The Beginning of Despair 6

Morel spent another two days with his daughter. Over those five days, he saw her smile more often than he had in the previous three years combined.

With the Starlight Knight watching over her, everything in their lives was slowly getting better.

When he performed on the street, his brand-new knight's costume drew bigger crowds, and he earned more money.

He even caught the eye of a park manager, who invited him to work part-time as the Starlight Knight, interacting with visitors. The hours were flexible, and the pay was surprisingly high.

So Morel quit those unreasonable jobs.

He wanted enough time to spend with his daughter. He also wanted to keep the promise he had made to her as the Starlight Knight: to take it a little easier.

On the day he left, he brought a few bottles of liquor and some food, hoping to share a proper drink with his coworkers at the freight yard.

When they saw him, none of them said much. They just patted his shoulder with dust-covered hands and grinned their goodbyes.

Their smiles were full of relief—the kind you felt when you saw a brother finally climb out of the mud.

Morel handed them the liquor. His throat worked as he tried to say something, but all he managed was, "Thank you!"

On the seventh night, everything changed. It began with a phone call from the hospital's inpatient administration office.

"Hello, Lord Hartmann?" A man in gold-rimmed glasses made the call. A medical file lay before him, with Claire's name prominent on the first page.

"This is Hartmann. Have you found the target?"

"Yes. The girl's genetic sample is ready. We can act at any time."

Hartmann fell silent. For a while, only the rustle of turning pages came through the phone.