The room lacks any natural light, its decor worn, the medical equipment antiquated. Thousands of puppets fill the space, all embodying Cradle's innermost thoughts.
Eileena picks up an imaginary pipe, lights it with an imaginary match, and begins to speak with an exaggerated air of profundity.
Leave the facts to me. A great detective always pieces together the real truth from the details others have overlooked.
There are some photographs here... pictures of Alpha with the doctor. Hmm, looks like they took one every year.
They're photos taken annually since the clinic opened. Cradle's idea. Some kind of commemoration of our partnership.
Partnership? So you two must be pretty good friends then? Meanwhile, I'm just a regular employee of Gray Raven...
Friends? More like acquaintances. We'd meet a few times a year. I only came here when I needed a "bloodletting" session.
Yes, though that was an emergency treatment. As an artificial Aberration, I need regular bloodletting to slow down my bestial transformation.
Following Alpha's directions, Eileena discovers a surgical bed with restraints, blood extraction tubes, syringes, and a cabinet filled with blood storage vials.
Some vials are empty, while others are filled to the brim, all labeled with dates. In recent years, these "bloodletting" sessions have clearly become more frequent.
Something's not right. This blood... looks like it's been used. Alpha, did you know about this?
Honestly? I couldn't care less.
Essentially, I just needed safe bloodletting, as well as the serum to convert it into blood liquor. Cradle happened to provide both.
In exchange, I found her this mansion and put her under my protection.
So how profitable was the clinic?
The clinic operated at a loss for years, only turning a profit in its fifth year. Since then, the income has grown substantially.
Have you heard of "Phantom Dream"?
It's a comfort-inducing drug. After administration, patients enter a delirious state where even the slightest suggestion can lead them to experience extraordinary dreams.
But the price is that all of one's secrets are laid bare to the administrator. Is there anything more terrifying than handing your heart over to someone else?
There are quite a few people who go missing after these injections, and we're hired to find them occasionally. After all, these aren't exactly the kind of matters one wants to take to the police.
Sigh, with our agency's meager income, I'm lucky to get paid on time... By the way, Alpha, what does Phantom Dream have to do with the clinic's profits?
Every Phantom Dream injection in this city comes from this clinic. Cradle was the one who developed the formula.
...What? Right here?!
Alpha pauses intentionally, clearly concealing some crucial details about the origins of "Phantom Dream". Eileena realizes her momentary lapse in composure and quickly regains her professional demeanor.
So, as the beneficiaries of Phantom Dream, your profits must be substantial, correct? Perhaps the doctor wants to keep all that income for herself.
It's substantial, but that makes no difference to me whatsoever.
Money means nothing to me. The Countess' allowance is already excessive. Cradle can access our joint account whenever she pleases, and I've never questioned it.
Well, it would be simpler if it were just about profits. Money is always the easiest thing to resolve, but if the doctor's motives are something else entirely...
She might do things that are even more unforgivable! The human heart can be the most terrifying place. It's best not to venture there carelessly unless absolutely necessary.
The doctor does have an extraordinary fervor for puppets, just like Alpha said.
The examination room is filled with puppet-making materials that rival those of a professional workshop. Glass eyeballs alone fill several drawers—enough to make even master craftsmen feel inadequate by comparison.
Half-finished puppets lie abandoned on the workbench, disturbingly lifelike. They resemble dissected miniature humans, with perfectly replicated blood vessels, nerves, and bones.
Are these threads the same as the ones you found, Alpha?
Alpha nods, placing the threads onto the table.
Cradle developed these threads for my surgery. Regular surgical threads weren't resilient enough, often snapping after suturing an Aberration body like mine. Only after she mixed in fishing line did they hold up better.
Are these threads the same as the ones you found, Alpha?
Alpha nods, placing the threads onto the table.
Cradle developed these threads for my surgery. Regular surgical threads weren't resilient enough, often snapping after suturing an Aberration body like mine. Only after she mixed in fishing line did they hold up better.
The doctor does have an extraordinary fervor for puppets, just like Alpha said.
The examination room is filled with puppet-making materials that rival those of a professional workshop. Glass eyeballs alone fill several drawers—enough to make even master craftsmen feel inadequate by comparison.
Half-finished puppets lie abandoned on the workbench, disturbingly lifelike. They resemble dissected miniature humans, with perfectly replicated blood vessels, nerves, and bones.
Eileena approaches the workbench to get a better look at the evidence. An open notebook lies there, most of its contents redacted, but she can still glimpse crucial information from it.
Alpha, I think you need to see these notes...
Note 1: Puppet Experiment 00—Key Acquisition
Alpha came again today for bloodletting. Last time I saw her was eight weeks ago.
She didn't ask about my injuries... She has never cared about them.
I was in a terrible mood because the experiment failed again. Years ago, when Alpha successfully
"evolved," I was lucky enough to survive and got the opportunity to work in the organization. There,
I learned valuable research methods, conversion formulas, and stabilizers.
Unfortunately, Alpha slaughtered the entire organization before I could learn more. Sometimes
I wonder if I might have escaped this deformed body had the experiments continued...
Merely thinking about it made me continue the experiments after I woke up. Pet merchants have
been visiting frequently, bringing rabbits, hamsters, dogs, cats... and stranger animals still.
All experiments failed without exception.
Animals injected with the conversion agent always attack upon waking. I'm used to disposing of
disposing of their corpses, but the process of failure grows tiresome.
Wait, that damn rat is licking the blood. I should have cleaned the operating table earlier,
but Alpha was in terrible condition today, so I forgot—
...
Experiment 0001 successful. The rat is designated as "Toby". Observation needed for more details,
but I'm expanding the scope of the test to measure stability.
All formula parameters have remained consistent. The only variable... was Alpha's blood.
Note 2: Puppet Experiment 049—Audience with the Divine
I'm somewhat concerned about the test results. The clinical trial is the final step before production,
so I secretly added something new when I injected that sailor with "Phantom Dream".
He woke up after an unusually long sleep, about 2-3 times longer than normal. As usual,
he spouted some vulgar nonsense, flexed his muscles, then hurried off to the tavern. Notably,
beyond the inherent erotic content of the dream, he also saw strange entities:
mechanically constructed humans floating in the moonlit void, constantly observing him.
As more subjects joined the experiment, the descriptions of these mechanical beings became
more detailed. Perhaps it's time I see them for myself.
Yes, I've injected myself with the formula. First time... Drowsiness is setting in,
but I'm desperately fighting it. If I don't return from the dream, what will become of my puppets?
Knowing Alpha, she'll either ignore them or burn them to ashes.
...
I have awakened. I have understood. I have submitted.
The divine has always existed and watched us. The being above the Mist saw me
watched me affirmed me, transmitting precious "common knowledge" through the threads.
I need time. I must begin work immediately. I've wasted too much...
Note 3: Final Puppet Experiment—Evolution
Controllable puppets require 3 essential elements: threads, blood, and Phantom Dream.
Threads form the body; blood, the mind; injections, the environment. Only blood remains a variable.
For months, I've tested the blood from numerous subjects and exhausted countless possibilities.
And what have I gained? Nothing but garbage!
Of all experiments, only those containing Alpha's blood succeeded. Perhaps all I need is Alpha,
or perhaps... an Aberration?
Time is running out...
Can't wait any longer...
It should have taken generations to explore and perfect this project...
But I desire success too desperately. The treasure lies before me, and I must claim it
before others do. I once had that chance, but I failed. Such failure cannot happen again...
...
............
There's only one conclusion: I must have Alpha. Once I possess her, I'll possess the treasure.
Only one question remains... How to lure the noble Countess into Cradle's
trap?
Cheerful drumbeats suddenly fill the room as the puppets stretch their mouths into grins, applauding in unison to congratulate their guests for witnessing the rehearsed plot.
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How many nights did Cradle spend writing this name, and what was she feeling? The handwriting slopes downward in a familiar way—the result of her disability preventing her from applying pressure for long periods.
Pathetic.
Alpha's only response to this display of emotion is a barrage of strikes, shredding the dense threads hidden within the wall like a downpour.
As the threads snap, the patients downstairs lose their last shred of sanity and charge toward the second floor. The sounds of quaking footsteps and nails scraping against the floor draw terrifyingly close.
They desire to "feed"... The inferior puppets made from Alpha's blood crave the blood of their "mother" with unquenchable thirst. This is likely a command implanted by the doctor, just like the monsters in the church.
There's no time.
Alpha slashes the mounted deer head on the wall, revealing a narrow, damp passageway hidden behind it.
The Countess grabs both of you and throws you into the passage, sending you tumbling into an underground chamber along with strands of cobwebs.
Alpha, hurry down here with us!
Looking up at Alpha from below, she appears so noble and imposing. Shaking her head, the Countess drinks the blood liquor, and extraordinary light begins to surge from her temple and mismatched eyes.
This is different... I can't guarantee your safety. The doctor has stirred up quite a mess. At the very least...
The patients burst through the door, and Alpha seals the room shut after a brief explanation, leaving the basement in total darkness.
There are too many patients, and Alpha is quickly wounded. She has to hold the passage and eliminate them quickly, but these creatures are far more aggressive than before.
She forces her blood to surge through her veins for a second time. The bestial aura seeps into the basement, causing even you to start losing your mind.
The battle grows more desperate by the second, yet all you can do is press yourself against the wall with Eileena as you listen to the deadly combat from upstairs while frantically searching for some way to turn the tide.
This feels more hopeless than facing death: watching your companion's desperate struggle while being powerless to help, knowing that rushing in recklessly would only throw away her sacrifice.
The syringes!! They're craving Alpha's blood! I've got an idea—
We need to climb up there and help Alpha. We can't let her face this alone!
You suddenly remember the unused blood storage vials and instantly understand Eileena's plan.
Before climbing up, you pick up a rope and tie Eileena up securely.
I'm not a coward, [player name]. It was my idea in the first place, so I should also...
Adults have their problems, and children have theirs. To drag a child into an adult's battlefield under any pretext is nothing short of despicable.
At the very least, you won't let it happen on your watch, though you should have stopped Eileena from jinxing it.
You both better come back alive, because I'm not going to collect your bodies if you don't. I won't... I really won't...
You lift the panel and see the Countess in her beast form in battle for the first time. Her horns burst with radiant light, her eyes commanding fear, and Daybreak expands to several times its normal size.
Even when knocked down, the mutated patients will lunge at Alpha again as long as they're not completely dead. In their grayed-out vision, Alpha's heartbeat is the only beacon they're drawn to.
You slice your palm and scatter blood across the floor, and the similar scent of an Aberration attracts some of the patients. A few drop down to lick the bloodstains, while others turn to attack you.
You defend yourself from their relentless assault while rolling toward the cabinet with the vials. When you grab a syringe and throw it to the opposite side of the room, almost all patients immediately turn toward it.
They bite off each other's fingers to get the blood, even... Regardless, Alpha has managed to escape. You point to the chandelier and the medicine cabinet, signaling your plan. She gets it immediately, shifting her stance.
You push over the storage cabinet, and as the blood vials shatter, Alpha cuts down the chandelier, causing the entire row of medicine cabinets to topple like dominoes. Containers break, spilling a mixture of drugs and blood.
As you slide toward Alpha, she cuts down a candelabra and hurls it across the room. The flames ignite an explosion, sending toxic gas writhing like serpents through the air, hitting the blood-licking patients.
Just before the explosive blast reaches you, you pry open a panel and drag Alpha from behind, and you leap together into the secret passage.
But she pushes you away as you fall, using her body to hold the panel shut. With a room full of toxic flammables, the destructive explosion from the chain reaction has fully exceeded your initial calculations.
As you plummet to the bottom of the secret passage, you wrap Eileena with your coat. Dust rains down like a downpour, and the chain of explosions leaves you momentarily deaf until it all falls silent.
The Countess falls down, almost fully engulfed in flames. Blood boils beneath her skin, yet her willpower still forces her body back into human form.
Good... made it in time... you're both... safe...
Fire... blood is burning... hurts like hell.
In excruciating pain, Alpha clutches her head, screaming silently. Only after a long while does her buried willpower drive her forward, and she staggers deeper into the secret passage.
Sunlight bathes the rocky ground and puddles in the depths of the passage, illuminating an ebony coffin entwined with flowering vines.
Alpha sets Daybreak aside and gently sweeps away the fallen leaves from the coffin with her burned arm. Her movements are delicate, as if afraid to wake the person resting within.
You catch her just before she collapses. Her body burns like magma, her breathing faint. Once again, you feel utterly helpless in the face of this crisis.
Until Eileena grabs your palm with one hand, while reaching for Alpha with her other.
[player name], do you remember when we first met?
Everyone keeps secrets, even from those closest to them. Alpha is too severely wounded, and she has "retreated" into herself for protection.
Now, please close your eyes and hold my hand tight. We're about to venture into the depths of Alpha's mind...
Let's bring Alpha back from there, whole and unharmed, just as she was before.
