"Dealing with this stuff is such a hassle, but fortunately, it’s finally done."
On the rooftop of a tall building, Dorothy sat on the ground, mumbling to herself as she looked at a stack of maps and blueprints in her hands. For the past few days, she had been monitoring and investigating the Serenity Bureau, spending countless tedious hours in reconnaissance work, followed by even more monotonous record-keeping.
By the end of it, Dorothy felt her mental state had nearly been pushed to the edge. However, now that the task was finally complete, she let out a sigh of relief.
Thanks to her observation of the Serenity Bureau’s hidden entrances and exits, combined with the extraordinary memory gifted to her as a Cognizer, Dorothy had memorized the appearances of most of the Igwynt Serenity Bureau members. Now, it was time to move on to the next phase of her plan.
As she contemplated this, Dorothy snapped her fingers. Moments later, several men emerged from the nearby stairwell, each carrying a long, rectangular wooden box on their shoulders.
Dorothy commanded her human corpse marionettes to approach and place the wooden boxes neatly in a row before her. She then ordered them to pry open the lids with crowbars. Inside the four boxes lay four dogs of varying sizes and breeds.
These were Edrick’s experimental specimens. Dorothy had selected several and transported them to Igwynt, and these canine corpses were among them.
Looking at the dogs, which, despite having been dead for months, remained perfectly preserved as if peacefully asleep, Dorothy exhaled in satisfaction. She instructed her human corpse marionettes to lie down beside her and then deactivated their control. Afterward, she consumed two additional points of Revelation to enhance her control over the Corpse Marionette Ring, raising all four canine corpses simultaneously.
Under Dorothy’s command, the canine marionettes shakily rose from their wooden boxes. After surveying their surroundings, they obediently walked over to stand before her.
Dorothy extended her hand with the powder, and the four canine marionettes sniffed it curiously. During this process, Dorothy consumed another point of Revelation to connect with and experience the dogs’ heightened sense of smell.
Once the powder was repackaged and stored, Dorothy commanded the canine marionettes to descend the building, disguising themselves as stray dogs and scattering into various corners of the surrounding neighborhood.
"Now... all that’s left is to wait for your shift to end," Dorothy muttered as she stood on the rooftop, gazing at the distant Cypress Fir Tower.
Beneath the Cypress Fir Tower, within an Igwynt Serenity Bureau facility, the spacious underground area was illuminated by an enormous gas chandelier, its peculiar orange-yellow glow dispelling the dimness. Below the light, over a dozen staff members bustled about, managing the documentation of mystical incidents that occurred in Igwynt every few days.
In a cluttered corner filled with shelves of miscellaneous items, a young man with grayish-brown hair, glasses, and a scholarly demeanor sat at a desk, meticulously filling out forms with a fountain pen. As he wrote, his expression grew increasingly tense, and his brow furrowed in anxiety.
Exhaling deeply, the man—Brandon—put down his pen, massaging his temples and wiping the sweat from his forehead. Seeing his damp hand, Brandon’s frown deepened. He cast a sidelong glance at the chandelier’s orange-yellow light, a hint of disgust flashing across his eyes.
"Hey, Brandon, the lamp in the east corridor burned out. Got any replacements?"
A slightly overweight man in work overalls approached Brandon, slapping the desk and asking. Brandon forced himself to reply, "Yeah, we do. Just got some from the church not long ago. Wait here, and I’ll get one for you."
Brandon stood and walked to an iron door behind him, unlocking it with a key. He entered briefly and returned holding a small box.
"Here you go." Closing the iron door, Brandon placed the box on the desk.
The man in overalls grabbed it and turned to leave, but Brandon stopped him to ask, "Joseph, I thought there weren’t any lamps in the east corridor before. When did they get installed?"
"Oh, last week. Mr. James had them put in. He’s planning to add more—one for the north hall and a few for the west corridor. He’s negotiating with the church about it now, so it won’t take long."
"Why’s he adding so many lamps all of a sudden? It doesn’t seem necessary," Brandon questioned curiously.
"Who knows? He’s the director, it’s not our place to question his decisions. Anyway, I’ll be going now, Brandon," Joseph replied nonchalantly, walking away with the box, leaving Brandon at his desk, his expression darkening.
Suddenly, Brandon’s face turned pale, and his breathing quickened. He rose abruptly and headed toward a corridor.
"Miss Burma, I’m going to the restroom. If anyone’s looking for me, please ask them to wait a moment."
"Alright, go ahead, Brandon," a nearby colleague replied.
As Brandon walked, he deliberately avoided the central chandelier, keeping his distance from the light.
Entering a dimly lit corridor, Brandon quickened his pace until he reached the restroom. Once inside, he locked the door, walked to the sink, and braced himself against it, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his face twisted with unease.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
After catching his breath, Brandon straightened up and pulled a small cup and test tube from his pocket. The tube contained a crimson powder.
Turning on the faucet, Brandon began to fill the cup with water, though his trembling hands made the task difficult. Twice, he spilled the water, soaking his sleeves. Only on the third attempt did he manage to fill the cup successfully.
Closing the faucet, Brandon carefully opened the test tube and shakily poured a small amount of powder into the water. Once the powder dissolved, the liquid turned a pale red.
Clutching the cup tightly, Brandon raised it to his lips and drank it all in one go.