Adventure in the town of void

I stared into the abyss and I expected it to stare back of course I did, I heard the stories after all but I didn’t expect to feel their stares everyday since. The day it all started should have been like any other but right from the start I felt something just beyond hmm… no that’s not quite right it would be more accurate to say it was something in the corner of my brain or like a current of energy right beyond where I can actually sense it if that makes sense, but I digress. Suffice to say on this day that played out like every other I was antsy. As I prepared to exit the inn I was staying in I found myself rubbing the worry stone on a bracelet on my wrist as well as constantly checking my gun making sure it was loaded. It probably was hypocritical of me to try to become independent by using a weapon I’d only been able to afford thanks to my parents, but at this point that gun was like an extension of myself and I couldn’t imagine fighting with any other weapon.   After checking the ammo and doing basic maintenance on my gun for what was probably at least the sixth time I went to my current “office” which was just a rented out space in a stall in the market. It wasn't much but it was mine and that’s what was important. I spent more time then I would have liked talking to all of the stall runners catching up on the things about their lives while making sure I wasn’t the topic of conversation or speculation. By the time I got to my office she was already sitting down sipping on a cup of tea with a set of playing cards in front of, both of which she must have brought herself. I shouldn’t have been surprised this was just the sort of thing she’d do but I wasn’t on the top of my game that day so a surprise it was. She calls herself Rose but I’d bet all I’ve made for myself that that isn’t her real name. I’ve worked with her in the past and every time I’ve done so I’ve gotten a feeling as if I was being tested and the feeling that Rose knew far more than she should. Rose was an older woman whose every movement seemed assured and thought out and her bony hands belied a surprising amount of strength which I’ve unfortunately found out for myself in the past but that’s a different story.   “Took you long enough to come,” Rose said calmly, her back still turned away from me. I shook my head wondering how she does that as I was sure my footfalls were silent and I don’t keep an exact schedule normally   “Do you have a job for me Rose” . I said making sure to sound nonchalant   “No, I came purely for your excellent manners of course I have a job for you” She replied “I need you to investigate a town for me”   “Why what’s wrong with it?” I replied suspiciously   “That’s the problem I don’t know, I don’t know anything about the town at all and that worries me” and shockingly there actually was worry in her voice and the unease I’ve been feeling intensified.   “And how much will I be paid for my trouble?”. I asked with a feeling of despair starting to come in my gut   “I’m sure this should be sufficient” she slid over a bag and inside of it was a ridiculous amount of gold and ten bullets the same type that I use for my guns   “I don’t even want to know how you know what type of bullets I use but is there reason you think I need more bullets”   Rose looked a little disappointed as she said “come now do you think so little of me those bullets are infused with the power of darkness I’m sure you can find a use for them”   I whistled weapons filled with elemental power aren't cheap, especially with something as small and complex as bullets. Despite my misgivings this was a lot of money and I couldn’t afford to refuse. We worked out the exact nature of the contract for a little bit, and once I made sure there was no way she could back out of the deal I set off.   The journey to the village itself was pretty uneventful but as I got closer I grew to feel more and more unsettled. The actual village itself seemed unremarkable but it was strangely quiet and I saw no one as I approached it. Right before I actually entered the village I felt an almost violent feeling as if all my insides were straining as hard as they could to not enter the village. I stumbled and stopped for a moment steeling myself I jumped into the village that violent feeling becoming almost unbearable for an instant before I hit the ground of the village at which point the feeling vanished leaving only a faint sense of discombobulation and a tinge of what I later realized was hopelessness that wasn’t my own.It was silent too silent there was some noise missing but I didn’t know what this place was deeply wrong it felt like it somehow didn't belong here. After looking around for a little bit paying particular attention to the footprints in the area it was clear that there were people here at least a few days ago and some lighter more recent footprints that probably came from a small humanoid or child. My instincts told me that it’s from a child and I’ve learned to trust my instincts over the years so keeping my weapons concealed I started to track the child pushing down memories of my being trained to do so by my father all the while. It took longer then I would have liked to follow the child's tracks as they seem to have aimlessly wander at times sometimes just pacing back and forth ruining what foot prints were left but eventually I found a small space between two houses and a young boy shivering in the corner. The boy looked up at the sound of my intentionally loud footsteps and in his eyes I saw emptiness that was so great that it felt like it infected me a little bit. I gasped and had to support myself against the wall for a second but after a moment the effect actually vanished and I felt a rush of strength welling up inside me.   “Ok that’s … new” The child continued to stare at me in a way that I would normally probably find creepy, but for some reason it wasn’t in a way it felt like the most natural thing in the world. “So kid you want to tell me what’s going on in this town” He stared at me “Yeah I kinda figured that’s what you were going to say”   The child started walking right past me not acknowledging my existence at all and with a shrug I followed him as he walked I could have sworn that I saw shadows move out of the corner of my eyes but my instincts told me that there was nothing actually there. As I was following him I continued to feel stronger and his eyes for a moment seemed to focus for a moment and at the instant there was a huge wave of energy that went through me and for an instant I was aware of the entire town and then I snapped back to reality. There was someone here and almost before I truly processed the thought I was already jumping back my hand going to my gun. There were two figures standing side by side right in front of where I jumped from, both of them deathly pale and completely devoid of any features whatsoever. The one on the right reached towards it’s scalp and grabbed something dragging its hands down its body it’s skin peeling where it moved past. The creature's skin was still so pale it was almost pure white but now it had three eyes on each side of its face which alternated from being an ash like gray and a golden yellow, It was also thinner as if whatever it just took off held the majority of its body weight. In that same moment the creature on the left put on a mask that seemed to just materialize out of thin air, it was clearly supposed to look like my mother’s face the details indistinct but as I looked upon it the resemblance grew more striking her face filled not with the hidden disdain I was used to but instead it was twisted to look more angry then any person I’ve ever seen. It’s gaze on me was so intense it was almost a physical feeling and even as I rubbed my worry stone it seemed smaller before the creature, but something inside me whispered that the gaze would leave soon as long as I matched it. Eventually the creature's face was completely indistinguishable from my mother's. Its expression of rage suddenly changed to one of panic and pain and in an instant it was gone just as fast as it came. My gaze then inevitably turned to the other creature who was staring motionless at the child as the child stared back at it. It’s eyes were the most startling shade of grey I had ever seen. It fascinated me. I wanted to know how such a thing could exist as I stared as the creature started to move its movements painfully slow. Something about the creature's image felt off though I remembered something being different the first time I saw it. It’s eyes really were beautiful, a shade of black that seemed to swallow me whole it’s gaze enveloping me. I wanted no needed to understand what it was thinking behind it’s gaze. The creature's movements started to seem more natural but I barely noticed that so focused on it’s three eyes they reminded me so much of my past. The training. The constant training wanting to understand why I wasn’t good enough why she flinched each time she looked at me but that wasn’t all that was there was it whispered a small voice in my head. I remembered the birthdays awkward affairs when she gave me a gift every year without fail while not being able to meet my eyes but still there was always the gift, There was always the worry stone similar to the one she wore on her own wrist and always the attempt to help me. The six eyed creature suddenly stopped its golden eyes shedding tears of light while the grey eyes shed darkness the creature dissolved into a puddle of black and white on the ground.   The child started to walk again and barely suppressed quakes of fear as best I could I followed him. I was led to a group of people in a circle and inside of the circle They were there staring out the eyes. Surprisingly instead of being focused on the monstrosities in the circle my gaze was instead drawn to the people making the circle their eyes were vacant in a way similar to the child who led me to them but on them it looked unnatural. Only after noting this did what I only glanced at in the circle really sink in. Creatures flickered in and out of existence every once in a while one would appear that would appear that would make such a loud noise I felt like I would go deaf I wondered how I didn't hear them before now but I only had time to think about this for an instant before I felt it. They were all angry and all looking at me I don’t know how I knew it but I did. They all knew I noticed them and were not pleased about it. My instincts screamed at me to just run away but I couldn't just leave these people and let these monsters remain free. As soon as that thought crossed my mind I felt strangely calm as if what was happening here was happening to someone else entirely. I slowly took out my gun and I turned the chamber to where I put my new darkness bullets. I aimed not at the creatures themselves but on a narrow space between them and the circling humans. Where the bullet hit came out an explosion of darkness enveloping both the people and the creatures. When it cleared the creatures were gone and people started to come back to their senses looking around confused and dazed. The child next to me still remained the same however and when he gazed at me I shivered as I felt almost as if I was being watched with millions of eyes instead of two. Before I could decide what to do next they appeared. People dressed entirely of black covering even their faces came out of nowhere and quickly started escorting me somewhere I was too tired to protest, and out of the corner of my eyes I saw them dealing with the very confused people. My steps started to slow as the adrenaline started to wear off and after one or two more steps darkness engulfed my vision.   I woke up in an unfamiliar bed and checked my surroundings. I still had all of my gear except for my worry stone. The bracelet holding it was still there but the stone itself was gone. I opened the door of the room leading to what I assumed to be a modest living room and inside was unsurprisingly Rose. The second she looked at me I felt a jolt, her gaze was almost a physical sensation.   “Ah good to see you out and about” Rose said and she actually did sound happy about it which was a pleasant surprise.   “I’m a little at a loss what happened to me at that village” There was no doubt in my mind that Rose knew far more then me about recent events   “Seriously not even a thank you for giving you the resources you needed to survive which might I add are not cheap”   “You’re talking about the bullets aren’t you”   “Yes I’m talking about the bullets clearly your new powers doesn’t give you any extra intelligence” Before I could process what she just said Rose added “Still you did good, saved a lot of people you should be proud of yourself”   “.. what new powers” I say wondering if Rose has finally started to go senile.   "how should I know your the one who just went through an awakening"   All of a sudden all the tiny little things came together for me, the missing crystal, the now stronger sense of awareness even that weird feeling with that creepy child. "...That was a void crystal wasn't it?"   "You mean you didn't know?" Rose actually dared to look a little amused and I'll admit I had to take a minute to calm down and not do anything I would regret.   "How do you know all this anyway" Rose gestured at her table on which was the set of cards she was messing with earlier there was a six of diamonds on top of a sideways four of clubs, an ace of spades, an upside down queen of diamonds and a king of diamonds.  I gave her a questioning look and seeing this she replied "of course you don't know anything about Torode cards why would you, suffice to say I have my ways" .    After this there was a moment of awkward silence before I said "..so what now"   "that's up to you I suppose. I'd be happy to take you on as someone who'd work for me, which the best choice in my humble opinion, I pay well I assure you, or you can continue your life as a freelancer or you can pick a third option. The ball is in your court as they say." I considered for a little bit it didn't feel right to just go back to the way things were but I didn't know if I wanted to follow Rose's orders. Before I could think any further on this I felt an angry buzz eyes I felt glaring at me I walked over to the source of the feeling and stopped before a display case inside of which were a set of crystals and one of which that looked very similar to the crystal that used to be on my bracelet radiated that unpleasant feeling. I continued to stare at it as I once again spoke to Rose   "If I join you can you guarantee that I'll have the chance to make sure those creatures that I saw in the village stay wherever they are when they aren't in our world"   "...that can be arranged yes" Rose didn't even ask what creatures I was talking about confirming that she knows a fair bit more then she has any right to.   "ok then I'll join you" and that was how I joined Rose's group and found my purpose in life.