He must be going crazy. First that whole ordeal of the dinner party at the Kannenborg Estate, then the weird creature, the Nar, and now illusions appeared before his ears. Except they weren't illusions, were they? It was actually someone on the other side, knocking. but why? Why would someone knock on a door to get out of it?

Laurits walked closer still to the large gates. A smaller door was cut out of them to make passage of people easier, though the larger doors were functional as well. Laurits had never seen them used, though, and he wasn't sure anyone in town had either. Maybe the really old ones had, but there wasn't a lot of those around. Meneades wasn't very big, and the commerce there was relatively sparse so the elderly usually traveled to Fillistra nearby. It was a much bigger town; probably the biggest, or at least one of the biggest, unprotected cities. Some people even thought Meneades was more akin to a district of Fillistra than a separate town. Sometimes Laurits even felt this was true. Because of the size of Meneades, the OS there also served as backups to the OS of Fillistra, and in recent years, around half of the assignments Laurits distributed originated in Fillistra. Oddly enough, he hadn't been there much himself. On occasion due to assignments or Scenes, otherwise not really. Maybe he would go check out the library there; they ought to have something of interest. Firstly, though, he had to see to the offices of the OS here.

Laurits had been standing in front of the door for quite a while now. The knocking hadn't gone away. In fact, it had almost intensified, as if it knew of his presence. There was something feverish and ominous about the knocking. Laurits felt uneasy. His body resisted every urge to open the door, even though he kind of had to do so. He couldn't just keep standing here outside.

After another brief moment of just utter silence both outside (except for the knocking) and in his thoughts, he lay a hand upon the door. He didn't touch the handle or push it in any way, he simply touched it.

The door flew open and a young man came crashing through the newly opened door. Laurits caught him, but the force behind him was too great and they both fell. The young man didn't stay down for long, however, as he hectically got up and seemed ready to run away, but also concerned for Laurits.

"Oh- oh god I'm- are you- wow, I'm so- so sorry, I-" the young man stuttered. He kept turning his head to look at Laurits and then out towards the plains. He wanted to run, it was clear.

"I'm all right, you just gave me a scare." Laurits said as he got to his feet, "May I ask for your name?"

"My name? Oh! Yes, I'm- I mean, my name is- it's Phillip, Sir" He said.

"No need for sir, Os will do fine."

"Os? As in onseer? You're an onseer?"

"I am indeed."

"Really? Wherefrom?"

"Wherefrom? From here, boy, from Meneades" Laurits said. The boy stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Meneades? I'm sorry, Os, but Meneades isn't anywhere near here. You must have taken a wrong turn somewhere."

"But I came here via carriage to the Transport Central; I specifically said to bring me to the one near Meneades and Fillistra!"

Laurits felt something drop in his stomach. He wasn't home. This wasn't home. But then, where was he? Was he up north? If so he would have to find a carriage immediately to get back home in just some semblance of time.

"Quick, Phillip, where are we?"

"Well that in there is Mihrzau, Heart of the West, we call it, or called it. Or, well, I- I mean I'm not calling it that anymore, all right! Something weird is going on in there," Phillip glanced out towards the plains again, "Actually, Os, can I go? I'm not being held back for anything, am I? Can I just leave?"

Laurits looked at him, trying to gauge his character.

"Why do you want to leave so badly? And more importantly, I guess, why haven't you already done so?"

"Great question, Os! Here's the answer," And Phillip began to walk away, out against the plains.

"Wha- Hey! Wait!" Laurits yelled and ran after Phillip. As the two of them left down the road, something stirred in the threshold of the door. None of them had seen, and none of them nor any soul could see the veil that was suspended in the air. Pure and utter darkness specked with a thousand shimmering lights. If it could be seen, it would look like the reflection of a star-filled night sky upon the surface of a pond; the wind softly rippling its exterior. And then something emerged from the veil. It grew and grew and grew and grew until it stood taller than all the buildings, taller than all the trees. The entity stretched out an arm and thus gently caressed the surface of the moon with its hand. And then it took a single step forward. Everything was quiet.