"What are the rules?"
The giant face made of coins asked. Firelight shone through the gaps between the coins forming its features, making Shade feel even more strongly that it was strange as he stared at it. Rather than feeling a wave of heat, he felt coldness:
"Since you are here, and have never actively harmed any visitors, you must serve as something like a camp guide. You can tell them the rules here, so why can't you tell me?"
As he spoke, he tossed the only coin of Power of Existence in his hand:
"Or do even such basic, simple information require payment?"
The face stared at Shade and replied slowly:
"Everything in Black Mist Camp requires a price. A small portion requires souls, sins, and the like, while most requires payment with one's own existence. Visitor, you may exchange all or part of your own existence for coins here with me. And I charge only a very small handling fee."
The moment he heard "handling fee," Shade knew it was real. If the exchange had been free, he would have suspected an even deeper trap.
"You can exchange part of your existence?"
"Yes. The Witches behind you exchanged only part of their existence, while the old woman and the boy exchanged all of theirs."
At first, Miss Higgins had said she possessed twenty-three coins, while Old Mrs. Miles had six and the boy had seven. Clearly, a witch's Power of Existence was far stronger than that of ordinary people.
Shade did not entirely trust the Demon's information. He turned and confirmed it with his companions, whose memories were gradually returning, before verifying that it had not lied so far. But the Demon's appearance still added more uncertainty and gloom to this journey through time.
The giant face continued