Madlen's Bar and Grill is a charming, placid place.

The establishment has a dark ambiance that contributes to its laid-back atmosphere. The moment you enter, it has a calming effect. Spending the day with Mori leaves me craving a calm space.

The four of us find a circular booth in a row of booths. The booths were built using dark wood with maroon seat padding. On the other side of a partition is the bar area, where a long bar with bottles of top shelf liquor is positioned.

Seven tables are set up towards a small stage with a microphone and an antique piano.

Sierra slides into the booth and Leo slides in opposite her. Mori and I slide in next to Leon and Sierra, respectively. A perky young woman wearing a tight white t-shirt with the words "Madlen's" written on the front of it and shorts short enough to make a thong look prudent bounces up to our table to take our orders.

She announces her name to be Rain before she bounces off to place the order with the kitchen, which is just beyond the bar.

Leon asks about our day and Mori gushes about shopping. She details our every move and Sierra occasionally hops in to corroborate her story. Leon stares intently at Mori as she speaks.

There is something sweet about the way he is staring at her.

When Mori asks Leon what he is up to, he announces he has been doing personal research. His response is vague and unlike him. He usually lights up when discussing mythology and his lackluster response to her question feels disingenuous.

"That's it?! That's all you can tell us about this wondrous research?" Mori asks. "Isn't mythology, like, your passion?"

Leon scratches his head. "Well, it is complicated. It would take a while to explain."

"Try." Mori presses.

"Mori!" I warn. "It's okay, Leon. We don't want to be intrusive, do we Mori?"

"Parker's right. I'm sorry." Mori says sheepishly.

"No! It's quite alright. It's, well, it pertains to Theogony, or the Clash of the Titans. I have been teaching the story in my curriculum for years, but recently, I've come across some hidden texts that indicate the ending of the clash was not the true end." He says. "It sounds rather silly when one says it aloud."

"You mean there is going to be another huge war between Gods? Wasn't it cataclysmic last time?" Sierra asks.

Leon laughs. "Theoretically, yes. It's what the text suggests. Only the texts refer to lesser beings, noting that it will not be a clash of the gods. It speaks of proxies, loosely translated. The text was written in a dead language."

His musings are terrifying, if interpreted literally. I physically shiver at the idea of a rematch between the Gods. Leon recounts the events of Theogony until Rain returns with our drinks, assuring us our food will follow shortly.

Mori catches us all off guard when she declares the arrival of "Officer Hunk", pointing out Diego. He is standing at the entrance. Mori waves him over to our table.

Leon's face reveals his displeasure with Diego's sudden appearance, though I wonder if it less about Diego appearing and more about Mori's description of him. I suspect Leon is developing a small crush on Mori.

Diego beams as he pulls up a chair from a nearby table to join our table. Like the cool customer he is, he sits backwards in the chair. I resist the urge to roll my eyes as he greets the entire table.

Honestly, I'm still annoyed with how he treated Archer.

"Officer! Stopping in for a drink?" Mori asks.

"I'm on duty." Diego says.

"I didn't hear a no. Should I be worried?" Sierra asks.

"I don't drink on duty. I'm a good boy, isn't that right, Park?"

"Oh yeah. A real nice guy." I say.

According to Diego, he is picking up an order for a couple of the guys on the squad. He voices relief at finding us here as he does not want to wait at the bar, for obvious reasons.

He makes the mistake of asking how long we have been waiting. Mori jumps into action, detailing most of our day, including our wait time.

I get the feeling Mori doesn't get out much.

"So, you took the journey to ooky-kooky land, huh? How'd you like Sandersons?" Diego asks.

"You've seen one magic emporium, you've seen them all." I say.

"I've never been in, so I wouldn't know."

"Why not?"

"I'm Catholic." He reaches down in his shirt and fishes out a silver cross. "Mama would never forgive me if I accidentally communed with El Diablo."

"You can't accidentally commune with the devil. He's very busy. It would take actual effort to call his attention." I explain. "And besides, not everything supernatural is evil. There are quite a few supernatural beings that are inherently good."

Diego chuckles. "Don't tell me you really believe in this shi--stuff. I keep forgetting, that's your bag, right?"

"You should try being less dismissive. Your jurisdiction is literally a hotbed of supernatural conjuncture." Mori interjects. "This whole town is built on the threat of supernatural entities existing."

"Meaning?" Sierra asks.

"The history of the town? You mean you live an occult expert, and you don't know the history of this town?" Diego asks.

"Don't be a douche. Just tell us what you're talking about." I say.

Mori takes the lead, once again, and explains to us the history of Prophecy Cove. The town is supposedly founded by five groups: A coven of witches, a coven of vampires, a pack of werewolves, a group of fae, and a lone group of humans that migrated from a nearby township.

The five groups made a pact to co-exist peacefully with one another and founded Prophecy Cove. It sounds like a fairytale.

Diego laughs. "It's a bunch of bull, if you ask me."

"Oh, come on! With all the unexplained weird happenings going on around here, you're telling me it wouldn't explain away most things? What about the woman who had her heart ripped out in broad daylight with no witnesses?" Mori asks.

"That's too easy, isn't it? A little too convenient? It's easy to lay everything on something supernatural. No one has to take accountability. And if you can't see something, it likely isn't real."

"Like God?"

"Like fairies and demons. When's the last time you saw someone do magic? Or a werewolf running alongside a car? Or a vampire descending from the sky."

"They're vampires, not angels. Most vampires don't possess the ability to fly." I say.

"I've seen Interview with a Vampire." Diego says. "Listen, anything I possible in the world. But it is highly unlikely that vampires and werewolves exist, let alone the Chupacabra."

"The what?" Sierra asks.

"My mom used to tell me and my siblings the Chupacabra would come for us if we weren't good." Diego shivers. "Just fairytales and crap they made up to scare kids. No offense."

I am ready to rebut his inane rambling when my sight flickers between color and black and white. I blink until my mind registers the world in color again.

The others are debating the existence of the supernatural but their voices, as well as the world around us, fade. I cannot hear a sound. The world flashes once more to grey.

"Parker." Anarch rasps.

The trauma of hearing his deep voice in a waking state nearly sends me into a panic attack. My fingers clutch at the edge of the table as the sound of clunking against the floor pulls my attention to the hobbling figure heading towards the table.

I close my eyes tight, trying to will color and sound back into the world as Anarch calls my name again. The sound of his cloven hooves against the floor stops beside the table and I open my eyes to see the entire table staring at me.

Tears stream down my face. I look up to the space where Anarch was to find the perky waitress juggling plates on her arms. Sound returns to the world as they question if I am okay.

Sierra quickly explains I have a habit of having random panic attacks before she pulls me from the table. She apologizes to the rest of the group as she pulls me out of the bar.