The world seemed to hold its breath as the coin grew hot in my hand. The warmth spread up my arm, almost electric, like static building before a storm. For a moment, everything froze—the headlights, the men, even the hum of the van's engine. Then came a sound, sharp and metallic, like a lock turning deep inside my chest.
"What did you wish for?" Leery rasped beside me, his voice barely audible.
I tightened my grip on the coin. "I didn't have a choice, okay? I just wanted us out of there!"
Leery groaned, his head lolling back against my arm. "The coin doesn't care what you want. It cares what you need... and what you're willing to pay."
Before I could press him for more, the world around us warped. The headlights dimmed, the alley stretching and twisting like I'd been dropped into some kind of nightmare funhouse. The air grew thick, pressing down on my chest, and then everything snapped back into focus.
We weren't in the alley anymore.
I staggered, nearly dropping Leery, as my feet hit uneven ground. The air was cold and damp, carrying the unmistakable scent of seawater. A dim, gray light filtered through heavy fog, and waves crashed somewhere in the distance.
"What the hell?" I whispered, turning in a slow circle. The black van and its grinning occupant were gone. So were the men chasing us. We were standing on what looked like the remnants of a crumbling dock, the wood beneath us slick with moss and seawater.
Leery let out a pained groan, pulling me out of my stupor. I lowered him onto a dry patch of stone near the dock's edge, his face pale and slick with sweat.
"Where... are we?" he asked, his words labored.
"Beats me," I said, glancing around. "I guess the coin decided this was better than getting shot."
Leery coughed, his laugh weak but bitter. "It's not about better, kid. It's about balance. You used your wish… now you've got to pay."
His words sent a shiver down my spine. I reached into my pocket, half-expecting the coin to have vanished, but it was still there, cold now and heavier than before. I turned it over in my hand, the strange engravings glinting faintly even in the gray light.
"Yeah, well, whatever the price is, it can't be worse than dying in an alley," I muttered, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my gut.
Leery's hand shot out, gripping my wrist with surprising strength. His eyes locked onto mine, sharp despite the blood and exhaustion. "You don't get it, kid. That was your one wish. The coin's done with you."
Before I could respond, a low, guttural growl echoed through the fog. My head snapped up, my pulse spiking.
"Tell me that was your stomach," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Leery didn't respond. His gaze was fixed on the fog as another growl rumbled closer, this time accompanied by the sound of something wet and heavy moving across the ground.
I scrambled to my feet, gripping the taser still tucked in my pocket. The fog swirled, shapes shifting within it, but nothing solid came into view.
"Stay behind me," I said, stepping in front of Leery.
A dark shape emerged from the mist, hulking and unnatural. At first, I thought it was a bear, but then I saw the gleaming eyes, too many of them, and the way its limbs bent at impossible angles. Its body was slick and glistening, like it had just crawled out of the ocean.
"Oh, come on," I muttered. "This is the price? A discount kaiju?"
The creature let out a piercing screech that sent me stumbling back. My grip on the taser tightened, but I wasn't sure it would even work on something like this.
"You can't use the coin again," Leery said weakly behind me. "It's done with you. You're on your own now."
"Great! Thanks for the pep talk!" I snapped.
The creature lunged, faster than something its size had any right to be. I dove to the side, the taser slipping from my hand and skidding across the wet stone.
"Damn it!" I scrambled to my feet, my eyes darting between the creature and the taser, which now sat just out of reach. The thing turned toward me, its too-many eyes locking onto mine.
Leery's voice was faint but sharp. "The coin might be done with you… but it still works for others."
"What does that even mean?" I shouted, dodging another swipe from the creature's claws.
"It means…" Leery wheezed, his voice trailing off as his hand fumbled for his pocket. To my shock, he pulled out a second coin—identical to the one I'd used.
"You've had more than one this whole time?" I asked, incredulous.
Leery's lips curled into a faint smile. "The coin chooses its holder. I've been the holder longer than most… but even I have limits."
Before I could process what he was saying, Leery pressed the coin into his own palm, his voice barely audible. "Save the kid."
The second coin flared to life in his hand, glowing brighter than the first. The air around us shifted, and the creature froze mid-lunge, its body twitching violently as the engravings on the coin flared with golden light.
For a moment, I thought it was over. Then the creature dissolved into a swirling mass of black mist, which surged toward Leery.
"No!" I shouted, rushing forward, but it was too late. The mist enveloped him, and he let out a shuddering breath before collapsing back against the stone.
The mist recoiled, retreating into the fog, but the damage was done. Leery's eyes fluttered shut, his chest rising and falling in shallow gasps.
I crouched beside him, shaking his shoulder. "Leery! Come on, stay with me!"
His eyes opened just a sliver, his gaze unfocused. "The coin gave you a chance," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Don't waste it."
I looked down at the second coin, now lying motionless on the ground beside him. Its glow had faded, but its weight was unmistakable.
The fog around us began to lift, revealing more of the crumbling dock and the endless ocean beyond. Whatever had just happened, it wasn't over.
I picked up the second coin, tucking it into my pocket beside the first. "I don't know what the hell you've gotten me into, old man," I muttered, "but I'm not going down without a fight."
Leery let out a faint, wheezing laugh. "That's… the spirit."
The fog swirled again, shapes shifting in the distance. The first coin felt heavy, final, while the second seemed alive, almost waiting. I tightened my grip on both and stared into the mist.
"Alright," I said softly. "Let's see what comes next."