Vincenzo “Taquito” Anima Maledictus IV's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Vincenzo floated above Headstone's main street as the sun dipped low. His blue form shimmered against the orange sky. Below him, normal folks hurried home, never looking up at ghosts. He twisted his mustache and smiled. Soon this town would be different. Soon cryptids would have a real home here. He drifted toward the edge of town where the old highway split off into darkness. The ley lines hummed beneath the asphalt, invisible to most but bright as fire to him. Vincenzo raised his ghostly hands and pulled at the energy. Light twisted and bent around his fingers. A tollbooth flickered into existence, its frame glowing pale blue against the growing night. The spectral structure stood solid now, marking the path to his future sanctuary. Any outcast who traveled these roads would see it and know they'd found a place to belong. Vincenzo adjusted his sombrero and nodded. Phantom Junction had its first landmark, and his dream had taken shape. The ghost followed the ley line deeper into the empty land beyond the highway. He stopped where the energy pulsed strongest, right where three lines crossed. Here he would build the heart of everything. Vincenzo pulled harder this time, drawing power from all three lines at once. The air crackled. Neon lights burst into being, casting pink and blue across the dirt. Walls formed next, half-solid and shimmering. A building took shape, part diner and part dance hall, where shadows could rest and whispers could echo safely. Phantom Junction now had its gathering place. Vincenzo grinned wide beneath his mustache. The outcasts would come, and when they did, they'd have somewhere to call home. But one problem remained. How would the scared ones signal they needed help? Vincenzo thought of the cryptids hiding in caves and forests, afraid to show themselves. He concentrated on the ley line energy again and shaped it different this time. Seeds formed in his palm, each one hardening into a rough coin shape. The Acoyns pulsed with wild magic. Any creature could throw one at a plant, and the burst of nature energy would send a message only Vincenzo could feel. He scattered the coins along the ley lines leading to Phantom Junction. Now the hidden ones had a way to call out. The sanctuary was ready, and the outcasts would finally find their way home.