Facade finally reached the final destination after reporting the illegal mining, which he, himself, had proposed to the head of the Mundand Family. The report headquarters had been chaotic — but the plan worked. Robert was stuck on the first floor, and he'd slipped away unnoticed. But still, the thought of fooling around was an embarrassment to his ego, being the last resort he could utilize in tight situations.
Slam!
Facade once again snapped the wretched door, dismounting on the ground with a lighter crowd this time. The strange gazes were, as usual, struck by multiple meanings when he brushed past them, chattering more remarks as they judged his style. But Facade just silently advanced toward the quiet alley nearby, crossing multiple corners of the passage before reaching the entrance to the deserted bakery.
Being able to see again felt like a blessing, not with his eyes, but with the restored abyss perception. The waves instantly began forming when Facade immersed himself to study the structure, relaxing his eyes from unwanted information.
He saw grey waves casually building in pulse, bands compressing their form while molding the sharp edges—An algorithm that Facade could professionally intercept.
"The building is too small to be a pastry shop," Facade muttered, realizing how terrible he was at handling details.
Back when he had visited the same bakery for certain reasons, he had perceived only one thing out it—A store with a frameless glass door.
But now, when he had poured his attention to the details of the exterior, the abyss perception tossed a code to Facade, encryption decoding as an architecture draped with a classical style.
Its bricks were carved like an old-fashioned shopfront, with an arched window releasing fragrance of bakes all over the surrounding.
He then focused on his analogue wristwatch, a static purple beam of continuous wavelength occupied the right side of his black view, while another waveform flowed below.
The second had an identical color to indigo, rhythmically circulating with its end broken in two. Yet, the split had different builds. It was as though an ECG showing two heartbeats on one screen.
He was aware that the straight line, the purple one above the forked wavelength, showcased the meaning of interpreting time.
The rhythmic wave below, the one which started with flowing waves and ended with splitting waveforms, were hour and minute indicators.
'9:02'
"It's one minute up." Facade complimented his near-to-perfect timing, flinging his perception sideways as he ensured nobody had eyes on his dubious movements.
The purple waveforms faded as he pushed the door open, totally erasing the black page loaded with signal bands. He could feel the rusty hinges of the door, sliding glass finally losing its grip on its tracks.
Ting!
Bell suddenly chimed when he stepped into the interior, repeating the tinkle as the door met the side panel.
Facade casually inhaled, breathing the ancientness the indoor had. Abyss of Perception was triggered, and he could easily tell that one side of the wall was hung with antique hangings while other loaded with shelfs. Not to forget the reception desk on his right.
Even though the place was abandoned for years, it still carried the aroma of bread and baked goods, taking the lead within the cold room.
Not much after observing prominent items, Facade leaned on the reception desk, releasing the tension of his straight pose. The untouched cup, which was placed on the counter, vibrated from the intensity of his weight, dusting the layers of dirt after a long while.
Facade ignored the rattle and crossed his arms, diving deep into his thoughts.
The IR trackers would beep in about three minutes or so. From here on, I don't have the slightest idea of how my plan would unfold.
Facade deliberated the current situation.
But maybe, the moment the patriarch would be notified of the situation, he'd capture my three underlings right on the spot. Or maybe, the Forces would overlap the timing before anything could happen...But again, who cares?
He obviously slagged in his mind, not bothering to be a futuristic individual at all. It was because of the fact that both the outcomes would turn into his favor.
If the former failed to sync with his expectations, the latter would resolve the issue, as the Forces would certainly arrest the patriarch in charge of illicit mining. Seizing the head of the Mundand Family meant confiscating his property, which would eventually lead to taking the mining crew under their custody. Including the three unknown figures, who were busy trespassing the mining area.
But one thing made him mourn over his decisions.
If the Forces, an institution that governed laws inside the Kingdom, laid hands on the route loaded with minerals, Facade would lose the only passage accessible to carry out his own plots.
The thought made him tighten his lips, sorrowing upon a brief gift given by his fate. Not long after the displeased remark did he include another possible option into consideration.
What if...
His brow suddenly wrinkled in wild tension, sweat enveloping his creased forehead in seconds. Facade exited his sluggish posture with a bolt, ingesting the unlikable outcome of all. But before he could think more, muffled chatter vibrated through the deserted ground below.
"Shut up... happened... there."
"What do you... they... like hell..."
Multiple voices stated to echo beneath the floor.
NO WAY!
His mind screamed, and without thinking more, Facade hastened his abyss perception sideways, shooting a quick glance at each identified object present inside the small bakery.
A cupboard above the counter.
Décor placed on the display table.
Ceramic plates stacked on the edge of the countertop.
He studied the ordinary waves in rush, deciphering only the simple ones.
He then yanked at the cupboard first, feet balanced as he hopped on the counter.
"Maybe... I don't..."
"How can you... know?"
The mumbles flowed uninterrupted as Facade clung to the cabinet, barreling the items instantly onto the floor. A figurine fell with a stack of papers as he swept the whole cabinet clean. The faded parchments rained across the room, the tiny statuette shattering into a thousand pieces. But he overlooked the disaster, reaching for the decorative collection placed on the display table in one flight.
"What do you... me for?"
"Hurry u..."
The jabbers got progressively clearer, each minute counted as a pearl when he sprinted without a break.
Facade flexed his arm through the décor resting on the table, throwing all the ornaments onto the stone tiles.
Crash!
The tinkle filled the small structure, numerous items plummeting against his delicate shoes. Scuttling to the edge of the counter, Facade descended the same fate on the fragile cutleries.
Smash!
He could feel pumped after ages, leaping and dashing to carry out what he called a 'spur-of-the-moment' plan. Though it wasn't his style, neglecting the possibilities made him dawdle into a startling outcome. He drew ragged breaths, heart thumping unsteadily as he stared at the countertop.
"I don't know, hurry!"
"Don't push me. They'll find this place in seconds."
"I have a brain, just so you know!"
The hushed sound amplified, strangers finally ramming at the edged trapdoor as they tried to break past the blocking chair. "Three," Facade mumbled, bracing himself to face something unpredictable. "Two." He heaved a deep breath, "One."