Liam sighed, setting the card down on the counter.
"Relax, I’m not planning to deal with him. I told him no, and I plan to stay as far away from this whole thing as possible. If you’re that freaked out about it, I’ll get rid of the card for good."
"You don’t understand,"
Asger muttered, his eyes still fixed on the card.
"Things like that don’t just go away. It’s not a normal object. If it keeps coming back, it’s bound to you sohow."
"Bound to ?"
Liam echoed, his stomach sinking.
Asger nodded grimly.
"It’s like a magical anchor. Whoever gave it to you probably marked you with so kind of spell or enchantnt. That’s why it keeps finding its way back to you. It’s not going to stop unless you deal with it properly."
Liam groaned, rubbing his temples.
"Great. Just what I needed—another headache. First the system won’t let sleep, and now this. What do I even do with it?"
Asger took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"For now, just don’t do anything rash. Don’t try to destroy it or throw it away again—it might make things worse. Let think about it, and I’ll see if I can figure sothing out. But whatever you do, don’t go to the place the card is pointing to. Stay away from whoever gave it to you."
"Don’t worry. I wasn’t planning on it. I want nothing to do with that weird kid or his cult."
Liam said firmly.
Asger seed to relax slightly at Liam’s reassurance, though he still kept a wary eye on the card.
"Good. Just...be careful, alright? If you feel anything strange, let know imdiately."
"Got it."
Liam replied, though he couldn’t shake the unease settling in his chest.
Asger nodded and turned back to the breakfast table, though he didn’t seem very interested in eating anymore. Liam, anwhile, stared at the card on the counter, his mind racing with questions.
What kind of magic was tied to the card? Who was the teenager who had given it to him? And, most importantly, why had it chosen him?
Liam had no answers, but one thing was certain—he wasn’t going to let himself get tangled up in sothing dangerous.
For now, all he could do was hope Asger could co up with a solution and that staying away from the card’s origins would be enough to keep him safe. But deep down, he had a sinking feeling that this was only the beginning of a much larger problem.
______
Liam felt uneasy as he rode his bike toward work. Every shadow, every sound, and every fleeting movent out of the corner of his eye made his heart race. He couldn’t shake the feeling that soone was following him.
"System, check my surroundings. Is anyone following ?"
He muttered under his breath, keeping his eyes on the road.
[Scanning the environnt...]
The system’s calm, chanical voice made Liam feel slightly better. He slowed his bike at a red light, glancing over his shoulder. Nothing seed out of the ordinary, but his paranoia wouldn’t let him relax.
[Scan complete. No unusual activity detected. You are not being followed.]
Liam exhaled a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.
"Thanks. I guess I’m just being paranoid."
[Given recent events, user reaction is understandable. However, there is no imdiate threat.]
The system’s reassurance helped, and Liam tried to focus on the road ahead. By the ti he reached the store, he had mostly convinced himself that he was imagining things.
Once inside, the familiar scent of old wood and antiques greeted him, helping to ease the tension in his chest. He clocked in and took his place behind the counter, trying to settle into the rhythm of the day.
But just as he was beginning to relax, a sudden noise made him jump.
"Morning, Liam."
Lucas’s voice ca from behind him.
Liam’s heart skipped a beat as he whirled around to find his boss sneaking up on him with a smirk.
"Geez, Lucas! Don’t do that!"
Liam clutched his chest, glaring at the older man.
Lucas laughed, clearly amused by Liam’s reaction.
"Relax, kid. You look like you’ve seen a ghost."
Liam shook his head, still trying to calm his racing heart. "You startled , that’s all. I didn’t hear you co in."
Lucas shrugged, moving toward the counter where Liam had been working. His eyes landed on sothing lying there—a black card with golden symbols.
"What’s this?"
Lucas asked, picking up the card before Liam could stop him.
Liam’s stomach dropped. He hadn’t even realized the card had made its way out of his bag again.
"Uh, it’s nothing. Just...sothing soone gave yesterday"
He said quickly.
Lucas held the card up to the light, examining it with curiosity.
"Weird design. Fancy, though. Where’d you get it?"
"Just put it down. It’s not important."
Liam said, his voice tense.
Lucas raised an eyebrow at Liam’s tone.
"Not important? You’re acting like it’s cursed or sothing?maybe I should not touch it after all."
Before Liam could respond, the sound of the store door opening made both n turn. The little bell above the door jingled, and in walked the teenager from the day before.
The boy’s eyes lit up when he saw Liam and Lucas at the counter. He strode toward them with an excited expression, his gaze zeroing in on the black card in Lucas’s hand.
"Ah, you kept it! That’s good. So, have you thought about my offer?"
The teenager said, his voice filled with enthusiasm.
Liam frowned, stepping forward and placing himself slightly in front of Lucas.
"No! I already told you yesterday—I’m not interested."
He said firmly.
The teenager tilted his head, looking almost disappointed.
"Are you sure? You haven’t even heard everything yet. I promise, it’s worth your ti."
Lucas, however, seed intrigued. He leaned against the counter, smirking as he looked between Liam and the teenager.
"Hold on a second. What offer are we talking about here? You’ve got curious."
The teenager’s face lit up again, clearly pleased to have an audience.
"I invited him to join us,"
The teeanger said, his tone matter-of-fact.
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