Alex's gaze shifted from curious to wary instantly as he noticed the woman looking in his direction.
However, he composed himself so as not to give away that fact, instead, maintaining an oblivious facade.
A few seconds passed before he casually retracted his gaze and looked elsewhere.
All this was acted out naturally so as not to cause the woman to sense anything off about him.
He didn't know why but the moment he noticed the woman looking in his direction, his senses picked an indescribable force that threatened to devour him.
Taking a deep breath, he only returned his gaze to that location after the coach had left.
Meanwhile, Arthur strolled with Nadia into the manor.
Alex rose to his feet in an instant and bolted to the entrance to meet them.
Once there, he confirmed Nadia's terrified state, and judging from the perspiration on Arthur's forehead, he didn't look too good as well.
The head maid approached and helped Arthur with his coat while Nadia tried to compose herself upon Alex's arrival.
"Did something happen?" Alex asked, breaking the tense atmosphere.
Arthur glanced at him before revealing a toothy grin. "You are indeed worthy to be my son-in-law!"
"..." Alex was left speechless.
What the hell did that have to do with anything?
Nadia didn't even react as she walked up to Alex and embraced him tightly.
Taking a moment to decide, Alex hugged her back and they remained in that position for a minute before Nadia broke it off.
"I need to shower."
The head maid remarked from behind. "I'll run the bath for you."
"Thank you," Nadia replied.
Meeting Alex's gaze, she flashed a brief smile before excusing herself.
Alex pursed his lips as he noticed something from Nadia's gaze.
Unsure of how to feel, he decided not to think about it for the time being.
Just then, Arthur spoke up. "You should get some rest."
"What about…"
"Come to the basement one hour before midnight. We'll discuss more about it then."
Nodding silently, Alex also excused himself.
Now alone, Arthur sighed heavily.
Glancing down at his palms, he noticed it trembling ever so slightly.
With a contemptuous gaze, he cursed. "Hateful lizard!"
***
An hour to midnight, Alex made his way to the Sanders manor basement.
It stretched a wide area, with enough space to fit over 200 people.
There were various antiques within, ranging from furniture covered in drapes to art pieces and even a prototype piano.
Alex studied the mundane structure briefly before making his way to the center of the room where Arthur sat waiting with a pipe.
There was a table with two wooden chairs, one of which Arthur occupied.
On the table, Alex noticed a yellow gem.
Not placing much attention on it, he asked. "Any reason why we had to meet here?"
"Just because." Arthur casually replied as he took a drag from his pipe. "Have a seat."
Alex strolled over and made himself comfortable.
Glancing at the yellow gem, he asked. "What is that?"
"This?" Arthur pointed at it. "... It's called a Catalyst and for now, that's all you need to know."
Taking another drag, he added. "At least until you understand the basics of mysticism and the supernatural."
"Alright, I'm listening," Alex replied as he made himself comfortable.
"We'd have to start from the beginning," Arthur said. "Mysticism has been around for several thousand years, with the legends and facts mixed in, no-one can say for sure how it came about but that doesn't matter. What you need to understand is that it's not as abnormal as you think it to be."
"… I see."
"Mn, to become a Mystic, there are five known Wheels. Monster, Demon, Divine, Abyss, and Human. Each Wheel has its specific rules so pay attention."
"I'm listening."
"The Monster Wheel revolves around Cryptids. I'm sure you've heard of Vampires, Werewolves, Gryphons, Dragons, and the likes…"
"During my childhood as bedtime stories." Alex had sat up at some point, carefully absorbing everything Arthur said.
"Well, they exist…" Arthur trailed off before adding. "At least the Vampires and Werewolves."
Curious about what he meant, Alex attempted to inquire.
Unfortunately, Arthur didn't bother to explain himself as he continued. "The Monster Wheel involves ingesting body parts of Cryptids after which you'd gain the supernatural powers peculiar to the Cryptid."
"… Like the monsters that attacked me and my family?"
"Yes." Arthur nodded.
Pausing to take another drag, Arthur continued while Alex listened. "The next on the list is the Demon Wheel which involves making contracts with Devils to gain supernatural powers. I don't much like this Wheel."
"Why?" Alex raised a brow.
"Because it doesn't favor men. The Devil summoned would be more inclined to devour a man that summons them than offer a contract."
"…I guess that's off the table then."
"It was never on it, to begin with." Arthur corrected.
"Ah."
"The next on the list is the Divine Wheel which involves receiving bestowments from Angels. I also don't like this Wheel as the only way to join it is to be a devout, almost fanatical member of the Church of Angelica and even then.. well let's just say I have my reservations about the church."
"…I'll keep that in mind," Alex muttered, recalling the gaze that followed him when he and Emily attempted to meet with the presiding priest.
'I knew the church would be connected to the supernatural but to have a monopoly over an entire wheel…'
He thought inwardly as he waited for Arthur to continue.
Taking a moment to note Alex's expression, Arthur continued. "The next is the Abyss Wheel. Much isn't known about this wheel but one thing I know is that those that are a part of it don't get to decide. The Abyss chooses its representatives and its targets most times than not, are those that are at their lowest point in life.
"In any case, this Wheel is also off the table since joining it takes your sanity."
"What do you mean?"
"Members of the Abyss Wheel are crazy. They can't be read and their actions are most times unpredictable. They are bothersome beings that are scorned by the other Wheels."
"That bad?" Alex remarked with a frown.
"Don't overthink it."
"Mn. So what about the last Wheel?"
"Oh yeah." Arthur chuckled. "The Human Wheel is an interesting Wheel."