Kilfen Hedges

"Welcome to Alcatraz, everyone!"

"I'm the warden here, Siko!"

After they entered the room, the warden welcomed Qin Ran and his group as its host.

Unlike the cold, rigid manner of the deputy warden who had first received them, the warden before them wore a faint smile, but it did not feel sincere.

It was merely perfunctory.

The conversation that followed was equally full of formulaic pleasantries.

"Alcatraz isn't large, but there are still many matters that require my personal attention, so I wasn't able to greet you immediately!"

"I'm truly sorry!"

"Especially after what just happened—it has left me utterly overwhelmed!"

Beginning with an apology, Warden Siko started explaining the main reason Qin Ran and the others had been brought here.

"It happened a month ago!"

"Kilfen Hedges—you've surely all heard of him. The leader of the Hedges cult, a pitiful schizophrenic, and the culprit behind the suicides of over a hundred people!"

"After his arrest, he was imprisoned in Alcatraz!"

"In fact, Alcatraz holds criminals whom other prisons cannot contain. They are either heinous offenders or possess special abilities. Other than Alcatraz, nowhere else can hold people like them!"

At that point, a trace of pride appeared on Warden Siko's face.

It was far more genuine than his previous smile.

Then, he continued.

"Kilfen Hedges was no exception!"

"After arriving at Alcatraz a year ago, he was completely isolated. His ability to beguile people lost all effect!"

"So, he fell into despair!"

"He chose suicide!"

"At least... that's what I thought at first!"

Warden Siko paused.

"Then what happened?"

Following the earlier arrangement, Qin Ran asked on behalf of everyone.

"Suicides!"

"The prisoners began killing themselves one after another!"

"Though there had always been those unable to endure who chose that path, it had never been this frequent—since