Duskwood Legends [English Version]

Our fate is into your hands.

I stand completely petrified and frozen as I stare at Alan.

Right now, I wonder what my face looks like from the outside; I have the distinct feeling that my jaw has just touched the floor, and I think I have lost control of my facial muscles, as they are no longer reacting.

What do his words mean?

And most importantly, how am I supposed to justify myself to him, for the fact that I am here and not in Southeast Asia? I'm completely on tilt, as if my brain has suddenly frozen.

I unconsciously pause to analyze the person in front of me.

He is several inches taller than me, I think he is roughly around 6 feet. I admit that his stature, combined with his powerful build, would manage to intimidate me even without knowing who he is. What's more, I can clearly see his tense muscles underneath that shirt that is too tight in the sleeves to be tailored; the uniform in no way fits his trained physique. I remember him telling me we were the same age, but I could swear he is a few years older. I think he's in his mid-30s, I guess. His hair, not too short, and shaved beard also show this; only a few sporadic white hairs stand out against the brunette, in a barely visible grizzled look. However, what strikes me most are his blue eyes, which seem to delve into my mind in search of hidden thoughts.

He also feels under scrutiny, but unlike me, he doesn't waver.

The features of his face are contracted and his eyebrows are furrowed. I can distinctly see the taut jaw lines; he is probably grinding his teeth. Although his lips are not curved into a grimace and an annoyed expression does not appear on his face, I sense a strong feeling of rancor and resentment toward me.

But no, what am I saying, is he just ... angry?

I rub my hands between them nervously. "Alan, I know I lied to you and you don't know how sorry I am. You are furious with me and I understand that, but I can explain everything--" I'm blatantly bluffing, I don't have a ready justification to give, at least for now. I'm simply trying to procrastinate the problem, putting off my exculpation until later, hoping to get my mind around it. "I have valid reasons and I will report them to you soon, but not now." I lower my gaze, trying to break through his empathy. "Both Hannah and the group are quite distressed; they've been through way too much trouble. Now, getting them to safety and offering them medical care takes priority over everything." I look up again, to stare him straight in the eye. "Please..."

I hope I have pitied him with my words, moving at least some of his compassion. At this moment, I do not have sufficient cleverness to come up with a plausible and satisfying excuse.

I see him close his eyes, only to open them again after a few seconds. He huffs noisily as he rests both hands on my shoulders. "I knew from the beginning that you were lying to me, but that's not the point. I'm not going into the matter of the false information you gave me, also because it may not be a crime in your case." He freezes for a moment, shaking his head animatedly. "I'm digressing, we don't have time for this." I feel his fingers squeeze me tightly, capturing my full attention. "I repeat, did you not read my message?"

I squint my eyes, really not understanding what he means. His strange and ambiguous attitude only makes me uncomfortable and increases my anxiety. "Y-you mean the message you sent me, w-where you assured me that you were taking care of the case and that Hanson's d-days were numbered?" I babble.

"Yes." He affirms, then modulates the tone of his voice and emits a faint whisper. " Didn't you notice anything?"

I remain speechless. Now that I think about it, I had noticed that there was something strange in his messages, but I hadn't worried too much about it. Also because, at that moment, Jake got jealous and moved on to the conversation with Phil. My doubts had then died there. "N-no Alan, what should I have noticed?" I don't like this being so enigmatic at all.