The man squatted down, rising onto the tips of his boots to get a closer look at Faust.
His gaze ran along the young man's broken, brutalised frame. Each second stretched into the next, forming a long, uncomfortable silence.
Suddenly, he sighed and sat down on the road, propping his elbows on his knees as his mind sank into deep thought.
"What the hell am I supposed to do…" he muttered.
From a pocket in his uniform, he pulled out a small booklet and began flipping through its pages, eyes rapidly scanning until he found the extract he wanted.
He tapped the page, and a hologram projected from the booklet.
[Article N019; If a target survives an inspection and their Karmic Balance is cleared, they automatically gain the status of a Junior Inspector in Training. Along with this, they gain a Retribution Pack.]
The man blinked, taken aback, though not as much as one might expect. He nodded to himself and continued pulling more extracts.
[Article A004; All Junior Inspectors are to be given a Welcome Pack, an Inspector's Armament Case, and one Divine Pardon Ticket.]
[Article H078; Elder Inspectors gain a fixed commission rate based on the level of their sponsored trainees.]
[Article G349; Elder Inspectors may exchange merits earned from Sponsored Trainees into Quota Cards.]
He closed the booklet and exhaled deeply, his body visibly relaxing as the faintest hint of a smile tugged at his lips.
'Thank the gods. I'll finally be able to go on holiday.'
In a much better mood, he stood again, his formerly apathetic gaze warming as it settled on Faust.
"I'll see you soon, junior."
He waved a hand, and in a flash, dozens of items sank into his chest and vanished. Without hesitation, he turned and headed toward his vessel.
As he boarded, a holographic keyboard appeared before him. He began typing a message.
[Boss, you're not gonna believe this. I found a…]
The vessel's panel slid shut, and in a blink, it was gone, as if it had never been there.
All that remained was Faust's broken body. The man had said he wasn't dead, but in this condition, it was only a matter of time.
Hours of agony would finish what the star had started.
As if responding to the tragedy left behind, the rain intensified, trying to drown Faust's body, and the snow doubled, attempting to bury him under compact layers.
Yet as the night passed and the warmth of his body dwindled, faint footsteps echoed through the empty street.
They stopped when a shadow loomed over his buried, frozen form.
…
…
…
It had all been fast for Faust.
One moment steeped in despair, moments before he was about to commit an act none could return from.
The next filled with joy, hope, and excitement as the doors to a world he'd thought forever closed flung open.
With his Vein Disease, Faust had resigned himself to a fate of powerlessness.
But then everything shattered, and his world became pain and the thick scent of death.
It had all been fast. Too fast.
WHOOOSH!
Soft winds carrying the vibrant smell of flowers and sea drifted through the tall windows of a spacious room.
A singular yet enormous king-sized bed dominated the space, its jagged black stone frame supporting thick layers of silk sheets.
The bed rested atop a wide rug of white fur, contrasting against black marble floors streaked with dark grey veins. The walls, made of deep ancient oak, curled upward into high ceilings.
The room was simple, bare of anything that revealed its owner, yet carried a faint air of luxury and wealth.
"…"
Faust's eyes slowly fluttered open. Daylight streamed through the windows, momentarily blinding him.
Moments passed before his vision cleared. He recognized his bed and his room yet remained still, letting the shock of everything sink into his bones.
'I am alive.'
Slowly, he sat up, groaning as joints popped and creaked. He lifted his hands, making sure they were real, then touched along his body to confirm nothing was missing.
Without a word, he rose and walked to one of the oak walls, tapping it. A section sank inward, revealing a doorway to the bathroom.
Faust stepped to the sink and looked into the mirror.
A tall, slender young man stared back, skin deathly pale, white as snow and eerie in its sheen. It contrasted sharply against his mid-length jet-black hair, coiling in layered waves like void-born flames.
His features were an androgynous balance: sharp and masculine yet soft and youthful, forming an oddly charming face.
But his eyes were the most striking; ivory, cloudy like those of the blind, encircled by faint rings of rose gold.
His left arm was wrapped in pristine bandages covered in old writings; his right was tightly hugged by metallic strips.
'I look the same.'
Releasing a breath of relief, he turned on the faucet and splashed water onto his face.
Slicking his hair back, he began undressing and reached for the shower controls when, suddenly, words appeared in his vision.
[0:0:0:30]
[Awakening will soon begin!]
He froze for a heartbeat, then forced down the rising excitement. It had almost gotten him killed once already; a second time would be bad form.
Squatting down, he opened the cabinet beneath the sink and pulled out a bottle of painkillers. Along with it, he grabbed a roll of bandages and a signal device, which he instantly activated.
It would alert his father that something was wrong, wherever he was.
[0:0:0:15]
He stepped into the shower, downed the entire bottle of pills, sat, and bit down on the roll of bandage strips to hold it in place.
The pills were meant for youths undergoing awakening, or suffering severe injuries, and should've been enough on their own. But at this point, better safe than sorry.
[0:0:0:05]
Breathing rhythmically, Faust steeled himself. Warm water streamed down his back, grounding him as excitement churned deep inside.
[0:0:0:0]
[Awakening!]