Tracing

'The HQ vault, I've heard a bit about it from dad. A highly protected room, behind several walls, locks, magic seals and counter magic measures, a veritable fortress! And it was robbed?'

"But how could that be possible?"
Echo chimes in, having finally returned.
"We don't know."
"Let's not be stupid, either there's a real sneaky villain out there, or we have a leak. But even then... It's hard to believe."
'A leak...'
"So, what do you think?"
"I don't know, but boy does the thought of someone having been able to rob the vault, or perhaps not being as heroic as we think make my blood BOIL!"
"Regardless, a conversation best had away from civilians, even if they're heroes in training."
"Actually, it's just Tarou, I'm not in training."
"Oh? Interesting... In any case, here it is, a fabric from the bag.
Gaia can explain what she wants you to do next."

After showing it to me he sets it down on the table, a small piece of light purple fabric.

"There were two of these bags of teleportation connected to one another, whatever you put in one, came out the other, with one gone the other is now just a regular old bag, but it still has the magic it once held.
Basically, in so many words, what I want you to do is focus real hard on this piece, try to sense any sort of trace, any pull, anything that might indicate a general location of the other bag."
'...How do I even start?'
"I know it's not exactly obvious or easy to do, but since you have a similar power... Basically only you can trace this kind of magic."
"If only someone would create some sort of searching magic..."
"Echo shush, let him focus."
"...Ok, here goes nothing."
'To focus on the fabric, that's all I have to do... Sense the magic? How do I even use my magic again? Right, I just... USE it. It's been a while since I had to focus on it, I can barely remember the feeling...'

...

'...Is that it? I feel... something. How long has it been? twenty minutes? No, I gotta focus. I think I almost have it, a pull...
Yes...
That's it!'
I rise and point directly to the wall in front of me.
"THAT WAY! ...I think?"
Echo pulls out a compass and Gaia checks it.
"...North, well that just gives us... The whole town to work with... and everything beyond it."
"Well it's certainly something, what did you feel?"
"A pull, I felt like it was pulling me that way, like a magnet, but subtle."
"Hm, because you're inexperienced you probably couldn't tell the exact distance, unfortunate."
Ah... Should I have focused more?"
"Don't worry little Kazu, you tried your best. This isn't the easiest thing to do as I said, I'm honestly surprised you managed to feel anything at all."
"Oh, my apologies too, this is already a great start, don't worry."
'Well... I failed to get the exact location. Not much more I could have done though... Damn.'
"Well, you've already done more than enough, how about I show you around the HQ?"
"I'll be going then, nice meeting you Kazu, Tarou."
"Likewise!"
"Cya."

Echo leaves, for a moment Gaia keeps a serious face on, likely in deep thought, but it quickly shifts into a wide smile.
"Right then! I guess you'll spending the day with me! Shall we?"

Gaia then starts showing us around the HQ, I had never had a close look inside, it looked somewhat dated, though Gaia made sure to point out that the vault was always kept up with the latest technology and magic, likely to curb out any theories me or Tarou would have started making about the theft. Good on her, as I was definitely starting to have them.
After showing us around for a while, we stop at the fabled training grounds.
As we arrive, most of the heroes there, after noticing us, start to leave.
'Is Gaia's presence that powerful?'

"Here it is, the hero training grounds."
It was a huge room, half of it filled with machines and devices that helped you train, whether it be muscles or magic, with the other half left as a sort of mini arena, with some training dummies.
"I'll give you this, this actually looks quite nice."
"Woah... Finally! Coach, does us being allowed here mean that... I can finally train here?!"
'Tarou as bright eyed as ever, he must be living the dream.'
"Uh... Well, just for today, sure. Heck, maybe you'll surprise me."
"YES, THANK YOU COACH!"
"Actually you could go ahead and check the bookcase over by the corner, that might give you some inspiration for what magic to learn."
"Oh, actually... No, yeah, you're right, I should expand my knowledge."
"Hm? Well anyway, what about you little Kazu?"
"I was thinking of checking the dispatch area, I feel like dad is desperate to see me again."
"He probably is, but you shouldn't go in there, it's busy and you don't want to distract anyone. That's why I didn't take our little 'tour group' there."
"Oh, sorry."
"Heh, don't worry about it, he'll probably be trying his best until his break arrives soon, I have no doubt in my mind that he'll probably appear before you even know it."
'Not wrong there, he'd probably bust down the doors if he had to.'
"Actually, I might go to the bathroom then, where was it again?"
"Just go down the hall and keep turning right, you'll end up there, or if somehow you don't see it, close enough that someone can point it out."
"Ok..."
'Keep going right? Strange.'

I do as she said, I go down the hall way and turn right, then right again, this time a much longer hallway appears.
'So far it checks out.'
I keep going towards the end of the hallway, until I feel something pull me before I reach it, another hallway to the right.
'I guess this is what she meant.'
I take it and keep going, more and more right turns appear, surprisingly I keep ending up in new areas.
'This must be magic, but why have it change where you go? Wouldn't this make it more confusing? Unless there's a system they all know.'

...

Some more time passes and reality kicks in.
'I'm lost. Did I take a wrong turn? No, I couldn't possibly mess that up. Did I pass by the bathrooms without realizing?'
I walk aimlessly, until after a long while I finally spot someone, almost as if appearing out of nowhere.
'Finally! Someone!'
"Excuse me! I'm lost, could-"
'...! Neptune? Woah...
Wait, why am I surprised? Of course he'd be here. This is the hero HQ after all.
Hm? He didn't hear me? Where is he going? I guess I'll have to chase after him.'

I don't waste much time and quickly chase him, though before I turn the corner something flashes into view on my left.
'What the!?'
It was a simple door with a label above it.
'Prison... Does the door only show up when you're close?'
I look behind me, only to see no one in sight, neither where I came from, nor where Neptune went.
'I was too slow...'
I then start hearing strange noises inside.
'Huh, weird...
Curious... I wonder if I could just peek inside?'

As I get my hand closer to the door knob, my heart can't help but beat faster.
Just as I'm about to hold it, a voice beckons.
"YOU! WHO ARE YOU?"
Caught off guard I immediately look down.
"What? I'm sorry! Uh..."
The person then starts getting closer, until he's just a few steps away from me.
"...What did you see?"
I look up and I'm surprised.
'Neptune? I had forgotten about him... I'm probably in deep trouble now.'
His fist is clenching hard on something.
'Yeah, he's definitely angry... Understandable, I'm some nobody that's suddenly at the door to the HQ's prison, I don't blame him.'
"Are you going to answer me?"
"Oh, sorry, uhh... What do you... mean?"
"...It wouldn't be good for the prison layout to become common knowledge."
"Of course! I saw nothing. I got lost looking for the bathroom, and somehow ended up here, then I saw you, and then not anymore, and then the door, and-"
"Quiet..."
He becomes silent for a while, thinking.
"Come with me..."
I can feel the tension in the air, clearly he's not too keen on me being here.
'This is so awkward...'
Soon we reach the bathrooms, I had somehow indeed passed by it on one of the starting hallways.
"Do your business, then leave."
With that he quickly goes back from where we came from.

'I've got... such a weird feeling...
But why?'