HC: Handyman | Ch. 183 - Passenger

After watching the professor work, Jack felt like he’d fallen into a trance. The world beyond the workshop seemed distant, as if muffled by water.

The professor’s motions replayed in his mind—each cut, each careful angle. He saw the bone in its raw state, then the transformation, then the final sculpture. Over and over, like his brain was trying to memorize it all before it faded.

He barely remembered the walk to the front door.

“Well. I’ve got to log back in,” the professor said. “Kraken’s probably wondering where I disappeared to.”

“Thanks again, professor,” Marie said with a smile. “It’s always good to see you.”

“Of course. Anything for you, Marie.” He turned to Jack with a kind look. “Jack, it’s been a pleasure to meet you.”

“Thanks, professor. For everything. I really learned a lot.”

The professor chuckled. “I had a lot of fun too. Didn’t realize how much I missed teaching,” he said, his voice carrying a quiet sadness. He shook his head, as if brushing the feeling away.

“Anyway, you’re very talented.” He paused, like he was choosing his words carefully. “Jack, your greatest virtue as an artist is how quickly and deeply you immerse yourself in your work. That’s something special. Few people can reach that state—let alone consistently. If you can learn to offset your current weakness and put in the effort before the crafting even begins, bone carving—or any art, really—will be within your grasp. Remember: study the work of those who came before you. Visualize. Plan. Understand the before.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll work on that.”

“Oh, and before I forget,” the professor said, reaching behind the table. He held out the carving he’d just finished. “This is a gift to you, young man.”

“This… I—I can’t—”

“Take it,” the professor said, gently pressing it into Jack’s hands. “Let it remind you of what you learned today. And who knows? Maybe one day, you’ll visit again—and bring me one of your own. I’d be honored to have something crafted by you.”

Jack swallowed, clutching the carving like it might vanish. Something warm flickered in his chest. To be seen like that—believed in like that—especially by someone so skilled… it meant more than he could put into words.

He had a catch in his throat. He hadn’t expected to get so emotional over someone he’d just met.

“T-thanks. I won’t forget you, sir.”

The old man smiled and waved one last time before disappearing into his house.

Jack and Marie walked away from the door. The sun had set, and the weather was chilly. But Jack was too pumped up to feel the cold.

“It’s funny…” Jack finally said. “I only met him today, but… I don’t know how to put it.”

“He’s great, isn’t he?” Marie said simply.

“Yeah…” Jack murmured. “What an incredible teacher. I wish I’d had more like him when I was in school.”

“You and me both, Jack.”

They walked over to where Johanna had dropped them off, and Marie glanced at her phone. “Johanna’s still gonna take a few minutes. Want to give Amari a call while we wait?”

“Good idea.” For a moment, Jack had forgotten all about his cousin’s situation—or even that he was supposed to be training for the game. The professor’s presence had such a magnetic pull that the day had flown by without him realizing it.

“Hi, Amari! Wait a second—I’ll put you on speaker. Jack’s with me,” Marie said, tapping the screen.

“Hi, guys! What’s up?” came Amari’s voice.

“Hi, Amari!” Jack leaned in to make sure he was heard.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep already? It’s almost midnight where you are,” Marie teased.

There was a chuckle on the other end. “True, but I got caught up editing. Trying to wrap up as much as I can before we head back into the Breach.” He paused. “Oh, Jack! I uploaded the video about how you got your hidden class a couple of hours ago. It’s getting great reactions! Anyway—how was it with the professor?”

“It was… incredible,” Jack said.

“The professor’s a legend in-game. One of the best bone carvers out there. That was a serious privilege,” Amari said.

Jack couldn’t help but smile. “It was amazing.”

“So,” Amari went on, “Marie told me earlier about your cousin. How’s he doing?”

Jack glanced at her. He hadn’t seen her make that call, but figured it must’ve been earlier while he was browsing the professor’s art catalogue.

“He’s bummed. Still trapped. I’m really worried.”

Amari didn’t answer right away. Jack could hear faint shuffling in the background—maybe pacing.

“I’ve been thinking about Rob all day,” Amari finally said. “I hate that he’s stuck because of us.”

“Yeah…” Marie agreed softly.

“I actually have a crazy plan,” Jack said.

“Let’s hear it,” Amari said.

“I want to bring Rob with us into the Breach.”

Silence.

“I don’t know if that’s even possible,” Amari said.

“But there’s no party limit, right?” Jack asked. “Not for Breach runs?”

“Hmmm… true,” Amari admitted. “But bringing someone in halfway? That’s completely untested. Even if it does work, we might not be able to take refuge there for too long. The system will probably average our levels to include Rob’s and recalculate the map’s difficulty.”

“And Rob’s level is…?” Marie asked.

“Thirty,” Jack said. “He’s already died five times.”

Amari let out a low breath. “Then yeah—worst case, the whole run gets bumped up to level 30. We’d be facing enemies ten levels above us. We’d get steamrolled.”

“And besides,” Marie said, “you’d have to reach him first. There are, what, four or five players camping him? All twenty levels above you?”

“I’ve got an idea for that,” Jack said. “I can temper equipment with terracoat. That’s mostly clay, right?”

“Right,” Amari said cautiously.

“And I’ve got a song that makes clay indestructible. So I suit up in full terracoated armor, play the song nonstop, push through the camp, get to Rob, party up, and then we dive into the Breach. They won’t be able to touch me.”

Marie blinked. Her expression shifted slightly—half you’re insane, half this might actually work. She didn’t say anything, but Jack could see her mind working through the plan.

“I thought that song only protected durability?” Amari asked.

“I checked. It says it shields ceramics from damage.”

“That sounds… too OP. But if it does work… maybe—just maybe…” Amari said. “Still, we’ll need to test it. How long does [Retreat] take to channel?”

“One full minute.”

“That’s a long time in PVP,” Amari said. “Especially when you’re outnumbered.”

At that moment, Johanna’s car pulled around the corner. Marie nodded toward it. “We gotta go. Our ride’s here,” she said.

“Jack’s plan has potential,” Amari said. “We’ll talk to Horace and go over everything. We need a strategy reset anyway—now that the Slayer knows where Jack hangs out in Embersgate.”

He added, “We’ll log into our pods and set them to sync once you’re home. Call us when you’re ready to meet. Sound good?”

“Roger that,” Jack said.

“Alright, captain,” Marie chimed in with a grin.

*

The car ride back to the station passed in a blur—though not a quiet one. This time, Marie didn’t sit silently; instead, she chatted easily with her niece. Johanna, in turn, seemed more relaxed now that Marie had clearly given up on setting them up. Freed from the pressure, she loosened up and even laughed a few times at her aunt’s jokes.

Jack, meanwhile, was somewhere else entirely. His mind was split between the trance-like reverie of the professor’s lessons and the mounting excitement—and anxiety—of the plan to rescue Rob. The conversation in the front seats barely registered.

Before he knew it, they had arrived at the station.

“Thanks for coming,” Marie said, stepping out and giving him a quick pat on the shoulder.

“Thanks for arranging everything with the professor.”

“Oh—before I forget,” she added, tapping at her phone. A series of chimes rang from Jack’s pocket. “The professor wanted to focus more on your work process today, but he sent me a few documents for you. It’s a list of supplies to get you started in bone crafting, plus a breakdown of what you can buy from the XP store.”

“That was very kind of him,” Jack said, genuinely grateful. “Please thank him for me.”

She smiled. “Now go. You’d better run or you’ll miss the next train.”

“See you, Marie.”

“See you, Jack.”

Jack didn’t waste a second. He jogged across the concourse, bought his ticket, and boarded just as the warning bell chimed. This train was noticeably fuller than the one he’d taken earlier. Rows were packed, and most of the passengers looked tired—students, workers, or both.

He made his way through the aisle, checked his ticket, and found his seat.

It was next to a girl.

She wore a pair of denim overalls over a loose T-shirt, one strap undone. A simple canvas backpack was tucked under her legs. She looked about his age—maybe a year younger.

“Excuse me,” Jack said politely. “Do you mind? I’ve got the window seat.”

She didn’t react.

Only then did he notice the earbuds tucked into her ears. She was glued to her phone, watching something intently.

Sighing, Jack waved a hand in front of her face. She blinked and finally looked up.

As their eyes met, Jack froze.

Her eyes were striking—sharp, focused, and unexpectedly intense. He couldn’t quite place their color in the dim lighting. Hazel, maybe? She held his gaze for a moment longer than felt natural, one eyebrow arching with curiosity.

“Oh. Sure, sure. Here,” she said, standing to let him pass.

Jack slid into his seat with a quick, “Thanks.”

She dropped back into hers and resumed her video. Jack happened to catch a glimpse—it was a New Earth gameplay highlight reel.

He chuckled softly. Yep. That game really is everywhere.

Settling in, he reached into his bag and pulled out the professor’s sculpture. He turned it over in his hands, studying it closely. The way the snake’s body coiled, the texture of the scales, the illusion of movement—it all felt impossibly alive.

How did he make it feel so alive? Jack thought. Like it’s breathing.

He ran a thumb along one of the curves, recapping the day's lessons in his head. Funny. I only spent a day with him, and still... it felt like he was my teacher for so much longer.

“Excuse me.”

The voice startled him. He looked up.

It was the girl. She’d taken out one earbud and was watching him now. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

Jack blinked. “Uh… I don’t think so. I don’t believe we’ve ever met.”

The girl shook her head slowly, narrowing her eyes like she was zooming in with her mind. “Hmmm. No, no, no. I’m sure I know you from somewhere.”

Jack took a better look at her this time. She had sun-kissed skin, short hair that framed her face in a clean, no-nonsense style, and a posture that radiated confidence. There was something direct and grounded about her. She didn’t try to hold eye contact—she just did.

“I don’t recall seeing you. Where are you from?” he asked.

“Boston.”

“Me too.” He tilted his head, thinking. “Maybe we went to the same school? I went to Jefferson High.”

“I went to Westcliff. Other side of town.”

“Then not school. College?”

“I’m studying engineering at Northeastern.”

“I didn’t go there. I went to Bunker Hill.” He shrugged. “So that’s not it either. Maybe you just saw me around town?”

“Maybe…” she said, but it didn’t sound like she believed it.

Jack sighed lightly and turned his attention back to the sculpture, letting her puzzle it out on her own. He rolled the carved bone between his fingers, appreciating the work—but not for long.

“Argh. This is driving me crazy. I know I know you.”

Jack looked up again. She was scratching her head, squinting at him like he was some stubborn mental itch. He couldn’t help but smile.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Jack Sousa,” he replied.

She sat up straight, eyes widening. “Jack? Jack?! Are you JackOfDiamonds? In New Earth?”

Jack blinked. “I—I am.”

She squeaked, eyes lighting up as she pointed at him like she’d just solved a mystery. A few passengers nearby turned to look, but she didn’t notice—or didn’t care.

“Aaah! I knew it! I’ve seen your videos! You’re in Amari’s team!”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

“Oh my goodness. What a weird coincidence. I was literally about to watch the new video Amari posted about you. I never imagined you were from Boston! This is so weird.”

She stuck out her hand with a bright, unapologetic grin. “I’m Holly. Nice to meet you.”

Jack hesitated for just a second. This had never happened to him before—not when he played music in bars, not when he launched his channel. He’d always imagined a moment like this would feel surreal, maybe even overwhelming. But now that it was happening, it felt… surprisingly normal. Familiar, even.

What caught him off guard wasn’t the recognition—it was her. There was something effortlessly charming about her energy, her blunt honesty, the way she spoke without second-guessing herself.

He shook her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Holly.”

Ch. 182 - Daze

INDEX

Ch. 184 - Guide