Lord of the Mysteries - Chapter 124

Chapter 124: Wrapping Up Work

Klein was hidden in the shadows of a building dozens of meters away from the target building . He heard the faint sound of gunshots and the howling of violent winds .

If the enemy runs towards me, should I draw my gun or should I pretend that I didn't see him? He thought as he shivered in cold sweat .

A Beyonder that could, through various means, cut short the lives of others definitely wasn't a Sequence 9 or Sequence 8 Beyonder . They certainly wouldn't be someone that a Seer like him could fight against face to face . Even if he sacrificed himself, he might not be able to slow the target down enough for Dunn and Leonard to catch up with him .

It was fortunate that the Evernight Goddess, the Mistress of Disaster, seemed to hear her 'loyal' guard's prayers . No one ran towards the location where Klein was hiding .

After a few minutes, he heard a melodious song coming from the target building .

Cocking his ears to the side so he could hear better, Klein confirmed that it was the popular local tune that Leonard Mitchell always hummed . It was filled with base words .

Phew . He let out a breath of relief . He held his gun in one hand and his cane in the other . He then walked out of the shadows towards the target building .

The popular local tune was the meeting signal that he had agreed upon with Dunn and the rest!

Klein took two steps and suddenly paused . He leaned his cane against the metal fencing and switched the revolver to his other hand .

Then, he took off the silver chain inside his sleeve and let the topaz pendant hang down naturally .

Klein waited till the topaz stabilized and immediately closed his eyes and entered a Cogitation state . He recited a divination statement, "The singing earlier was an illusion .

"The singing earlier was an illusion . "

…

After repeating seven times, he opened his eyes and saw the pendant spinning counterclockwise .

"It's not an illusion…" Klein put away his pendulum, grabbed his cane, and quickly got close to the arch-shaped metal gate leading to the target building . He then passed the black cane to his right hand and held it with the revolver .

He extended his hands to touch the fence, intending to push it open, but he suddenly felt a piercing chill . It was as though someone had poured a bucket of ice down his neck without warning .

Klein hissed and jerked his hands back, his teeth clenched .

"It's just like winter here…" Under the dim starlight and distant street lamp, he looked through the garden behind the metal fencing . He saw the withered branches, fallen flowers, and leaves covered with white frost on the brown soil .

Amazing! Klein marveled in his head . He bent his fingers and tapped his glabella to activate his Spirit Vision .

He returned his silver-inlaid cane to his left hand and pushed it against the fence to open the closed gate .

The gate squeaked, and he passed through it sideways . He stepped onto the stone path that led directly to the grayish-blue building . On both sides of the path were twisted plants that seemed to resemble ghouls in the dark .

The scene reminded Klein of various horror stories and paranormal films .

He subconsciously slowed down his breathing and walked faster . However, after just a few more steps, someone suddenly patted his left shoulder .

Badump! Badump! Klein's heart skipped, then started thumping rapidly .

He raised his right hand, aimed his revolver, and slowly turned around to look .

In the dim light, he saw a flimsy branch that had nearly fallen off .

"This is what we call 'scaring ourselves'?" Klein twitched the corner of his lips, waved the cane, and knocked the branch off .

He continued moving forward as faint sobs sounded in his ears . Blurry, translucent "shadows" appeared before his eyes .

These shadows had swarmed over after feeling the breaths of a living person and the warmth of flesh and blood .

Klein jumped in fright and immediately ran into the door of the grayish-blue building .

This is what the Captain meant by "getting a sense of the atmosphere?" It's much scarier than the last time I helped Sir Deweyville… The resentment of that aggrieved spirit is more "rigid" than the shadows . She hadn't taken the initiative to attack back then… He thought as he walked towards the altar in the middle of the living room . It was a round table full of crudely made puppets . Three unlit candles stood amidst the puppets .

Dunn Smith stood right before the altar with his back to Klein . He took one puppet after another and looked at them .

Corpse Collector Frye looked at the floating shadows and extended his hand in an attempt to comfort them, but all his hand did was pass through them helplessly . The shadows didn't attack him, seemingly recognizing him as one of their own .

When Leonard Mitchell noticed Klein's arrival, he changed his tone, turning his voice softer but charming .

"Calm is the morn without a sound,

"Calm as to suit a calmer grief .

"And only thro' the faded leaf,

"The chestnut pattering to the ground 1 . "

…

In the soothing recitation of the poem, Klein seemed to see a clear lake reflecting the moonlight and a crimson moon hanging quietly, high in the sky .

The restless shadows calmed down and stopped chasing after the warm breath of the living Nighthawks among them .

Dunn put down the puppet in his hand, turned around, and said to Klein, "This is a ceremony for a terrifying curse . It's fortunate that we've already destroyed it .

"First prepare a ritual to comfort the remaining spirits, then try to communicate with the spirits of the dead and see if you can get any clues from them . "

Klein, who realized that he was no longer a burden, immediately held his chest out and said, "Yes, Captain . "

He reached the altar in a few steps and extended his hands to sweep the puppets off of the round table .

At that moment, he noticed from the corner of his eyes that every puppet had a name and a corresponding message .

"Captain, did you discover anyone you know?" Klein asked in passing .

Then, he glanced at Dunn as Dunn looked at him . Both of them fell silent .

I'm so silly… Why would I ask any questions that tests the Captain's memory! Klein nearly covered his face and sighed .

If it were any other boss, they would definitely find an opportunity to make my life difficult because of this . Luckily, the Captain will forget about this… I wonder if that's an advantage or a disadvantage? He thought, half glad, half joking .

After a short silence, Dunn seemed to finally be capable of differentiating reality from the dreamworld . He replied, "There's someone you know . "

"Who?" Klein stopped, his hand still extended to put a candle back to where it was supposed to be .

"Joyce Mayer, the survivor of the Alfalfa tragedy," Dunn replied simply .

Joyce Mayer? Anna's fiancé… Klein suddenly thought of Salus in the workhouse . He seemed to have been instigated and misled by someone, causing him to bring forward his rage and committing arson .

Klein retracted his right hand and said in a deep voice, "Instigator Tris?"

"He used the lives that were cut short as a sacrifice, intending to curse all survivors of the Alfalfa tragedy? Because he didn't know who uncovered his involvement and lodged a police report…"

If Tris took revenge directly, it would have been impossible to wipe out all the targets scattered throughout Tingen . After two or three murders, he would've been noticed by the Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, and the Machinery Hivemind . Then, he would've lost his chance to continue his murdering spree . Klein filled in the blanks of why Tris had started all this .

Dunn nodded first, then he shook his head .

"Not all survivors, but only survivors in Tingen . His curse ritual can only affect the people within this range . "

"Besides, the host of the ritual is a female, not Tris . "

Klein creased his eyebrows and asked, "Perhaps it's an expert that the Theosophy Order sent to help Tris?

"Yes, the origins of the Theosophy Order might involve the Demoness Sect . It's fairly normal for their experts to be female . "

Dunn smiled and said in his deep voice, "I agree with your judgment . Although we only encountered that woman and not Tris, there are guesses that we can make . Such as, the woman and Tris don't stay together . Or, that Tris was out looking for people who are dying soon . "

Klein didn't say anything further . He set the three candles in place, took out the Full Moon Essence Oil, crimson sandalwood, and other ingredients, and set up the altar quickly .

After he used a silver dagger to make a sealed wall, he started praying to the Evernight Goddess, the Mistress of Calm and Silence . He prayed that the shadows inside and outside the house would be comforted completely .

Unfortunately, in the subsequent attempt to communicate with the spirits of the dead, Klein could only see a little of what the spirits had seen before their deaths . There weren't any useful clues .

After settling the shadows into a peaceful sleep in the dark night, he ended the ceremony and removed the spirituality wall . He then shook his head and told the others,

"The backlash from the disrupted ritual caused severe damage and the remnant images of the host were lost . "

Dunn wasn't surprised . He pointed at the stairs and said, "Let's look around on the second floor and give it another try . "

"Okay . " Klein, Leonard, and Frye nodded in agreement .

The three Nighthawks went up the stairs to the second floor and parted ways to search through each room .

In the end, they met in a bedroom that was filled with a faint aroma . They saw messy dresses lying around and open boxes .

Dunn took up a box from the dressing table and smelled it before asking, "Are these cosmetics?"

"To be exact, they are skin care products . Ever since Emperor Roselle, they were not lumped together with a broad term," Leonard explained with a smile . "Captain, as a gentleman, there are certain things you have to know . "

Klein didn't join their discussion but cast his gaze towards the mirror on the dressing table .

There was an obvious crack on the mirror, and there were shattered pieces on the rug beneath .

"The Beyonder left in a rush . She didn't destroy it entirely…" he suddenly said in a deep voice . "Maybe I could give this a try . "

"I'll leave it to you," Dunn replied in confidence .

Klein quickly brought the candles up from the first floor and lit them in front of the shattered mirror .

Under the dim, flickering candlelight, he took out the items like Full Moon Essence to create a spirituality wall .

After Klein prepared everything, he stood before the mirror that reflected the lights of all three candles and chanted in Hermes,

"I pray for the power of the dark night .

"I pray for the power of the mystery .

"I pray for the Goddess's loving grace .

"I pray for the mirror to receive a brief restoration, I pray for it to show every person that it reflected in the past month . "

…

As the incantation was being recited, a strong wind suddenly howled within the spirituality wall .

The shattered pieces of the mirror swirled off the ground and returned to their original locations .

The mirror that was covered in cracks suddenly rippled with a gloomy brilliance . Klein wiped his hands over it and a human figure suddenly appeared in the frame . But that figure wasn't Klein .

It was a gentle and sweet looking young maiden with a round face . Perhaps it was because the mirror was broken or perhaps it was because the backlash of the interrupted ritual that affected the second floor as well . Her facial features were blurry and her actual appearance wasn't exactly clear .

But even so, Klein found the person unusually familiar .

Adapted from Alfred Tennyson's "In Memoriam A . H . H . OBIIT MDCCCXXXIII: 11"