AU: Mesmeric Leader (yes you're already getting more of this hehe)

Context: While wondering why people are suddenly disappearing, M receives a strange letter.

Warning: Stalking (kind of)

Sorry this one is a bit short-

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[M's POV]

Something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong.

I know I'm not supposed to be sneaking out still, especially now that the Darkness has returned and the Kingdom may need me since the Leader has disappeared, but I had to know. I had to know if something had happened to him outside the Kingdom or if something out there was causing all of the disappearances, maybe even caused him to vanish.

Lots of people, of all colors, have suddenly gone missing. There's no pattern, no correlation between the missing people, not even anything that could give away a motive. I know this because the Colorless Guard has been scrambling to find an answer to why almost a third of the Realm's population has seemingly disappeared into thin air in the span of two weeks. They've already confirmed that it's not the Darkness doing this, but if that's not what's responsible, then what or who is? On top of that, one piece of news has caused quite the stir among the outside world;

Sabre, the Catalyst, is among the disappearances.

Someone had overheard some traders from a remote village talking about him not coming back home one night, as it turns out that village had been housing him and unknown allies of his, and they told the Guard. Light Steve himself tried to get any answers on either what happened to Sabre or why the village was helping him, but everyone there apparently refused to answer him. People are wondering if Sabre's gone off the deep end, or... I don't want to think about the other possibility.

And then there's what's happening here, in the Red Kingdom. When the Professor was forced to tell everyone that the Leader had vanished (leaving out the part about him being attacked by an outsider and whatever he tried to do to fix it), everyone started panicking. It doesn't help that around when the spree of missing people outside the Kingdom started, mysterious... "plants" started growing at alarming rates around our home.

Nobody's even sure they're plants, they're just so... strange. Plants aren't supposed to be bright red and magenta and react so quickly to touch. And when one of the gardeners tried to cut one of them, it swung wildly until he backed off. I've only been able to avoid them while sneaking out because I either teleport or use my secret passage to leave the Kingdom. And of course, now everyone's turning to me for guidance...

I get up from my desk and walk to my room, wanting to relax a little after all of this pressure on me. Maybe read a little or something. Entering my nicely furnished bedroom, I go over to my small bookshelf under my window to see if any of the titles sound interesting right now, when I notice it.

An envelope on my windowsill. Inside my house. When and how did that get there? My doors and windows are locked and have been locked. Is the Professor just messing with me again?

But when I pick up the envelope, I know it's not the Professor. The envelope is sealed shut with A strange symbol, and I'm not sure if it's made of wax or something else, as it looks... odd. Like wax that isn't done setting.

I take my ornate letter opener out of my pocket, a gift from the Red Leader a few years ago. I always carry it on me. Carefully cutting under the seal, I use the letter opener to lift the flap of the envelope and shake the content out onto the top of my bookshelf. Even if it is just wax that didn't set correctly, I'm not risking touching that weird seal with my hands, just in case it isn't.

I place the envelope to the side and pick up the piece of paper that was inside, seeing that it's a letter. Just one page, no back to it. Only a few short paragraphs on the front with no signature.

It reads:

"Red Apprentice, soon the kingdom shall be free to expand and claim what belongs to it. There will be no more danger, no more threats.

You will all be safe and well once I've made sure of that. Anything and anyone that poses danger to you and the rest of the people will be turned tranquil and quiet, removed from what will become your new home. You don't need to worry about any outsiders or anyone that will risk causing harm to you. All will be peaceful. All will be locked away.

I don't know exactly when I will accomplish this, but I will. Nothing will stand in my way of making a perfect, safe world for the kingdom. No more walls. No more fear. Complete and utter freedom for all of you.

I will be watching over the people until then. Including you."

Who on earth sent me this-? What are they talking about?! I...

...I don't feel safe anymore.

They were in my house. And they said they'd be "watching over" the people, including me? What is their obsession with the Kingdom? How do they know about us? Why do they talk about "turning everything tranquil"-? Whatever they're doing, it doesn't sound good.

...I need to show this to the Professor. He might know what to do.