ajfa

The Report

Looking at Benson a little disconcerted, Klein curled the corners of his mouth indiscernibly.

Benson's eyes, which had been showing a solemn look, were becoming increasingly sunken and confused, as if hunches were appearing in his head, gradually taking over his consciousness.

— It's not like that! — Klein and Melissa spoke in unison before their brother started having divergent thoughts as usual.

Benson always assumed absurd things when they didn't finish explaining, so a context first was always better.

Melissa began to explain, creating a story before her older brother had a chance to think properly.

— It's just that I was having a doubt about a matter involving Emperor Roselle, so I called Klein and we went to the second floor because... I was going to call Selena, but we got lost in the hallways... — She started to have ideas for more things that could deepen the story.

Klein continued speaking shortly after, elaborating and adding details to the half-lie:

— We ended up in some strange hallway while trying to find the stairs, and Melissa bumped into a strange man, Lanevus was his name.

— He was talking nonsense, but at some point I pulled Melissa away... He tried to kidnap us and would have taken us away if it weren't for another stranger.

Benson's smile disappeared as he looked at them, replaced by a mixture of emotions like concern and disbelief at the same time.

He interrupted Klein when he was going to continue speaking:

— Wait, are you telling me that they tried to kidnap you two in broad daylight...? Someone almost kidnapped you... We have to go to the police immediately! What if the man tries to attack someone else?

— Yes... — Klein muttered with a bit of guilt.

because they knew they felt a little guilty. Anyone with the slightest bit of critical sense would have run to the police after that!

But we kept talking... — Klein almost laughed at the situation, but Benson was still standing there, not looking at all happy.

Melissa by his side was still quiet, but still very attentive to everything, especially her surroundings.

Her tension was still almost exploding.

Benson put a hand over his glabella, almost giving up on saying anything else. The most important thing was that everyone was fine and without a scratch.

He was very stunned, how was it possible that his siblings, so quiet and calm, could get into trouble? Sometimes, they really did mess up, but they never ended up in such a serious situation.

For something like this to happen so suddenly, the man could only be a kidnapper of innocent young people hired by someone very rich!

Who knows where his siblings could have gone if that stranger had gotten what he wanted?

— And I always tell you two not to go to dark or strange places, that man would have taken them to Goddess knows where...— Benson began to talk more to himself, his thoughts going to unimaginable places because of his worry.

Divergent thoughts were inevitable, especially for the three siblings.

When they looked out the window, they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

The heavy rain fell from the cloudy skies like a storm under a thick fog, blocking any view of the blue that dominated the mornings with the sun.

What a lucky day I'm having... Those crazy rituals I did when I transmigrated should have at least given me that, good luck. — Klein self-deprecated internally.

Melissa had a thoughtful expression covering her face. With her growing suspicion in her chest, she asked in a whisper:

— Can that Lanevus come back here at some point...?

Klein shook his head slightly.

— Very difficult. His forehead was sweaty to the extreme and he was tense, he seemed to be afraid of someone or something. Probably that other person was following Lanevus and got what he wanted when he cornered him... — he explained calmly, his voice so low that it was almost impossible to hear.

Benson, who was very immersed in his own thoughts, didn't even pay attention to what they were saying, his entire focus was on what they had said before.

Suddenly, Selena's figure appeared running down the stairs along with Elizabeth who was right behind her, panting.

— Help!

— There's a kidnapper!

— Help!

They shouted many things, including shrill calls for help.

Selena was pale as a sheet, looking like she had been running for over an hour without stopping. Her nerves were on the verge of collapse, and Elizabeth was much the same, her breathing very shallow.

Wood immediately appeared from somewhere in the party room along with Elizabeth's mother, the Beyonder of the Church of Steam and Machinery.

The first seemed to be almost dying of worry while the other was ready to kill anyone who looked like the kidnapper.

Melissa and Klein looked at each other, having a tacit and unspoken plan, they came to the same conclusion through their gaze.

They were supposed to fake a normal reaction like anyone else to go unnoticed!

Melissa ran to her friends, she was ready to put everything she learned about acting into practice.

When Selena finally caught her breath, she began to explain:

— I was in the living room upstairs and Melissa had gone to the bathroom and Elizabeth went to get some candles so we could play a game. Some time passed and I ended up wanting to go downstairs, I think, So I found Elizabeth and we went to look for Melissa.

— When we were crossing a hallway, we heard a very strange conversation between a very tall man and another person, they were talking about how it was a shame they couldn't kidnap Melissa and her brother! They wanted a pair of brothers... They even considered taking me and my brother!

— They also said that they almost managed to catch Melissa and her brother, but they couldn't because the two were walking together, they could only catch one sibling at a time... We ran after we heard that...

Melissa nodded with apparent horror on her face, but part of it was just an act and part of it was true, she was worried that they would try to take Selena, who had no skills to defend herself from the Beyonder.

— It's a good thing I came to talk to Klein, otherwise I could have died... — she had a look that overflowed with concern, which was the normal reaction someone should have.

Uh... So Melissa and I were right, Lanevus really did want to kidnap us… Why a pair of brothers specifically? A ritual for an evil god? — Klein narrowed his eyes as many thoughts flowed like waves of the sea.

From what he had read in some documents from the Midnight Church, if any suspicious person was looking for something as specific as people and especially a pair of siblings, it was mostly for human trafficking or bizarre rituals.

There wasn't much information, so all Klein could do was wait to tell the captain and the Nighthawks.

Wood immediately looked even more terrified, his expression changing from horror to anger every two seconds.

Elizabeth's mother quickly pulled her daughter away, giving Klein, Melissa and especially Benson a solemn look.

She seemed to imagine Benson's concern for her younger siblings, the same thing she was feeling at the moment, so she couldn't help but feel sympathy.

— It's clear that this man's target was just one pair of siblings specifically... we have to call the police immediately. — she spoke confidently, taking control of the situation.

Melissa didn't say anything else, just a little nervous, she seemed to be holding back any feelings, like she always did when she was really shaken or something.

Sis, you really act very well, you also managed to fool a first-rate Beyonder... Soon you'll be a charlatan like me. — Klein sneered in his mind, but there was no smile on his face that was full of shock.

Melissa immediately returned to him, ready to say something.

Before he or his sister could say another word, Benson dragged them with him to a window to wait for the police to arrive.

....

After giving the report to the police, they were understanding enough to let Klein, Melissa, and Benson go.

— Oh, I need to go to work to sign some files with my colleagues. — Klein quickly made up an excuse.

Benson's gaze became solemn, looking a little more worried than before.

— Just take care of yourself and don't get close to strangers...

Klein was already an adult, so he knew how to take care of himself, but it was impossible not to be anxious after everything that happened at least a few minutes ago.

Melissa felt the same way, but she knew what he was really going to do, so she remembered that her brother was in good hands with the Nighthawks.

Klein and she looked at each other. This time, the one who would take care of Benson would be Melissa, who knew some useful rituals and a little about handling cards as if they were weapons, which is why she always carried some hidden under her clothes.

Their older brother was still innocent of all the madness of the Beyonder world, and they would ensure it remained that way forever.

Melissa nodded quickly, also telling Klein to be very careful.

After saying his goodbyes in a hurry, Klein walked through the streets until he arrived at the Blackthorn Security Company.

The first thing he saw were a few people gathered at the counter. There was a circle of four people playing poker, each one very focused until the front door of the security company opened.

— Klein! — Leonard, Kenley, Royalle, and Rozanne were about to greet him, but they realized something was wrong.

Leonard stopped with a look of confusion, his excitement being replaced by an anxious look amidst concern.

— Klein, you're okay, right...? — A bad feeling gripped his heart.

Whenever Klein suddenly appeared, he never came with good news.

— Nothing major. — Klein stated, sounding very normal.

Leonard's face froze in disbelief.

— Nothing much? — he asked suspiciously, his eyebrow arching visibly.

If it weren't for spending a lot of time with the Seer, he would certainly have fallen for that lie.

— Okay then, I'll see if I believe you. — Royalle clearly didn't believe any of Klein's words and made sure to show it.

She thought there was a lot hidden under that serene expression, but she could never be sure, since Klein's performance was too perfect, so perfect that it could even give him nightmares.

Looking at his own cards, Kenley didn't even question Klein's sudden appearance, already used to all the problems:

— As long as you're okay, we can wait to hear the gossip later with all the details!

Rozanne had that look that said: "Not even if you threw yourself off the Antares mountain range would I believe you."

Klein didn't wait another second near them and disappeared up the stairs, otherwise they would force the truth out of him, disturbing him until nightfall.

He walked through a few corridors until he reached the main office and opened the door.

For some reason, the captain had a tired look on his face, when he saw Klein enter, he almost sighed with a bad feeling.

Captain, is everything okay? It seems like you decided to do a whole marathon all over Tingen... — Klein asked himself internally with a bit of surprise.

The Sleepless would never show this kind of attitude, especially because it was very difficult for them to be lazy.

Medici had his feet on a table in the corner as he calmly signed the papers, but his eyes were on the door.

His bloody red hair was loose as always, too unruly to be tied up in any hairstyle.

— What else have you gotten yourself into this time? Aren't you going to tell me you found The True Creator on the corner?

Klein's mouth curved up, his face showing great calm.

Seeing his smile, Medici quickly fell silent as he stared at him, his gaze gradually becoming strange.

— That's exactly it. — Klein replied simply, without any concern or weight in his words, as if he was talking about going to get water.

— What happened again? I mean, are you okay? — Dunn asked just in case, even though the Seer seemed very normal as always.

Klein nodded. He had been with his siblings all day, so he had been very relaxed since morning.

— What happened was that I was at my sister's friend's birthday party. This friend, Selena, is a mysticism enthusiast.

— Everything was going well until my sister came to me. Her friends were acting really strange, so Melissa wanted to call for help and didn't understand what was going on...

He told her everything about the events, except for the part that Melissa was participating in and that she knew about the mysterious world. Klein mentioned that he and his sister were nearly abducted by Lanevus in broad daylight.

Medici felt astonished, almost in disbelief as he listened to the whole story and Dunn Smith was so calm that he seemed to be used to it.

— You're saying that you found a ritual of The True Creator, undid it, found out about the identity of a member of the Aurora Order, Hanass Vincent, who you already knew from the Divination Club. You were also almost kidnapped by a charlatan, Lanevus, who was being watched or something like that by a Beyonder and their plan was to capture a pair of siblings, and you and Melissa seemed like a good option.

— Soon after, Soon after, you met a member of the Machinery Hivemind who was the mother of your sister's friend and the party ended with everyone giving statements to the police? — he felt like he was talking a bunch of nonsense without any sense.

— Yes. — Klein stated with a dark look, almost covered in fog.

— Okay. — Medici felt it was too complicated to discuss, so he just accepted that disconcerting situation as if it were nothing.

It was easier to pretend it was just normal.

— That's why I want to ask for an investigation into Hanass Vincent. — Klein asked with a thinking a lot about what had happened.

He suspected there was more to this man, especially since it would be very difficult to try to save Selena and Elizabeth if he didn't know about some special rituals.

Besides, it was too much of a coincidence that Lanevus was trying to hunt down a pair of siblings for some ulterior motive, right in the place where Selena almost invoked some macabre power linked to The True Creator.

Hanass Vincent was probably involved with something worse.

— Alright, I'll be in charge of all the cases involving this. — Dunn said, his gray eyes as dark as ever.

Medici stood up without a care in the world, leaving the papers on the table.

— Since the Antigonus case is basically almost concluded, I'll be leaving today. — he gave a carefree smile — I have a lot of documents piled up in my office, I need to sort out some things and I'd rather not increase the amount of work.

— Besides, I still have to review the Antigonus case files a thousand times and write down every little detail to give more than five copies to the Midnight Church and seven to the internal files of the Order Hunters...

— Oh, there are also the statements for the other Churches involved and I still have to sign some things like the documents of proof and problem of the Antigonus Notebook and 1-000, Spark of Cosmos, the artifact found with Lily Chekky, which will be well guarded by the Order Hunters...

He handed a document to Klein, which described a little about 1-000.

"A very old Sealed Artifact, its first appearance was a little before the Age of Steam and Machinery."

"Its appearance is like a paintbrush half silver and carved in dark blue with mysterious symbols inlaid, painting entire pictures on its own with the reflection of the spiritual world or something more mysterious, perhaps even reflecting the worst of those who try to use it."

"It was first found by a famous pirate, Night Admiral, Harold Izar, whose documents indicate that he sailed the Sea of Sonia under the support of the Midnight Church, but the Sealed Artifact soon fell under the control of Harold's family, the Izar family of barons, of one of the lands north of Loen, where the destroyed and sealed Gray City once stood, in Winter County."

"It remained inactive for a long time, but for unknown reasons it was awakened, being a living Sealed Artifact."

"One night, the Spark of Cosmos painted a picture that resulted in the deaths of over 13,000 people at once, transforming them into unspeakable things, killing them in strange ways, they would become conscienceless fanatics, only pretending to be normal in rare cases."

"The city was so destroyed and corrupted that it was only possible to enter with the help of a Saint from the Church of Midnight along with one of the Hunters of the Order, and even then they never managed to reach the bottom of the ruins."

"The city had to be sealed, its traces burned and erased from history. The Grey City was gone, never to exist in the eyes of others."

"The Spark of Cosmos was lost that day, its location being unknown until it was found with a member of the Aurora Order, Lily Chekky, which is directly linked to the Antigonus case."

Why did you give me this...? I have no authority to know about such a thing... — Klein felt that this was complicated, so he just read the rest.

He felt a chill run down his spine, seeing an entire city disappear as if it had never existed in the world was terrifying and even inconceivable was what happened to the inhabitants, more than 13 thousand people who suddenly went mad, became things more bizarre than those who lost control and plunged into the most unthinkable madness.

It was quite frightening for something like this to happen, but he knew that anything was possible in the horror of the Beyonder world.

A thought came to his mind.

He tested the Sealed Artifact by himself, studied it, gave the full report, and will have to write more than thirty documents... How come you're still alive...? Hey, I remember the emperor signed a law about this, why don't you fight for your rights...? — Klein felt dazed as he listened to Medici continue his extensive list.

He knew why that was, the person in front of him probably didn't need any sleep either.

— This vacation was great, in a very quiet place like this. — Medici scoffed, visibly interested in what he might hear from Tingen when he was in Backlund.

Hearing such a direct insult, Klein couldn't help but retort very calmly:

— Of course, I'm sure it will be very calm to smell the pollution along with the sound of your pen for more than a week straight without a break.

Remembering this fact, Medici, stunned, remained silent.

...

In Backlund, it was raining non-stop, several rivers were in poor condition due to possible flooding and people chose to stay at home.

Below the Brave Bar, this was not a problem, and so Ian preferred to remain locked underground.

Stirring through some meticulously organized papers that were piled up on top of his desk, such as old newspapers and even some files that said different things, Ian Wright took only two folders.

They were full of documents that he himself had written, all precisely detailed on main subjects about the mysterious world.

One of those folders belonged to Medici, who was about to return to Backlund and the other to Sharron, a mysterious Beyonder who, together with Maric, had appeared a few days ago at the Brave Bar in search of Ian.

I wonder why those two came looking for information about the Rose School of Thought... Mr. Medici had warned me to be very careful with these kinds of people... — Ian thought to himself, not daring to talk to himself.

In the previous days, he had witnessed Sharron's ability when she passed through the wall like some kind o