When Odysseus caught sight of the Kingdom Museum building, a vague sense of unease washed over him.
It was October of 1349, and Klein Moretti had already arrived in Backlund.
Odysseus had no appetite for thrilling adventures in this world, and so he had never tried to find Klein or the other members of the Tarot circle.
But tonight, while the "Roselle Memorial Exhibition" was in full swing, Bernadette had taken him to the museum late at night. He never for a moment believed she'd brought him simply to view the exhibition.
At the museum gate, Bernadette stood as if listening to something only she could hear. Then she turned to him, placed her index finger against her glossy lips, and motioned for silence.
The instant Odysseus tried to open his mouth, he discovered his lips would no longer move.
Bernadette's fingers began to dance in the air; the moment she raised her index finger, his left leg rose for no reason. When she lifted her middle finger, his other leg followed. His body moved without his will.
Odysseus felt astonishment and bewilderment, and at the same time he felt up close the power of a demigod and the wonder of such abilities.
With a slight gesture, Bernadette produced from the void a black hooded cloak and draped it over herself; her form turned translucent. A similar cloak covered Odysseus, hiding him as well. He became like a puppet pulled by invisible strings, trailing behind her.
Before them a misty path studded with stars spread outward, passing through the museum wall and making it seem transparent. Boldly they entered the halls of the "Roselle Memorial Exhibition," guarded by extraordinary members of the Steam Church.
On the roof's corners stood members of the Mechanical Heart. Two of them wore mysterious seals, yet they seemed not to notice Bernadette or her companion.
Inside, the starry path formed luminous steps leading upward. When they returned to the real world, Odysseus found himself on the museum's second floor, inside the reconstructed Roselle study.
They stood atop a tall bookshelf, facing a spectral figure whose face was painted in dark colors.
Odysseus wanted to smile, but could not move his lips. Still, in his mind he cried out: It's Klein—truly! I'm witnessing Mr. Fool's theft!
Klein—or rather the spirit Klein had summoned—was reaching into a book to take two bookmarks.
Bernadette did not intervene at once. She waited until the spirit had wrapped the bookmarks in its essence, and then she suddenly raised her hand.
A shrill infant's cry rang through the hall—distant and unreal.
Klein's spirit froze, motionless. From the corner of his eye he saw two hooded figures, a man and a woman, watching from the top of the shelf.
Bernadette asked in a stern voice, "Why are you only taking the bookmarks?"
Klein seemed to struggle, but it was futile; he was pinned to the desk in the exhibition and could not move.
"Where did you learn to take the bookmarks?" she asked again.
A broad grin spread across Klein's paint-streaked face. In an instant his almost-transparent figure vanished—and the two bookmarks he'd wrapped in spirit vanished with him.
Bernadette gasped in surprise; then she too faded away, following the spirit's trail as guided by her intuition.
Odysseus remained on the shelf, stunned: What about me? I'm still here!
Footsteps of the Mechanical Heart were already approaching, alerted by the disturbance.
Odysseus had two choices: be caught by the Mechanical Heart—he had some friends in the squad and might avoid prison, and perhaps be freed from pursuit by the mysterious Queen Bernadette—or flee, since his presence at the scene would surely invite investigation, surveillance, and possibly interrogation by a demigod.
He decided immediately: it's better to run.
He tore off his hood, turned his loose coat inside out, and ripped open the lining.
Inside the lining was a ritual circle—an octagram—drawn with powders and liquids infused with spiritual energy. In the center lay a small piece of a rare extraordinary material called the Argona Crystal; the other nodes were set with colored gemstones.
This was his costly last resort for escape, the product of his previous research.
As footsteps neared, he was about to infuse the circle with spirit when gray mist rose from where Klein's spirit had disappeared; at the mist's center a palm-sized gray sphere formed.
At the same moment an illusory light shone from Odysseus's body, making the surroundings appear unreal.
He realized at once: a mysterious connection had formed between the "origin keep" and the spiritual realm he could enter.
Before he could think further, the gray sphere lunged forward and sank into his chest.
He opened his mouth to scream, but felt no pain. He hurriedly pulled open his collar and found nothing unusual on his chest.
The footsteps of the Mechanical Heart were at the door. There was no time. Odysseus poured his spirit into the circle, and the Argona Crystal opened a portal into the spirit world.
He grabbed the hooded cloak and leapt through.
In the kaleidoscope of the passage he felt as though caught in a tornado; his body spun and tumbled, and before he could make out the spirit world he was slammed hard onto the ground.
He felt as if his bones had been shattered, yet he forced himself upright and vomited violently—emptying his stomach until even the bile came up—before the dizziness began to subside.
Leaning against a lamppost, he scanned the area weakly. He was roughly ten kilometers from the Kingdom Museum, standing on a narrow street.
"Still room for improvement," he muttered as he tried to stand.
But it was not safe yet; he had to leave the West District quickly.
As he prepared to move along the wall, a cold voice said, "You carry quite a few fine things on you."
Bernadette materialized from the void a short distance away. "Too bad—for however you run, I can find you easily."
Odysseus glanced at the elegant figure of the mysterious queen and asked, "Did you catch the one who stole the bookmarks?"
"Come then," he said bitterly. "Let's hurt each other."