Melody

A couple of days had gone by, and Irina behaved normally but doubled her efforts into unlocking her last remaining seal. I'm still not strong enough to protect them. Megose is coming soon and I'm still so far behind!

Klein chanted Irina's honorific name to inform her that Daly had contacted him about the acting method. They later talked in Alexandria for a while, even covering the red chimney topic. She inquired about Azik and, to the seer's surprise, he said he still couldn't come around to talk with him, but that he planned to on the same night.

At the Security Company, on one side new clerks had arrived, making Rozanne ecstatic to not have to work any more overtime anytime soon. On the other, Irina coudn't help but feel irritaded by Old Neil's choiches. She could clearly see how dispirited he looked; his pale face and deep rooted exhaustion, making him jaw constanly. I want to do something but what?! I can't just go and tell Captain he's about to do something really, really stupid!

That night, Irina dreamed of soaring ceilings adorned with lavish chandeliers, towering windows revealing a giant silver moon hanging low over a dark, ancient forest.

She gazed at the familiar scene. This place again... Did Dunn slip into my dreams? Is this his interpretation of 'Nightmare'?

A classical waltz echoed through the grand, empty ballroom, its haunting melody causing the flames in the room to flicker out one by one, plunging the space into darkness. Bathed in the ethereal glow of the moonlight, Irina began to move, her body flowing gracefully to the rhythm, each step more elegant than the last. With every turn, she silently prayed for the crimson divine 'blessing' to manifest in the sky outside.

She wasn't sure how long she danced, lost in the movement and music. But then, as if summoned by her unspoken thoughts, a male figure appeared and joined her. At that moment, the room was swallowed by a deep, blood-red glow.

There 'She' is.

This time, Irina didn't run away. Instead, she embraced the eerie atmosphere of the dancehall, letting the unsettling aura only fuel her movements. She danced and danced, savoring every step as if the haunting emptiness around them was part of the rhythm itself.

The moon's soft glow began to shift once more, gleaming to a clear silver. She was so lost in the moment that she didn't even notice when a dark presence appeared on the balcony above, its form veiled in darkness, silently gazing at the moon.

Not many days later, Klein officially submitted his special application to raise his Sequence, surprising all of his coworkers, and soon, an entire week had passed.

Monday came again and Irina sat excitedly on her bed, humming some energetic tunes as she waited for the clock to strike. At exactly three o'clock, a red light enveloped her, and she found herself in a world surrounded by thick gray fog. Yes!

Audrey looked at the scene before her and immediately greeted the being sitting at the head of the table. "Good afternoon, Mr. Fool. I have a page of the diary of Emperor Roselle with me."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sun. Have you gotten the formula for Telepathist?"

Derrick confirmed and Klein instructed him on how to share his knowledge on 'paper'. 

Suddenly, the group heard a light rapping sound. Audrey quickly looked towards the seat of honor at the long bronze table subconsciously.

She was surprised to see Mr. Fool rapping at the edge of the table with his right index finger while he gestured to her with a nod.

What's going on? Audrey was confused as her eyes wore a vacant look.

Just when she was about to ask, the corner of her eyes suddenly saw some changes in the Telepathist formula. There were remarks next to some of the ingredients:

"Main ingredients, Phantom Netherdrake's complete pituitary gland (also known as Rainbow Salamander), 10 ml of Half Specter Rabbit (also known as Farsman Rabbit). Supplementary ingredients..."

I know all of these! Audrey was stunned at first, then, there was an intense surge of delight from the bottom of her heart.

"Thank you, Mr. Fool. You're really very knowledgeable." She looked towards the seat of honor as she thanked and sincerely complimented him.

The Hierophant immediately understood what had happened. He translated the formula for her. Poor Sun, going through all the troubles to get it, and still needing Klein to obtain it over here on our side. Luckily, that member of the psychology alchemist gave it to him easily. Hehe, he used that to pay for the clown formula.

The Hanged Man Alger didn't know what had happened, but he felt extreme contempt towards what Justice had said. How could you describe a godlike figure with the word 'knowledgeable.' His existence alone is equivalent to knowledge itself to a certain extent!

Audrey then paid 300 pounds to his 'Adorer'. Irina openly smirked as she stared at the hidden figure of the Fool.

Klein quickly read the Emperor's diary pages before Alger shared some more information about Qilangos, underlining a 'mysterious item' capable of making one raise his sequence swiftly.

So, Mr. Fool, are you not tempted? There is ample time for you to send your adorer to Backlund... Alger added in his heart but didn't dare say it out loud. All he could do was beat around the bush.

Irina's lips twitched as she tried her very best to keep her emotions under control.

Mr. Alger, you don't need to emphasize this repeatedly, I know what you are getting at... but my abilities do not allow me to interfere in these matters. Furthermore, I can't leave Tingen without permission... Klein leaned back and thought in frustration.

Ignoring the adorer, I can actually find two relatively strong Beyonders to help...

One is Daly, who has advanced to Sequence 6, but I cannot tell her everything. The most I can do is mention that I've gotten some information that Rear Admiral Hurricane Qilangos has infiltrated Backlund and is living at a particular street and what he plans to do. That way, Daly might directly enlist the help of the Nighthawks, making the situation very complicated and troublesome... if you guys cannot find anybody to help you when the time comes, then I can try that to prevent a tragedy...

The second person is Mr. Azik, but I cannot expose my identity as The Fool to him. I don't have a proper reason to get him to interfere with this incident...

Many thoughts flashed through his mind as Klein replied slowly, "I'm aware."

Sureeee buddy~ Irina enjoyed the conversation between them, deciding to step to the side and not interact at all.

Sometime later, the Fool smiled. "Let's end it here for today."

"By your will." The Sun, Justice, and The Hanged Man stood up at the same time and bowed gracefully. They didn't miss how the Hierophant didn't move but instead kept sitting leisurely.

As the three left, the two transmigrators remained alone around the table. Klein waved his hand and the fog dispersed. "I informed Azik about the painting; on that same night we went to Lamund Town."

Irina rested her chin in the palm of her hand, raising an eyebrow with a curious smile. "Discovered something interesting?"

He nodded in confirmation, "Yes, we found out that..."

The seer told her everything that happened while she listened intently. "So you asked him to create a fake incident because you wanted to create some Sun charms?" Her expression turned serious, "Even after looking directly at the 'Sun'?"

He replied sheepishly, "Well... yes."

She stared at him briefly before bursting into laughter. "You're courting death, but you do you man! I wouldn't go around staring directly at Gods tough. Even THAT is beyond me. And trust me on that, I know what I'm talking about."

"Do you want to come as well?" Klein's question caught her off guard.

"I beg your pardon?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Once it happens, I mean. Will you be coming? It's going to be easy to convince the Captain. You're asked to tag along on almost all our missions anyway."

Irina's smile faded into something more bitter. "Yeah... no. Try not to involve me in this."

Klein's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously? You're always trying to tag along wherever we go, I thought—"

"Sorry, but no means no. I'll be... well... I have something to do on that day, I believe..."

Her vague answer confused him even more. "You believe?"

The custodian sighed, sounding fatigued. "It's complicated. Call it a bad feeling—bad omen, whatever you want." She turned her gaze away, staring into the endless gray fog that stretched out as far as the eye could see. Her unfocused eyes and tired demeanor made Klein uneasy.

I... ran out of time... I didn't unlock my seal, nor do I have something to counter that corruption. I don't know what to do... how to save him...

"I'll be asking the Captain for a day off tomorrow." She finally looked back at Klein, her exhaustion even more apparent. "I'll be in the library if you need any help, but you'll do just fine without me."

A heavy silence hung between them for a moment.

Klein broke it first, his voice filled with concern. "Irina, if you need help with anything, you know you can always ask, right?"

She smiled sadly. "Don't worry." Closing her eyes, she breathed in the ethereal atmosphere of Sefirah Castle. "I'll... I'll figure something out. If I don't, just... make up an excuse for the Captain, okay?"

"Just what are you going to—"

"It's about time I left," she cut him off, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I need as much time as possible. I... am trying to save someone."

Klein wanted to press her for details, but the look on her face stopped him. He reluctantly nodded and bade her farewell, watching as she disappeared back to reality, leaving him alone above the gray fog. Just what is she planning?

He decided to divine whether she would be in danger, but to his frustration, he failed. That library... it must have protection against divination.

After several unsuccessful attempts, Klein gave up and returned to his bedroom, uneasy but resigned to continue his normal daily routine.

It was the next Tuesday and Klein faked his surprise when finding out that Irina had taken the day off. "It was a personal matter." Said Leonard to him when asked. "She didn't tell me, but she looked very tired. The Captain told her to go down and at least get some healing potions. You're never going to believe it but, while down there, she got pissed at Old Nail! After that, she stormed off."

The seer's confusion only grew, not understanding why Irina had suddenly turned on him like that. It wasn't even the first time it had happened, the relationship between the two had deteriorated beyond repair and no one in the entire Nighthawks team knew why, not even him.

It wasn't long after, that Captain entered the lounge to inform them there was a new mission and Leonard was going to handle it. Klein managed to convince Dunn to tag along and even add a third member, doing so would allow him to take Sealed Artifact 3-0782 and make charms as planned.

The mission had gone smoothly, and, by twenty minutes past seven that evening, they were already back at Zouteland Street, having successfully returned Sealed Artifact 3-0782.

Later that night, in a dimly lit room bathed in the eerie, blood-red glow of the moon, Irina wept quietly. Her hands moved mechanically, brushing through strands of hair. So interminable... so exhausting... just... how much longer?

The next day, Klein entered the Blackthorn Security Company in high spirits. He greeted Rozanne and made some small talk, expecting to see Irina at her usual spot. But when he asked about her, he learned she hadn't come to work that day.

"What? But she only took yesterday off," Klein muttered to himself, a crease forming on his brow. "Is my memory failing me, or...?" His unease began to grow as he wondered where she could be.

"No, you're right," Rozanne replied, shaking her head. "The Captain was on duty at Chanis Gate, so he doesn't know if anything happened. That's why he sent Leonard to check on her."

Before he could ask anything further, Rozanne looked to the left and then the right. "By the way, quite a bit has happened today. Old Neil's sick, so we're planning to visit him at noon. What do you think?"

"Old Neil is sick?" Klein asked in surprise.

Rozanne nodded. "Yeah, he sent someone to the Captain to request some time off."

The seer's concern deepened, the good mood from earlier fading as more pieces of the day began to feel out of place.

Klein nodded slightly. "Let's visit him at noon. Sigh, Old Neil sure is pitiful. His wife passed away early, and his son is busy in some other city. When he's sick, all he can do is stay at home in loneliness and helplessness."

That was the first thing he recalled from his first visit to Old Neil's house.

Listening to Klein's sigh, Rozanne opened her eyes wide and asked in shock, "When did Old Neil get married?"

What? Klein was left dumbfounded when he heard Rozanne's question. He recalled in his daze, "I previously visited Old Neil's place just last month. I saw a piano in the living room and he told me that his deceased wife loved music..."

As he spoke, Klein suddenly became alarmed as he began having unpleasant thoughts.

Rozanne knitted her beautiful brows and said with uncertainty, "Perhaps I remembered wrong... no, Mrs. Orianna and I frequented Old Neil's place during the earlier half of the year. There was no piano in his living room back then. I clearly remember asking him why he chose to remain single. His answer was that he hadn't met a lady that he wished to marry..."

There was no piano during the earlier half of the year, and he answered the question of why he chose to remain single... Klein tightened up and asked in a deep voice, "Rozanne, how long has it been since you visited Old Neil's place?"

"Not ever since Kenley became a Nighthawk, and Viola chose to resign as a clerk. I've been either burning the midnight oil or catching up on sleep, so how could I have the time to visit him? It's been... since the beginning of June." Rozanne became a little lost upon receiving the question, so all she did was answer honestly.

Klein's heart sank, sensing something wrong.

He fished out a halfpence from his pocket and held it between his thumb and middle finger.

He took a deep breath and quickly decided on a divination statement.

"There's something wrong with Old Neil's current situation."

His pupils quickly darkened as he recited the statement silently and entered Cogitation. He flicked his thumb, pushing the brass coin into the air and allowing it to spin.

The coin fell right into Klein's open palm, the portrait of George III facing up, signifying a positive and correct answer. Something was definitely wrong with Old Neil's current situation.

As Klein clenched the coin, he suddenly remembered the translucent pair of cold and ruthless eyes that he had seen behind Old Neil when he had just become a Beyonder and was experimenting with his Spirit Vision.

Rozanne looked at his grim expression and asked in fear, "Did Old Neil lose control? No way, even though he's petty and stingy, and wants to be reimbursed for all of his expenses, he's still a good person. He rarely gets angry. No way, he wouldn't lose control..."

"I cannot be sure, but I think that Old Neil is on the brink of losing control." Klein tried to console Rozanne. He quickly made his way past the partition and opened the door to the Captain's office.

Dunn Smith, startled by the sudden intrusion, nearly choked on his coffee.

"What happened?" He didn't blame him, his expression instantly becoming stern.

Klein answered simply without hiding anything, "Captain, my divination tells me that there's something wrong with Old Neil."

The seer explained his theories, his voice measured. Dunn listened intently, his eyes narrowing as the pieces began to fall into place. When Klein finished, Dunn stood abruptly. Without a word, he strode to the coat rack, slipping on his black hat and windbreaker. He gave a sharp nod.

"A reasonable deduction," he said. "Let's visit Old Neil. And remember—try not to agitate him if we can avoid it. Afterward, we'll attempt to control him using ritualistic magic to stabilize his condition before it worsens."

Control...

Klein's mind flashed to Sealed Artifact 3-0611. That's what Dunn planned to use.

As their carriage rolled over the rain-slicked streets, silence filled the interior. The day outside seemed darker than usual.

Time blurred until Dunn sighed, finally breaking the silence with an explanation of Old Neil's mysterious partner. Klein clenched his hands in his lap, hoping with all his might that this was another false alarm. He quickly drew a crimson moon before his chest and whispered, "May the Goddess watch over him."

Dunn and Royale echoed his prayer. "May the Goddess watch over him."

When they arrived, Dunn gave Cesare instructions to take the carriage far from the house. Then, collecting himself, Dunn moved toward the door, his cane in one hand, Sealed Artifact 3-0611 in the other.

Klein pulled his hat down over his face as he and Royale followed, passing through the rose and gold mint garden. Reaching the door, Klein stepped forward and tugged on the rope connected to the bell inside.

Clink! Clang!

A pleasant chime resounded in the house as it broke the heavy silence.

Clink! Clang! Clink! Clang! Klein pulled several times, then politely took a step back without making any further attempts.

The three Nighthawks waited, the seconds dragging on without the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Perhaps Old Neil went to visit a doctor and isn't at home." Klein forced a smile.

He hadn't finished his sentence when a melody came from within the building. Dunn's expression became abnormally stern and grave. Klein's stomach dropped. He recognized the voice.

Oh no... please no... Irina...

Just as he prepared to divine the situation, he saw something. Liquid seeping out from beneath the door. At first, it was clear and pure, but then it darkened, turning a deep crimson red, the unmistakable color of blood.

Klein's eyes fixed on the blood as it flowed out, pooling at their feet. Just then, the melody abruptly stopped. The whole area plunged into a dark and eerie silence before resuming once more as if nothing had happened.

The bloody water that flowed out through the gap under the door went down the stairs, towards the stone path, and onto the garden's soil, staining it crimson.

They couldn't wait any longer.

Dunn kicked the door, breaking the handle with precision. It creaked open slowly, revealing a horrifying sight.

The lobby was drenched in blood. The carpet was soaked through, sticky and red, with the unmistakable smell of iron hanging heavy in the air. Klein's eyes traveled upward—the walls, the ceiling, the furniture, all covered in the same grotesque liquid.

The piano's keys were dancing on their own, playing a haunting tune.

The group advanced cautiously, following the anguished tune. The living room, once warm and inviting, was now bathed in dark red. The sticky liquid dripped from the ceiling in unnatural, eerie streams.

The song twisted and warped in disharmony, two discordant forces competing for dominance. Through their spirit vision, the Nighthawks could see it clearly, a pair of ominous, otherworldly eyes watching from the center of the room, right behind another figure.

And there, at the heart of the nightmare, sat Irina.

She was singing softly, her voice sorrowful and distant. In her hand, she held her Sealed Artifact, a brush she moved up and down in slow, deliberate strokes over Old Neil's blood-soaked hair. His head rested against her knee, blood staining everything—the carpet, her clothes, even her face.

Her lips, cracked and dry, curved in a sad, empty smile. Her eyes, hollow and unfocused, stared into the distance as the dark liquid continued to flow from them, staining everything in its path.