Day 6

No aching muscles.

No creaking joints.

No fog that penetrates every recess of the mind.

With his consumption of the Vigour vial, Sham had reinvented his body, making it seem as though he’d never been sick at all. His legs held firm beneath him, his energy levels maxed out and off the charts. The only downside was…

‘Make them pay,’ Vigour suggested.

‘Make who pay?’ Sham responded, making full use of the quiet time afforded by Riot’s lush second bathroom and the towering bathtub therein.

‘All of them…’

Sham shook his head, ridding himself of the voices for a moment, and sunk deeper into the hot water. With the addition of one of the many colourful glass bottles at the side of the bath, the water took on a pink hue and a fragrant aroma, and Sham could almost feel the callouses on his skin begin to smoothe.

‘This is making you weak, Sham… There’s no need for weakness now…’

‘Oh yeah? And you agree, do you, Recollection?’

The living skill replied in an apathetic tone, ‘We got larger concerns than than your washing habits.’

Sham raised his eyebrows, then closes his eyes and put his head under the water for a moment, as though the obstruction to his ears might block out the voices. It did not.

‘All this new strength and here you are fucking about in a bathtub…’

‘Don’t see there’s any rush,’ Sham replied. ‘That’s about the one good thing about being stuck in a time loop.’

No response. He’d won, this time.

Sham pulled himself up and out of the bath in one fluid movement, marvelling at this motion that might have taken him a whole five minutes prior to last night, and the Vigour skill vial. He kept his eye closed as he let the worst of the water drip from him, run down his back and drop into the water below, each creating a tiny noise that echoed around the large room. He stepped into a towel—the softest bloody towel he’d ever touched—and dried himself off. Looking into the mirror, there he was: a whole new Sham.

The physical changes weren’t so dramatic that Sham knew for certain he wasn’t imagining them. But the beer belly seemed to have shrunk—not that this had ever been his worst issue—and the black rings around his eyes had disappeared overnight. Though he couldn’t say for certain that this wasn’t simply the power of a comfortable bed. And when he prodded at his upper arms, he could’ve sworn there was more resistance than before. It didn’t matter, of course. He had the Legendary grade skill anyway. It just would’ve been nice for people—attractive women, specifically—to know he had such a skill.

A knock on the door broke Sham from his narcissistic stare.

‘You ready?’ Riot called out.

She’d seemed happier this morning, after the rest of her night’s sleep. The voice had quietened now that she had more control over them, but Sham knew from experience that there was no chance of getting rid of it entirely. Still, she’d smiled when he’d met her in the living area, and even though he sensed its insincerity, it was a smile. It was progress.

‘Yeah,’ Sham cried back, tying a towel around his waste. ‘I’m ready.’ He reached for the door handle and opened it, then stepped backwards a pace when he realised that Riot had been just the other side of it.

‘Oh,’ she said, her eyes on Sham’s chest.

For a moment he even allowed herself to think she’d been checking him out, and then…

‘Scars,’ Riot mumbled. It seemed to be somewhere between a question and a statement. Her cheeks flushed when she realised what she said, and she turned away, half out of the room by the time Sham had a chance to respond.

‘Not all of us have had such a luxurious life,’ he said.

Riot stopped at the doorway, still facing away from him and out the room. ‘What happened?’ she asked.

‘Nothing that weren’t my own fault.’

Sham heard his host snort gently. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I did imagine so.’

He would have given Riot more information, but she continued on out the room, and allowed Sham to get dressed in peace. Turning to face the bed, Sham realised that his host had left, there, some fresh clothes. A clean white shirt—pressed, even—as well as a long black coat with three fewer holes than his old jacket, which had three holes in it. ‘What’s this?’ he called out.

‘Fresh clothes,’ came the answer.

‘Yeah, I can see that. Why?’

A pause. Riot struggling with the question. ‘I thought… you would want them?’

Sham sighed, began pulling the fresh white shirt over his shoulders. ‘Who’s are they?’

‘Does it matter? He won’t miss them.’

‘A old boyfriend?’

‘He won’t missed them,’ Riot said again.

[HEART OF JANUS] YEAH, RIGHT: SUCCESS

That tone, ever so slightly strained. That question avoided. I think you know the answer to this one.

‘Hmm,’ Sham replied, uncomfortable with the idea of figuratively assuming the role of an ex-partner, but pulling the clothes on none the less. He found himself surprised by how well they fit; surely someone like Riot wouldn’t have been involved with someone with a physique like this?

‘Perhaps your body really has changed…’ Recollection sneered.

‘Why so mocking?’ Sham replied. ‘Either we look good or we don’t. Makes no odds to me.’

There came no reply.

Sham finished getting dressed and stepped out into the main—enormous—living space that made up the centre of Riot’s penthouse suite. He found his host standing, resting against the sofa edge, her hair and face not quite so freshly made as he’d seen her before, but looking—

‘Good? Looking good, is she?’ Recollection whined. ‘Is that what you were going to say?’ Sham refrained from commenting.

‘Well?’ she said. ‘Shall we go?’

Their destination, it turned out, was a towering block of apartments in the Diplomatic District. One that, if another road over, would have had a stunning view of the Government Plaza. According to Riot, it was an apartment she’d visited many times in her childhood, but until her own personal Recollection unlocked the memories, it’d been lost to her. Though Kryl was younger still, he’d had a Recollection of his own ambling around his mind for long enough to unlock even the most distant of memories. Even memories of holidays in the Diplomatic District, back before the coup. Even memories of an apartment that still, in theory, belonged to the Resnuc family.

As they arrived at the door, Riot paused at the list of electronic doorbells, her hands hovering. ‘I don’t know which one it is.’

‘No,’ Sham responded.

Riot pulled a face, turning to him, her hand still raised. ‘What?’

‘It’s not that you don’t know, it’s that you don’t remember.’

‘OK, well I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about—’

A pause. Her face went pale. Sham recognised the signs for what they were; a mind responding to intruding voices.

‘Ah,’ she mumbled to herself, pressing the number thirteen button. ‘Yes.’

There came no response. Not immediately, at least. Sham was just about to voice his doubts. That she’d had one memory, that changes were it wasn’t gonna lead to any obvious breakthrough. And then to reassure her, he’d tell her that they’d keep at it. That they’d find him. That it might not be this Loop, or the next, or even the one after—

‘Who’s there?’ came a familiar voice from behind the door.

‘It’s me, Kryl,’ Riot whispered. ‘It’s me.’

There was a pause before the well-groomed Kryl pulled the door open. He kept his face strictly behind the wood, only opening the way enough for Riot to step through, and then began to close the door again on Sham. He placed his foot to block it.

‘You,’ Kryl commented as Sham revealed himself.

‘Yeah. Me.’

‘Another Loop and again you end up with my sister,’ he said, closing the door gently behind them. ‘I’m starting to think…’ He trailed off, not able to voice the end of that particular thought.

‘Think what?’ Sham challenged him, meeting his glare.

Another pause. Kryl shook his head. ‘Come,’ he said, waving them towards an electrical elevator, ‘We talk in private.’ In silence, Riot and Sham followed their host towards the platform, and allowed Kryl the honours of pulling the great lever that whirred the motor into action. Mostly Sham let Kryl do it because he didn’t know how the fuck it was supposed to work, but if anyone asked he’d say it was the first reason.

‘Kryl, I—’ Riot started, but was cut off by her brother placing a finger to his lips.

‘Wait,’ he said. ‘Not here.’

With another pull of the level, the electrical elevator slowed to a stop on the twelfth floor. Kryl swung the metal mesh gate open and gestured them through.

If Sham had not just come from Riot’s apartment, he’d have thought Kryl’s secret hideout was the nicest home he’d ever seen. It was decorated in the old style, with dark woods and—admittedly much lusher—red carpets, and accents of dark green in leather and paint. It was the second largest home Sham had ever stepped foot in, and yet it was somewhere that Riot had forgotten about. He couldn’t marry the two concepts in his mind.

Kryl checked the lobby before closing the door behind them, and nodded to himself, apparently satisfied that there was nobody to eavesdrop. ‘Recollection?’ he asked Riot.

She nodded to Sham. ‘Yes. His doing.’

Kryl’s eyes flicked to the less posh of his two visitors. ‘I’m not sure that I can thank you for that.’

‘Wouldn’t have needed to if I had been able to find you.’

Kryl held Sham’s gaze for a moment, before eventually snapping his eyes back to his sister. Sham took some glee from the fact that he’d apparently won this glaring competition.

‘Damned bloody snob,’ Vigour barked.

‘I suppose I owe you some answers,’ Kryl said. ‘Now that you’re trapped in the Loop with me.’

‘Yeah,’ Sham said. ‘I think you—’

‘Not you,’ the damned bloody snob said, nodding to Riot. ‘My sister. My family.’

‘Right,’ he threw back at him. ‘But I’m still gonna stay, so...’

Kryl looked from him to Riot, as though looking for assent from her. She gave it in the form of a nod. He walked them over to a set of grand sofas, gesturing for them to sit, and then—after they’d done so—remained standing. He paced from one end of the room to the other, his hands clasped together behind his back. ‘You sure you want him here?’ Kryl said, nodding to Sham.

‘Is there any reason I shouldn’t?’ Riot replied.

Kryl opened his mouth as if to speak, but then thought better of it and continued to pace around the room.

‘So,’ Sham started, ‘Are you gonna—’

‘I have watched the destruction of Haven take place on… oh, thirty occasions now?’ Kryl finally began. ‘It took me a while to stumble upon the cause of it all. Took me a few Loops of being lost.’

‘When you went to the Church?’ Sham butted in.

Kryl’s nostrils flared. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I met with the Loopkeepers. Fumbled with their code for a time, before realising the inanity of it. I was not content to live a repeating life, not like they are—so I left. And I eventually found Julya.’

‘Right,’ Riot said. ‘That’s about where we are with it. And the vials, they’ve come from…’

‘A man named Asa,’ Kryl replied. ‘I believe Sham has met him, but…’

Riot nodded. ‘We’ve had the… pleasure.’

‘You tried to stop him, right?’ Sham added. ‘I found that map, a few Loops back.’

Kryl, apparently against his better judgement, flashed Sham a quick nod. ‘Yes. His organisation were too powerful. Have allies that they don’t quite understand.’

Sham leant forwards. ‘Allies? Asa’s mentioned them, but… Who are they?’

Kryl waved him down. ‘It’s not important. What matters is: that point is fixed in the Loop. Julya will get those vials, one way or another.’

‘Even if it puts you at the bottom of the harbour,’ Sham mumbled.

Riot raised an eyebrow, Kryl flashed him another reluctant nod.

‘One thing I’m still stuck on,’ Riot said, leaning forward conspiratorially. ‘Is why this… Julya needs the vials to begin with. We know they preserve between Loops; you two are living proof of the matter. So… why? Why does she need them at all?’

Kryl’s pacing came to a stop. He turned to face his sister. ‘I have… spoken with her. Yes, Mr Tilner, I did at least try your strategy. But she will not be talked down. One aspect of the matter that I did glean, however, pertains to your very question. From what I could gather—though I do not think Julya truly knows this herself—she is breaking the very fabric of reality. She is turning the written rules of physics on their head, and she is paying the price for it. We all are. And it is being at the heart of this tear in the world that breaks her too. Resets everything down to zero. Gives her a blank—’

‘But she remembers,’ Riot said.

Kryl’s eyes narrowed. He paced over to the window, stare out of it for a moment, and then turned back to them. ‘...Yes. There is that.’

‘I got a question,’ Sham piped up.

Kryl made no effort to hide his sigh. ‘Yes?’

‘You’re trying to break the Loop, yeah?’

‘That is an accurate summary of my quest, yes.’

‘Mine too,’ Sham said. ‘So you’re trying to stop the destruction of the city. Why, then, has the Prime Minister sent his goons after you?’

‘The Legion?’ Kryl replied. ‘I do not know. But consider this, Sham: Enoch does the—’

‘Enoch?’

Riot and Kryl looked at him with blank eyes; as though they’d just realised that he was an imbecile. ‘The… prime minister?’ Riot replied.

‘I could’ve told you that…’ Recollection said.

‘Well why didn’t you?’ Sham mumbled under his breath, two pairs of eyes still on him.

‘Consider this,’ Kryl tried again. ‘The Prime Minister sends his Legion after me every Loop. Which means…’

‘He remembers them.’

Kryl nodded. ‘And that’s just one reason that he has to die.’

It was Sham’s turn to stare blankly. ‘You want to… What?’

Riot’s brother shook his head again. ‘It doesn’t matter. You’ll see, before long. Or Riot will, at least.’

‘Why not me?’ Sham asked.

Kryl raised his palms up. ‘To tell you that would be to spoil the surprise.’

‘You really aren’t going to tell us, brother?’ Riot asked.

‘Not yet,’ he said. ‘And I’ll ask you to trust me on this. It’s for the best.’

Sham stood from his seat, having felt increasingly ridiculous at the height imbalance. He was a taller man that Kryl, and he was going to damn well show it. ‘This isn’t something your Recollection is telling you, is it?’

Kryl smiled. ‘You may not have control over your skills, Mr Tilner, but you best believe I do.’

‘How’d you get it?’ Riot interrupted.

‘Sorry?’

‘The skill,’ she clarified. ‘How did you get it? Not through hard work, I assume. But through…’

Another nod. Kryl ambled away from the windows. ‘The Citizen’s Police. I had myself drafted in.’

‘You hate them, though,’ Riot said. ‘You must do. If you didn’t before, then, with the Recollection skill you must remember…’

‘Our parents?’ he replied.

A nod. ‘Yes.’ When her brother didn’t reply, Riot continued. ‘So you do. You do hate them.’

‘The police?’

‘Them, their leaders, the prime minister himself. The whole damned establishment, Kryl. So why in Haven’s name would you go ahead and join them?’

Riot’s brother went silent for a moment, licked his lips just as she was known to do. As though buying himself time.

[HEART OF JANUS] THEM LICKED LIPS: FAIL

He’s hiding something. You’re sure of it. But if he won’t tell his own sister, then what makes you think he’d tell you?

Finally, he shrugged. ‘After a while you come to think you might be better off changing the system from the inside.’

Kryl’s eyes drifted to Sham. They held eye contact for a moment. For a long moment. One that seemed to stretch into an eternity. Sham knew Kryl was hiding something, and Kryl knew Sham knew it. There was a hostility in those glares, and Sham couldn’t help but find a storm of wrath whip up within him.

‘You could beat it out of him,’ Vigour so helpfully suggested. ‘Make him tell you. You’re strong enough, now. Strong enough with me.’

‘And what of Riot, then?’ Recollection replied. ‘We both know she wouldn’t forget.’

Sham felt his hand clench into a fist at his side, and had to fight it from rising.

‘Well, well…’ Recollection mused. ‘Quite a strong grip you have over him.’

‘Plenty of anger there,’ Vigour replied. ‘Lots to play with. You feeling threatened?’

‘What, by you? By a Vigour? Never.’

Kryl’s head drifted over his shoulder, his vision snapping to the window, his brow furrowed. It took Sham a moment to realise what he was noticing.

Outside, many many stories down, an automobile had come to a stop.

‘What is it?’ Riot asked.

As if in answer, Kryl strolled over to the window, gazing down at the street. His eyes widened.

‘You!’ he suddenly snapped at Sham. ‘You’ve led them here! My last good hideout. My last…’

‘What?’ Riot cut in. ‘Who? Not the…’

Kryl nodded, hurrying for the elevator, and both Riot and Sham followed hot on his heel. ‘Don’t suppose you have somewhere we can go?’ he bit at Sham as he wrenched on the lever.

‘Actually,’ Sham replied. ‘I think I do.’