"Hey mister!" Shion didn't waste time. She marched straight back to the chubby meat vendor, her amber eyes boring into him. "Where did you get that meat?!"
The shop owner looked uncomfortable when he saw the girl return with such a serious question. "Uh... well..." He stammered, looking left and right like he was trying to escape. "I... I don't really know either. I got all this meat from the mayor."
Shion and Leon's eyes met immediately! Mayor Volt!
"Right, buddy? Ha ha!" Suddenly the shop owner looked down at the ground beside him, nodding and mumbling to thin air like someone was actually standing there! He acted like he was having a heart-to-heart with a close friend!
"Um... sir... who are you talking to?" Shion asked, confused and weirded out. She looked at the empty space next to the man.
"Ha ha, nothing to worry about! My friend here is just giving me a new meat marinade recipe," the man laughed it off. But his eyes looked clearly spaced out.
"Do you know where Mayor Volt is right now?" Shion changed the subject, trying to ignore his weird behavior.
"Oh, the mayor? Usually around this time he's at his house. Right in the center of town. The big house with a giant 'S' sign in front. Can't miss it," the vendor answered enthusiastically. "You two looking for the mayor for something important?"
Kids these days probably never ate delicious meat like this before. That's why they made those weird faces when they saw it move... idiots, the shop owner thought dismissively as he watched Shion and Leon walk away to find Volt's house.
Leon and Shion looked for the mayor's house and found it quickly. It was a huge mansion standing proudly in the town center. The iron gate was solid and strong, with a large 'S' symbol carved prominently into it.
"There it is!" Leon pointed at the mansion.
Both of them walked up and stopped in front of the gate.
"Is Mr. Volt home?!" Leon and Shion both shouted for a while, but got no response. Just uncomfortable silence.
Finally, a maid walked out from the mansion looking proper and neat. "The mayor isn't home right now. He had urgent business at city hall. Please come back this evening."
"Ugh! Come on!" Shion complained in frustration. "I thought we'd get answers and leave today!" Even though she was annoyed, her curiosity about the weird meat was still stronger than her irritation.
"It's okay, Shion. We can wait..." Leon tried to comfort her.
But before he could finish, Shion's stomach started growling again! "Oh man! I'm hungry again! Let's go find more food, Leon!" She marched right back into the market, leaving Leon to shake his head and rub his temples.
After Shion stuffed herself with another big meal, they decided to explore Sunstone Town while waiting for evening. The more they walked around and observed, the more weird behavior they noticed from the townspeople.
At one corner of the town square, they saw a man sitting on a bench, having a detailed conversation about his personal life with a big tree next to him. Like the tree could actually listen and respond.
"Yesterday my boss was being such a pain. I'm so fed up, I really want to quit!"
Not far away, they saw a young woman picking out flowers at a flower stall. But instead of talking to the vendor, she was whispering to her own shadow on the ground, discussing which flower colors she liked and didn't like.
"This town... it's getting weirder and weirder," Leon said worriedly, goosebumps covering his whole body.
"Yeah... since it's almost evening, let's go find the mayor again."
Shion nodded in agreement. "Right! Let's get some answers!"
Both of them walked back to Mayor Volt's mansion. This time the atmosphere around it seemed quieter than before. Lights from inside the mansion were still bright.
"Mr. Volt! Are you hooome?!" Shion shouted louder than before. But this time she couldn't wait any longer when the same maid didn't come out and there was no response at all!
"I'm going inside!" Shion declared boldly, her amber eyes blazing with determination.
"Is that a good idea, Shion? It might be dangerous," Leon tried to stop her, worried.
"You can follow me or not, I don't care! But I have to know what's really going on!" After saying that, Shion pushed open the unlocked iron gate and walked straight to the mansion's front door, opening it immediately!
Leon could only sigh in defeat before hurrying after Shion, worried about her.
Inside the mansion, light from chandeliers on the ceiling illuminated the whole area. But there was only creepy silence, like no living thing resided there at all.
"Mr. Volt? Are you here?" Shion tried calling softly again, but still got no response.
Both of them carefully explored room after room until they reached an office. The door was slightly ajar. When they pushed inside, they found a large room filled with strange electronic equipment, tons of computer monitors, and scientific instruments they'd never seen before scattered everywhere!
"What... what is all this?" Leon gasped first, completely stunned!
"Kids these days... have no manners at all, entering someone else's house without permission like this."
Volt's cold, deep voice came from a dark corner of the room!
Click!
Suddenly all the lights in the room went out! Only terrifying pitch darkness remained!
"Kids from Crafter's Special Operations, huh..." Volt's voice rang out again, cold and filled with killing intent. "Pretty brave of you, coming here with just two people."
"Oh wait... no, I should call it stupid and brainless instead... walking straight to your deaths like this!!!"
Bzzt! Bzzt!
The sound of high-voltage electricity crackled along with flashing light! Invisible waves of electrical energy slammed into Leon and Shion's bodies with brutal force!
"Ahhhhh!!!" / "Ugh!!!"
Both of them screamed in pain! Their bodies convulsed violently! Their knees gave out and they collapsed to the floor! Consciousness started fading... vision blurred...
"Heh heh heh... HA HA HA HA HA!!!" Volt's evil laughter echoed throughout the room.