Pan's Labyrinth

The man's smile vanished at once, and he said gravely, "When did he go missing? Were there any signs beforehand?"

Chen Shu shook her head.

"None at all. He had been under our surveillance the entire time, dutifully going to work, dating, living his life. He had forgotten his origins and firmly believed himself to be a member of the World Salvation Society.

"But the night before last, he invited several friends to go fishing by a lake in the suburbs. He didn't return home in the morning, so the surveillance team went to inspect the lakeside. They found no signs of a struggle, nor did they find any fishing gear. There was nothing by the lake. They asked Abe Marshall's friends, and they said that Abe Marshall claimed he wasn't feeling well that night and went home early in the middle of the night."

"A premeditated escape!" the man said with certainty, his voice low. "He was hypnotized by the Palace Master. It was impossible for him to regain consciousness and break free of control on his own. I've reminded you many times that Abe Marshall is an extremely important piece. He can help us uncover the truth behind the collapse of Marchi Mountain. If we lose this piece, a deadlock will appear on our chessboard. That would be extremely disadvantageous."

Chen Shu raised her brows. "Are you blaming me?"

"My fault, my fault!" The man hurriedly admitted his mistake, wearing the expression of an elder brother who wouldn't argue with his younger sister. "Someone took Abe Marshall away. The best-case scenario is that Heaven's Punishment took him. The worst-case scenario is that the evil faction found him. If it's the latter, then once Marshall's hypnosis is lifted, the connection between the World Salvation Society and me will be