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ลำดับตอนที่ #3 : The Unwanted Guests
Chapter 3 - The Unwanted Guests
[Alex]
I walked straight home today after work, deciding that maybe it was time for a break from the gym. I mean, dodging abduction attempts should count as a workout, right? You know, safety first – why face potential kidnappers when you can do push-ups in your living room?
The events of the previous night still loomed over my thoughts like an ominous storm cloud. I had narrowly escaped becoming the star of my very own abduction-themed reality show, and the prophecy from the ancient tome continued to baffle me. It was like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube while being chased by ninja kidnappers – not your average ideal evening, I assure you. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I figured it couldn’t be any weirder than what had already happened.
My steps slowed as I reached the gate of my house, a chill running down my spine, probably because I read too many mystery thrillers growing up. I dismissed it as paranoia, but part of me had already imagined the plants in my front yard as undercover agents, ready to spring into action to save me if danger approached. “Not today, dandelions, not today,” I whispered to them, giving them an encouraging nod.
With each step down the path toward my front door, the unease grew, and I thought that if my life were a movie, this would be the perfect setup for a sequel to the weirdness of last night. My instincts screamed at me to turn back, to flee, but my curiosity was like an itch I couldn’t resist scratching.
I approached my house cautiously, key in hand, like I was about to unlock the secrets of a hidden treasure chest or the door to a mysterious parallel universe. But, you know, just in case, I could also weaponize my trusty three-liter metallic water bottle – a hydration hero’s best friend. Stay thirsty, my friends! I mean, stay hydrated, seriously, and your body will thank you later.
I turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door. As I was removing my shoes, a chorus of voices greeted me.
“Surprise!” they exclaimed in unison, their voices as harmonious as a well-practiced choir.
I blinked in shock, my mind struggling to process what I was seeing. My once-clean house was filled with people, a mix of strangers and familiar figures – like the ones that attempted my abduction the other night! Who invited them to my party? Wait, why was there a party in my house?
It was like someone had ordered a party-in-a-box and dumped it in my living room. There were balloons tied to furniture, and a cake with my name on it sat proudly on the dining table. A cardboard cutout of me, holding a dumbbell, stood in the corner, as if to say, “Welcome to the house of gains, folks!”
“Who are you people?” I stammered, taking a step back toward the door, reaching for my shoes.
A man with slicked-back hair and a perfectly tailored suit stepped forward, a sinister smile playing on his lips. The room suddenly fell into silence and seriousness. “Ah, Mr. Alex Azklepioz, I presume?” he said, his voice dripping with mock politeness, as if he were inviting me to a tea party in Wonderland.
My heart pounded in my chest as I realized that this man knew my name. “How do you know who I am?” I demanded, feeling like I was in the middle of an episode of a reality show gone terribly wrong.
The man ignored my question and continued, “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Malus Malikos, and I have been searching for you for a very long time.” He reached out his right hand, intended for me to shake it, but he didn’t remove his gloves. How rude! And worse, all the party crashers were wearing shoes in my house. Okay, that’s it. I retaliated.
“I’m not shaking a stranger’s hand, especially when that stranger breaks into MY house without removing his shoes and keeps his gloves on while shaking hands,” I faced him, crossing my arms. A few hooded figures rose as if they’re going to hit me for standing up to their boss, but I didn’t fret. My house, my rules.
Malikos chuckled, clearly amused by my rebellious act. He took off his shoes, put them neatly at the doorstep, and ordered his people to do the same.
As Malikos walked back to me, he removed his left glove, revealing a pale left hand, and offered it to me instead of his glove-covered right hand. After the awkward handshake, he put his gloves back on. Seriously, what’s with the gloves? It’s like he’s trying to hide something.
“Mr. Azklepioz, I have a proposition for you. A mutually beneficial arrangement, if you will.”
I raised an eyebrow, my fear giving way to curiosity. “And what kind of arrangement would that be?”
Malikos leaned in closer. “I believe you have the potential to find something that… rightfully belongs to me—a certain amulet. I’ll make a deal with you. Find it, and you’ll… have answers… to all your questions. Fail, and, well, let’s just say… you won’t enjoy the consequences.”
According to the pause in his words, he’s lying. The amulet surely wasn’t his. And by the way, what was that amulet thingy about?
As Malikos continued his eerie monologue, his mysterious companions closed in around me, their faces concealed beneath dark hoods. They had an otherworldly air about them, like they had just stepped out of a science fiction convention. I half-expected someone to pull out a lightsaber. But why were they surrounding me?
“Hey, personal space, folks! Give me a breather,” I said. Unexpectedly, they backed off. “Thank you.”
Malikos continued, his voice dripping with dark humor, “You might be wondering what this ‘certain amulet’ is and why it’s so important. Allow me to enlighten you, Mr. Azklepioz.”
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him, “And here I thought enlightening was reserved for energy-saving light bulbs.”
“This amulet, known as the Aquamendus Amulet, is a relic of immense power,” Malikos explained, his tone as dramatic as a Shakespearean actor on a caffeine high. “It has the ability to control and manipulate water in all its forms, and it grants its bearer the power to command the very essence of life. And right now, Mr. Azklepioz, it reveals itself for the first time in centuries.”
I frowned, still utterly bewildered by the situation. “Okay, but what does that have to do with me?”
Malikos leaned in closer, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. “Because, Mr. Azklepioz, you are the key to finding it. You see, the Aquamendus Amulet reveals itself for one year once the Chapter of Scorpio in that Tome of Azklepioz of yours resonates with an individual. And you, my dear boy, are the one it resonated with.”
The words hung in the air, and I couldn’t deny the sinking feeling in my stomach. I had stumbled into something far beyond my understanding, and it was becoming increasingly clear that I was at the center of it all.
My living room seemed to close in around me as I considered the gravity of the situation. The strangers in my house, Malikos with his cryptic demands, and the mysterious amulet—all of it formed a tangled web of uncertainty. I had no choice but to navigate this surreal landscape, to uncover the truth about the amulet, and to discover why I was the one who held the key.
As I stood in the midst of the bizarre party that had invaded my home, I wondered how my life had taken such a strange and unexpected turn. And with Malikos’s eyes locked onto mine, like a cat eyeing a canary, I knew that there was no turning back.
My mind raced, I just wanted a clean and quiet house, but instead, I got this surreal party. What’s next? Dancing aliens in the backyard?
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