Adrian wakes up screaming.

  Clawing at his face and feeling the mask not there all of a sudden after a week of wearing it. The itch stayed for a while longer. It takes a proper cleaning of his face for it to finally subside, but his body still shivers.

  The memories of the time here, instead of surviving in the wild, contrast and brings him some relief, but the memories still pass through him like a dream, until it becomes hard to decipher which of those is real.

  It is the interaction with others, with people that finally solidified his mind again.

  He shudders wondering what will happen if one day he stopped interacting with others? If he left civilization and he had no one to talk to? Or what if his avatars walked through the Tower like him. Then which one will be the real him, and which one will be fake?

  Not doing long ones for a while now.

  He decides and finally starts to go through the memories he has just received, planning for what is to come.

  #

  “Jarad, can I talk to you for a while?” Adrian asks, finding the archivist walking through the bazaar with several books in his hand.

  “Oh, hey Adrian. Yes sure, what did you need me for?” The man says, a bright smile spreading on his face.

  “I think this is a little bit more sensitive than to be declared like this in the public”

  “Oh is that so? Well then let’s go. I’m heading for my room anyway, come join me. I’ll get you a cup of tea directly from the 4th floor! It is made from the leaves of some really potent plants that you will encounter there,” The man said, leading the way towards his room.

  With the construction work of the inns and more suitable facilities done, the sea of tents have been removed, replaced by well maintained gardens where climbers can now go to relax after a hard day of work.

  The church of clarity too has moved to a seperate at the bottom of the giant tree, creating an office space just for themselves. No one complained, because why would they?

  Jarad’s office is a fairly large room at the bottom of the three floored building, in a corner with several books and files arranged neatly along the wall on the two racks. There is a table at the centre with all kinds of papers floating on top of it, a reading lamp, and an empty cup too. There is also a small cupboard in the corner of the room.

  “Would you believe that most of these books and files have been accumulated ever since we came here?” Jarad says.

  “Already? These seem too much, to be honest.”

  “No one really expects the amount of paperwork that actually goes into these kinds of things. Although of course, I’m a bit to blame too, as a lot of the books on the left rack are my purchases,”

  “A bookworm, huh.”

  “That I am. My abilities are centered over reading and observation as well, so even though I’m level 40, I barely have any fighting prowess. I’m really only good at reading, and this is what I love to do. This, with working for the church is quite literally my dream job. I’m very happy at my station,” He says as he opens the small cupboard to bring two sets of tea cups and then the ingredients.

  “So about the thing I wanted to talk-” Adrian is cut off by the man.

  “Tea first, then we can talk. You should take a seat, just a few seconds!”

  Adrian sits as he watches the man prepare the tea with care. The tea leaves are already grounded, so the long process is saved, and the water is heated through an artifact almost instantly.

  As hot water is poured into the tea leaves, an enchanting smell begins to emanate from it, spreading through the room, bringing out Adrian’s admiration for it.

  “Here, let me know if you like it,” Jarad serves him his cup, while sitting on his own chair with his cup, watching him like a hawk, as if waiting for his reaction.

  Adrian takes a small sip, unworried about burning himself by mistake. Instantly, a symphony of flavour flows in his mouth. Sweet, but not too sweet. Floral, earthy. It is truly the best tea he has ever drunk.

  “Truly worthy of your compliment!” Adrian says, and watches the man’s face bloom with joy.

  “I’m glad you enjoy it,” He sips his own, and says, “So what is it about that brought you here?”

  “It’s about the terrorists.”

  “What about them?”

  “I’ve found their secret hideout. At least one of their secret hideouts,” Adrian says and watches as the man’s facial expressions change into something more serious. He puts down his tea cup, and stares at Adrian with official eyes. Not as Jarad, but as an archivist of the Church.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “I’ve dug up some information about you ever since I met you. Your family is part of the church too, aren’t they?”

  “Low level members of the church, yes,”

  “Your mother is quite determined to rise up the ranks.”

  “That she is, yes.”

  “Then why come to me with this information? You could’ve gone somewhere higher. Gain more benefits for your family,” Jarad asks.

  “I don’t know the higher ups personally. I know you personally, and figured I can help a friend with some promotion at finding the hideout,” Adrian shrugs and smiles, “Also helps me get closer to the main branch in the Tower. This is more of an investment.”

  Jarad doesn’t smile.

  “How legible is this information?”

  “I’ve been there myself. I saw it with my own eyes. It’s 100% credible. Unless they packed away the whole place in the span of 8 or so hours since I’ve been there.”

  Frowning a little, the man stands up and brings a file from the right rack, going through it at a speed which almost looks like he simply turned the pages.

  “The last time you were seen entering the settlement was around 4:32 pm with your party, and the last anyone was seen entering the settlement was 7:02 pm. Mind telling me when or how you escaped the settlement walls to investigate whatever you did? Unless you’re gonna tell me they are inside the settlement?” Gone is the softness and the warmth from the voice, leaving just a formal tone.

  Instead of explaining, Adrian demonstrated. He doesn’t know if they have a file on him or not, but if he’s gonna get close to them, they’ll have one sooner or later. Also not like he has been really discreet about his use of avatar.

  From Adrian’s seat, he suddenly disappears. Jarad looks at the now empty seat with deep eyes, when someone knocks on his door. The knob turns, and another Adrian walks in, and takes the seat.

  “Am I supposed to make a deduction based on your use of powers, an act which is quite literally forbidden in the church building?” Jarad says with a deadpan expression.

  Adrian coughs and explains, “It’s Avatar. It’s a simple ability to create avatars of myself whose senses I can share. I sent one of me along the forest looking for them, when I came across it accidentally. Also, I technically didn’t cast the skill here. I just dispelled the avatar and I already had one more waiting just outside the office.”

  “I am gonna look away because the information you bring might be very useful to the church. But please beware that such concessions might not be made every time,” Jarad said, as he sat down with a new file in his hand.

  “Now please explain what you saw in there with as much detail as you can. We’ll be sending a scouting team to confirm the location, so please be precise like your life here depends on it, okay?”

  No pressure.

  Adrian begins his narration, talking about the general area before focusing more and more on the specific part, while the man continues to note everything down at an amazing pace.

  “There is a swamp, which is actually a very delicate illusion-”

  “Did you just say illusion?” Jarad stops his writing to look at him again.

  “Yes, although it sounded unbelievable, it was there.”

  “The terrorists do have mind magic. As we feared,” Jarad sighs. It is the first time he has seen the man in front of him sigh.

  “Excuse me, I always thought that mind magic as a field in itself is not possible in the Tower. Except maybe emotion control and psychic damage. Then how could they create illusions?”

  Jarad seems to chew on the decision of whether to tell him or not, before relenting.

  “In this world, there are some people born with some special talents.”

  Adrian focuses almost instinctively, hiding the shock he is feeling at that moment. For so long he has been looking for any bit of information about this exclusive talent that the Tower informed him of, but he never really found anything about it, and finally there’s a lead.

  “These special talents make them dangerous. A threat to the Tower’s stability. That’s how most of the terrorists are born,” Adrian’s mind wavers, “These special talents allow them access to skills that shouldn’t be possible under normal circumstances. Usually they manifest as mind magicks, and mind magic resistances. If the illusion you are describing has been around for so long without being detected, then we can assume that this is the work of a High Ranker.

  “But you know what, Mr. Alphona, this really makes me wonder how you cracked it? Do you perhaps have mind magic resistance too?” His eyes take on a dangerous gleam, his hand cradling a pen which hasn’t been there before, and Adrian is almost 99% sure that it is an artifact, which can either call his colleagues, or trap him here somehow.

  Shit. Focus. Focus.

  “As I said, it was by pure coincidence that I found it. I had been passing from the area when I saw someone walk out of the swamp like it was nothing. The illusion flickered at that moment, and I saw the world beyond. I think it was that which really broke the illusion for me,” Adrian shrugs almost casually.

  “I apologize, but your story is… too convenient. I personally think you are okay, since we have already run many scans through this floor, and have never found you lacking. And believe me, we have been dealing with these ‘special’ fellas for a long time and know what really ticks them.

  “If we never found you before, then it’s likely that your story is right–illusion can be fickle once looked through–unless you have some talent that has never been seen before.”

  Jarad clicks the pen continuously in a rhythm which only spells bad news for him, despite the words coming out of his mouth.

  “I’m sorry, but I think we’ll have to run some extra scans on you, Adrian. I assure you, you will be treated with the utmost courtesy of the church of clarity, until found guilty. Let’s complete this report by then though, right? We need to send the scouting team too, afterall,” Jarad says, switching pens and looking at him with a faint smile.

  “Of course, that is what I’m here for afterall,” Adrian says, resuming his account of things once again, trying to appear nonchalant, even if internally he is sweating.

  Adrian doesn’t slip up. He keeps his face neutral, his acting skills almost perfect. How could it not be, when he has been wearing a mask for all his life? Acting is what he has done for 16 years, and this is what he’ll do today as well.

  “Thank you for your information!” Jarad stands up, closing the file in his hands, the formal tone disappearing almost completely, replaced by the friendly smile, “I hope to see you again in a much better situation, Adrian. See you later,”

  “See ya,” Adrian says, dissipating the avatar, instantly waking up in his room again. The memories come back to him, and he sits by his bed for a few minutes, wondering if he should just run away.

  I’m not strong enough.

  “You may come in,” He says, the door opens, and two church members walk in.

  “We hope you won’t resist, Mr. Alphona,” One of them says.

  “That goes without saying,” Adrian says getting up from his bed, “Do you mind if I change my pajamas? I would rather not be seen wearing my dropbear jammies, you know.”

  #