As the interior resounds a throttling of hooves from the outside. Streaks of sunlight courses through the window, illuminating and casting shadows inside the carriage.
Selina crossed her arms, watching the scenes of the road pass by her in motion.
Suddenly, she pinched her head, still recounting the last dream.
I'll narrate what I've seen to Klein right after dinner... After feeling relief, she shifted her mind.
I'm surprised. He is actually steering a carriage smoothly... I thought it would be difficult to him since real horses do not act like in the games he played...
"You look pale..." Dunn's voice suddenly echoed in the room.
Selina snap in fright as she forced out a smile. "Likely because I've been using myself as my test subject."
That was a split-second confession to conceal 3-0137's dream effects.
"Hmm." Dunn looked at her deeply before pulling away after awhile. "You should take care of yourself more."
"Yes." Selina maintained her smile.
Then as her thoughts trailed off. She suddenly asked Dunn across her, "Captain, did you said that in Mr. Persich's dream, his wife appeared?"
Is that why you took four minutes long?
Dunn pulled his gaze away from the fleeting crowds outside and casted it to Selina. "My words of advice likely impacted his subconscious mind and dream."
Selina knew of the connections of what Dunn mentioned.
Nothing in any dreams are truly real and while some would be visited by someone they know, when it occurred, it ultimately comes down to their emotional and mental attachments.
That is, if this was the modern world, ghost are nothing but supercilious beliefs, but unlike it, spirits here exists.
"Did she said anything?" Selina failed to ask this earlier, so only now did she addressed this.
Dunn gaze blankly outside and replied, "It may not be a spirit. Perhaps just a product of his state of mind that turned into his image of his wife."
Selina was about to ask how, but in the split-second she stopped.
For a Sequence 7 Nightmare, it's certain for Dunn to sense if what he's encountering in a dream is a spirit or not. Thus, she pursed her lips and listened.
"She said that Persich should continue making toys, and gazing at the stars. Find someone else, allow himself to forget and forgive." added Dunn in a deep voice.
"It's like what you said!" Selina exclaimed.
"Heh heh, hopefully that will adjust his mind for his own future. Persich is still young, I can even argue he's the same age as me." Dunn humored with a chuckle.
Really? How observant... Captain, I thought you would have a worse discernibility than I am... Selina mused quietly before she realized something.
Right away, in a hitched of her breath, Selina scootched farther away and pressed herself onto a wall.
Dunn continued, but this time his voice turned soft and solemn, "In the future, Selina. Whatever happens, carry yourself away from the griefs.
"There are things we could not control, things that we can only endure. This is because similar to being a Nighthawk, life will be meaningless without constraints."
Captain, did you ate a cooking of Madam Daly's today? You're so wise! Selina commended while following up with a simple smile.
Constraints...
...
After the second person and a quick break. The carriage arrived at a dilapidated building, situated a few blocks from the apartment complex Klein and his siblings used to live.
The road never ceased to disappoint as it reeks of alcohol, manure and street dwellers. Mixed into the crowd are children of stained appearances and sharp, vulture-like eyes.
Klein finally got to exhale and alighted from the carriage. This time, he was greeted later by an officer, clad in an inspector attire and a top hat.
"So you must be Captain Dunn Smith?" But the man in front of him squint his eyes while wiping his glasses.
What? Do I even look remotely identical to Captain? A corner of Klein's mouth twitched upon hearing that.
"That will be me." Dunn walked over with a genial smile.
When the officer finally wore back his glasses, he flinched from looking at Klein and instantly retracted to Dunn. "Oh, that feels more appropriate."
The officer quickly left his side and went to their Captain. Klein sighed as he watched.
"My name is Orland Peneumont, I came from Stoen City for the investigation of the thirty victims." Orland lift up his top hat slightly in greeting and withdrew his badge after briefly presenting it. "Captain Dunn, you appear as the description tells, young but appearing old with a recessed hairline."
"That's quite a description." Dunn forced an affable grin and quipped calmly as he mirrored his gesture.
"I have to apologize. Only quite a few of us came to Tingen in response to the case." Orland took a step back from Dunn as he followed, "Majority of the inspectors started to visit rural towns over the last months. Their own cases had yet to finish."
Rural towns? Selina heard the tidbit quite instantly.
"It's likely because of Milo." at that moment, Klein's voice resounded from beside her. Selina was immediately startled, her eyebrows creased by the time she turned to him.
"What's this about?" Dunn naturally asked.
"Some ordain of the Holy Church to secure rural towns from cults." Orland said in faint exasperation. "However, apparently, the investigation did bore fruit—a family, with the surname Sanson had been trying to spread the words of Sinners around North-Eastern Regions of Trier.
"It first started from the citizens of Bayman, then was traced to the locals of Pilco Town across Srenzo River."
Dunn listened quietly and did not add any further. The same was expected from Selina and Klein.
"Anyway, is the divine light truly as what they say?" added Orland to shift the topic.
Of course he would already be informed of the case, however he wanted to elicit opinions instead, rooted from personal cause.
"I can't tell personally." Dunn replied as he pivot his head to face the building in front of them. "We merely encountered what the source could do. And since the effects are similar, our guesses should be correct."
"The meteorite huh..." Orland said slowly.
At that moment, Dunn pulled away from the building and flexed his wrist. "Based on the rumors and feedbacks from my teammates that have personally experienced it. This power doesn't directly kill you from sleeping.
"It is when you enter the dream produced, do you experience a revolt."
"Hmm, and who are these teammates?" Orland innocently asked and right away he retracted. "Ah, I'm trespassing my boundaries. My mistake. Of course they're free not to answer."
Dunn stayed silent from awhile and his eyes deepened. "...Let's enter. Selina and Klein still have to attend their combat training before five.
"Anything else? Perhaps brief us of the situation in the building."
He stopped midway to listen to Orland's report. After that, Klein and Selina followed closely as Dunn twist the handle and enter the corridor.
Similar to their first two apartments. This building had planked windows, liquid running down and a scent of sweat mingled with the unmaintained public restroom.
Selina had to use Klein's handkerchief throughout the walk, just to press it on her mouth and ventilate with the scents.
They arrived at a door by the third floor. It reeks of dust and phlegm. Outside can be heard coughs muffling from the walls.
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Before entering, Selina recounted the next victim's profile information.
Woten, fourty-two years old man who lived with only his wife. Their weekly income comes about fourteen pence, amounting to five soli and two pence per month.
Almost a quarter of the income comes to necessities and living expense, assuming the taxes were not applied. All of it are received from recycling lamp oils, gigs, and forging matches.
Mrs. Benula, his wife, should be the only one across this door... Selina's heart aches for the fate of the affected victims.
"You two can stay here. Once I called, use the Dreamcatcher to contain any instances of divine light in Benula's dream." Dunn said in a deep voice.
In response, Klein nodded. Both of them watched as the wooden pane creaked open to reveal a single room—three bunkbeds on the side of a wide window, lacking curtains. On the side was a stove, installed with pipes, no gas lamps attached on the walls and there was only one on the desk.
Benula sat in one of the bunkbeds, massaging her chest while clearing her throat. Her gaze looked detached and there was no luster that expects one from another day's toil.
The door eventually closed by the time Dunn entered. To which Selina diverted away from the door with a heavy heart.
"Do you think this could've been prevented?" asked Selina out of the blue.
Klein, who had taken his top hat during Dunn's words, returned it to his head after checking for a stain.
"No." he said first, before adding, "During that time, none of us are even aware of the meteorite's existence. So maybe, there was already someone else who was eyeing it."
Someone other than Marvik... he emphasized inwardly. Sigh, I still have to investigate that 1600 houses later after this...
Klein glanced at Selina momentarily. Seeing her expression, he abruptly cleared his throat, "Uh, ahem... If we're going to have to blame, it will definitely be that person."
I'm bad at this... He forced a jester smile, wide and vibrant.
In response, Selina rolled her eyes and shook her head slowly while smiling.
"I'm fine." She said, returning the same energy to Klein. "I understand that."
Perhaps on the spur, or likely that the moment is too precious to pass. Klein turned toward the staircase, where sunlight is abundant.
"That part seems to have a balcony." Klein maintained his smile. "And we're just high enough that the scent from the road won't reach us.
"Care for some fresh air?"
Haaah... Selina sighed and grinned wearily before nodding, "Alright, but if you're wrong I'll need your handkerchief again."
"I've divined it prior." Klein said in confidence and gallantly strode, but this time, he took hold of her hand, as a gentleman would.
Clutching the briefcase tightly in her delicate hands, her silver hair glistens in the broad light as it fluttered. And amidst her moving image, the colors of her eyes slowly gained luster.
...
Basked under the scorching sun. After another grueling session with Gawain, unusually more irritated than before and escorting Selina back to 2 Daffodil Street. Klein gasped for air as he walked.
The last house with the red chimney continued to fade from his view, and his expression turned grave every second.
The house with the red chimney that I saw in my divination isn't in the list of houses with a recent change in tenants... If that's the case, this has just become troublesome. I wonder how much time I would need to investigate about 1600 houses... Sigh. I can't ask for any help to do something like this. After all, only I would have the sense of familiarity from my spirituality when I see the target...
Don't be discouraged, don't give up. I'll continue the investigation whenever I have free time. I'll try to complete it within three months, no—two months! Who knows, the target might be found in tomorrow's investigation!
And, I'll organize the material when I get back and plan a route according to the distance of the sectors!
Klein motivated himself, banishing his feelings of depression.
Now that he had made a decision, he planned to instruct the driver to turn toward Daffodil Street. However, he suddenly realized that he was somewhere close to where Mr. Azik stayed.
Before Mr. Azik went for his holiday, he did write to tell me that he would be back sometime this week, but he didn't specify the exact date. Since it's on the way, I'll leave a note for him. Also, I rented this carriage for an hour with two soli, and the time's almost up anyway. I'll just stop at Mr. Azik's house, then take a public carriage back... Klein quickly made a decision.
Four minutes later, he alighted from the carriage and arrived outside Mr. Azik's house.
The houses here were obviously of higher quality than those at Daffodil Street, but not as good as those on Howes Street. There was a patch of grass in front of the house, and a small garden in the back.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Klein pulled on the rope outside the door and sounded the bell within the house.
A few moments later, he heard footsteps from inside before the door swung open.
Azik's mild facial features and bronze skin appeared before Klein. Since he was at home, he was only dressed in a simple white shirt, a brown vest, and matching pants.
"Klein? I was just about to write to you," Azik greeted enthusiastically. "I just arrived home last night."
Klein stared at the small mole near Azik's right ear momentarily, before gazing back.
"Mr. Azik, I found a clue to your past."