Hearing this, Arsh realized something was wrong and began to run, with the guards right behind him.
When he reached the spot where he had been just minutes ago, he noticed a gap opening between the wall and the floor. Inside the gap, he saw stairs leading down. Just as he lunged forward to go down the stairs, the guards caught up and blocked his way.
"You stay here. Going down is forbidden. We'll check," one of them said. The other went down, with gun in hand. He returned shortly after, his face pale.
"He's already gone," he shouted to his colleague.
"Damn it… You inform the others. We'll move ahead with the police. He can't have gone too far yet."
Arsh and the security guards moved through the corridors and rooms together, checking for any open windows. No matter how hard Arsh tried to remember the man's face, he simply couldn't. A bit further down, they found an open window. Arsh looked out the window, but there was no one in sight.
"He probably escaped through here, but security in the garden is tight… they'll catch him soon," one of the guards said confidently. But Arsh wasn't so sure. These guards hadn't even noticed the man passing right by them. Then again, he himself hadn't done much better.
…
Soon, Arsh, accompanied by two security guards, was sitting in a room across from the head of security of the Belowich mansion, together with Walter and the other police officers.
The atmosphere was tense.
The chief was yelling non-stop. He was laying into his men, shouting at them about how irresponsible and useless they were. Once he was done with them, he turned his anger on the police.
"Do you have any idea what you've done? Do you have any clue how much the stuff in that safe was worth?"
"We warned you about security a long time ago. We told you that more personnel were needed. But not only did you leave the area where the safe is unguarded, you also got in the way of one of our members who was trying to help." said the police officer leading the patrol team.
"What was he even doing there alone?" the chief snapped.
"What business did he have there alone? My guards insist that no one passed by them. And look at this—he's not even a police officer. Since when are non-Symrans responsible for public security?"
"I know what I saw. The man walked right past us, but your men didn't even bother to look," Arsh said calmly, ignoring the head of security's yelling.
"Did you see the man's face clearly, Arsh?" another officer asked.
"No. We made eye contact for just a second, but I can't remember it."
"There you have it. You should know that we won't let this go. You're involving some random guy in a police investigation."
Although Arsh paid little attention to what the man was saying, he could sense that Walter and the others were starting to tense up.
While the atmosphere in the room was getting heavier, the door swung open without a knock. It was Mr. Herman.
"The person you're referring to is someone who has proven his abilities. By getting in his way, it was your men who caused us to lose an important suspect. I also suggest that you mind your tone when speaking to my people, Mr. Wood."
"Mr. Herman, I didn't expect to see you here. I was expecting your chief. You don't seem all that concerned, either. On such an important day, you are responsible for what the Belowich family lost."
"You are the one who refused cooperation. You even refused to allow my men to compile a list of what was missing."
"We prepared the report ourselves," he said, gesturing to the man beside him. The man pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Mr. Herman.
After examining the document for a moment, Mr. Herman began to laugh.
"This is the loss reported by one of the richest families in the country? Is this why you're so angry? I thought there must be something truly valuable in the safe you were arguing so fiercely over your losses. Very well, I'll have these records processed. When we catch the thief, your losses will be compensated according to what is found. If that's all you have to say, I'm taking my men and leaving."
Without looking back, he headed for the door. Arsh, Walter, and the other officers followed in silence. They left the mansion through a side wing to avoid the guests. Soon, they were back at the gate, getting into the two carriages waiting for them. Mr. Herman took the carriage with Walter and Arsh.
"Arsh, you said you couldn't see the man's face."
"I saw it, actually. But I don't know why... it's all a blur. No matter how hard I try, I just can't remember what he looked like, I can't remember his features." Arsh said.
He found it really strange. He usually had a great memory and rarely forgot anything he saw. Yet, even though he'd looked right at the man's face, he couldn't picture him at all. His mind was just blank.
"Think a bit more. Maybe you'll remember something," Mr. Herman said. Arsh could tell by his voice that Herman believed him.
Arsh nodded quietly, then finally said what was on his mind.
"When the man walked past us, it was like no one saw him at all. The only thing I remember is that he was tall—not someone who would go unnoticed. But it was as if he didn't catch anyone's eye. If the guards hadn't said that entering that corridor was forbidden, I don't think he would have caught my attention either. I only realized that he had entered that corridor when we returned to the main hall…"
"Do you think he has a siuni?"
"Looks that way, doesn't it? That would explain why you haven't been able to catch him yet." Arsh said.
"It makes sense. You never considered that before?" Walter added.
"No... we've had similar thefts, and they gave us a real headache until we caught the guys. But have you ever heard of a siuni with a power like this? Maybe something similar to yours. Mes must have mentioned something."
"I only listen to about one percent of what that guy says," Walter replied.
"Well, we'll talk more about this later. It might be worth looking at the case from this angle, too," Mr. Herman said, rubbing his temples.
...
The next day, they went over the night's events again and again. Arsh spent a long time trying to remember what the man looked like and what he was wearing. He was tall. His clothes were ordinary—just a white shirt and a jacket. Nothing stood out. Every now and then, a pair of cold blue eyes would flicker in his mind, but he couldn't hold on to the image. After comparing the case with previous ones, it was looking more and more likely that the thief has a siuni—someone who could get in without being seen or noticed with an ability.
"Arsh, don't you think it's possible to find him?" Mr. Herman asked again. The hope in his voice was steadily fading. Arsh was aware that this change in the thief's profile was making Herman's job much more difficult.
"I've been trying... I still am, but I really can't picture his face. We made eye contact, but that was it. Everything else is a blur." It was better not to give him false hope. After all, the pressure the police chief was putting on them didn't really get to Arsh.
"All right. At least there's a possibility he has a Siuni... or maybe an artifact is helping him. Let's look through our resources and see if there's anything like that," Mr. Herman said.
As usual, when it came to the research, Walter—who could never sit still—slipped away quietly, leaving everything to Mes and Arsh. Or rather, most of the work fell on Mes. Even though Arsh had joined the FFSD, he still didn't have access to the actual Siuni records. Still, this was a chance to learn more from Mes.
...
Arsh had thought the Police Chief's pressure wouldn't affect him, but he was wrong. Indirectly, that pressure found its way to them through Mr. Herman. After three suffocating days in the library, Professor Reiner finally came to his and Mes's rescue. He sent them both to the city center to pick up some supplies for their research, just so they could get some fresh air.
He and Mes arrived at an apothecary. Inside, there was a blend of strange chemical smells mixed with various types of incense. It was quite a large shop.
"Oh... Mes, welcome! I haven't seen you in a while," the old man inside greeted them as they walked in. After a short chat with Mes, he headed to a back room to gather the items on the list.
"Mes, I'll wait for you outside," Arsh said as he stepped out of the apothecary. The heavy smell of herbs and medicine inside had started to bother him.
He sat down on a bench across the street and began watching the people passing by.
Ever since he arrived in this city, the same thought kept crossing his mind. The people here were truly gray. They didn't smile much; they spoke only in brief sentences and were mostly quick to anger. Their lives were much more comfortable than life in the desert. They had more money, more food, and access to all the resources they could ever want to learn from. But no matter how much Arsh thought about it, he couldn't imagine himself living here.
'Once I have my revenge, it's best if I just leave this place,' he thought. Otherwise, the city's grayness would eventually rub off on him, too.
He sat on the bench for a while longer, watching the people and enjoying the sun as it peeked through the clouds in the cool air. Back where he came from, sitting out in the sun to warm up was the last thing anyone would do. But here, the warmth of the sun on his skin wasn't scorching—it was sweet.
Soon, his eyes fixed on a man passing right in front of him. The man was tall, wearing a white shirt and aa plain jacket just like everyone else's. He was holding his hat in his hand. When he noticed Arsh looking at him, their eyes met for a brief moment. The man had pale blue eyes.