Nighthawks

Sirius's detached house had many rooms. The gray-eyed officer led Luther into one of the guest rooms, found two armchairs, and chose one for himself. He took out a pipe from his pocket, sniffed it, then put it back.

"Let me introduce myself. Dunn Smith."

He introduced himself.

"Good evening, Officer Dunn."

Luther sat opposite him and replied with a hint of wariness.

He did not know what the young black-haired, brown-eyed officer with a scholarly air had told Dunn, nor did he know whether it would land him in serious trouble. Naturally, he remained guarded while alone in the room with Dunn.

"There's no need to be so nervous. You only need to tell the truth."

Dunn gave a polite smile. Looking into Luther's eyes, he asked seriously, "Mr. Luther, you said you often experienced Illusions before. What exactly were they like?"

As he asked this, Dunn leaned slightly forward toward Luther, clasping his hands together with his elbows resting on his knees. Perhaps it was Luther's imagination, but in that instant, ripples like water seemed to flash around Dunn's body.

After thinking for a moment, Luther decided to honestly tell him that he had seen the Hanged Giant and heard terrifying ravings.

"And how did those Illusions make you feel? Did you feel especially happy, as though you had finally found your true home?" Dunn did not seem surprised by the vision Luther had seen and continued to guide him patiently.

"Huh? How could that be possible!"

Luther had not expected Dunn to ask that. He gave him a strange look and firmly denied it. "Of course I hated it. That thing nearly drove me mad. If I liked it, I'd have to be insane."

"So your faith is still in the Goddess."

"Yes."

Luther searched his memories briefly. He recalled the faiths of the Seven Gods in this world, as well as the fact that the Rondal family were all nominal believers in the Evernight Goddess. "Luther Rondal believes in the Goddess."

I wasn't lying. The original Luther Rondal really did believe in the Evernight Goddess. It just has nothing to do with me.

He added silently.

Hearing his answer, Dunn nodded slightly and leaned back against his chair, seeming to relax a little.

"Is there anything you would like to add regarding your earlier experience?"

"No."

"Very well... How did you defeat Sirius? Please tell me the detailed process."

He continued.

So Luther recounted the entire process once more. He omitted the part where Sirius lost control after touching his skin, saying only that Sirius had suddenly gone mad and given him an opening.

"You are truly very lucky, Mr. Luther."

After hearing Luther's account, Dunn Smith spoke deeply.

This counts as luck?

Luther thought, but did not say it aloud.

"You must have noticed that Sirius's body underwent some strange changes." He continued, "It is extremely rare to survive under such circumstances, much less kill him... Also, have you considered why he became like that?"

"Because he... believed in an evil god?"

"Yes, exactly. An evil god transformed his body, making him mad and powerful."

Dunn replied without reservation.

"So there really are mysterious powers in this world?"

"You could say that."

Dunn calmly admitted it. "And we Nighthawks are an organization specifically responsible for handling supernatural incidents, under the Goddess Church. The other churches have similar organizations as well. Since your family believes in the Goddess, the police came to us."

"Nighthawks... Do all of you possess special abilities?"

Luther recalled the black-haired, brown-eyed officer solemnly performing a ritual with yellow crystal. Could he obtain information through that method?

"Yes, we are indeed Beyonders, just like you."

Dunn spoke calmly to Luther, yet said something astonishing.

"Just like me?"

Luther's heart skipped a beat.

"That's right."

Dunn looked at him and continued, "Because you consumed what Sirius secreted, you can already be considered a Beyonder."

"Huh?"

Luther was left speechless, filled with indescribable terror.

Crimson moonlight shone into the room. Dunn Smith, seated across from him, had half his body bathed in moonlight and half submerged in darkness. His eyes were profound, as though he could see through everything about Luther from the inside out.

"You..."

"You probably want to ask how I know, right?"

Dunn asked in a gentle tone, but that calm manner made Luther feel afraid. "It's simple. He told me."

He raised one finger and pointed behind Luther.

Following the direction Dunn indicated, Luther turned his head with difficulty.

He saw Sirius standing there with his shattered head and grotesque, bloodied flesh, eyes wide open in death. Sirius stared at him fixedly, his torn mouth opening and closing as though he wanted to say something...

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Ah!"

A sudden knock sounded. Luther jolted awake and sprang straight out of his chair!

His heart pounded wildly as he looked around in confusion. Dunn sat across from him, his posture different from in the dream, but his eyes just as profound and calm.

Tap.

Luther could not help taking a step back. His calf struck the leg of the chair, making a sound.

Was I dreaming just now?

Or am I still dreaming now?

His heart was beating too fast, and his mind was muddled. For a moment, he could not distinguish reality from illusion.

Just then, another knock sounded. The guest room door was pushed open from outside, and the young green-eyed officer poked his head in. "Captain, after Klein performed Spirit Channeling on Sirius, he discovered... Uh, sorry. Am I interrupting you?"

"It's fine. The important questions have already been asked." Dunn said, "Go on."

"Klein performed Spirit Channeling on Sirius and discovered that he had an accomplice named Hynas Vanster. This Hynas was actually his colleague at the Divination Club. Apparently, his Divination skills are quite good, and he is rather famous in the city."

The young green-eyed officer reported the situation.

"I understand."

Dunn nodded. After watching the other man close the door and leave, he turned his gaze back to Luther once more. "Have you calmed down? If so, please sit down first."

Luther's breathing gradually steadied, and he finally became fully awake.

"It seemed like I was dreaming just now..."

He sat back down in the chair and asked tentatively.

His memories from the moment he entered the room until now had been perfectly coherent. He had no impression of falling asleep. The only suspicious moment was when Dunn had suddenly leaned toward him, giving off those strange ripples.

"That's right. I pulled you into a dream. It is a unique ability of a Sleepless Sequence Beyonder, the pathway I belong to." Dunn said, "Allow me to introduce myself again. Nighthawk Dunn Smith. I am sorry for forcibly making you have a nightmare, but it was all for the investigation. I hope you can understand."

Sleepless? Sequence? The ability to Hypnosis people and create dreams... It sounded pretty impressive.

Luther silently memorized these unfamiliar terms.

Wait, then did he create the Sirius who appeared at the end with his ability? He really scared the hell out of me!

"In reality, people can control their words and actions. They can lie and deceive. But in dreams, they cannot conceal their truest thoughts and memories. So rather than engage in a battle of wits with someone in an interrogation room, I prefer to enter their dreams, communicate with the real them, and hear answers untainted by lies."

Dunn curled the corner of his mouth slightly, as though smiling.

He must have remembered how pathetic I looked when I woke up screaming...

Luther felt both embarrassed and speechless.

But after thinking carefully, he realized that something Dunn had said did not sound quite right.

I can't lie in dreams?

That's not right!

In the dream just now, Luther's consciousness had been extremely clear. He knew exactly what he should and should not say, and after waking up, he remembered everything that had happened in the dream—just like a so-called lucid dream. Yet judging from Dunn's expression, he seemed completely certain...

Was it because I was a transmigrated soul and unaffected by dreams, or because the original me was a Lunatic?

But no matter the reason, this is another one of my special traits.

Luther thought to himself. Then he deliberately put on an expression of trying hard to remember, furrowed his brows, and said, "Hmm, I seem to have told you something in the dream..."

"Don't force yourself to remember. It isn't good for you."

Dunn really had not noticed anything unusual about him. "In your dream, I confirmed that you are not a believer in an evil god. You were merely caught up in this."

"So my suspicions have been cleared?"

Hearing this, Luther felt much more at ease.

But Dunn's next words made him tense up again.

"Yes, but for safety reasons, and because of your current condition, we must take you away and place you under protection."

"Sirius Arapis belonged to a secret organization that worships an evil god—the Aurora Order. They spread chaos and attempt to summon an evil god to descend. As you just heard, he had an accomplice who may harm you. Furthermore, you are already a Beyonder. We must ensure that you remain in a controllable situation."

Dunn explained.

Right, he already knows I ate that little sphere... It was created by a cultist. Will they think I've already been contaminated and Purification me outright?

Luther opened his mouth and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "How do you plan to deal with me?"

"Don't worry."

Dunn could not help smiling at this. "We will temporarily protect your family and you, then make arrangements after the incident is over. It will not be what you are imagining."