Chapter 15: Interlude in the Woods

Paradox woke.
For a moment, he was unsure what had woken him, then he heard it again; rustling in the grass. Paradox's first groggy thought was that it was another ghost face trying to sneak up on him while he slept, but those wouldn't make any rustling. cackling, maybe, but no rustling. A few grunts from afar told Paradox that it must have been a person; probably caught in the grass sometime during the night. Not that Paradox could tell what time of day it was under the omnipresent canopy, but it felt morning-ish to him.
Paradox took a mental note to find a more secure sleeping spot in the future. However, now came a dilemma. Kira may not have believed that Paradox had died when his earpiece was destroyed, in which case whoever was grunting in the distance was probably someone who had been sent to kill Paradox off for good. The other possibility was that this was just a random passer by who had been unlucky enough to get caught in the grass, In which case Paradox should go to help.
Or should he? Paradox began to understand why his ancestors had chosen to live here; interacting with the outside world had brought nothing but trouble to Paradox since he had left his shack; maybe it would have been better if he had never tried to help in the first place.
In the end, however, Paradox's better nature won out. He had to at least go and look at who was there before deciding whether to help or not.
Paradox landed softly on the ground and slinked through the shadows, keeping himself as small as possible while he tried to determine the source of the noises. I wasn't long before he saw a soft yellow glow between the tree trunks. As he approached, the grunting became louder, and more familiar.
As Paradox rounded a tree he was surprised to see Professor Forban a few meters away, tugging angrily at countless tiny tendrils tugging at his legs. A small electric lantern sat on the ground to his side, emitting the light that Paradox had seen from afar.
"Will- you- get- off!" Forban said to the grass as he tugged at it. He hadn't noticed Paradox yet, which wasn't surprising considering that Paradox was a pitch black rabbit in the middle of a pitch black forest.
Paradox was unsure of what to do next. He had expected Kira to send enforcement or KiCorp security after him if she thought he was alive. Professor Forban, alone, without a chainsaw or flamethrower, seemed like a bit of an odd choice for Kira to make. Was the professor here on his own time, then? Maybe if KiCorp thought Paradox was dead, the professor would be hoping to salvage something from Paradox's body. Of course, Paradox soon realized that none of this really mattered; Why the professor was here was entirely secondary to the fact that Paradox couldn't just leave him to starve or be attacked by ghosts later. Paradox would be careful about it, though.
Paradox selected a nearby tree and climbed it, just to make sure he wouldn't be seen. From above, Paradox then focused his power on the grass at the Professor's feet, coaxing it to relax and let go. It complied, and to the professor's great surprise the grass unstuck from his feet and slid limply to the floor.
Now leave before something else happens, Paradox thought at the professor. Forban, however, stayed where he was. There was a minute of silence while he looked around, then, finally, he said quietly: "Paradox?"
Paradox held his forehead in his right paw. Great. He'd guessed it. Now what?
Forban looked around a bit more before saying to the trees "I.. I hoped to find you here."
Paradox wasn't sure whether he should respond, so he said nothing.
After a while, Forban continued. "I.. I suppose there's no good reason for you to trust me. I can't imagine being betrayed by the only people you've really ever met."
More silence. Maybe if Paradox stayed quiet for long enough, the professor would assume he'd imagined it and go home?
"There's... no reason for you to believe me, but I resigned my position at KiCorp. I'm so sorry for what Kira did to you, and I'd have no part of it." That interested Paradox very much. It would certainly explain why the professor was out here alone, but Paradox wasn't certain it wasn't all a trick yet.
Forban wilted a bit. "I... I'm not sure why I thought I'd find you alive. Maybe I just hoped that Kira hadn't succeeded, and in that small way, maybe I was innocent and that, maybe, she was innocent too."
There was a pause before he continued.
"I.. I'm sorry, Paradox. Whether you're there or not, I.. I'm sorry for any part I may have had in your betrayal."
At this point, Paradox wasn't sure what to do. He almost felt like he was listening in on a private conversation, except he was the one it was directed toward.
The professor shook his head and began walking away. Paradox panicked a little; if he was going to say anything, now was his only chance. Paradox jumped down from the tree. The sound of his fall had been cushioned by the grass, so Paradox called out.
"P-professor?"
Professor Forban's ears perked up a bit and he stopped. He looked back into the darkness behind him and searched a bit before he found Paradox's green eyes. "Paradox!" he said, equal parts surprised and relieved. "You could give someone a heart attack!"
Paradox massaged his left shoulder, a bit embarrassed. "Sorry. I- I wasn't sure-"
"Nothing to apologize for, dear boy."
"No, I mean... neither do you." Paradox said. He took a deep breath before he said; "Whatever happened, it's all on Kira."
Professor Forban's expression became worried at that statement, then sad. He said nothing in Kira's defense. It was then that Paradox saw what he had to do.
"Professor, I think I need to go back to KiCorp. Whatever Kira's planning to do with Quantum Collapse, it can't be good."
"Paradox, you don't need to do any more than you already have." Professor Forban said. "I didn't come here to drag you back into danger."
"I know." Paradox said. "or it doesn't matter. I was given a job to do by someone, and I think I have to finish it."
The professor looked a bit confused. "who are you talking about?" he asked.
"It... doesn't matter." Paradox said hesitantly. "I just need to ask whether you'll help me."
The professor stayed silent for a few moments before looking at Paradox with a glint in his eye. "Yes, I'll help you. What's more, I think I know just how I can do so."