Jacob returned to the opulent living room of his mansion. The echoes of recent events played in his mind as he crossed the threshold.
“That… freak… How am I supposed to defeat him?” he murmured.
Within the room, a grand portrait of his late father Johnny hung next to him, a reminder of his legacy and the weight of his expectations.
Jacob stared at the stern and imposing visage in the portrait, feeling the weight of his father’s judgment in every line and stroke.
“Father,” he began.
“You were a formidable leader, and you instilled in me the values of power, honor, and control. Your legacy, this empire, they are your gifts to me.”
Jacob then looked away.
“But I’m not you, I’ve molded this empire in my image, for better or worse. I’ve seized opportunities and made choices that you might not have…”
In a moment of impulse, Jacob reached for a small mushroom placed on a nearby table. He brought it to his lips and consumed it in a single bite. Its effects were swift, casting a surreal haze over his surroundings and as the room seemed to blur and twist, he poured vodka into a crystal glass.
“Fuck it, we only live once after all…”
The alcohol, combined with the mushroom’s influence, sent a wave of euphoria through his senses.
Jacob turned his attention to his dagger resting nearby, he then grabbed it and sat down, looking at it and contemplating his choices.
But then, Jacob heard a voice, a voice from the past.
“I’m disappointed, Jacob…”
Jacob’s eyes darted around the room, the effect of the hallucinogenic compounds intensifying. He watched in disbelief as the portrait of his father seemed to come alive, merging with a mirror nearby.
Jacob blinked, struggling to make sense of what was happening.
“What’s this?” he muttered under his breath.
“Father? It’s that you?” he wondered as he stood up, slowly approaching the apparition.
“Of course it’s me. I am alive in you, Jacob. You should have led the clan into a wonderful era, but you led it into chaos…” the spectral voice continued, casting an accusatory shadow over Jacob’s conscience.
Jacob halted his walk and looked down, unable to bear the gaze of his father’s image.
The weight of Johnny’s judgment bore heavily upon him.
“When… When you left, Dad, I… I had to face struggles you couldn’t have foreseen…” he whispered, with regret.
His eyes were downcast, avoiding the reflection of his father’s disapproving gaze.
“The Spyder Clan… The affair between Mother and Uncle Wade, a betrayal that cut deep…” Jacob continued, his voice steadier as he recounted the challenges he had faced.
He looked back up, stepping forward to the mirror and gaining some confidence.
“And then, a supernatural threat, Dad. The child I used to bully, Matt, turned into something that I could only witness in movies. He transformed into something… otherworldly. He single-handedly brought nothing but death in his wake. I couldn’t have predicted any of this…”
Jacob’s eyes darted to the mirror, where Johnny’s reflection seemed to listen to his confession.
“I’ve had to make choices, decisions I thought were necessary to secure our empire. I hope you can understand that…”
Johnny’s spectral image regarded him sternly.
“There is no room for weakness in this world, Jacob. Losers make up excuses, winners find a way to win, no matter what stands in their path…”
Jacob’s jaw clenched.
“No matter what?”
He made two steps forward, his resolve strengthening.
“I’ve watched my men die, pierced by a single punch! He has powers I can’t comprehend. I’ve faced him twice, and every time, it’s like trying to control a force of nature. I don’t even know if I can survive another encounter!”
The spectral figure of Johnny remained steadfast.
“Strength, Jacob. Strength and determination. The empire we’ve built requires a leader who can overcome any obstacle. You’ve overcome challenges before, and you’ll find a way to overcome this one.”
“But this is different, Father,” Jacob replied with a sense of helplessness.
“Matt… He’s not human anymore. He’s a fucking monster…”
The spectral image of Johnny seemed to soften for a moment.
“Even monsters have weaknesses, Jacob. Find them, exploit them. You must adapt, just as you did with the Spyder Clan, just as you did with betrayal. That is the path of a true leader.”
Jacob’s steps echoed through the room as he walked in contemplation. His fingers nervously traced his lips as he pondered his options.
“Maybe…” he muttered.
Jacob looked back at his father figure approaching it.
" Maybe I should find a way to cut his hands… Or kill his friends first…”
However, he clenched his jaw and looked down in frustration as he remembered that he had attempted this tactic before, only to have it thwarted.
Jacob’s gaze wandered the room, searching for answers among the swirling hallucinogenic patterns, but the room offered no guidance.
“What can I do, Dad?” he sighed, stepping forward.
“Show me the way…”
The silence seemed to stretch on, but just as doubt crept into Jacob’s thoughts, his father’s spectral image stirred.
“Jacob, power is not just in the physical realm. It’s in the mind, in the heart, and in the soul. To defeat a formidable adversary like that, you must delve deeper, uncover his weaknesses not just in his abilities but in his psyche.”
Jacob’s brow furrowed as he absorbed his father’s words.
“His psyche… Do you mean, I need to get inside his head? Manipulate his emotions or thoughts?”
Johnny’s spectral figure nodded, the furrows on his brow mirroring the same stoic determination that had once guided Jacob.
“Precisely. Understand what drives him, what haunts him, what he cares about most. Exploit those vulnerabilities to weaken his resolve.”
Jacob smirked.
“I see… It’s not just about brute force. It’s about breaking him mentally, emotionally…”
His father’s spectral image smirked as well.
“Yes, Jacob. Be strong, adapt, and you’ll find the path to victory.”
With those words of guidance, the surreal world began to fade.
The spectral image of Johnny slowly merged with the portrait, and Jacob found himself back in the opulent living room. The effects of the mushroom and the vodka still lingered, but now he possessed a newfound clarity and determination.
With renewed purpose, Jacob set forth on the arduous journey of understanding his supernatural foe, prepared to unravel the enigma that was Matt and bring down the formidable threat that plagued his empire…