Lord of the Mysteries

“We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness.”

Dunn’s words echoed throughout Old Neil’s house. They reverberated across the corroded floor, the walls, and ceiling, as well as within Klein’s mind and soul.

He’d never had a stronger impression of that sentence than the one he had now.

He felt that he wouldn’t forget this feeling for as long as he lived, even if he were to return to Earth.

Amidst the still atmosphere, Dunn walked towards Old Neil’s “corpse” and kneeled down. He took out a white handkerchief from the pocket of his windbreaker and covered it over the dark red, crystalline eyeball which looked pained.

At this moment, Klein noticed that the keys of the piano had stopped moving. A faint, translucent figure appeared.

This… Klein, who had activated his Spirit Vision before entering the house, froze.

He hadn’t noticed this strange “soul” until now!

Was it because he was distracted by Old Neil, or was it due to Old Neil’s abilities after he lost control? Klein saw the formless figure evaporate quickly, vanishing before his very eyes. He had a faint idea of what was going on.

Suppressing the heavy feeling in his heart, he heard the Captain order, “Search Old Neil’s house carefully for possible clues.”

“Alright.” When Klein spoke, it took him a minute to recognize his own voice. His voice was raspy and deep, as if he had the flu.

“Alright,” Royale also replied.

The condition of her voice is about the same as mine… It’s like our nostrils are blocked… Klein looked at his female teammate, who typically didn’t have much of an expression. It was as if he was knowing her for the first time.

Placing his cane on an umbrella rack near the door, he made his way around Sealed Artifact 3-0611. He took heavy steps into the living room and up to the second floor. He then searched every room for possible clues.

Old Neil employed someone to clean the rooms regularly, so the rooms weren’t as messy as one would expect of a bachelor. Everything was in order, as if there was a female presence in the house.

Half an hour later, Klein found a few handwritten notes on a bookshelf in Old Neil’s room. The notes recorded a weird, mysterious ritual:

“Alchemical Life.

“The materials required include: 100ml of spring water from the Spring of Elves (Golden Spring on Sonia Island), 50 grams of Star Crystal, half a pound of pure gold, 5 grams of phlogiston, 30 grams of red iron… And a large quantity of fresh blood from living people.”

Old Neil annotated beneath the part about fresh blood from the living.

own blood, accumulating it little by little and

my own… Klein closed his eyes and

…

Thursday morning at nine, the

suit and holding onto his cane. He stood silently in a

stuffed a neat white handkerchief in his breast pocket

were carrying a black coffin that stored Old Neil’s corpse. They slowly walked to the front of

grave, Rozanne, who was wearing a black

this is all happening for

why did he become a Beyonder, why must there be wraiths and monsters, why is there no safer way? Why,

listened on until Old Neil’s coffin was completely buried in the soil, until

moon in front of his chest, then took a

bless you.” Dunn, Frye, and the others tapped at their chests in

and saw the black and white photograph on

his white hair was peeking out around the edges. The wrinkles beside his

was so peaceful, no longer feeling grief,

of the last entry in Old Neil’s diary: “If I cannot

The silence and

…

took a form signed by the Captain to the

opened the half-closed door and saw Bredt with a thick, black beard behind

froze visibly before

rounds of

hand-ground coffee and hear the cheeky words

…

Klein’s

cannot believe that Old Neil would leave us like that. Sometimes, I even feel as though this is a dream

this is the destiny of many Nighthawks,” Klein replied with a bitter

toward the upper echelons of the Church for keeping

fewer such tragedies, may the Goddess bless us.” Bredt drew a crimson moon in

…

Bang! Bang! Bang!

onto the target he was shooting at, until he finished shooting the bullets that he

he was torturing himself,

to harm yourself.” Gawain looked at Klein with his turbid green