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Hmm. Unfortunately, Hector couldn't sense the other man's aura through the phone. "There a problem, sir?"

<"No, I just wasn't expecting you so soon. I wish you had informed me when you departed. It may be difficult for me to obtain entry for you into Livingston on such short notice.">

"Why is that? The place is open to the public. I checked."

<"Normally, yes, but at the moment, the building is in lockdown. Only exempted personnel are allowed to come or go, and I fear I do not qualify. Not without a bit more time to make my case, at least.">

"...This lockdown wouldn't have anything to do with the massive amounts of people roaming the streets in a trance, would it?"

<"Ah, so you've seen them, then. Yes, I've been hearing about them and assumed there was some connection, but I cannot say for sure.">

"What has the local news been saying about them?" said Hector. "I've been checking online, but I haven't seen any mention of this yet."

<"Indeed, news agencies are noticeably quiet about it. From what I've heard, it is being treating as something of a contagion. So perhaps anyone who gets close enough to try to report on it simply ends up in a trance themselves.">

"Hmm. But that wouldn't stop people from catching video footage from afar."

<"I suppose it would depend on how far away the contagion is able to reach. ">

"It also wouldn't stop other people from noticing something off remotely. Lots of suspiciously unanswered calls and texts, for example."

<"Mm. Well, it also just started. So perhaps it may take a while for people elsewhere to learn what is going on. Even we still do not know, after all."

"When exactly did it start? Do you know?"

<"I, um. Good question. Less than a day ago, I suppose.">

Technically, that tracked. It wasn't very long ago that Hector had last spoken to the prince, so if this had been going on the whole time, it would've been extremely strange for the man to have not mentioned it.

Vito Sebolt's report had mentioned something, though.

"Wasn't there a case of mass hysteria going on here?" said Hector. "This whole thing seems different to that. One might even argue... that it's the exact opposite to that, actually."

<"Mass hysteria? Ah, did Vito tell you about that? Yes, I believe that was indeed happening until a short while ago, but the situations has apparently changed.">