Mr. Quill's glowing violet eyes looked straight at Jael's. He opened his mouth and said softly, "Jael, right? Just relax and look at me. You don't need to think or do anything. Just look into my eyes and follow me."
Jael's eyes became slack. His body relaxed into the chair as he looked at Mr. Quill dazedly.
Seeing that Jael was finally under the hypnotism, Mr. Quill continued. He first asked, "Tell me, what happened tonight?"
It was such a harmless question, but the moment Mr. Quill asked that, there was a shift in the air.
Mr. Quill's eyes flickered a bit, but he didn't do anything except continue to control Jael's mind.
Jael looked like he was struggling. His eyes were wide open, and his mouth was slightly ajar, as if it were stuck in a perpetual scream.
Seeing the sudden shift in his expression, Auren and the other police officers backed away. Mr. Quill didn't move, but the sweat on his forehead signified that he was bearing something.
Then, Jael's expression shifted from terror to tears. He whispered, "I think I forgot to lock the door... They are already inside."
Auren gripped the dagger in his pocket and moved closer to Mr. Quill. He looked at Jael, filled with wariness. Jael's state wasn't normal at all.
Mr. Quill raised his hand, indicating that Auren shouldn't do anything. Auren frowned but still obeyed.
Jael continued, still whispering as if he were telling some kind of secret, "I think I wasn't alone. I have never been alone for the past few weeks. My friends thought I was depressed from the breakup... But something was bothering me."
Mr. Quill looked calm, but the fingers that were playing around the ring were relentless. He looked at Jael seriously, "Who's following you?"
Jael looked blank. "I don't know." Then his face once again twisted into a cry, "But he shouldn't have answered the phone..."
"He shouldn't have answered the phone..."
"He shouldn't have answered the phone..."
"HE SHOULDN'T HAVE ANSWERED THE PHONE!"
Jael suddenly lost control. He kept screaming like a madman and was attempting to scratch his face.
Mr. Quill was quick to restrain him to prevent him from hurting himself. He yelled at Auren, "Help me tie him to the bed." Seeing the other approaching officers, Mr. Quill warned them, "Don't come close! Just stay where you are and don't approach us!"
The police officers seemed to know something. Despite how strange the situation was, they still followed Mr. Quill's command.
This time, Jael was no longer screaming, but his eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets. He seemed to be looking at something but also not looking at anything.
After the nurses from the ambulance injected him with sedatives, Mr. Quill and Auren slowly started backing away.
They asked the others to leave and put some kind of rope around Jael. After settling down the mess, Mr. Quill and Auren found a spot to discuss the issue.
To be honest, even the inexperienced Auren noticed that something wasn't really right in Nyx City now. After Jexar's death, although Auren was a bit sad, death wasn't an uncommon experience for a void user.
This could be regarded as an experience. He vowed to himself that he would be strong, strong enough to do the impossible. With him being strong, he probably wouldn't have to deal with his loved ones dying, right?
His eyes dimmed a bit when he remembered his family, but he quickly steeled himself.
Auren got straight to the point, "Sir, something's definitely wrong with that guy. Shall we take him to the Void Regulation Authority (VRA)?"
Hearing what Auren said, Mr. Quill just sighed, "I just got news from the higher-ups. They told us to let Jael go. They want to see what those guys are up to." Feeling a headache coming, Mr. Quill rubbed his temples, "Basically, they want to use Jael, despite the big possibility that this could be a trap."
Auren frowned; he didn't agree with this approach. "Why is the Void Regulation Authority (VRA) becoming a bit radical now? They don't see any problems in doing this? Let's put that strange guy aside. What if that guy's danger causes calamity around him? Are the VRA really that ruthless now?"
Mr. Quill raised his brows as he looked at Auren, "Ruthless? This is nothing compared to the peak Era of Void Users." Then he rubbed Auren's meticulously made hairstyle. "I can feel that something is shifting. If you continue with that mentality, then I'm afraid I'll experience burying my disciple."
Auren pushed Mr. Quill's hand away, "What dying are you talking about?!" he snarled. "I'm not gonna die! Do you really have that little confidence in me?!" Auren had a feigned hurt look.
Pinching the punk's cheek, Mr. Quill urged him to become serious, "No matter how strong you are, if you have that kind of attitude, you'd be killed immediately in a chaotic world."
Auren felt pain in his cheeks. He rubbed them and grumbled, "The topic was supposed to be about that Jael guy. How did it turn into a lecture?" In order to stop Mr. Quill's nagging, he had to change the topic quickly!
"So what do you think about that guy?" Auren asked casually.
Mr. Quill just threw him a side-eye but didn't say much. He twirled the ring on his finger and organized his thoughts, "Just like what I said, it was obvious that something is wrong with that guy. But there are three factors that we need to know: who attacked him, who saved him, and why."
Then he threw the ring into the air and caught it, "The person who saved him seemed to be someone he knew based on his defensiveness when the Chief asked him. Second, that person seemed to be involved with the void."
Auren, mimicking Mr. Quill's mannerism, started twirling his dagger, "I also have a guess. That guy is probably a wild void wanderer."
Looking at the dagger that Auren was playing with, Mr. Quill flicked the ring at him. "Don't play with artifacts." He managed to catch the ring that bounced back.
Auren was feeling a bit helpless. Why was Mr. Quill a bit strict today? He never bothered correcting these small habits before. But still, sensing that Mr. Quill wasn't in the mood, he also became serious, "Do you think the person who saved Jael is dangerous?"
"Not sure. I haven't met him yet." Mr. Quill didn't want to judge too early yet, but in order to remain alive, they needed to be cautious. "Better treat him like a monster and always be on guard. Nothing could go wrong with extra caution."
Auren took note of the advice... But.
He smirked, "Well, if they want to make a move, they better be fast. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."
Mr. Quill knew that Auren was a talented student, but this wasn't the academy. "Being confident is good. Just don't come crawling to me once you're beaten."
Auren nodded, "Aye, Sir."
Mr. Quill pulled out his phone and saw a message. After reading it, he looked at Auren, "I guess you need to monitor that guy a bit more closely. It's the higher-ups' order."
"Based on what I remember, you guys are schoolmates? Why don't you try and join their circle for better opportunities to get close to Jael?"