A Time for Caution

As soon as the school bell rings, I swiftly gather my belongings and head for the exit. I have a busy agenda today, so I can't afford any delays. Firstly, I plan to visit the hospital to check on Drew. Lathia called me yesterday to inform me that he got injured during a mission. Although she reassured me that he was fine, I couldn't help but worry. Additionally, I have a meeting scheduled with Luoi. He managed to send me a message expressing his desire to meet. Since our meeting will take place in the Lands, it won't consume much time in the real world, so I decided to go there first.

As I briskly walk through the hallway, I think I hear someone call my name. I pause, turning to scan the surroundings, and spot Diane and Cassandra. A smile involuntarily appears on my face as I wait for them to catch up.

"Hey, Ian," Cassandra greets, offering a small wave and a smile. Unbidden, memories of our last encounter on New Year's Eve flood my mind.

"Where have you been hiding?" Diane inquires, playfully squeezing my biceps. "We haven't seen you since New Year's Eve."

"Sorry," I reply. "I've been quite occupied."

"I'll let it slide this time. So, where's Drew?"

For a moment, I ponder whether to disclose Drew's hospitalization. Eventually, I decided to share, with a slight modification. "He sustained an injury a few days ago and is currently at the hospital."

"What happened?" Cassandra asks.

"Is he alright?" Diane chimes in.

I nod. "He's okay, or at least that's what I've heard. I intend to visit him later today."

"Why not go now?"

"I have some work to take care of."

They accompany me out of the school, and before parting ways, I provide them with the hospital's details in case they want to visit Drew. With them gone, I make my way to the bookshop.

It doesn't take long to reach the bookshop, and I immediately notice Hugo's absence. Instead, a girl around my age is busily arranging things. She turns towards the door when I enter, and for some reason, I can't shake off a sense of suspicion. To confirm her identity, I quickly activate my second sight and spot the Laen mark on her forehead. Relieved, I deactivated it.

It appears she did the same because, after a moment of tension, she relaxes.

"Hey, where's Hugo?" I inquire casually as I study her. She appears slightly older than me, making her likely a Protector or perhaps a Wranth; I lean more towards the latter.

"He's been occupied lately, so he hired me to look after the shop in his absence. If you need assistance and he's not around, I'm here to help."

I nod in acknowledgment. "Alright, I'm heading to the Lands, so, uh... goodbye."

She gives me a brief wave before returning to her tasks. Meanwhile, I head towards the portal to the Inbetween. I pass through it swiftly, though I still feel disoriented every time I visit. Once I arrive in the Lands, I contact Luoi.

He promptly materializes in his deer form, circling me for a few moments before settling in front of me. "Ian," he addresses me with a solemn tone. "Can we merge?"

"Merge? Why?" I can't help but recall our uncomfortable experience when we merged during our battle against the Majin. Given our current situation, I question the need for another merge; after all we are in no danger currently.

"I've received some recent information, and I want to ensure you're alright."

"What kind of information?"

"Explaining might undermine the purpose of this meeting. You should know that I have no intention of harming you. Fasurus seldom change, after all. So, can we merge?"

After a moment's hesitation, I reluctantly agree. The merging process remains somewhat uncomfortable, involving the amalgamation of our minds. However, Luoi ensures it doesn't last as long as before, making it less unpleasant.

"You don't appear to be significantly affected," Luoi observes.

"Affected by what?" I inquire while taking deep breaths to clear my mind.

"Mind-altering magic."

"Why would I be affected by mind-altering magic?" I speculate on various possibilities. "Do I have knowledge someone wants to erase from my memory?"

Luoi sits down on the ground, wearing a mildly exasperated expression. "You do have quite the imagination. Do you remember the mission to retrieve the glasses, your first mission? Well, it didn't go as planned. It failed."

I'm taken aback. "What do you mean it failed?"

In response, Luoi projects a scene—our first mission, at the time when Kane and his team intervened. It plays out, but this time with notable differences. When the masked man seizes the scene, Kane fails to wrest it back. Instead, he steps back while Kane appears to battle thin air, leaving another pair of glasses behind. Subsequently, when we believed the fight had ended and the barrier surrounding us vanished, he discreetly departed.

Upon witnessing the altered scene, my heart races as I struggle to comprehend what I've just witnessed. The masked man could have annihilated us at that moment, yet he chose not to.

"It's not your fault. The Eyes of Deceit are formidable, even by Laen standards. Once he obtained them, the outcome was sealed."

"Why did they give us this task in the first? Why entrust us with something so powerful?"

"The Eldest is gone, and this has drawn significant attention to us. If they had dispatched more powerful Laen, our adversaries would have taken notice. Such a simple mission could have escalated into a battle involving formidable entities on both sides. Eventually, we would have secured the glasses, but... Do you recall the aftermath of your first mission? The destruction? Imagine that on a grander scale—hundreds or thousands of times larger, resulting from a high-level confrontation.

"However, by sending you and your team, it gave the impression of a routine mission to those observing us, increasing the likelihood of retrieving the glasses discreetly. You nearly succeeded, and if that man hadn't seized them at the last moment, you would have."

"But why didn't he eliminate us? He had the opportunity."

"You still underestimate how the Laen protect you. If he had killed one of you, two things would have happened. Firstly, your Monitors would have instantly detected the illusion. Secondly, the marks on your foreheads would have activated, locking down the area. At that point, he would have failed. Do you recall the array the Majin placed to seal your marks last year? It wasn't just to stop Laens from communicating with each other. The marks possess functions you're yet to discover."

I lower myself to the ground, my mind processing the revelation slowly. "Why are you only telling me this now?"

"I only learned of it recently myself. I summoned you here to ensure that he hadn't tampered with your minds before departing. The Order has already deemed you safe, but I wanted to verify personally, just in case. By the way, do not share this information with anyone. Rumors spread quickly, and I'd rather avoid causing unnecessary panic."

I nod, then shake my head, and ask, "Can I confide in Drew? Only him."

After a moment's contemplation, Luoi nods and stands up. "Alright. I have other matters to attend to. Take care. Also, be vigilant. If those around you begin behaving strangely, even slightly, report it. Now that we know the Eyes are active once again, we must exercise caution."