Prominent Hazel eyes stared back at me.
Before a dizzying aftereffect hit me. One moment, I saw a brief silhouette at the entrance of my room and next I found myself pinned against the floor.
Silky dark hair, caressing on end of my cheeks, with a faint greenish hue like glitter sprinkled on the hair strands. My eyes wouldn't leave hers, partly because that was only feature uncovered under her mask, but I wonder if it would have made any difference even without.
Those eyes seemed to contain something far more captivating to me. As if staring at them long enough could answer all my questions, regarding her and somehow also me.
"Artemis." I called out her name in a daze.
Though it's something I randomly made up to address her when I noticed her existence, over the years I have grown to like it.
But my revery doesn't last long.
"Is there something you need to do here?" the question came out of me in a whisper. But it contained my genuine desire to know what she wished for.
For across all my observations, she only arrives when there's something to be achieved. Some events hopeless as they seemed, were miraculously overcome.
While some places meet a very gruesome end, even when I tried to find a way to avoid such a outcome, I couldn't come to any conclusion without significant sacrifices, which would've had a heavy impact on subsequent events.
The world isn't ending, it's nowhere close to such an event yet, but after all these years, I have narrowed down the patterns. And I can say with a 90% certainty that at the rate things are worsening, the world should end in less than 5 years from now.
It's not decay, it's a chain reaction. New explosive events when amassed without a sufficient period of break, trigger the old explosives burried deep within the layers.
As a result, myth and legends come to surface, eventually transforming this era into another potential myth down in the future, if there's one in the first place.
Before long, I would not be able to rely on the main characters, and the worn out backs of the surviving protectors and martyrs.
So I have to confirm right here.
"So you ARE the one." a soft icy tone, with a hint of barely suppressed annoyance.
"I guess you would know huh, 'When you stare into the abyss, it stares back'?" I tried to play it off, the past is the past, it's not like I was actively stalking her, I just spread this information when I was just starting out as a new member of the Secret Network for a quick buck.
"I did feel the intensity increasing lately, but not to the extent that I would find you in my personal lair."
With every word, she spoke, the pressure on my body increased multiplefolds, it felt like being submerged in high pressure while breathing became as difficult as in high altitudes.
But there's no supernatural fluctuation, Divine ability? Mental Impriting?
"I thought you'd be here, looking at your track record. Your movements are quite all over the place, but they seem to have some fixed patterns."
In the end I opted for mental transmission, turns out, it has nothing to do with mind hex, and it's just a physical-magical subjugation. I only know theology without a shred of faith or holy power, so can't say if it works on them too.
"Cut the bullshit, who do you belong to? Demon Temple, one of Raidon's? No, if it started from back then, then it could be Secret Network's home branch."
Woah, scratch that she has the full package. But I guess, her mind hex isn't at the extent to brainwash or do a Memory-Scraping?
"Demon Temple?! Just because I wear a robe and had a temporary seclusion from human society doesn't make me one of those lunatics! Though you're not wrong about the second part, but I was just an ordinary member back then, I was young! I didn't mean-"
The next thoughts transmitted made me reconsider my approach towards her.
"Became part of Secret Network at age 15, just six months after enrolling in St. Silvia, took a under-graduate course on General History and Magicology and Special classes on other branches ranging from close combat, All in one Orthodox Theology, and International Relations, with added electives. While studying, you made frequent contacts with a local literature and book reading club members but secretly exchanged and bought recent pieces of information. Though not classified, still more than enough to get you blacklisted if found out. At one point, you decided to look for any information that might increase your ranks in the Network, and there you encountered me."
Now that's... how do I react to that, for now I should consider how to respond, it's good that she can't infringe on mind I think, so only a closed back and forth exchange can take place.
But then how did she know now?
She started with a barrage of questions, so it is clear she didn't know about it before, even if she did, what would she gain by bluffing that she didn't when she would later use this 'I know about you' card immediately after.
In the first place, Demon Temple? Does she have some connection with it? First time I am hearing about it. She only considered the other option of Secret Network only after reviewing when the stalking started...or when she first got noticed, well if even I noticed her back then, so she should've know as well, but probably didn't bother to cover her tracks.
The Demon Temple only officially established after my Year 1 finals, if I remember correctly, back then I was still quite wet behind the ears.
Meaning the Demon Temple is after her in a similar yet more intensive manner than me. Sadly they are a bunch of lunatics, I wouldn't go to them regarding her even if I knew about this beforehand.
And that first question was bait to confirm which of the two I belonged from? Just by a statement from me, she found out so much, it's not even at the level of deduction, she accurately marked what I went through in the first month after after I joined the Network.
Divine ability or magic related to backtracking History?
As I gradually returned from my thoughts, I found her staring at me, as if waiting for my reaction, my instincts are telling me if I don't say something quick, she'll move to the next level, and I don't want to test that.
"Uh yes, understood. I wouldn't do it again. I planned to end it tonight, after meeting you anyway."
Not quite the response she would hope for, but hey it's not like we HAVE to enter a competition of who can talk the most creepily regarding our lives the longest.
I would probably lose in the middle, and wouldn't get a damn new thing from it while she could have enough to steal my whole identity.
I could still feel the distrust just by looking at her narrowed eyes, but there's nothing to be done if she can't or is unwilling to use Memory-scraping on me.
Slowly, her voice returned, this time much calmer from behind the mask.
"'Something I need to do?' Yes, there is." As she lifted her head to stare at one of the walls- Rumble
I didn't feel it when pinned with such force, but now released, I can feel that the frequency and intensity has increased.
"You came here to ambush me right? That I would camp here, when the disaster passes through?"
I nodded, expectation visible on my face.
"Ha sorry, there's not really much of a reason to why I came here out of all the other routes. It's like you said, I guess I have fallen into a pattern lately, I don't want to think too hard on these ones and just get it done with."
With an almost weak sounding tone, she conveyed an answer I already expected. Frankly I have almost thought of every possible answer I could get, but confirmation still feels better.
"So, what's the plan? Can you stop them alone here? Or do you have some plan that you set up for such situations around the city? Don't tell me you're going to blow another one again?"
As I was being careless with my words she snapped
"I DID NOT DO THAT! It was an accident..." Rumble
Huh... so she really didn't plan for meteors to rain down on my now dead home-State? Well I guess it was kinda far fetched, I didn't believe it either, but her tone suspiciously sounds filled with guilt.
"Ahem, alright it was just some gossip I heard, nothing to fret about, more importantly how are we doing this?"
"...Can you think of anything?"
No why are you asking me? I don't even know how these look like, just that some branch split in this direction.
"Wouldn't that be your expertise Art- ahem what may I call you?"
I feel kinda embarrassed now that I am sober from the thrill of meeting her for the first time. Should've just acted mysterious in a reasonable limit.
"Just call me that if you feel comfortable that way, and no, disaster management is not something I am particularly good at, in the first place only those strong enough should take part in it, the rest are just cannon fodders when they could otherwise have been much more useful later. That's why I planned to deal with this one alone, atleast that was the plan before you happened."
Just listening to her is increasing my stress hormones, so what? as the sole cannon fodder here I have no choice but to sacrifice my pitiful life for such a lukewarm answer? Unacceptable!
"What were you going to do if I wasn't here? You probably had thought of a plan, just use it the same, think as if I don't exist."
I don't know if she knew but I took General Communications as my elective.
With an almost exaggerated gesture her eyes moved together to stare at me, with a tired look
"...If we hadn't met around now, then that would have been your future in a few minutes."
"..."
Wait for real?
"I am going to blow up this town."