Ozymandias

So... I went out into the storm to see what was going on. Strong winds buffeted me and they were centered around what appeared to be a hole in the middle of the street. It was tiny barely a pinpoint, but very quickly it began to enlarge and soon clawed hands pushed through followed by tendrils of smoke that filtered out of the hole and then the head of The Brute pushed through and the hole widened into a sort of door and The entirety of The Brute stepped through with Harold following behind it. It glanced around hungrily and then it's eyes settled on her and it lunged only to be yanked back by means of the chain in Harold's hands.

"What are you doing here?" I asked and Harold smiled at me.

"Came to get you out," he answered.

"Oh well thanks... We should hurry then I'm pretty sure The City will-" I began and he cut me off.

"The City won't do anything. It's dead. All that's left here are the remnants of it. Nothing, but mindless ruins. The City disconnected itself from here when The Amalgam attacked. It came back for a bit to repay The Muffin Man, but it disconnected itself again later. This entire version of The Empty City is dead. Static. The Doors are set in their locations and only The Fears know where they are. The City is no longer unchanging and it no longer preys on people. It's simply old ruins," Harold explained.

"That... That doesn't seem right. It was providing for me. Normal, or dead cities can't do that," I argued.

"True. The city is dead, but in a sense it's powers remain to a degree. Someone either you, or The Fears, likely The Wooden Girl since she's the one behind you being here, used the remains of The Empty City's fluctuating nature to form whatever you desired. There is no mind left here, but The City can still change if someone else desires it to. It's like play-doh now, which in one way is good news as it's probably the only reason you're still alive, but in another way is bad news," He informed me.

"What's bad about it?" I asked.

"With The City dead and no servants of The City remaining there's only one source left for you to acquire it's essence for The Watch," He explained.

"You know about that?"

"Literally anything that is considered a Fear knows about that. Jack wasn't very careful about who got the message."

"Well fine... What's the one remaining source of The City's essence?"

"The Muffin Man. He contains within him The Essences of the The Empty City, The Slender Man, The Rake, The Wooden Girl, The Cold Boy, The Blind Man, EAT, The Plague Doctor and The Choir. Add to that The Convocation which you already have, The Archangel which you might have and The Dying Man and you have almost everything," he explained.

I sighed, "So at this point the only choice I have left is to kill one of my friends in order to complete this Key?" I asked.

He nodded, "Sorry."

"Is it actually worth it?" I asked.

"I think it is, but regardless of whether you think it is or not, The Wooden Girl probably knows The Muffin Man is the only source for The Empty City's essence as well, so whether at your hands or hers one of you is going to try and kill him for the essences he contains. Especially since The Wooden Girl would probably find it much easier to kill him and The Liar than to try and get it from The others who all oppose her plan and are actually currently pitted in battle with her now that as far as they know you're not a threat," He explained.

He was right of course. I sighed.

"Whatever I decide to do the first step is leaving here," I said.

He smiled, "Great. I'd be obliged if you stepped through first since it will likely close behind me and if we walk together The Brute is liable to try and take a bite out of you," he explained.

I did so. The other side of the door led to an alleyway and I stepped away from the door as Harold and The Brute came through at which point The Brute seemed to disappear into the ground again as the door closed behind them. I'm quite far away from The Hospital and my first step should probably be to go after The watch, but the first thing I told Harold is that he better get me to the hospital to find out how Lisa's doing. Harold got me a computer to type this post out, but it's not moveable. With any luck though I'll be able to get mine back from the hospital when we get there.

I really hope you're okay Lisa.