Carl grew frustrated with the things that Khrona had spoken to him, to the point where he still did not know what to do. Sally was nearby, watching the conversation between the men, but quickly disappeared once Khrona did. Carl was the only one left, standing there, puzzled and frustrated. He needed time to think, both about what to do and how to feel. One thing he knew, he would find out what was real and what was true. He couldn't believe that all of this was happening, and especially that God was doing it. He needed his own answers now, even if it meant going to find them on his own, like usual. So Carl would set it in his own heart to go find out what the truth was. "I just don't get it..." he mumbled to himself, clearly looking upset trying to piece it all together. "... Dammit. But I will." He clenched his fist and started to walk away. There were tons of things going on around here now that everyone was out of their turmoil and oppression, but nothing was restored yet. "The people who are restoring can finish doing that, but I... I need to go my own way." It wasn't that he didn't want to help, it was simply that he needed to take care of his own personal things before he could be of any real help, and he knew this. That was why Carl set off on his own.

Before Carl got too far, the figure that had been hiding in the shadows, listening and watching as these things transpired would suddenly appear before him in a blur of blackness. "Slow down there, partner," he'd say pretty casually, chuckling a bit, "We might have some things to talk about." The masked man before him wore all black, and didn't have anything distinguishing about him except the mask on his face, which was something like a ghost's. "I'm looking for answers, too." It was clear that this shadowy figure heard at least that much about Carl's endeavors, and must have been thinking about some sort of nexus of involvement with his own. "What do you know about Khrona?"

"What's it to you?" Carl would snap back at this stranger, becoming rather immediately defensive. He was getting really close really quickly, and Carl wasn't comfortable with it. He was up to something. Wanted something. Carl didn't like it. "And why are you even coming to me? Do I know you?" Everyone wanted something from someone. That much, Carl was more than aware of, since he wanted things from people too and knew how people were in order to get what they wanted. He only hoped that this guy wasn't looking to get into something he shouldn't.

The man in black laughed, waving his hands about submissively, "Hey hey, take it easy. I'm not your enemy." The man would reach behind him, into the darkness of his garments, and pull from it a fresh blank mask similar to his own, but with a clean, white, blank surface where the face would be. "If you really want some answers... Then take this mask, put a face on it and follow me." The mask was one of the Phantom masks, and by wearing it, Carl would become one of them, or at least treated as one of them as long as he was wearing a mask and wearing black. He could blend right in and get everything he needed to know found out. "I can get you out of here if you do," he added, making sure to make that part clear, "To the worlds above." The masked man, who was a Phantom, himself, would present the mask before Carl, leaving it up to his decision. "You scratch my back... I scratch yours?"

Carl paused.

He looked deeply into the blank white face, studying its features as he thought long and hard about his response. He thought of the sleek clean newness, like that of a fresh new slate, and the words that were spoken to him by this strange man in dark clothes, with a mask of his own. 'That mask...' he thought, looking up to the eyes of the man that stood there in front of him, yet also at the face that was made.

"Show me your face," Carl said profoundly, narrowing his eyes, "And I will see after that."

The Phantom said, "As you wish..." and placed his hand on his mask, slowly removing the mask from his face...