How do I send a message?
From the start, my goal was simple.
I wanted to send a message. I wanted to let those eyeing me know that coming after me wasn't the smartest idea.
At the start, my target had been the Team Leader of the Cloud Reverence Guild. He was the one who had caused the entire mess back at the hospital. I wanted to use him to set an example for everyone who was closely monitoring me.
This was the initial plan.
But...
I realized rather quickly that I had been too naive.
A few days prior to the incident.
Flip! Flip! Flip!
Casually flipping through the documents Paimon handed me, I came to a sudden stop as I put the files down. Right after, a chuckle followed as a figure appeared in the corner of the room.
"Looks like you've found some intriguing information."
"Hahaha."
Even I couldn't help but laugh while flipping through the documents.
"I'm sure that just targeting him will be enough to send a message. That'll be enough to give you peace of mind for a while. That's good enough, right?"
Hearing the words, I raised my head to stare at the Conductor.
In particular, I stared at its smile.
It was wide.
So wide that it almost felt as though its lips were about to leave its face.
Normally, I'd be disturbed by the sight.
And yet⎯
I found myself smiling alongside the Conductor.
"Ah, no... this is bad."
I put the files down, scratching the side of my face.
"I shouldn't do this. I should just be satisfied with him. There's no need for me to go the extra mile. That'll be overkill. If anything, it can backfire. This is not good. I should stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Sto..."
I stopped speaking before I knew it, my eyes once again drawn to the documents presented right before my very eyes.
Reaching for them, I casually flipped through the documents again while muttering, "Cedrick. Real name: Osvald Marlon. Affiliated with the organization known as'The Hand.' Current intelligence suggests he's been maintaining close surveillance on the Team Leader, identified with the real name of Johnattan Banker, currently going by Eugene Kinmen."
I took a deep breath while putting the files back down.
But even as I did, my mouth didn't stop.
"The disappearances occurring throughout Malia are believed to be tied to an elaborate operation orchestrated by the Team Leader, Johnattan Banker. Current movement indicates that Banker has been selecting and sacrificing individuals based on specific zodiac alignments and positional criteria. These rituals allegedly generate highly unstable anomalies..."
My eyes flashed as I came to a sudden stop. Lifting my head again, I stared at the Conductor as it moved closer to me, its lips somehow even wider than before as it seemed to read my thoughts.
I didn't say anything, nor did I have to say anything as I closed the files and closed my eyes, trying my best to curb the trembling of my hand.
'He's creating powerful anomalies using real people. His plan is to use them to end me, and he's also creating a situation that will force me to come to him. He also has managed to incapacitate the anomalies for when he takes control of them.'
The trembling of my hand didn't stop.
No...
Instead, it only increased as I felt my hand grow heavier. When I looked down, a certain knife appeared in my hand.
One I was all too familiar with, as the information settled into place inside my mind.
My eyes closed once more.
A voice followed.
"...There will be no coming back from this."
I kept my eyes closed.
"But you'll certainly send a message. I'm sure nobody will bother you after this."
"....."
Silence followed.
One that was broken by a subtle laugh.
This time, I wasn't sure to whom it belonged.
The files contained everything. Every condition the Team Leader suffered from, detailed logs of the times he had spied on me, and even the location of his so-called'hideout.'
I knew everything.
Thus, it was all easy.
Finding the exact location where he kept his'anomalies' wasn't difficult. Infiltrating the place wasn't particularly hard either, not when I had a detailed layout of the entire facility.
SPURT!
Killing one anomaly after another, I felt the tremendous power that slowly built up within the knife. In order not to let myself get corrupted by the knife, the moment I killed an anomaly, I'd quickly give it back to the Realmwalker who brought it into the'anomaly world'.
That seemed to be able to stop the knife's growth until it was brought back out.
This cycle repeated over and over and over, until I nearly killed all of the anomalies that the Team Leader had set up.
I didn't kill them all, though.
I still left a few.
...Just a few.
SPURT!
Handing the knife back to the Realmwalker, I looked around me.
"I should get back soon."
The next part still didn't involve me. In fact, it involved the'uninvited guest'. Aware of the Team Leader's scheme, he had purposely chosen to take over as'Cedrick' since that seemed to fit the Team Leader's criteria. His plan was probably to have a nice chat with him.
"...A pity I won't allow that."
It was just as I was about to go back that a figure appeared before me again. The Conductor was smiling, but there was a certain glint in its gaze as it looked at me.
"Are you sure you're going ahead with this? There's no coming back the moment you use the knife."
For a moment, I paused.
I didn't say anything while staring at the Conductor.
But soon, a smile graced my lips as I laughed.
"I think you're misunderstanding something." My laughter faded as I looked up at the Conductor, eyes opening. "The Butcher is coming, but who said that I'll be the one acting as the Butcher?"
"Huh?"
I could still remember the Conductor's surprised sound as I left the place. How could I not?
This was one of the rare times I had ever seen the Conductor be taken by surprise.
-x-X-x-
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Watching the spectacle that had unfolded, I couldn't help but find myself clapping as'Cedrick' and the'Team Leader' both looked in my direction, their faces unable to hide their surprise.
"I was waiting for the right time to step in, but after hearing your conversation, I figured I'd wait just a little longer. You two were having quite the discussion, though I already understood some of it. Still, if you want to carry on, go ahead."
There was a lot of new information that I had learned from the conversation between the two of them. In a way, I felt extremely grateful to them. In fact, I even wanted them to continue speaking for longer.
But...
'It doesn't look like I have much time.'
Thus, I had no choice but to show myself as I stared at the two people before me with interest.
The next sequence of events happened rather quickly.
I whipped out the knife and paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as the power of the knife began to increase, and the sense of bloodlust inside my mind grew. My grip tightened against my will. The handle was warm. Really warm.
A faint pulse beat against my palm, slow at first, then quickening to match my own.
For a split second, the bloodlust nearly consumed me as my vision turned completely red and a strong scent of iron lingered in the air.
'Not yet. Not yet.'
I just barely managed to persist. The situation had yet to reach the point where the knife could completely overwhelm my mind. It would still take a little bit of time before that happened.
And well⎯
That was exactly what I desired as I extended my hand, where an anomaly appeared, presented to me by the Realmwalker. I didn't waste any time, stabbing it directly with the knife.
Spurt!
In an instant, I felt an overwhelming sense of bloodlust burst into my mind as I once again nearly lost control. My vision flickered at the edges. A deeper shade of red bleeding into the corners of my sight.
'Not quite yet...'
"Should we move on to the next one?"
I went for the next anomaly, repeating the same motion as I stabbed it down with the knife. The sense of bloodlust only heightened as the knife finally started to catch up with the numerous anomalies that I had absorbed beforehand, and in that moment, lifting my head, I could see it.
...The grim expressions on the Team Leader's and Cedrick's faces.
I found myself smiling at the sight, my hand reaching forward again as a certain mask appeared, and I placed it over my face. I transformed in that moment.
I became...
The Butcher.
But the real change happened right after that as I gripped the knife with more force.
Everything from that point forward felt like a blur. I was aware of what I was doing, but at the same time, I was really struggling to keep it together. With each passing moment, the strain on my nodes and body increased as the power of the knife increased. Something behind my eyes throbbed in time with the knife's pulse. My teeth clenched without meaning to. The whispering inside my mind grew louder.
'Kill... Kill them all. You're capable of doing that.'
'Don't just settle for them. There's more you can kill. Make sure you don't forget that.'
The numerous eyes that surrounded me didn't make it much easier either.
Looking in Cedrick's direction, I could tell that he was dangerous.
There was no doubt about it.
Even in my current state, I didn't know if I was capable of facing him.
Thus, facing his direction, I tensed my back and⎯
Swooooosh!
Threw the knife in my hand with everything that I had. The moment it left my grasp, I felt myself breathe. The whispering quieted. The pressure behind my eyes eased, but just barely.
It was just enough.
The knife whistled through the air, shooting in Cedrick's direction as his expression changed and he tried to activate his ability. Of course, I didn't let him, as Mirelle's giggle echoed in the air.
That was just enough to stop him.
Well...
To some extent.
Cra Crack! Cra Crack!
Subtle cracking sounds echoed inside my mind as I stared in Cedrick's direction. For a moment, I nearly forgot about him as the pain nearly sent me passing out on the floor.
I could tell that this was probably not going to be enough to take him down, but he had never been my target to begin with, as the knife suddenly veered slightly, and a scream followed.
The scream pierced the surroundings, but I didn't put much focus on it as I dashed forward without an ounce of hesitation, pain piercing through my mind as I struggled to keep myself conscious.
This sense of pain didn't fade even as I let go of the knife, and looking ahead, I dashed in the Team Leader's direction as the knife stabbed him right in the shoulder.
A soft tune began to play in the air at the same time, taking Cedrick's attention away from me for a brief moment as I dashed in the Team Leader's direction, and watched him reach for the knife on his shoulder, trying to pull it away.
Time seemed to slow down in that moment.
Even the noise in the surroundings seemed to fade as I stared in his direction.
'Ah, there it is...'
In that moment of silence, I watched as his hand reached around the knife's handle, and his expression blanked. What followed were blood-curdling screams that were enough to send anyone's spine tingling.
"Haaa! Haaa!"
Each scream seemed to tear through the surroundings as he pulled the knife away from his shoulder, the wound quickly healing in the process.
"Haaa!"
His screams continued as he tried to get rid of the knife from his grasp, but there was no escaping the knife. But even if he could let go, I didn't let him as I reached him and pressed my hand against his, making sure to close his hand around the knife.
His screams continued, and his eyes flickered red.
The knife was taking over its mind.
After everything that I had done, I had reached a point where... it was impossible for the Team Leader to escape its influence. I had waited for the exact moment in order to make sure he wouldn't be able to get away from it.
At some point, he stopped screaming, his struggles fading as his body started to spasm.
I screamed in his stead.
"Haaa! Haaa!"
Part of it was due to the pain that I was experiencing, but there was a better reason for it, as I didn't waste a single second.
Pushing through the pain, I reached for the mask on my face and pulled it off as I placed it on his face. His face changed after that, turning into that of a familiar pig.
The atmosphere froze over as I stumbled away, reaching for my shoulder while my node activated and my appearance began to change.
All happened in an instant.
Nothing more than a few seconds as I grabbed my shoulder.
Having rehearsed the actions inside of my mind over and over again, I knew exactly what to do as I had the Conductor ease up on his actions and give time for Cedrick... or to be precise, Osvald, to turn back, his attention falling on the'Butcher' who remained standing where he was.
He simply... stood there, the bloodlust coming out of the knife intensifying as the'Butcher' met Cedrick's gaze. Instinctively, he must've turned his attention towards Osvald.
Everything after that... was really simple.
"Our... priority shouldn't be the Butcher. It should be that anomaly. If you can help me get close to it and touch it, I should be able to c-ontrol it."
Having already shown my abilities, the fool didn't suspect me at all.
Of course, as the Team Leader, I needed to touch the Conductor in order to control it. Still, I needed to play my part.
And I did.
At some point, I'touched' the Conductor and took control of it. The process was difficult as the Butcher only grew more powerful, the poor Team Leader's mind completely consumed by the knife.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The entire place shook. Everything was on the verge of shattering.
I still played my part.
And as I took control of the Conductor, a soft tune began to play in the air. That was just barely enough to contain the Butcher as Mirelle began laughing as well.
For just a moment, the entire place turned completely still as I slowly turned my attention in Osvald's direction. That was also the moment I caught him mumble something on what appeared to be a communication device, and as if he had sensed my gaze, his head turned.
For a moment, our eyes met.
That brief moment felt like forever before I suddenly raised my hand, and⎯
I waved.
A dark figure appeared right behind him.
His face changed, but it was already too late.
A hand pierced right through him as I touched my face, and my appearance changed once more.
Shortly after that...
BANG!
An explosion sounded.
Through it all, I just smiled while closing my eyes, the building collapsing before me as I began mumbling to myself.
"...Message. Gotta make sure I deliver it."
-x-X-x-
Honestly, everything was perfect. Everything flowed in the exact way that I had envisioned it would. From the scene that occurred outside of the building, to the major fight, and the eventual appearance of the'backup' that Osvald had called.
But if there was one thing that I had not taken into account, it was...
"I'll be taking her with us."
Soran's sudden kidnapping.
This was something that I would've never imagined in a million years. Her of all people...? I understood that she was talented, but she was injured.
Unless...?
'Ah, that makes sense now.'
Everything clicked when I was suddenly reminded of the individuals that I was dealing with.
Of course, the way he managed to kidnap her was also quite amusing as he muttered something like,'She's in critical condition. I'll bring her to a facility that can stabilize her condition and cure her.'
He took her right before everyone's eyes.
Given that he was a so-called'Enforcer,' he had the ability to do so, and before I could even process what was happening, he had already picked me up as well. For a moment, I even thought he'd kill me. But thankfully, that wasn't the case.
The space around us distorted, and my surroundings vanished completely.
When the world settled, we were no longer outside.
Through the narrow gap in my eyelids, I was able to see what was around me.
We appeared inside what seemed like a large white room. The kind of space that felt more like a sterile laboratory than a medical facility. The walls were a clean, almost blinding white, lined with various pieces of equipment that I didn't recognize.
Some of the equipment hummed softly while others displayed flickering readings on faint blue screens. The floor was polished to such a degree that I could see the faint reflection of the overhead lights, which cast everything in a cool, clinical glow.
There was a faint, antiseptic smell in the air, mingled with something else. Something more metallic. Not quite blood, but equipment?
Several people were already waiting, as though they had been expecting us. They stood in a loose formation, dressed in white coats and uniforms, their expressions mixed with curiosity and what appeared to be fear.
A few of them moved immediately, wheeling forward a pair of stretchers without needing to be told.
"Treat the patients."
The Enforcer didn't waste a single second and handed the two of us over to them.
"Make sure to take care of them. Put more priority on her. She's in critical condition. At least stabilize her condition first. Don't do anything unnecessary. Her life comes first. As for him..."
His attention turned towards me as I slowly opened my eyes and met his gaze. He eventually turned away.
"Give him a minor check-up while I go take care of things. I'll have a private talk with him later. There's a lot that I need to figure out from this incident."
He left shortly after that, silence taking over the place for a short moment before Soran was suddenly escorted away for'treatment'. Honestly, I didn't know what they were planning on doing with her, but I was certain that it wasn't going to be any good.
'At least for now, I'm certain that she's safe.'
Their goal was to stabilize her condition, which I was fine with, considering that she was very likely in a terrible state. I hadn't seen the entire scene, but I knew that whatever she had done hadn't been good for her already bad condition.
As Soran disappeared from view, one of the figures that had remained behind stepped forward.
He was a middle-aged man in a pristine white coat, his presence standing out compared to the others. He had to be somewhere in his late forties, with neatly combed salt-and-pepper hair and a closely trimmed beard that gave him a refined, almost scholarly appearance.
A pair of thin-framed glasses rested on the bridge of his sharp nose, and behind them, his pale grey eyes studied me with the mild curiosity of someone who had seen far stranger things walk through these doors.
The name tag pinned to his coat read'Dr. Veyra'.
He offered me a small, yet calm smile. It wasn't warm, but not cold either. Just professional.
"Let's have a look at you, shall we?"
His voice was smooth, carrying the faintest trace of an accent that I couldn't quite place. He gestured towards a nearby examination bed.
"I'll try to be quick. I'm sure you've had a long day."
Several of the people in white moved behind me, but I raised my hand and stopped them.
"I'll... be fine. I don't need any major treatment. Just my shoulder hurts."
I exposed my shoulder, displaying the wound that appeared there as I took a deep breath and covered the wound again.
Honestly, I didn't want anyone to get too close to me. I was worried that they might see through my camouflage. This wouldn't do me any good. Hence, I put on a bit of a tantrum.
"I'll do it myself. I don't need any of this stuff. Just patch up my things."
"...But it could be dangerous! Don't refuse the treatment."
"I'm good."
"But...!"
"Let him do as he wishes."
To my surprise, the doctor was the one who went along with my tantrum, his hands in both pockets as he stared at me with the same smile as before. Feeling his smile, I found myself licking my lips.
He didn't seem quite strong, and yet... for some reason, something about his smile and gaze seemed to almost see right through me.
I licked again.
Did he notice something?
Taking a step forward, he moved closer to me. Strangely, I felt rather calm despite the sudden tension that rose in the air. Staring at his smile as he looked me in the eyes, his smile still the same, I found myself pursing my lips, trying my best to stop myself from licking my lips for the third time.
And eventually, his lips parted⎯
"The wound is quite deep, but it doesn't seem to be anything serious. Despite this, I would like to keep you here. After all, your safety is my responsibility. I hope that you won't mind that much."
"...Well, fine."
I answered back, my tone flat. Honestly, even if he did want to kick me away, I probably wouldn't have left since Soran was being kept here.
With her presence here, my original plan had to be scrapped.
But at the same time, something else churned inside my mind as the doctor nodded at me and ordered the other people present to escort me to a resting room.
His gaze remained on me as I left, but I forced myself to pay no mind to it.
From the start, I knew that the place I was in didn't have ordinary individuals. This much was still something that I expected.
My next set of actions was clear, though.
'I think the situation might've turned out better than I expected.'
Well, maybe.
I wasn't sure.
I didn't really have much time, to be honest.
Turning my wrist, I looked at the time.
'It probably shouldn't take too long for them to figure out the true identity of the Butcher.'
I had to be done by then.
-x-X-x-
Dr. Veyra sat alone in his private office, the lights dimmed to a soft, ambient glow that allowed the screens in front of him to take center stage.
On the largest monitor, a detailed scan of Soran's brain rotated slowly, displaying the intricate web of neural pathways and the small, glowing clusters that marked her nodes.
His sharp grey eyes traced over each one carefully, his lips pressing into a thin line as he noted the extensive damage scattered throughout.
"It's worse than I initially thought."
The doctor quietly rubbed his beard while staring at the scan before turning his head to stare in a certain direction.
Beyond the glass partition that separated his office from the recovery ward, Soran lay motionless on a medical bed, her eyes closed, her breathing shallow but steady.
Various tubes and wires connected her to the surrounding machinery, each one quietly monitoring her vital signs. She looked smaller than she had appeared earlier, almost fragile under the dim lighting of the ward.
"How is her condition?"
The sound of the door opening pulled his attention away from the screens.
Enforcer Brandt stepped inside, his presence immediately filling the room. His sharp features reflected off the glass window as his dark hair fluttered silently in the air with each step that he took.
His expression was straight and unreadable. However, if one looked closely, they'd notice the hint of worry in his gaze as he looked at the body beyond the glass.
The sleeve where his left arm should have been hung empty, his arm still missing after the events with the Butcher. In spite of this, he looked completely unconcerned about his situation.
The doctor turned slightly in his chair to face him, folding his hands in his lap. For a brief moment, his gaze fell on his sleeveless arm before his lips parted.
"Her situation is a lot more troublesome than I expected. Most of her nodes are damaged, and it'll take quite a large investment to bring her back. I'm not sure I can carry on with the procedure. You'll need to see whether the higher-ups think that investing in her is worth it or not."
A procedure that involved the treatment of a broken node was not something that he could just initiate as he wished. It needed to receive the green light from the higher-ups.
Brandt's gaze drifted past him, settling on the unconscious figure beyond the glass.
"Don't worry about them. I'm sure they will agree."
Dr. Veyra studied him for a brief moment before turning back to the screens, his fingers idly adjusting the rotation of the brain scan.
"Well, it doesn't really matter. For now, she needs some time to recover. We can proceed with the operation once she's more fit. She's not in the right state to proceed."
The doctor paused, glancing up at the Enforcer once more.
'Thankfully, Osvald seems to be doing fine. He doesn't need a check-up. But what about you? Your arm..."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ever so slightly.
"...That's none of your concern, doctor."
The doctor's eyes locked onto the Enforcer's, his gaze extremely heavy, carrying a threatening glint that would have made most men flinch. It was the kind of look that shut one from speaking any further.
The doctor, however, remained perfectly composed. He simply smiled back, the expression as polite and professional as ever, entirely unfazed by the silent warning being directed at him.
It was as he held that smile that something stirred at the back of his mind.
The edge of his lips curled up further.
"Oh, right."
The doctor turned, rummaging through his drawer and retrieving a small object which he displayed to the Enforcer.
"I found this in the patient's pants, but it doesn't seem anything special. What do you think?"
The Enforcer frowned before raising his gaze to look at the doctor.
"Are you here to waste my time?"
"Hehe."
The doctor chuckled, tossing the item away.
"Lighten up! There's no need for you to always be this sulky! I'll take care of this for you, and..." The doctor suddenly paused, his lips closing for a moment as he thought of something. "Regarding Osvald, I suggest you give him a better look."
"Hm?"
Brandt's brows furrowed slightly, his attention fully returning to the doctor.
Dr. Veyra leaned back in his chair, his pale grey eyes glinting behind his thin-framed glasses.
"...Something about him seems interesting. We might just have a rat with us."
"A rat?"
***
I was given my own room. It wasn't very big, just large enough for a small wardrobe and a bed. It wasn't meant to be anything fancy, just a place where the "patients" were supposed to rest while the doctors kept an eye on them and their condition.
Sitting down on the bed, I crossed my legs while rubbing my shoulder.
The injury was real.
In order to play the part, I had purposely injured myself. Right on the same shoulder.
'It hurts.'
The pain was also real.
'...And I probably didn't need to push things this far.'
I could've just pretended like the injury was there. I could always create the illusion that it was real. But that would only bring more variables into play.
The more realistic something was, the less likely I'd be suspected.
"Hmm."
Leaning further back onto the bed, I looked around the room. It was plain in every sense of the word, with sterile white walls no different from the area outside. The design was consistent, but despite the simplicity, it felt as though several eyes were directed my way, closely monitoring my every move.
But regardless of where I looked, I couldn't see a single camera or object that could be monitoring me. Even when using Mr. Jingles, I wasn't able to detect anything, meaning that the room was being monitored using some sort of special object.
'It's very likely an anomalous object or something.'
This made things a little bit more complicated.
I closed my eyes while leaning further back onto the bed, musing over my current situation.
'It seems like I've been brought into a medical ward. I think I've got about a couple of hours to figure out the layout of the place before the cat is out of the bag. In that case, I need to be more careful with my steps. I need to get a proper idea of the layout of this place and also figure out exactly where I am.'
Unlike before, I didn't have much information about the place that I was in.
My best guess was that I was in the secret hideout, or at least a branch of this organization called'Hand' or whatever.
Well, this was probably going to be the only rest that I was going to get for quite some time.
Things were probably about to get quite hectic.
'Might as well get some rest while I'm at it. What do they say...? The calm before the storm?'
"Hmm~ Hmmm~"
Before I knew it, I found myself humming to myself, my mind relaxing quite a bit as I brought both hands behind my head to cushion my head. Kicking my feet lightly, I continued to hum softly as the room filled with nothing but the sound of my soft hums.
In a way, it was strangely relaxing.
I wished this would continue for a bit.
But sadly, such moments of relaxation didn't continue for much longer.
To Tok!
The knock came abruptly.
The door swung open without waiting for an answer, revealing a familiar figure. My lips curled slowly as I lifted my head, meeting the Enforcer's narrowed gaze across the room.
He didn't step inside. He didn't need to. He simply stood in the doorway, one hand resting against the door frame, his eyes sweeping the room once, giving it a quick look before settling back on me.
"As I previously mentioned, I would..."
His voice was even.
Unhurried.
"I'm here to talk about what happened. Fill me in."
The silence that followed was heavier than it had any right to be.
-x-X-x-
The silence carried on for the next few seconds.
It was only a few seconds, and yet, with each second that dragged on, it felt as though the air was being stripped from the surroundings as the Enforcer stared in my direction.
"...I'd like to know exactly what happened. I didn't get the chance to properly speak with you about what had happened."
He took a step forward.
Clank!
The door closed on its own, leaving the two of us in the room alone.
Oh my~
For just a moment, a thin silence stretched between the two of us as neither he nor I spoke. But eventually, as the tension in the room dragged on, I reached into my pocket and tossed something in his direction.
"Instead of telling you, how about you check it for yourself? I've got a recording of the entire situation."
Extending his hand, the Enforcer caught the orb I tossed in his direction and paused to look at it. He already seemed to know how it worked, because not long after, images began to play across its surface.
With his focus entirely on the orb, I remained seated where I was, my lips slowly pulling as I rubbed one of my fingers.
'It should work, right?'
***
The Doctor's words had made Brandt far more sensitive than he had expected to be. Before he knew it, he found himself in the room where Osvald had been put to rest, and he immediately began questioning him.
Unexpectedly, Osvald didn't seem any different from usual. His tone and appearance were exactly as he remembered, and even the item he had received from Osvald belonged to him, displaying footage from his body camera of the entire situation.
'It could all be a ruse. I'll still keep a close eye on him. For now, this is more important. Let me see exactly what happened back in that place.'
Even now, the Enforcer didn't forget.
He hadn't forgotten the Butcher's appearance or power. It was still deeply seared into his mind, the thought of its strength making the back of his scalp tingle.
That thing...
Whatever it was, it was far more powerful than he had originally expected. But that wasn't the thing that bothered him the most. He had faced anomalies of such strength in the past.
What bothered him, however, was the fact that it was learning.
It was... growing.
'Even if I tried my best, I probably would have had a hard time defeating it.'
He wasn't completely hopeless, but the way that it was growing made it hard for him to believe that he would be able to defeat it. Perhaps if he did it quickly...?
'Whatever it is, it's none of my concern. This is something that the others will handle.'
The Enforcer began to play the recording. From that moment, he began to witness everything. From Osvald's infiltration process to the identity of the'Team Leader' and eventually Seth's appearance.
"⎯⎯!"
The more he witnessed, the greater his shock became, his usually calm and unshakable expression beginning to show signs of it as his eyes eventually fell on the knife in Seth's grasp.
"So that's how it is."
It was also in that moment that something became clear to him.
That thing...
It was no anomaly. It had been a human from the start. No...
It was all the knife.
"A sort of tool that can temporarily absorb an anomaly's power? A growth-type?"
Ripples formed in the Enforcer's heart as realization dawned on him. Lifting his head away from the orb, his gaze fell on Osvald. Seeing his current state, he finally understood a lot of things.
"So that's what happened."
"Yes," Osvald replied with a nod, pointing at the orb. "The one responsible for this is the one that I was tasked to target. I wasn't aware that he was in possession of such a tool, so..."
"Mhm, that's understandable."
Even the Enforcer could tell that the current circumstances were way outside of Osvald's control. In fact, the fact that he was still alive was a miracle in itself.
Shifting his attention back to the orb, he found himself quite impressed by Osvald's next set of actions. He was also impressed by this so-called'Team Leader,' which made him feel a slight sense of pity for what he had done before, though that feeling lasted only a few seconds before his expression shifted.
"Hm?"
His eyes narrowed especially when he noticed that the orb had suddenly stopped showing any more images.
He shifted his attention back to Osvald, who shrugged from where he was.
"Don't look at me like that. The entire place blew up. Just before it, I even asked for backup. I'm sure you saw just how powerful that explosion was. It's only natural that the recording stopped there. What could I have done?"
Brandt's eyes narrowed for a brief moment, but he eventually nodded as he muttered, "That's a fair point."
He did feel the explosion firsthand, after all.
He hadn't been quite there yet, but the shockwaves could be felt from a long distance away.
"I'll keep this with me. I'll make sure that the others see what has happened."
"...I see."
Osvald didn't seem to have any objections to this arrangement before his brows suddenly furrowed. After which, he mused for a moment before suddenly asking, "What about... Seth. The Butcher. What is going to happen to him? If he somehow managed to get out of this situa⎯"
"That won't happen."
The Enforcer interrupted Osvald calmly.
"...You've seen it yourself. There's no way that he can be okay after what has happened. That was very likely his last-ditch attempt at trying to save himself. Even if he somehow does something like a body-switch, it's impossible considering that the knife has very likely consumed his brain."
With all his experience and after having witnessed everything, the Enforcer was almost certain of his guess. It was also for this reason that he felt that Osvald wasn't as suspicious as the doctor had suggested.
Having witnessed the entire sequence of events, there was no way for him to do anything. It was also all recorded.
But then again⎯
'The cleaner he feels, the more careful I should be.'
There was also a very easy way for him to check if the Osvald standing before him was a rat or not.
Step!
Taking a step forward, he moved in Osvald's direction.
Osvald was still sitting on his bed as he raised his head to look at the approaching Enforcer. As if expecting his actions, Osvald didn't look at all flustered before the Enforcer stopped before him.
A tense quiet followed as both sides looked at each other, until eventually, the Enforcer reached in Osvald's direction, seemingly trying to reach for his shoulder.
"I'll be done quickly. Just stay still."
His hand had just started to move when Osvald's voice whispered in the air. It was just audible enough for the two of them to hear.
"If there are no cameras here, but we're being monitored. Do you think someone of the Warden Decree would be able to disable everything for a split second?"
"Huh?"
Not even a second after the whisper sounded, a soft giggle spread through the air.
The Enforcer's face changed abruptly, but before he could even react, a dark figure appeared right behind him, clinging directly to his body. Subsequently, the space behind the two cracked, and the Enforcer felt a hand press against his chest.
"Off you go~"
"⎯!!"
It all happened so fast that the Enforcer didn't even have the time to properly activate his nodes before he was pushed into the crack and faded completely. At the same time, Osvald waved his hand, and the crack faded.
"....."
Silence filled the surroundings as Osvald slowly stood up, staring at the portal in silence while turning his attention towards the ring on his finger.
"Haish."
Osvald sighed, rubbing his hair.
His tone reflected that of a man filled with guilt.
But it was just his tone.
".....Surely he won't mind having a guest at this time, no?"
-x-X-x-
Setting up a portal wasn't quite easy.
It wasn't something that I could just magically call forth as I wished. It took a bit of time to properly set up. In fact, for a moment, I almost thought it wouldn't appear on time, but thankfully, just before he moved to me, I felt the ring stir, and I was quick to take action.
I wasn't particularly surprised by his suspicion of me. Maybe a lot of it had been lifted due to the video, but as I recalled the doctor from before, I couldn't help but feel that it had something to do with him.
'...Maybe I'm just being paranoid.'
Not that it mattered.
He needed to be pushed away.
"⎯⎯!"
All of a sudden, my head felt as though it was being split in half as I winced under the pain, a white-hot pressure driving straight through the center of my skull before fading into a dull, throbbing ache.
'Ah, it looks like the Realmwalker has passed.'
I silently mourned for the Realmwalker who had sacrificed itself to catch the Enforcer off-guard and push him into the portal.
At the thought of the surprise the Enforcer was going to be met with, I pursed my lips.
'I mean, I did say I was going to show'him' something amusing. I'm sure he's going to forgive me for this.'
Either way, I planned on setting up another one later.
Standing up quickly, a figure appeared on the bed, legs crossed, while its usual smile was gone.
With his hand under his chin, the Conductor stared at me in silence. This was one of the rare few times I had seen the Conductor wear such an expression.
It was just unfortunate that we didn't have any time to talk as I walked up to the Conductor and pressed my hand against its shoulder, its figure changing to Osvald as mine changed to that of the Enforcer.
Mirelle's laugh stopped at the same time as I opened my lips to speak.
"...You should get some rest."
I tried my best to imitate his tone and voice.
It wasn't perfect at first, but with each passing word that came out of my mouth, my tone, sound, and pitch started to become the exact same as that of the Enforcer.
"I'll have the information relayed to the ones above. Considering what you've shown me, you will likely only face minor repercussions."
Without further ado, I adjusted my clothes while moving towards the door.
It was also in that moment that I heard the shuffling of footsteps coming from behind as I paused, my hand resting directly on the knob.
Eventually, I pulled the door open and found myself facing a crowd of people in black, fitted, high-collared uniforms, every crease perfectly pressed. Their expressions were blank, their hands clasped or resting rigidly at their sides. They looked like well-trained soldiers ready to strike at a moment's notice.
They stood in a loose arc just beyond the threshold, all staring in my direction as my entire body inadvertently tensed.
'...Did I get caught?'
My mind scrambled in that moment, trying to assess what was going on, but right in that moment, a figure stepped forward, their eyes sharp and gaze intense. He was lean and precise-looking, with close-cropped hair and a thin scar that cut through the corner of his left brow.
"There was a situation, sir."
His tone was firm, but it carried a certain politeness as he addressed me. I tilted my head, not saying anything.
He continued.
"We experienced a brief interruption in connectivity with the database monitoring infrastructure lasting only a few seconds. We responded immediately to verify that all systems and data flows were operating within normal parameters. Have there been any anomalies or operational issues observed during that interval?"
"Such a situation occurred?"
I feigned surprise, though subtly. Thinking about the Enforcer, I knew that he wasn't someone who showed much emotion on his face. This made things a lot easier for me as I looked back into the room.
"...I've just received relatively important information from Osvald. However, we didn't experience anything that was out of the norm." Pausing, I looked back at the man who had addressed me. He was most likely the man in charge of security. "For how long did this temporary outage last?"
"Just a few seconds."
"Hmm."
My eyes narrowed for a short moment as I maintained my gaze on him. I didn't bother looking away, making sure that I was making full eye contact, and as time passed, I could feel a certain discomfort growing from his gaze. The men behind him remained motionless, but the air between us had shifted, thinned, almost, like the moment before a held breath was finally released.
That was also the moment I spoke.
"It might not be something important, but we can't dismiss something like this. Lead me to the monitoring room. Let me get a look at the situation. In the meantime, keep him locked inside the room and make sure that he doesn't get out."
"Understood!"
The tension eased in that moment, some scrambling away in near relief while others lingered by the door. I didn't bother looking their way; my attention fixed on the man standing before me as he turned to the side and extended his hand.
"Please, sir."
I nodded, not saying anything as I started walking ahead.
However, this was a bit of a problem. I didn't know the way. To make matters worse, if I took the wrong turn, then I was almost certain that I'd give myself away.
'Just when one problem disappears, another one appears.'
I wanted to bash my head against the wall, but I maintained my demeanour as I walked ahead.
Thankfully, the path ahead was entirely straight.
The corridor stretched for quite a bit, the floor a pale, scuffed linoleum that caught the overhead fluorescent light in dull, uneven patches. The air carried a particular sterile bite that reminded me of the hospital I had been in not long ago.
'Ah, I don't think I'll go to a hospital anytime soon...'
Glass windows lined all sides, offering an unobstructed view on either end.
Past the glass doors were several people dressed in white, their movements unhurried, clipboards tucked under arms or fingers tapping at monitors placed by the sides.
Patients sat at long tables, each one slumped or upright in their own private beds, sleeves rolled back to reveal the soft crook of their arms where tubes connected to them.
The sight made my steps pause as I took in the scene around me, and the more we walked, the more gruesome the sights I was exposed to became, with several of the'patients' sitting with their craniums open, the sight reminding me of one of the procedures I had undergone a while back, as the back of my scalp tingled.
I tried not to let the sight get to me, but not even a few steps ahead, I found myself stopping as my attention fell on a glass window. Or to be precise, one of the patients behind the glass, as my lips pursed together.
That's...
'Rowan's sister.'
I closed my eyes and drew a small breath.
The sight caught me completely off guard. I had been aware of the fact that something had happened to her, but I didn't expect her to end up here, of all places.
'No, in a way, this might be a good thing. I was planning on looking for her. This at least proves to me that she isn't dead.'
This was good news.
However⎯
"Sir...?"
Hearing the voice behind me, I suddenly realized my situation. Despite this, I kept my attention fixed ahead before eventually nudging my head.
"How is the situation going here?"
"The situation...?" The security captain paused for a moment before immediately giving me a brief overview, "I don't know much, given my position, but from what I've heard, the doctors appear to be experimenting with the new drug on the patients. I believe she is one such patient."
"I understand that. What I'm asking about is the progress on the experimentation. How is it going?"
"...My apologies, but I'm not very well aware."
The security captain lowered his head. I pressed my lips together, not showing much of a reaction. In the meantime, I gave a cursory glance to my surroundings, paying attention to the recessed lighting humming faintly above, alongside the numerous glass panels that stood on both sides of the corridor.
I traced everything before my gaze settled on a long green line running along the upper wall, stretching into the distance, with [SECTOR 3] written boldly along its center.
'Hmm, so this is Sector 3.'
I didn't really know what that meant, but at least it was something. I had managed to buy myself some time to properly assess my situation.
'I don't know where I'm supposed to go. That's the only thing that I know as of now. Given that I'm the one leading, if I somehow go in the wrong direction, it might lead to them noticing that I'm an impostor. In this situation, I should take advantage of this time to extract as much information as possible.'
Eventually, my gaze settled on another window.
I pointed in that direction.
"The treatment should already be underway, correct?"
"Ah, that's..."
The security guard looked a little troubled as his head lowered.
"Ah, no, sir. From what I understand, they are still in the early stages. The first phase has only recently been completed."
"I see." I kept my eyes forward. "And Veyra is overseeing it personally. As expected."
"...I believe so, sir. Though I'm not entirely certain of the specifics. Doctor Veyra would be more informed on that front."
"Where is he now? Is he done treating h-er?"
Though subtle, I let out a small tremble at the mention of'her'.
The captain paused for a moment before quickly recovering.
"His office, I believe. Or perhaps the second sector." He paused. "Shall I confirm his location?"
"Do it. And tell him to come to me. I'll have something to relay to him directly."
"Understood."
The security guard tapped on his ear as he began communicating.
I drew a shallow breath in the meantime. I had to think extremely carefully about each word that came out of my mouth.
'Nonetheless, I am now certain of the doctor's importance to this place.'
He...
"Yes, I'd like to request the doctor's location. The Enforcer is looking for him. Yes, I'd like the information to be given to me as soon as possible, and..." The security captain paused, his head lifting to stare at me as I nudged him with my chin.
"Tell the doctor to come to me directly."
"Come to you...?"
"Yes, I'd like him to meet me directly. There's something that I'd like to relay to him."
"I... understand."
The security captain nodded, tapping his communication device as he relayed my message.
"Relay to the doctor that the Enforcer wishes to see him. We'll be in sector four, right in the monitoring rooms. Yes, please inform him quickly. If⎯"
"It's not urgent."
I cut him off before he could continue. I didn't want to make this seem like a sort of emergency. Thinking about my interaction with the doctor, although it had been brief, it was clear that he had somewhat seen through my disguise.
He was someone dangerous. The less I interacted with him, the better.
If possible, I didn't even want him to come to me, but considering the current circumstances, I thought this was the most appropriate approach for me to gain information.
"And the meeting point," I said, keeping my tone even. "I'll leave that to you. Somewhere appropriate."
A small pause. Then, almost reflexively, he filled the silence exactly as I'd hoped.
"Of course, sir. There is a designated waiting area adjacent to the monitoring room. It's near the entrance of this sector, just one right turn from the monitoring room itself. We typically use it for situations such as this, given that only one individual is permitted inside the monitoring room at a time. If that works for you..."
His voice trailed off as I remained silent. I didn't show much of a reaction, but secretly I was clenching my fist as I burned all the information into my mind.
Pretending to be in thought, I asked another question.
"This might work." I paused before eventually nodding, "Okay, we'll go with that arrangement."
"Understood."
The captain began to relay my orders.
At the same time he did, I hesitated, my lips opening on their own.
"That..."
The captain paused, his attention turning towards me as I continued, "Try asking about he... no, never mind."
I pulled my gaze away from the security captain and started walking ahead, leaving behind a bewildered gaze.
As I kept going, I could hear him finishing up the call.
I took a small breath while walking ahead, scanning my left and right carefully.
A figure in a white coat rounded the corner ahead, clipboard in hand. His eyes lifted briefly, landing on me.
He slowed.
I held his gaze, giving him nothing. No greeting or acknowledgement. Just the flat, unreadable stare of someone who didn't need to explain their presence.
For a moment, he seemed to weigh something internally. Then his eyes dropped back to his clipboard, and he moved on without a word.
I exhaled through my nose.
The captain behind me hadn't noticed a thing.
I continued.
Somehow, I had managed to extract some extremely valuable information. Despite this, I was still far from being in the clear. Although I now knew where I needed to go, the information was still rather vague.
'The goal is finding the waiting room. So long as I find the waiting room, I should be able to find the monitoring room. He said that it should be ahead, right at the edge of the third sector.'
Step! Step!
The quiet echo of my steps continued to resound through the surroundings as I remained silent, scanning both my right and left while noting the corridors branching around me. I continued following the green line overhead until I eventually noticed that in one of the corridors feeding into mine, the line shifted to a different color.
It was... purple.
My heart pressed against my chest as my steps started to slow down.
'Could this be SECTOR 4?'
Based on all the information that I knew, it was supposed to be. However, it was also possible that it wasn't.
'Right, he said that the room should be close to the entrance. I should be able to see it. Since I can't see anything in this corridor, this must not be it.'
Taking note of each corridor that branched into the one I was on, my steps never slowed. The quiet echo of my footsteps carried on, mingling with the security captain's as I carefully scanned each passageway, my pulse steady and controlled as I walked on, showing little emotion.
As my gaze mingled across the surroundings, the captain's voice broke the silence behind me.
"Sir, if you're heading to the monitoring room, the faster route would be through the left corridor. It cuts through the central hub."
I didn't break stride.
"I'm aware. I want to check something first."
There was a pause behind me. Then his footsteps resumed, slightly more measured than before. I could feel the weight of his stare pressing against my back.
For a brief moment, my back started to feel cold.
I didn't want to admit it, but it seemed like I was quite nervous. My heart was beating quite loudly.
Given how a single wrong step could lead to my death, it was only natural for my heart to be this way.
And yet...
The more I walked, the more I realized it wasn't purely out of nervousness.
There was something else mixed in with the nervousness.
Something like...
'Excitement?'
I suddenly brought my hand to my face, feeling the corner of my lips rising at the absurd thought. Excitement? In this situation...? I really was...
"Hm?"
Something snagged my attention. My head turned slowly as a large black door appeared, set flush against the wall of one of the branching corridors. Easy to miss if you weren't looking.
My steps slowed.
No, it was a little too much...
Behind me, the captain's footsteps slowed in response, mirroring mine. If I stopped now, he would stop too. If I turned, he would see exactly where I was looking.
I had one second.
Maybe less.
I wasn't sure why my heart stuttered the way it did, but I had the sudden urge to glance back at the captain rising in my chest.
I swallowed it down.
The black door...
The corridor, the way it sat just off the main path...
Like it had been described...
But when I looked up, the main corridor I was in still stretched ahead of me, and many other corridors branched off. There was no guarantee that this was the correct path.
And yet, I only had a split second to decide.
Go, or not...?
"Sir? Is there a problem?"
The captain's voice whispered behind me.
"...Do you perhaps not know the way?"
The very air around me seemed to freeze, the surrounding temperature dropping as the captain's voice continued to whisper from behind.
"Is everything alright?"
I stopped.
Not quite immediately. Just a half step after I should have. Enough to make it seem like I was being disturbed. Then I turned, slowly, and looked at him for the first time since we'd started walking.
He held my gaze.
That was the first thing I noted.
His suspicious stare.
'He's been watching me.'
"What makes you say that?"
I asked slowly, keeping my tone in check.
"You've passed two corridors that would have been faster," he replied, trying his best not to sound accusatory.
At least, not yet.
"I assumed you had a reason."
He was giving me an opening. The question was whether it was genuine or a trap.
I studied his face. The slight tension around his eyes. The way his hands were still giving away at the tension in his hands. He was anything but relaxed.
'He suspects. But he isn't certain.'
"And if I did?"
I tilted my head curiously.
"Then I wouldn't question it, sir."
He paused.
"But if you didn't, I'd rather tell you now than later."
There it was. Still careful, and still polite, but the implication was clear. He knew something was off. He just didn't know what.
No, he did have an idea, but he wasn't quite certain.
I let the silence stretch between us, watching him the entire time as his jaw subconsciously tightened.
'He's nervous too.'
A man laying a trap doesn't get nervous. He was genuinely uncertain, weighing me the same way I was weighing him. Which meant he hadn't made up his mind yet.
That was something I could work with.
"The black door..."
I said finally, nudging in its direction.
"What's behind it?"
His expression shifted.
"That's..."
He paused.
"That's a restricted area, sir. It isn't part of the standard route."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"It requires separate clearance. Even for an Enforcer, the protocol would need to be—"
"Is that so...?"
Another silence. He was watching me very carefully now, trying to decide what my knowing meant.
"Is there something that is bothering you, sir?"
And there it was. The real question that he had been wanting to ask me from the start. He wasn't asking about the door anymore. He was asking about me.
I held his gaze for a long moment. Then I turned back toward the corridor.
"That's none of your business."
"Sir—"
"I said, stay here."
My voice rose for a brief moment. It was just a brief moment, but it was present and noticeable. I heard his footsteps shift behind me as I walked toward the black door, and I didn't look back.
'This should be enough.'
My heart drummed inside my chest, feeling so loud that it almost felt as though it could be heard by the captain. I wasn't certain if this would work, but I had no choice but to continue.
I couldn't afford to hesitate.
The captain was sharp. Sharper than I'd given him credit for. Every second I spent second-guessing myself was another second he spent building a picture of me that I couldn't control.
I reached out and pressed my hand against the door.
That was also the moment the captain's voice echoed once more.
"As I've said... That's the wrong door."
My hand stopped.
'I know.'
"...We're in the wrong area."
The atmosphere paused.
My grip remained firm over the handle.
I waited.
I waited in the silence.
And soon⎯
"I'm... aware of your current situation, sir."
The words that I was desperate to hear reached my ears.
"If you'd like, I will lead you to the right place. She's in good hands. The doctor is very capable, I'm sure you understand."
I remained standing where I was, not moving a single muscle as my hand remained fixed on the handle.
"Sir...?"
Even as the captain called out again, I remained where I was.
I had no choice.
For... I couldn't show him the smile that lingered across my face.
'He's finally caught on.'
"Sir?"
Wiping the smile from my face, I finally turned around. I didn't say anything further, but the security captain already seemed to have an idea as he moved ahead in silence, not saying a single word.
It was only then that the corners of my lips pulled upwards as I found myself unable to suppress them any longer.
To be honest, it was a risky gamble. I hadn't even been sure if it would've worked. However, taking a look at the current situation, it paid off.
'It only makes sense that he knows. Since he's the security captain, he must have information on everyone, including me. He should be aware of the Enforcer's relationship with Soran.'
I knew of this since I had gauged his reaction earlier with the call.
'...And I'm also almost certain that the Enforcer is the one who insisted on bringing her here.'
I didn't know the extent of the Enforcer's relationship with Soran, but I had been present when he had'kidnapped' us. I had seen the way he looked at her, and even overheard a few things.
Given how Soran was currently very injured, it would only make sense for him not to be in his right mind.
I'd hoped the captain would catch onto this, and thankfully, he did.
"Let's go."
I spoke coldly while staring at the captain.
"You lead."
As I said those words, I lowered my tone.
"You are not to pry further."
"...Understood."
Following behind the captain, he led me two corridors ahead before turning into one where a similar black door came into view.
Further ahead, we took another turn and were led into a room where two men dressed in black stood motionless. The captain stopped and pressed his hand against the door.
"We're here."
***
Click! Click! Click!
The rhythmic tapping of a keyboard echoed through the room, each keystroke sounding sharp against the heavy silence that filtered through the room. Seated behind the monitor, Dr. Veyra stared at the images displayed across the screen, the pale glow reflecting faintly against the surface of his glasses.
He didn't speak.
He just calmly observed the images.
The silence stretched, broken only by the subtle movements of his mouse and the steady rhythm of typing.
Seconds passed.
Then a sudden notification chimed through the room.
Ding!
The door behind him slid open with a soft hiss, and a figure moved inside.
"Oh...?"
Dr. Veyra slowly turned his head.
The newcomer looked stiff, shoulders tense as he stepped into the room. His breathing appeared fairly even, attention fixed entirely on the doctor.
"Sir, there's a message I need to relay to you. It's from the security captain."
"Evan? Is something going on?"
"Ah, no. Nothing serious."
The man quickly shook his head.
"He asked me to inform you that the Enforcer wishes to meet with you."
"Brandt?"
"Yes."
"...."
The room fell silent once more.
Dr. Veyra's gaze lingered on the messenger for a moment before drifting back toward the monitors. He calmly analyzed the brain scans, staring at the numerous cracks appearing in the nodes of one particular image.
Slowly, he leaned back into his chair.
'For him to request my presence personally...'
His eyes narrowed slightly.
'He seems to care about the woman far more than I expected.'
The corner of his lips curled upward ever so faintly.
Then, as though recalling something, he looked back toward the man standing by the door.
"Did Evan say anything else? Why is he with the Enforcer? Did they catch the rat?"
"The rat?"
The man blinked in confusion, but under the doctor's stare, he hurried to continue.
"From what I heard, there was apparently something suspicious. The Enforcer and the security captain are heading to the monitor room to investigate the situation. There was a small outage while the Enforcer and Osvald were both present."
"A small outage?"
The doctor's fingers stopped moving.
"Yes. Nothing major. Just a brief blackout that lasted a few seconds."
The man swallowed nervously.
"The captain responded immediately, but by the time he arrived, everything had already returned to normal. They're checking things just in case."
"Is that so...?"
Dr. Veyra twirled the pen between his fingers.
A few quiet seconds passed.
Then, suddenly, he smiled.
"In that case," he murmured as he rose from his chair, "perhaps I should help them out."
The chair scraped softly against the floor as he stepped toward the door.
"Let's go."
-x-X-x-
The monitoring room was far different from what I had originally expected. I had thought it would be filled with monitors displaying every detail of the facility, but that assumption turned out to be wrong.
The room itself was fairly large, about the size of a tennis court, with several people moving across it.
At the center stood an enormous metal table, its surface dark and smooth, projecting a detailed map of the entire facility in cold blue light. Scattered across the map were numerous red dots, clustered in dense groups along certain corridors and thinning out toward the edges.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw them, but I quickly relaxed once I realized they marked the positions of cameras and monitoring devices. As my gaze moved across the display, the captain walked ahead.
"We're here, sir. If there's anything you'd like to check, please let me know or inform the engineers. We'll work quickly to help you find the root of the issue."
"Mhm."
I nodded faintly and followed, scanning the room as I went. The personnel here didn't strike me as particularly dangerous. Ordinary staff, from what I could tell, without the kind of presence that signaled real combat capability. The only one that gave me pause was the captain, and even then, I placed him at roughly my level.
That was only my assumption, though.
I couldn't afford to treat assumptions as facts.
Not here.
Not with this much at stake.
I needed to understand the room fully before I made any decisions, which meant I needed time, and that wasn't something I was sure I had.
"Let's see. The room of interest was Sector 3, Patient Room 57."
The captain stopped at the edge of the table and pressed his palm flat against the surface. The map shifted smoothly, folding away to make room for something else, and a holographic log bloomed upward above the table in a column of pale light.
"Have a look, sir."
I stepped forward and studied it.
Most of it was dense with technical notation I couldn't understand. Layered timestamps and system codes that meant nothing to me on the surface. But I could still pick out certain things.
Patterns.
Breaks in the pattern.
And there, near the middle of the log, I spotted an anomaly. Three seconds where the data simply stopped.
Those were the three seconds where I had made my move.
"As you can see, there was a three-second gap where the recording device failed," The captain said, his voice even as he scanned the log.
Pointing at it, he continued.
"This outage didn't occur anywhere else in the facility. Only in that room."
He paused.
"That alone is what prompted our investigation. Of course, isolated failures do occur from time to time. But it's always better to be cautious."
"Mhm."
I nodded again, my eyes still scanning the log. I wasn't going to understand all of it standing here, but I committed as much as I could to memory. Its structure. The way the timestamps were formatted. Where the gap sat in relation to everything around it. I needed to understand how this system worked before I touched anything.
"Let's review the footage inside the room."
All of a sudden, the captain moved, his fingers stretching as the log expanded before our very eyes.
"A before-and-after comparison should reveal any discrepancies."
My mind jolted upon hearing his words, but before I could even respond, he had already begun playing the recording, and the entire scene unfolded in holographic form for everyone to see.
My back straightened just a little.
I was confident I hadn't left anything obvious behind. I had been careful. But confidence didn't mean anything, and the longer that footage played, the more I became aware of how little margin of error I had.
A single overlooked detail was all that was needed for everything to fall apart.
Despite all of this, I still remained calm.
I had already run the entire scenario inside my mind multiple times.
From the corner of my eye, I tracked an approaching figure.
He wore a dark suit, neatly ironed. Several of the staff here were dressed similarly, blending with everyone else in the room. His eyes were fixed on the tablet in his hands, fingers moving across it in small, absentminded gestures.
He wasn't looking around and wasn't paying attention to anything beyond whatever was on that screen.
Just another person doing their job.
'I think he should do.'
I tapped my foot on the ground. But for another reason, as I quickly connected with Mirelle.
That was the exact moment something changed.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Several beeps erupted across the room in quick succession, cutting through the silence in the surroundings. Around me, heads raised, and fingers froze over their displays.
Alarms layered over one another, each one feeding into the next.
The captain's head snapped up at the same time.
"Again?"
He swiped his hand across the table in a single fluid motion, dismissing the footage and pulling up the live logs. The hologram shifted rapidly, columns of data cascading upward as the system updated in real time. His eyes moved across it quickly, scanning, and then stopped.
His head turned toward me.
"It's happening again, Enforcer."
His voice was tight while he shifted his attention back and forth between me and the logs.
"We've lost connection with room 57."
The room had gone very still.
Every pair of eyes had now shifted towards the main table, staring at the message error.
I kept my attention on the logs, letting my expression settle into something grave as I began barking orders of my own.
"Tell the people waiting by the door to enter immediately and check what's going on inside."
My voice came out lower than I meant it to, but I quickly recovered as I stared at the captain while taking a small step back.
"In the meantime, have everyone present look at the logs. I want to know if this is isolated to room 57 or if it's spreading elsewhere. Quick!"
I clapped once, and everyone got busy at work. That was also the moment I turned back to the man I had eyed before and pressed my hand against his shoulder.
"Hurry up and get to your station. Every hand is crucial."
I opened my hand.
A small red ball sat in my palm. The man's eyes dropped to it, and his entire body froze mid-step, expression going slack. He simply stopped, like something had been switched off behind his eyes.
The room carried on around him.
Nobody noticed.
I nudged his shoulder and placed the ball right onto his breast pocket.
He snapped out of it and continued walking without a word, as though nothing had happened.
I closed my hand and moved back towards the captain as he communicated with the comms, his voice reaching my ears.
"What do you mean, nothing?"
The captain's voice had dropped, but the tension in it hadn't. He pressed two fingers against his ear, listening as his brow furrowed at the response coming through.
"You're saying there's nothing inside?"
There was another pause.
"Osvald is still there?"
He swiped across the table, pulling the live feed back up. The connection had restored itself, the data flowing cleanly again as though the interruption had never happened. His eyes moved across it rapidly, searching for something.
"I've got the monitoring service back on. I can see everything. You're right. There's nothing. Are you sure nothing happened? How is this⎯!!"
He was never able to finish his words.
A loud, smashing sound tore through the room, causing several people to flinch visibly.
BANG!
As all heads turned, they focused on a single individual.
He had both hands wrapped around the back of a chair, his knuckles white, and before anyone could react, he slammed it down onto the control panel with everything he had. The impact was brutal. Sparks erupted as the station shattered apart, startling everyone present.
"⎯⎯!!"
"Y⎯!"
But before anyone could say a thing, he brought his chair up again and smashed down.
BANG!
Another thunderous crash echoed through the room. As I stared in his direction, I brought a hand to my lips, feeling a headache begin to creep in.
'Ah, this is really hard on my nodes.'