetically, and his autonomous wheelchair anticipating his movements with increasing accuracy.
By nine o'clock, he was ready to depart. Rather than calling the transport service, he decided to test his wheelchair's enhanced capabilities by making the journey to the Professional Shopping Center independently. The fifteen-block trip would have been unthinkable before, but with his chair's improved terrain handling and his own skills to assist, it seemed manageable.
The morning was cool and clear, which was perfect for testing his limits. Marcus locked his apartment and took the elevator to the ground floor, nodding to the security guard as he exited the building.
"Heading out again, Mr. Thorne? Twice in one week. Must be a record."
The guard remarked, surprise evident in his tone.
"I'm feeling more mobile lately."
Marcus replied with deliberate understatement before departing.
The sidewalks were moderately busy with morning commuters, most too preoccupied with their own journeys to pay attention to a man in a wheelchair. Marcus kept his pace reasonable, using his chair's enhanced capabilities subtly rather than conspicuously. When he encountered obstacles like uneven pavement, poorly designed curb cuts, or inconsiderate pedestrians blocking the way, he navigated them with a combination of the chair's terrain handling and occasional telekinetic assistance.
The journey took nearly forty minutes but proved less challenging than he had anticipated. His wheelchair performed admirably, its movements becoming more intuitive as their contract bond strengthened through use. By the time the Professional Shopping Center came into view, Marcus felt a surprising sense of accomplishment. It represented a small victory of independence that would have seemed impossible just weeks ago, yet he had managed similar achievements multiple times within the past few days.
The center was less crowded than during his previous visits, the morning hours attracting serious researchers and professionals rather than casual shoppers. Marcus made his way directly to the elevators, bypassing the commercial areas entirely.
—His destination was the third-floor Transcendent Library and its historical archives.