(.....)
Simon found himself walking in circles for about ten minutes. He carefully examined the buildings around him, staring into each one's interior.
He had walked past them several times now; the sight of them was becoming an eyesore. But any hint at the activity of electricity being used was valuable.
The town was eerily quiet; Simon's footsteps echoed like bombs. This made him even more conscious than before.
(There's no way they would leave me alone with just a message. If I know about their whereabouts, especially as an officer, then they'd want to get rid of me.)
Simon had realized this a long time ago — he was being watched. The where, or how, was unknown; he just knew that something was terribly wrong. It made him passively narrow his eyes.
This lack of control made him feel useless, a passenger to the events happening in front of him.
(Sigh. Seriously?...) He wanted to outwardly express his frustration, but he had learned not to use his voice from yesterday.
Just as he said that, he felt a sharp pain enter his head. However, just as fast as it came, it disappeared.
Simon couldn't escape the feeling of eyes hawking him down. He needed to get rid of them, and quickly.
He entered one of the buildings, a rather small house, but it had few windows. Simon quickly closed all of the curtains before going into its basement.
He reached for the light, confirming electricity still worked.
(Good, I'm still at an advantage.)
The light was still untouched; he could tell because of how long it took to turn on.
Simon couldn't hide here all night; Project Icarus would know his location. On top of this, the longer he stayed, the more difficult it would be to get back to the supermarket in time.
He spent a while juggling his opinions; either one was a horrible outcome.
(If I try to head back now, they'll no doubt follow me. However, if I stay here, I would be in trouble with both sides of this coin.) This dilemma made him rub his temples in frustration.
(I'd have to kill more people if they followed me; I wouldn't be able to explain that. But I also wouldn't be able to explain the reason why I was gone for so long without an excuse... Kill, or reveal useful information?)
Simon leaned his head against the wall, heavy in thought. Unfortunately, it didn't take him very long to come up with his conclusion.
(Kill, I can lead them astray.)
With that, Simon turned off the basement light before pulling out his phone and shining its own flashlight. If the person watching him for some reason could see the light, Simon couldn't have them know it was anywhere else.
He swiftly shut the door, turning off the flashlight before walking outside, only to find another note. "You mustn't leave," it read.
(Do they honestly expect me to listen to this?)
He said before shoving it aside. He began to walk in confusing circles, trying to throw the watcher off.
He would change his direction every two loops around the area before going into a new one completely. Of course, this method relied on the gamble that they didn't know their way around here.
However slim that chance was, Simon realized another situation. The Hollow Beasts strictly ignored him because of Jör's aura; if he was followed, they'd be chased.
Maybe then he'd get to turn the tide on them. With that, he completely ignored the probability of him losing their trail. It wouldn't matter if they couldn't follow him anyway.
Simon walked back towards the entrance of the city, a prideful pep in his step as he did so.
Strangely enough, when he got there, a stout woman stood in front of him, blankly staring at the word "Hello."
When did they stop following him? Was he just wasting his energy for nothing?
She was as pale as a vampire, her hair gliding down to her back, bangs hiding her forehead. Her outfit looked almost ancient, yet futuristic. There was an old military look to the onyx long-sleeve high-collar coat, with multiple panels and straps attached to it.
Additionally, she wore a veil over her head that gave her an ominous aura.
In a way, she was eerie; everything about her sent a chill down Simon's spine, as she belonged here instead of the human realm.
(Did they just wait here for when I'd return? Are there others?)
Her head slowly turned, like a clock ticking by the seconds, before she finally locked eyes with him.
"Hello. Are you lost?" Her voice had no emotion behind it, and neither did her bronze eyes.
Simon felt his eyes dropping, almost as if he was sinking into a trance. The more he tried to resist, the heavier his eyes became.
It felt almost as if there was a string attached to his head, planted into the center of the earth. It made him instinctively drag it down, unable to fight against it.
"Who... Are-"
"You may try to think less; it hurts."
Simon's body immediately listened to her, his mind going completely blank. He felt as if he wasn't there at all; only the sound filling his ears was her subtle breathing.
With her hands behind her back, she approached Simon gracefully. She bent over, closing his eyes fully, her expression unchanging.
"Ah, yes. You are indeed lost." The woman patted his shoulder.
Her touch was silky smooth, and she quickly withdrew her hand. With a sigh, she took one of Simon's gloves, stuffing it into her pocket.
"I really did not want to do this to you." She sighed.
"You should've left after I sent the first message. Don't worry, I won't kill you, you've done nothing wrong after all."
All the while, Simon was forced to stand there, trying to grip onto the last bits of consciousness he had left. It was a rather useless effort; however, the woman's voice made him even more drowsy with each word.
"You are lost. A very lost bird."
Simon could no longer tell his left from his right, couldn't tell the difference between whose presence was whose.
Almost like he was in fact lost.
Emotionally, spiritually, and physically, he was lost.
Nothing could be explained from his point of view, other than the fact that he was indeed him.
His mind felt like it would burst in the first second, then it would feel like it would turn off the next.
Eventually, he finally gave in to the darkness.
Then, he collapsed.