The silence truly became eternal.Just as Reginald set down the empty bottle, no one spoke a single word.
From time to time, a breath escaped one of them, barely whispering through the air.Especially for Reginald — the sound of his own breathing revealed how weary his soul was after everything that had happened.
"Then... do you remember what happened next, brother?" Robert wanted his older brother to continue.
There was no answer from Reginald, and the ticking of the clock echoed clearly in their ears.
"You know? I don't quite remember exactly how it happened, but one day I woke up and found my hands tied to a bed."Reginald twirled the bottle in his hand.
"Whose house was it?"Richard stared deeply at his brother.
"I'm not sure, because my hands were tied so tight. I tried to bite the ropes, but before I could—my vision went dark." His brow furrowed as he recalled the moment.
"When I woke up again, I was still tied to the bed, but in a different room." His fingers tapped the table slowly."I looked around—an unfamiliar place—and searched for anything sharp I could use to cut the ties."
Richard and Robert listened closely, as if entranced by the horror of the story.
"Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything I could use—so I used my teeth. I bit and tore at the bindings until my mouth was full of blood."His fingertips brushed his lips, feeling the nostalgic trace of fear that once lingered there — on the edge between torment and despair.
The two brothers exchanged a silent glance before both lowered their heads.They had once vowed to imprison their older brother for what had happened in the past.But after hearing the endless suffering Reginald had endured, they didn't know how to respond anymore.
After all, if they had known from the start the reason he burned down the Mayers Orphanage—had Reginald not done it, they surely would have.
Everything was silent and still, and the bitter taste of alcohol lingered not only on their tongues but also in their hearts — an exchange for the truth.
"W-why didn't you just kick or break the post that held you?" Richard stammered, trying to digest the terrifying truths one by one.
"At that time, I was just a naïve teenager. No matter how strong I was, it meant nothing when panic took over." Reginald rubbed his wrist slowly, speaking without looking at them.
"Why panic?"
"I was afraid."
"Afraid of what?" Robert asked, his curiosity uncontained, and Richard didn't stop him — he was just as curious.
"Of whatever was behind the darkness... and whatever had put me there, tied to that bed." Reginald squinted, showing the exhaustion in his eyes.
Seeing that both of them still wanted to listen, Reginald continued.
"After freeing myself, with blood covering my mouth, I saw the doorknob slowly turning — someone had been watching me all along."His fingers trembled slightly. Rubbing his palms together to hide it, he went on.
"Slowly, the door creaked open. I braced myself to jump, to fight whatever would come through that door." Reginald paused, taking a deep breath.
Robert and Richard shifted in their seats but continued listening, occasionally exhaling heavily at the weight of the tale.
"When the door fully opened, instead of some stranger or organ thief, I found myself face to face with someone I knew."The corner of Reginald's lips curled slightly — mocking his own misfortune, unable to blame anyone for his weakness."Damn it," he muttered, smiling faintly with a soundless laugh.
"Who was it, brother?" Richard pressed, wanting the name to spill.
"Marry Blackwell," he said, after a pause."Mrs. Marry." He clenched his wounded hand tightly, blood seeping through the red-stained handkerchief."Mayers Orphanage," he whispered, his voice trembling.
He spoke calmly, but the trauma in his eyes betrayed his heart.That name still lingered in his memory — etched into every inch of his being — hanging in his mind, ready to tear at his sanity when night came.
Completely empty, in that place.
Richard wanted to call it good news, but when he remembered what Marry had done to their sister Emma, his tongue fell still.
"Y-you mean Mrs. Marry was the one who tied you to the bed?" Robert asked, fists clenching tightly in confusion.
"Yes, you could say that." With his elbows on the table, Reginald covered his face with his hands.
"But... how?" Richard frowned in disbelief.
"Haven't I told you what happened to Emma? And why she tied me up? I think she knew I was the one who burned down Mayers."Reginald exhaled deeply, exhausted.
Richard rubbed his temples."Excuse me for a moment."
"Where are you going?" Robert asked, uneasy. As an introvert, it was hard for him to start a conversation without Richard.
"I'm going to check Harry's desk. Maybe there's still some liquor left. This atmosphere's too heavy without it." Richard shook his head and walked away, leaving Robert with Reginald, who was still lost in thought.
"How have you been?" Reginald began a conversation with his quiet brother.
"I'm fine," Robert replied briefly.
"How about Milo?"
"My cat survived the fire... but died of old age."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay, brother."
"You're not married yet?"
"I don't really like humans."
Reginald nodded in understanding.
Not long after, Richard returned with a bottle of tequila.
"I took it from the chief's office."
Thud!The sound of the bottle hitting the table echoed in the empty room.
"I hope you don't mind plastic cups, brother. I looked everywhere and couldn't find a single glass." Richard scratched his head.
"It's fine, I don't want to trouble you." Reginald smiled faintly at his brother.
Pop!The cork flew from the bottle.
Glug, glug, glug...
Before the drink touched their throats, Richard couldn't hold back his question.
"But I'm still curious — why would Mrs. Marry, the woman we knew, do something so cruel?I don't mean to doubt you, brother — it's just... hard to believe."
"Believe me, there are so many things you'll never understand." Reginald lifted his drink.
"For example?"
"Marry Blackwell is one of them — she's the reason I became connected to THEM."
"How is that possible?"
"Marry Blackwell is part of THEM. So is the Mayers Orphanage."His voice was low and fragile, and if one listened closely, it trembled at the end.
Reginald's voice might have been soft, but to his brothers, it was crystal clear.
"W-what?? How could that be?"
His words struck like thunder in broad daylight.Richard was utterly stunned, and Robert wasn't much better.
Their legs shook; their bodies lost all strength. The glass in Richard's hand nearly slipped from his fingers.
"Brother, that can't be true. I could accept it if you said she was cruel or evil — but saying she's part of THEM? That's hard to believe." Robert was shocked but still skeptical.
"Believe me, I'm not trying to convince you. I'm only telling you the truth I know."Reginald sipped his drink, looking at Robert.
"Whether you believe it or not doesn't matter to me," he added quietly.
They both fell into a dilemma.On one side — the woman who had raised them like a mother.On the other — their foster brother, from the same place, speaking of horror and betrayal.
"There's no one left I can trust," Reginald said, pouring tequila into each cup."And that's why I need you both to help me finish this."
He stood up, lifting his cup high."I want to make a toast — and a promise."
"What kind of promise, brother?" Robert rose hesitantly, unsure of what oath was coming.
"I want you to promise me... promise that you will destroy THEM."And when Reginald said "THEM," Richard stood too, raising his cup.
"Destroy THEM completely. Expose every lie, every manipulation."His voice trembled, his blood boiling with rage.
"Crush them all. Don't let anyone stand in your way."He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at his brothers' faces.
"And remember to trust one another. They will pit you against each other — lie to you, twist you, separate you."
Both nodded solemnly."We promise."
"Then I promise too — to tell you everything. I'll hide nothing."With that, they raised their cups and drank in a single gulp.
In the cold, silent interrogation room,sat three men:two policemen — and one traitor.
The traitor would reveal a secret that could cost lives,bound only by an unwritten oath that what he began, the other two would finish.
But could these two policemen bear the consequences — all for the sake of truth?And would it be worth the risk?
What stories lie behind these walls?What lurks behind the curtain?Whose dark hand moves the strings?And who... is the puppeteer?