Soulless Players

73  He's back

An overwhelming silence filled the room, drowning out any noise. If Philip were in his right state of mind, his emotions would have appeared chaotic.

Fortunately, his mind was clouded by the dominant emotion of his first core memory, allowing him to slip away from Xavier and hide his anomaly. After a lengthy pause, Xavier's chuckle reverberated as he muttered, "It's impossible."

The child's visage bore no resemblance to the Philip he remembered and believed the two of them were two different people. However, while Xavier was lost in thought, a sudden knock interrupted the stillness.

"Sir, we have the full detailed report for this night work shift."

Hearing this, Xavier rose and headed to the door. But before leaving, he turned around and said to the child, "You can rest now and sleep. I promise you that no harm will come to your friend."

"And of course that included you," He smiled warmly and closed the door. After a few minutes, Philip's eyes finally flickered, and no longer listless. He glanced around and uncontrollably let out a moan. Philip's head throbbed so intensely that it felt like it might split. He clutched his head and repeatedly banged it against the soft mattress.

When the pain subsided enough for him to think clearly, he swiftly tapped into the dominant emotion of his second core memory and let his space of consciousness be enveloped by it.

Once he calmed down, he began to search his memory for what had happened earlier. And when he stumbled upon a particular memory of a teenager saying his real name, he jumped slightly in fright. Startled, he scanned his surroundings. But when he saw no astral bodies spying on him, he then turned his attention to Gerald's condition. Gerald had a fever, his cheeks flushed, but he was peacefully asleep, devoid of dreams or nightmares.

Seeing that Gerald was safe, Philip heaved a sigh of relief and hastily devised a plan to escape. His current child's appearance was not permanent, and his true identity would eventually be discovered if he stayed here. After all, he had exhausted his five chances during the fight and could no longer transform.

Furthermore, Philip was convinced he couldn't remain in this place any longer, as someone knew his true identity. Maris, Conrad... and Gerald were already too much to handle, he couldn't risk more people discovering his uniqueness. With a final glance at Gerald, he moved towards the door, his golden pupils gleaming as he tiptoed silently. It was 5 a.m., a time when people were beginning to wake up from their sleep. It was also the time when the on-duty mentalists had completed their shifts and were retiring for the day. With this, Philip believed this was the perfect opportunity to slip away from his current location. Philip's hunch proved correct as there were only a few mentalists wandering around. Coupled with his 'Golden Eyes' unique ability, he could identify those who seemed out of place and evade them. Thus, with ease, he managed to make his escape. As he stepped outside the building, he realized he was near Bryxton University, which meant he was also close to Alma Inn. He turned left to verify his location and spotted the grand church he had seen on his first day in the city.

This meant that the Alma Inn was directly across from him, slightly to the left, separated only by a road in the middle and an intersecting street.

Philip chuckled at his good fortune and headed straight for the inn. However, as he approached the entryway, he noticed an astral travel blue beam on the ground, leading to the stairs and down to the basement. Upon seeing this, his initial reaction was to immediately retreat. Without hesitation, he hurriedly fled to a dark alley nearby and reverted to his original child form. With an astral beam heading to the basement, Philip knew Conrad's identity was compromised. After all, he wasn't in the inn. If he wasn't there, who else could act as Conrad? Would the mentalists assume that Conrad had left early in the morning? No. Obviously, all mentalists are not fools! They would immediately surmise that something is wrong with Conrad. Although Philip no longer wanted to return, he had to. His belongings and treasures were in his shared basement room with Maris. He could not just not retrieve them and leave the place. After contemplating the situation, he ultimately decided to return using his true form. He reasoned that since the system hadn't alerted him of a new mission upon seeing the beam, it meant that the situation wasn't that particularly alarming and dangerous. This further implied that whoever had entered the room was likely associated with Sam's guild and perhaps was only there to spy on him.

With this in mind, Philip ventured back once the astral travel blue beam was no longer visible. He quickly descended to the basement and entered the shared room.

Upon opening the door, he found Maris sleeping on the right bed and the original Conrad seated on the left bed.

"You're here..."

"You're here?!"

The two said in unison, but while Conrad's voice was lukewarm, Philip was surprised and taken aback.

***

A few hours later, Xavier, his hair damp, went to the newcomers' room. When he opened the door and didn't see the unfamiliar child anywhere, he furrowed his brows and closed his eyes, extending his senses within a 100-meter radius.

When he couldn't detect the child's presence, he let out a dry chuckle and checked on Gerald's condition. Once he confirmed that Gerald's fever had subsided, he left the room and returned to his Xavier felt the child's suffering and emptiness. Despite the cheerful escape and the golden light 15:23

enveloping the children around the child, he seemed to be trapped in his own dark world, isolated and own quarters. Sitting in his study, he closed his eyes and entered in his consciousness space.

Standing in a cobblestone pathway, he could see a massive floating island radiating a golden light from a distance. On the island, children were running through a long, dark tunnel. Leading them was a small child, around three to four years old. While the other children behind him were following him with hope in their eyes, the child in front appeared dark and hollow. Yet, despite this, he carefully guided the others, helping them up when they fell and offering support when they grew tired. He didn't let go of their arms, regardless of their age or height. Then, Xavier watched as the tunnel gradually brightened, and the children celebrated. However, the leading child's gaze remained dark and empty. Xavier felt the child's suffering and emptiness. Despite the cheerful escape and the golden light enveloping the children around the child, he seemed to be trapped in his own dark world, isolated and disconnected. It was as though the child didn't belong anywhere and was a stranger to everyone else. Tears welled in Xavier's eyes, he knelt, looked up, and said, "Where are you, our savior?"

After a long silence, Xavier wiped his eyes and summoned another door. Stepping through, he found himself surrounded by teenagers of his age sitting at a long brown table covered with stacks of papers. "It is said that while the children were experiencing a nightmare, someone had placated them. This happened way before Gerald turned into an adult and controlled the children around to leave the room." one of them said.

"Furthermore, from the fight, it seems that the spiritualists faced two opponents. With one with Gerald as the primary attacker, and another providing support." "It is highly likely that Gregorio's traveler's ring was with that support. As for now, we couldn't determine where that person went, as his traces were confusing and elusive."

"Based on the aftermath fight scene, this supporter left numerous traces of different people, but when we carefully examined it, it was found out that there was only a single person. We deduced that he might be a warrior from the East or a person who possessed shape-shifting abilities."

"Overall, we suggest a further investigation of this case and question Gerald about this individual when he wakes up."

Xavier, seated at the center of the table, remained silent for a moment before letting out a deep, long sigh. "This just reminds me of someone who also disappears after saving us," Xavier chuckled and continued, "We won't pursue this matter further. If he wants to hide, let him hide. I'm sure he'll introduce himself to us soon."

Although the mentalists around were confused, they ultimately decided to comply with Xavier's instruction. Xavier then gazed out the window. Looking at the pink and blue sky, a sincere smile graced his face.