I have changed, So have they

Walking on the long cobblestone street, the sprawling road ahead of him glowed in a calm light of noon. Bultear's steps could not said to be calm or hurried but a gait of someone deep in thought, to whom walking was a passive activity. After taking a left turn and leaving Marf street, Bultear stopped to turn back his head. Now looking up at the massive structure that is the main headquarters of the biggest private organization in the Sepurnum kingdom-E.S.O.P. His thoughts not abating for even a second.

'So tired.... and here I thought I given time to rest. I'm just a regular person goddammit! Having to negotiate with a cunning guy like that, I wasn't prepared... I still think I did good though. I was able to not stir trouble for myself while still gaining something for myself. My intuition is telling me that was also able impress him as well. I could smell it in the air, which is kind of weird considering how I was never able to do this before. Only one thing could be the case; One of the abilities I have gained after awakening was related to smell. So my nose evolved in the secondary evolution.'

Bultear couldn't hide his anticipation, he quickened his steps when he walked into a market that was on the intersection between the Marf and Eltlin streets. Seeing a sea of people, the rumble of society was as vibrant as before. It was the same as he remembered it, the only thing that changed was him. Stepping deeper into the market of the fruit, meat and vegetable vendors who were clamouring, advertising their products with raspy, worn out voices. Some of these people he recognized, yet they did not recognize him.

' What is going on?' He thought, perplexed.

Squinting his eyes, he walked to one particular vendor selling colorful jewellery. They reflected the sun with a glow that was striking for the eyes even for this market of innumerable people. Bultear remembered her as Ms. Crayton; a very old, demure lady whose husband, son, and grandkids lost their lives in the war of the setting Sun and Stars. He remembered that even such a cruel reality was not enough to dim her bright smile-that very smile that now was hiding puzzlement and surprise.

"Who are you?"

"Bultear, Ms. Crayton. Don't you remember me. My late mother would always talk to you when shopping."

"Ah, Bulltear! I know, I know how could I forget."

His nose twitched; he could smell something amiss.

"It took you a while to remember, did I really change that much?"

" * hahaha* You really changed! What happened in these five days you have become so much taller."

This was the first change he noticed about himself after he woke up in Safir's room. He had become tall. He did not know how tall exactly. In his mind he compared himself to Safir when he took him away from the torture room and after their negotiation when they shook hands, and it was obvious. Before he was the same height, now he was half a head taller than him.

'It seems my height wasn't the only thing that changed about me.'

"Late puberty you could say *haha*.... How has your health been recently Ms. Clayton?" Smoothly changing the topic, asked Bultear.

"I've been fine, my back is still a problem but nothing I can't deal with already!"

"I'm glad to hear that. Well, I would like to speak to you more, but I have some matters to attend to."

" Oh? Maybe a rendezvous with some lady mayhap?"

" * hahaha*... Business related, nothing particularly interesting."

" * hihi*... Just messing with you, you're always welcome to come back and chat."

" I know, see you later!"

Waving goodbye to Ms. Clayton, Bultear exited the market at the other end, left the intersection entering Eltlin street. Soon the same road came into his view, soon the same building he lived came into view as well.

"You also haven't changed." -Muttered quietly as he opened the door of the apartment building. What greeted him at the entrance were workers. They had construction gear while fixing the entrance. He also saw his smiling landlady approach him.

'If she's happy then that means she doesn't have to pay for this.'

"Good day Mrs. Elmer"

"Oh, who are you?"

"Bultear."

" *Hmph*... You have guts to come here after what you caused."

" I did not cause anything, I was the victim."

My wallet would have been the victim had the nice people over at E.S.O.P not paid for the repairs."

Thinking back to the bizarre situation with Ms. Clayton, Bultear was glad at least Mrs. Elmer's bitch personality was unchanged.

*twitch*

' What... why is my nose twitching again?'

He gazed deeply at his landlord.

' No way...'

" It was nice talking to you Mrs. Elmer but I have to go."

" Whatever, I'm also busy."

Laving quickly, opening his apartment door even quicker. Bultear left himself no time to take in the familiarity of home as he fell into thought.

'I took a detour to the market to test my new sense of smell, who would have thought the results would have been this unexpected. It hasn't been four days since I was killed and taken by E.S.O.P, and it's only been a day since I awakened. They way Clayton and Elmer have been fully in character, one was as greedy and mean as usual while the other teased me about girls as usual. My physical change was big so them being surprised is not out of character. Yet their smell is weird. When I looked at the people in the market, they all smelled differently, but with a normal smell: Some smelled of old age, some of youth, some of the things they were selling.... but they were different. Clayton smelled like rotting flesh, like a corpse. Elmer, on the other hand, smelled like sulphur, a sort of burning smell that was unlike anything I had smelled before.'

Bultear then sat on his bed, took the Heart of Weeping out from his front pocket of the clothes he received from Safir and continued to think.

'When I spoke to Safir he had a normal smell to him, he smelled like a normal human, the only notable scent was the cologne he wore nothing else. I don't know all the details of my powers yet, so I mustn't jump to conclusions.'

Spreading his stressed body on the bed, he turned his head to look at his small window of the cramped room he lived in.

"I only know one thing; I have changed and so have they."