"Mazki?" Ika uttered the name without hesitation. It was her mother - supposedly, that's what her memories told her. Though they were still few and far between, the name meant something to her. Perhaps it was the desire to go back to an older time? For what, though? She had no childhood. Perhaps she should be mad at her for abandonment... but that was neither here or there. "Don't you know, Mystery? Mazki is the face of missing people. *Nobody* has been able to find her, at all." "The question was metaphorical, Ika." Mystery crossed their legs, flat as they were. Their every movement had the sound of rustling paper, as if they were about to fall apart. "I might have a lead, if you don't mind?" "Don't mind?!" Mako sounded exasperated. "Just tell us already- no, next time, *lead* with that, you paper whatever you are." Mystery chuckled a tad. "Clearly the mysteries of the Folded elude even you two. Do you know how I got to be like this? Of course not - and I know that. We all know about outburst, the transformation that occurs from heightened emotion? To become Folded, like I am, you have to become one with boredom. I've been stuck in this facility with nothing but-" Mako slammed a fist onto her knee. "Just get on with it! Where the hell is Ika's mom?!" Once again, Mystery gave naught but a laugh. "I wouldn't know, but I have a lead." They turned to their pile of papers, flipping through a couple, before handing over two copies of the same document, one to each of the contemporary duo. It was some kind of gibberish imprinted upon the page, like insane ramblings of a robot: ``` 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 ``` "What... What am I supposed to do with this?" Ika was clearly baffled, and so too was Mako, though she didn't have anything to add. Again, though, Mystery just laughed - guffawed - no, it was the heartiest and most emotion driven thing to ever come out of the folded's mouth. "It's not for *you!* You clearly don't see things how I see them, timeline crosser!" And indeed, neither of them did. For the origami that sat in front of them disappeared without a trace. ### -> Return to [[Yalvol's Book]]