"Damn! Damn! I need to find a way to escape."
Back inside the archive, Hao was frantically moving around, twisting and turning as though seeking something specific. His nerves were on edge, and his Vibe Sense thrummed with anxiety. In the midst of his search, he spotted Elysia again and hurried over to her side.
"Mr Vee, back again so soon? Did you forget something?" Elysia asked, sounding inquisitive.
"Is there a back door out of this place?" Hao queried, his tone betraying his distress.
"Only one exit," she replied, her brows furrowing with concern as she noticed something amiss about him. "Is there something wrong? You don't look so good."
"No, I'm fine."
However, Hao's frustration bubbled under the surface. 'Damn, I'm sure she noticed me just now,' he thought, fearing that Diana had caught on to him. 'I can't go out the way I came. There has to be another way.' His predicament deepened as he weighed his options.
Meanwhile, just outside the archive's sole entrance and exit, Diana returned with the muscular Colgate by her side. The duo exuded an imposing aura that commanded attention.
"What's the hold-up?" Colgate questioned, his deep voice resonating in the air.
As she led him to the clerk stationed by the RSA device, Diana recounted the situation, mentioning that she had spotted Hao Vee entering the archive earlier and also that she was denied entry by a miserable, lonely, ugly-looking man. Colgate's brow furrowed as he listened intently to her account.
"They refuse to let you pass? Let's get this sorted out properly," Colgate said, walking up to the RSA device. He engaged in a serious conversation with the clerk, who maintained that they could not enter due to guild policies. Colgate's demeanour remained professional, in stark contrast to Diana's earlier outburst. Diana, however, couldn't help but stare daggers at the clerk, her fingers itching to unsheathe her sword and fillet him.
"I see, so you won't let us pass because of your policy. I respect that. However, you will have to comply with our request today," Colgate stated calmly before stepping to the side. He contacted the Chief Director and explained the situation.
A few minutes later, the clerk received an incoming call on his communication device. He hesitantly answered, his expression changing as the conversation with his superior unfolded. The call ended with the clerk's face looking miffed.
"I'm so sorry for the delay I've caused you both. You may enter now," the clerk conceded, granting them access to the archive.
"You're lucky to still have your job," Diana taunted with her scornful voice. She stood beside Colgate on the magical circle before the door, waiting to be transported inside, her eyes still fixed on the clerk with a mix of disdain and triumph.
Momentarily, the circle glowed with a brilliant blue light, and they felt a tingling sensation as their bodies began to dematerialize. The process involved breaking down their physical forms into countless particles and transmitting them through space, to be reassembled at their destination.
The duo materialized within the archive, their particles fusing back together in a seamless reconstruction of their original forms. As soon as they were able to move, they began scanning the vast archive for the perpetrator, Hao Vee.
"Where is that little shit hiding?" Colgate spoke under his breath, searching the area frantically. He pushed a few people out of his path, his impatience evident.
"Excuse me." Diana, with her lithe figure, slipped through the crowd with ease as she continued her search.
"You said you saw him come in here. What was he wearing?" Colgate demanded answers from Diana so he could better narrow in on his search.
"Huh?" From where he was hiding behind a shelf, Hao's keen hearing discerned Colgate's rough voice. This prompted him to zoom in with Vibe Sense. Through the unique lens of his ability, he could make out the intimidating figures of Colgate and Diana scouring the edifice. Hao knew he was in big trouble. He quickly ran to the lift and went up to the floor where he had studied earlier.
"Hmm? Is that him?" Due to the transparency of the lift exterior, Diana noticed someone who looked like Hao and alerted Colgate. "Up there, I think that person might be him. That long sword he's carrying is rather unusual."
"So he's bold enough to bring Judgment Day with him in public?" Colgate couldn't fathom Hao's cockiness. "Let's go!" He commanded fiercely, leading the way to another lift in an effort to catch up before his target was lost.
For Hao, who had just come out of the lift onto the corridor leading to the 41st Shelf-Section-Ab1, it was hard to tell how far his pursuers were. His Vibe Sense had a limited range, and the abundance of information made it difficult for him to process everything accurately. Crowded places didn't go well with his unique sight.
"Where can I hide?" Hao wondered, his heart thumping inside him. Not knowing specifically where else to turn to, he decided to hide in the reading booth where he had been interrupted earlier by that talkative girl, Lanor. She was startled to see him barging in.
"It's you again. Why have you come back here? Do you have a bone to pick with me or something?" Lanor asked, annoyed.
"Be quiet," Hao asserted, his tone firm. While hiding, he used his Vibe Sense to spy on what was going on outside, more specifically, who was coming and going down the corridor.
"Hey, you, are you listening to me?" Lanor felt even more irritated.
Hao ignored her, focusing intently on the sounds outside. He heard Colgate asking the people passing by about him.
"Excuse me, have you seen a young man clothed in blue with a long sword on his back?" Colgate inquired sternly.
One individual responded, "Yeah, I think I saw who you've described. He has a long sword on his back and a blindfold on his face, right? Yeah, I saw him go over there, Booth-132."
'Dammit!' Hao cursed softly upon realizing his hiding place was no longer safe. 'What to do? What to do?' Frustration swelled within him as he weighed his options. In the meantime, Colgate approached Booth-132 with a menacing stride, fully prepared to confront his target.
Hao's mind raced as he tried to devise an escape plan, but his thoughts were clouded by the imminent threat of discovery. He leaned towards Lanor, whose eyes were now painted with curiosity and suspicion. He could only hope that she would not give him away.
Thud! Thud!
Colgate's heavy footsteps grew closer, Hao could hear the low murmur of him questioning people around the booth and their hesitant responses.
'I'm running out of time,' Hao thought, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
'Huh? What the heck is wrong with this guy? Is he insane?' Lanor stared at Hao, torn between her annoyance and a growing sense of unease. She felt something was amiss, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Her gaze shifted from Hao to the door, she also heard the approaching footsteps and sensed the tension increasing.
Thud! Thud!
Finally, Colgate reached Booth-132, his fists clenched in anticipation. "So you're hiding in here eh?" He could feel victory within his grasp, the thought of apprehending Hao Vee filled him with a sense of satisfaction. The booth door stood between him and his quarry, thus he prepared to fling it open and confront it.
Creek!
As the door handle began to turn, Hao braced himself for the worst, his entire body tense. Lanor held her breath, unable to look away from the unfolding drama. In that split second, their fates were unknown, each of them uncertain of what would happen next.