Inspection

Yet the door on the fourth floor remained tightly shut, showing no sign of opening.

The middle-aged man beside him yawned and stood up. "Young man, are you still planning to wait?"

The man in the hat did not answer. He merely pressed both hands to his knees and lowered his gaze again.

"It won't be that easy," the middle-aged man murmured, as if making conversation or talking to himself. "She started claiming illness and refusing visitors this past week too. Heh, refusing to see anyone... these important people, they don't know how to live unless they've got their noses stuck up in the air..."

He took his coat from the rack nearby, then went over to sign his name and reason for visiting in the guest registry.

"Curfew's in half an hour, you know?" The man set down his pen and waved at the young man on the bench. "Good luck."

Only then did the man in the hat turn his head and nod to him. "You too."

The wooden door at the apartment entrance opened and closed, leaving only one person in the hall.

At nine twenty, a burst of gunfire suddenly rang out in the street, followed by the shrill wail of alarms.

Hesta, who had been writing in her diary, immediately got up and switched off every light in the room. She had Eucali and the children move away from the windows, then carefully pressed herself to the wall and looked outside.

"Eleven! Stop messing around!" Eucali desperately held Eleven by the shoulders. "Stay right here!"

Eleven kicked and flailed excitedly. "Is there a war outside? Someone's shooting! Didn't you hear it?"

"Heavens, you child—"

Hesta shushed her, then beckoned to Eleven. "It's fine. Let her come over."

Eleven immediately ran to the window. With