With the “Shaving” ritual done, the temple personnel were kind enough to bring back all of their important personal belongings and offer them some congee, some tea and a few pieces of bread to fill their stomach. “You can’t stay overnight. So I suggest you head on to the next station before noon. Things will get busy soon and - considering your situation you’d want to find a safe place to rest first.” This was what the old man in a taoist robe told them.

  Eve Kim and Tanya Su finished their food and tea early, but they waited by the table as their smuggler tried to finish his. Alex Pearson slurped his congee and tea slowly and only one small mouthful at a time, almost as if he was doing so deliberately.

  Eve Kim and Tanya Su exchanged looks a few times - they were not told what would happen next. Eve had even checked with a few bus drivers in the temple - they could catch a ride somewhere else, the price was reasonable, just that they would need to wait till the buses were filled.

  “I was born and raised in the Northern District.” Alex Pearson played with his spoon in the congee bowl: “My family was - rich, and had high status, influential; powerful, this would be a better way to call it. ”

  Eve Kim and Tanya Su were rendered speechless for a moment. They expected orders or commands, but not this.

  “Maybe it’s just fate that I was never meant to go through life as my older siblings. They - uh, they went to good schools, they were on track to run successful businesses or maybe compete for seats in the City Council.” Alex Pearson continued: “That was until one day, my parents came home from some kind of meeting late at night, scared shitless and tried to gather all of us and go on a run. We did, but while we stopped at one of our safe houses to get more fuel and food, these people who - who were after us intercepted us. My parents hid me in a china box, told me to get out of the city as soon as possible and to never look for them. Then they were taken away.

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  “I ran after that, and tried to get out of the city like my parents told me to. But I couldn’t, I didn’t know how. I couldn’t show my face in either the Northern or the South-Western Districts, so I hid in the South-Eastern District. Begging in the streets, taking on random chores to not starve. This limp I got? Some street thugs broke my leg and I was not sent to the hospital in time.

  “Then these two detectives found me. They found me and my parent’s book. It was their share of some dark, forbidden secret grimoire. I always kinda knew they were involved in something unclean, but - ” Tears dropped from his face into the bowl: “But I just wasn’t told what it was, because I was too young. ”

  “I’m - I’m sorry.” Tanya Su’s voice was weak, but still comforting.

  “Then through other channels I knew what happened to my parents.” Alex Pearson took a deep breath: “It was not pretty. Then - I knew I had to hide, so I stole the book from the detectives and ran. I don’t know why I did it, maybe it’s the last thing my parents left for me? I don’t… So while I had it, I managed to make a copy of it to keep for myself before leaving it in the safe house for the detectives to find. ”

  “What’s the book about?” Eve Kim could not help but ask.

  “Spells, rituals, and mechanisms of some related things. Dark knowledge, all of it.” Alex Pearson glanced at Eve Kim, then shook his head: “I copied it, but it only allowed me to keep some of the information. I learned just enough to know what kind of situation I was in, how to do - certain things, to keep myself safe. But I never knew enough to do what I needed. ”

  “What do you mean ‘it allowed you to’?” Eve Kim and Tanya Su asked at the same time.

  “The book is possessed by a powerful, malicious will beyond human comprehension.” Alex Pearson shook his head: “That’s why I gave up fighting - and decided to run. This whole thing of taking your asses out of the city, was just I needed the tokens - the good karma to help me sever my chains.”

  Eve Kim and Tanya Su looked at each other, then both deep a deep breath of relief.

  “I guess what I’m telling you is - ” Alex Pearson wiped his eyes and stood up: “Our deal will conclude soon. Let’s just head to the next stop, then that will be where we split. You remember what they told you - rest, sleep, find a new life, and - ” He sighed: “ - and change your names, never look back.”

  “Is that what you will do?” Eve Kim asked.

  “Yes, just slightly more complicated.” Alex Pearson nodded and answered without even a hint of doubt.

  “What will happen to the city?” Tanya Su asked, her eyes flickered. She was concerned, for the city and the people still stuck there.

  “Forget Poison City.” Alex reiterated: “You have new lives now.”