Pressing against the wall, gazing into the dark opposite the corridor, Caine instinctively held his breath. What was the captain doing? What had happened to him? Was he drinking blood? Were early signs of loss of control appearing? A cascade of thoughts surged through his mind, leaving it chaotic and unproductive. After several seconds, Caine clenched his teeth, using the "Clown's" control over his body to move silently to the stairwell entrance. Then, he deliberately stepped with heavier strides, walking back again, and this time reached the doorway of Mrs. Xuelin's bedroom. Focusing his gaze, he saw the captain standing there, meticulously wrapping the sealing object "3–0271" with layers of black cloth, his expression solemn, his gray eyes deep and reflective, his face clean and composed. What he had just seen had been nothing but a vision. A quick glance to his peripheral vision revealed that Coen Li's body showed no new anomalies—still exactly as it had been. Taking a deep, quiet breath, Caine asked, "Captain, how can I confirm that the servants are currently asleep?" It seems impossible to accurately judge solely through clairvoyance—their emotional responses vary depending on their dreams, manifesting as corresponding colors. Denny Smith held the "Medium's Mirror," paused silently for several seconds, and spoke in a hoarse voice: "I'm sorry—I forgot. I made too many mistakes tonight." "You don't need to check—I'll confirm." He raised one hand, pressed it to his brow, then closed his eyes, sending out concentric waves of invisible ripples toward the other rooms, toward the first floor. Whether someone was asleep became clearly visible in the presence of a nightmare. Crain watched this scene in silence, slowly lowering his eyelids, his lips pressed tightly together. Captain, you really just wanted to distract me just now... What are you doing exactly? Do you even know what you're doing? He suddenly turned his head toward the window, where the crimson moon hung high, as if unchanged for thousands of years. After a moment of calm, Caine used the opportunity to retrieve items such as Tarot cards, a revolver, and a half-high silk hat, while carefully examining the bodies of Cohen-Li and Mrs. Shellen. They remained in the positions they had been found—pale, even more so than usual, with a faint bluish tinge. Something was missing, though—not a physical object, but a certain sensation. Caine murmured silently, feeling the cool breeze from the broken window making his hair stand on end. At that moment, Dunn opened his eyes and spoke in a low tone: "They're still asleep, just a few nearing wakefulness." "That's good. That's good..." Caine looked at the队长, not quite sure what he was responding to. Dunn glanced around and said: "Take care of the items at the scene, then go to the nearest police station to arrange for help. By the way, make a trip back to Zothlan Street and have Fley come over to assist." Klein looked deeply at the captain, bit his lower lip, and nodded firmly: "Yes." With Dunn's assistance, he swiftly attended to the scene and left the house of Mrs. Shellen through the main door. Crossing the garden and stepping outside, Klein couldn't help but glance back once more. The small building remained quietly nestled in the darkness, without a single light shining upon it. He turned heavily, relying on memory, and soon found the nearest police station—a piece of common knowledge every night watcher must remember. He tapped steadily on the iron gate. Not long after, the night-duty officer, carrying a lantern, walked through the small courtyard, pulled open the door, and eyed him with mild curiosity. "Can I help you with something?" Klein couldn't muster any expression, maintained a composed demeanor, and produced his credentials, unfolding them before the officer's eyes. "There's a serious homicide at 15 Olsner Street. Please dispatch your partner immediately to assist." The officer raised his lantern, studied the documents carefully, then straightened his legs and bowed with a hand gesture: "Yes, sir!" After settling this matter, Caine took a hired carriage and returned to Zothlan Street. Seated in the dark carriage throughout the journey, his thoughts were both disordered and drifting: Coen Li was dead... I remember he had just gotten engaged... His parents were still alive... What exactly had the captain been doing just now? Did he crave blood... Or was there some other purpose? His memory remained so poor, with no clear improvement—this indicated that he hadn't shown any early signs of losing control! Yet, he had known how to "perform" the role for some time now. Could the lack of memory improvement also point to an underlying issue? No! It must be that the captain was still figuring out how to embody the "nightmare"! …Oh, one more thing—Cohen's death was significantly due to the sealing object "3–0271," which the captain entrusted to him. What am I thinking! That was absolutely the inevitable choice at the time! …It was also the captain who proposed using the sealing object "3–0271." Calm down, calm down! I can't just wander off in thought or delay—otherwise the situation will worsen! I'll send a letter to Madame Dail immediately to see if she understands what this situation signifies. Even if she doesn't have the exact answer, she will surely grasp the underlying danger and promptly inform the Hall. This should nip the issue in the bud and restore the captain to normal! No, the captain may not actually have any issue—perhaps I've misunderstood something. I'll let Madame Dail clarify that. …When the rented carriage arrived at 36 Zothlan Street, Cline had already thought through his strategy, made up his mind, and no longer felt as慌张 or at a loss as before. He climbed the stairs slowly, his steps heavy, and reached the door of Black Thorns Security. With a key in hand, he opened the door. The familiar layout, the familiar scenes, brought him a sense of calm—just like every time he went to find the captain. Taking a deep breath, Caine entered the night shift lounge and saw Fley alone, reading a book under the glow of the gas lamps. He turned his head to Caine, his usually cold and serious face now showing clear concern and tension. "What's happened?" "Where's the captain and Cohen Li?" Caine's voice was low and hoarse. "Cohen Li died—killed by Mrs. Xuelun. We all made mistakes..." "The captain is still on-site, watching the scene. He asked you to come over and help." Before departure, Dunne had briefed Fley in detail, informing him that if they didn't return within two hours, he should immediately send a telegram to the Hall. Likewise, since they needed to apply for the seal item "3—0271" and would have to enter the Charnes Gate at night, the night watchman Luo Yao was also fully aware of their mission—according to the night watch's internal protocol, the Charnes Gate must be opened at night only with the captain's permission, and if the captain is present, only the captain may enter. Fley paused, exhaled softly, and drew a red moon on his chest. He dressed in his coat, put on his hat, and walked toward the door, passing by Kline. As he did, he suddenly murmured, "You don't need to feel guilty—mistakes are inevitable." "We always believe in our teammates." "Hmm…" Kline closed his eyes, and his vision seemed to blur. He and Frey first went underground to inform Lo Yao, then locked the main gate of Black Thorns Security and proceeded to the Xuelin household on Oulsn Street. By the time they had returned with Coenli's body and the gruesome remains of Mrs. Xuelin, whose head was missing half, it was well past midnight. Duan, dressed in a thin black wind coat, stood silently at the entrance of the "mortuary" room, gazing into it for a long while before turning to Klein and saying, "You go home now. You've just endured a fierce battle and must be extremely tired." "Yes," Klein replied without hesitation. He kept his mouth closed, glanced at the captain, and then quietly left the Black Thorns Security building, taking a hired carriage back to the Water Lily Street. As before, he entered his bedroom smoothly and securely locked the door behind him. With the ritual silver dagger, Caine erected a spiritual wall to seal the room, then sat at his desk, unfolded the paper, picked up his pen, and hurriedly wrote: "Dear Ms. Daili:" "I've noticed that the captain has been acting strangely lately—he's been subtly..." Organized his thoughts, Caine laid out a fresh sheet of paper and wrote again: "Dear Ms. Daili:" "We have just completed a mission and have deeply mourned the loss of a teammate. Here is what happened..." "…At that moment, I realized that my current level of clairvoyance could not confirm whether the servants were asleep, and that making individual divinations would be quite cumbersome, so I went back to consult the captain. As I did so, through the reflection in the mirror, I saw the captain half-crouched beside Coenli's body, with dark red blood streaking around his mouth." "I had no idea what had occurred or what condition the captain was in. I hope you can provide me with answers." After finishing, Caine read the letter carefully, his heart heavy, then folded it neatly. Next, he set the ritual, activated his clairvoyance, and summoned Ms. Daili's messenger, as well as the strange face—featureless except for a mouth. Staring at the long, fresh red tongue, its irregular sharp teeth protruding, and at the five slender pale fingers at the tip of the tongue, Caine remained silent as he passed the letter. Once everything had returned to normal, he sat down again and resumed writing. This time, he would ask Mr. Azk: “…During my most recent assignment, my superior exhibited some unusual behavior—he sent me aside and leaned half-bowed over his teammate’s body, his mouth surrounded by dark red blood.” “Have you ever experienced something similar? How can I best support my superior?” PS: This chapter counts as June’s. July 1st, the third update will follow. Please support with a monthly ticket!