The Midnight Watch Night had finally fallen, casting long, jagged shadows across the municipal laundry. The wait felt like an eternity, years of tension compressed into a few hours of suffocating silence. Elias and Jennifer stood in the dark, knowing that the events of this night would either end the "Elegant" or swallow them whole.
Elias faced three looming problems:
The Infiltration: How could they blend in? Identities were hidden, but the "Entity" behind the organization might sense their foreign presence.
The Numbers: How could two people eliminate such a vast, fanatical crowd?
The Sacrifice: How could they save the next child destined for the meat grinder without alerting the Founder too early?
As Elias flipped through the Right Hand’s diary once more, his eyes caught a frantic scribbling.
"The Masked Ones... they arrive first. They are the cleaners, the scouts. But they are not men; they are empty vessels. The masks they wear contain a 'shard' of the Entity. Once worn, the mask erases everything—identity, memory, and even the gaze of the Shadow Eye itself."
Elias smirked, showing the passage to Jennifer. "It's a double-edged sword. The mask hides the wearer even from the Entity's own perception. But there’s a catch: it erases the wearer’s soul too, turning them into a puppet."
A Supernatural Compact Jennifer stared at the page, then looked toward the office where they had saved Alphonse. "To deceive a supernatural Entity, we need supernatural allies."
She stepped into the office, the air still heavy with the scent of old paper and stale grief. "You're still here, aren't you?" she called out to the void. "I know you haven't moved on. You aren't spirits of vengeance; you are spirits of protection. You don't want more families to end up like yours—shattered and trapped in the gears of this world."
Elias watched from the doorway, realizing Jennifer’s plan. She wasn't just asking for help; she was offering a vessel.
The stagnant air in the room suddenly shifted. A violent gust of wind burst through the closed windows, swirling around them. Out of the mist, two voices resonated—one soft and melodic like a haunting lullaby, the other small and bright.
"For the sake of those who come after us... we will lend you our strength," the woman’s voice sang. The boy’s spirit appeared for a fleeting second, his eyes sparkling with an ancient wisdom. He looked at Jennifer and smiled. "We will stay inside you. We will be the shield between your mind and the mask. As long as you fight them, we are your light." He turned to Jennifer. "Good luck, Big Sister."
With a playful leap, the boy’s spirit lunged into Elias’s chest, a surge of warmth radiating through the investigator’s cold veins. The mother’s spirit approached Jennifer. Jennifer chuckled weakly. "You raised him well. If he had called me 'Auntie,' I might have had second thoughts." The mother smiled gracefully. "I taught him to respect a woman's feelings." Then, she dissolved into Jennifer’s form.
The First Obstacle Cleared Elias felt a new weight within him—a protective barrier that would keep the mask from erasing his mind. The first problem was solved. They now had the means to wear the masks without losing themselves.
"One down, two to go," Elias muttered, checking his watch.
The sound of heavy tires treading on gravel echoed from outside. The "Masked Ones" were arriving—the scouts of the abyss. Elias and Jennifer slipped into the shadows near the entrance, their hearts beating in sync with the souls residing within them.
The hunters were about to become the prey. They just needed two masks, and the path to the Founder’s basement would finally be open.
