Triss

After Klein proposed a ritual that could get him leave—by plagiarizing Alice's prayer—Alice returned to reality.

So, should she do it? Maybe she should not. Weren't there still two other people...? Alice tapped the table, looking at the requirements she had written down as she lazily pondered.

The next day, Alice arrived at Blackthorn Security Company as usual.

After completing her studies for the day, Alice was chatting with Rosanne while leaning against the counter when Dunn, who was preparing to leave, caught her.

"Alice? Perfect. You should learn how missions are carried out too. Come with me."

Thus, Alice was forced to give up her leisure time and follow Dunn.

By the time they arrived, the people from the Church of Steam and Machinery were already waiting at the scene. Their eyes immediately lit up when they saw them. "Dunn, you're finally here... Hm? And this is?"

"This is Alice. You know her." Dunn did not introduce her much further. After all, the process of Alice becoming a Beyonder was no secret among the Three Churches in Tingen City.

"Oh!" The man indeed showed a look of astonishment. He looked Alice up and down before smiling. "This is truly... Never mind that. You don't know what happened yet, do you?"

Though it was phrased as a question, he did not wait for either of them to respond before continuing, "A few days ago, a massacre occurred aboard the Alfalfa. It was suspected to be the work of a Beyonder. This is the address of one of the victims. We need you to conduct a Dream Inquiry with him."

Alice could only watch the rest unfold. She watched Dunn conduct a Dream Inquiry—she was no stranger to that ability, considering she herself had been questioned with it.

Next came the process of using a ritual to pray for a portrait to be drawn. Watching this, Alice suddenly remembered Audrey and Alger, who had "expressed" their diaries.

"Can the target of this kind of ritual prayer only be a deity?" Alice asked curiously.

"That's right," Dunn explained. "It's a little trick that lets us draw things from our minds with the help of the gods. Besides portraits of wanted criminals, it is also often used for divination revelations."

As soon as he finished speaking, Dunn handed the portrait to the Machine Heart team. "Triss, suspected to be a Beyonder. Preliminary assessment: Sequence 8, 'Instigator.' The possibility that he is from the Aurora Order cannot be ruled out."

"Him?" The person in charge took the portrait in surprise. "When we questioned people during the day, someone said he was a hero who saved the survivors..."

He paused for a moment, then added, "If it is him, he may still be in Tingen City. Witnesses confirmed that he came to Tingen City after leaving Enmat Harbor."

This was clearly not good news.

A wanted criminal had entered Tingen City... Dunn returned to Blackthorn Security Company with Alice, bearing this heavy news, and informed the other Nighthawks of the wanted poster.

It was a rather unsettled night.

In a stretch of deep darkness, a nimble figure drifted down from the third floor like a feather, not even stirring the dust on the ground.

The figure turned and abruptly vanished into an alley... Wait, why had he gone up there?

Alice blinked her eyes as she watched the figure advance from that strange angle and perspective. She finally realized that this seemed to be the shadow's point of view.

As they neared the docks, her viewpoint became high above once more—this time, she was the sea breeze.

She clearly saw that round, exceptionally approachable face. That was... Triss!

What was he doing at the docks?

But the surrounding scene suddenly twisted. Alice could not make out the distorted landscape; she could only see a sea of vivid blood and hear chaotic cries, pleas, and sobs from within.

It was a terrible disaster.

Within the blood-red shadows, she saw Triss's figure.

She wore a deep black dress. Its fitted cut perfectly displayed her figure, while her face was round, her features soft, and she appeared incredibly approachable... Wait, why was she a woman?

The Dream shattered. Alice sat up in bed and checked the time—it was only before dawn, and the sky had yet to brighten.

Alice pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. A prophetic dream was not strange, but this one was far too absurd. She could not even interpret it—could it be that Triss had caused the Alfalfa massacre because he was a woman inside?

Alice's mouth twitched. She shook her head, casting aside that bizarre thought, and began considering what to do.

Divination? No. She knew almost nothing about Triss besides his face and name. Even if Fate favored her again, she would have no way of finding a revelation for her—the best outcome would be another absurd dream like the one she had just had.

Thus, Alice had no choice but to get up and sacrifice her sleep to rush to the professionals' headquarters.

"You are...?" Leonard, who had just come out from Chanis Gate, looked at Alice in surprise.

"Leonard? Morning..." Alice greeted him listlessly.

She obviously knew Leonard, since he had been there when Dunn conducted the Dream Inquiry.

Leonard had clearly never seen Alice like this before. He gave her a surprised glance and asked, "You rushed over so early in the morning. Don't tell me something happened at the cathedral?"

That rather unfunny joke did not make Alice laugh. She merely sighed listlessly.

Leonard became frightened. He looked at Alice somewhat uncertainly and asked, "Something really happened?"

"No, I just had an absurd dream." Alice answered, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"A dream scared you this badly?" Leonard's expression looked rather amusing, and Alice suspected that he was planning to mock her a little.

"Not scared, it's..." Alice twisted her expression as she tried to organize her words. "I had a prophetic dream, but Triss turned into a woman in it!"

"?" This was Leonard.

"?" This was Dunn, passing by.

"Captain, morning..." Alice also spotted Dunn and greeted him rather weakly. "You heard that?"

Dunn nodded and gestured for Alice to follow him.

After saying goodbye to Leonard, Alice followed Dunn into the office. Once he closed the door, she heard his calm, unruffled voice. "Tell me about your dream."

"His figure was very nimble. He jumped down from the third floor and headed straight for the docks..." Alice began describing her dream. "Then the scene suddenly twisted and became a blood-red disaster. At the end of that disaster..."

Alice's expression twisted. She ground her teeth several times before continuing, "I saw Triss wearing a fitted black dress. Um... I even thought she was beautiful! Then I suddenly remembered she was a man, and it startled me awake."