Chapter 283
He chose his observation position carefully, a spot that was hidden yet strategic, even before his watch showed nine in the morning.
Although the official meeting was scheduled for half an hour later, he did not want to risk arriving late or missing the very first moment.
However, the decision to arrive too early began to show its consequences.
Twenty minutes passed, and what should have been a short span of time felt drawn out under the steadily rising sun.
Sweat was no longer just a faint sheen on his forehead, but had begun to form small streams running around his neck, soaking the collar of his shirt, which now felt sticky and uncomfortable.
Thirst started to tickle his throat, conjuring the image of a bottle of cold water that could soothe the burning heat.
Yet he immediately suppressed the urge.
Moving from his position, even just to buy a drink, meant taking a risk.
The risk of missing the moment Erietta or Ilux arrived, and more dangerously, the risk of running into Aldraya, who was scheduled to arrive later.
He could not allow the two sides to meet outside of his supervision, not before everything truly began according to the scenario he envisioned.
And so, with stubborn resolve, he held his ground, enduring thirst and physical discomfort as the price that had to be paid for maintaining control of the situation.
Amid that discomfort, the prayers in his heart grew more solemn and urgent.
He was no longer merely hoping, but earnestly pleading with whatever unseen forces might be willing to listen.
Two pressing requests crowded his thoughts.
First, that Erietta and Ilux would soon appear in the plaza, ending his increasingly unbearable wait and initiating the next phase of his surveillance mission.
Second, and perhaps just as important, that Aldraya—whom he knew would arrive late according to his orders—would not coincidentally encounter either of the two primary targets before the proper time.
An unplanned meeting could trigger an unpredictable chain reaction, throwing all of his carefully arranged plans into disarray.
Every glimpse of silver hair in the crowd made his heart pound, every sound of footsteps approaching from the wrong direction caused him to hold his breath.
'The first meeting at an amusement park. A classic scene, but always effective.'
After dozens of minutes of intense silent prayer that nearly made him dizzy, Theo's vigilant instincts suddenly stirred.
His eyes, which had been fixed on the entrance, reflexively glanced left and right.
A subtle movement at the edge of his vision caught two figures moving separately yet sharing the same destination.
Without a second thought, his body moved before his mind could issue a command.
He retreated three, four, then five quick steps backward, slipping himself into the flow of casually strolling pedestrians on the sidewalk.
His movement was natural, as if he were merely part of the crowd that happened to change direction.
Just as his fifth step landed, the two figures emerged from behind the veil of people.
From the right, a girl with an aura that was difficult to describe, elegant yet carrying the potential of restrained volatility.
From the left, a young man with an upright posture and a face striving for calm, even as tension glimmered in his eyes.
They were Ilux and Erietta.
They walked toward each other, their steps slowing as the distance between them shrank, as though the world around them blurred and left space only for the two of them.
A moment written in mythology was now unfolding right before Theo's eyes.
And fortunately for Theo, his decision to retreat and merge with the crowd was the right one.
Neither Ilux nor Erietta glanced in his direction at all.
Their attention was completely captured by each other, a magnetic pull that blinded them to their surroundings.
Or perhaps more accurately, Theo's speed and agility in vanishing from their direct line of sight were so flawless that he managed to avoid detection entirely.
He was no longer a suspicious observer behind a pillar, but merely another insignificant face amid the sea of passersby.
"Got lost?"
"Or maybe you're the one who got lost, not me."
"Ahahaha…."
The meeting began with a simple greeting, yet the weight behind it felt dense with restrained longing and joy.
Erietta and Ilux locked eyes, and for a brief moment, all the tension and burdens tied to their identities seemed to evaporate.
Bright smiles bloomed on both of their faces, the morning sunlight seeming to play at the corners of their lips, illuminating the atmosphere amid the bustle of the amusement park reminiscent of Dufan.
The rumble of roller coasters and the cheerful laughter of children formed the perfect backdrop for their private moment within the crowd.
Ilux, his face still trying to hide nervousness behind a wide smile, opened the conversation.
His voice sounded light and cheerful, an attempt to break the ice.
He asked whether Erietta had gotten lost on the way to this place.
The question was simple, almost clichéd, yet it carried genuine familiarity and concern.
He seemed to want to ensure that Erietta's journey had gone smoothly, that nothing significant had hindered this long-awaited meeting.
Erietta responded with a gesture full of familiarity.
Her slender hand patted Ilux's shoulder with enough force to slightly jostle his upright posture, a casual and affectionate act.
A small laugh, a sincere chuckle, burst from her lips, sounding like the chime of a tiny bell amid the noise of the park.
As the laughter faded, her eyes sparkling with playful mischief, she turned the question back on him.
Her voice sounded teasing, filled with Erietta's trademark confidence.
She suggested that it was far more likely Ilux who had gotten lost, not her.
After that, the two of them laughed together.
'It starts at the amusement park, the point of origin of everything.
Then it continues to the arcade or carnival, simple games like balloon shooting and ring tossing.
After that, the cinema, a children's comedy film that, for some reason, is always chosen anyway.
And finally, the snack market—walking, eating, and laughing without burden.'
Fuuuuh!
'Time to follow them from here.'
From behind his nearly perfect disguise within the crowd, Theo's eyes did not merely observe, they recorded.
As soon as the opening conversation between Erietta and Ilux flowed smoothly, he quickly reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, yellow notebook with worn edges.
The notebook was his address, his navigational map amid the sea of fate he was attempting to monitor.
With a pen that had scarcely left his grip since earlier, he began to jot down notes in tight, rapid strokes, preserving the date route that his two targets would take.
The page was soon filled with four destination points, a simple itinerary yet one rich with significance for the development of their relationship.
The first point had already been explored, or at least served as the backdrop for their meeting.
The amusement park, with all its glitter and screams, a fantasy world reminiscent of Dufan, where adults could briefly become children again.
The second place they would head to was the arcade or carnival.
Theo recorded it in small detail.
Balloon shooting games, ring tossing, and claw machines.
Places where skill, luck, and awkward laughter would blend, creating candid moments worth observing.
The third point was the cinema.
Not a theater for heavy genres, but a dark room filled with a children's film brimming with humor, jokes that could somehow still make teenagers smile.
To be continued…