Spec lies on the tiled floors of Level 222, staring up at the ceiling as he ponders what the hell he's gotten himself into. He's been in deep shit before, but two days of running from the Wild Hunt? without relying on anything other than wits? He wonders why he even agreed to this.

Spec sighs as he pulls himself to his feet to begin his search for Leo. At this point, he might as well just accept the situation. He was going to need to make this trip eventually, but now more so than ever. He sprints through the various hallways and exhibits of the level, trying desperately to find Castellos, but to no avail. Out of options and out of breath, Spec sits down on a bench outside of the information center, and screams into the hallways.

"CASTELLOS! I KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE! COME ON MAN, I JUST WANT TO TALK!"

Spec lets out a deep breath, and rests his head on his left hand.

"DUDE! PLEASE! UNLESS YOU WANT THE WILD HUNT ON YOUR ASS, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOU MADE THIS QUICK!"

Spec leans back against the wall, as Leo Castellos emerges from behind a pillar near the exhibit entrance. Spec rolls his eyes and scoffs as Leo speaks up.

"You're completely hopeless without all your fancy toys, you know that?"

Spec rolls his eyes, crossing his arms as he stares Leo down. "At least I don't sit around hiding from human interaction whenever I'm slightly inconvenienced. What gives, Leo? It's been nearly impossible for me to find you lately."

Leo glares at him in annoyance. "Well, I don't like when my generously provided information falls into the wrong hands, as it has such a habit to do so when you barge in here."

"The wrong hands? What do you mean the wrong hands?" Spec shoots back.

"The same hands that left Memory Juice underneath a B.N.T.G. compound to attract a certain Wyrm after I told them about it's properties!" Leo responds with exasperated flair.

“HEY! That was… um…” For once, Spec seems to be at a loss for words. “I had a lot on me, and once gifted with this revelation, I had to get rid of it! When you think about it, I did the B.N.T.G. a favor by giving them more product to sell…"

Leo rolls his eyes at this. "Pfft, as if supporting them is a noble endeavor. Regardless, what can I do for you this time, assuming you promise to not repeat your previous mistakes?" He quips back.

Spec uncrosses his arms, throwing his hands in the air. "Fine! Sure! Whatever! I don't have time to argue. Now please tell me you've heard of something called 'the Spiral…'" He responds anxiously.

"…The Spiral? What would you possibly want to know about that, and more importantly, why?"

Spec is silent for a moment, choosing his response carefully as he decides to lie through his teeth. "You know how much that stupid fucking wyrm has been bothering me. I just figured if anyone had any useful information on it, it'd be you. I heard someone mention that a "Spiral" might be related, so I figured you might be able to shed some light on that for me. Do you have a file on it or something?" All things considered, he makes a pretty good point. Whether Leo buys it or not though, only time will tell.

Leo fidgets uncomfortably. "I… do have it on file. But, the only people outside of these walls with any sliver of information about it is the Lost, and it is kept that way on purpose. Why should I trust you of all people with such dangerous info?"

"Because you know I'm telling the truth. Besides, how could I fuck this up like last time? I need this information for myself, Leo." Spec responds, taking a step forward.

"I believe it's best if your eyes do not fall upon this file, and I can assure you nobody is spying on our conversation in these halls." Leo retorts coldly.

Spec nods and gives a thin smile, but on the inside he's exploding. "I see… is it an infohazard or something?"

Leo shakes his head. "No, but I don't want you knowing any more than you need to. The more you know, the more knowledge could be forced out of you by bad actors in unfortunate circumstances. Circumstances in which you seem to find yourself in quite frequently."

Spec bristles at Leo's comment. He didn't appreciate the jab, especially considering he partially agreed with him. "You know that I only give information when I want to. If I promised you that I wouldn't be using this for information trading, what are you still scared of?"

"I too have made promises to others about this information that I am very hesitant to break. I'll tell you the answers to what you ask, but nothing more with the Spiral." Leo responds firmly.

"Fuck. I guess I'm going to have to bullshit an answer. I don't want to steal that file… not like I'm capable right now anyways."

"Fair enough. I guess that's all I can ask for, right?" Spec replies.

Leo just shrugs. "Right. Now, what do you need to know?"

"Did the Spiral ever have anything externally connected to it, like worshippers or rituals? I know that the Memory Wyrm is related somehow, but I don't exactly know the specifics… and that's my problem."

Leo's eyes brighten a bit. As much as he is weary about divulging information to Spec in this way, he's still a historian at heart. "It did… yes! Its worshippers attempted many summoning rituals, all of which failed for a variety of reasons. The Memory Wyrm is a host for the Spiral, which is what they were missing."

Spec takes a seat on the tiled floor of the museum, leaning in for 'story time.' "Interesting… so in order to properly execute the ritual, they would have needed to bait the Memory Wyrm into the area so that the Spiral could actually take root? That… honestly explains a lot about the Memory Wyrm's modern behavior when you think about it. If you don't mind me asking, how did these rituals even look?"

Leo tilts his head to the side. "Do you mean in general, or the specifics of the steps?"

"Oh I'm sorry, I should have made that clear. I'd definitely prefer specifics if you can." Spec replies.

Leo sighs, taking a deep breath. "Alright, you need the following materials: Memory Juice, the Wyrm, a victim, and finally, a knife. Pour the memory juice out in a spiral shape near the Wyrm to form its link; then take your knife and carve a blood sigil, which I will provide you a sketch of, onto the victims torso. Following this, the victim must willingly speak the incantation. This primes the ritual, all that's left is executing the victim. The method of execution is important depending on what you intend with this ritual. Before we continue, may I ask what you are trying to achieve with this?"

"Shit… I wasn't expecting to get an answer to that to be honest. Thanks, Leo. It helps." As soon as Spec finishes his sentence, laughter can be heard across the hallway, followed by a loud scream. Spec immediately jumps, scanning the immediate area for any signs of hunters.

"SHIT- THE WILD HUNT CAUGHT UP TO ME- WHERE'S THE EXIT DOOR? LEVEL 198, QUICK!" Spec is barely able to spit out a few choice words before a rogue spear hurtles through the air, pinning itself in the wall next to his shoulder. A near miss.

Leo has never seen Spec in this much of a panic before, let alone had this much action in Level 222. It seems like he won't be getting the rest of the story today…

Leo stands paralyzed in fear, only being snapped out of it by Spec's desperation. A now ex-member of the Lost, Leo has certainly been around long enough to know to fear Herne and his hunters. "Wha- OH, GOD. FOLLOW ME!" Leo grabs Spec's useless wrist, practically dragging him through the twists and turns of the museum. After a few quick shortcuts, they reach a door in the wall marked "exit."

"OUT THE DOOR! I, UH-" Leo is barely able to shove a small piece of paper into Spec's hands before he nearly rips the door off its hinges, leaving Leo on the other side before slamming it shut.

"...I think I'm starting to hate that guy."