Despite the fire's light, the shadows still lingered in the room, concealing most of its inhabitants in semi-darkness.
A man had been escorted to the inn by Nox, who seemed quite intimidating. The man had been caught loitering outside the shop, and as he sat in a wooden chair, he appeared to shrink in the group's presence.
The situation was tense as one man faced a group of four, who appeared puzzled by the stranger's presence. Nox's decision to bring him back to the inn had left them unsure of his intentions. The investigation on the masked men was ongoing, and now an outsider was brought in. Was there a connection between the two occurrences?
Eriladar pulled Nox aside and asked cautiously, "is there a reason you brought this man here? And so late at night too. Just look at poor Taegen, he can barely keep his eyes open."
Nox noticed Eriladar was looking in a particular direction, and upon following his gaze, Nox saw Taegen struggling to stay awake, almost nodding off multiple times, and jerking awake just before his head hit the table.
Suddenly, he felt bad for waking all of them up over something that could be unimportant. However, the man he had taken to the inn gave him an uneasy feeling, and he suspected he held the key to uncovering more about the masked individuals.
Nox didn't answer Eriladar's query. Instead, he recounted how he had noticed the man entering the shop and that something seemed strange about the way he moved - like he was hiding from something or someone.
Everyone was gone, from the elderly to the young, apart from a grandmother and her grandson, so they hadn't expected that there would be another person still in the village. And one suspicious point about him was the declaration that he had seen nothing, nor did he know anything.
It was like he had mistaken Nox for another person, and there was a possibility that it had something to do with the masked men. What had he witnessed that caused him to be so disturbed by someone grabbing his arm?
When Eriladar's gentle and friendly presence was seen, the man felt more at ease, and the trembling lessened a bit. However, when he looked back at Nox, it started up again. The two couldn't have been more different.
Feeling conscientious, Nox moved out of the man's line of sight and tried to reduce his presence as much as possible. With him out of the way, the man relaxed once more and turned warily to Eriladar, waiting for him to speak.
Eriladar chose his words carefully: "Sorry for my friend over there. He might look a little rough, but he's a good person. We're here to investigate the case of the missing people and we wanted to ask you a few questions. Would that be alright?"
Panic flashed across the man's face at the mention of the missing people, but quickly returned to normal: his complexion was just a little more waxen than before. Seeing him nod his head, Eriladar's said, "maybe you can start by telling us your name. That would make things easier."
"Saul."
"It's nice to meet you, Saul." Eriladar preceded to introduce himself and the others, then began his questioning.
☽
The warm glow from the fireplace enveloped the woman sitting beside it, casting a comforting light. A cup of tea was placed before her on the coffee table, and someone kindly grasped her hand.
Ilaria listened to Faye's story with no interruption, displaying only a reassuring smile. As a result, Faye felt at ease and recounted every detail, no matter how small. Recalling everything that had happened until that moment was arduous, but it was a relief to unburden herself, and for there to be someone who will listen to her.
Her tears had ceased some time ago, leaving her with a flush on her cheeks and eyes reddened to match. Her damp lashes framed violet eyes that were cast downwards as she focused on the handkerchief resting in her lap. At present, she felt ashamed for having cried in front of three individuals she had only just met that day. Yet, they didn't ridicule her and remained silent while she composed herself.
Since waking up and arriving here, she hadn't reflected on what happened before or after becoming a player. Adjusting to this new role was disorientating, and it was only now that she was able to process it all. And it left her wondering what she should do now, or even what could she do.
She had been a non-playable character for a long time, but now she was a player. The experience felt familiar, yet there was something different about it. It would take a while to figure it out. However, she was grateful to have so many supportive people around her.
Ilaria had to open the bar and asked Amos and Kai to come along to help. Before leaving, she reassured Faye that she was safe and advised her to relax while she was there. Faye thanked her and walked over to the bookshelf to access the books neatly arranged there.
She reminisced about the peaceful times when she could sit on the chair by the window overlooking the town square and read a book. However, that seemed like a distant memory now that she was alone. Faye picked a book, sat on the sofa, and opened it to the first page. A contented smile spread across her face as she delved into the world captured in its pages.