"So that's what it's all about," Julian thought after listening to the complete story.
"Maybe that's why Paul is being this reckless."
He looked at Simon, sighing internally, and said evenly, "I didn't have any idea about Paul. I guess we're all the same in one way or another. I'll go tomorrow and ask around in Black Palace."
"Why tomorrow?" asked Simon. "There's more than enough time left."
"Yeah, about that... I received a message from the hospital and have to check things out, don't know if it's serious or not," he paused for a second and continued, a little hesitant.
"Also, you... hadn't forgotten what happened six months ago, had you?"
'Six months?' Simon thought for a moment and recalled it clearly. "Yeah… but, it's already six months, they should've forgotten that already."
"Don't think so, you were the talk of the town, and the current manager is his brother. Not by blood, though."
"So there isn't any choice?"
"There is. I'll go tomorrow. Maybe you can wait outside until I ask around, can't hurt, right?" Julian suggested gently.
Simon thought for a moment and agreed, saying, "Okay, tomorrow then."
Julian nodded internally with relief and saw two waitresses coming to their seats holding their orders.
After eating their meals, they both exited the restaurant and said goodbye to each other.
Simon asked Julian if he should drop him off at the hospital, but he declined the offer, saying, "I've already booked the cab." And now he waited for it calmly, until his phone started to ring.
"Who's dying now?" he grumbled slightly and took out his phone from his pocket.
It was Paul.
He closed his eyes for a second and answered the call, "Did you buy the groceries?
"No. Someone stopped by my place and delivered them," a reply came back from Paul.
"Oh, then? What's the matter calling this late?" Julian asked, thinking it better be something with good reason.
"I need you to check on something."
"Okay," Julian answered.
"–––– and go there after nine, and yeah, don't mention this to anyone. It's just my personal hunch, that's all."
"Got it. After nine." And the call ended.
Julian looked at the phone screen and sighed, "Why me?" he thought, and noticed his cab had arrived.
Next day - 9:20 AM
"So this is the place, haa," Julian mumbled silently to himself.
Standing in front of a black metal gate. Above him, the sky filled with clouds, blocking the sun's direct view of him. Behind him were empty streets; he rarely noticed any vehicles passing by, even after observing this place for ten minutes.
He was in his casual clothes, a blue-colored t-shirt underneath a black jacket with zippers open, black jeans, and black-colored shoes.
A black-colored hat covered his head. Slightly turning the metal lock, he pushed it open with a light metallic sound.
As he strolled down the path to the house's door, he noticed the place outside was big compared to the house. Small grass was growing everywhere he glanced. The house was small and painted a light yellow color.
Through the average-sized window beside the door, he could barely see anything inside from his distance.
He reached the wooden door and turned the doorknob lightly, with his hands covered with black gloves.
"Of course, it would be locked," he mused to himself and took out the two needle-sized metal tools from the back of his pocket.
He bent his knees, put the tool inside the keyhole. After fiddling with it for a few seconds, with a light sound of "cachunk," the door unlocked, and he strode in, putting back the tool in his pocket.
Paul's phone started to vibrate when he was sitting in his seat watching the students chatting with their classmates.
The previous class had just ended, and the teacher hadn't arrived yet for the next class.
He took out his phone from his pant's pocket, having guessed the person who it might be.
His guess was correct: it was Julian.
He slightly glanced at the class, estimating it would be alright to answer the call, because all of them were busy with their own stuff.
His fingers touched the screen, then he noticed.
The class had turned silent. All the chit-chat had stopped, his gaze quickly followed towards the class's entrance.
Yep, the teacher had arrived.
He instantly turned the phone to silent, rejected the call, and typed the message:
"Send text, class is ongoing."
His message quickly received the read (✓✓) mark. Julian read it.
He turned off the phone, putting it on the desk, as he waited patiently.
Ten minutes later, as the teacher was writing something on the blackboard he didn't care about, his phone vibrated again.
He tapped the message notification, and noticed one of the guys sitting in front of his desk turned his head slightly. Paul acted as if he didn't care and started to read the message.
"As you said, I went there after nine and checked things out. Only one person was living there, probably a girl, maybe. I asked around a little, and a few of them said they had seen someone going in and out but weren't sure if it was a girl or boy. Though, after checking the owner's bedroom and bathroom, I think maybe the person is a girl around our age. I also checked the wardrobe and found nothing but girl's clothes, and yeah, there were also some files about her personal details and stuff. Her name's Miami Collins, and she goes to the same school as you?"
"The hell?"
"Her father's name is Greg. Mother's name is Erin. She is their only kid, I suppose. There was also her bank passbook, and I saw a random bank account number that sends her money once a month. I guess it's probably her parents and stuff. I'll check it if you want more. There was also a diary I found, but to be honest, I didn't want to read that thing, but I did. There wasn't any start date mentioned."
"The starter was something about forgetting everything and how she hates that place and stuff. She didn't mention any clear place, and there was also mention of her parents leaving her by herself. I was wondering if she had lost a few screws or something, but after reading a few more pages, everything felt normal to me."
"She has friends and stuff, etcetera. And yeah… one of the guys said, when I was asking around, that the owners of this place had left five months ago. Went overseas, and yeah, he also mentioned he had seen some girls around 17-18. She had come here when the owners of this place were still here, and it's probably their daughter."
"I asked about the owners, but the motherfucker didn't answer clearly. Said that both were husband and wife, around mid-forties, and they're busy with their own work—didn't talk with any outsider."
"I don't know what your doubts were about her or her background, but I think she is a pretty chill chick. You're probably just overthinking—"
After reading the message, he turned off the phone's screen and started to sink deeper into his thoughts, "Guess maybe that was just a coincidence, haa…"
He wandered through his memories from last night. "But what's done is done. At least she won't disturb me again like before, but… Thinking about it, maybe I overreacted at that time, didn't I? You think so too, right? Maybe I was just overthinking this; this is just sc—Jail, but letting your guard down is the worst anyone can do."
...
As Julian stepped inside the Black Palace, his vision went dark for a moment.
It's very early in the day, so he didn't see many people here. To the left and right side of the hallway are comfy sofas; between them stood a round glass table, and to the front side, after crossing the hall.
Julian reached the counter; there's a total of three individuals he could see, and one he was after was also here.
Without baiting eyes left and right, he adjusted himself further to the right-side seat. One of the bartenders seemed to recognise Julian and walked up to him. Wearing a clean black uniform, his head was all shaved clean, with dark skin.
"You're here too early," the bartender said casually.
"My friend Jimmy," Julian said in a slightly playful tone, "haven't seen your shining head in days, so I just came here to look at it."
"Are you?" Jimmy couldn't get more doubtful after seeing High Table puppets coming here this early.
"Don't believe me?" Julian said, making it sound obvious, "Then it's your choice, my friend. Even us random people have a life of our own. I just came to grab some drinks after my visit from the hospital. You know, this is the only place I can find some peace, but here you are doubting me. I thought we were close pals by now," Julian ended with sad remarks.
"Okay, man, I can't beat you; sorry for doubting you," Jimmy said, raising both his hands slightly, accepting defeat. "So… what can I get you, the usual?"
"Yeah, the usual will be fine." Jimmy started making Julian's drink.
As Julian saw his drink getting ready, his mind wandered back to yesterday night.
He had never thought about this, but… He hadn't read anything about Paul or been more clear about his past before coming under the High Table.
He at first thought that didn't matter because all of them had come from that same place. What had happened before doesn't matter much.
He knows about Sara, at least from what he had read in the records. She was taken from the streets by the High Table when she was just five. Though he hadn't asked her directly, and he never wants to.
But he had to believe it. But what about himself then?
"Yeah, I can't forget that night even if I wanted to, and this life is much better than before anyway. Also, I couldn't care less if that man was alive somewhere or already dead, but I hope that motherfucker is alive, still suffering just like how I had, just like her… but that doesn't matter now, does it? What I did that night is probably what makes me what I am today, and when she is awake again, everything will be just fine, right?"
"Here." Jimmy, done making the drink, placed it in front of Julian.
"Merci," said Julian in a French tone, and lifted up the glass.
The color of the drink was the same as always, he remembered in his mind: light purple mixed with a red hue. He placed the edge to his lips and smelled it before taking a slight sip.