ALL NOVEL Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Mr. H
The stairs twisted and turned, each step seemingly defying logic as they bent in impossible directions. At times, Lex felt as though she were walking on the ceiling, only for the next step to place her back on the floor. The disorientation grew with every turn, but Nigel moved ahead with unflinching confidence, navigating the surreal labyrinth with practiced ease. He even jumped down a staggering fifty feet into total darkness. Lex hesitated for only a brief moment, then followed, her feet meeting the ground with an unsettling lack of sound. There was a weightlessness to the movement, as if the rules of gravity were slipping away.
They continued this strange descent—or ascent—for what felt like hours. The further they went, the thicker the air became, almost suffocating in its stillness. It felt as though time itself was unraveling, every step pulling them further from reality. Lex couldn't help but wonder if she was dreaming, if everything around her was simply a hallucination. But no—Nigel's movements were too sure, too deliberate.
At last, they reached a massive door, a pitch-black slab of metal. It was pinned in place by a sword too large for any human to wield, its gleaming edge suspended in the air like a silent guardian, keeping the door from descending into an abyss. The sword pulsed with an eerie energy, as though it too was a part of the strange world they had entered.
Lex paused for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. The door was an unsettling sight, something ancient and unyielding. But before she could voice her thoughts, Nigel reached forward and effortlessly opened it, revealing a surprisingly ordinary receptionist office on the other side. The stark contrast caught her off guard—everything here looked mundane: a worn desk, an old rug, a few chairs. Yet beneath the surface, the sense of wrongness lingered, like a hidden undertow.
Lex glanced at Nigel, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "By the way, which potion did you drink, Nigel? You said you didn't know what Pariah was. Does that mean there are other potions?"
Nigel gave a small nod. "Yes, there are 22 pathways. All of them begin at Sequence 9. Once you've absorbed one potion, you can move to the next in the sequence, but each requires its own ingredients and formula." He paused, giving a slight, almost amused smile. "As for Pariah, I've never heard of it." He turned toward the desk, his voice lowering. "As for me... I'm Sequence 8. Listener. My Sequence 9 was Secrets Supplicant."
The name Secrets Supplicant chilled Lex more than she expected. A knot tightened in her stomach, as if the very name evoked a primal fear. It was a feeling she couldn't quite explain—an instinct that urged her to stay away from whatever it represented. She swallowed hard but kept her voice steady. "What does that mean? Secrets Supplicant?"
Nigel simply shrugged, brushing past her. "You'll learn in time."
As they entered the office, Lex saw a man standing behind the desk, his face obscured by a heavy black hood. The shadows clung to him, making it impossible to discern any features. A palpable aura of danger radiated from him, more felt than seen, and it sent a shiver down her spine. This was no ordinary man.
Before she could make a move, Nigel dropped to his knees, his forehead hitting the ground with an unsettling thud. A thin trickle of blood dripped from his forehead, pooling beneath him, but Nigel didn't flinch. His actions were automatic, a ritual of submission Lex couldn't fully comprehend. She stood frozen, unsure how to react.
"Mr. H," Nigel murmured, his voice trembling just slightly. "I've brought someone—someone I believe belongs to a pathway I've never encountered."
The man in the hood turned slowly toward Lex, and she felt the weight of his gaze, though she couldn't see his eyes. The air grew thick, oppressive. It was as though the room itself was holding its breath, waiting. Lex's instinct screamed at her to remain still, to not provoke him in any way.
"What potion did you consume?" Mr. H's voice was low and raspy, like the whisper of wind through dead trees. His words carried a weight that made her heart race.
Without hesitation, Lex replied, her voice steady despite the unease tightening in her chest. "Sequence 9. Pariah."
The room went deathly still. Mr. H's head jerked slightly, and for a fleeting moment, Lex thought she saw something shift beneath his hood—something that slithered and writhed. She blinked, but it was gone before she could fully process it.
Mr. H didn't respond immediately. Instead, he slowly rotated his head in a smooth, unnatural motion—like a snake coiling in on itself. The sound of his neck cracking was muffled, as if it was happening in a place just beyond reach.
He held up a finger, and without warning, he tore it off. The motion was swift, but there was a horrible finality to it, as if the very act itself carried some deeper meaning. Lex could only watch in morbid fascination as he used the severed finger to scrawl something on the wall in front of him. He muttered to himself in a low, indecipherable language, the words flowing like a chant, each syllable ringing with a dark resonance.
Time seemed to stretch as he wrote, his mutterings blending with the strange silence that enveloped the room. When he was finished, he placed the finger in his mouth, chewing it thoughtfully as though savoring the taste of it. Lex's stomach churned, but she forced herself to remain calm.
After what felt like an eternity, Mr. H finally stopped. He looked up, his head tilting at an angle that was almost unnatural, though his face remained hidden in shadow.
"I have received a message from the Oracle," he whispered. "She is to be under Monty for now. This means... she will be joining you. Keep track of her. Make use of her. I will be checking her progress every Monday."
The words landed like a blow. Lex's chest tightened, her breath catching. Joining you. It wasn't a question. It was a decree. Whatever she had walked into, she was now bound to it.
She glanced at Nigel, but his expression was unreadable, distant. He had already accepted whatever path had been laid before them. Lex, however, felt the weight of the decision pressing down on her. She had no idea what Monty meant, or what progress she was supposed to make. But one thing was certain—her life, whatever it was before, was now entwined with these people, this pathway, and whatever dark forces they served.
She didn't know where to go from here, but she knew she couldn't turn back