Fabrication

Because the gunshot wound in his body had gone untreated, he had lost too much blood. Cyril was hovering on the brink of unconsciousness when he suddenly heard footsteps approaching.

He controlled his body and expression, instinctively turning his head tensely. But the dizziness from blood loss left him dazed for several seconds before he could make out the newcomer.

The old man looked gentle and kind. He wore a white priest's robe and a cleric's soft cap, but strapped to his back was a steam backpack that clashed completely with his attire.

Embroidered on the chest of his white robe was a gold-threaded Triangular Sacred Emblem, filled with symbols of steam, gears, levers, and the like.

Once he had made out the man's appearance, Cyril's face relaxed a little. His eyes drooped lower and lower, as if he could pass out at any moment.

Before he truly lost consciousness, he saw the old man approach and crouch in front of him. The man gently laid his right hand over the wound on Cyril's shoulder and soothed him in a kind, gentle voice:

"Child, relax. You'll be all right."

Cyril's lips parted slightly, but he fell asleep before he could make a sound.

He really couldn't hold on any longer. After being injured, he'd been chased for a while. Then, once he'd dealt with the problem, he'd left his wounds untreated so as not to arouse suspicion. Now he felt as if he'd nearly bled dry.

If he hadn't passed out, what he wanted to say most would have been: Don't just comfort me—give me some blood back!

When he woke again, Cyril found himself lying in a hospital bed. There were several familiar faces in the room.

Beth stood beside the bed, holding Little Thomas, her eyes red-rimmed. Owen stood by the window, holding a crystal pendant and lost in thought. Carlson, a Machinery Hivemind member he'd met once before, kept watch at the door.

He shifted his body, then grimaced and lay back down.

"Ugh..."

"Why do my wounds feel even worse?"

The sound immediately caught everyone's attention, and they gathered around him.

"Uncle's awake! Uncle's awake!"

Little Thomas clutched Beth's hand. Her arms tightened around him without thinking, and she looked nervous. For the first time, Cyril heard his mature older sister speak in a choked voice:

"Cyril, you're finally awake."

"Don't move yet. The doctor just stitched up your wounds. It'll hurt a little, but you'll feel better in a couple of days."

"Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

"Are you thirsty? I'll get you some water."

As she spoke, she set Little Thomas down beside her feet and reached for the cup on the nearby cabinet.

She tested the water temperature herself before carefully bringing the cup to Cyril's lips.

He wasn't particularly thirsty, but he obediently took a sip. The water was just the right temperature; they must have kept it ready for him.

After drinking, he smiled at Beth. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

Beth opened her mouth as if to protest, but the words that came out were soothing instead:

"Mm, you're fine. We'll be able to go home soon."

Carlson, who had been standing by the door, came over. He gave Cyril a complicated look, then turned to Beth.

"Ma'am, could I speak with Mr. Cyril alone for a moment? It's necessary for the investigation. It's part of the procedure."

Beth frowned unhappily. "Can't you wait until he's recovered a little more?"

Cyril smiled, trying to calm his sister, who was on the verge of losing her composure. "It's fine. We're only talking. I'm not that fragile."

Then he looked at Owen. "I should be able to eat now, right? Could you get me some food? I'm feeling a little hungry."

Owen gave a slight nod. "Sure. Would you like something to drink?"

Before Cyril could answer, Beth hurriedly spoke up. "He can't have anything spicy or any alcohol right now. Get him some mild fish and salad, with a little jam."

"Sure." Owen nodded and gave Cyril a sympathetic look. He knew Cyril's eating habits well enough to know that these were foods Cyril normally wouldn't touch.

Once everyone else had left the room, Carlson sat down without ceremony in the chair beside the bed, his pale blue eyes constantly scanning Cyril.

After a moment, he suddenly chuckled. "You've seen Beyonder powers, haven't you?"

"There were strong traces of Beyonder powers left in that office, and you were the only survivor at the scene."

Cyril gave a bitter smile but didn't deny it. Instead, he said, "I thought you'd ask me what happened first."

Carlson nodded slightly from his chair. "Normally, I would. But in your condition, I thought I should check on you first."

"Besides, telling you a little about the Beyonder world can help you avoid unnecessary omissions when you describe what happened."

Cyril nodded slightly, accepting his explanation, then asked, "Can you tell me what's happening at the school?"

Carlson looked at him as if he'd been very lucky. "Archbishop Horamick arrived in time, drove off the Beyonder who was causing trouble there, and got you to the hospital promptly."

"One professor and one student died in the incident, and you were badly wounded by a gunshot."

Cyril asked curiously, "Who was the student who died?"

Carlson didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "Why haven't you asked who the professor was?"

Cyril pressed his lips together, his expression bitter. "Old Fells died right in front of me. His flesh fell away piece by piece, like a building losing its support columns. Soon, all that was left was a bloodstained skeleton."

As Cyril described it, an image that made Carlson's sanity plummet inexplicably appeared in his mind. He shuddered.

"How do you remember it so clearly?"

Cyril looked at him and sighed helplessly. "After seeing something like that, unless you pass out on the spot, how could you not remember it vividly?"

Carlson shook his head. "No, I mean, how can you recount a scene like that so calmly?"

Cyril's expression stiffened for a moment. He looked somewhat helpless.

When it came to acting, Trickmaster really couldn't compare to Magician, whose preceding Sequence was Clown.

He sighed inwardly and gave a slight shake of his head. "I guess I was born to be calm. Besides, as a devoted enthusiast of mysticism, keeping my composure is basic, isn't it?"

Carlson wanted to say it wasn't, but under Cyril's inexplicably earnest gaze, he nodded without thinking.

His expression turned strange for a moment, then he changed the subject. "Looks like you don't need me to comfort you. Let's get straight to the point."

"Describe everything that happened to you at Backlund University today, from beginning to end. Don't leave out a single detail."

"Mm." Cyril nodded. After a brief moment of recollection, he began recounting the day's events, leaving some details out and altering others:

"I came to school in the afternoon. As soon as I arrived at the classroom, I heard a classmate say that Professor Fells wanted to see me, so I went straight to his office."

"In the afternoon?" Carlson looked at Cyril in confusion.

The latter gave an awkward shrug. "I skipped class."

"That sounds like something you'd do." Carlson gave an inexplicable sigh, then nodded at him. "Go on."

Cyril lowered his eyes. The Machinery Hivemind had clearly investigated him in advance. He thought back over his daily life, wondering if he'd let anything slip, then continued:

"Professor Fells was the only one in the office. He said he'd prepared a gift for me. I was surprised, then turned it down. I didn't think my relationship with the professor was close enough for him to suddenly give me a present."

"Professor Fells didn't mind my refusal. He brought the gift right over to me. It was a painting."

"The moment I saw the painting, I was pulled into the world inside it. Professor Fells appeared in the painting too, but he soon turned into a woman and chased after me. That was when I got the wounds on my body."

"I was about to die at that woman's hands, but then the painting suddenly shattered. I fell out of it and returned to the office, just in time to see Professor Fells turn into a skeleton."

"I was about to run, but suddenly a shadow enveloped me. I couldn't see or hear anything, until Professor Horamick appeared. After that, I passed out."