Soulless Players

"Welcome!" Lala greeted with exuberance, her radiant smile etched onto her face.

As a man approached the counter, Lala's smile grew even wider when she noticed vibrant orbs dancing around him, radiating with a luminous gray color.

Being an empath, Lala possessed the unique ability to perceive the underlying emotions of every person she encountered. This extraordinary skill was always active, providing her with an unfiltered window into people's emotions.

From her keen gaze, she discerned that the man was surrounded by grey spheres, albeit tinged with a subtle, telltale darkness, a clear sign of anxiety.

"It appears this gentleman harbors an aversion to social interactions," Lala thought to herself. "I've encountered many like him over the years, struggling with the simple act of ordering a meal..."

She nodded inwardly, recognizing this as an opportunity. To enhance her empathic abilities and progress to the next level of a mentalist, Lala needed to stimulate and engross herself with the basic emotions of individuals like this man.

His fear was precisely what she sought. Lala needed his fear to become more spirited, allowing his fear to be felt by her, thus improving her own ability to perceive fear in others.

The same principle applies to all other emotions. To grasp happiness, she'd evoke joy and smiles. Sadness? She'd uncover sorrow. For complex emotions like surprise or disgust, Lala had to work harder, which was why she found her job at the restaurant rewarding her with a constant stream of human emotions.

"What can I get for you, sir?" Lala inquired, deliberately adopting a more serious and slightly intimidating tone, aiming to intensify the man's fear.

"Meal B, please," the man stammered, his voice momentarily quivering.

"That will be 5 doli, sir. But we also offer an upgrade for an additional 50 cents you can have..."

However, before Lala could continue, the man abruptly cut her off.

"No, that's all," he stated, his fear orbs had suddenly extinguished, replaced by a joyful one that danced around him.

Lala was taken aback. She raised her gaze to meet the man's eyes, puzzlement etched across her features.

The man's appearance was impeccable, his brown hair neatly groomed, and his attire exuding formality. Yet beneath his polished exterior, he slightly fluttered with awkwardness and anxiety, evident in his unsteady breath and trembling hands.

What baffled Lala was the disconnect between the man's outward expression of fear and the vanishing emotion inside him. How could his fear vanish when his body language and demeanor screamed otherwise?

This was a riddle that piqued Lala's curiosity.

"Hello, miss. Can you hurry? I want it as takeout," the man urged, his voice pitched higher than before, seemingly excited and joyful.

"Oh, yes, of course," Lala replied, feeling a pang of embarrassment at her momentary lapse in professionalism both as a crew member and as a mentalist.

Once the man had departed, Lala swiftly summoned her astral body and trailed him. Shortly, he led her to Alma Inn, a block away from the restaurant.

Seeing him enter, Lala decided not to follow further as she felt no need. After all, she already knew his destination and had memorized his face. She promptly returned to her body and took a brief break from her shift.

In the restaurant's back room, Lala seated herself and entered her own space of consciousness, embarking on a journey into the dream world.

Unlike the bustling dreamscape of the night, the daytime dreamworld was tranquil, with only a handful of dream citizens and a few open stores.

Ignoring the surroundings, Lala made her way to the central part of the city. Once she stood before a grand edifice reminiscent of a college building, she entered and called out, "Are there people here?"

After a brief silence, a figure emerged from one of the rooms. It was none other than Sam, the same Sam from Bryxton University.

"You're still here? Aren't your classes starting in five minutes?" Lala inquired, her voice tinged with confusion.

Sam chuckled, "Yes, yes, but I stumbled upon a new anomaly in Dreamcity."

Lala sat on a nearby chair and leaned in with intrigue. "What is it?"

Sam followed her and said, "There's a new dreamwalker who appeared through the city's multiple entryways. Our scouts have determined that he didn't arrive from another city but is a freshly awakened mentalist right here in our city."

Sam then produced two purple crystals and willed them to transform into portraits. Two images of a man appeared: one with a full mask and the other unmasked.

"He seems to have knowledge of tallums and knows their capabilities but lacks the proficiency to alter them," Sam explained, sharing his findings.

"This explains how we discovered his face despite him wearing a mask, as it was created without a full understanding of its construction."

Lala listened intently to Sam. However, when she saw the portraits, her eyes widened and interjected.

"It's him! I encountered him earlier. This is also the reason why I came here."

Sam turned his gaze to Lala, silently urging her to elaborate.

Lala recounted the strange events with the man at the restaurant. She explained how his emotion had inexplicably shifted, yet his body language remained the same, showing fear despite having joy orbs surrounding him.

Lala's voice trailed off as she pondered the situation. "I suspected he might be an unknown mentalist with knowledge of evading an empath's powers. Seeing his portrait here validates my suspicions."

Sam fell silent for a moment before responding, "From my observations, it seems this man became a dreamwalker on the same night he arrived in Dreamcity as such a novice mistake wouldn't be made by a seasoned mentalist."

He continued, "I couldn't confidently claim he's part of a guild, as they wouldn't allow such blunders. However, the question remains: How did he learn to elude empathic abilities?"

Sam tapped his fingers on the table thoughtfully, concluding, "I believe he acquired a book on empaths and advanced mentalist techniques. Furthermore, he was aware of your existence and wanted to test his newfound knowledge."

Lala posed a question, her brow furrowing, "But how did he know about me?"

Sam remained silent for a moment before suggesting, "It's possible he saw you traversing into the real world, quelling nightmares from house to house."

Although Sam's theory was plausible, it didn't provide a conclusive answer.

Just as the two of them pondered this mystery in silence, another woman emerged from one of the doors.

"I've found his information," she announced, placing a stack of papers on the table.

"The man was Mateo Lloyd, a 30-year-old merchant who had just gotten married yesterday and was currently on his honeymoon at Alma Inn...."

This revelation left the three of them baffled. Numerous questions swirled in their minds:

"Did he become a mentalist on the first day of his honeymoon?"

"Could he have unconsciously entered his space of consciousness during an intimate moment with his partner?"

Despite their speculations, they lacked a concrete hypothesis.

"By the way, isn't Conrad the owner of Alma Inn? What about him? Did he finally open his door and become a dreamwalker?" Lala asked Sam, recalling how Sam had been waiting for Conrad at school the day before to discuss his research and potentially recruit him into their guild.

"No," Sam replied. "Based on his demeanor and emotional state, he doesn't appear to be a dreamwalker. However, it seems he discovers the reason why he can't open his door."

Lala continued, "Then why don't we confirm today if he's finally accessed his space of consciousness? It's vital to determine his current state of mind."

Sam hesitated momentarily before responding, "If he has indeed entered his space of consciousness, he may have realized the danger his core memories pose. I doubt he'd meet me the same way he did before."

Lala furrowed her brow. "I'm also curious why you didn't inform him about it."

Sam explained his reasoning, "Considering the timing of his awakening as a dreamwalker, it's highly likely he unlocked a tainted core memory to escape Evans' men. Given that, I wouldn't want him to become a mentalist. I'd prefer he perished on the spot that day."

Lala countered, "But that's just a speculation. What if he genuinely accessed an untainted core? If that's the case, we'll lose his trust."

Sam took a moment to reflect before responding, "Don't worry. If he did become a mentalist and didn't succumb or lose his sanity, it would confirm that he never possessed a tainted core. After all, why would he survive such an experience if he had such core?"

"And if he did have a tainted core but remained mentally stable after, does that mean he possesses another resilient core memory to anchor him? If this is the case, then I'll just say that I forgot to inform him as his situation at that time was too sudden."

"In any case, if he's truly become a mentalist, he'll eventually have to cross paths with us. Then we will eventually recruit him to our guild" Sam concluded.

Throughout Sam's explanation, Lala remained silent. After planning on what to do with Mateo and Conrad, she left the room and ventured into the bustling neighborhood.

She soon arrived at a small, inconspicuous shack and entered it. Inside, she found a towering man.

"Why are you here?" he inquired.

Lala proceeded to share the events of her encounter with Mateo Lloyd, their ongoing investigation, and details about Conrad.

The man went silent for a moment before replying, "Those from academe are really ruthless."