The color of blood reddened Klein's eyes, reddened his nearly frozen gaze.
At that moment, a light cough suddenly came from inside the room.
Dunn's gray eyes were impossibly deep. He replied in his rich, unhurried voice: "We heard you were sick. We've come to visit you."
The room fell silent at once. After a few seconds, Old Neil screamed in a mix of anger and panic: "No! You're lying!"
Before Klein and the others could respond, his tone suddenly turned weak: "Yes, I know my condition is a bit off."
Old Neil... Klein squeezed his eyes shut, while the bloody water seeping through the crack in the door did not stop.
Immediately after, Old Neil raised his voice: "But all along, I've never harmed anyone, nor have I ever wanted to! I haven't! I've never betrayed any important secrets of the Nighthawks! At most— at most I just reimbursed a few expenses that shouldn't have been reimbursed. I really haven't done anything wrong!"
"Klein." He suddenly called out as he always had. "I told you the Seer's motto is 'Do as you wish, but do no harm.' I've always held to that principle. I'd rather endure, rather wait, than do anything that would harm others..."
At this, he pleaded in fear: "Dunn, Luo Yao, Klein, please go back. Go back. By tomorrow— by tomorrow I'll be back to normal. I swear it, I swear to the Goddess, I won't harm anyone. Really!"
Dunn closed his eyes and asked in an exceptionally gentle tone: "What exactly are you trying to do? What have you been attempting?"
"Me?" Old Neil was first bewildered, then spoke with longing: "I've been trying to resurrect Sally. Dunn, I've already found the way. I'm on the right path!"
"You should have heard—back then, I made a mistake during a ritual and failed to cure her illness, failed to save her. I know it was because my grasp of mysticism wasn't good enough. But now I have sufficient knowledge and experience to accomplish it all! What a pity that I couldn't draw inspiration from the Seer's motto and Daly's example, and missed the best opportunity. If— if I were a high-Sequence powerhouse, things would be so much easier." As he spoke, his voice began to crack with sobs. "No, I can't give up again... Dunn, please go back, go back. I'm begging you."
Klein clenched his teeth and heard the captain's voice waver slightly as he asked: "How do you intend to resurrect Sally?"
Old Neil suddenly grew excited: "I'll use 'Life Forging' to prepare a body for her that will never age. Dunn, perhaps you don't know, but Sequence 4 of the
"Then I'll summon her soul from the Spirit World and pray for divine help to reunite spirit and flesh."
"Isn't that a wonderful idea?"
Dunn forced the corners of his mouth upward: "Yes, a truly wonderful idea. Old Neil, let us in. Perhaps we can help you."
"...Dunn, you still won't let me go?" Old Neil pleaded. "Go back, please go back. By tomorrow I'll be back to normal. Really. Dunn, I swear I won't steal your coffee beans anymore. Klein, Luo Yao, I swear I won't ask you to help me file improper expense reports anymore. Really!"
Through Klein and Luo Yao's slightly blurred vision, they saw Dunn lower his head, then raise it again. "Old Neil, you've misunderstood. We're here to visit you. You're our companion. You're sick, your condition is off—of course we'd come to see you. Open the door. Let us take a look, let us put our minds at ease. As long as there's truly nothing seriously wrong, we'll leave right away. You know how it is—there have been so many missions lately. We're monitoring the asylum while also handling all kinds of emergencies."
Old Neil hesitated for a moment: "There's really nothing seriously wrong with me. Really. I'll be back to normal by tomorrow."
The blood-red liquid seeping through the crack in the front door trickled down the steps and onto the paved road, soaking into the garden soil.
"Old Neil, we've known each other for fifteen years, haven't we? We've been partners on who knows how many missions. I care about you, I'm worried about you. I need to see you with my own eyes before I can rest easy." Dunn's voice was warm and gentle.
"...Fine then." Old Neil mumbled. "There's really nothing wrong with me."
With a creak, the front door slowly swung open. Klein quickly raised his hand to wipe his eyes, clearing his vision.
Then he saw that the hallway carpet was covered in a blood-colored, viscous, long-haired liquid.
His gaze traveled forward and gradually upward. The living room's floor, ceiling, round table, piano, and chairs were all coated in a nauseating, viscous, blood-colored liquid covered in dense black bristles.
Old Neil's pale head hung in midair, connected to the ceiling by thick strands of mucus. A pair of eyes had sprouted on his forehead and another pair on his cheeks—cold, lashless eyes.
The piano keys were leaping on their own, producing a hauntingly beautiful melody.
"Dunn, see? There's really nothing seriously wrong with me," Old Neil said with a radiant smile. "Luo Yao, Klein, you think so too, right?"
The moment he opened his mouth, Klein saw a viscous, blood-colored liquid covered in black bristles flowing inside.