442 Can’t Sleep

When Charles entered, he saw the shadows under the dim yellow light look over with unfriendly gazes. He froze in place. His bad premonition grew heavier.

"What's wrong?" Beard Guy craned his neck and squeezed past. He nodded at everyone. "Everyone's here? Charles, don't just stand there. Mr. Constantine is busy."

Charles managed a smile and followed Beard Guy. He saw their faces and thought the gazes were all icy.

"Sorry, I came back late. I almost couldn't find Charles." Beard Guy patted his pocket. "It's not my fault. It's too hard to find a place that sells cigarettes. I could only get this crude tobacco. Does anyone want it?"

Constantine seemed to be deep in thought.

"Cory, you're back just in time." The examiner smiled and pointed at the document. "Everyone has finished reading and we're only missing you two."

"What's so urgent?" Cory walked over casually and shook his head. "Everyone knows that I can't read. Just tell me instead of writing it down."

No one responded; everyone was silent.

Constantine looked up at the blank young man behind Cory. "Charles, where did you go?"

As if nothing had happened, Charles hid his sweaty palms and shook the bag. "I went to buy—"

Constantine interrupted, "Tell the truth."

He stopped. All the unfriendly gazes moved onto him. The animosity poured into his lungs like some viscous liquid. It sloshed around, almost suffocating him. Smiling stiffly, he forced on a shocked expression. "What's wrong with everyone? I just went to buy medicine."

The examiner took his bag and opened it forcefully. He dumped all the medicine on the table. After examining, he murmured something to Constantine.

Constantine's expression darkened. He nodded and looked at Charles. "Come look at this and you'll understand."

Charles walked over stiffly and accepted the document. Forcing his trembling fingers to still, he opened it. Extreme shock and fear besieged him. He froze in place.

"Hey, what's so mysterious?" Cory came over and patted his shoulder. "You look scared. What's wrong? What does it say?"

Charles's face was ghastly pale. After a long while, he looked up at Cory with fear and…pity.

"It says…" His voice trembled. "You're the…mole."

Cory froze. After a long while, he opened his mouth to speak. But the smiling examiner appeared behind him. He reached out, covered Cory's mouth, and slit his throat with ease. Fresh blood spurted out, falling onto Charles's face. It was warm and bitterly sweet. Some fragrance spread through the air. The documents were dyed red. He gaped at the name on the document. Stumbling back, he landed onto the ground with a thump.

Cory fell to his knees. He clutched his throat, struggling in pain. He looked up at Charles but he could not utter any sound. And then he collapsed. Scarlet blood flowed from his body, pooling around him. In the dust, it turned bruised purple. After too long, he stopped moving.

"Sorry. I must have scared you." Smiling, he pulled Charles up. The young man stared at Cory in shock. After a while, he turned around. His lips trembled but he could not form any words.

"Cory had been bought out by the Sacred City a long time ago. If he didn't show some signs when he entered the prison this time, we would've never suspected him." The examiner patted his shoulder. "You were with him for such a long time. He didn't try to brainwash you, did he?"

Charles shook his head dumbly. He could feel the tears spilling out. Almost breaking down, he choked out, "I-I…you aren't going to kill me?"

"Don't worry. Everyone knows you. How could someone so dumb be a spy?" The examiner chuckled. "You might not know yet, but Constantine has already decided to make you his secretary. You must be cautious against those who want to use you. Thankfully, we discovered him early on. If Cory used you to learn some secrets, it would be troublesome."

He paused and pointed at Cory. "After a bit, I'll have someone check on you. You might not know but that guy is a Mind musician. It'll be bad if he planted a hint."

Charles nodded stiffly. It finally dawned on him and he felt a chill. He finally understood why the Silent Authority was okay with him entering the Revolutionaries as a spy. His upper figure was hidden right beside him, keeping an eye on him at all times. He had used a Mind music score to control the fat illegal drug trader and remotely controlled Charles to help him find information. When needed, he would throw Charles away to save himself.

That was how it was…

Seeing his expression, Constantine sighed. He patted his shoulder lightly. "Sorry, kid. I didn't think you would be this scared. It was my mistake."

"N-no." Charles managed a smile and wiped his snot with his sleeves. "I was just scared by Cory." After a pause, he pointed at the medicine piled on the table. "My stuff."

Constantine quickly smiled and placed the items in Charles's hand. "Very good. Charles, you are a good kid."

The good kid managed a smile but then his face paled. Covering his mouth, he rushed out the door. They quickly cleaned up the body and everyone left.

Constantine looked at the examiner. "You found the mole and killed him. Are you satisfied now?"

The examiner's smile was still mysterious. He just nodded slightly and looked in Charles' direction. "I hope I am just overly sensitive…"

－

After countless days, Charles was in a dilapidated alley in the corner of the Sacred City. He leaned against the wall and smoked, looking like he was just basking in the sun lazily.

A faint voice traveled to his ears, "According to the information from the Silent Authority, ever since the Revolutionaries began more than a decade ago, Constantine was an important figure. He was always mysterious and not many people saw him before.

"If he wasn't captured this time, probably even the Silent Authority wouldn't know he existed. His relationship with Gaius is extremely close and compatible. He stayed in the shadows and traveled the nations for Gaius. He apparently has many hidden followers and the high officials of many countries all have contact with him.

"The Revolutionaries rely on his information network to operate for all these years. This time, Constantine's arrest not only made the Sacred City lose a lot of spies. They also stole a lot of important information regarding the Winter Festival.

"You only need to find some tiny things from Constantine to be free. Don't get too into it, Charles. You don't have to sacrifice too much for the Sacred City."

"I know, Yezi. Don't worry." He smiled confidently. "You know me. I run faster than anyone if there's the slightest bit of danger. Even the paparazzi can't catch me."

A thin water vapor thread extended from the sewer and latched onto him. They were in coherence. A hoarse voice sounded in his ear. "Stop saying those stupid things now, Charles." Ye Qingxuan sighed. "If anything happens, don't be stubborn. If you have to sell out the Silent Authority to live, it's fine. Charles, as long as you're alive, I can save you, understand?"

"Don't worry. Do I look like someone who has morals? If I have to, I'll even betray the Sacred City." Charles smiled and waved. "Stop worrying about me. I'm really successful. Constantine trusts me a lot. I'm already his secretary and help him deal with messages. After a while, he'll take me to see Gaius."

After a pause, Ye Qingxuan sighed. "Take care."

"It's against the rules for you to contact me behind the Silent Authority, right? Don't contact me if you don't have to," Charles said quietly. "There are some people keeping an eye on me too. It'll suck if they find anything."

"…Powerful people?"

"Yes, very." Charles fell silent. He remembered the figure he saw in prison and his pupils trembled. "One of the Revolutionaries' spies has purple eyes. Be careful of him, Yezi. You have to be careful…If you see him, run away. Don't fight him at all, okay?"

Ye Qingxuan froze. For the first time, he could feel fear from Charles. It was undisguised weakness and fear.

"Charles, even—"

Charles shook his head, interrupting him. "Yezi, I'm begging you."

After a while, Ye Qingxuan nodded slowly. "Okay, I promise you."

"Great." Charles forced a smile. He looked down at his cigarette. He tossed it down and ground it under his foot. "I'm leaving now. Don't worry about me. I sleep and eat well and every other day, I get to drink good wine. The days are so nice that I almost forget I'm a spy."

But he hesitated, and before cutting off the resonance, he asked softly, "Mr. Newton…is there still no news?"

"He's still MIA." Ye Qingxuan's voice was dark. "You care about him?"

"It's good that there's no news. At least he's still alive." Charles shook his head. "He lied to me to trade with the Revolutionaries but I've never hated him. He taught me a lot. I should thank him for not looking down on a failure like me. I'm sorry, Yezi. I experimented with your data without your permission. I owe you."

"If you come back alive, let me beat you up." Ye Qingxuan sighed. "Hurry and scram. Otherwise, you'll get hit."

"Thanks." Charles smiled, waved, and left.

In the distance, Ye Qingxuan opened his eyes in a peaceful café. After a long while, he could not help but sigh. "Lola, help me," he murmured. "Protect Charles. Don't let him get hurt."

A complaint came from the air around him. "What sin did I commit in my past life to meet someone like you…" The sigh quickly dissipated. It seemed that nothing had happened.

"Thanks." Ye Qingxuan smiled. He raised the cup and drank the bitter espresso in one gulp. His lowered eyes were red. He had not slept in ten days.