(POV Godwell)
I stayed in the stands for a few more minutes.
The fighting continued below, but I wasn't really paying attention to it anymore.
Something was bothering me now.
Not the fact that Iréné didn't respond.
Finally...
Not only that.
It was mainly this strange feeling that everyone seemed to know something except me.
Habib.
I took out my phone again.
Still nothing.
– Damn…
I was tired of waiting.
I went down the stands and crossed the arena without paying attention to the stares that followed me.
A few new people pushed past me.
One of them murmured again:
– It's the white hand…
I didn't even pay attention to it.
I go through the doors.
The cool night air made me shiver slightly.
I looked around me.
Habib was no longer there.
Perfect.
I picked up my phone and opened the conversation with Irene.
My finger remained suspended above the screen.
hesitant.
Then I made an appeal.
The ringtone.
Two.
Three.
I was starting to lose patience.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Then someone answered the phone.
I sat up immediately.
- Finally.
A silence followed by a long succession of crackling sounds
I frowned.
– Irene?
Still nothing.
Then his voice finally arrived.
– Godwell.
I barely relaxed.
Are you kidding me?
- For what ?
– I called you three times.
– I was busy.
I closed my eyes.
Obviously.
– Busy with what? We were supposed to meet today.
Silence.
Court.
But long enough for me to notice it.
– Yes, we'll see about that tomorrow.
I smile without humor.
- Why ?
This time, the silence was longer.
I took the phone away from my ear and looked at the screen.
The call was still active.
I put it back against my ear.
– Irene?
– You keep setting me up with far too many fake dates.
But his tone seemed just...cold
It was unusual.
– I know, but we'll do that later.
– Because I asked you to keep an eye on Heresy.
– We'll talk about it tomorrow.
–Is that all?
– I had nothing more to say.
I clenched my fists.
I didn't believe it.
– You could have answered.
– I'll answer now.
– After several hours.
– You're being dramatic.
I clenched my jaw.
He was right.
But I knew Irene.
He always had something to say.
Even when he was busy.
He just wants to avoid me.
His main goal was to end the conversation.
– Where are you?
- far
– Irene.
– Godwell.
- Alright.
I hung up myself; I called him, I have every right to hang up on him.
The communication was thus cut off.
I started staring at my phone.
– He hung up on me…
I slowly put away my phone.
All right.
Alright.
He wanted to play that game.
I could also play.
I started walking.
I had no intention of going home.
Not yet.
I knew Iréné well enough to know that he wasn't going to disappear without reason.
And above all…
I knew Heresy well enough to know that he was at the center of something.
Every time that kid appears, my life always turns into a nightmare.
I headed in the opposite direction from the residence.
I wasn't going to look for Irene at random.
I knew where to start.
The old administrative building located behind the training grounds.
This was one of the places Irene sometimes used when he wanted to work undisturbed.
I wasn't supposed to know that.
But he sometimes forgot that I was paying attention to everything.
I arrived a few minutes later.
The building was almost entirely plunged into darkness.
I stopped in front of the entrance.
No light filtered through, but I went up anyway.
I pushed open the door.
The corridor was silent.
I moved forward slowly.
I was drawn to the view and sat down right at the edge of the balcony.
It reminds me of life before they arrived.
A nostalgic soul from so far away.