The static of his laptop quietly hummed in the background. Elias was once again, working tirelessly through the night on a report. He sat at his desk beside his dim lamp and was still tapping on the keys of his keyboard.The American Supernatural Intelligence Division was not lenient on any tasks. They had a strict and tight schedule, and Elias was not one of those members to stray from these rules. No, he was not anywhere near the top detectives in the division. He had only had a few encounters, and his last was nothing of a small feat, but rather a big one.He wanted to prove himself capable of taking on a higher position. Then, muffled footsteps echoed down the hallway outside, growing louder by the second. The door slowly creaked open. Through the small opening, a voice weakly whispered through. "Why are you still up?""Not now Rae...I'm almost done..." Elias replied as he stood up. Rae pushed the door open and entered Elias's room."Elias, when are you going to go to bed...?" Rae asked, rubbing her eyes.Elias sighed, leaning back. "I can't rest until I've finished writing this report. It's important, it's about your case.""My case..." Rae began, playing with her lavender hair. She didn't know what to say, but it was important. Rae was unlike others, but her mystique was enchanting in a way that Elias couldn't deny. Although there was a much more complicated background, it was only Elias who was nice enough to accompany her."It'll only take about 5 more minutes..." Elias reassured, with Rae watching eagerly at the screen as Elias typed."Elias...Just get some rest...Don't worry about it too much..." Rae smiled. She leaned down a little and gave Elias a big cuddle. Elias took his hands off the keyboard and gently squeezed her hand."You have one new notification!" a robotic voice alerted. Elias directed his sight back to the screen and opened his email inbox. At the very top, a new email appeared with the subject titled: "Highly Classified". Elias opened the email and it read:'Dear Mr. Elias Novem,
Is this a good time? My name is Tristan Kniet, and I desperately need your help. Do you know of the Airiman's Essence?'
"Airiman's Essence?" Rae asked."Airiman's Essence..." Elias hesitated, then added, "It's an old legend from the Indigenous tribes here. They spoke of a spirit-I can't remember what it is exactly. I just know that my professor said it was a way for the land to speak to those who don't belong."Rae shivered. "And this random guy wants your help?""Yep," Elias smiled, pushing away from Rae's embrace."Yes, yes. Now can you go to bed?" Rae said, impatiently."Alright, night," Elias motioned, leading Rae out and kissing her. The morning sun soon rose and the sunlight gently submerged the living room with a warm, soft light. Rae was still sound asleep whilst Elias was again, up first making breakfast."Morning Rae," Elias comforted, gently tapping Rae on her shoulder. "Wake up!""Ugh...What time is it?" Rae groaned as she rubbed her eyes. "How come you sleep so late and still be able to wake up so early?""It's only 9:00 am, not even that early!" Elias laughed, sitting down beside Rae, on her bed. "My Professor is only free at 10:00 am so we better hurry."~Elias and Rae soon arrived at the small, cosy apartment block on 81 Welster Street, where Elias's professor had resided. Elias stepped up to the grandeur-looking entrance on the third floor and knocked on the professor's door. There was no answer."Maybe he's still asleep..." Rae implied.Elias ignored her and knocked slightly harder. Slightly annoyed, Elias reached into his pockets, eventually finding two small keys."Which one do you think fits?" Elias asked."Hmm? Neither matches the keyhole..?" Rae asked, confused."You're right, you need both keys..." Elias demonstrated as he pieced together the keys in a specific way and gracefully unlocked the door, slowly pushing it open.Elias carefully crossed the kitchen and approached his professor's study room, located on the far right side."Professor?" Elias exclaimed, peeping his head inside. Instead of seeing the professor sitting upright at his desk, he was nowhere to be seen. It was a Saturday and normally, the professor would either be still asleep or at his desk working on lectures or marking papers.Instead of the presence of the professor, a curious-looking box sat sealed shut on his table. Elias carefully picked the box up and inspected it and found an engraving carved into the underside of the box."Box of Dreams" Elias read, putting it back down. His curiosity soon reached him and Elias couldn't hold back anymore. He wanted to open the box to see what was inside. He slid the lid off and the box was empty. Nothing was inside. Elias was confused. What had happened to his professor?Looking for more answers, Elias found another box, assuming it was the packaging for the smaller wooden box that had mysteriously killed the professor. On it read an address, from the Northern Territory of Australia."Fuck this, I'm not getting paid enough..." Elias sighed as he stormed outside and booked a plane ticket. Rae heard Elias march out and quickly followed behind, racing down the stairs outside the building."Where are you going?" Rae asked."I need to go to Australia. I'll be back in a week." Elias explained. "Look after yourself..."Elias held a worried look and quickly jumped into his car and drove off to the airport."Hey wait a minute! You can't just leave me here!" Rae yelled, but it was no use. Elias had sped off as if he was more concerned about his professor and not Rae.Rae was furious, but it didn't tangle her logic as her mind remained rational and calm. Rae quickly made her way back home then packed some necessities and headed towards the airport, buying a ticket herself.~The Australian air clung thick and hot. It was warmer than Elias and Rae had both thought, reaching up to temperatures of 32⁰C. The airport had a fresh minty aroma that made the surrounding barren desert feel modern and crispier. Elias squinted into the sun as he stepped out into the desolate terrain, feeling a sense of displacement as if the land was vibrating beneath his feat.Elias soon arrived at the location, a remote town nearing the centre of Australia. He checked in at a nearby hotel. The hotel was simple and old, to say the least, for it to look abandoned in the small town located in the empty desert was nothing new.Rae on the other hand was behind, approximately by 8 hours or so. Rae found her way into Australia the next morning, in search of Elias. She didn't have any information on where he had gone, and she knew that this was also her mission to find Elias.Soon, Rae found a local hotel near Darwin. She knew she wanted to have some fun and explore what the isolated city of Darwin had to offer before she began her proper quest to find Elias.-« Day 1: Elias »-Elias woke to the radio's dull chatter."Today's weather calls for sand..." The voice droned on, static crackling slightly, an odd hiccup in the broadcast. He rolled his eyes, annoyed by the noise and turned it off without a second thought. Elias decided to explore the hotel and wandered into the mess of a dining hall.The free breakfast was a nice change and Elias capitalised on this opportunity to have a feast. Hash Browns, eggs, bacon and various foods were all available and it was a treat to have some quality Australian food finally. Elias enjoyed every second of it"Elias...Elias..." a voice rang as Elias ate his food."Who's there?" Elias jerked around, looking around to find nobody. Then there was the tingling sensation that sent chills down Elias's spine as Elias for once in his life, felt afraid, and that someone was there to hunt him.Elias quickly finished his meal and left the hotel, heading out to the site."Kniet?" Elias asked as he approached the man."Who are you?" the man asked."You don't remember me?""No?""You're the one who emailed me...""I did?""Yes?""Um, ok? I mean, my name is Tristan Kniet after all. I guess you're only trying to help me...Unless you can solve this stupid mystery, you can't kindly leave me be," Tristan explained."What's the mystery?""Well, that..." Tristan motioned. He pointed towards the dust storms that surrounded the town."What about it?" Elias questioned."Well, every day they appear and surround the town.""Then how did I get here at night?""I don't know. They would stop at night?""Yes? And? What are you implying?""I don't know how to get out...""Get out of what?""This town! I arrived last week, and ever since then, I've been stuck here! I've been paying absurd amounts of money to the hotel!""Well, can't you just make a call or something?" Elias suggested, taking his phone out. As he tried to open his networking app, a red alert displayed the two words that shook Elias."NO SIGNAL""Oh. How did you send that email of yours though?""Like I said, I haven't sent an email!""If you're gonna be like that, I'm just going to leave," Elias replied, now frustrated again. He couldn't believe a client who emailed him didn't even know that he emailed him. As he walked through the town, he witnessed a man getting hit by a ball that some kids were playing with.As Elias tried to navigate through the dust storms, he could barely see and was forced to turn back. Still, Elias was determined to leave the town. He waited until the storms had calmed down. During sunset, the skyline glowed a bright saturated orange that burnt the sandy terrain. It was at that time, the storms had finally ended.Elias ventured to the outskirts of the town. It was cold and dark outside, making this task quite difficult. Elias didn't give in though, for he explored quite far before he saw it. It wasn't a mere hallucination but strange beasts suddenly started to creep out from the bushes and startled Elias. He had never seen animals this large that loomed over him like towers. He felt vulnerable and was terrified. He had never seen anything like this."Those are megafauna, kid. That's the Diprotodon in front of you..." a man laughed. Elias didn't find it funny."You can see it?" Elias screamed"Obviously!" the man laughed again. "I'd advise you to stay in this town. There are quite some scary monsters out there!""Ahhh!" Elias screamed again. He suddenly realised why Kniet did not know how to escape. The town was cursed, somehow. Elias quickly made his way back into his room and passed the night.-« Day ???: Elias »-Elias was startled by the sound of the radio, suddenly turning on in the warm morning."Today's weather calls for sand, isn't that right Jacob?" the broadcaster announced."Indeed Raymond, today-" the other broadcaster suddenly stuttered, as if the radio had glitched some sort. "-we'll be continuing with dust storms in the afternoon,"Elias, frustrated, got up and turned the radio off. He was in a bad mood, and the radio only worsened it. It was like the radio was emitting deafening sound waves into his mind, vibrating so heavily that it gave him a headache.The free breakfast was a nice change and Elias capitalised on this opportunity to have a feast. Hash Browns, eggs, bacon and various foods were all available and it was a treat to have some quality Australian food finally. Elias enjoyed every second of it. However, as Elias was eating the food, he felt like he had eaten this type of food before, even though he had never been to Australia, nor had he had any authentic Australian experiences back in the States like this. Something felt off.After Elias finished his meal, he felt a sense of deja vu, but nothing clicked in his head. The subtle feeling kicked his mind awake, but yet he could not recall anything."Kniet?" Elias asked as he approached the man."Who are you?" the man asked."Elias Novem""That name rings a bell...""You're the one who emailed me...""I did?""Yes?""Um, ok? I mean, my name is Tristan Kniet after all. I guess you're only trying to help me...Unless you can solve this stupid mystery, you can't kindly leave me be," Tristan explained."What's the mystery?""Well, that..." Tristan motioned. He pointed towards the dust storms that surrounded the town."What about it?" Elias questioned."Well, every day they appear and surround the town.""Then how did I get here at night?""I don't know. They would stop at night?""Yes? And? What are you implying?""I don't know how to get out...""Get out of what?""This town! I arrived last week, and ever since then, I've been stuck here! I've been paying absurd amounts of money to the hotel!""Well, can't you just make a call or something?" Elias suggested, taking his phone out. As he tried to open his networking app, a red alert displayed the two words that shook Elias."NO SIGNAL""Oh. How did you send that email of yours though?""Like I said, I haven't sent an email!""If you're gonna be like that, I'm just going to leave," Elias replied, now frustrated again. He couldn't believe a client who emailed him didn't even know that he emailed him. As he walked through the town, he witnessed a man almost getting hit by a ball some kids were playing around.As Elias tried to navigate through the dust storms, he could barely see and was forced to turn back. Still, Elias was determined to leave the town. He waited until the storms had calmed down. During sunset, the skyline glowed a bright saturated orange that burnt the sandy terrain. It was at that time, the storms had finally ended.Elias ventured to the outskirts of the town. It was cold and dark outside, making this task quite difficult. Elias didn't give in though, for he explored quite far before he saw it. It wasn't a mere hallucination but strange beasts suddenly started to creep out from the bushes and startled Elias. He had never seen animals this large that loomed over him like towers. He felt vulnerable and was terrified. He had never seen anything like this."Those are megafauna, kid." a man laughed. Elias laughed."It's a Diprotodon, right? " Elias screamed"You've got one keen eye!" the man laughed again. Elias laughed again with the man as if it felt natural. But it didn't feel normal. Each day felt so surreal as if it was repeating. Was he in Groundhog Day?-« Day ???: Elias »-The quiet radio static turned into a deafening machine, alerting Elias out of his sleep.The broadcaster's voice sounded bizarrely similar, with the same sarcastic tone."Today's weather calls for sand..." the voice announced as if it were reading off a script. Elias froze. A cold unease settled in his chest. Elias didn't think again and threw the radio against the wall; he was frustrated.Elias wasn't hungry so he skipped breakfast. Instead, he headed immediately towards the site."Kniet? Are you trying to get out this time of day, again?" Elias yelled."Who are you?" the man asked."My name is Elias Novem. I was tasked by someone to help you...""Great! So, how do we get rid of that thing?" Tristan motioned. He pointed towards the dust storms that surrounded the town."You don't," Elias explained. Elias's muscle memory had somehow kicked in and had overrode his actions. Elias was spitting everything out to his instinct's desire.During sunset, the skyline glowed a bright saturated orange, again. It was at that time, the storms had finally ended. Elias this time was aware and his body controlled his navigation systems, rerouting him to venture to a darker part of the town."Hmm..." a man mumbled."Who's there?" Elias began. He crossed his arms and sternly looked at the man who was sitting on the wooden crates, holding a strange device."Very well. But this isn't the solution you're looking for..." the man hissed, with his words almost being inaudible. Elias flinched then he saw darkness. The man had knocked Elias out cold.-« Day ???: Elias »-Elias was startled by the sound of the radio, suddenly turning on in the warm morning."Today's weather calls for sand, isn't that right Jacob?" the broadcaster announced."Indeed Raymond, today-" Elias jumped out of his bed and threw the radio across the room, annoyed.The day felt repeated, with Elias remembering some things he did. But he knew something now. Before he left the hotel, Elias quickly snuck a pen and notepad into his jacket.Throughout the day, Elias jotted everything down, allowing him to remember clearly. He knew something was odd about his thoughts and knew his logic was clouded by some strange unknown force. He wanted to test a theory as he knew there was something strange.Elias again, found himself nearing the alleyway again that evening, passing by the same man he encountered.Standing a safe distance, Elias sketched out the strange device the man held and quickly tucked his notepad back into his jacket. The man was unfazed and did not notice Elias's presence. He sat there, using the device like a cigarette.He quickly escaped the scene, going back to his hotel room and calling it a night.-« Day 5: Elias »-Elias was once again startled by the sound of the radio, suddenly turning on in the warm morning.This time, Elias didn't even wait. Before the announcer could say a word, Elias had hurled the radio across the room, smashing it against the wall. 'Shut up!' he yelled, gasping as the eerie sensation of deja vu washed over him.As Elias put his jacket on, a piece of paper cut that was placed inside his jacket slipped out. What was this? Elias had never seen this paper before. He picked it up in confusion and saw impossible-looking sketches. Then, he found a notepad lodged in the other pocket of his jacket. When he flipped through the notebook, he found a strange-looking diagram.It seemed to Elias to be some kind of map. Elias went to the marked spot at 17:30 and found it to be empty. However, just as Elias was about to leave, a man walked by."Huh? How did you get here?!" the man exclaimed. The man was in terror and fell backwards, dropping a strange device. Elias quickly peeked at the notepad and realised the device looked strangely similar to the object sketched. Elias dove for the device and snatched it."No!" the man yelled. His voice grew in anger as he jumped towards Elias, trying to take the device back. Elias quickly dodged the man attempting to attack him and safely stood up with the device in his hands. "You mustn't use it! You will die!""Me? Die?" Elias questioned. He had felt like he had died multiple times now, reliving the same day. Elias toyed around with the device and suddenly started it. It began shooting out a strange yellow gas that quickly spread around. He didn't know how to stop it, but it began to grow larger and larger, spreading throughout the town. Elias inhaled the gas, taking a big breath in. It was a dangerous move, but he knew something about this device was letting this mysterious man remember and not be affected."You idiot!" the man yelled. He jumped up and attacked Elias. Again, Elias swiftly dodged his attack."Stop lying. I think I know what's up now," Elias explained. The man froze in motion, eyes widening in terror. "My memories...Or should I say the town's memories? They are getting reset each night...Time still moves normally, it's just our memories are wiped so our minds think we haven't moved forward""And? Your current memories will just reset tomorrow morning! You can't do anything!" the man laughed."Really, Tristan Kniet? You think that this is going to work?" Elias mumbled. "I know this town well enough now. You used the only computer in this town to send that email and pretended to lose your memories. That device you dropped, kills this drug. I remember clearly now. It all makes sense.""No, this can't be!" Tristan exclaimed."Firstly, the megafauna are all just mere illusions. They are centuries old and they cannot possibly come back to life. Secondly, you said to me to help get rid of those dust storms. How can one stop a dust storm? There are so many more flaws that give this hoax away. You are riddled with chaos..." Elias explained."I-" Tristan croaked. "Maybe...Just maybe I needed you to help free me from my madness. I discovered this drug and I almost died...and I wanted to show the world...but this cycle...the antidote...the money...it all sounded too good...""I'm betting you, Anateros is behind this, isn't it?" Elias laughed. Tristan suddenly fell to his knees, gasping for air."How... how did you know?" Tristan choked. The air grew thin for Tristan, and without the antidote, the drug quickly seeped through the ground into his body.His smile faded from a sinister grin and slowly formed an expression of despair, begging for the antidote. "They tricked me! Please..."Elias frowned, his grip tightening on the antidote. "You're pathetic."Tristan let out a weak laugh, his voice hollow. "They paid me so much...to lure you...to get rid of you...But it didn't work out...Our plans were rushed..."Elias threw the device and it shattered into pieces, the antidote scattering everywhere. The gas slowly sifted into the ground, destroying some of the drug."You're an archaeologist. Enlighten me." Elias ordered. "This drug needs to be exterminated, and investigated further,"Elias helped Tristan stand up, knowing that his motives were purely driven by Anateros's corrupt organisation, manipulating his actions."Alright, I admit defeat. You've bested me, Novem. This town once was the Airiman's villa, an Indigenous Tribe. They found these strange roots in South Australia and brought them up north to plant. What they didn't know was that it was actually a deadly drug that when planted in the wrong conditions, has severe aftereffects. We've all experienced it. Hallucinations and memory loss." Tristan explained. "Don't worry, I have more of the antidote,""How do I get out of here?" Elias asked."Go, leave. Leave me alone in this town now," Tristan mumbled as he handed Elias a pair of keys and a capsule filled with the antidote. "Use the antidote like a cigarette...One puff will last around 2 hours. Good luck.""I have one more question," Elias smiled, his midnight black eyes widening. The look of death stared Tristan down, sending a terrifying chill down his spine that shook his entire body. "How much work did you go into buying new radios and repairing the wall every night?"Tristan was in denial. How had he messed it up so badly? Then, Tristan remembered. His memories began to appear clearer than ever before, recalling back."They were Anateros men. Two remained here, always, with protective gear. Go now before they come looking for me!"This time, Elias was surprised, with his mouth hanging open. Anateros had not only been manipulating Tristan, but it was their discovery. Elias turned around and ran towards the old car.~As Elias got a signal, he checked his phone. 10 missed calls from Rae. 64 missed calls from the American Supernatural Intelligence Division. He had messed up.Back in Darwin, Rae had spent the past two weeks living off of Elias's credit card. Elias had completely lost track of time. He had spent countless days putting everything together and when he checked his balance, he was $10,000 in debt.Rae was quite literally having some of the best time in her life, being free and exploring new places. In just two weeks, she had bought various expensive clothes, tasted numerous mouth-watering foods and enjoyed many fun activities.But it was all about to end. Her phone rang at 23:00 sharp and her eyes lit up with joy."Elias?" Rae said."Hi Rae...What the fuck have you done?" Elias replied, angry."What...?""$10,000 in debt?""Oh, oops..." Rae giggled, holding back her tears. "I missed you, Elias, it's nice to hear your voice again. I bought you gifts!""How are we meant to get back?" Elias asked."Um...""You sometimes are so cheeky..." Elias sighed. "I'll call Sylvester to see what he can do..."Elias soon caught up with Rae at the hotel she was staying at. Elias apologised for running off without her and Rae was just glad to see Elias alive and back to normal."Alright, let's go home," Elias said as he rang the ASID's emergency contact number. He was tired and didn't want to file this as a case.Sylvester's voice squeaked over the subtle phone static as he picked up. "Hello? Who's this?"."Sylvester, it's me. I've been away..." Elias replied."Well if it isn't Novem..." Sylvester laughed. "Welcome back to life, kid. Our systems couldn't locate or reach you for 2 weeks and some speculated you were dead. Of course, I know you don't go down with a fight. What have you been up to?""Well, Sylvester, if you could be the protagonist in Groundhog Day while getting your memories wiped every day, would you want to be the protagonist?" Elias asked. Sylvester was intrigued and leaned forward in his chair."You see Elias, this is a strange world. I would love to." Sylvester replied, laughing softly. "All I can say is you might have just solved the case of the Lost Southern Drug. Congrats kid."