Sam headed directly to the elevator. At that moment, he caught sight of his clothes and his face. He looked somewhat impressive.
Before Sam could become even more impressed with himself, the elevator reached the ground floor, and Sam hurried to the library.
As he headed to the library, he felt the scorching sun on his skin. He saw the crowds moving. His desire to stop time grew within him.
Sam restrained himself from doing so and began to randomly think about random things, then something caught his attention.
A gray cat with red eyes was walking in front of him.
'A gray cat? I've never seen a cat with this color in my life.' Sam wondered before becoming more intrigued when the cat suddenly turned and their eyes met.
Then, Sam saw the red eyes of the cat staring at him with interest and depth.
Before Sam could react, the cat quickly fled down an alley.
'What the hell was that?' Sam thought, growing more puzzled. Could this cat possibly belong to someone who possesses ability? He had never seen a cat with red eyes in his life!
But Sam considered another possibility. Perhaps... the cat is an independent ability user.
"Crazy shit." Sam smirked sarcastically before continuing on to the library.
After a few minutes, Sam found himself in front of the library. It was somewhat crowded, but not in the usual way. The atmosphere was still, and everyone was silent.
Sam messaged Christina that he had arrived and waited for her outside the library.
Sam leaned slowly against a wall, took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it.
As Sam exhaled the smoke, he contemplated the operation that would most likely happen today. Or maybe tomorrow.
He also considered the possibility that Angela might still not fully trust him. That's why she hadn't told him anything about the location of her organization or even about herself.
"Perhaps this operation is like a test? To see my abilities and all this nonsense?" Sam thought, finding the logic reasonable.
Sam didn't really object to this approach. Maybe someday, if he becomes the leader of an organization, he would do something similar.
Sam's train of thought was interrupted when he saw Christina hastily exiting the door, their eyes meeting.
"Sorry, really. I got delayed due to the crowd in the library." Christina apologized, panting.
"No worries, here's the key." Sam handed Christina the key before continuing, "And thanks for the stay, the clothes, the breakfast, the towels, and... what else?" He smirked mischievously as he reached the last part.
"Sam!" Christina blushed, continuing, "It's my...pleasure."
"What pleasure you are talking about?" a sudden deep feminine voice came out of nowhere.
Christina turned in horror, and Sam turned with curiosity to find a short woman emerging from the library's entrance.
"Oh, dear beloved and favorite friend of mine, Mary! Shouldn't you be inside? It's a bit crowded there." Christina said, looking toward Mary with concern.
"No worries. The old man is taking care of things. Now, what were you saying 'pleasure' for?" Mary's tone was authoritative as she stared intensely at Sam.
"Um, he... he brought... um, some... yes! Stuff. He brought some stuff for me." Christina struggled to say.
"And what kind of 'stuff' would that be?" Mary continued to stare at Sam intensely without even looking toward Christina.
"And what's it to you?" Sam spoke suddenly.
"Oh, so you do have a tongue after all!" Mary retorted sharply. "What are you doing to her? Answer me!"
"None of your business, and stop harassing her." Sam repeated, staring at Mary firmly.
"Um, guys? Can we calm down a bit?" Christina interjected with a tense smile and worried expressions.
"It's up to me, you faggot. Even if you don't want it." Mary challenged Sam.
"Really? How about I say we're in a relationship? Will your jealous ass flare up? you disgusting fuck?"
"Relationship? What does that mean, Christina? You told me there's nothing between you two!" Mary says firmly while staring intensely on Christina.
"Because there really is nothing between us. You backward whore." Sam said, pulling the cigarette from his mouth and tossing it near Mary.
"Stop it, for God's sake!" Christina yelled loudly, glaring at both Sam and Mary.
"Stop it... Oh my God. You both mean a lot to me, and neither of you wants harm for me. Just... stop yelling in each other's faces. You're not a stupid children to be acting like this." Christina scolded sternly.
"Whatever." Mary said with a deep scowl before heading to the library and slamming the door shut, the sound echoing.
"What's her problem for hell's sake?" Sam questioned Christina.
"She... never mind. I'll talk to her now. And you? I'll talk to you later." Christina said, frowning.
Sam sighed and said, "Fine. See you later."
Christina forced a strained smile and said, "Goodbye."
At that moment, she entered the library without waving or looking at him.
Sam sighed once again and felt his phone vibrate. He grabbed his phone and found a notification from Angela. "Where are you?" was the content.
Sam quickly responded that he would be there within five minutes and rushed to her.
Thankfully, Café Princess was situated between the library and Sam's apartment. It took him about eight minutes to get there.
Sam entered the cafe, panting and in a somewhat pitiful state. His previously impressive appearance was now marred by sweat that glistened all over his body.
The employees stared at him strangely, but Sam ignored them as he wiped himself down. He found Angela seated at the farthest chair from the door, in a corner of the café, looking at him with a mix of curiosity.
Sam approached the counter and unreservedly grabbed several napkins to wipe his face and forehead. He then made his way to Angela's seat, pulled out a chair, and sat in front of her.
"Did you have a good time?" Angela initiated the conversation.
Sam smiled gently and said, "None of your business."
Angela smiled lightly and said, "What do you want to order?"
Sam leaned back in his chair and said, "Nothing. Just let me know what you want to say."
Angela looked at him intently before saying, "Fine, let's begin then. Are you ready?"
Naturally, Sam knew what she was talking about. He responded with an affirmative nod.
"Are you sure about this? Do you need any help?" Angela repeated her question.
"Yes, for all questions except those related to needing assistance, advice, or having questions of my own." Sam answered nonchalantly.
Angela stared at her cappuccino, then swiftly said, "At ten o'clock, the place will close. You know what you're supposed to do."
"Yes, I understand. Is everything on your end ready?" Sam inquired, wanting to know about the state of his funds.
Angela raised her gaze to meet his and said, "Yes, everything is ready." She quickly added, "Just one thing. Make sure no one follows you. Nobody knows about your exit from whatever place you've been staying before going to the store. Nobody knows where the hell are you after the store. Starting from the upcoming hour until three days after completing the task."