"I didn't expect it," Lulubel paused, her hand reaching for a bottle of disinfectant. "To see you again, Shiroi Hitsuji."
Ren didn't respond. He had dyed his hair a deep, obsidian black and wore orange contact lenses, but Lulubel had effortlessly dismantled his disguise.
"I almost didn't recognize you; the transformation is truly impressive. You can change the hair and swap the lenses, but not for this scar..." Lulubel stepped closer, her finger traced a jagged, deep-set scar on his left ribs.
Ren turned his face away, but Lulubel's gaze remained fixed. Ren caught his own reflection in a dull mirror mounted on the wall; his natural crimson retinas were exposed, glowing with a muted intensity. Lulubel had removed the lenses while he was unconscious. That was the true mark of Shiroi Hitsuji.
Lulubel began tidying her medical instruments with casual gestures. "That wound," she said, nodding toward his newly injured ribs, "reminds me of the night your hit-and-run mission failed, years ago. Everyone involved believed you had been captured. But a few days later, you 'came home' with a stab wound in your side that you had stitched up yourself," she remarked, her eyes flashing with clinical interest.
"I've always wondered who treated you back then. But after seeing these injuries—which are just as severe—I'm even more curious about you. You are a fascinating subject to study."
Ren remained silent. Internally, he was seething at the misfortune of crossing paths with this mad scientist again. He knew Lulubel well: she was the head of the 'medical team' for the Higanbana terrorist group, a terrifying figure obsessed with unnatural research.
"Did you tell them?" Ren finally spoke, ignoring her talk of research. He needed to pivot the conversation.
"About Shiroi Hitsuji?" Lulubel didn't stop her work. "I was confused; they've been calling you 'Ren' all this time. It turns out they really have no idea who they're nursing back to health, do they?"
"From now on, you will call me that too," he commanded, his voice returning to its icy baseline.
Lulubel simply nodded, not bothering to ask why. To her, the name was just another layer of his many disguises.
Ren's eyes narrowed as he asked his next question. "What is your connection to the Cube?"
"After the collapse of the Marble Kingdom's terror campaign, Higanbana's status became... ambiguous. The members scattered. So, I decided to continue my illegal research privately," Lulubel explained with a wide, unsettling smile. "I needed a reliable network to acquire black-market research materials. That's when I met Vera; she was my primary conduit through the dark web."
Lulubel tilted her head, her pigtails swaying with the movement. "By the way," she paused, looking at Ren with cold calculation, "I believe I deserve proper compensation for keeping Shiroi Hitsuji's secret."
Ren grunted. The pain in his ribs was momentarily eclipsed by this silent threat. "What do you want?"
"That black hair of yours... it's not just ordinary dye, is it?" Lulubel smiled thinly, waiting for the answer she already suspected.
"You want a sample?" Ren guessed coldly.
Lulubel carefully checked the dosage of a cell regeneration booster in her syringe before looking up. "If that were all I wanted, I could have taken it while you were out—but I'm no thief. The price for Shiroi Hitsuji's secret must be far higher."
She stepped closer and injected the booster into Ren's right arm. "Introduce me," she whispered. "The person who made your silver hair vanish... they must be someone truly extraordinary. Bring me to them."
She was right. If it were mere dye, Ren's silver hair would have returned as it grew. But a year after applying that specific vial, his hair remained black, growing out in that color as if it were natural.
"I can't do that," Ren replied after Lulubel applied a bandage to the injection site.
Lulubel stared deep into Ren's eyes. "Don't tell me you..."
Without Ren needing to utter a word, Lulubel understood. She knew exactly how the assassin before her operated. The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.
"What a tragedy..." Lulubel murmured. "...You've crushed a true gem."
Ren offered no reply.
"I've just given you a cell regeneration booster. Sleep now for maximum recovery. While you're in this state, be a good patient and stay quiet." Lulubel spoke with a smile that masked a firm command. She left the room, and moments later, Ren drifted back into unconsciousness as the booster began its work within his cells.
Rich City Police Headquarters, Third Week of March 2324
Inspector Laevatein sat at her desk. She had established the Eye Tower Tragedy Special Investigation Team, and for three days, they had worked tirelessly, re-examining the crime scene and supporting documents.
That morning, a Lieutenant stood before her, ready to reveal the team's findings.
"Alright, explain your findings," Laevatein said coldly. The shadows under her eyes had darkened after a week of obsession with the Eye Tower, demanding a swift and logical explanation.
The Lieutenant leaned forward. "We've identified three anomalies missed by the initial team. Fact one: the bullets recovered from Baron Frey and former General Aslan are identical—custom-made specifically for the General's personal sidearm. That weapon was found in his hand. It supports the narrative of internal conflict followed by suicide."
"Suicide... enough for the public narrative," Laevatein nodded, her voice devoid of emotion.
"Not so fast, Inspector. Fact two: the CCTV footage from that day is completely gone. Not just within the Eye Tower, but from main roads and surrounding buildings within a two-kilometer radius. Total erasure," he urged, his eyes reflecting his frustration. "We must remember that Baron Frey's family held the Aegis blueprint, with their server ports in the God Hands Gallery. The footage seems to have self-deleted through the embedded Aegis system."
Laevatein slammed her fist onto the desk, her jaw tightening. "Aegis. The state-of-the-art security system they were pitching to Rich City? Hah... this is getting complicated."
"And fact three," the Lieutenant continued, his voice calm yet sharp. "At the reception desk, we found a hidden guest book. There was one entry recorded for a banquet that never happened: 'Daniel from Santino'."
The Lieutenant looked directly at Laevatein. "Santino is the only non-family link left to the Eye Tower, Inspector. We have summoned their representative. They are our next key witness."
"Santino? That slippery old mafia boss who thrives on bribery?" Laevatein frowned in disgust. She knew well enough that Santino wasn't someone who could be easily arrested. It was an open secret that every mafia group had backers—some even within the police force itself—and Santino's money had bought that protection long ago.
Laevatein had to suppress her rage. To arrest Santino meant challenging the entire corrupt hierarchy she loathed, a move she wasn't yet strong enough to make.
But she had to find a lead, no matter how small. Even if it meant facing the mafia head-on. "Bring him in."
The Lieutenant nodded. With a minimal gesture, the door to the Inspector's office opened.
A man with sharp features and a perfectly tailored suit stepped inside. The cut of his clothes radiated financial power comparable to the victims of the tragedy. Erebos walked with a practiced composure, as if his presence at a police station were a mere formality rather than an interrogation. He exuded a well-groomed aura of danger—a threat wrapped in luxury.
Erebos stood tall before Inspector Laevatein. "Good morning, Inspector Laevatein. I am Erebos, representing Santino." A professional smile touched the corners of his lips, but his eyes remained cold and piercing.