(Third POV)
Bella returned from her run and noticed Charlie warming up his car. She approached him and asked, "Are you going fishing?"
Charlie nodded, "Yes, I'll be back for dinner."
Bella noticed the fishing gear in the back seat and asked, "Dad, are you still missing Harry?"
Charlie paused for a moment, a wistful expression on his face. "He was a good man," he replied.
With that, Charlie closed the door and drove off. Bella hesitated to say more and headed inside to freshen up.
After freshening up, Bella went to the kitchen to eat a snack. She then returned to her room and approached her bed. Instead of lying down, she bent down and picked up something from the bottom of the bed.
It was a sword given to her a week ago by Mikael to help her become stronger. Though tempted to use it, she remembered the notebook Mikael had given her. It stated that she needed to build her foundation to be strong enough to swing the sword easily, meaning she had to exercise and build her stamina.
She placed the sword back at the foot of the bed and grabbed her laptop. She lay down on the bed, opened the laptop, and began typing.
[ Dear Alice, you have disappeared, just like everything else. But who else can I trust with my secrets? But don't worry, I've made up my mind. I have a new objective now. If you happen to come across Edward, please inform him that I miss him. ]
...
(MC POV - A Day Later)
It has been a week since the incident. I've been dealing with school-related issues, securing permission for Alice and me to take a break under the guise of "Family Matters." Thankfully, Carlisle's reputation as a doctor has made the process smooth. And now, I have decided that it is time to meet up with Alice in Scotland.
But before that, the trace of my true energy that I've placed on the woman wearing a crow mask before has disappeared, and I intended to check on that. And while I'm on the way, I decided to see if Bella stays true to her words.
I approached a mirror and saw my face, hair, and body gradually change from my original appearance to that of a nerdy-looking guy. Indeed, this is my disguise technique that I "learned" from the assassin organization back in Murim.
"Looks good enough."
I then slightly pinched my neck and cleared my throat.
"Ahem... AAA... Hello... Check 123."
I checked the mirror one last time and nodded in approval. After that, I put on my clothes and walked out of my ruined house. I don't know what those guys did to my house, but thank God it was only the kitchen that was ruined and not the whole house.
I walked out of the door and locked it. Then, I went to my garage to get my car but remembered that Alice had taken it before she went to Scotland. I sighed and looked to the side, noticing my forgotten bike.
I approached it and said, "I'm sorry, Steve, but I'll have to leave you behind."
I then walked out of the garage and closed it before leaping up and heading to Bella's house. After a moment, I arrived near her house and, of course, I didn't forget my concealing technique that makes me unnoticeable.
I noticed Bella on the side of her house, doing exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, and so on. I just nodded in approval and leapt up again, leaving Forks and heading to my first destination.
...
(Third POV - Five Minutes Later - Seattle)
The disguised Mikael can be seen in front of a building. There is a look of confusion on his face because the building in front of him is abandoned, and there is a sign indicating that the building is available for rent.
'This is definitely the place. My trail of energy ended here,' Mikael thought while looking at the building.
"It's a pity that it's closed, isn't it?"
Suddenly, from beside him, a girl with big glasses and baggy clothes said with a sad tone and expression on her face. Mikael raised his eyebrows and looked at the girl beside him.
"Closed?" Mikael said, looking confused.
"Yeah, I used to be a frequent customer at this bookstore. But, about a week ago, they suddenly closed and kindly left their books behind," the girl said with a sad yet grateful tone.
"A bookstore?" Mikael asked again.
The girl looked at him with a confused expression on her face. A few seconds later, she suddenly slapped her forehead and said, "Ah, I'm sorry. I thought you were a customer here before."
"It's alright. Can you tell me more about this bookstore?" Mikael shook his head and asked again.
The girl nodded and said, "I overheard some of the customers who often read in this bookstore. They said that this bookstore has been running for generations, never closing, and always opening on time. It was, until a week ago when they suddenly closed without notifying their regular customers or the people here."
Seeing Mikael, who was lost in thought, the girl approached him and whispered, "I heard that the owners and employees of this bookstore have a peculiar complexion."
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Mikael asked again, without bothering about the girl who was an inch away from him.
The girl whispered again, "I heard that they had pale skin, and some of the customers even saw one of them glowing while they basked in the sun!"
Mikael nodded and said, "Thanks for the information."
"No problem!" The girl happily said, and then she left.
Mikael looked at the sign and took out his phone. He entered the number from the sign into his phone and dialed it. Roughly about twenty minutes later, an elderly man who appeared to be in his sixties approached him.
"Are you Luke?" the elderly man asked.
Mikael, who was using a fake name as "Luke," nodded. The elderly man then said, "Come, let me show you around."
They then proceed to enter the bookstore, with the elderly man at the front and Mikael following closely behind.
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Note:
I am terribly sorry for the delay. I have just recovered and regained some of my motivation. And also, I have a new schedule. From now on, I'll be uploading on Mondays in my local time.
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p@treon.com/tikuskecetit