Finally, Sophie, Fiona, Melina, Violet, and Marcus arrived in Tretia, but… it really looked like something from the Middle Ages.
Sophie: "uhm.."
Fiona: "hmm.. uhm.."
Marcus: "(sweating)… what… is going on here, why is everything so old…"
Lucy: "…hmmm really… strange…"
Melina: "Yeah.."
Violet: "Hehe, it's kinda cool."
Crane: "(Oh no, this doesn't look good Sophie and Fiona)"
Mr Herold: "(yep)"
Bob: "(Not… good)"
Chika: "(looks like my village).."
It was quiet… too quiet…
Sophie: "Hey… do you feel that too, Fiona.."
Fiona: "mhm… this village… has a large amount of negative flow… I understand, it makes sense why they are so old-fashioned… they are… victims of the black hole…"
Violet: "The only black hole I know is an asshole…"
Marcus: "(sweating) Thanks for reminding us… but… please don't say that…"
Violet: "What exactly is it? I hear about it often… but what is it?"
Fiona: "It's a phenomenon… that causes places to disappear for a while… and when they return… the location changes completely… for example, a city that was modern suddenly becomes old-fashioned… the timeline gets altered…"
Violet: "Okay… and… why does that happen?"
Sophie: "No idea…"
Fiona: "mmm… it could be a natural phenomenon…"
Sophie: "shhhh Fiona… you mustn't say that, Dark Umbrella would punish you for that… you know Vanitas was insane… just like Galileo… both were crazy people…"
Fiona: "Sometimes you need a crazy person for things like this…"
Sophie: "You don't really think this is a natural phenomenon… right?"
Fiona: "Not exactly… I think something is causing it to happen so often and so strongly…"
Sophie: "Hahhh…"
Marcus: "Anyway… you two should never say things like that in front of Dark Umbrella…"
Violet: "Hmm… are they really that strict, this… Dark Umbrella?"
Marcus: "There are quite a few rules… for example, never talk about Vanitas or Galileo… second, never eat at night… like… in the dark… third, intercourse is forbidden, at least in the buildings… fourth… no loud music… fifth… and this is the most important…"
Fiona: "Never… ask what is behind room 5413…"
Marcus: "Exactly…"
Violet: "What's there actually?"
Marcus: "Don't know…"
Sophie: "I do… I've been there once…"
Marcus: "how… you should have died…"
Sophie: "I did… did you forget I can time travel upon death… I was lucky in my misfortune that it happened…"
Marcus: "ugh."
Lucy: "What did you see!"
Violet: "yeah!"
Melina: "yes tell us.."
Marcus: "That's forbidden…"
Fiona: "Yeah… tell us…"
Marcus: "Fiona you too?"
Fiona: "Of course… tell us Sophie, what did you see…"
Sophie: "…mmm… how do I say this… it was… a… a figure…"
Fiona: "Huh?"
Marcus: "ughh…"
Sophie: "This figure looked more like… a… monster… it had 4 horns that looked like moss…"
Fiona: "okay?"
Sophie: "And it was huge and called itself Jeff… that's all I can say or I'll die…"
Fiona: "Boring… wait… that's it?"
Sophie: "Yes… oh by the way, you'll now feel strange for 5 hours and then lose consciousness… let's hurry before you pass out—"
(crash)
They fell unconscious to the ground.
Sophie: "pass out… great…"
(a few hours later)
Marcus: "aaghh… what's going on…"
Fiona: "Did I pass out… must be my period…"
Marcus: "(sweating)… you don't say that out loud…"
Fiona: "Wait, you passed out too?… oh… are you a girl?!"
Marcus: "No…"
Fiona: "Well… that would explain why you have nothing down there…"
Marcus: "(sweating)… are you… looking for trouble…"
Sophie: "aghh… finally you're awake… I should have told you later about room 5413…"
Fiona: "Wait… you mean Jef—"
Sophie: "shhh… don't say his name… or you'll pass out again, just call him Mosshead… or little monster…"
Fiona: "What exactly is this monster?"
Sophie: "I don't know exactly… I only know you must not say its name… it's a monster but also a curse…"
Marcus: "Why would Dark Umbrella keep something like that?"
Sophie: "Hmmm… I think it somehow… helps them…"
(meanwhile)
(Patch!) (Patch)
Ms Valentine: "Hahhh… little monster, little monster on the line, please let me in.."
Jeff: "…cooome… iiinnn.."
The door opened…
Ms Valentine: "Hello… monster…"
Jeff: "hahhhh… what do you want… Valentine?!"
Ms Valentine: "This is only our second meeting… hmmm…"
Jeff: "Hahhhhh… say what you want… Valentine…"
Ms Valentine: "I want to know what you think about the situation with Zantanel…"
Jeff: "You… mean… that death itself… had a daughter with a human?…"
Ms Valentine: "Exactly. Your ability, monster, is that when you consume something from a person or creature, you can see through them… so… we found a hair of Zantanel… is it enough?"
Jeff: "Give… it… to me…"
He stretched out his hand… she gave it to him… his hand was purple… he opened his mouth, his large teeth and long tongue swallowed it.
(gulp!)
Jeff: "hahhhhh… what a terrifying girl… Zantanel… is about 29 years old… her ability is called corruption… this ability… only one had it before… death itself… Rudeus!"
Ms Valentine: "What!"
Jeff: "hahhhhh… yes… exactly… Zantanel… has a deep hatred for living beings… I think… it is jealousy… that others can feel… that others can eat fruit… build relationships… feel warmth… because anyone who touches Zantanel… dies… that is corruption…"
Ms Valentine: "What exactly is this corruption?"
Jeff: "Corruption… is actually a powerful curse… brought by the harbingers of misfortune… when they were dying… this curse… prevents you from aging or truly touching anything… unless it is another cursed being… and even they survive only if their curse is strong enough…"
Ms Valentine: "Is there a way to defeat Zantanel?"
Jeff: "Hahhhhh… nooooo… and even if there was, I wouldn't tell you…"
Ms Valentine: "Why!"
Jeff: "Hahahahahaha…"
His voice was deep and terrifying.
Jeff: "That would be… boring… don't you think?... hahahahaha… I am a monster, Valentine… of course I don't want peace for you living beings… hehehehehe… never trust a monster from the… abyss!.."
Ms Valentine: "Hahhhh…"
Jeff: "But… I think you have another question?"
Ms Valentine: "Yes… what do you think about the black hole?"
Jeff: "Hahhhhh… whether you like it or not… it is a natural event… something… the stars create… when… they die… they create a massive crash… and the more die at once… the stronger it becomes…"
Ms Valentine: "But there must be something that makes it so strong…"
Jeff: "…indeed…"
Ms Valentine: "What?"
Jeff: "I don't know that myself, Valentine… we… monsters… have our limits… we are not seers… what I can tell you is… even if you discover what causes it and stop it… this event… once called the black eye… will always return… whether you want it or not…"
Ms Valentine: "Is there nothing we can do?"
Jeff: "Instead of… trying to find out why it exists… or how to stop it… you must find a way… to protect people and living beings from it… I don't know what that is… but I recommend it… it is better…"
Ms Valentine: "Thank you…"
Jeff: "And now… for the payment…"
Ms Valentine: "Ah… right… the Jeff payment… here… take it…"
She threw human flesh to him.
Jeff: "hahahahahaha… may I ask who these humans are?"
Ms Valentine: "Our comrades… after death… no one mourns them anyway… eat them…"
Jeff: "Hehehehehe… then… bon appétit…"
He grabbed one, opened his mouth wide, as big as a table, and tore apart the corpse… the corpse of Lady Natasha!
(Splash!)
Jeff: "mmmmhahahahahahahaha.."
Ms Valentine: "ghhh… I'd better leave…"
She closed the window…
Ms Valentine: "Hahhh… find a way… to reduce the victims… is there a way?"
(meanwhile)
Sophie: "Violet.."
Violet: "Yes?"
Sophie: "I have a question… you're a thief, right?"
Violet: "Yeah… kind of… I steal from the rich."
Sophie: "I see…"
Fiona: "Hmmm…"
Violet: "What is it Fiona?"
Fiona: "Violet… instead of stealing… how about joining us?"
Violet: "huh?…"
Fiona: "It's better… you'll even get a salary…"
Violet: "Sorry, I don't really get it…"
Fiona: "We are very open… I know people from the Baskenland are often attacked because of their origin…"
Violet: "Yeah… unfortunately not everyone is as open as we are…"
Fiona: "I am…"
Violet: "Oh yeah… I'm a thief…"
Fiona: "I don't care… I want you to join us because Lilly Mond—"
Sophie: "What… but don't we have enough?"
Fiona: "Enough?... Sophie… most of them are children…"
Sophie: "That's true…"
Violet: "Hmm…"
Fiona: "You are kind… open… you respect everyone regardless of origin… that's exactly the kind of person we need… like you… I gladly take in people who just chose the wrong path…"
Violet: "Are you saying your path is right?"
Sophie: "Hmm?"
Violet: "Hahh… you know… I used to hate everyone… because that's how I was treated… but… over time I changed my mind… and started to like people… no matter where they come from or how they look… I said my father was murdered… but… he wasn't a good man… he treated people badly… for the dumbest reasons… appearance… skin color… or origin… luckily… I'm not like him… I like people… all kinds… except the bad ones who kill… but you also kill… the bad ones…"
Fiona: "Can you just answer now, will you join us or not?"
Violet: "Yeah… fine…"
Fiona: "Huh?"
Violet: "I'm tired of this thief life anyway…"
Lucy: "Hmmm.."
They looked around… Lucy explored the city and came back with Marcus…
Lucy: "So… I found out some things…"
Marcus: "We… found out some things?"
Fiona: "And?"
Marcus: "This city… it's very likely it was a victim of the black hole… look at this…"
They pulled something out… an object… it was part of a machine…
Sophie: "huh?"
Fiona: "Let me see…"
She took it…
Sophie: "A clock?"
Fiona: "…no… more like a radio… a radio… but… considering how this city looks… I don't think it's from here… it could have survived the black hole… objects can…"
Violet: "hmmm… hey… wait, I know this…"
Fiona: "Hmm?"
Violet: "Yeah… there's a building in Tretia… it's forbidden… people say it's creepy…"
Fiona: "Creepy?"
Sophie: "Where exactly is it?"
Violet: "On Erker Street… not far…"
Fiona: "Have you been there?"
Violet: "Yeah… I once found a dark-skinned boy there… he got lost and I helped him… he even lives nearby…"
Sophie: "I have to say, for a thief you're pretty nice…"
Violet: "Hey… I love people… especially kids… I like helping them…"
Fiona: "Okay… take us to the boy…"
Violet: "Why?"
Fiona: "Maybe he saw something there…"
Violet: "hmm?... okay… follow me… oh… wait… change your clothes…"
Fiona: "Huh?"
Violet: "It would be too obvious otherwise…"
Sophie: "Hmm… true…"
Fiona: "Okay… do you have clothes?"
Violet: "If I had money, I wouldn't steal… don't you think?"
Fiona: "Who knows… maybe it's a hobby…"
Violet: "(sweating)… okay… give me money… wait… the coins here are different… what do we do now…"
Fiona: "Leave it to me…"
Sophie: "Please don't tell me you're calling the rabbit…"
Violet: "The… rabbit?"
Marcus: "Huh?"
Lucy: "Hmm?"
She took off her hat…
Sophie: "Oh no…"
Fiona: "Mr Herold… come out…"
Melina: "Hmm."
He came out…
Mr Herold: "Hello… Fiona, long time no see…"
Violet: "A… a… a talking rabbit!!!!!"
Fiona: "shhhh…"
Violet: "mm… sorry…"
She covered her mouth.
Fiona: "Hey Herold, give us old-fashioned clothes… clothes that fit farmers from the sword era…"
Roland: "Okay… how many?"
Sophie: "hmmm… Fiona, Violet, Melina, Lucy and I need one… we're five… Marcus is the only boy…"
Mr Herold: "Okay… wait a moment…"
(a few minutes later)
(Dong)
Sophie: "I look… terrible…"
Fiona: "Hahhh…"
Violet: "Don't be so picky…"
Marcus: "Why is mine so brown?"
Lucy: "ohh… I don't look hot anymore…"
Fiona: "Not anymore? I think I missed something…"
Lucy: "I'll give you something in a second…"
Violet: "Alright… follow me… I'll take you to him…"
They continued… Violet stopped at a house and knocked…
Sophie: "hmm?"
Violet: "Hello?... Timothy, are you here?"
The door opened…
Timothy: "Oh… Violet…"
Violet: "Hello my little one… hehe…"
She smiled at him… he was dark-skinned and only about 8 years old, but a bit… broad…
Sophie: "hmm."
Violet: "These people want to know what you saw on Erker Street… in that building…"
Fiona: "Hey Timothy… my name is Fiona Philomela Househould, I'm a detective… and I need your help…"
She knelt slightly and smiled softly…
Timothy: "hmm."
Fiona: "Unless you don't want to talk about it, that's okay…"
Timothy: "Clocks…"
Fiona: "sorry?"
Timothy: "I saw a lot of clocks…"
Sophie: "Like this one?"
She showed the radio.
Timothy: "Exactly… and there was that clock man…"
Sophie: "Clock man?"
Violet: "Huh?"
Timothy: "Then I ran away…"
Fiona: "huh?"
They looked at each other…
(meanwhile)
(bhzzzzzzzzz)
Clock Man: "…bssss… bssss… I… must… guard… the… building… guard…"