‘That was way smoother than I thought it would go.’

‘There were only 3 distinct sounds: The hop off of the 6th step, My jump off of the 7th step, and the landing now.’

‘Very irregular noises that do not result from humans’

‘He definitely heard a sound, but he likely doesn’t suspect that the noise came from a human!’

The hallway stretched out before him, its worn wooden floorboards creaking softly under his weight. Doors lined both sides, leading to various rooms.

As he surveyed his surroundings, his senses heightened, ready to react to any sign of movement or presence. His heart pounding out of his chest, his hand instinctively moved to his side, gripping the handle of the short spear he had crafted earlier. He pulled it out, holding it firmly but discreetly, But before he could make any further moves, about 4 seconds after he first landed, a sudden voice broke the silence, piercing the air with its urgency.

"Is anyone there? I’m holding a knife right now! Leave while you still can!”

‘It came from the room just before the end of the hall.’

‘The voice was remarkably loud, considering its compact source and normal pitch.’

‘That means it was amplified by the environment of the source.’

‘There’s only 2 cases, and he didn’t have time to go and hide in his closet.’

"Is this fellow in the bathroom?" Dorian mused to himself, finding the situation both amusing and unexpected. Dorian, with a swift and forceful motion, unleashed a powerful kick, aiming directly at the door, intending to send it flying off its hinges.

The impact reverberated through the hallway as the old door splintered under the force of Dorian's kick, its hinges giving way. Wood splintered and the door crashed open, revealing a skinny pale male sitting on the toilet.

The surprise and astonishment radiated from his stunned expression as Peter stammered, "Dorian? Is that really you?"

Dorian, equally stunned, stared at Peter, his own eyes filled with a mix of disbelief and amazement as he couldn’t help but blurt out, “Why are you pooping?”

‘I went through all that thinking for nothing.’

With a sigh, Dorian said "Well, you certainly seem surprised to see me. How have you been?"

Peter, feeling nervous and caught off guard, managed to compose himself and replied, "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Just fine. Would be better if there wasn't a stranger in my bathroom as I took a shit. I’m doing good though" He shifted uncomfortably and then hesitantly asked, "And how have you been, Dorian?"

Dorian shrugged casually and replied, "Oh, you know, nothing much. Just your average day. Almost got crushed by a bunch of rocks, had a close encounter with carnivorous fish, almost starved to death in the wilderness, and oh," he paused, twirling the short spear in his hands absentmindedly, "had to scale a 30-foot wall with my bare hands."

Peter's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Dorian’s hands. "Wait, what's with the spear?”

Dorian chuckled and stopped twirling the spear, holding it up for Peter to see. "Oh, this? It's just a toy, really. Found it lying around somewhere. Thought it might come in handy, you know, for some harmless fun." He said with an evidently harmless mischievous grin.

Peter raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Right, just a toy," he said, his tone tinged with amusement.

Dorian laughed and set the spear aside, his playful demeanor shifting to a more serious one. "Don't worry, Peter. I'm not out for blood. It’s just that something very peculiar happened to me a few days ago.”

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Seeing no reaction, Dorian continued. "I woke up hurtling down a treacherous river, moments away from being brutally crushed by a cascade of rocks, when I was supposed to wake up from a nice nap."

Dorian then turned to Peter and looked at him intently, his expression turning grim. "When you saw me earlier, were you perhaps a little too surprised? Surprised to see a dead man alive?"

"I never thought you were dead," Peter replied, "I just assumed you were lost in the forest and would find your way back after a while.”

‘That’s a lie. We both know that the range we move within the forest is very limited, and going beyond that range means encountering dangerous beasts.’

‘He knows something.’

"Nobody else knows where I nap, so I wonder who could have attempted to kill me," Dorian mused aloud. His eyes locked onto Peter's, “Oh wait, I remember now," Dorian said, his voice dripping with accusation. "You once saw me at that very spot, where I take my naps.”

Peter, taken aback by the accusation, quickly responded, his voice tinged with surprise and disbelief, "Are you saying I told people where to find you?.”

“So you still insist on lying.”

He took a step closer, his voice low and intense. "The thing is, Peter, I already know it was you that tried to kill me. I just wanted to hear it from your own words before I took revenge." Peter's voice trembled as he vehemently denied Dorian's accusation." Dorian, I swear I had nothing to do with your death. I would never harm you. You have to believe me."

Dorian's gaze remained fixed on Peter, his expression unwavering. He paused for a moment, then spoke with a hint of coldness in his voice. "Well, somebody from the Brutes told me otherwise. They knew about the location of my secret spot, the same spot where I was supposed to wake up. Oh, and they mentioned your name."

Peter’s eyes widened at Dorian's words, his body suddenly tensing up and freezing in place.

Dorian's eyes burned with a mix of anger and betrayal as he swiftly closed the distance between himself and Peter. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, grabbing Peter by the collar of his shirt with a vice-like grip. The suddenness of the action caught Peter off guard, and he stumbled backward, his feet scrambling to find stability.

With a forceful motion, Dorian exerted his strength and flung Peter forcefully to the ground. The impact reverberated through the room as Peter crashed onto the floor, his body twisting and contorting in pain. Dust and debris filled the air, creating a haze around the scene of confrontation.

As Peter gasped for breath, Dorian stood above him, his features hardened and determined. The room fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the heavy breathing of the two men.

‘Am I scaring him too much? Although he’s very suspicious, I don’t know if he deserves all this.’

‘I’ll pay him back if he’s somehow innocent.’

Dorian's hand hovered over the short spear, his fingers ready to wrap around its familiar grip. But just as his grasp tightened, Peter's voice rang out, breaking the tense silence.

"Wait! Dorian, listen!" Peter's voice trembled with urgency as he blurted out, "Three days ago!"

Dorian's grip on the spear loosened slightly, his attention now fully captured by Peter's unexpected outburst.

‘Got him.’

"What do you mean, three days ago?" Dorian's voice was laced with skepticism.

Peter scrambled to sit up, his body still recovering from the impact of being thrown to the ground. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice as he explained, "Three days ago when I was walking back home after turning in some Sylvestra for Aldwin, two men with swords approached me. I could see a crossbones tattoo on their left arms-”

“Brutes”

“Yes. They wanted to know where you collected Sylvestra and if there were any specific spots you spent a lot of time at.”

“And you told them? Why couldn’t you just lie?”

Peter's gaze fell to the ground. "I... I panicked, Dorian. They seemed dangerous, and I didn't know what they would do if I didn't tell them. I never knew they were gonna try to kill you .”

“You panicked?”

“Well, they also offered me 30 pennies.”

"..."

Dorian looked at Peter incredulously, his eyes narrowing with a mix of disbelief. " You sold me out for 30 pennies?"

Peter shrugged, his shoulders slumping as he tried to explain himself. "I... I didn't know what else to do, Dorian. When I asked what they wanted with you, they said they were just going to teach you a lesson. They were going to find you regardless if I took the offer or not, so I took it.”

‘He does have a point.’

'What should I do with him?'

‘Having a sla- worker wouldn’t be bad’

"It's fine, Peter," Dorian sighed, his voice carrying a hint of resignation. "I can see that you didn't have much of a choice."

Peter looked up surprised, a glimmer of gratitude in his eyes. "Thanks, Dorian. Trust me I'll make it up to you. Promise.”

A mischievous grin formed on Dorian's face as he looked at Peter. "Oh yes, you will."