Chapter 67: Clown Guard
Charon jangled his room key before sticking it in the keyhole, giving it a hard twist before popping the door open.
Stepping inside, he tossed the Mask of the Jester on the dinner table and opened the fridge to grab a cool drink. Picking plain water, he sipped at the rim and sat on his bed, the tension leaving his shoulders as he exhaled.
’What a day.’
After Wallflower had left, he had been directed out of the Stadia, where he snuck into an alley to remove his relic and place the Warden back in his soul. He was reluctant to part with his first summon, especially as he hadn’t removed him since entering the River Acheron, but he decided it was more important to keep his identity secret.
’Only the gods know what the laws are like around here, or what kind of vengeance the family of slain fighters could seek.’
He leaned back further, feeling the creak of the mattress under his weight. A dull ache had started to form behind his eyes, the stress of everything catching up at once. He let his limbs fall limp, doing his best to ignore the world.
Charon took half an hour to relax, a thousand questions bouncing around his mind as he reflected on everything.
’Wallflower, Oliver’s shop, the Stadia, the Orb of Vitriol, the upcoming mission, what the High Elder did to me, and my new ability are all important matters to go over.’
He cracked his neck and let his gaze linger on the ceiling fan, its slow rotation offering no comfort. He was only slightly surprised that his apartment could spare electricity for something so luxurious.
’Annie had said they watched that sort of thing closely after the walls were breached.’
It was hard to imagine what could get through the colossal walls defending the city, not to mention all the guards and Colossus Machines standing just outside.
’Only something equally terrifying could manage such a feat.’