"Zick_Wallway"
Age: Unknown
Status: Unknown
Experience: Unknown
Classification: Deceased
"What is this...Zick Wal—Oh."
When Dan had realized he had picked something that was supposed to be laying forgotten, he abruptly reached for the page, placing it back into the darkness.
"Zick?" Facade caught his light mumble, unable to remember the name. "Who's Zick?" Dan didn't reply back. His lips pursed in lapse, making Facade more uneasy.
"What are you even doing?" Facade, who was stiffened in his position, ignored the mentioned name, being more concerned about the constant search.
"Well, pretending to work..." Dan's hesitated tone surprisingly became witty, instantly smoking his perplexiy as he brushed through each shuffled document. "Or..." He splitted the clutched bunch of documents into two groups. "Maybe doing a staring contest with these papers? Who knows?"
Heh? What?
Facade stared blankly at Dan, frowning at his unseen humor. The man before him hovered over his chair, constantly finding the name 'Jebreel' mentioned between the bunch.
"I mean I'm right in front of you. What do you take me for?"
A buffoon maybe.
"Nothing in particular if you ask me." Facade renovated his direct opinion into an indirect one.
"Well, anyways, I've got a task for you." The drawer clattered when Dan finally shut it close, hands still rattling through other polished compartment in frustration. "Damn it! Where's the document!?"
Scattered papers began to disorientate, most of them sliding from the embellished rim to the velvet-carpeted floor. It was, as though, the names inked on those papers were totally negligible, not holding enough concern to shroud the details.
'Dain Mokerl'...
'Stenda Forst'...
'Jacob kinel'...
Different words highlighted the room, some neglected, some retained and some, about to vanish.
But why place all the confidential information under the clear daylight? Would it not threat the section if it's stolen by any one of the members?
Would it not disturb the hierarchy?
"Ugh... I can't remember where I've placed that damned form." The moment Dan paused the search, his gaze were widened by the chaos blanketed on the floor. "Oh...Dam—"
"Can I get a direct answer? Or are you going to make me wait for the next two hours, senior Dan?"
Facade was at his limits as his pitch became more serious by time. He had three more task to complete by dawn, yet, Dan was taking forever to reply.
"A task, Mister Facade. I must hand it to you before the main operation starts. That's what I'm ordered to do."
"Okay then." Facade squirmed under agitation. "You can orally relay the details to me."
Dan's hands, whih were an endless loop around the reviewed papers, halted in surrender. He thought about being professional, but his memory had already betrayed his actions.
"Well, I'll fill you with the crucial points, I guess." Dan pointed out the white couch from behind his desk, its backrest draped with purple velour. "It won't cost you to sit, Mister Facade. Have a seat, please."
He didn't said those words earlier to Facade, knowing that his stubborn junior won't settle down anyways. Especially, not when he accidently expected a quick reply from Dan.
But Facade was completely worn-out today. Planning his own foundation while keeping up with the recent workloads made him even more exhausted, his body finally signaling to take a brief rest. He didn't complain about his gradually increased dispatching to Dan, and quietly plopped down into the comfortable seat.
Dan was first shocked to hear no reluctance coming from Facade, unable to foresee his odd behavior. However, he concealed his surprise, fearing that it would cause a new scene. "Name: Iron Veil, All you have to do is to expose yourself to the crowd." He elaborated as he took a seat opposite to Facade.
"Expose?"
"You see, rumors run wild within the mansion. You being the elite member of the 'Eigengrau society' doesn't mask your appearance. Make yourself visible in today's feast." Dan ordered at last, issuing a decree as an official manager.
There were six groups in total, each with different professions. Eigengrau, the section specified for spies, was one of the major part of the Mansion. And Facade was an elite member, ranking as a lead operative among the league.
"It's not possible." Facade responded when he calculated the approximate population inside the huge structure. "You know there are hundred of members in service, and the feast would be a complete horde. It would be oddly surprising if I achieved what you're aiming for."
The feast which would take place in evening, was arranged in the celebration of a grand success, marking the day the Mansion exceeded its regime in the kingdom. All the members, from valets to the official leaders, would join the Great Hallway, the largest space the mansion had in it's ground.
"I'm not saying its possible, either" Dan exhaled sharply at his objection. "But Lady Rose wanted to raise her fame. You know, she's a competitive women, and moreover, the head of your society. Its her duty lift up the name."
"And why me? There are a bunch of people offering their assistance. Just pick up the most..." Facade paused for a second, reluctant to complete his sentence. "Showstopper one."
"And who do you suppose is the 'showstopper' one from your society?"
Facade gulped, the name 'showstopper' brings only one face before his eyes, the very person he dislikes the most.
"...Fiver."
"Pfttt..." His answer left Dan with a chuckle. "Oh, so you do consider him dashing, is that so?"
Facade remained dead silent.
"Well anyways, its not about any showstopper this time. It's obvious why Lady Rose picked you for the job." Dan shrugged his shoulders. "Everybody wants to witness a man who's veiled in a peculiar black coverage. It's not a common thing to have, you see."
He finally stretched his back, darting at the grandfather clock placed near his desk set. "Ha... I bet you'll attract more attention if your face is revealed somehow."
Facade overlooked his wits, pretending as if he had never heard anything. In his opinion, being frank with Dan, or perhaps, with anyone present there, would be a foolish mistake.
People like him were multifaceted case, hiding thousand faces behind a single smile.
Dan had always been buoyant with Facade, as though he had overseen him since he was a child.
Joking, trying to fool him with each failed attempt, and sometimes, giving a threatening presence. The mixture was unbalanced, and so was his nature.
Yet, Facade couldn't recall the muted memory when Dan had ever mentioned anything about Jebreel, completely neglecting the fact that he had his cousin under his custody.
It didn't surprise Facade in any sense, as that was a custom of the 'Mansion', the house where he had spent years of his life.
It was popular as 'Haunted Mansion', a structure where only the obedient survives the drought of their destinies, filled with countless minds and thousand conflicts.
There wasn't a single soul that Facade could mark as sincere, each portraying false image to their miseries.
'Opulent Gargantuan', the legal name given to the grandeur of the haunted mansion, signified the glory that was forgotten by most. Since the name was hard to spell, only 'Mansion' evolved throughout the ages, becoming a common identity to its residents.
Mansion had been as queer as any other issue inside. A huge construction raised down a steep cliff, exterior resembling the aura of a mystical castle.
Each step praised the beauty of its flawless composition, the spellbinding details unparalleled to any palace seen before.
It had stood tall since forever, in floods, in thunders, in tremors.
A glamour to the outsiders and a trail for its natives, Mansion had always awestricken wondering eyes, only to drown each gaze into the depths of greed.
Not everyone was as indifferent as Facade was, ignoring any fact that doesn't bother his affair. Including the luxury he had in return of his services.
But the reality remained unchanged. Facade had passed many hallways, climbed many stairs, strode through many floors, but never had he seen something that complicated.
Jebreel, along with many others, were enslaved somewhere, deep within the same sophisticated structure. He always wanted to know why it ended up like that. To him. To Jebreel. To their untold stories.
Years passed by, but the questions remain untouched.
I wish Abani ha—
...
Abani?
Facade let out a gasp in distress, slightly fidgeting on his seat.
Wh—Who was he again?
What am I even talking about?
Something was off. His mind was misinterpreting his intellect, shrouding him into more deepness. Even though his questioning didn't consist the word 'why', a sharp wave hit Facade's head, filling it with vibrations once again.
I haven't asked for a reason this time so why?
Oh no... no. no. no! I've asked it now...
Shit...
The process had already taken place, low intonations echoing from the void. It was gradually building its frequency, higher, and higher, and higher.
Facade dug his nails into his palms, enduring the pain without giving it away to Dan. He didn't want anyone to know about it, not until he was sure of the condition himself.
Regulating his erratic breathing, he compressed his motion as much as possible when each tune hit like a sharp whip, making him incapable to think more.
"You okay?" Dan yanked to his side when he noticed his irrational twitching, concerned as he couldn't make out what was happening. "Hey, Facade! What's happening? You alright?" But before Dan could ask any further, the restlessness came to a halt.
Facade's face was already masked in black, his expressions obscured behind his veil. He was akin to a mannequin if he stopped moving, like he currently was from Dan's perspective.
"Hm... I-I'm fin...e." Facade mustered all of his strength just to answer him, waiting for the piercing strings to stop their pitch.
But the voice soared, towering over his senses.
"Facade?"
Had he already squeezed his head to dampen the intensity? Facade didn't know.
He had already lost track of his time, controlling and untangling the hums rushing inside his mind. If he thought any harder, he could swear his nerves would burst from pressure.
The pain gradually began to settle down, the sounds lowering its tone to surface.
Reasoning had already sank into a complete void.
...
Facade slowly opened his eyes, gaining back his consciousness under control. "What...happened?" Blinking at the walls, he found himself all alone in the room. Only the swinging of grandfather's clock pendulum was obvious. He swiped his head to each direction, wondering how long did the vibrations struck him this time.
Instantly directing his attention to the ticking clock, Facade was left hindered at the passed duration.
One hour had already flew by since his arrival.
I—I guess I...fainted?
Facade slowly rose from the couch, raking his fingers through his hair. Brows nearly locked from perplexation, he flinched when he noticed something amiss.
My cloak!
His cloak which he always wore over his attire, was missing.
Dan, you jerk!
Even though Dan had never interfered in Facade's affairs, he always displeased one thing. The shaggy cloak that Facade wore over his fine clothes. It oddly irritated him, especially when it concerns a proper gathering.
What's his problem? That one heck...
But it wasn't the time to curse him, as there was a feast that Facade must attend.
When he was about to leave the silent office, he caught a silver glinting nearby. Paused at the unusual beam, he bend himself enough to reach for the thing placed on the center table.
It was the foil on the blister pack that had glimmered, the same medicine he usually took for his headaches.
How... did Dan know about those?
Creeps crawled down Facade's throat when he scanned the tablets. Nobody knew that he took dosage to relive his heavy head, except for the man who examines his mysterious veil every month.
Don't tell me that one heck of a doctor send my fittness report to none other than Dan!
Facade clicked his tongue in displeasure, picking the pack from the table. He would've never received the offering if his head wasn't swinging like a carousel.
Well, it doesn't matter as long as I don't explain the cause of my headaches.
He gulped the capsule in one go, disregarding the glass of water placed right beside him and rushed for the Great Hallway.
His apparel was as prestigious as ever, so he didn't even bother visiting his room first. The medicine began to take effect as he paced through the dining hall, his cognition becoming clearer then before.
I think I should carry those capsules with me? No, I'll probably start to question more if I have those. Bad idea.
His train of thoughts stopped when he finally caught low jabbers from a distance, realizing that he had already crossed the foyer to the hallway.
The setting swarmed with countless people, cocktail table set on each optimal spot. Stewards, which were wearing white masquerade masks, served beverages, carefully handling the gilded trays while serving the guests.
The attendance was to an extent that Facade decided to brace himself before wading through the crowd.
Okay...its gross to ask, but how should I 'expose' myself? I think I'm assigned to be decoration piece or something.
He took a deep breath in annoyance, almost ready to immerse himself into the gathering. But before he could move an inch, the chatter stopped dead, as if somebody had alerted the whole area with danger.
The faces were turned to the entrance, eyes dilating at the view. Nobody talked back, just fixed their gazes on Facade.
He, on the other hand, stood frozen, hair standing at the uncanny setting.
W—What now?