When Hope walked out of the library, he felt someone following behind him.
Hope did not rely on intuition like Wilbur did, but the person tailing him was not very professional either. Though Hope could not make out who it was, every time he turned around, he saw the same figure.
Was Dr. Morgan the one who sent him? Does he want to see where I'm going...? Hope thought.
The Heart-shaped Padlock's side effects had already become quite apparent in Hope. If not for the person following him, Hope would have found a corner and used "Uncertainty" to escape—the Gatekeeper had told him that behind the last row of bookshelves was a good spot.
Hope was anxious. He wanted to go straight over and speak with his stalker, but whenever Hope approached, the person would retreat on his own. Hope could not catch up.
Hope covered his forehead, took several deep breaths, and roused himself before preparing to leave the library at a brisk pace.
"Wait." The Gatekeeper called out to Hope.
"Uh..." Hope stopped. He saw that the person behind him had stopped as well. Casually, he placed the Heart-shaped Padlock's key on a small table nearby, letting it leave his body so he could recover some strength. Every five seconds, he touched it to maintain his connection to his room.
The gesture was somewhat strange, but still within the bounds of an eccentric habit.
He looked at the Gatekeeper. "Well, I have something urgent to take care of. Could I..."
"Didn't you bring an umbrella?" the Gatekeeper asked.
An umbrella?
Ah, Hope and August had borrowed the Gatekeeper's umbrella yesterday.
Hope forced a smile. "I thought August would return it, so..."
"He did return it to me." The Gatekeeper nodded.
"Then..."
The Gatekeeper continued, "I'm asking whether you