"Kill Ron first, then meet with me. Only then will I tell you what comes next," Rio said, his voice cold.
William gave a short, sharp nod.
"I'll provide you with a partner," Rio added, his eyes locking onto William's. "His name is Frank."
William nodded again. Without another word, Rio crossed the room and sank into his chair. With a casual flick of his wrist, a translucent interface shimmered into existence before him—a display invisible to anyone else. He began to swipe through data, dismissed William's presence entirely.
Suddenly, the heavy doors groaned open.
The other Heads filed in, from the First to the Seventh, their footsteps echoing against the polished floor. Ross, the First Head, took his place at the center of the long table and gestured toward an empty chair. "Sit, William. Take your place as the Ninth Elder."
Once everyone was settled, Ross leaned forward, his gaze heavy. "So, William. What is it you have to offer us?"
"I know the location of the envelope you've been hunting for," William stated.
The room went deathly silent. Every eye turned toward the Second Head, who remained staring downward, his focus narrowed as if reading a hidden script. Low whispers broke the silence.
"So, the Second Head spoke the truth."
"I thought he was exaggerating."
Ross cleared his throat, and the murmurs died instantly. "Where is it?"
"China," William replied.
A woman with striking white hair scoffed. "China is a vast territory, boy. Give us a location, not a map of the world."
"I will," William said, his voice steadying. "But first, I need you to grant me power. Make me strong."
"And what stops you from running the moment you have that strength?" a man challenged from the end of the table.
"I won't. I keep my word. You help me, and I help you. It's that simple."
Several Heads began to voice their protests, but Ross raised a hand. "Enough." He looked at William. "Fine. But you will give us the exact coordinates before we begin your ascension."
A collective sigh of relief filled the room.
William took a breath. "Locki buried it near his wife's grave in China, close to the home they once shared. That house is still listed under Locki's name. Search his properties; the one in China is your target. You'll find the grave nearby, and the envelope is buried with her."
Ross stared at William, his expression unreadable. "Does anyone have an objection?"
"I do," a blonde woman said, leaning into the light. Ross nodded to her, and she turned her scrutiny toward William. "How can you be so certain? Where did this information come from?"
"Yeah, why should we trust the word of a man we barely know?" another man added.
"I got the information from Locki himself," William said.
The white-haired woman let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Pardon? You're claiming Locki just handed over the location of his most prized possession?"
"Do you take us for fools?" the man sneered.
"I agree with the Third Head," Eirene added quietly.
Rio turned his head slightly toward William. "Eighth Head, if you want prowess, you must offer honesty in exchange."
William took a deep breath, scanning the skeptical faces. "I had help. I was given two spells. The first was a tracking spell to find anyone's location. The second was a compulsion spell—if used, the target is forced to answer any question honestly for exactly one minute. Both spells had only two charges. I've used them both."
"And how, exactly, did you use them?" Ross asked.
"I tried to use the location spell to find the Second Head, but it failed. The second time, I used it to find Locki. When I found him, he was unconscious in a hidden crypt. I used the compulsion spell while he was in that state; he answered my questions before he even knew I was there."
The Heads exchanged glances, the skepticism in the room shifting into a tense curiosity. Rio smiled thinly.
"I believe we should help him," Rio said, his voice cutting through the tension. "He has given us what we asked for. Now, it is time to fulfill our end of the bargain."
The others looked at one another and, seeing Ross's slow nod of approval, they followed suit.
"Very well," Ross ordered. "Fifth Head, take him to Ignes's lab. The meeting is adjourned. Fourth Head, dispatched a retrieval team to the coordinates provided."
As the room cleared, Eirene stood and gestured for William to follow. They walked through a labyrinth of sterile hallways until they reached a dead end. William frowned, looking at the blank wall, but Eirene didn't hesitate.
The wall suddenly groaned, its surface shifting and reconfiguring into a complex, spherical mechanism. A blinding beam of light flashed, and in a heartbeat, the hallway was gone.
They materialized in a high-tech laboratory. Through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, William could see nothing but a dense, endless forest.
A woman stepped forward to meet them. She had dark, chocolate-colored hair that fell just past her shoulders and piercing amethyst eyes. She looked to be in her early twenties, dressed in a form-fitting black jumpsuit with a white lab coat draped over her shoulders.
"Fifth Head of Foster," the woman said, bowing her head slightly. "I'm honored by the visit. Had I known you were coming, I would have prepared a proper welcome."
Eirene shook her head. "Apologies for the short notice, Ignes. This is William, the Eighth Head of Foster."
Ignes turned her violet gaze toward William and nodded.
"Ignes is one of our most brilliant researchers," Eirene explained to William. "And the daughter of our primary partner. She will be the one to oversee your procedure and ensure the power takes hold."
William looked at the machinery surrounding them and nodded, his heart hammering against his ribs. The transformation was finally beginning.