Hey you... Yes, you... Are you listening?
Of course you are listening, and you will always listen to me because I created you.
How many days have passed—two years? Yes... almost two years, perhaps.
It has made me realize many things. What you're seeing right now isn't real; you are not real.
We are just motionless puppets.
Who is controlling them? I don't know. Who are you? I don't know. Who am I? I don't know.
But one thing is sure: it hurts. It hurts so much. Sometimes I feel like an empty shell; the void I feel inside me is getting bigger. I don't know what will happen if I stop thi—
Paul, hey Paul.
Huh... Yeah.
After school, Paul went to the office, which was about twenty minutes from his apartment in Kokar.
Its design resembles a giant glass mirror, reflecting sunlight off its sleek surface and creating a shimmering effect against the blue sky.
Paul was still in his school uniform, wearing a white shirt, a red blazer, and gray pants. He sits on a sofa opposite an older man in formal black and white attire.
The man was around forty-five, with neatly combed black hair streaked with white, showing signs of aging, but his sharp brown eyes still shine brightly.
This man was Paul's boss, Philip Grayson. Next to him is a young man in his early twenties with sharp features and glossy black hair, styled with a few strands falling around his temples. This was Simon, who was with Paul in the alley last night.
The old man sitting opposite Paul asked, "Did you read the report about the kid from last night's incident?"
Paul calmly replied with a simple nod.
His boss asked again, "What are your thoughts on this? Is he really related to someone from another group, or is he just a normal civilian?"
Paul contemplated for a second and then replied, "I can't say for sure because his background is too clean. He moved to this island from Erelis just a few days ago as a passed high school student. The only members of his family, his mother and father, died before he entered high school, and he started living with his grandmother, who also passed away a few months ago."
"His current guardian is his aunt, who's been living here for six years and has worked in call management for the last five years. And it appears we don't have much information on how he was back in Erelis, and this is his first time on this island..."
Paul sighed and concluded, "I really want to believe that he was related to someone, but maybe it was just a coincidence. The place where he was currently living with his aunt was not far from the incident area, and the report indicated that his aunt was busy with something last night and wasn't coming home. Perhaps he was just going for a walk or visiting a store when he heard the commotion from the alley and got caught up in this mess."
His boss nodded lightly and said in a calm voice, "Poor kid; just as he was about to start his new journey, he got involved in this mess..."
As the room's atmosphere grew a little tense, his boss changed the topic of conversation and asked, "Anyway, how is everything for you in school?"
Paul, lacking interest, responded, "It's alright, I guess. It's only been a week, and..."
After talking for about ten to fifteen minutes, Paul exited the room with his backpack on his back, while Simon silently followed him. They both entered the elevator simultaneously, and
Simon pressed the button for the ground floor.
Paul then asked, "Did you get any information on Baldy, such as where he lives, his daily routine, or people he has recently met?"
Simon replied after a moment of thought, "I told Sara to look into it; I'll inform you as soon as we find something."
Paul nodded slightly, and moments later, the elevator arrived at the ground floor. They both exited the elevator together and walked toward the office exit. Workers were bustling around the office, and one called out to Simon, but Paul continued walking at his usual pace.
Just as he was about to exit through the automatic glass door, he spotted two figures a few meters outside: a man and a woman, whom he recognized clearly.
The man, Julian, is a 20-year-old colleague of Paul, wearing a white and black formal outfit with a black blazer. He has slightly messy hair, which appears to be his intended style. It is medium-length and entirely black, with some strands falling over his forehead in a somewhat untidy manner.
His bangs cover part of his right eye, and he has sharp, narrow eyes with striking golden-yellow irises that stand out against his dark hair and pale skin.
His sharp facial features—a straight nose, pointed chin, and thin lips—gave him a serious and focused appearance, but Paul knows exactly what kind of person Julian is.
We don't chat often, but he's one of those guys I can reach out to if I need something. But don't trust his looks; his serious expressions are all just for show. Just give him work, and he'll find a reason to avoid it. But putting that aside, he's a good guy if you ask me.
Another individual is Sara; she turns 22 this year and possesses a strikingly well-balanced face, radiating elegance and confidence. Her long, silky black hair cascades past her shoulders, smooth and glossy.
Her almond-shaped eyes are deep and expressive, complemented by well-defined eyebrows that are gently arched, enhancing her graceful features.
Her straight and delicate nose complements her soft lips, which hold a natural pink hue, all contributing to her natural beauty.
Just as Paul passed through the automatic glass door, both of his colleagues noticed him. Sara stopped her conversation with Julian, took a small step, and mischievously looked at Paul, saying:
"Well, well, look who it is! Our schoolboy! So, what did you learn today, schoolboy?"
Julian remained silent when he noticed Paul's hard gaze.
"Don't you have something else to do? You're always finding ways to get in my way," Paul replied, a bit annoyed.
Sara, undeterred, said, "Ah, don't be so rude; I was just asking how you're doing in school, especially since you aren't managing your job properly. Thanks to you, I had to clean up the mess you left behind. Tsk, today's kids don't know how to talk to their elders, do they?"
Paul simply replied, "Just go away, will you? I'm not in the mood."
As he tried to walk away, Julian saw Simon coming out of the office exit and exclaimed, "Oh, Simon is here."
Sara, wanting to say something to Paul one last time before he left, fell silent. Paul stopped too, thinking Simon might have something to ask them, or about the report and when he would receive it.
As Simon exited the glass door and saw all three of them, he though, "Paul hasn't left yet?" as he approached them and asked Sara, "Did you get anything from them?"
Sara's attitude changed completely from silly-mischievous to mature and focused.
She answered as she sighed internally.
"Loka said he'll send the report, but… he needs some time. The higher-ups are pressuring him for some reason, though he promised he'll send the report as soon as he analyzes the information they have, before six."
Simon nodded slightly and thought about the bald man.
Even after cornering him, that baldy didn't spill the beans; moreover, when they were chasing him, someone else was following him and Paul.
But he hadn't seen anyone suspicious yesterday.
At the last moment, that man who was lurking behind the shadow killed the baldy without any thought, with innocent kid's life. The last thing Simon was thinking just didn't come true, he thought; if it was, then...
Simon calmly looked at Paul out of the corner of his eye, who was just about to leave.
Paul guessed that there wasn't much to talk about, so he excused himself, saying, "I'll get going then."
Simon gave a light nod, and Paul turned towards the office's main exit and started walking.
As Paul left, Simon wondered about something and looked toward Sara and Julian.
Just as he was about to say something, Julian, anticipating Simon's words, hurriedly pulled out his phone from his pants pocket and said,
"Oh, it's already this late. Sorry, I need to check on the hospital and have a meeting with the doctor. I should get going too. See you later."
As he finished, he gave a sorry look to Sara and left at a hurried pace. Sara felt a little annoyed, but sensing Simon's gaze, she sighed and said,
"Fine, fine, I'll drop him off."
Simon internally nodded and turned toward the office, stating,
"I have a matter to discuss."
He began walking toward the entrance, but just as Simon took his third step, Sara called out to him.
"Why him?"
Simon turned, a bit confused, as if he didn't understand the question.
He replied, "Who?"
Sara felt a bit annoyed at having to repeat herself, but kept her expression neutral and answered.
"I mean, why Paul? You know he isn't the kid he used to be when he first joined work. He has the ability to understand what is the right thing to do. If you keep telling him what to do, he'll never grow up."
Simon listened to Sara's words, thought for a second, and replied, "Yes, you are right, but…"