History... — Klein frowned in confusion. Various questions filled his dazed mind.
What would it mean to look at history?
How could everything be a grand act?
Has the original Klein really gone mad?
A deafening silence covered the entire room.
Why would he write such a thing? Why was he wondering who he was? What had he seen or discovered to make him so shaken and mad? And the original Klein was also seeing the Hornacis peak... — he scanned the yellowed paper again with a chill running down his spine.
Toc, toc
Toc.
Klein quickly turned to the door.
At that moment, a vision appeared in his mind.
Four people were standing in front of his door, they were police officers in typical black and white checkered uniforms, a familiar one whose eyes were deep and gray, a tall one who seemed hardened by life and the other was a tall young man with brown hair, next to him was the young man with brown hair and the last one looked more like a poet, but, there was a second shadow that overlapped with him, Leonard Mitchell.
He recognized one of them almost immediately, Bitsch Mountbatten.
He was the police officer responsible for the region, and a person as violent as the crazy people he dealt with daily.
What are they doing here again? — he asked himself internally as he got up from his chair silently.
It could be because of something else that pointed out to Klein again or it was possible that they had discovered that he knew about the Beyonders.
There was also the possibility that Leonard Mitchell's shadow had noticed something abnormal about him which was worrying, Azik could be in trouble too. The first option was the most likely of all.
What could it be?
Toc.
Toc, toc.
— Who is it? — Klein asked in a tired tone as if he had been busy all day.
— Dunn Smith, Leonard Mitchell, Bitsch Mountbatten, and an inspector, Kenley. The police. — Dunn replied calmly, looking completely unfazed.
Another Beyonder… — Klein narrowed his eyes before making a tired expression.
There was no need to bring three Beyonders when he couldn't even be considered a threat to any of them.
He walked to the door with some hesitation and opened it.
— Come in, how can I help you? — he asked politely. His gaze passed over each of them discreetly as he assessed them.
This third man seemed more serious, but he was very cautious. — Klein had come to this conclusion through his intuition, but he couldn't be completely sure for now.
This person had an epaulet with two perfectly aligned silver hexagons, so he certainly couldn't be a simple inspector.
Dunn Smith looked at him and gave him a calm smile: — Mr. Moretti, there are some things we want to ask you.
After a moment of silence, he asked:
— What is your relationship with Mr. Welch and Miss Naya?" Welch and Naya?
Klein wondered in his heart. His expression gradually revealed his confusion. He remembered a grotesquely written sentence in Klein's diary:
"June 18th. Welch said he had obtained a notebook from the Fourth Epoch!"
The notebook… Was it the reason these police officers were here? Thinking back, the original Klein had only seen strange things before, which had only gotten worse after coming into contact with the Antigonus family's notebook! He even went crazy because of the things he saw... Or maybe he wasn't going crazy...
However, Welch and Naya might have had some strange reaction to the notebook and gone crazy after some time? Maybe they had a worse fate than Klein...
— They are my friends from Khoy University, as well as Mr. Cohen's students. We met at the beginning because of some similar interests in history. I met them a few times to discuss a notebook from the Fourth Epoch. Did something happen to them? — he asked in an alarmed tone.
Dunn Smith was silent for a few seconds and sighed:
— I'm sorry, Welch passed away.
Klein's eyes widened.
— DIED?! And Naya
Officer Dunn Smith shook his head. — She passed away too.
They died… — With confused thoughts running through his mind, Klein turned back to the officers.
— Were they murdered? — he asked in shock.
Kenley shook his head.
— They committed suicide at Mr. Welch's house.
Suicide… The original Klein also committed suicide on the night of June 28th… An unknown student committed suicide in the early hours of the 28th… Welch and Naya committed suicide…Was that student involved in something? — As he pondered over a few possibilities, he couldn't help but think that none of it made much sense.
How could Welch have gotten hold of an item linked to the mysterious world? It didn't make much sense that someone would just hand over a relic that was thousands of years old so easily to naive young people.
Besides, that book would have had an effect on the person who had it before. It was impossible for anyone to notice if it had actually belonged to someone before.
No wonder Mr. Chariot said that a simple key could trigger a calamity and even result in a case with thousands of complicated and terrifying layers... — Klein sighed internally after looking at the "police officers" in front of him.
— That's impossible… — he muttered. The thoughts never stopped running through his head.
What if someone had killed them? The Beyonder world is too unpredictable and terrifying to be able to be certain of anything.
— Their suicide really doesn't make any sense. — Dunn Smith sighed — however, Welch slammed his head into the wall until he died and Naya dunked her head into a bucket full of water.
Klein could picture the scene in his mind, a tall man slamming his head so hard into the bloody wall that at some point his brain matter ended up spilling out of his cracked skull. A young woman with her eyes wide open and lifeless, her head buried in a bucket while her body grew colder by the second.
— In addition, a young student named Morigan Brewer committed suicide one morning. Her body was already frozen when we found her. — Dunn added calmly, still looking around.
At that moment, Bitsch Mountbatten left for some reason, moving away to some other place outside the house.
Leonard Mitchell didn't even wait for another word to be said before entering the house.
Just as Klein was about to say something, he remembered something he had forgotten.
The diary! He should have kept the diary!
As he entered the room, Leonard's expression began to frown.
— What does all this mean?
— "June 24th. Those stars..."
— "June 25th. I've been dreaming about that palace on the peak of Hornacis... I saw it again... All of this..."
— "I remember what I heard in my dreams..."
— "Who am I? Maybe I was right."
— "June 26th. Everything is a big act."
— "Look at history."
— And what does that mean? 'Everyone will die, including me'…
Klein put a hand to his temple, a confused look covering his entire face.
— I don't remember that... I only found the diary a little while ago while trying to remember something...
It wasn't a lie, he didn't remember anything about what had happened during the time the original Klein had the notebook with Welch and Naya. He only chose this alternative because of the things he had to hide at all costs, the gray fog and the transmigration.
— Don't you remember? — Inspector Kenley looked at him suspiciously, seeming to be completely in disbelief at what he had just said.
Klein shook his head slightly in affirmation.
— First, you've always seen strange things since before, haven't you? — Leonard shook the diary, tapping his finger on some specific words.
"February 24th. From what I've seen, it's not normal at all to see… How could I describe it? Actually, dreaming about terrifying and imaginable things isn't either… It should be, I guess. Could it be that my bad luck has reached another level? At least I've gotten used to it over the years… What is an Sequence 2, Angel?"
"I don't remember much more than what I dreamed about… A palace… Actually, what I see every day. That was unreal as always, I must be very tired lately…"
— These notes are from February of this year. — Leonard said, flipping through the diary again.
— Actually, yes. Ever since... But I'm not crazy, I'm just very nervous about studying. Or maybe it's just my imagination since forever. — Klein tried his best to look just confused, and not totally delirious.
There was a chance they would consider him out of control, or worse.
— Then why didn't you say anything? — Leonard questioned, still trying to corner him.
Isn't it obvious? — Klein almost put a hand on his head, but suppressed the urge, giving a silent sigh in his heart.
— Why would you gentlemen probably think I'm a complete lunatic? I'd probably end up in an asylum for the rest of my life. — Klein replied without hiding the doubt in his voice. He had been ready to defend himself since a long time ago, so it wasn't difficult to retort to Leonard.
Kenley put a hand on his chin and turned his gaze to Dunn Smith, who still seemed very calm.
— Mr. Moretti, you're not crazy. — Dunn Smith spoke with an unshakable tone of confidence. — It's possible that you suffered memory loss due to the mental pressure, but you can remember something.
At that moment, Klein's voice came out with confusion:
— There was a dark peak at the top of the mountain range, Hornacis I think. Above the main peak, a ruined palace. It was full of weeds everywhere... In the center was a throne full of stones... On the throne, there was a being sitting on it... It was a strange thing... It shouted something... Something related to the night.
— After that... I don't know...
Leonard frowned slightly, his gaze falling on Klein before focusing on the diary again. This time, he even seemed a little thoughtful.
— Mr. Moretti, you have to be at your residence every morning so we can take you to a psychology specialist, she can help you with your memories. If we don't find you here, you will be considered a fugitive. — Dunn said. His expression seemed as serene as ever.
They believed everything... — Klein felt internally surprised, but still relieved.
From what little he had heard, he knew that the officers might not be very kind to those suspected of being Beyonders in some way or to lunatics.
The kindest fate for me might have been madness. — he scoffed internally while still considering some details.
Actually... This specialist...
Uh...
This specialist might be a Beyonder...
What if she finds out about the transmigration? And the mist? They would certainly treat me like a strange being! Worse, they could kill me for considering me a threat!
Klein was still staring at the police officers with confusion and suddenly, Leonard patted him twice on the shoulder.
— You're very lucky, I don't know how you're still alive and well.
Klein frowned and turned to the official Beyonder with green eyes:
— What do you mean?
Leonard smiled as he passed him.
— It's just that most of the time, all cases like this result in death, that's the norm.Norma? Did everyone die?
Feeling a few chills running down his spine, Klein trembled and ran to the door.
Suddenly, he stopped with his hand on the doorknob.
Yeah, it didn't make sense that no one was watching.
If his suspicions were correct, Leonard was probably also watching him in the library. Besides, how could they leave someone like him, who has knowledge of the Beyonder world out there?
It would be a huge negligence on the part of the officials and the Church.
Calmness filled his mind again.
— You're going to protect me, aren't you?
The police didn't respond, just heading towards the exit while talking about something.
Klein didn't insist and closed the door, but his expression didn't return to calm. It seemed like he was thinking deeply and becoming increasingly confused and even a little panicked.
Even if he couldn't feel it with the senses he had gained, perhaps there could be someone watching him.
He continued seasoning the lamb, thinking of some of the foods he liked from his home country. No one knocked on the door the whole time until Melissa arrived.
— Brother... What's that smell? It smells really good... — she asked, her mouth wide open, her eyes almost shining.
Her eyes fell on the pot above the stove.
— Did you do this? — Melissa seemed to be salivating.
Klein nodded slightly:
— Are you afraid I'll end up wasting the meat? Try it.
Melissa continued to silently stare at the meat as if she were seeing a miracle in front of her.
— This should be for you...
After some insistence, she helped herself along with Klein.
Eagerly, she brought the spoon to her mouth with a shock as she swallowed, unable to stop eating.
— This... This is really good... — she stammered as she continued to chew.
The rest of the dinner was quiet, the brothers went to their respective rooms and only Klein remained half awake.
His mind was spinning with various questions as his consciousness went in and out of his body a few times.
Everything seemed so hazy in his vision that he "saw" his own gaze going towards the indiscernible void in front of him.
While he was unconsciously questioning himself about that void, he heard something coming from the floor.
Toc.
Toc.
Two footsteps from outside the house.
Klein got up from the bed in full alert, and when he was about to grab the gun that was on one of the bedposts, he saw something outline itself in his mind.
A tall man stood in the darkness, his eyes had an extremely cloudy gray tone with a slight serenity.
He was wearing a black suit. The corners of his hair were slightly receding.
Dunn Smith.
What is he doing here at this hour? — Klein frowned slightly, but did not dare to make a single noise.
Toc.
Toc.
Toc.
He knocked three times in a normal rhythm and then said calmly:
— Dunn Smith. The specialist arrived earlier than expected.
The expert! — Klein almost widened his eyes, but he was afraid that someone was watching him, so he just adjusted his clothes a little before looking to the side out of pure will, where he saw the open window with a crimson moonlight as well as a pair of eyes staring at him.
Outlined under the bloody red moonlight, the masked man looked like an iron mask and he was all dressed in black. He was holding something tightly in both hands.
Klein instinctively lowered himself to the ground.
Pa!
A bluish glass bottle hit the wall hard, shattering into several different pieces that scattered everywhere along with a strange fog.
— Hornacis. What do you know about this place? — he demanded in an indiscernible tone.
Klein frowned.
Hornacis?
Does he know?
He quickly glanced at the door from the corner of his eye. Dunn Smith was probably still outside, waiting for him patiently.
— Hornacis? — he asked, stepping back further with wide eyes.
The outer door began to creak before being broken in an unearthly movement.
Bang!
A silver bullet flew towards the unknown man, who dodged it by twisting his own spine without any problem.
The masked man didn't even turn to Klein for another moment before taking something out of his pocket.
It looked like some kind of antique clock with some shiny golden hands that rotated non-stop. There were some mysterious symbols adorning each part in an exaggerated and intertwined way, covering the room with a chaotic air.
The man muttered something in a strange, garbled language, appearing completely unconcerned as the clock ticked faster and faster.
Klein wasted no time in grabbing the gun that was under the bed frame, but he didn't aim it at the man either.
His goal in feigning confusion was never to try to kill the man, and he knew he probably wouldn't be able to, so the best thing to do was wait for Dunn Smith and flee the place.
Dunn Smith silently assessed him, nodding that he shouldn't stay there any longer.
— So I assume you're a worshiper of Midnight? Nighthawk. — The man spoke with a majestic air that enveloped him completely, even his dark eyes.
Klein wasted no time in jumping out the window in the middle of that confusing conversation.
Fortunately, he didn't break any bones when he landed perfectly on both legs and continued running down the street without having time to look back.
So that man is after the notebook?
Is Dunn Smith a Nighthawk of the Church of Midnight?
Klein crossed the street as several thoughts fell on his mind.
There was no way to escape this, even if he disappeared among thousands of people in Awwa, there was still a possibility that Beyonders would find him with his strange abilities.
The neighboring city was also not an option since he did not know the extent of the trouble he had gotten himself into and if the notebook was really very important, he could be hunted anywhere in Awwa! There were still other options.
Blending into Backlund or going to the Midnight Church to ask for help... — he narrowed his eyes and headed towards Iron Cross Street. There were several carriages and he did not hesitate and jumped into one of them.
— To the Church of Saint Selena. — he quickly asked.
On the way, he had considered the possibility of being followed, but once he reached the church, he could certainly ask the Beyonders there for help. Still, they wouldn't even suspect him after all, the masked man had said that Dunn Smith was a worshiper of Midnight, the Goddess!
Between the two of them, it was obvious who Klein was more inclined to trust.
He looked outside, seeing a few buildings, and realized that they weren't heading towards the church.
That's it… — he looked at the driver who seemed indifferent.
His eyes were blue and cold as they reflected the moonlight.
Beside him, there was a man with receding hairline holding a silver gun.
Dunn Smith!
Klein jumped out of the moving carriage.
Hazy images began to appear rapidly one after another, sometimes stacked up as if sharp knives were poking his soul.
The moon above the sky that silently watched them shone with an incandescent tone.
She sighed deeply, covering everything completely with an air of horror that descended with an overwhelming silence.
What... — Klein blinked several times without any brightness in his pupils, now in a tone so dark that it seemed to suck in the darkness.
The buildings of the city of Tingen began to be overlapped by several palaces so large that they would be space for even the largest of giants. There were tall towers that bore a mythical antiquity, with thick walls that could never be climbed by normal humans.
Gothic buildings with various minimal details built long ago suddenly appeared. Be it places or buildings that seemed to have come out of mythical tales and epic legends told in an era when gods still walked the earth, they all appeared as if they were crawling out of the legends of the past. Klein looked around knowing one thing.
He was no longer in Tingen!
This time, he couldn't see any traces of Dunn Smith or the masked man anywhere in that completely murky place.
When he blinked, he saw a world of saturated colors piled up and overlapping. It was a sight that could not be understood by the common reason of humanity.
In the upside-down waters that resembled a painting, there were a bunch of distorted teeth in that crazy vortex with hundreds of wide-open eyes.
They all looked towards the lights with deep joy and astonishment in a meaningless smile.
Klein saw the depths of the dark sea of a place full of ancient ruins. He saw a place filled with eternal and treacherous darkness for thousands of years.
In that place, silence was perpetual, as was the silent coldness that stretched out in the darkness.
There was a mural of a person with both hands clasped together, as if in prayer, and everything had been replaced by a land filled with endless degradation.
Covering everything that existed, a tide of calamity with blood and chaos rose in the world with lightning that threatened to tear apart the sky and the earth. The holy light divided everything that existed, as did the endless laughter that was everywhere.
The sea roared and madness took over every place.
After a moment, he could only discern a pure light filling his vision completely everywhere.
It was the majestic radiance that came from a specific place deep within a place dark and dazzling for eternity, but made by perpetual madness.
—AHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Klein felt goosebumps all over when he heard a scream that seemed to pierce his soul. It seemed like the person had seen an unimaginable horror before his eyes. He sat up, still scared.
— Wait… I'm sitting down? — Klein frowned, completely confused and horrified.
He looked at his own sweaty hands, goosebumps rising up his back.
It was all a dream… A dream… — Klein checked around, however, he couldn't help but feel stunned.
A dream…
No, it wasn't a dream…
He got up to go to the bathroom. It would be better to just wash his face with cold water to rethink everything that had happened before.
Suddenly, he saw the image of a silhouette outside the window form in his mind.
Klein hurried and cautiously opened the door, seeing the hallway almost completely covered in pure darkness, only slightly illuminated by the crimson moon that escaped from the old curtains.
In the darkness, there was a large mound of grotesque flesh and dark, fresh blood mixed together and stirred together like a huge piece of cake.
The eyes of various unimaginable proportions moved wildly from side to side as they still laughed and cried happily, but they no longer had any humanity left in their various hearts that were destroyed by insanity.
— This… — His gaze fell on the crimson light.
He noticed that there was a silhouette lying beside the window.
The person was partially covered in darkness, bathing in the crimson moonlight.
The shadow slowly turned around with difficulty. His deep, gray, cold eyes were bleeding, as were his nose and mouth, which looked like waterfalls dripping fresh blood.
His unfocused eyes showed a fear embedded in his being, he was in a state as if he had lost his soul and only his body remained.
Dunn Smith!