"This is the pattern?"
The rat studied the drawings with a slight frown, eyes narrowing as he took in each line. But after a moment, the tension on his face eased, and he seemed to follow along with my thinking.
"You're suggesting that the pattern is in the missing pieces in the drawings?"
"Yes. Now that the sample is bigger, you can clearly see that the thing that separates the children's drawings is the missing pieces. However, don't you also notice how the things that are missing are all the same? In the same pattern? Missing button. Missing button. Here, look at these two."
I pointed at two drawings.
"They both have missing buttons, but also missing the shoes."
"I can see it."
The rat nodded, following along with my words. But even as he followed, he couldn't help but ask questions.
"...I get what you're saying, but it could just be that the kids are drawing together. If a group is sketching Mr. Jingles at the same time, it's only natural they'd end up with similar mistakes."
"Yes, I know that."
I could see what the rat was trying to say.
It wasn't like I hadn't thought of this either.
"So then...?"
"It's a starting point."
"Hm?"
"We've got a possible lead, and so we should be able to carry out some experiments or even have a point of reference when looking for clues."
"Hmm."
Although the rat didn't seem to be fully convinced, his brows eventually eased, and his dimples returned.
"You make a good point. I'll keep your words in mind."
"Sure."
I nodded back at him, trying my best to hide the fact that I was uncomfortable talking to him.
"Anything else I should keep out for?"
"Nothing else for now. This is the only thing I've noticed. I'll keep you updated later."
"...Okay."
Pulling his hand away from the table, the rat lowered his head and excused himself.
"In that case, I'll take my leave. I won't disturb you any longer. In the meantime, I'll keep a lookout for the things that you mentioned."
"Good."
I gave him a thumbs up, and he left a moment after.
Clank!
It was only after that sound of the door closing echoed that the smile faded from my face, and I started massaging it.
'Fucking rat.'
Looking back at the drawings and checking out the names on each one of them, my eyes paused on an empty piece of paper by the desk. Not far away was also a set of crayons that I took.
I had taken them from the first floor before.
"I wonder what happens if I try to draw it myself."
Looking over the drawings, I picked up the red crayon and began with the shoes, long and a little ridiculous, just like in the sketches. Next came the balloon, then the nose...
"Eghh..." I paused for a moment, staring at the drawing in front of me. While I knew that I wasn't the best artist, I didn't think that my drawing would be this bad. It... looked almost identical to that of the children.
And it wasn't even completed.
'If Kyle sees this, he might actually laugh at me for ages.'
Shaking my head, I drew the gloves, and then... And then...
"Eh?"
I paused, looking down at the drawing before me. There were shoes. There were gloves. There was a nose. There was a balloon. But why...? Why couldn't I draw anything else?
Looking at the other drawings and then the paper in front of me, it was as if all memories of the previous sketch faded from my mind, leaving me only capable of drawing these four things.
"What sort of..."
I looked at the reference drawing again. In particular, I focused my attention on its large, red curly hair.
'Curly hair. Curly hair. Curly hair.'
I kept repeating the features in my mind, forcing myself to remember. But the moment I tried to move my hand, it was as if something invisible pressed down on it, and I couldn't move at all.
"This..."
It was at this very moment that the conductor's voice rang quietly in my head once more.
'It's all a puzzle.'
Scenes from before began to replay in my mind.
The rolling ball of red.
The glove on the piano.
The balloon in the playroom.
The... button in the basement.
One by one, the pieces started to fall into my mind as I froze on the spot, feeling my entire body was overcome with chills.
"Wait, wait..."
I covered my face, feeling my head throb.
"How is it that I'm only now recalling them?"
While I wasn't the smartest person, I was quite observant due to my cowardly nature. Thinking about the red ball, the glove, the balloon, and everything else, how was it possible for me to only think about them now?
'No, that makes no sense.'
Unless...
Squeak! Squeak!
".....?!"
I hastily turned my head back in the direction from which the noise came. However, all I saw was the empty room behind me as the rain poured down with more intensity.
An overwhelming feeling of dread washed over me as I stood up from my seat, looking around me cautiously.
My stomach silently rumbled while I held my breath, trying my best to make as little sound as possible.
Squeak! Squeak!
The squeaking sound echoed again.
It was right outside the door.
I could see its shadow slowly starting to elongate from the small gap of the door, and I felt my breath leave my body.
Squeak!
The squeak echoed again, my hands tensing further as I opened the shop in front of me while also getting ready to call the Dreamwalker and Mirelle.
Eventually, the doorknob moved.
I grew even tenser.
And then—
Clank!
The door opened, and a figure came in.
"——Huh?"
I had just begun to act when I stopped. Blinking my eyes and staring at the approaching figure, I paused.
"Rat?"
"...What?"
The rat stopped by the door, frowning.
My mouth twitched as I mumbled,
"I mean—"
"Rats? Did I scare you again?"
"...Yes, but because I heard squeaking sounds coming from the door."
"Hm?"
The rat looked behind him.
"Squaking sounds? I didn't hear anything, and I was right outside the door."
"...I know."
"Anyways, I forgot something."
The rat made his way into the room and looked around before finding his phone. It was on the table next to mine.
"This."
He showed it to me.
"...I forgot my phone."
"Oh."
That made sense.
However, I couldn't think properly. I was still thinking about what had happened a few moments prior, but when I felt the rat slowly start to head out of the room, I snapped out of it and pressed my hand against his shoulder.
"Wait."
"...Hm?"
The rat stopped and looked at me.
Ignoring the look he was giving me, I pointed at the table where an empty piece of paper appeared alongside the crayons.
"I need to test something. Try drawing Mr. Jingles."
"What—"
"I think I found something. Try drawing Mr. Jingles."
The rat's face grew a little bit more serious then. Looking at me directly, he eventually nodded and sat down before the table, where he picked up the crayon and started drawing.
However, not even a minute later, he stopped and looked at me.
"This..."
I nodded in silence.
"Yes, it seems that we've been targeted without us knowing. I'm sure you're starting to recall seeing all the weird items, but somehow dismissing them after seeing them..."
I bit my lip.
"This an—"
Tatatata~
A certain tune suddenly echoed through the room, freezing both me and the rat in place. And I didn't mean that figuratively. I was literally frozen, my body locked in place, completely unresponsive.
And then—
Flick!
The screen of my phone flashed, and a certain cartoon appeared
-x-X-x-
Tatatat~
A merry tune suddenly played out of the phone, drowning out the tapping of the rain outside. The screen flashed, and a cartoon background of a town appeared, people smiling with their eyes wide as they raised their hands to wave.
Staring at the sight, I froze.
Horrified, I turned my attention towards the rat, who also froze on the spot.
And then—
A figure peeked from the corner of the screen.
The figure hid in the corner with both hands covering its face. However, one look at its clothes and hair, and I knew who it was.
'Mr. Jingles...'
Tatatat~
The tune played out again, and my body started to stiffen.
For whatever reason, my body refused to listen to me.
But then—
"Mr. Jingles says~ Face each other."
"——!"
My body started moving on its own.
'Shit! What is going on...!?'
As if strings had been attached to my limbs, my body started to slowly turn, and the rat and I stood face to face with each other.
I could tell from his expression that he was equally shocked.
I wanted to open my mouth to speak, but I was horrified to realize that I couldn't at all. My breathing started to grow heavier, and as I looked at the rat, he stared right back at me as if he seemed to try to say something.
However, it was useless.
Tatatat~
The music played once more, and a soft chill swept down my back.
Mr. Jingle's voice echoed right after.
This time, it felt as though the voice had directly whispered into my ear, causing shivers to run down my neck.
"Mr. Jingles says..."
There was a pause. One that seemed to last for an eternity.
But then—
"...Strangle each other."
The command came, and my hands raised.
"——!"
The same was for the rat as he similarly raised his hands.
Neither one could control our own movements.
The world grew silent.
A flash lit up the room, illuminating the rat's face before me.
I took a step forward.
So did he...
And then—
BANG!
The lightning came, and the rat was the first to snap out of it.
I did a few seconds later.
"Shit!"
Immediately, the first thing I did was rush towards my phone, where the tune continued to play, and I shut it down.
"Haa... Haa..."
Breathing heavily, I turned to face the rat. His face was pale, and just one look at him and I could tell that he was just as shaken as me.
"What... What in the world just happened?"
"Illusionist Decree..."
The rat muttered, wiping his forehead as he took out his phone and turned it off.
"Mr. Jingles is of the Illusionist Decree."
"That's..."
"If you have any electronics, it's better if you shut them off."
"I already did."
Be it my phone or watch, both of them were off. Looking around the room, there wasn't anything else that needed to be shut off as my breath started to settle down.
Although I had imagined myself strangling the rat many times before, I didn't think it would happen this way. In a way where I wasn't in control at all. In that very moment, I felt completely helpless.
"Hoo."
I took a deep breath and calmed myself down.
Scanning the room once more, my eyes eventually settled on the doodles scattered across the table. Specifically, mine and Myles's.
Recalling how Myles was able to snap out of it before me, a thought occurred to me.
'Could it be that the degree of completion of the doodle determines how much one can be controlled by Mr. Jingles?'
Looking at the drawings, the rat only had one fewer item than I did.
In that case...
'Yes, this is the most likely situation.'
Thinking back, even while I was under the influence of Mr. Jingles' voice, I still had control over my thoughts. But what if the sketch had been more complete? Would I even be able to tell if I were being controlled? ...Or would I completely black out?
The thought made me shudder as I slowly turned towards the rat, who looked back at me.
"...Did you figure something out?"
"I... might've."
Pointing to the drawings on the table, I began explaining my thoughts and conclusions. The rat listened intently, nodding at several points until, eventually, a smile tugged at his lips, his dimples appearing once more.
"You're quite smart."
"...Oh, err. Thank—"
"It's no wonder the Section Chief likes you so much."
"...."
I didn't really know how to reply. Looking at the rat and seeing his genuine smile, I found myself at a loss for words.
In the end, all I could offer was a silent 'thank you' before turning my attention back to the sketches laid out before me.
"Okay, so from what we managed to figure out, this anomaly is one that belongs to the Illusionist Decree. That's a..."
"Decree that revolves around creating illusions and hypnotization."
"...I see."
This made sense.
I was still unfamiliar with the numerous Decrees that existed. I didn't really have a book that taught me this kind of stuff.
'Probably should ask for it though.'
"To hypnotize someone, Mr. Jingles uses objects from his own clothing. These items appear seemingly at random, often out of place, but possess an unsettling ability to go unnoticed. The more of them that are discovered, and the more complete the doodle becomes, the deeper you fall under his hypnosis..."
"Yes, pretty much."
The rat said as I jotted all of this down on a random paper. I planned on sending this later to the Guild.
If only my phone...
"What we don't know is how to snap out of the hypnosis, and how to clear the anomaly. We also don't know the origins of the anomaly, nor can we use our phones or any electronics at the moment. This..."
I pursed my lips tightly.
This was a rather troublesome situation.
'Should I just get out and abandon this quest?'
There was no real penalty for me abandoning the mission. The only thing I would lose would be the potential '50,000 SP' that I could earn from this quest.
'Ugh, no wonder this is a Third Order mission.'
Of course, it wasn't going to be an easy mission.
Standing in silence while leaning on the wooden table while both of my knuckles pressed against it, I stared blankly at the drawings before me, trying to think of a way to clear the current situation.
However, regardless of how much I thought about it, I couldn't quite find a solution.
Turn off all electronics in the house?
'I don't think it's that simple, but it might be worth a try?'
If Mr. Jingles used electronics to hypnotize people, then so long as I shut them down, I'd be able to stop it from controlling me.
But were things really so simple?
I thought for a moment before pulling out the quest window again.
Ding!
[Quest Activated]
• Difficulty: Third Order
• Reward: 50,000 SP
• Objective: Hide and Seek.
• Location: N/A
Description: Find Mr. Jingles before it's too late!
Time Limit: 2 days.
Find Mr Jingles before it's too late...
I was already aware of this. I knew that I had to find Mr. Jingles.
But then, my gaze couldn't help but pause on the quest objective.
"Hide and Seek?"
What could this...
'Wait.'
A thought struck me then.
What if...?
What if Mr. Jingles' real body wasn't some sort of object I needed to find? What if... Mr. Jingles was hiding in plain sight?
What if... Mr. Jingles was one of the staff or the children?
My breath paused.
-x-X-x-
The name of the objective was 'Hide and Seek'. What could this possibly mean?
There was only one answer in my mind.
'Mr. Jingles is somewhere inside the orphanage. Maybe posing as a staff member, or even disguised as one of the children. I need to figure out a way to find him.'
Ideally, I'd use the glasses to find Mr. Jingles, but I also understood that it probably would only lead to my death. The key lay in the words 'Hide and Seek'.
That was the most likely key in order to contain Mr. Jingles.
'But that's easier said than done...'
So far, I didn't have many clues. The only thing I had was the drawings.
"Wait."
A thought struck me.
'If the rat and I are already influenced by the drawings, what about the others?'
I suddenly thought about the children and all their drawings.
My breathing suddenly grew uneven as I slowly turned to look at the rat. His expression had shifted before I knew it. It was a lot tenser and serious. As if he had come to the same realization as me.
"...It is just a theory. Nobody really knows if it's true or not. We should take some time to test out the theory. But before that, we should get rid of all electronics."
"Yes."
The rat nodded his head slowly.
Just as he was about to turn, he paused.
"Should we have the staff draw Mr. Jingles? If—"
"There's no point. That'll only alarm the anomaly. For now, just go to the basement and find the circuit breaker. Turn off all electricity."
"....."
The rat didn't answer.
He just stared at me. Feeling his gaze, I felt a strange sense of discomfort. One that grew with each passing second.
But then—
"Okay."
The rat nodded, his dimples appearing again.
"...I trust your judgement."
I watched as his back slowly moved away until he finally left the room, leaving me alone.
The silence around me felt deafening, pressing in from all sides.
Sitting down on the bed, I took a deep breath.
'Hide and Seek... Hide and Seek... Who exactly could Mr. Jingles be?'
***
Bzzz!
The static of the TV continued to buzz in the background as Zoey stood alongside Kyle, staring at the phone in her hand.
There were two videos.
One was of her, and one was of him. They took turns staring at the TV, gradually slipping into a trance. In that state, they managed to uncover a few things.
"I'm surprised you lasted even less than I did under the hypnotization."
Kyle commented while staring at the video of Zoey staring at the TV. His comment prompted her to frown.
"What? Are you saying that I should last longer?"
"No, not really." Kyle awkwardly scratched the back of his head, "I'm just saying that I'm usually better at this type of stuff. I'm just surprised by how much you've improved."
"I haven't improved."
Zoey commented honestly while looking at Kyle.
"Either you've gotten worse, or for some reason, the hypnotization affects you more than it does me."
"...Hm."
Kyle's brows furrowed as he fixed his gaze on the recording. More specifically, the background on the TV that displayed the numerous people inside, all stiffly waving their hands in his direction while staring at him.
He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he tore his gaze away from the phone.
"Hm? What are you doing?"
Zoey watched in confusion as Kyle walked over to the stand beside the sofa, where a particular picture frame sat. His expression shifted subtly as he looked at it, then he turned and held it out to her before she could say a word.
"Look at this."
The frame depicted a middle-aged man with thinning hair at the top, a pot belly, and a rather unique mustache. One that curled at the tips.
"What is... Eh?"
Zoey was confused at first, but a few moments later, her expression shifted as something clicked in her mind. She quickly pulled out her phone and stared intently at the people seated in the background of the cartoon.
"Shit..."
"Yes."
Kyle put the frame down, looking at the phone screen and pointing towards a certain character.
"If I'm not wrong, the man that we've been looking for... He's right here."
"....."
Zoey bit her lip as she looked at the cartoon and then the frame. While one was a cartoon and the other wasn't, the features were uncanny. There was no denying that they were the same person, and seeing the forced smiles on their faces, she was even more certain.
"...That's one of our leads gone."
"I know."
Kyle replied, similarly at a loss. At the same time, he turned off his phone. He had a feeling that Mr. Jingles couldn't just control TVs.
"What now? We've lost our lead. Should we go back to the orphanage? Or should we report this to the Guild?"
"I've already done that. I've yet to receive a reply."
"What?"
Zoey frowned. The Guild was usually fast with this type of stuff. For them to not reply so quickly... Something was odd.
"This is a bit annoying. I've also yet to receive a reply from them. I asked them to find any information regarding clowns on this island."
"Oh, don't worry about that."
Kyle replied.
"I've also asked them. There's nothing concrete. There's no history of clowns in this town. Not even ones that showed up at parties."
"There isn't?"
Zoey was a little surprised. In that case, how come there was a clown anomaly?
"Do you think that it comes from another island?"
"I doubt it."
Kyle replied.
"Something like this would've been reported in the past. I believe it comes directly from this island. It's just that..."
Kyle paused for a moment, his brows furrowing.
"...It's just that I don't understand how it suddenly formed."
Nobody truly knew how anomalies formed. This was one of the greatest mysteries of Earth, and the reason why the BAU was formed. One of the main speculations was that anomalies formed due to the mist's influence, seeping into the minds of certain individuals who died and were filled with resentment.
Others speculated that they were man-made.
Nobody truly knew the answer, but if there was one thing that they were both aware of, it was the fact that all anomalies had a past.
What could Mr. Jingles' past be?
'Logically speaking, it should be that of a clown. However, there is no history of clowns here. In that case...?'
Kyle's brows knitted together in deep thought as he fixated on the recording, replaying it repeatedly. The flickering images reflected in his pupils, and after a slow blink, his eyes began to widen with realization.
"Ah!"
"Uh? What...?"
Startled, Zoey looked at Kyle as she saw him hastily take her phone.
"Wait, what—"
"Here!"
A moment later, Kyle flipped the phone over to show her a certain article.
"We've been looking at things the wrong way, Zoey!"
Kyle tapped on the article.
"Rather than a clown, what we should've been focusing on is the cartoon. The past that we've been looking for... It's right here!"
[Carter James: From a Nobody born in Sire Island to Best Animation Award Winner of the Year!]
"An animator... That's what we should've been looking for."
It felt as if the air had been sucked out of the room. For a fleeting moment, the temperature dipped, and the TV grew static.
Both Kyle and Zoey tensed.
However, the reaction lasted for a fleeting moment before fading.
"Why didn't I think about it before...?"
Zoey muttered while staring at the phone screen. It seemed obvious in hindsight, but they had been so fixated on the image of a clown that they'd completely overlooked one of the most glaring signs.
The cartoon.
"It doesn't matter anymore. See if there's anything more about this guy."
"Give me the phone and I'll check."
"Alright, but be careful. I'll keep mine off while you navigate."
Kyle's strategy was simple. Since using the phone was necessary, but also dangerous, he planned to alternate between himself and Zoey. That way, if one of them fell under the effects of the hypnotization, the other could help snap them out of it.
There were, of course, issues with this strategy.
For one, the TV was still on. That was also a source of hypnotization.
Secondly, he wasn't familiar with the rules of hypnosis. For now, he could only assume it was electronics. But what if it wasn't?
Kyle was extremely alert as he watched Zoey grab the phone and search for the name of the cartoonist on the Guild Database.
While it didn't contain detailed information on individuals, it did provide general profiles for nearly everyone in the world. That was only natural, given that the Guild Database was sourced directly from the BAU.
To some, it seemed like a massive breach of privacy, but it was a necessary measure the BAU had implemented to effectively combat the anomalies.
Privacy was a sacrifice for the world's safety.
"Carter James... I've found something."
As a profile quickly appeared, Zoey's eyes lit up.
She quickly started reading the information.
"Carter James. Creator of Happy Life, an award-winning animation. He was from Sire Island and had only one notable success in his career. Everything else he created failed to gain traction. He died at forty-one, reportedly from a heart attack. Has one son, and his wife passed away early."
Reading the details listed on the profile, Zoey's face turned a little grim by the end.
"There's no profile picture of him, but there's an address of where he used to live. Gilmore Street 16. It's not far from here. It also says he passed away not too long ago."
"How long...?"
"About three years ago."
The two paused for a moment, thinking the same thing.
Kyle was the first one to speak.
"This dates back earlier than the recent events, significantly earlier, in fact, but that doesn't rule out the possibility that something had already been unfolding long before. Then again, we could also be chasing an empty lead. There's no real guarantee that this will lead to anything."
"...You're right."
Zoey nodded.
It was merely a hypothesis so far. But... It was also a hypothesis that the two felt was much closer to the truth.
"I'm sending all the information to the Guild," Kyle said, his expression turning grim as he took out his phone. "But it looks like our communication is being blocked. It says that my messages got sent, but the fact that I've yet to receive a response from either suggests that communication is blocked."
"...Same for me."
Zoey replied quietly, still focused on the phone. After a moment's thought, she pulled out a small black flip phone.
The moment she did, her expression turned extremely serious.
"Should I...?"
"Might as well."
Kyle shrugged. The phone was a special item that bypassed any obstruction. However, this was only to be used in case of emergencies.
After all...
This was no normal phone.
"Alright."
Zoey stuck out her tongue and typed a message on the phone. This proved to be a rather troublesome task. Each number had three to four letters, and she had to select each one at a time.
"Ah, fuck...!"
It was extremely frustrating.
"How did people even write in the past? Shit, fuck. No wonder you had me do it."
Kyle just looked away, prompting Zoey to clench her teeth.
'Just you wait...' She mumbled before finally typing out the message and sending it to the Guild.
"They should've gotten the message. Reinforcements will be here within the next hour. In the meantime, what do—"
Trr Trrr—!
All of a sudden, the phone rang.
Kyle and Zoey both paused while staring at the flip-flop.
A sudden tension swept over the surroundings as the phone continued to vibrate. One squeal, two squeals, and then—
—Hello? Is anybody there?
A voice.
—Can anybody hear me? Hello?
It belonged to a male, and it sounded rather soft.
—Hell-
Du. Du. Du.
Zoey hung up the call right after she found the buttons had started working again.
Both she and Kyle broke into a cold sweat as they stared at the phone.
"This is why I really hate using this stuff..."
Zoey muttered while Kyle nodded from the side.
"Tell me about it."
The two wiped the sweat that had formed on their foreheads before turning to look at the door.
"Let's go. We should go to the address and see if we can find anything."
"Okay."
***
"Give it to me!"
"No, me!"
Listening to the children playing, I forced a smile while standing by the side of the playroom.
'The rat should just about be getting to the basement. It won't be long before all electricity is down.'
The reason why I was downstairs was that there were a few things that I was curious about.
Scanning the kids and looking around, I started to wonder... If Mr. Jingles were hiding amongst the children, which child would it be?
Was it even a child, or perhaps one of the staff?
I took a careful look around me, but there was nothing that really gave anyone away.
'If there's someone that I'm suspicious of, though, it's Chris.'
Watching the child sketch the same clown over and over, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. He was so utterly absorbed, so intensely focused, that it was as if nothing else existed beyond the lines he drew. The world around him didn't seem to matter.
Only the clown did.
"Hm?"
Just then, I felt something touch my shoe, and when I looked down, I saw a small tennis ball.
"I blinked a few times and lifted my head, only to see a little girl staring at me from a distance. The moment our eyes met, a sudden twitch shot through my leg."
'It's her...'
The girl who cried the moment she saw me.
Slowly, she walked up to me as she asked,
"...Y-you're not going to steal it, right?"
She looked to be on the verge of crying while looking at me.
"I... hate thieves! Whaaa!"
"....."
"Waaa!"
By now, I really did feel like listening to the Section Chief's words. I was so close to kicking her.
"Don't mind her."
A warm voice drifted to my ear as the Matriarch bent down to retrieve the tennis ball, gently placing it back in the girl's hands. She spoke just a few quiet words, and that seemed to be enough to soothe the young child as she smiled happily at her.
I stared at the scene in bafflement before looking at her.
"...What sort of sorcery do you use?"
"Experience."
The Matriarch replied with a small laugh before suddenly fixing her attention towards the corner of the room where a lonely boy sat.
The smile on her face faded soon after.
"...Despite it being three years since he's come here, I've yet to see him smile once. It's almost disheartening to see him like this."
"Three years?"
I cocked my head.
"Oh, yeah."
The Matriarch looked back at me.
"He's been at the orphanage for only three years. His father, unfortunately, passed away three years ago due to a heart attack. It's such a pity too..."
Covering her cheek with her hand, the Matriarch mumbled, "He had such a bright career ahead of himself. I heard he had even won an award for his animation. What a pity, what a pity..."
Eh?
I froze in that moment, blinking slowly while thinking back to her words.
An award for his animation?
Animation...?
"Oh..."
It was as if the cogs of my mind had been oiled up, and they started moving again. The moment I heard the Matriarch's words, something clicked.
'...Animator.'
I slowly turned my attention towards the TV.
Mr. Jingles. He was... a cartoon character.
He was part of a greater animation with a whole background and everything.
My eyes couldn't help but fix on the child in the corner. He was drawing as usual, his gaze fixed on the drawing.
'Could he be Mr. Jingles? Could he...'
My heart sped up at the thought.
The more I stared at the child, the more unsettled I felt.
From the slow movements of his hand to his seemingly detached gaze. The more I looked at him, the more it felt like I was onto something.
'It's him. It has—'
"I think the reason why he doesn't speak so much is because he's still struggling to cope with his father's death. It's such a pity since things were just turning around for them."
Hearing the Matriarch's words, I blinked slowly and turned to look at her.
"Turning around...?"
"Ah, yes... They weren't doing so well before his animation came out. They were struggling financially, and Chris used to come here on certain occasions when his father had to move to other islands in order to attend some work meetings."
"I see."
I could see why the child was always by himself.
To have lost his father so early, and so suddenly... A lot of children would turn out like this. I wasn't that much different in that regard.
But it wasn't like I could recall much about my parents.
I just knew that they were nice.
"Hm? Seth...?"
Hearing the Matriarch's words, I smiled at her and walked towards the child.
'If he's likely Mr. Jingles, or the source of everything, then I need to get closer to him.'
It said that this was a game of 'Hide and Seek'. I struggled to understand what the quest was trying to say at the start, but I now understood.
[Containment Vessel].
By tag... it meant that I had to use my skill once I found his true body.
I couldn't do it with the glasses on since that would subject me to a direct attack from Mr. Jingles. However, the same couldn't be said if I did it while it was hiding in a child's body.
These were all hypotheses, but I was almost certain that this was the correct method.
Now, all I needed to do was—
"....."
Stopping right before the child, my eyes fell on the drawing before it.
It was the same as usual.
The drawing of a clown. From the long shoes to the nose... Everything was the same. Or at least, that was how it seemed at first.
But then—
I noticed it.
'Eye...'
Instead of the swirling black void, I saw an eye on the drawing.
My breath paused, and the world around me seemed to freeze.
Flick!
"——!?"
The TV in the distance flicked on.
Silence.
Tap. Tap. Tap...
The forceful taps of the rain on the windows echoed loudly.
A flash tore through the room.
And—
Tatata~
The familiar chime rang in the air.
'Shit!'
I moved immediately, dashing towards the TV. I had to turn it off before it was too late.
But just as I moved, a character popped up on the screen.
With his bright red hair, red nose, and pale face, it was Mr. Jingles.
I froze.
No, it was more like...
I couldn't move at all.
"Hello everyone~"
He waved at everyone.
So did the people standing behind him.
"How have you all been doing?"
Mr. Jingle's squeaky and joyful voice echoed throughout the entire room as cold sweat trickled down the side of my face while everyone stared at the TV blankly.
'No, no, no, no, no...'
Despite my best attempts at moving, I couldn't move at all.
'Fuck, that rat...! How long is he going to take to shut down the electronics?!'
In hindsight, this was my fault. I should've unplugged the TV from the start... However, the main reason why I didn't do so was because I was afraid of alarming the Mr. Jingles, who was hiding among the children.
I was afraid that the moment I tried that, Mr. Jingles would act.
But...
'Damn it, I should've tried it regardless!'
BANG!
A thunderous boom echoed through the air, shaking the walls and rattling the floor beneath us.
"....!?"
That was all it took for me to snap out of the state.
However, it was already too late.
"Do you all want to play a game?"
Mr. Jingles's smile slowly stretched until it reached his temples.
"Mr Jingles says~"
The silence settled once more, and in that moment, I slowly felt Mr. Jingles' head turn in my direction.
Our eyes met.
My breath left.
And—
"...Catch him."
My stomach churned in that moment.
I...
Really needed to puke.
And as if that wasn't enough.
Flick!
The TV turned off, alongside all the lights.
The surroundings grew dark.
In the silence and darkness, the only sound was the relentless tapping of rain against the window.
But then—
A bright light flashed into the room.
It wasn't for long.
Just a split second.
However, that was long enough to see it.
Every head turned toward me.
Children and staff alike.
They were all...
Smiling.
***
"Why the hell is it raining even harder?"
"...Beats me."
Kyle muttered, eyes fixed on the downpour around them. The rain fell harder than before, almost like a curtain, yet as they walked, it never touched them. It stopped just at the edges, as if something invisible shielded them.
"Apparently, this region just tends to rain a lot. Looking at how the people aren't even surprised, I figure they are mostly used to it."
"...I guess."
Zoey replied while stopping before another house. It was not much different than the house from before, but unlike the other one, this one seemed a little bit more rundown, with the stone steps containing a lot of overgrown weeds.
The building also appeared to be a two-story one, and Kyle and Zoey didn't waste a single second to infiltrate the place.
Creaak—!
The wooden door creaked open, revealing the cramped interior of a small apartment. A musty scent hit them instantly. Papers, clothes, and unwashed dishes were strewn about in what could only be described as a complete mess.
Walking into the apartment, the two looked around.
Eventually, Kyle stopped by a certain frame. He picked it up and looked at it, unable to hold back a small laugh as he looked.
"Look at this. Doesn't this remind you of Seth?"
Flipping the frame over, Zoey caught a glimpse of a man with glaring black circles, black hair, and a lifeless expression.
While his appearance was completely different from Seth's, his general vibe was the same, prompting Zoey to smile too.
"...Almost uncanny."
The two shared a laugh before going back to looking around the place.
There were a lot of things to look at, but most of them were on the floor.
"What in the world happened here? It almost feels like a storm has passed."
Bending over to pick up another frame, Kyle's face froze.
His sudden reaction didn't escape Zoey's gaze as she looked at him curiously.
"What happened? Did you find something...?"
"....."
Her words were met with silence.
But then—
"Go."
Kyle muttered, his voice low.
"Eh? What...?"
Flipping the frame over to show the same man from before, holding onto a child that the two were familiar with, Kyle's voice grew louder.
"We need to go back to the orphanage, now!"
"No, wait!"
Zoey held back Kyle just before he was going to leave.
"What? Why are you stopping me?"
"Calm down for a second, will you? This fucker..." Zoey clenched her teeth while staring at Kyle. Seeing his usually calm self turn so panicky really was throwing her off. It was clear that Seth and the orphanage were his biggest weaknesses.
It was in such moments that he would turn from one of the stars of the department to a liability.
"You need to relax. I can see why you'd think there's some sort of link, but we don't know the full story just yet. Let's look for more clues before we decide. Whatever the case is, the Guild is already on its way. By the time we get there, they should already be at the orphanage."
It was only after Kyle heard Zoey's words that he managed to calm himself down. Taking a few deep breaths, his gaze regained its usual calm.
"You're right. You're right..."
Even he was starting to feel that his actions were inappropriate.
But this wasn't something he could control.
This was his family. His only family.
He... couldn't let anything happen to them.
"Alright, it looks like you've calmed down a bit. Let's look a little bit more and figure out exactly what happened."
"...Okay."
Kyle nodded, and the two began looking around again.
"Rushing won't do us any good."
As she looked around, Zoey began to talk.
"We've yet to have any real evidence that this person is involved with the situation. While it is true that he's a cartoonist and his child is at the orphanage, that still won't explain a lot of things. Like..."
Zoey paused as her fingers brushed against a particular frame. Lifting it, she stared at the plaque inside — an award titled [Cartoon of the Year Award].
Staring at it for a brief moment, she placed it back down.
"...Like how Mr. Jingles came to be."
Kyle's movements stopped in that moment.
Closing his eyes, he nodded.
"You're right."
There was no real reason for him to react so nervously upon making that discovery. Anomalies weren't just mindless manifestations of resentment. While their origins were often rooted in lingering resentment and grudges, this situation, when examined closely, lacked any true resentment at its core.
"Why would a cartoon try to haunt the people of this town? Why is it trying to get the people into the cartoon? For what reason? Why...?"
Questions, questions, questions.
If there was one thing that the two had learned in their years of experience, it was to always ask questions.
Anomalies were like mysteries.
Aside from their rules, one needed to figure out their roots in order to get a better idea of how to contain them.
Ultimately, once the root cause of an anomaly was identified, dealing with it became significantly easier.
"Hm, this is?"
Picking up another frame, Zoey caught a glimpse of the man in question standing with another man. Both were smiling for the camera, but the contrast between them was stark. Unlike James, the other man appeared cheerful and sharply dressed, his neatly combed brown hair adding to his polished look.
Zoey took a picture of the frame, using the Guild to see if she could get any information about the other man.
But just as she entered her search, she paused.
"Zoey..."
Kyle's voice was soft, but there was a certain alarm to it that made her raise her head.
It was there that she saw him holding onto a certain leather diary.
Reading its contents, Kyle's face grew extremely serious.
"What?"
Seeing him like this, even Zoey became curious as she walked up to him and leaned over to catch a glimpse of the diary.
The moment she did, however, her breath paused.
"This..."
"I know."
Kyle muttered, his lips pressing together tightly.
"...This just turned a lot more complicated."
[I had no choice.]
[...It was all for my son.]
[I stole because I wanted to help my son.]
***
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The rain tapped against the glass window, the rapid rhythm echoing so fast it nearly matched the beat of my heart, as the surroundings were shrouded in darkness.
I couldn't see a thing.
However, in a single brief moment, when lightning flashed across the sky, I caught sight of everyone's faces.
They were all smiling.
'O-oh, shit...'
My legs trembled, and my entire body felt extremely heavy.
I was paralyzed with fear.
'No, I have to leave... I have to run.'
As if my body finally started to listen to me, I turned around and made my way out of the place. I wanted nothing more than to look for Chris, but in the darkness, I couldn't see anything at all.
I even thought about pulling the flashlight from my phone, but it was too late.
I could feel movements from all around me.
My skin crawled, and a shadowy figure appeared before me.
"Help me get out of here."
Although I couldn't see what the Dreamwalker was doing, I could tell that it was dissatisfied with me. However, in the end, it still decided to move as it moved ahead of me and blocked anyone from approaching me.
I took the chance to run.
Having lived here for most of my childhood, I knew where everything was.
Light or not, it didn't matter to me as I quickly moved towards the second-floor stairs.
It was just as I reached the stairs that I bumped into a figure.
"Ukah—Ah, it's you! You made it in time!"
"Yes, I did."
It was the rat.
This was the plan from the start.
Once the lights were turned off, we would meet at the stairs of the second floor.
"Let's go quickly."
Grabbing the rat by the collar, I dragged him up the stairs.
"Huh? What are you—"
"There's no time. They're coming."
"Coming? Who...?"
"Everyone."
I let go of the rat's collar and rushed up the stairs even faster.
Shortly after, I heard his footsteps behind me, muffled but steady. Together, we hurried to the far end of the second floor, paused before a door, and stepped inside.
"You still haven't told me what is going on? Why are we here? What is—"
"We were right. Mr. Jingles has already influenced everyone in the house. They're currently after us. I don't know their exact power, but I doubt I'd be able to do a single thing to them. Maybe you might, but I'm not entirely sure."
This was a lie.
I could already tell that the Dreamwalker had been overwhelmed by the people. I had no choice but to recall it before it was too late.
"....."
The rat's movements paused, digesting all of the information before his usually serene face turned serious.
"In that case, why are we here? Aren't we in a dead corner? If they come to us then..."
"I wouldn't have gone here if I didn't have a plan."
I looked around and switched on the lights, only to remember that all electricity had been turned off. In the end, I managed to take out a small flashlight from one of the drawers and flashed it around the room. The room wasn't large, about half the size of mine and Kyle's. The decorations were simple, but as I scanned the space, my eyes eventually settled on the window.
As if noticing my expression, the rat's face changed subtly.
"Don't tell me you're thinking of jumping."
"No, I'm not."
I moved towards the window and opened it while looking around.
"Then what are you planning on doing?"
"....."
I didn't answer the rat and just looked around.
I could hear the muffled sound of footsteps coming from the outside door.
'They're coming.'
Fixing my gaze on a particular spot, my eyes brightened as I turned toward the rat. But the moment I did, I noticed him frozen in place, his eyes locked on the bed.
"Myles...?"
Silence.
"Myles?"
Calling his name again, I was met with silence, a sinking feeling settling into my chest as I slowly turned my head toward where he was staring.
That's when I spotted the edge of a yellow cloth, lying plainly on the bed, and my eyes widened in shock.
"———!"
...Fuck!
Tatatata~
A familiar chime echoed through the air, and the rat slowly shifted his gaze toward me, raising his phone just enough for me to catch a glimpse of the clown on the screen.
A bright smile greeted me.
Shortly followed by a squeaky voice.
"Why hello there! Where might you be going...?"
-x-X-x-
I froze on the spot.
The muffled sound of steps echoed outside the door.
They were coming closer.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
Mr. Jingles smiled at me, his hands covering both of his eyes.
"Why are you leaving? You should stay and play more~"
The longer the clown spoke, the more my mind dulled, as if each word drained something from me. My thoughts spiraled, and before I realized it, I had stepped back.
Closer to the window.
Closer to the rapid tapping of the rain against it.
"Let's play."
Mr. Jingles spoke again.
The steps grew even closer.
Tatata~
The familiar tune.
I took another step back.
I was now leaning against the open window.
"Mr Jingles says~"
My heart skipped a beat, and I immediately turned around.
But right as I did—
"Freeze."
I froze, my mind blanking out.
By the time I snapped out of it, I was facing the front again.
I was facing Mr. Jingles.
'Shit, shit, shit—!'
The clown's smile was wide now.
So wide that I felt chills running down my back.
"Mr. Jingles says~"
The clown's voice echoed again, and the sound of footsteps was now closer than ever.
Sweat trickled down the side of my face.
"...Stare at the bed."
"——!"
My head moved on its own.
'No!'
I caught a glimpse of the edges of a yellow suit. Immediately, I tried to resist, but I couldn't.
My body refused to listen to me.
The clothes expanded further and further in my vision.
'No, I can't look. I can't even open my eyes!'
I desperately fought back. It was useless.
It was—
"Hihihi~"
A sudden giggling filled the room, and I snapped out of it as a head popped out from outside the window.
"Are we playing? You called me out because we were playing? I want to play!"
It was Mirelle as her gaze turned towards the clown in the frame.
Her eyes shone.
"A cartoon!"
Clank—!
But right as her words echoed, the door opened and several smiling figures walked in.
I didn't waste a single second and moved out of the window, feeling the heavy rain hit me from above as I basked in the darkness of the night.
I had summoned Mirelle in advance while the rat wasn't looking. I had done so in case something unexpected happened.
For a moment, I thought that she wouldn't come.
But thankfully, she did.
'I would've been done for if I hadn't done so.'
While I was still unsure of how Mirelle's powers worked, from what I had managed to observe, she had the ability to stop an anomaly's abilities for a very brief moment.
The same thing happened with the Twisted Man, and now the same was true for Mr. Jingles.
She couldn't fight, but she could buy me time.
I took advantage of the moment she'd bought me, gripping the edges of the window as a black film spread over my arm. It extended downward, stretching with me as I began to descend slowly toward the bottom.
Touching the grass, the world flashed, and I caught sight of the window before me.
I froze for a moment, feeling several gazes locked onto me from the window of the first floor. Their faces clung to the windows, pressed tightly against the glass, wide smiles stretching across their features as they stared.
My stomach rumbled.
'This isn't a Third Order mission for nothing.'
The darkness returned, and...
BANG!
The thunder rumbled.
Soaked in the rain, I darted towards the side of the orphanage.
I knew that I couldn't run away.
There was no way that I could run away.
'I have to find the little boy! I need to tag him, and everything will be over!'
Clenching my teeth, I picked up the pace, finding an empty window and opening it before moving back into the house.
Click!
Closing the window behind me, I swallowed nervously.
The darkness engulfed me from all sides. I could hardly see a thing as I tried my best to perceive my surroundings.
'It looks like I'm in a room. Most likely, this is one of the children's rooms.'
Typically, children shared the same room. Some were shared between two, while others were shared between four.
This looked like one that was shared between four children.
The place was empty, and a heavy silence hung over the space.
Swallowing nervously, I kept my breath to a minimum while moving towards the door and pressing my ear against it.
"....."
It was silent outside.
I couldn't hear a single thing.
I took a silent breath and tried my best to remain calm.
But it was hard.
...I was at a complete loss on how to proceed.
'Should I get the Dreamwalker and Mirelle to look around for the kid? But even if I do have them look around for him and they find him, how would I even be able to approach him?'
I checked the time.
It was quite late. I knew that I didn't have much time left until the quest ended.
I knew the moment I failed the quest that something terrible would happen.
'I have to hurry up.'
But how? How exactly could I do that?
Clenching my teeth, I moved away from the door and carefully looked around the room in hopes of finding something that could help me. But there wasn't really much I could work with. There were a lot of crayons, some toys, and some pictures.
It was just as I was losing all hope that I stopped by a specific desk.
'This is...?'
I noticed a particular picture on one of the desks.
It was a photo of a boy and an older man. The moment I took notice of the boy, my breath paused.
That was...
'Chris.'
My hand shook slightly. Could this be...!? As I brought the picture closer, I noticed the man's worn features. Sunken cheeks, heavy black circles under his eyes, and an overall appearance that spoke of exhaustion and poor health.
In a way, he kind of looked like me.
'Is this Chris's father? I'm not surprised he died... Given how he looks, he already looks like he's taken one step towards his grave.'
I was no different, but it was also mainly due to the disease that I had.
I have improved rather significantly lately.
But it was still a work in progress.
Looking at the picture, I saw the two standing side by side, holding up a frame... an award, it seemed. Yes, on closer inspection, it looked like a recognition plaque for an animation.
It was also the first time that I had ever seen Chris smile.
"...."
I flipped the picture over, ready to put it back, when my hand froze mid-motion.
"This is...?"
A chill ran down my spine as I brought the picture closer. The shadows in the room seemed to stretch, leaning in as if to watch.
And then I saw it.
Words, harsh, doodled, and uneven... scrawled in red crayon across the back of the photo. The lines were thick, almost carved into the paper, as if the writer had pressed down with all their force.
[Thief! Your father is a thief!]
'Wait, what...?'
Staring at the words written so aggressively behind the picture, I had to take a moment to process what I was seeing.
'Thief? Father is a thief?'
My mind churned. All sorts of thoughts and possibilities. What did this mean?
'No, it's pretty obvious as to what it means... The award. The cartoon... It was stolen. This changes everything.'
If the cartoon really had been stolen, then it quickly became clear to me who was behind Mr. Jingles.
Looking at the letters written so roughly on the paper, I became even more certain of it.
'In that case, does that mean that Chris is being haunted?'
Thinking about all of my past experiences, this felt like a logical conclusion. It would explain the child's weird behaviour.
In that case, would everything stop the moment Chris fell under Mr. Jingle's intentions?
'No, I don't know. There have been many chances for Mr. Jingles to absorb Chris or kill him...'
The anomaly's motivation was something else.
Wait...
My thoughts paused for a brief moment.
'Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait...'
If Chris was Mr. Jingles's target, then who was Mr. Jingles hiding as?
Was everything that I had previously thought and assumed incorrect?
A sudden, overwhelming throb pulsed through my mind.
If what I was seeing was right... If Chris wasn't Mr. Jingles, but instead the target, or something else entirely, then everything I'd believed and concluded up to this point had to be thrown out the window.
Were my thoughts about Hide-and-Seek even correct?
'No...' I shook my head, thinking about the quest. 'It specifically states that I need to find Mr. Jingles. The mission name is also hide-and-seek... Usually, the quests contain hints themselves. I believe this is the hint. In that case, I just need to think of a new target. Someone that could very likely be Mr. Jingles.'
But who...?
Who could Mr. Jingles be if not Chris? The Matriarch?
I quickly shook that thought away.
As far as I was aware, the Matriarch was too busy taking care of the kids to do anything else.
I had seen firsthand just how much she worked to support us.
It had to be someone with experience in animation or something similar. But I didn't know anyone like that. Most of the people here were kids, and the staff was limited. The most logical conclusion was that it had to be either a member of the staff or one of the children's parents.
Parents who had most likely abandoned them or died...
Figuring that part was easier said than done.
'Do I have no choice but to take out my phone?'
I tore through the nook and table, searching frantically for any kind of clue. I checked every drawer, even looked under the bed. I scoured every corner, but... aside from the picture, there was nothing.
In the end, clenching my teeth, I took out my phone.
'Damn it, I really don't think I have much of a choice!'
I knew that the moment I turned it on, Mr. Jingles would know my location.
It would immediately send everyone after me while trying to hypnotise me, but I didn't have much of a choice.
And...
'I've got Mirelle.'
Indeed, in case Mr. Jingles tried to hypnotise me, I would get Mirelle to get me to snap out of it. Since the degree of hypnosis was still not high for me, she was able to snap me out of it.
There was also the Dreamwalker that I had summoned to check the area outside the window.
Just in case someone tried to sneak up from behind.
I was ready in every way possible.
'Alright.'
I took a deep breath while looking to my left, where a certain figure appeared, sitting on the bed with her legs dangling.
Mirelle cocked her head.
"Food?"
"...Later."
Seeing her like that, I drew in a steady breath before pressing the power button. A dim flash of light burst from the phone, casting a sudden dim light across the surroundings, and making the shadows all over stretch.
I watched in silence as the logo of the phone brand appeared on the screen.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
My heartbeat pounded in my ears. Every second felt like it stretched for an eternity as the phone slowly turned on.
For some reason, the silence felt suffocating.
And then—
It finally turned on.
It was also in that moment that the atmosphere suddenly seemed to shift.
A heavy tension, unlike anything from before, shrouded the space, causing my skin to crawl.
In that moment, it felt as though every eye within the household was locked on me, and my breath nearly left my body.
I had to act quickly.
Opening up my phone camera, I took a picture of the image in my hand and placed it in the browser to see if there were similar photos like that.
'I'm sure that if he somehow managed to steal a cartoon from a person, then he must've been close to him. In that case, I might be able to find something if I go along those lines.'
I got the results rather quickly, but...
'Nothing, nothing, nothing...'
There weren't many photos of Chris's father. Just a handful, mostly from when he won the award for best cartoon.
Thump! Thump!
Suddenly, the muffled sound of footsteps reached my ears, and my body tensed instinctively.
Faster! I had to look faster!
Feeling my anxiety soar, I searched for 'animators/cartoonists from Sire Island', but even that provided me with nothing. Both the search engine and the AI searched provided with nothing besides Carter James.
He appeared to be the only person on Sire Island who worked on animation.
THUMP!
"——!"
I felt it then.
The steps...
They were inching closer to the door.
My hand shook, and I turned to face the window, prepared to leave when—
Trrr Trr!
My phone suddenly started to ring.
The sound echoed sharply through the room. It was loud and jarring, and for a moment, my mind went completely blank.
By the time I snapped out of it, my phone rang again, and as I slowly lowered my head, my eyes paused on the caller ID.
[Unknown Number]
I grew tense.
Realizing that no messages had been getting through, the fact that someone managed to call me made one thing clear...
This was no normal call.
Before the phone could ring again, I hastily turned off the ringer, but—
Trrr Trr!
The phone continued to ring, and my entire body tensed.
'I knew this wasn't normal!'
This had to be another one of Mr. Jingles's tricks.
Just as I began to consider whether I should throw the phone, the ringing abruptly stopped, and the world fell silent once more.
....Or at least, for a split second.
Creeeeak!
The door slowly opened a moment later, revealing the smiling face of the Matriarch as she looked at me.
The hair on my arm visibly rose at the sight of her as I took a step back.
But right as I did—
"Huh?"
I stopped, looking at the figure standing by the window, her lips pulled into the tightest of smiles.
'H-how...?'
Just before, I had clearly summoned the Dreamwalker in order to check if someone was coming.
How was it possible that they were here?
How—
Ding!
A sudden ringing sound jolted me out of my thoughts.
I had merely intended to give it a passing glance, but the moment I caught sight of the message, I paused.
It was just an image.
But the moment I caught sight of it, it was as if something inside my mind clicked.
Everything...
It just suddenly clicked.
'Will I turn out like you in the future?'
'I don't want to. I.. I... don't want to! Whaaa!'
'...Y-you're not going to steal it, right?'
'I... hate thieves! Whaaa!'
From the picture of the man who looked like me, to the 'thief' at the back of the photo...
From the very start, the clues had always been there.
Mr. Jingles...
He was—
"...!?"
A sudden flash illuminated the surroundings for a split second.
It lasted only a split second, but it was enough for me to catch a glimpse of the small figure standing behind the Matriarch, her pale face turned toward me, lips curling into a twisted smile.
BANG!
Mr. Jingles...
He was the little girl all along.
-x-X-x-
"Why is he not answering? Did you send a message to him at least...?"
Kyle spoke in a hurried tone as he turned to Zoey. The way he spoke annoyed her to no end, but she could only keep her calm and nod her head.
"I sent him a message. He should be able to receive it. The same goes for Myles. Whether or not they will see it or not will depend on whether they have their phone turned on or not. However, given how neither is answering, it looks like they've both come to the same conclusion as us."
"Shit..."
Kyle cursed, his leg tapping against the floor as he struggled to contain his worry.
And Zoey understood it.
She could still see the image in her mind. The photo they had found. Two figures standing next to each other, smiling like good friends. One was already identified. The other... took longer.
Richard Parson.
Just a bartender, according to the file. An unremarkable man who'd migrated from Immorra Island, not far from Sire Island.
On paper, he was no one of importance.
But that was before she uncovered the report.
The complaint had been well concealed, but thanks to her clearance level, she was able to access it in full. It detailed how Carter James had stolen the animation from him. An animation he had originally created for his daughter, who was battling a rare disease, in a desperate attempt to keep her happy and pay for the treatment.
And that very same daughter...
Was now in the orphanage.
The complaint never gained any traction. Somehow, Carter had built an airtight case, twisting the narrative in his favor.
He managed to bury the truth away.
And Richard...
He had been left with only one way out.
He ultimately took his own life, hoping the life insurance payout would cover his daughter's treatment.
But what unsettled her most, what made her skin crawl, was not Richard's death.
...It was Certer's death.
Did he truly die from a heart attack?
Or was there more to it?
She looked at Kyle again. He was still tapping his foot, but his eyes were now fixed on the window behind her.
"...Kyle?" she said softly.
He didn't respond.
Something moved behind the glass, and her entire body tensed.
And then—
BANG!
A figure appeared by the window, their eyes wide and unblinking, the smile stretched so unnaturally wide that the corners of their lips nearly reached their eyes. With both hands pressed against the window, the figure stared right at them.
But as if that wasn't enough...
Flick!
The TV turned on once again.
This time, Zoey's eyes widened as she watched Kyle appear next to the TV, his hand holding onto the plug.
"What are you—!?"
She looked shocked as she realized he had plugged the TV back on.
Zoey's calm mind started to show signs of panic, but then...
"I'm not controlled."
Kyle's soft voice echoed as a familiar cartoonish background appeared on the TV.
He snapped his finger.
Snap!
The surroundings stopped moving as his face paled.
Fixing his gaze on Zoey and then the animation, Kyle raised his hand toward the TV screen. Slowly, almost impossibly, his fingers began to pass through the glass.
With an incomparably serious expression, he muttered.
"...One of the main things that we learn at the Guild is to never remain passive. It's clear the anomaly wants to trap us inside the cartoon. To turn us into those twisted, smiling figures. So, while we still hold some control, we have to step into its world ourselves. We have to take the initiative instead of just waiting for the Guild to come."
"That's..." Opening her lips, Zoey found that she didn't have a single argument against his words, and staring at the flip phone in her hand, she pursed her lips and nodded.
"You're right. We should—"
Trr Trr—!
Just then, the flip phone in her hand rang again.
Both Kyle and Zoey stopped for a moment.
Then—
—Hello? Is anybody there? Hello?
A voice echoed from the phone once more.
One that Zoey and Kyle didn't answer.
—....
The surroundings turned quiet.
Until...
—I know you're there. I saw you try to call someone.
The voice spoke again. This time, its tone was darker.
Zoey continued to press the button to shut the phone off, but regardless of how much she tried, she couldn't.
The voice continued, and a strange sense of suffocation enveloped the room.
—Why aren't you answering me? Why are you ignoring me? Why are you-
Du. Du!
Eventually, Zoey ended the call, her breath coming in heavy gasps. Sweat beaded at her temples as she stared down at the phone, her hands trembling slightly.
'Never again. I'm never using this phone again!'
Putting the phone away, she turned towards Kyle and then the frozen animation.
Without thinking any further, she walked towards it and entered it.
Kyle followed right behind.
Swoosh!
Time snapped back the moment they vanished. Rain hammered loudly against the window, and a hand scraped slowly across the glass, leaving streaks in its wake.
***
The clues had been there the entire time.
It was just that they were so subtle and my focus had been elsewhere for me to notice.
Staring at the two figures before me, my breath caught in my throat. Worse still, when I slowly turned my head, my eyes met those of the figure behind me. Their smile stretched unnaturally wide, reaching all the way to the edges of their eyes as they fixed me with a chilling stare.
I was trapped from every direction.
'What do I do? How do I get out of this situation?'
The fact that the Dreamwalker hadn't even been able to sense the figure behind me was the most worrisome part.
How was it possible?
I could still feel my connection with it, so I knew that it was still alive.
'It makes absolutely no sense. Or maybe...'
Turning around, I glanced once more at the figure by the window and took a cautious step closer.
That's when I saw it. The leg, twisted at an unnatural angle, broken, as the figure clung tightly to the window frame.
That was when it finally dawned on me.
'It must've jumped up from above!'
It was no wonder the Dreamwalker didn't sense it. And given how heavily it was raining, coupled with the thunder, it also made sense as to why I didn't hear it.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
Feeling the drum of my own beat reverberate in my head, I desperately looked around.
But then—
Thump!
A Matriarch before me took a step forward, causing my body to tense.
My breath grew more frantic, and my emotions stirred.
'Calm. I need to remain calm. I need to remain calm.'
I knew that I couldn't panic.
I was so scared that I wanted to puke, but I also understood that it would only make the situation worse for me.
In that case...
My eyes eventually fell on the little girl standing behind the Matriarch.
Our eyes shuddered, but...
I also understood.
'Tag.'
I needed to somehow tag her.
The source of everything.
-x-X-x-
'That's easier said than done...'
Staring at the little girl standing behind the Matriarch, I felt a tight knot form in my chest. Getting to her was nearly impossible. Whatever the hypnosis had done, it had changed these people, subtly but unmistakably. Their bodies moved with a strange stiffness, like puppets strung up too tight.
Their eyes no longer blinked at the right times.
No, they didn't blink at all.
...And they were all far stronger than they were before.
'What do I do?'
I didn't have much time.
I needed to think quickly. I tried to quickly think of any possible item that I could purchase from the shop, but right as I did—
Thud!
I felt something touch the soles of my feet.
"——!"
My heart nearly leaped out of my chest as I saw it was a button.
'Shit!'
I kicked the button away, but it was too late.
I... had already seen it.
BANG!
"....!?"
One of the old metal drawers along the wall snapped open with a sharp clang. A patch of yellow fabric peeked out from within.
I quickly looked up.
But—
"!!"
Dangling just beside the lamp above, like it had always been there, was a tangled red wig. Its synthetic fibers were stiff, brittle, slightly singed at the tips.
'Shit, shit!'
I started to visibly shudder.
My heart drummed so loudly inside my ears that everything else felt quiet. NovelBin
But that silence was soon shattered.
Tatata~
A certain tune played in the air, and my breathing grew heavier.
'Go, I need to go!'
Looking back, my heart nearly leaped out of my chest.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Figures dropped from the ceiling above, slamming into the ground before rising again. Their limbs moved jerkily, like marionettes with frayed strings. Behind them stood the Dreamwalker, trying its best to stop them.
But—
"——!"
There were too many of them. The moment it acted, they attached to him, their arms bent at odd angles, and their heads twitching unnaturally. Their necks craned slowly toward me, all in perfect sync as they smiled.
Shivers.
I started to feel shivers.
'For such people to hold back the Dreamwalker...'
"Are you ready?"
Then came Mr. Jingles' voice, and my heart stopped.
'No, no...'
I hastily looked at Mirelle, feeling my heart trying to rip its way out of my chest.
"Mr. Jingles says~"
"Do it, do—"
"Freeze."
My entire body froze on the spot.
My mind, which had previously been clear, suddenly grew sluggish, and I started to struggle to think.
In the background, I could even hear faint hints of a giggle, but..
Nothing.
It felt like a thick fog had settled over my mind, leaving me unable to think clearly.
'Hihihi~'
I could still hear the giggles in the background.
But...
Nothing.
My mind felt completely numb.
I didn't know for how long I was like that, but by the time I snapped out of it, the scenery before me changed.
"....!?"
I was now standing before the matriarch and the little girl, whose hand held onto the phone as she positioned it right before me.
A familiar cartoon.
...A familiar clown, covering both of his eyes.
"Are you ready?"
A high-pitched, squeaky voice echoed from the phone.
My head nodded right after.
"Good!"
Mr. Jingles sounded delighted.
The people behind him looked delighted, their smiles as wide as they could be.
My mind churned.
I tried to think of all possible ways to solve the situation, but...
Nothing.
My mind was still completely empty.
"Mr. Jingles is here~ Mr. Jingles wants to play~ A play we shall!"
The clown danced across the screen, its red boots squeaking as it lifted one foot to the side.
"Mr. Jingles says~ What is this?"
"Boot."
The answer left my lips automatically.
Like something had drilled into my thoughts.
"Correct!"
But...
I was completely helpless.
Tatata~
The tune played again, and Mr. Jingles danced across the screen.
It then extended its hand to display its white glove.
"Mr. Jingles says~ What is this?"
"Glove."
The words yet again slipped out of my mouth without my control.
"Correct! Wow! You're such a good boy... Seth!"
Tatata~ Tatata~
The music grew louder, almost circus-like. The clown spun in place, laughing with its head thrown back. On the screen, its painted mouth was stretched into a huge grin while its eyes... They were still covered.
I watched. Horrified.
And yet, I felt my own lips twitching upward.
Smiling.
'No, no...'
I wanted to fight with everything I had, but... I was helpless.
I couldn't do a single thing.
This was the first time for me.
'What do I do? What am I supposed to do...?'
There were items in the shop, but even those wouldn't help much. There was the conductor recording, but Mr. Jingles had control of all electronics. The Dreamwalker and Mirelle were both unable to help me.
I... what was I supposed to do?
'Think, think, think...!'
"Mr. Jingles says~"
"Hair."
"Mr. Jingles says~"
"Nose."
"Mr. Jingles says~"
"Clothes."
"Mr. Jingles says~"
"Stripes."
Each word I spoke felt like it hollowed me out further. Like something was digging into the folds of my brain.
I wanted to stop it, but I couldn't stop it.
And then—
"Are you ready for the final round?"
It was as if the world had warped. Twisted. The walls no longer looked straight. The floor felt... uneven.
The sound of rain dulled to a muffled whisper, as though the world outside had been sealed away. The darkness around me thickened, swallowing the last traces of light until I could barely see my own hands.
Mr. Jingles's grin faltered ever so slightly, and a certain cold took over the room.
My heart stuttered in my chest.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
I could hear it loud and clear in my mind.
"...I said, are you ready?"
"Yes."
I nodded, and Mr. Jingles smiled wider, the red paint stretching unnaturally far across its face.
"Mr. Jingles says~"
The hands covering his eyes began to part.
Just a sliver of pale sclera peeked through.
The moment I saw it—
Everything stopped.
The sound. The air. My thoughts.
Thump! Thump!
A loud thump echoed in the background, and I couldn't tell whether it was my own heartbeat or something else entirely.
I... just stared.
Stared at the clown in front of me, unable to move my head at all.
Slowly but surely, the edges of his eyes began to reveal, and the thumping sound grew louder and louder. I felt entranced in that moment. As if all thoughts were starting to slip away from my mind.
As if... I was slowly starting to turn into a puppet.
Some part of me understood that the situation was bad, but that 'noise' was drowned out by the thumping that grew louder and louder in my mind.
And then—
"....."
Silence.
The clown stopped, and the smile that had been so twisted just a moment prior suddenly flipped, turning into a downward smile as his head slowly turned away from me.
"There seems to be some uninvited guests."
Guests...?
In that moment, clarity returned to my mind for a brief moment, and it was there that I saw it.
All heads within the animation turned towards a certain direction that I couldn't see.
'What exactly—!?'
My eyes widened the next moment as I saw a familiar figure suddenly pop up on the screen.
Kyle...?
-x-X-x-