Nathan followed Mr. Jenkins into the back room, feeling a tempest in his mind of confusion and disbelief. The stacks of shelves and boxes against the walls felt even more diminutive, the shadows reach further than they should have. Jenkins moved with purpose, his steps steady, as if this wasn't the first time he'd navigated this strange, secretive space.
The back room of the bookstore wasn't like any other part of the shop. The walls were piled with grimy maps, tattered documents, and curious objects that were out of place in such a space. A few stood out as recognizable old weapons and artworks that seemed like they'd sprung straight from a history book. Others were unidentifiable, their shapes strange and unsettling.
At the far end of the room, a large wooden table stood, its surface covered with piles of open books and scrolls. Upon the table, the rock shimmered a bit, seated in a shallow bowl, as if expecting to be felt again.
Jenkins stopped by the table and turned to Nathan. I've been hiding them here," he murmured, softly, even to himself. "The Fragments."
Nathan's mind struggled to catch up. "Fragments? What do you mean? What are they really?"
Jenkins drew a deep breath, and clearly struggled to process his own feelings. "They're not just relics or artifacts, Nathan. They're pieces of something far older and more dangerous. Each one is unspeakable in its power and when they are turned on will transform the landscape of all you thought you knew about how the world works.
Nathan's stomach churned. He was beset with a thousand queries but all of them felt to arrive all at once, like a tidal wave, of which he was helpless. He could barely focus on any one of them.
Jenkins continued, his voice low and grave. "These Fragments are from a time long before ours, a time when the world was… different. They were once numerous, dispersed all over the world. Each Fragment corresponds to a primitive power and becoming in contact with one of the powers will cause something in the object to appear. A power."
Nathan swallowed hard. "A power? You mean, like what happened to me?"
Jenkins nodded. "Exactly. But it's not just you, Nathan. Others have touched the Fragments before you. Some have got to grips with it, some have succumbed to it. There are also people around—people who are aware of the Fragments and of their potential—who will go to any lengths to obtain them all.
As Nathan's head spun from Jenkins talking things, he tried to process information. Just he had just finished understanding that he had touched something, so old, so mighty. However, he was just told that there were others, evil and dangerous men, who knew about this Fragments and looked for them to their benefit.
"I don't understand," Nathan said, his voice strained. "Why did you keep this from me? Why didn't you tell me about this before?"
Jenkins met his eye and for the first time Nathan witnessed within his eyes the burden of decades of suppressed information. "I couldn't tell you, Nathan. You were never meant to know. But now… now that you've activated the Fragment, there's no going back.
Nathan's chest tightened. The realization hit him like a punch. He wasn't just a bystander in this strange world; he had become a part of it. A target. What am I to do now? he inquired in a scarcely audible voice.
Jenkins let out a grunt and gestured, in front of the books and scrolls littering the top surface of the table. "Now, you learn. You figure out what the Fragments are, what they refer to and how to use the power of them inside you. You need to understand what you're dealing with before it takes control of you.
Nathan's gaze landed on the stone again, the smooth surface shone in the scant light. The same energy that had throbbed through him when he first had contact with it still buzzed in the air above him. He could not help but be attracted to it, a chaotic attraction that was intoxicating and fearsome.
What if I can't [control it]? Nathan said, and knew the answer before finishing the sentence.
Jenkins hesitated before answering. "You'll lose yourself. The power will engulf you, and you'll be nothing more than an instrument for those that crave the Fragments. You'll be used and then thrown away when no longer required.
Nathan's chest constricted when he imagined how dreadful Jenkins described the crimes to be. He didn't want to lose himself. He did not feel like a mere puppet of authorities which he did not know how to understand. But the pull of the stone was so strong. The thought of leaving it behind felt impossible.
What else do they know in this Fragments? Nathan asked, in an attempt to shift the conversation away from the worry which haunted him. "Who are these people who want them?"
they want the power the Fragments bring. There are people who would like to exploit it and have its control, and there are people who would like to exploit it and have its destruction. However, there is also a minority who hold to the idea that the entire world should be rebuilt. These are the ones to watch out for," etc.
Nathan nodded slowly, processing the meaning of what was being taught to him. He thought his life was on its head within days, and it was hard to keep his head above water.
Before he could have another query, Jenkins pivoted and approached an adjacent shelf as he reached out and took down a hefty, leather-bound tome. He gazed at it and, on one sheet, at symbols and equations that did not make sense.
"This book," Jenkins said, "was passed down through generations. But it's inside that information which we need to make sense of the Fragments as well as how they relate to all of these ancient powers. It will help you control the power inside you."
When Nathan entered the table room, his hands trembled ever so slightly, as he reached to grasp the book. He opened it to the page Jenkins had pointed to, but the symbols made no sense to him. They were ancient, a tongue he did not know.
You'll have to see these, Jenkins spoke in his usual soft yet authoritative way. The contents of the book will be of help to you at this moment only. However, it must not be assumed that the strength of the Fragment is dependent on the strength of the Fragment itself. If you do, it will destroy you."
Nathan stared at the symbols, while the pressure of his duty weighed upon his shoulders. He no longer lived a normal life in a typical bookshop. He was drawn into a void of darkness and hidden agents, and was trapped.