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[color=teal][b]「 Point of Return 」[/b][/color][/center][hr]
[hider=Final Fantasy XIV OST - Palace of the Dead ~ Enraptured][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQES1F-WyjU[/youtube][/hider][b][code]Academy 61, Roseview_[/code][/b]

Ever since the little break-in incident with Wendy and co. - together with a grumpy Kannix - few nights ago, Rein hadn't stepped out of the academy for another adventure (and getting into another close call again)... Not when he was currently under watch from returning to the dormitory way past midnight. He had to take a long detour to get Kannix back to her home in Springtown first, which was the least he could do after getting her involved in this mess if it wasn't for him. He couldn't help feeling a tad responsible, even if no one was to blame. (There were definitely [i]better[/i] ways to do it than breaking into someone's house uninvited.)

There wasn't much he could do while he had to stay indoors, so he spent most of his free time in the library. Housing the largest book collection in Baybridge, it was the perfect place to do some research on his own. If there was somewhere he could look for Metahuman-related information, the academy's library was the best place to start off.

Rein strolled deeper into the labyrinth of bookshelves, towards the shelves where archives of Metahuman-related journals and research materials were located. He zoomed into the section marked with the letter 'R' - to look for any papers written by Sean Rosier.

It was less about his suspicion towards Wendy. Of how she got the books with that shocking revelation, of how her secretive involvement with the Founding Family that she was obviously reluctant to divulge to an outsider like him... It was more to satisfy his own curiosity about the relationship between the existence of Metahuman powers with reality bending, even with the possibility of parallel dimensions of their current world.

To any logical person, Wendy's proclamation was a tall tale - too far-fetched to believe in, too abstract to spare the time and thought to even consider the possibility of her findings. But Rein chose to give her the benefit of doubt, merely because of his own experience.

What if her crazy story might help to shed some light to 'Scape', his own powers?

As he had suspected, there wasn't any materials written by this 'Sean Rosier' he could find. He wondered if his papers were removed by the likes of the Family - or even some bigger and [i]badder[/i] organizations out there - to prevent ordinary bookworms like him to access such dangerous information that could easily overturn this world... for the worse.

He let out an inaudible sigh as he finally straightened up, disappointed at hitting another dead end. So he'd be stuck with browsing for generic books on the theories around parallel dimensions and the Black Fall Effect...

"...Rein." The Asian boy looked up, distracted by a whisper behind him. It was the same African-American girl who had asked for his help back at the DOVE rally. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Sorry to startle you," she spoke again in the same low voice. "But I just can't help, well, noticing you. Not in that way, if you know what I mean... but, yeah."

Now both of Rein's eyebrows were arched. Something about the girl's vagueness with her words demanded all his attention on her.

The girl shifted her eyes from Rein's face down to his hands. "I've always found it strange... that you're always glowing the brightest whenever I use my power."

She took a step closer to him. "Maybe it's because our powers are very similar... that we're both clairvoyants of sorts. I think you might be able to help me as much as I'm going to help you."

"...What do you mean?" And more importantly, "Sorry, but who are you?"

"Ah," the girl exclaimed, then looked around sheepishly when she realized she was too loud. "Abigail. Abigail Dixon." However, Rein still didn't show any sign of recognition at the name, so she added on, "We're in the same class for, you know, Physics?"

"...Oh-kay." Rein wasn't convinced. Sure, he would see her around the campus from time to time, but he didn't recall them being in the same classes. He chose to keep that to himself and nodded, waiting for the girl to go on.

Abigail grabbed his hand. "My power... I can see these psychic lines that connects different people together. I still can't control or fully understand what these lines mean, but I can't change or prevent these connections from happening, no matter how I try to stop them."

"Hmm..." Rein looked down as he considered her words. "Something like the 'threads of fate' in Asian culture?" [i]Interesting.[/i] Another vague ability just like his, but it didn't sound as complicated as Scape.

"If you say so." Abigail shrugged. She seemed rather distracted and not paying much attention to the conversation, her focus still on his hand.

"Uh... Is there something on my hand?"

That pulled Abigail out of her own thoughts. "M'bad," she mumbled, and let go of Rein's hand in surprise. "Well... I think you'd understand better if I show you how my power works."

Rein tilted his head to the side, frowning at the girl. "How?"

"I'll lead you to the person you're supposed to meet," was the simple reply, and with that Abigail tugged at his arms to drag him out of the library.

[hr]
...And she led him to a music room. Where someone was at the grandpiano playing a classical piece. The melody sounded familiar, though Rein couldn't quite recall the title of the score. He didn't recognize the stranger either, but something about this person made him feel he might have seen that face somewhere before. They seemed just as surprised when the pair barged into the room (with quite a bang, no less).

Before the pianist could open his mouth, Abigail spoke first. "We're students of the Academy." Then she turned to Rein. "I merely followed the psychic string attached to your hand... and it led us here, to this person." Her eyes shifted from Rein back to the pianist with a knowing look before she left the room.

The stranger let out a small chuckle as they stood up and moved away from the grandpiano once Abigail was out of sight. "Not the kind of first meeting I'm expecting, but it saves the trouble to get in touch and set up a meeting with each other."

Rein narrowed his eyes at the pianist. "Did you ask Abigail to bring me here?"

The stranger shook their head and returned Rein's glare with amusement. "That's my first time seeing her," they replied, leaning their back on the piano with elbows resting on the polished cover.

Something else the pianist had said before continued to nudge in Rein's mind. "So your target is... me?"

"Interesting choice of words," the pianist commented, then straightened up and walked closer to Rein. "It's true I've wanted to see you, but not like this."

The two continued to lock gaze with each other. Rein had never met this person before, but he couldn't help feeling at ease. He didn't feel any hostility or tension from the pianist, only this strange tranquility - an urge to trust this person.

[i]Urge? To trust someone I know nothing at all?[/i] He found himself laughing on the inside at that stupid thought. Though, this unnerving mind game made him forgot about his manners.

"Oh, I'm Rein, by the way."

The pianist nodded once in acknowledgement, but their face remained impassive. "I know who you are - [i]and that is not your real name.[/i]"

Rein's eyes widened when the stranger switched to Japanese, the wild beating of his heart felt as if they were amplified in his ears.

"[i]Pleasure to meet you, Yagami Naoki-kun. I'm Haruka,[/i]" the pianist returned the greeting with equal politeness. "[i]I believe you have some information about my mother, Asami Takashiro.[/i]"

[hr]
"Contact established as you've requested," Abigail spoke into her mobile once she left the building of the Music faculty.

"Good, good..." the voice of a mature woman replied from the other end of the call. She had a funny accent - clearly someone who wasn't a native English speaker. "What do you think of him so far?"

"Weak," was the immediate response. "Undependable. I don't get why he's that important to you - or anyone, at all. His power wasn't anything special."

The woman laughed. "Do you actually believe that is all he's capable of?" Abigail could feel the woman sneering at her through the tone alone. "If any government is aware of his true abilities, they would all love to [i]kill[/i] each other for him."

Abigail's grip on the phone tighten. "Wha--?"

"That's all you need to know," the woman cut her off. "Just make sure he doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

And the call ended.