“Troy,” Florian stops in front of Lacie and I.

He’s currently looping his arm through the left arm sleeve of his coat. He’s accompanied by another man. Taller. More chiseled than the prettier Florian. Dark hair. In a dark coat. Mixed ethnicity of some sort.

“Florian,” I grumble.

“Could you leave your report on my desk? I have to head out to the Penitentiary,” Florian frowns, “Shaun and I have to deal with a situation.”

“A situation?” I ask.

Florian pauses, studying me briefly, “I am going to put my trust in you to keep what I have to say quiet for now. As I am considering your role in a case. But it involves the Order.”

Shaun scoffs, “The Order.” he huffs with a roll of his brown eyes, and he scratches his stubbled chin in thought.

He probably should show the Order of the Exalted more respect than that.

I am a Phantom, but not an idiot. If the Order of the Exalted is getting involved, the Celestial Artifact will be found. If they hired someone worth their salt. Which means that boy. Er. What’s his name? Stabby Kid will need to work fast. The Order of the Exalted have been pains in asses to Phantoms since the Celestial Age. They banish us back into our own Realms. And close off the Slips we squeeze through. Though the conflict between the Order of the Exalted and Phantoms is not a conflict of good and evil. That’s a false ideology. Mortals like to believe because it gives them a sense of security.

We, Phantoms, have to exist. Just as much as they, The Order, have to exist. The Order of the Exalted are not the same as these police or even the Civilian Protection. The Order of the Exalted have always worked outside of the structure of the systems put in place. The Order is their own system, their own society, and have taken up their own Oaths.

“Sure, report on your desk,” I realize it’s taken me way too long to respond. Mortals like immediacy.

“Thank you,” Florian responds with a polite smile.

“May I ask what is going on?” maybe I can squeeze some information out of him.

“I am not sure the details myself, and we may have impostors masquerading as the Order,”

I doubt it. If they are causing disruption, it is because they are The Order of the Exalted. Still, this gives me an excuse to look into Florian’s office. Since I am allowed to be there. I need to find some leverage to use against the Mortal.

I notice a Phantom lurking.

Not worth my time. Compared to the Phantoms at the apartment. This is just a pipsqueak.

“Florian,” Lacie pipes up, “before you go. I have one last question. See, my Dad got ran over today, so I was wondering if we could take the rest of the day off. He needs to rest and relax, and if something medically-

-Lacie,” Florian looks at her, “you don’t need to be so formal when asking me-

-oh okay, can we take the rest of the day off?”

“You may,” Florian smiles, “Troy, I am sorry that I dragged you out to investigate that apartment after what just happened. You must think I am an awful person, but you’re the only one I trust currently-

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

-Florian, we should head out before Bryan bitches us out,” Shaun pauses, “More.”

“I’ll get this report onto Florian’s desk, and meet you in our office,” I tell Lacie.

“Sure!” she smiles happily. Eugh too bright.

Passing Florian, to head up the staircase. This hallway is relatively small, just one square box.

So.

This is pretty boy’s office then. I wonder what I can dig up. If the Order of the Exalted is involved, we’re going to need munition. Shit! Why do I care about that? Shouldn’t I lead them to Stabby Kid? It makes my job a lot easier if I just send the Oakside Police and the Order of the Exalted to the Stabby Kid. Then I don’t have to deal with his pompous youthful folly. I should know better than to help a Mortal child. I could plant some evidence. Eugh. Now I sound like a corrupt officer.

I am a corrupt officer!

I guess I should get into his computer.

All right, what do I know about Mortals and investigating? They hide their important information in their desk. Yes. That’s how I will get into the computer. Pausing. Listening for a second. No one is coming. Whipping around the desk to access the drawers.

Listening again.

No one is coming.

Not a single footstep.

Good.

Good.

Opening the drawer on top. It easily opens. Just pens, paper, and shit. That’s not helpful. Moving down to the middle drawer. Celestials his desk is so neat. If I mess anything up, he’ll know. Opening up the middle drawer, are there any personal affects? Something to lend some insight to use against him? Another useless drawer, just more office supplies, a stapler, paper clips, and mint gum.

Final drawer. It’s locked. So this is the drawer he doesn’t want people to open.

Need a key.

Where would he hide it?

I have to consider what I know about Mortals and the way they think. Where would they think the key is the safest to hide? Under the desk. I know a politician who would stick their key under the desk on the bottom portion of the top half.

Listening. No one. Crouching, stupid middling expiring body. Not there feeling around the bottom of the desk. Hmm. So Florian is not the type of person to hide something where it is obvious. Where else? I’ve known another politician to hide their key in a false opening in their drawer.

Gah. Which means I need to rifle around without him knowing.

Opening the first drawer.

Carefully lifting the stack of printer paper, feeling around for a false opening. No. Not there. Let’s try the middle drawer. Moving the supplies around. Nothing.

Celestials fuck!

I don’t know enough about Florian to know what type of person he is to know where he would hide his key. Looking around the office. What do I see? A desk. A frame sits on the desk, a picture of a man. There’s a file cabinet in the room's corner. And a small bookshelf.

What can I pull from Florian?

Well, he had to be the one to contact the Order of the Exalted. I doubt Shaun would. Maybe the bookshelf, then? Heading over, looking at books at about Oath Keeping and Law. Mortals don’t understand their own Oaths, do they?

Ah Hah. This must be it. Grabbing a book decorated with stars and rings on it. Navy blue, it’s a wooden box. Representing the Celestial bodies.

Opening it. There’s a note: You Found Me

Who in the fuck?! What in the fuck kind of fucked up shit is this? Does this man lay down his own fucking clues in his own office?

There’s an arrow pointing for it to be flipped over: I am in the least likely spot

Least likely spot! I mean, it makes sense if he had the key on him.

But he actually takes the time to fuck with himself?

I am kind of liking pretty boy more now.

Least likely spot. The most likely spots would be the file cabinet. Guess the bookshelf and desk as well. So it has to be. Looking at the blinds, the fucking windowsill. Moving over, carefully pushing the blinds apart, there it is, taped to the side of the frame.

So, now I know Florian is stupidly weird. Taking the key over to the desk. Using it to open the bottom drawer, it works, and I release the drawer. What is in-

-Nothing! You mean I wasted my fucking time - wait there is a postcard: Don’t Forget

Don’t forget what? I was hoping to find a booklet of passwords, something to get into his computer. So I guess I have to brute force my way in. Turning on his computer.

Login: F.P. Lysander

Password:

Maybe this vague note is some clue into the password? What a headache to go through every fucking morning. Who goes to work and says I am going to play a game of riddle me this, every time?

Maybe it’s: Remember

Password is incorrect.

Maybe: I Remember

Password is incorrect

I cannot believe I am doing this. Taking out my phone. Texting Stabby Kid.