16. Chapter 2

Omen's POV

"You have 1 job, Omen. 1 job. And you couldn't even do it." Mike grumbled through the phone.

I was borrowing the phone from the Holmes Manor.

"I know. But what am I supposed to do?! I don't even know how his older self really looks like much less his younger version. After all, there was no picture of him in the database except for the descriptions. Quite a few young men could fit those!"

"Are you sure you are not ogling at those fine young men?"

"No! I am absolutely sure!"

With my left hand holding the phone closed to my ear, I ran my right hand across my hair in frustration before tucking them back into the cap. My fingers were starting to miss my long tresses.

I heard a sigh from him. Whether it was a sigh of disappointment or irritation, I didn't know but that further weighed down my heart.

"I'm sorry."

"No. It's alright. You couldn't have stopped it. This was foretold by the 1st Alice letter after all. Anyway, I found one of the copies of the book."

My ears pricked up in anticipation.

"And?"

"It was torn in half. There's nothing that mine or the Library's magic can do to fix it. We can only hope that it regenerates the missing half quickly enough. But judging from the extensive damage of it, it will take a while. At most you will have to stay in that World for a week."

"Dammit!" I gritted my teeth and punched the table in frustration. "A week is too long. What happens if Dark Shadow decides to use this opportunity to do something?"

"That's what I am afraid of, he may be buying time to do something. You have that egg to help you. By the way, how is Sherlock?"

"Still under the care of a doctor."

I bit my lip in frustration.

How is a magical robotic egg going to help me?!

"Alright. Then stay there and be by his side. Don't judge the egg, it's your familiar so it will help you if you are in danger. If anything happens, contact me through the letter."

"Then how about you?"

"I'm going... skkkk... skkkk"

Static? I frowned. Our communication lines don't have these faults.

"Mike, say it again."

"I said... skkk... skkk"

< Hello young Guardian... >

I froze when an unknown deep and smooth voice replaced Mike's familiar crisp and tenor voice. It brings a feeling of foreboding and a chill so cold that I felt it within my soul. I shivered from the intensity of it.

< Dear me, did the Library not teach any etiquette lessons? >

A deep throated chuckle emitted from the voice. Who is he?

"Who are you? Are you one of Dark Shadow's minions?" I replied back. My mind was scrambling for any bits of information about this mysterious man.

< Hmm..? You don't know me? My... I'm disappointed at Micheal. I left him alive to tell the story, but you don't know me? >

The muscles in my jaw clenched. My left hand gripped the phone so tightly, my knuckles were starting to turn white. He was one of the two allies of Dark Shadow who killed Kagura Lee, Mike's previous partner in cold blood. I never read the files closely enough but I did remember that he was once a Demon King.

A former King who overturned and destroyed his World.

Anger clouded my thoughts for a moment before my rational side of the brain pushed the murderous thoughts away. I shouldn't get offended and lashed out because that would mean that I had fallen into his scheme.

I took a deep breath to calm myself before answering.

"Then pray, enlighten me."

< I am one of Dark Shadow's allies. That is all you need to know. You will learn more about me soon enough. A little advice before we meet, do try your best to protect Sherlock. >

With that, his voice was gone but his mocking laughter was left echoing through my ear. Mike's voice was back, continuing his answer to my question.

"Skkkk.... World, I'm meeting Professor Albus there to discuss about the substance that Undertaker created."

I blinked, wildly confused. It was almost as if no time has passed... Nothing had happened at all.

"... Omen, did something happened?"

"Nope, just spaced out for a moment there. Well… see you after this. Good luck!"

"This is a bit late but god speed."

I smiled after the call ended. But the tips of my smile began to move downwards.

The mysterious man smugly revealed that we would meet the next time. Asking Mike about him was obviously out of the question. Also the fact that he didn't notice what really happened meant that this man seriously wanted a one-to-one battle with me.

He could do time manipulation magic.

But was it deliberate?

I folded my arms before I touched my chin with my right hand, assuming my thinking pose again.

It did seem like he was.

It is true that I have no counter magic against something like that. But I doubt he would want to use this particular magic against me. Such unique magic drains a lot of mana. No matter how arrogant he was, he would not use it thoughtlessly. Plus the evidence of him withholding his name from me and exposing his magic seemed like a perfect display of a scare tactic. Especially how he warned that Sherlock would be in danger.

Arrogant. Immature. And too much flourish for my liking. He even sounded childish.

The thoughts surfaced in my mind. I frowned in distaste when the next thought came in.

Am I dealing with a kid!?