Hi from reality English (2023-2025)

Not me

"15 missing children. All top students. All from well-off middle-class families..." Han was reading.

"Since when is the middle class well-off," muttered Mergen with a sigh, "how much more of this?! When will these idiots stop stealing people someone's looking for? In Firokami there are so many unwanted people, why don't they dig around there? In the slums millions would agree to anything!"

"Plenty of perverts around," Han replied.

"What's been done?" Mergen asked resignedly.

"Nothing. I mean, only Shan combined the cases. Before that, they were investigated separately."

"How many years have passed?"

"Seven years since the first case, five since the last."

"Any similar cases recently?"

"Feydge is searching. Roddon started checking on these."

"For now, let's send inquiries to the Coryphaeus, maybe it's some idiotic charity that forgot to notify us," Mergen nodded and sent out the message.

After a few minutes – enough time for a Coryphaeus to review the message and compare the names of the missing with their projects – the answers came flying back: not me, not me, not us, not involved, not me...

XXXX

His wrist gently tightened – a signal from the device. He read the message and cold sweat broke out. The cliché he'd often read about turned out to be not a cliché but a real reaction, just like "he smiled." His expensive shirt immediately absorbed and wicked away the sweat, the fabric warming gently, returning physiological comfort to its wearer. Had they found out? Were they checking? How does this work? He had only recently received the Coryphaeus's shocker from the City and listened to the commandments, sworn an oath to serve Firokami, pronounced aloud – and may Firokami judge me if I do not act for its benefit. Formalities, every country has them. And now this message. He remembered all those names. But he was a Coryphaeus, he was allowed to do anything, right? "Not me" he chose from the options offered in the message.

He lingered, inexplicably struggling to hit the send button. The shocker in his pocket seemed to grow heavier. Was there some protocol for how quickly one should respond? Why had nobody told him? Why weren't there courses for Coryphaeus in Firokami? How did the Coryphaeus know what to do and when?

Acting as one unified, well-oiled mechanism. Happy, light, wealthy. "Not me," he sent.

The sky didn't split open, no monster shattered the panoramic glass of the office. He turned and flinched, he may have even let out a brief squeal.

"Excuse me, your coffee," the handsome secretary smiled and gracefully approached the table.

The man closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath. Damned city.

One's Place. Cycle Extra Puzzles. AlbireoMKG