"When did what come around?" Mary asked, her voice tinged with concern. Her eyes darted to what she saw was nothing hovering above Ret's body.
In Jack's vision, he saw an octahedron-shaped, translucent object with a blue fluctuating glow. White text floated within it, reading:
[Consume Fragment]
What be this meanin'? And why does it seem so familiar? Jack wondered, confusion etched on his face.
"Cap'n, ye alright?" Mary's voice cut through the haze.
"Somethin' just appeared above Ret's body, sayin' 'consume fragment.'" Jack explained.
"Interestin'," Mary replied, her curiosity piqued. "I've gained somethin' too." With a swift motion, she demonstrated her newfound ability by vanishing from Jack's side and reappearing two meters away.
When Mary first awoke, she felt a power within her, a sense of familiarity despite her mind's confusion. Her body moved with practiced ease, as if it had performed these actions countless times.
"Mary, how—?" Jack began, astonished.
"Seems like the pain was worth it, Cap'n. But was it worth dyin' for? What did ye get?" Mary asked.
Jack winced, clutching his chest. "Wait, somethin's wrong..."
"Cap'n?" Mary's voice trembled.
"AAAAAAA!" Jack's scream shattered the night, echoing with raw, piercing agony. The intense pain surged through him as the Link artifacts began to clash within his body. His foreign artifacts, the vine link and claw link, their power clashing violently with the original Link he'd gained with Mary.
The struggle lasted an excruciating minute before the foreign artifacts finally expelled from Jack's body, which began to heal rapidly.
"That was hell," Jack gasped, collapsing to the ground, his body trembling.
Mary patted his back, her own confusion mirrored in her actions. "I don't understand why that's happenin', but I'm here."
Jack's thoughts raced. Why did it leave my body? Be it because of the circle artifact?
After regaining composure, Jack examined his vine artifact, attempting to use it. "Nothin'."
"Looks like we're stuck with the artifacts we've got, and the rest are useless," Jack concluded.
"What should we do with 'em?" Mary asked. "They're useless as they are—can't even be used for decoration."
"We'll sell 'em. I bet they're worth a dozen gold coins," Jack said, wincing from the pain.
Mary's eyes gleamed at the thought of the gold. 'Gold mine,' she thought, her focus shifting to the potential wealth.
"Mary, do ye think on nothin' but grog and grub? I just met me maker and come back, and now I'm sufferin' from these blasted artifacts," Jack grumbled.
Mary, however, was already lost in thoughts of the stones, planning how she might acquire them from others. Her determination to seize the opportunity rivaled Jack's own knack for thievery.
"A bath," Mary said suddenly.
"What?" Jack asked, puzzled.
"A bath filled with grog. Ye can enjoy the bath while ye drink from it," she proposed.
"Maaary. I'll make ye that bath, but not now. Focus. This fragment is shrinkin'—" Jack's words were cut off as Mary quickly did a quickstep to him and embraced him.
"Really?" she asked, her eyes wide with hope.
"Aye," Jack confirmed.
"Cap'n, ye spoil me. Thank ye," Mary said, her gratitude evident. Then, her expression darkened, turning fierce. "But if ye break that promise, I'll break yer trunk."
"It's shrinkin', Mary. We don't have much time," Jack said urgently.
"The trunk?" Mary asked, confused.
"Nay, the fragment. I need to decide quickly," Jack clarified.
"I'll keep ye safe if anything happens," Mary promised.
"Thank ye," Jack replied, his focus on the shrinking fragment.
Here goes nothin, he thought, closing his eyes fully and tilting his body diagonally to touch the fragment. But nothing happened.
"Phew."
"So ye were imaginin' it, that's no good. Ye've gone off yer bonkers. RIP Sane Captain Jack," she teased.
"Course I have—with ye always around spoutin' foolishness," he joked.
He tried once more, this time saying, "Consume."
Suddenly, an array of visions and flashes erupted before him. The ground, Ret's body, and everything tangible vanished. Only the vivid, electric blue flames swirled around him, quick as lightning, casting eerie shadows. Yet, the worst wasn't the blinding flames, but the deafening sound. Hundreds of overlapping voices, like a storm of whispers and shouts, grew louder by the second, assaulting his senses.
What've I done t' deserve so much agony this night... Jack thought, as the din grew unbearable.
He squeezed his eyes shut, focusing hard to drown out the noise. Miraculously, the voices faded, leaving just one distinct voice. When he opened his eyes, the chaotic blue flames were gone. Instead, he saw a single, glowing rectangular frame with a still image suspended within it.
He heard a chilling whisper, "This one will turn into a fine beast. Hopefully, fully awaken it…"
Jack reached out, touching the image. The moment his fingers brushed against it, his surroundings morphed. The darkness dissipated, replaced by a vivid scene. He found himself underground, the air damp and musty. The room was small, constructed entirely of ancient, worn cobblestones, with a circle etched in the center where Ret lay unconscious and bloodied.
Torches on either side of the room cast flickering light on four figures in long, black hooded robes. Despite the light, their faces remained hidden in shadow.
Interestingly enough, even though there was light cast directly at them, Jack couldn't have seen their faces.
Who be them people? he thought, wary and motionless, not wanting to reveal his presence.
Two robed figures began chanting in an arcane language. The other two opened a sealed box, extracting a sinister black stone marked with three claw-like lines.
"That be the artifact Ret had," Jack whispered to himself.
Seeing that no one noticed him, he moved closer to observe the stone. The chant ceased, and one of the figures spoke in a deep, ominous tone, "This one will turn into a fine beast. Hopefully awaken it. It's what It wants. And if it's in our power to do, we do. Alhem."
"Alhem," they all intoned in unison.
Someone be spreadin' these corrupted artifacts. For what purpose? To awaken it? For someone or somethin'. Awaken how? Jack's mind raced.
Standing directly in the path leading to Ret, Jack watched as the cultists approached, passing through him like phantoms. The stone in their hands began to vibrate intensely. To Jack, ignorant of the artifact's nature, this seemed ordinary. But the stone sensed him, even in this ethereal state.
"You..." a demonic voice growled, extinguishing both torches, leaving Jack as the sole light source.
"It can't be. IT CAN'T BE!" the voice roared, its fury tearing at the cobblestone walls, causing cracks to splinter outward.
Jack's heart pounded in his chest as the scene around him trembled under the force of the entity's rage. He realized this was no mere memory—it was a glimpse into a dark, twisted reality. The ancient power that the cultists sought to awaken was aware of him, even here.
This was an ancient and sinister entity, transcending time and space, something that desires nothing less than complete domination.
As the walls continued to crumble and the demonic voice echoed in his mind, Jack knew he had to act fast.