Unsealing Emptiness

In one view, Ozul could see hotels, restaurants, bars, and other related buildings. Of course, it couldn’t be compared to other developed countries under proper jurisdiction, but this place was developed enough for people to relax.

Ozul walked into the first suitable hotel that he came across and entered inside. Clara followed right behind him without complaining about the poor conditions that she thought that the place had.

As they got inside, Ozul asked about the receptionist’s room, who turned out to be a small boy with his front two teeth missing. The hotel was three stories tall, so Ozul figured that the boy must be the substitute for the real receptionist or the owner.

The boy passed Ozul the keys as he walked to search for the room number.

Clara was about to follow after him, but she was stopped by the boy who took out his palm in front of her.

“What?” Clara inquired cluelessly.

.....

“Pay twoo Blonze Coinss,” the boy said in a childish voice. Clara figured that the kid might be even younger than he appeared to be.

“Oh, that! Here you go,” Clara said as he hurriedly took a Gold Coin out of her Spatial Ring. She did not have any spare change since she herself had never needed to use the money.

Venessa was always with her from her childhood, so she seldom had a chance to buy things herself.

The boy did not immediately take the Gold Coin and kept staring at Clara before looking towards the direction that Ozul had gone into as he suddenly got a knowing smile on his face.

“Sowwy, we don’t plowide those exshtra shervices,” the boy said as his ears visibly turned redder.

Clara did not immediately understand what he meant. But as she looked towards Ozul’s direction and remembering that she was in a hotel, she put the pieces together before she blushed. Waving her hands anxiously, she burst out, “What?! No! I... There is nothing like that! I just don’t have spare change. I am not asking for anything else!”

Clara couldn’t help but start to explain herself, but the boy still looked at her with the same knowing smile.

A little while later, when she realized that the boy wouldn’t change his opinion, she stopped explaining and ran off to catch up with Ozul.

At this point, Ozul was just entering the room that he had the keys for. As he entered, Clara followed behind.

Ozul did not need to turn on the lights to make out the inside of the room. There were two single beds placed on each side of the room. Fortunately for Clara and unfortunately for Ozul, there was a window directly facing the sun at the back end.

Sadly, there were no curtains on this run down three stories tall hotel either. Before even taking a step into the room, Ozul turned his conical hat into liquid before it went to the window and completely covered it.

Although there was not much sunlight before either since the sun was about to set, the room visibly got darker after the window was covered.

Clara had to give her eyes some time before they got used to the dark. Before her eyes could see again, Ozul was already slumped on the bed, enjoying the dark room.

It would have been many times better if he was alone, but he had to enjoy what he had for now.

He closed his eyes to enjoy the peace that he hadn’t felt for days now. When Clara noticed this, she didn’t ask about why the window was covered. She quietly made her way to her bed and sat down on it.

Before she could even think of what she was going to do, she noticed something that creeped her out from the corner of her eyes. A pair of red and blue eyes walked toward Ozul’s bed before jumping on it.

Clara was about to yell out in terror before realizing that it was the same cat that she had seen following Ozul previously.

Though how did the cat suddenly get inside the closed room? She could not understand.

She watched as Jinx made a spot for herself on Ozul’s side by curling itself to sleep.

Before going to sleep, Clara could only think about the unique things that she had noticed with Ozul, such as sleeping so much. There was also the thing about him liking dark, but things only kept piling up when she started to think about the abnormalities with him.

Curious as she was, she did not directly ask anything since she was aware that they were not yet at a point where she could ask such personal questions.

—–

The next morning, Ozul woke up and noticed that Clara was still fast asleep. Only when she sensed his movements did she quickly open her eyes.

Even when Clara was from a rich family, she was not so pampered that she did not even know the basics. Although her family had spent resources on her, she couldn’t have gotten to where she was by only relying on external factors.

Ozul did not need to ask her before she hurriedly stood up and followed him out of the room. Ozul had a good rest yesterday. He was pleased since Clara hadn’t disturbed him all night either.

After walking out of the room, Ozul put the keys on the counter before walking out of the hotel. There was nothing much in the city, so he planned to continue his journey.

He had his conical hat back on while Clara had also put on her veil. She hadn’t changed her clothes because she couldn’t find a private room to do so.

As they walked on the streets, the passersby would occasionally eye them up and down.

Clara was already used to others’ stares since she was just a child, while Ozul didn’t care as long as something did not get in his way or disturb his peace of mind.

Just at that time, he suddenly sensed a malicious intent towards him from afar. He turned around but did not see anyone suspicious looking at him.

Closing his eyes, he tried to sense where he had felt the intent from, and the most likely conclusion was that whoever it was, they were experts in their profession and had gotten away already.

The person had quickly hidden their intent the moment they realized that he had found them out.

Normally, if Ozul had been alert enough, he could have instantly locked on that person. But he did not think that there could be someone who could diminish their intent to such an extent. Naturally, a person could never completely erase their intent since it was impossible to do so unless someone could brainwash themselves instantly for a short period of time.

Even now, Ozul could feel the intent of everyone around him one by one, but it would be of no use since that person might have already fled this area.

Although he couldn’t find that person now, he did not worry about it since those emotions’ intensity was enough to assure him that this person would come for him sooner or later.

He only had to wait for him to take action.

Under Clara’s curious eyes, he turned back and started walking as if nothing had happened.

——-

A few moments earlier, a man with a long white beard and bald head was smoking near the dark alley while occasionally looking around the crowd.

His movements were fluid, and they did not seem awkward at all. After he took a long puff of smoke in, he would blow it in the air and wave his hand to scatter it away.

Unlike most of the people on the streets, he did not seem like a refugee and instead appeared to be a citizen.

There was a newspaper in his one hand while the cigarette in the other. When he was not smoking or secretly looking among the crowd, he was reading the newspaper.

At this time, he suddenly noticed something among the crowd that caused him to immediately release the puff of smoke that he had just taken in.

*Cough.*

The man coughed while slowly taking steps back inside the dark alleyway. Just when the shadows had covered him all, he immediately disappeared from that place only to appear a few blocks away from that place in another inconspicuous alley.

However, the person who appeared there did not have any long white beard. The man had suddenly grown brown hair as well!

This man had disguised himself as an old man as he observed everyone passing by the earlier area.

At this time, he appeared to be in a hurry as he made his way out and looked around only to approach an old lady drinking wine on the bench placed at the side of the street.

As he made his way towards her, she did not react in any noticeable way until he sat by her side.

“What is it?” Surprisingly, the old lady spoke in a manly voice!

However, it was not so much of a surprise to the brown-haired man since he showed no reaction whatsoever.

The brown-haired man smiled while showcasing his shining canine as he said, “You won’t believe who I found.”

“Who? Just say it already if it is important! Otherwise, don’t waste my time!” the old lady said in an annoyed tone with her manly voice.

“The Feral...”