The town is not that large, not from what I've seen. Whomever is doing it can't be that hard to find.

( he knows how that sounds but elijah hasn't ever been good at censoring himself. he doesn't think the person controlling this place and these circumstances could be far from this place so...

perhaps it is one of the people he's met. perhaps it's someone else. )

You've made no progress on figuring out what this place is and why it exists?