The Pact

Reawakened from daydreaming, she sees the lady again at her office, pouring some of its into the drink.

Giving it to Claire, she has second thoughts about her drink saying,

"This better have no poison in it."

Then as Claire said it, Aliza softly chuckled.

"I see, I see. You know the trick behind my facade."

Aliza sips the tea as she says in a formal tone.

"Who are you?

Stop playing games on me, how did you know I have extra lives?"

Claire replies in a reasonable way as possible.

"Firstly, Aliza Closs is definitely my name.

Well, it is pointless for me to explain how did I get this information.

But in the least… I'm one of the maids of Mr. Smiley, my master calls me Goi in short which means desire.

Isn't it fit for my character?"

"Whatever, so Mr. Smiley huh?"

Data-kun gives more info about Mr. Smiley and its history at 13%,

"Based on what I have gathered through Aliza Closs, Mr. Smiley is the mastermind behind the world domination of humanity 7 years ago."

"I see."

Claire understands the situation of the world right now.

"Which means Mr. Smiley will be the boss level to deal with." Claire continues.

"I'm surprised to see the last protagonist like this.

She must have some sort of a voice inside her head based on what she talks to herself.

This must be the real deal. Either way she is a troublesome fellow."

Aliza's curiosity ends as Claire craves information from Aliza.

"About our agreement, will you show me the pact you were talking about?"

Claire tells Aliza.

"As you say so."

Aliza shows a briefcase, opens it gently sees an fox mask inside it covering the eyes and nose of the user.

Claire was a bit curious and agitated about what it is as it shows a malicious feeling behind it.

Aliza explains,

"This will lower your chance of finding out you are the last protagonist, it will completely conceal your identity.

Just try it on."

Claire responds to Aliza's warning,

"I see, I'll try it on later. Thank you for this mask, I guess. What's the catch?"

Aliza explains,

"You're quite perceptive despite what you look."

"What do you want?" Claire asks.

Aliza hands over a letter envelope to Claire.

"Nothing much, just enter the grand entrance invitation for tomorrow, many important people will show up, so you should come by.

I'll let you meet some interesting people.

It will be meaningless for me to explain it further.

May you ignite the flames of destruction from Alamus."

As Aliza finishes her sentence, she tries it on and thus the mask fits right on her face.

Going outside the 9th district, many people walk with their umbrella as no one suspects Claire from any further danger that lurks nearby.

After going back to Aliza's place,

"Enter that door for tomorrow.

Also try not to cause trouble like the others."

Aliza points out the door outside the office as she waves to say goodbye to the moment.

"Alright then."

Claire waves back as going to her room.

After that, Claire goes to the top floor, near the large window glass as she witnesses raindrops from the clouds and she gently caresses the mask she was given.

Once again, she appraises herself to see some improvement in her power status.

Claire Valentine

18 lives available

Power: 81

Speed: 54

Agility: 48

Defense: 42

Dynamic vision: 137

Wisdom: 500

She sees another new unlocked ability, it is called possession which varies two separate kinds of skills such as being able to hijack someone's consciousness and able to travel through their dreams called 'dream walker', memory-related worlds, or gaining control of the target's conscious mind.

At first, Claire was a bit confused about how it works up until she touches a specific journal at Aliza's office.

She enters without seeing Aliza so Claire had no clue where she was, hence she was curious to see the journal, and thus she touched it and flip each page right up until she sees a poor drawing of one little girl with two parents with red markings and so touching it sees a permission slip option to enter.

As agreeing to the option, she went into a strange daydream.

-----

She was in utter darkness, where no one could find Claire.

It was quiet at first trying to get out of that place, then she heard many voices from afar from all over the place.

They continue to whisper as characters trying to let out their secrets, lies, and lore about their tragic deaths.

And now most of them have suffered a great loss.

Claire was both joyless and remorseful to witness such travesty as she stutters from the voices.

"What's happening? Where am I?"

"This is your subconscious mind, Claire. It is your ability that transported you here when you touch the most important object or the owner itself.

They bring you to their deepest secrets."

"Data-kun? I didn't know you were here."

"Don't worry, you are currently day dreaming.

You can get out by pressing the cancel button at your bottom right."

A. Continue towards the memories of Aliza

B. Cancel and return to reality

Claire presses the bottom and thus she snapped out of her daydream.

Claire wonders about that strange daydream she had before, all their suffering and their tragedy was something not to be forgotten about.

And thus her days will be almost done, what matters is that she needs to abide the orders of Aliza and there's no need to know her back stories, sooner or later she'll be able to know it by experience.

"It's 8:37 pm. I must go to sleep."

Becoming jaded from doing nothing, she slept for 10 hours.

It is now the 3rd day of the week, and she was dressed by one of the available maids present inside the catacombs.

It must be one of Aliza's servants, though they may seem quiet and disciplined.

They are quite beautiful but not compared to Aliza.

Claire was forced to wear such an expensive and top-class dress.

She was a bit dismissive towards the dress so the maids made three options for her to decide. Claire picks the 2nd option.

As entering towards a strange door, the maids said to go towards a certain room and enter towards that door so she slowly opened and saw a very bright entrance on the ground floor with two stairs connected to the top as we saw all people with masks crowded together.

Claire wears the mask to blend in with the crowd. While wandering around the rooms, she stumbled around many powerful people from thugs to leader syndicates, and caused a lot of trouble, she finally gets to the room where she was assigned to go.

"Quite hard to mingle around and socialize with others with that pressure."

Data-kun asked Claire, "Anxiety is real."

Claire giggles from his joke.

"True true. We can just stay here for a while. What time is it?" Claire asks Data-kun.

"10:09 am," Data-kun answered. As it took a while for them to wait right about 10 minutes later.

Claire checks it again and sees the time still at 10:09 am.

"That's odd. We should find Aliza."

As they leave the room, suddenly the place turns monochrome as walking around the crowd like they were some sort of a mannequin with masks covering their face.

"What happened here?"

As deeply explored the whole front of the building, Claire met someone.

She was the caster as moving freely compared to others excluding herself.

At first, Claire was still like a frosted popsicle due to the amount of pressure that this tall lady with green-colored hair is the one who will end her at any moment.

"Who are you?" Claire anxiously asked the tall lady.

"So you are the last protagonist,"

Trolie responds to Claire's agitated expression.