Klein was afraid that police might search the room, so he hid the revolver in the extinguished gas stove and covered it with coal to conceal it.
After doing all that, he approached the door and murmured, "Sorry, I just had a nap."
Outside stood three inspectors. One of them looked very similar to the red gloved nighthawk sitting beside Klein, just the one in the screen had shorter hair and a bit immature kind of temperament in comparison.
Leonard was all smiles as he poked Klein and told him the obvious, "Look! Our first meeting!"
Klein deadpanned "Is it something to be happy about? You came to inform me about my friends' passing. Those were my only friends here, you know."
Leonard: Sorry to be happy QAQ
Klein put his hand on his chest and made the Evernight church symbol, "May you rest in peace within the Goddesses' territory, I miss our captain so much…"
Leonard did the same, "You were the best captain I could ever ask for!"
Audrey looked at both of them with a complicated gaze, then discreetly turned her head where the supposed goddess sat– She had a faint smile on her face.
'It seems that these three have a really good relationship, one prays to the other(evernight), while teases the another(emperor).'
Will rolled his eyes, thinking 'you're almost a god yourself, what're you doing praying to someone else.'
Who's gonna tell the kid that this is going to be the norm here on forth.
Klein politely invited them inside. The stern inspector asked, "Do you know Welch McGovern?"
"What's wrong with him?"
"I'm the one asking questions."
The inspector next to him, Dunn Smith gently smiled to relax the atmosphere, "Don't be nervous. It's just a routine questioning."
Klein couldn't help but sniff a little, "Captain~"
Just as he was being nostalgic, they all heard Klein's thoughts about Dunn's eyes– 'gray eyes that, like a lake in an ancient forest that no one visited, giving an indescribable sense of depth.'
Klein almost choked.
Leonard looked at Klein with shock, "You're so good at describing things- why didn't you teach me how to write poems?"
Pallez facepalmed and sighed. Audrey chuckled lightly, she thought Leonard would feel wronged or even jealous but he's focusing on different things.
The police replied after Klein told them about the relationship between him and his classmates, "I'm sorry, Mr. Welch has passed away."
"WHAT?" Klein shouted in astonishment.
"What about Naya?" he questioned hurriedly.
"Miss Naya passed away too, both of them died in Mr. Welch's house." The inspector said calmly and then proceeded to describe the situation.
Benson and Melissa had heard about Welch and Naya through Klein, now seeing the scene of their death felt a bit unreal. Even a bit scary.
The veterans of mysticism however thought that it was a bit mild compared to the gruesome horrors they've experienced.
The policemen were questioning Klein as the younger of the three policemen, the one with green pupils, who was good-looking and had a poet's romantic temperament; walked inside the apartment and pick up his diary on the desk.
Klein had forgotten to hide it, "hey!" he cried out.
Dunn explained calmly that it was a necessary procedure.
As expected, Leonard saw the last written page on the diary and asked about it.
Klein's mind quickly turned and he realized that this was an opportunity to 'connect' with the police in case of possible danger. He made a decision in less than a second and pretended to lose his memory of the matter.
Putting his hand over his forehead, like it hurt thinking about it, he answered "I have no idea. I really have no idea… When I woke up this morning, I felt I wasn't quite right, as if I had forgotten something. It's especially true for whatever happened recently. I don't even know why I had written such sentence."Being frank was the best way solve a problem sometimes. There were things that could be said and could not be said, and the order of what was said first mattered.
The grumpy inspector Mountbatten got angry, asking if Klein thought of them as fools…
Klein confirmed that he was telling the truth; it was Dunn who seemingly believed him.
Klein himself was surprised that he really believed his nonsense!
Dunn told Klein to rest assured as an expert will come help recover his memories as he bid him farewell.
That's it? That's it for today? No other questions with deeper investigations? Or taking me back to the police station to torture me for information? Klein was at a loss.
Leonard: "Were you really expecting us to do that? I didn't know you had such tastes…"
Klein: "…"
Klein just rolled his eyes and continued watching.
As the inspectors were leaving the apartment, Leonard suddenly patted Klein on the shoulder.
"It's really nice. Very lucky."
"What?" replied Klein.
"Generally speaking, the norm is for all the involved parties to die in such an event. We are very glad and fortunate to see you still alive."
Klein had repeated Leonard's words twice in his mind, one time simply repeating it, the second time mocking it.
Klein shivered and quickly ran to the door, trying to catch up to them and ask for protection. But he soon realized something. The officer talked so horribly about it, why didn't they mention anything about protecting him, an important witness or key lead?
Many kinds of thoughts run through his mind, were they watching him? Probing him? Using a bait?
He acted like an afraid normal person and shouted across the hallway, "You guys will protect me, right?"
No response.
"I know! You'll do that!" His acting was superb.
As the footsteps vanished, Klein closed the door and sighed, his expression returning to his usual self in a second.
Leonard turned to look at him, his pupils shaking slightly. "I really thought you were scared! And that your later composure came from adapting to mysticism…"
Klein gave him a really innocent and beautiful smile; Leonard didn't know whether to be happy that Klein smiled at him or be mad that Klein fooled himself and everyone around him. Nevertheless, a chilling shiver did run through his body.
Klein returned to his room and snorted, "Isn't that response too fake? Their acting skills are not up to standard!"
He did not slack just because there was no one around.
This is called the self-cultivation of an actor! He laughed at himself in his heart.
Roselle couldn't help but marvel, "You should've entered the entertainment industry with your acting skills!"
Amanises also nodded, "The role of a horror protagonist or a thriller movie protagonist would suit him"
Roselle turned his head towards her as if he was glad someone understood him. He became excited, "Right! With how calm he is, he would become the high IQ strategist male god."
Klein ignored the chatter behind him.
Without anybody cueing the fast-forward, Arrodes consciously skipped the domestic scene. Klein himself wanted to go past this topic and was planning to ask for the skip, since it was already done, he didn't say anything.
The tablet in front of Klein lit up and asked a question, "Great master. How would you rate this humble one's service?"
Klein smiled and gave a thumbs up, whispering to the floating screen, "10 out of 10!"
The tablet showed a starry screensaver and soon returned to its previous inactivity.
Leonard, Audrey and Will who saw the blatant favoritism: "…"
Will aggressively ate the ice-cream that appeared on the table as soon as he thought of it.
The scene was cut and Melissa was seen entering the apartment.
"Smells good…" she said in astonishment, "You made this?"
"Are you afraid I'd waste the mutton?" Klein looked proud as he explained how he learnt how to cook the food from Welch.
"Hadn't you just learnt that your dear friend Welch died that day? How come you're so comfortable calling his name and putting the pot on his chef?" Leonard commented.
Klein, unfazed by the subtle mockery, replied- "Back then, my memories were disjointed and I didn't remember things about many people. Obviously, I didn't remember my friendships either."
Leonard: ".." My bad, I used my mouth.
They saw the siblings enjoy their 'luxurious' food. They looked happy eating it. The screen then showed Klein doing the chores with sped up effects.
"Xiao Zhou... You're really good at adapting to your surroundings. Look at those cooking skills, it's as if you grew up in this world!" complimented Roselle.
"Why are you talking as if it took you more than a week to get used to your surroundings." questioned Amanises.
"Wha- How did you..." Roselle stopped before he could finish that sentence.
'Can these two ancestors not bicker like old pals? Especially when I'm stuck between them!' the yellow haired pirate lamented in his mind.
Benson and Melissa looked at Klein cleaning up and cooking, "Not gonna lie, it doesn't even feel like he's changed. That's how Klein used to behave before our parents passed away; before he became depressed about his studies." That's why they didn't notice any discrepancies in Klein's attitude.
As Klein and Melissa were cleaning up after meal, Melissa finally said, "Let me cook in the future."
"Um… You have to hurry up and prepare for the interview. You have to think about your job."
Melissa can you not rub in it… Klein muttered inwardly while feeling a throbbing pain in his head.
He gave a perfunctory response as he cannot explain his paranormal involvement in the ritualistic arts.
Melissa muttered, "I- I was just worried about your future," she abruptly stopped when she felt a palm being pressed against her head as if patting it.
Strange thing was… There was no on sitting on the side where the touch came from.
She would've been scared before, but it made her feel reassured, like how it felt when praying to Mr. Fool.
The scene shifted and Klein was sleeping on his bed.
Three knocks on the door woke him up from his sleep.
"Who is it?" He looked up and it was early morning.
"It's me. Dunn Smith," the captain replied from the outside.
Klein opened the door and saw Dunn.
Alarmed, Klein asked, "Is there something wrong?"
Dunn told him with a stern look about his itinerary on the day Welch and Naya had that accident, that Klein had been present at Welch's place right before they died.
Klein did not show any guilt or remorse on his face, because he didn't feel any in the first place. He didn't even know that!
What he did know was that after returning back home, the former Klein had killed himself as well!
Klein explained how he truly didn't remember what he did on the 27th of June.
"You sure have great mental fortitude," Dunn said while nodding. Not a trace of anger, nor was he smiling.
I'm telling the truth! Of course, only part of it!
"Mr. Welch lost a revolver. I guess… I should be able to find it here. Right? Mr. Klein?"
Klein concluded the origin of that revolver after hearing this, "Behind the bed board."
He revealed the hiding place frankly.
"Nothing to add on?"
Without hesitation, Klein started rambling how he woke up next to a gun on his desk and a bullet across the floor. Once again emphasizing how he didn't remember a thing.
"Excellent acting." Pallez commented, Azik nodded his head and added, "And he is still in his conscious state even after being affected by a Nightmare's abilities." The two exchanged their observations a build a good rapport.
Others were also listening to their analysis. Fors especially wanted to join them and share her own thoughts about how interesting Klein's situation is; that he'd be a very good main character of a novel- but she held back and drank her excitement with the alcohol. Xio saw through her and only shook her head.
By the time the discussion is over, Klein left a note for Melissa and was leaving with Dunn to the police station.
"Go on, up." Dunn signaled for Klein to get in the carriage.
There was a commotion nearby and Klein fled.
"Oh-oh you fell for it." Leonard teased. Before Klein could reply another commented.
"A very convenient timing for the thief to enter the scene." Amanises said sarcastically, as if the Klein outside couldn't see it too.
Danitz thought that Klein used that chance well, as he doesn't have any beyonder abilities so he has to rely on tricks as such. But then he thought that the opponent was a nighthawk and this could totally be a deliberately created illusion…
Klein ran through alleys while thinking of fleeing to the capital to blend into higher population. He went to Iron Cross street and hopped onto one of the carriages, "To the pier outside the city."
"Alrighty." Came the reply.
The carriage turned into another road, not leading out of the city.
"Where are you going?" Klein blurted in momentary daze.
"To Welch's place…" came the reply.
The carriage driver turned around and it was Dunn Smith.
Klein outside the screen turned to look at Leonard, who looked so proud that you'd suspect it was himself who caught a fleeing suspect.
"Why are you so smug?" Klein asked Leonard.
"Don't you have a smile on your face too?" Leonard spoke back and Klein immediately reigned it in, like a face changing opera.
The Klein in the screen too changed his face as he woke up in his bed again.
"It was a nightmare… All is well… All is well…"
"Yeah, a nightmare indeed." Said Leonard.
"pfft" were the reactions of both the Moretti brothers. After that, some more chuckles sounded through the room.
It wasn't much, but the atmosphere was more relaxed than before.
He calmed down quickly and headed to the toilets outside.
Suddenly, he saw Dunn Smith outside the window of the corridor-
Klein took a step back instinctively, unsure of whether he was awake or still dreaming.
Dunn took down his hat and bowed a little, "Reintroducing myself, Nighthawk, Dunn Smith."
Klein connected the term 'Nighthawk' with the Church of the Evernight's beyonders that Justice and The Hanged Man had mentioned before.
Alger once again had a reality check that this guy didn't even know what a nighthawk was until they met!
He took a few deep breaths and tried to calm himself.
'It has already happened. No use crying over spilled milk. That spilled milk already went and became a real God. You can't offend God.'
"You can control dreams? You just made me dream of that?"
"No, I only entered your dream and made the necessary guidance." Dunn Clarified. As if that helped.
He explained in more simpler terms and concluded, "Compared to a conscious you, I believe the you in your dreams more."
To Klein, Dunn's powers didn't feel like dreaming at all.
'So, Dunn Smith only "saw" what I wanted him to see?' Klein thought to himself.
'This is a perk that resulted from transmigration? Like having a special body and soul? Or was it the effects of that luck enhancement ritual?'
Klein hid half his face with his hand, as if that would stop himself from hearing his own thoughts from the screen.
Amon in the back chuckled soundlessly, thinking this human was silly. But he dared not utter a word because he was only a low level beyonder and a literal Goddess sat beside him.
Dunn once again began convincing Klein to take him to a specialist medium to recover his memories. Then he dropped a bombshell.
"After all you're connected to the whereabouts of that Antigonus family notebook."
"What?" Klein froze.
"At the scene of the suicide, there was no trace of that notebook from the Fourth Epoch. Welch and Naya are dead; you are our only lead."
At that reasoning, Klein agreed to go with Dunn.
'A missing notebook... now that is really peculiar.'
Klein locked the door to his apartment and stopped after going out two steps. "Mr. Smith, I... I would like to use the bathroom first."
'I came out originally for the bathroom...'
Dunn didn't stop Klein, "No problem, Klein. Believe me, I am far more powerful than you can imagine in the dark night."
"Damn, he's kinda hot like this..." Fors unintentionally let her thoughts slip out.
Xio looked at her, exasperated. Until she noticed some gazes on her, Fors didn't realize that she said that out loud.
She let out a few coughs to mask her embarrassment.
Emlyn, sitting beside her asked, "Are you not feeling well? Need some meds?" he was concerned.
Xio and the adults in the front seats laughed.
Both men then set off to Welch's place after Klein changed his outfit.
"At the end of the dream, why did you try to escape? What were you afraid of?" Dunn asked as they were leaving the building.
Klein immediately thought of an answer as he said, "I do not remember what I did at Welch's place, nor do I remember if I was directly involved in Welch's and Naya's deaths. I was afraid if it was really proven to be my doing, I would rather gamble and escape. I can then start anew in the Southern Continent."
"I would've done the same if I were you," Dunn replied.
Leonard and Klein, knowing that Dunn often had nightmares about his colleagues' death and couldn't forget them... They couldn't help but think if his reply had any deeper meaning to it.
They witnessed Klein and Dunn discussing about Klein's situation, whether he could return to a normal life after this experience.
Dunn even shared his experience with cultists and how many people attempted suicide.
There was a whistle blower who reported the activities, the nighthawks resolved the case, the whistle blower got married and had kids, but a few years later he strangled himself to death in his office.
After listening to Dunn speak about that case, Klein thought, 'Even if I escaped it once, it might just be temporary? Is there any way to resolve this completely? Become a beyonder to fight it?'
Nobody commented as this was indeed the right thought process. One cannot escape mysticism unless they're dead, if they want to live, then they have to learn to live alongside it.
The Moretti siblings also understood Klein's circumstances.
Bennette, through her little mind, came to a conclusion- "Fighting? that's great. You have to win!"
Klein dotingly patted her fluffy head.
Captain Dunn and Klein reached Welch's place.
"Oh, let me introduce beforehand, the official disguise of the 'expert' is the most renowned spirit medium of Awwa County." Dunn told Klein.
"Then what is her actual identity?" he asked curiously.
"A true spirit medium."
As they walked up to the gate of the house, Klein felt that in the garden, somewhere in the lawn, on the roof, behind the swing, SOMEWHERE many pairs of eyes were observing him!
"Something's wrong!" He exclaimed as he felt chills at the peculiar feeling brought about by this place.
"Just ignore them." Said Dunn.
The audience in front of the screen also felt the atmosphere. Of course they didn't feel like someone watching them, it was just the replication of senses felt by Klein in the screen.
Klein scoffed lightly at that and kept watching.
Since the nighthawk had said so, Klein tolerated the feeling and kept walking. It only got stronger and denser as they neared entrance.
Dunn opened the front door and an ethereal voice came from inside the house, "Come in, gentlemen."
Dunn said to the woman on the sofa, "Daly, any results?"
At this moment, the light from the windows shone upon her, exposing her features that were hidden in the dark.
She wore a hooded black robe, blue eyeshadow and blush. A white crystal pendant was worn around her wrist.
"Damn, she is hot!" Someone said.
Nobody needed to turn and look at the person saying this because they already knew who said it.
The lady seemed to have a liking for cold-looking faces.
Author's note:
Actually, I've been going through a lot past few weeks. The country I live in has faced many scandals related to exams and stuff like paper leaks. It didn't really involve me or my academic major specifically, I've had my exams postponed by a month (Today's the first exam of this sem)
A relative of mine attempted suicide because of exam leak, she had spent 2 years after junior college to prepare for it, only for the paper to be leaked and the exam be considered null. There was a re-take as well but that ended up leaking too.
I'm not particularly close to her, but after the attempt, she ended up staying at our house for a few weeks. So... Yeah, it felt awkward and I was sad for her.
(I could understand her because I too had to take that specific exam before enrolling to my current university. I just didn't face any paper leak scandals in my time. I took that exam 3 years ago.)
So, anyway. I'll give you the exact date. My written exams finish on 15th July, expect a chapter that evening.
As for the practical exams a month later that- Meh, practicals are easy asf for me so no gaps in that duration.
Wish me luck for these written exams. (I fucking hate written tests)
P.S. I'll remove this chapter when I upload actual chapter 9
Update: Didn't remove the note because there's update(?) about it.
My exams were supposed to end on 15th but 2 of my exam papers ended up getting postponed to 24th and 29th July due to heavy rainfall.
And I forgot to update the chapter yesterday (15th as I said before) because I was really tired. So, I did it today instead.
The chapters will be updated irregularly as I get time. But hey! I'm so back to writing again! Sorry, and thank you for waiting!!!
Notes: