The room was filled with silence and with mysterious.
Helen sat on her bed with her back resting against the wall, a cigarette hanging loosely between her fingers. Across from her, Chris sat on the wooden floor while Leo and Ray remained beside him, quietly listening to the conversation. The dim lantern light cast long shadows across the room, making the atmosphere feel heavier than it already was.
"Chris, never use the word humanity in front of me," Helen suddenly said. "Humanity doesn't exist. It's just a word people created because it sounds beautiful. In stories, it feels meaningful, but in the real world it's nothing more than trash."
She took a slow drag from her cigarette before continuing. "Look at history. Until the fifth and sixth centuries, this world was drowning in wars. Kingdoms slaughtered each other, nobles betrayed each other, and innocent people suffered. Humanity is just a pretty word people use to hide an ugly reality."
Chris remained silent. Usually he always had something to say, some argument or counterpoint ready in his mind. But this time he found himself speechless. Helen's words echoed inside his head while another thought continued to bother him.
Even captains could no longer be trusted.
After a few moments, Chris looked up at her. "Can I ask another question?"
"Go ahead," Helen replied as she casually tapped the ash from her cigarette.
Chris asked the question that had been bothering him the most. "Where have the most people disappeared from?"
Helen thought for a moment before answering. "When I first learned about these disappearances and discovered that the bodies were being found in completely different locations, I bought a map and started marking every place connected to the cases."
"Most of the bodies were found around a particular village. The pattern was impossible to ignore, so I traveled there myself. But the villagers acted strangely. Nobody wanted to talk to me, and everyone looked terrified of something."
She crossed her arms and stared at the ceiling.
"Eventually I paid a beggar for information. According to him, countless people vanished from that village. There used to be hundreds of residents living there, but now the population is barely fifty."
Chris frowned deeply. "That's impossible. So many disappearances? So many murders? How could nobody notice something like that?"
Helen immediately looked at him.
"Who said nobody noticed? Everyone noticed. The villagers know. The local authorities know. Even the king knows."
A bitter smile appeared on her face.
"They simply don't care. Poor people and low-class citizens don't matter to them. Nobles live in one world while ordinary people suffer in another."
Once again, Chris found himself unable to respond.
After a long silence, he finally asked his last question.
"Do you know where Felix Ward lives?"
Helen reached for another cigarette and placed it between her lips. Before she could answer, Leo leaned forward.
"You could tell us before lighting that thing."
"I am trying to remember," Helen replied. "The cigarette helps."
Leo blinked in confusion.
"What kind of magic is that?"
Helen rolled her eyes.
"It's not magic. It just helps me think."
"That's still a strange way to remember things."
"Then stop talking."
A few seconds later she lit the cigarette. Smoke slowly rose toward the ceiling as she stared upward, searching through her memories.
Suddenly her eyes widened.
"Ah. I remember."
The attention of everyone in the room instantly shifted toward her.
"Felix Ward is the son of a businessman from Morveth. His father's name is Anthony Ward."
She closed her eyes for a few moments, trying to recall additional details.
"Anthony Ward... yes, that's definitely his name. Though from what I've heard, Anthony isn't very interested in the family business. His mother's name is Naomi Ward."
Helen paused.
"And she's expected to give birth within the next few weeks."
The moment those words left her mouth, Chris, Leo, and Ray felt a chill run down their spines. They exchanged nervous glances without saying a word.
Ray eventually broke the silence.
"Just tell us where his house is."
"You'll find it here in town," Helen replied. "Thirty-Fourth Street."
Chris nodded.
"Alright."
Helen glanced toward the old clock hanging on the wall.
"You finished asking questions?"
Chris looked toward Leo and Ray before answering.
"Yes. We got the information we needed."
"Good. Then let me sleep. Sunrise is only an hour away and I'd like at least some rest before morning."
She lowered her head onto the pillow and closed her eyes. For a while nobody spoke, and the room once again fell into complete silence.
Several minutes passed before Leo finally broke it.
"Can I ask one more thing?"
Without opening her eyes, Helen replied, "Go ahead. After talking this much, I'm not falling asleep anytime soon anyway."
"The red marks mean those people are confirmed dead, right? Then what about the names without red marks? Are they still alive, or are they simply the next targets?"
Helen kept her eyes closed.
"What was your name again?"
Leo immediately stood up and respectfully bowed.
"My name is Leo Black."
A small smile appeared on Helen's face.
"I like your manners."
The smile quickly disappeared.
"Leo... forgive me."
Leo looked confused.
"Forgive you? For what?"
"Because everyone on that list is probably dead. The people with red marks are confirmed dead. The ones without red marks most likely died too. Their bodies simply haven't been found yet."
The words struck the room like lightning.
Ray immediately stood up.
"How can you say that? Their bodies haven't even been found!"
Helen sat up again and grabbed her pillow, resting it against her chest. Her eyes locked onto Ray's.
"Ray, do you have any patience at all? You start arguing before letting people finish."
Ray glared at her while Helen glared right back.
Before the argument could escalate further, Leo stepped in.
"Let her finish."
Ray immediately turned toward him.
"You never take my side."
With an annoyed expression, he crossed his arms and looked away.
Helen couldn't help but smirk.
"See? Today's children have no patience."
She then looked at Leo.
"You, on the other hand, are a good kid. Unlike the walking anger bomb sitting beside you."
Ray looked ready to explode.
Helen ignored him completely.
"Listen carefully. Every single person on that report disappeared within the last three or four months. Whoever is responsible isn't kidnapping people to decorate a collection. They're killing them."
The room fell silent once more.
Leo lowered his head while Chris slowly stood up.
"We're leaving."
His voice was calm but firm.
"We're going to Felix Ward's house. Right now."
Leo and Ray immediately got to their feet and headed toward the door.
"Wait," Helen suddenly called out. "I'm coming too."
Leo turned around.
"Why?"
"Because I've spent the entire night helping you. At least buy me food. Or give me some money."
Chris sighed.
"I already paid your bar bill."
Helen looked away.
"I don't remember that."
Chris stared at her for several seconds before finally giving up.
"Fine. Come with us."
A victorious smile appeared on Helen's face.
She walked over to a drawer, pulled out a spray bottle, and sprayed the entire room with a strong fragrance. Chris, Leo, and Ray silently watched her. They already knew why she was doing it, so none of them bothered asking.
"Alright. Let's go."
Leaving the room behind, the group climbed the stairs and emerged onto the streets above.
The sky was beginning to change colors. Darkness still covered most of the town, but the eastern horizon had started turning pale gold. A cool morning breeze drifted through the empty streets while a few early workers could already be seen preparing for another day.
As they walked toward Thirty-Fourth Street, the surroundings slowly began to change.
The narrow roads of Berkyo disappeared behind them. The old wooden houses became less common, replaced by larger buildings made of stone and polished brick. The streets became cleaner, wider, and noticeably quieter.
Eventually they arrived at Thirty-Fourth Street.
The moment they stepped into the district, it felt as though they had entered an entirely different town.
Elegant stone mansions lined both sides of the road. Decorative iron fences surrounded beautifully maintained gardens filled with colorful flowers and trimmed hedges. Expensive carriages stood outside several estates while marble statues decorated courtyards that were larger than some ordinary homes.
Golden lanterns still burned along the street despite the approaching sunrise, casting a luxurious glow across the district. Every building seemed designed to display wealth and status rather than provide shelter.
Leo looked around in disbelief.
"Are we really still in Berkyo?"
His eyes moved from one mansion to another.
"A little while ago we were surrounded by normal houses and shops. Now it feels like we've entered a completely different city."
Helen shrugged.
"This is where the rich live."
There was no admiration in her voice.
"People with enough money to ignore whatever happens outside these walls."
She pointed further down the street.
"Come on. Felix Ward's house isn't much farther."
Just as she finished speaking, the first rays of sunlight finally rose above the horizon.
A beam of golden light fell directly onto Leo's face, forcing him to close his eyes. The darkness of the night slowly retreated as morning arrived, revealing the wealthy district in all its glory.