For a moment, time itself seemed to stagnate in a single second.
Klein's aligned thoughts seemed more uniform than ever, as if his mind had never been so exposed to the light of raw reason before.
His face, however, remained with the same expression, without any change, even though his mind was almost nostalgic.
Azik seemed surprised even though he was keeping his pensive gaze, his eyes seemed to wander distantly.
Klein waited for the answer, which did not take even a moment longer.
His teacher sighed with a slight smile under his face, which seemed more serious:
— No. I am not ready. But I will do what is necessary to be at least prepared.
The sincerity was total, there was no lie in his tone.
— I see... Almost no one could be so firm in the position that they could do it and they would be fine, after all. In a way, this is the trend that everything tends to follow with time, the calamity arrives and others have no way of knowing. Inevitable in a way. — Klein wasn't surprised at all.
No being could be prepared, unless it was the one who planned everything or someone else of an extremely high level, a terrifying power in every way.
Even he wasn't prepared, but he had his own preparations in case everything went wrong in Tingen.
Thinking about it, it's strange how every destruction has its hidden culprit, nothing by chance… Tingen, the death of rulers and any other war, Like my compatriot Roselle, whose death I have my doubts about…
Thousands can die suddenly by an ingenious scheme…
Wait, death?... I remember the Monster Adhsaul mentioned something about it when he was convulsing…
"Smell of death, I'm going to die"…
From the way The Monster said it, it didn't just sound like someone who had seen their own death, but something much worse than that.
Klein could tell the difference between self-pity for his own life and the primal fear of boundless horror, and Ademisal seemed like the latter in that one-sided conversation.
He was afraid of something greater than his own death, but he was so focused on the terror he felt for Klein that he didn't mention it much.
Did he mean that something so big would happen that no matter where in the city it happened, he would die?
Did that mean a huge catastrophe, the one Klein imagined would happen because of the person behind the Antigonus family incident? Probably yes, given the way things were going, a calamity would happen, one that threatened to wipe out perhaps even the entire city.
And besides…
"Everyone will die, including me."
The original Klein could have written that sentence with more than one intention, more than one hidden meaning, one for something unknown and another for this Tingen plot.
If he had known about the mysterious observer who was starting to move the gears of his bizarre plan and perhaps even watching him, the original Klein would probably have made a sentence like that, the first obvious and insane meaning of a desperate person on the verge of madness who knows that everyone died for one plan and the other hidden, a mystery that only Klein could know.
At least, that's what I would have done... And he, technically and totally, is me...
This meant that the original Klein not only knew the entire plot beforehand, but was also certain about everything that would happen.
And at first, with my memories now so flawed and cloudy, I myself didn't think much about that sentence…
Klein's eyes almost sank into more fog.
He knew something! Whether it was the original Klein, the strange Antigonus notebook or something else, the fact was that everything was so obvious from the beginning!
I wasn't being paranoid, but I was always right to be as careful as I was!
This theater had been going on since long before the original Klein, that was a certainty now, and another thing, he could finally say with all the certainty in the world that any coincidence that happened was not a coincidence, every case from an unknown time in the past until now could be linked to that bloody plot.
And finally, there was the time when he almost lost control in the battle against Ray Bieber.
At that moment, he saw something trying to distort his destiny into chaos, something very distant and familiar.
Klein didn't even narrow his eyes, even though his mind was running at full speed.
His suspicions were completely confirmed.
First, the strange plan of the one behind the curtains involved killing hundreds or more people to obtain some bizarre result.
Secondly, what was behind it all was far more bizarre than anything he had ever heard of. It was a terrible influence that twisted the fate of not just one person, but possibly several people at once.
Thirdly, this might not have much to do with the situation, but Klein Moretti was a terrifying person, with no idea of his true intentions. He was not delusional, but rather someone much stranger than others thought. He was probably just pretending to be crazy.
Fourth, someone or something really was watching him the whole time. Not just him, but the Nighthawks, all the criminals thrown onto the board like chess pieces without even knowing it, the victims of all the cases since Antigonus and anyone else who had been involved.
Not only that, but he controlled them as if he were distorting their fates.
His house wasn't safe, not even the Nighthawks headquarters or Mr. Azik's house, maybe not even his thoughts after all.
It wasn't pure paranoia.
Klein's eyes darkened, the yellow being covered with a haze that left his thoughts hidden and indecipherable.
He just seemed calm, strange and mysterious, as if he didn't care.
No, if someone could see my thoughts, they would have gone mad with confusion. And even if they didn't, they would have silenced me because they knew too much or because of the gray fog, unless I was of some use to the plan, which I highly doubt.
In the end, all my paranoia and preparation served some purpose...
And by the way... How could Klein Moretti know about all this...?
No, I'm asking the wrong question.
I...
Actually, I should ask myself who I really am... — Klein suddenly felt a horror invade his chest, an abnormal fear of looking at his own reflection.
In the back of his mind, an ironic thought appeared that if he looked into the cup, he would actually see the madman's gaze, himself, but it wouldn't be him exactly, not yet. Or maybe it would be him in the end, a being or whatever he was.
This... — he stopped thinking, his gaze going straight to the other side of the small round table.
Azik touched his own temple, seeming to be clenching his teeth.
Dispersing his chaotic thoughts that somehow connected like an infinite complicated puzzle, Klein frowned slightly, his question was immediate:
— Mr. Azik, what happened?
Azik raised a hand as if trying to say it was nothing big and tried to stand up, however he almost tripped over his own chair in the process.
His face looked deathly pale for his dark skin tone.
For a moment, his deep golden pupils, like the underworld itself that had come in its glory in the real world, seemed to recognize Klein and, at the same time, not to.
Reflected in his eyes was pure confusion, as if he was a being that shouldn't exist, something so strange that it was the unknown.
But there was also the characteristic recognition of his teacher, one that was not entirely tainted by the strangeness of his actions.
Finally, that horrifying confusion disappeared from his gaze.
Azik leaned back on the chair again, this time managing to support his own body.
— Sorry for scaring you... Sometimes, that happens when something seems very familiar and terrifying to me...
Klein was astonished.
What could be so terrifying to Mr. Azik that he would become this way?
Could he have said a wrong word that awakened something in his teacher?
Something that subconsciously reminded him of something much more horrific?
He himself was apprehensive at the thought of something that could mark someone so much that he would become this way, even if he had lost his memory long ago.
Confused, Klein tried to look for an answer, but found nothing useful in his own thoughts on the matter.
The only reference he had to a strong and irrational feeling like that was when he thought about divining about himself, and then an avalanche of horror along with a chaos of loud alarms took over his soul.
Memory was something strange, so it could just be a different look at something normal.
But the moment it happened was really strange, too much of a coincidence, even though deep down Klein knew it wasn't a coincidence.
— Terrifying? — Klein narrowed his eyes imperceptibly.
Azik nodded slightly in affirmation, his balance gradually returning to normal, despite having difficulty.
— Like the fear that all beings are born with... — He sighed deeply and exhaled regretfully.
Klein's gaze darkened even more, his thoughts becoming a little more deprecating.
Who would have thought that the only time I would feel this unpredictable terror for the unknown would be of myself... — He wanted to laugh at this irony.
He himself, who was so suspicious and liked to prepare things with the utmost attention and with all the cards in hand, did not even know the danger that he himself posed.
But what could Klein do if the horror was himself?
A shiver ran down his spine.
But Klein didn't need to worry about that, he could deal with it for now, as long as he didn't bring it up until it stopped working and he had to face his own hidden dangers.
He hoped that day wouldn't come.
— Mr. Azik, you should rest now. I don't think it's very safe right now, not even before with so many strange cases appearing... Please be careful. — Klein asked sincerely, this time it was completely true.
He would rather Azik not get hurt by some carelessness of his, no matter how difficult it would be to fool whatever was watching them, he would still avoid exposing his teacher to so much danger.
What happened now might not have been a coincidence. As strong as Azik is or was, what was happening in Tingen was something of unimaginable proportions.
— I ask the same of you, especially with your oddities. There is no telling what you would do if they discovered them, or if even the upper echelons of the churches would be afraid enough to seal you away and contain... whatever strange thing you have. — Azik said, his tone more serious than before.
— Keep in mind that what I said is not impossible to happen... They could try to do the same to me. — Klein nodded slightly, as he had known this for a long time.
If anyone knew about his oddities, then they would probably think that the safest way was to lock him behind several seals forever.
Not even that familiar silver-haired angel from the Forsaken Land of the Gods was able to prevent his knowledge from being stolen by him. The silver-haired man was probably Sequence 3 or higher, which was why the mist was so terrifying. It could even affect Demigods or Saints.
It seemed like an inexplicable thing, and when added to Klein's own oddities and transmigration, everything became even more complicated, not to mention his missing memories and his increased abilities.
He even had plans in place in case someone noticed all of this and went to report it, having done so the moment he realized that Leonard had that shadow that seemed to find Klein very terrifying.
If it was someone like Leonard, the other Nighthawks or even someone in the Captain's Sequence, Klein knew exactly how to silence them, but if it was someone stronger, then he would have no other option but to flee.
Of course, it was complicated to traumatize an experienced Beyonder to the point of driving him crazy or forcing him to take some action, but nothing that Klein couldn't accomplish with some time and preparation if he were someone in the low Sequence.
In the case of a Nightmare like The Captain, he would have to lure him in a non-alarming way so that others could enter his mind and the rest would already be taken care of, he would lose control or die sunk in the madness of his conscience.
And someone like the other Nighthawks, it was more complicated.
This person would have to either divert his focus or forget everything, and Klein already had some of ideas on how to do that.
Not to mention that he would have to divert attention or disappear with the person one way or another, he could make her be like a puppet in a show and his stage would be that person's life.
He would make her dance in steep, narrow circles, until finally the time would come to make the person rot in paranoia and horror, losing control.
But of course, no one from the Midnight Church could find out, at least not the members here, and Klein had no desire to hurt them with a death as painful as madness.
Even so, it was the last option, only for strangers from other sectors of the Midnight Church to want to kill him or lock him up.
The idea of having to lead his Nighthawk acquaintances to a fate of oblivion or disappearance didn't seem as heinous and grave as he imagined, but it wasn't something he was willing to do either.
It was contradictory and Klein almost felt confused between the lines of these two thoughts.
Fortunately, he didn't need to think about it now; he was sure that they couldn't even imagine seeing the gray mist, but Klein's own estrangeiros still remained.
Klein didn't even need to think much about his answer and said:
— I'll be fine, Mr. Azik. I'm absolutely sure that no one here would realize that without... Forgetting and stuff.
I know how to hide my own secrets very well... Whatever it is that might be seeing must know that something is wrong, but it must not be able to know what it is... — he murmured the last part in his heart, asking:
— And you?
—I have my methods of making others not remember. — Was all Azik said.
When Klein finished his tea out of politeness, it tasted as usual, even if it seemed so meaningless.
He couldn't even taste the tea and didn't know why.
...
Klein closed the door lightly behind him, his thoughts turning to what had happened a long time ago.
Ever since he had just arrived at the Midnight Church, he simply couldn't help but wonder if his teacher was really alright.
Klein was actually also very disturbed by the very conclusions he had drawn at his teacher's house as well.
It was with this thought that he took out a coin from the inside pocket of his suit.
For some baffling reason, he knew that this kind of quick divination with a coin worked, even if he didn't know why.
He just knew, as if he had been born with this knowledge, and he actually felt that it really was something like that.
Klein tossed the coin, and it landed on his palm facing up.
It was Tails.
So Mr. Azik is okay… That's a relief.
Leonard, who was standing at the door, didn't even seem to understand what was happening. He turned to Klein doubtfully.
— So it's possible to divine with coins? — He seemed a little too surprised, but not too much given that he might already be immune to Klein's oddities.
— Of course it is. — Klein replied simply, looking at his dear poet.
Leonard's green eyes filled with understanding, but then with even more doubt, his voice however frivolous as always:
—I've heard that before... Seers are like observers of fate. — Leonard murmured, seeming certain of his answer.
Klein shook his head slightly.
My poet friend is very confident in his own intelligence, even if not that much... If he continues like this, then this could be the reason for his death. — His thought was not wrong.
It was the only possible way he saw in the situation.
His tone seemed calm, without a trace of brightness in his feelings:
— Do you think that fortune-telling is omnipotent?
— Isn't it something like that? — Leonardo's eyebrows were already arched in doubt.
— It never was. Why else do you think that Clown died in the fight against Ray Bieber? And that other Beyonder? They were simply terrible at seeing the results, at interpreting them, and on top of that they were fooled more than once
... So no. — Klein fiddled with the coin in his hands, remembering the fight.
Who would have thought that the gray mist and its own strangeness would be so useful? No one could look there, no one could look into the space above the mist, at least not low or high Sequence Beyonders.
And even without that, there was still the intervention of the Demigoddess Adhara, of the Order of Mysteries, so it is certain to say that the two Beyonders never stood a chance, no matter how strong they were.
— So the Seers are very cunning, but not as you... — Leonard came to his own conclusion, seeming to understand the line of reasoning.
Are you calling me treacherous? — Klein read on the poet's face what he meant by all this.
And those words fit him perfectly, someone who hid and lied while telling the purest truth, which only made the situation worse.
Leonard coughed a few times.
— Anyway, I came to invite you to play cards a little with the others while the Captain waits for him to arrive. It's a game of questions, something simple.
Klein looked at him, a little apprehensive.
The last time I heard, they accused me of cheating with Medici... — It was a game that I played all day, and they had to declare a draw for the game to end.
— Actually, the Captain is already back. — Klein quickly put his coin in his inner pocket.
— What do you mean? He didn't even say anything this morning... — Leonard frowned slightly.
In fact, Leonard wasn't wrong at all.
After leaving Azik's house, he came straight here, but Dunn barely spoke to Klein when he saw him, but he seemed to remember something at the last minute and came to tell him that his presence would be requested in a few hours.
The Captain actually seemed to be quite busy with something else.
— He forgot… — The corners of Klein's mouth rose imperceptibly.
In fact... I have so much to worry about, like a horror greater than fate that the Captain forgetting something like that is even a relief... — the corner of his mouth rose even more.
Seeing her small smile, Leonard seemed to shudder:
— Klein… What are you thinking?
Klein absentmindedly turned his head:
— Nothing much, I was just wondering what would happen if this entire city suddenly disappeared, forgotten forever in ruins of countless hundreds of years like those in the legends of the seas... Wait, this is inevitable in a way.
Leonard froze as if he had been shocked, first looking around as if nothing was really real and then staring at Klein with a strange look.
His voice seemed almost trembling:
— Eh... Klein... You should stop saying such strange and meaningless things... I mean, we wouldn't just disappear out of nowhere...
— Seriously, you should stop being so scary sometimes... One day you're going to give someone a heart attack out of fear like... like the captain...
— But I'm perfectly normal. You, however, stand in the corners as if you were talking to the walls and paintings of the church. — Klein retorted.
Not that he didn't talk to himself, but he knew he would be judged even more crazy if he did that around others.
— Uh... It's not that Klein, you seem perfectly calm to others, but don't you think it's scary when they know you're not so normal after all. — Leonard's gaze seemed stable, unconcerned — Then you end up looking like a lunatic, and worse, especially with the thingsKlein narrowed his eyes, shock threatening to invade his heart despite his seemingly unchanged face.
— Uh... What do you mean? — he asked, his suspicion hidden beneath his not-so-perfectly aligned gaze.
How had the Nighthawks come to that conclusion so quickly in such a short space of time?
Klein had done everything he could to hide his abilities, and even if he hadn't, it was absurd for something like this to have happened so quickly. Changing someone's Sequence on impulse and without much time was not that complicated, at least for the upper echelons, but it was something that the Churches shouldn't do so lightly.
There was a lot at stake, even for a Sequence as low as Klein's. Not to mention the fact that if he was born at Sequence 8, who was to say he wasn't born with a stronger Sequence and it just hadn't been discovered?
Daly laughed, as if it wasn't such a serious matter.
— You know... Klein, I've never seen anyone promoted so early! — They're even considering transferring him to the main Cathedral of Backlund or the one in Winter County at the end of this year or in September.
— Don't worry, they must just be judging the possibility of someone in the middle sequences of the Seer Pathway who was born that way, without taking potions.
Klein nodded silently, but deep down he was a little confused.
Being under the Church's surveillance was terrible for him, since he hid basically everything with half-truths.
He might even know how to lie and hide things well, but it would be difficult to easily fool the Church itself during an inspection.
Crestet Cesmirir was an exception, after all, it was a Sequence 5 on the border of the Demigod Realm that Klein did not deceive, but hid a lot of information from him using the fact that Crestet had the Bone Sword, a Sacred Artifact.
And Medici was an anomaly, a true demigod who he found very familiar and strange, and who also didn't care about his secrets and didn't bother to make contact with clandestine people like Azik and become friends with them because of official organizations and rules.
Klein wasn't sure if he had the capacity to lie to another Demigod like he had done before.
He shook off those thoughts by reminding himself that perhaps a bit of his own carelessness had gotten him into this situation.
— Uh... Do I have a choice? — His question was short, straight to the point.
— I'm afraid not. — Daly's voice was no longer as enthusiastic as before.
Klein nodded silently, his urge to make a quick decision growing.
— I'll tell you the truth, your situation is very peculiar... I mean, quite complicated actually. But you won't have a choice, unfortunately. — Daly sighed like he hadn't in so long, giving him an appraising look.
Still, he seemed to sympathize with his totally disastrous situation, completely out of his control.
It was a complete disaster, given his own problems that he had to deal with.
He sighed internally, suspicious, but even so, there was not much he could do about this situation, since he had no choice.
Dunn, who was a little more tired than usual, said in his calm tone:
— No matter how much you try to fight this order, they will be glad that you agreed from the moment you signed the documents to join the Nighthawks, it was already written in the official paper that under these circumstances, the church could make a transfer.
— I understand. — Klein replied, his thoughts hidden behind his face.
Upon hearing his response, the Captain continued:
— I know you have brothers, you can send as much money as you need whenever you want regardless of where they send you to your family and you can also visit them if you ask for permission and it is accepted by your superiors.
Klein blinked a few times.
There were also Benson and Melissa, who also needed their brother.
He didn't want to leave them like this, but he still had to obey the church.
Fortunately, there was still this alternative of sending them as much money as they needed.
Actually... — an idea came to Klein's mind.
Soon after, they told him about a theory about Sequence 9, Fortuneteller, having much more to do with Sequence 8, Clown than he imagined.
This conversation went on until they let him go because there was nothing more to discuss on the subject, and then they let him go.
And he did, leaving the headquarters with an admirable calm on the outside, despite his mind spinning a thousand miles an hour.
Since his shift wasn't that long today, he left for his own house with a bit of nervousness.
His thoughts only became sharper and sharper as he walked through the streets with traces of rain.
The sky was cloudy and completely gray.
When he got home, none of his brothers had arrived yet, so he locked himself in his room and went straight into the gray mist.
In the silence that had lasted for thousands of years in the palace, he could organize his thoughts one by one.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much to organize other than the same problems.
There were only the same problems as before, so many that it made him doubt whether they would ever really be solved.
He summoned The World on the other side of the table, slowly controlling its threads.
Klein touched his fingers under the table, he sighed before summoning a feather and a goatskin and a pendulum, which he wrapped around his arm and placed above the paper.
Remembering the conversation he had with Mr. Azik, he wrote the following words:
"Elliott's kidnapping was due to Beyonder elements."
Without even a second more, the pendulum rotated clockwise with great difficulty, until it seemed to start rotating even more strongly.
That was a yes.
Klein's expression became strange.
There was something directly influencing the gray mist, no matter how weak it was.
He then reconsidered his thoughts, but still took the next step and wrote on the goatskin with impeccable handwriting:
"The supernatural force behind the incidents in Tingen"
After repeating the word a few times, a shapeless mist appeared in his vision.
From that gray fog, an image began to slowly form, almost as if some strange protection was trying to interfere, but was unsuccessful.
He saw factories behind it working at full steam, people wandering normally in the streets and several normal elements.
It seemed like a place like any other.
In the center of his eyes, a red chimney, one that released as much smoke into the dull and cloudy skies as the others.
And inside that house, it was as ordinary as it was new, the painting on the wall showing that it had not been done at least ten or fifteen years ago.
The shelves were filled with books and exquisite decorations, even one made of bronze, perhaps a person of good quality lived in the house.
And finally, he showed a well-hidden room.
In the middle of the room, a rough wooden desk under the view of a not so detailed, but still modest window in a way.
And above the desk, a hardcover brown book that was being filled with words with a quill, one that seemed to move of its own accord, as if it had consciousness and autonomy.
Someone was in the chair, their face obscured by the darkness.
He silently picked up the quill with calloused hands that appeared in the illumination, the only strand of light in the room.
The book closed by itself.
And so, the vision fragmented into thousands of pieces.
Klein's mind throbbed in confusion, his senses however were better than ever.
— What...? A Sealed Artifact? A person...? — He narrowed his eyes in disbelief, his head spinning with questions.
Despite this, he just sighed silently.
A quill that writes by itself, a book that suddenly closed, and a person... What the hell did that mean?
None of it seemed to make much sense, not that it had before.
Besides, he could feel that no matter how subtle, an unconscious influence of his existence was trying to pull him away from that vision, but he had won that silent battle.
In the end, Klein knew that if it had been anyone else, they would have been led to see anything but the truth.
That... That was what he saw when he nearly went mad.
Something that could simply not exist, not be remembered, found or discovered by others, hiding in a simple house in Tingen, as if it could not affect the lives of thousands.
An unimaginable horror just there, in total silence as if it did not even exist.
Klein narrowed his eyes, his finger tapping rhythmically under the bronze table.
There were houses with red chimneys all around!
That was the biggest clue he had, besides the self-aware pen and the self-moving book perhaps.
But it was also a problem.
With it watching every step of his movements, Klein wouldn't be surprised if a meteorite straight from the cosmos above coincidentally hit him in the head at full speed just as he started telling someone he wanted to investigate about houses with red chimneys.
Or maybe a fight between angry Demigods will start on the same street...
Uh... I'll have to give a reasonable excuse...
Sometimes, I'll just say it's because of an investigation stemming from a church case that I'm investigating behind the other Nighthawks' backs... Or I could also say nothing, there's no certainty or verdict without me saying anything.
With that, he wrote down a few more things with his quill.
"Clues about Sequence 8, Clown"
The World, staring at him with the same expression as he had across the long table, finally asked what was bothering Klein so much:
— But would that work against something that has eyes for everything?
— I am not sure...— Klein laughed , but not as much as he wanted to laugh.
The World didn't even smile, just continuing with that strange calm characteristic he always had.
— This sounds like a complicated chess game to me. — He replied, so carefree that in that tone one could think he was talking about the flowers of some beautiful garden.
Now, Klein would have to keep the mysterious observer's attention away from him, appear normal, no matter how strange he was, and he would also have to continue his own plans, continuing to mask all his intentions to avoid unfortunate 'coincidences' that would lead to his death.
Klein blinked silently, taking his own words into consideration.
— Well, then I'll get an investigator to check houses with red chimneys by the end of the week... I can't be so quick and rash either, I need them to think I'm at a point where they can't know my intentions.
The World gave a slight smile, tapping his fingers on the strange golden book that had been behind the Fool's chair.
— Ah, that's very difficult to do when you don't want to be seen. But then, didn't you forget something else very important?
Klein sighed, blinking for a moment before focusing on the person at the end of the table.
— My Sequence... I mean, it's strange that my ability is so high even for a Seer, however I can't throw cards like knives or do acrobatics... I can't, right?
— Uh... If I remember correctly, wasn't it really strange how easily I could dodge things? I'll test the hypothesis together with Melissa...
The World nodded, not solemnly, but not coldly, just without any sentimentality in sight.
— And now for the other question...
His words seemed to have only calm, despite his complicated thoughts:
— What will I do about my sudden Sequence advancement?
— Perhaps... I may have to desert the Church... There's no way I'll be able to stay in Backlund Cathedral or Antares Mountain Range. I won't have the freedom to do what I want or need...
— I have until September to do that... Almost less than a month! ... I need to be quick if I want to disappear with a good story and no holes.... And there's still Benson and Melissa in this story...
What would be the best way to disappear?
What would be the best way for a Beyonder under the attention of the church to disappear without a trace?
... Death?
Indeed, dying was the only option for someone like him.
He had no choice to exist.
Klein Moretti would have to be dead again.
Notes: