By the time Ulrich woke up, it was already well past the afternoon. The verdant sun hung high in the sky, though its tentacles of warmth could not penetrate deep underground.

  He opened his eyes to greet a sparsely lit room. The stale air mixed with trapped moisture itched his nose, yet he stopped himself in an attempt to grasp his current location.

  Where am I?

  Not far away, Victor was lying on the bed, cold and unresponsive. Seeing this, Ulrich immediately recalled Rosaline’s appearance.

  This must be a safe house from the Ministry… He assumed. However, looking at Victor from here, Ulrich face dropped.

  Dead? No, I don’t believe ‘they’ have a habit of letting people sleep next to corpses...

  If not for the fact that his chest was moving up and light down ever so slightly, Ulrich would’ve assumed he’d been sleeping next to a corpse.

  After seeing that Victor was ‘alive’, he turned his attention to the surroundings, hoping to figure out where he was resting.

  It looks like an… underground area? He thought, then lifted the thin white sheet off his body. When he did, a chime-like sound rang. Immediately, he scuffled around, trying to pinpoint the location of the sound.

  Eventually, he found a glimmering silver earring on the floor. It had probably dropped when he’d unknowingly moved the sheet.

  Whose earring is this?

  He would’ve placed the earring back onto the table, on his right side, if not for the fact that there was a strange feeling blotting his chest.

  For a moment, Ulrich held the small earring between his thumb and index finger, placing it inches away from his eyes.

  I have a strong feeling I’ve seen this before… This sense of deja vu was extremely uncomfortable, like swimming through wet mud. As hard as he tried to chase the spring of this familiar sensation, it galloped harder to escape his grasp.

  For a good minute, he couldn’t quite think straight. Was it due to his current physical condition that created this blockage? Or was it his exhaustion of the ‘senses’ which had yet to calm down? Or was it both working in tandem to block his path of thought?

  Either way, he was frustrated, knowing that it must be important, yet could not ascertain the truth of the matter.

  Green, emerald-like earring. He uttered repeatedly, hoping that the memory would eventually return home.

  “You like the gift?”

  Ulrich thought froze as he turned his head.

  It was Captain Ottis, who was leaning against the door frame with the lit churchwarden in his hand. Behind him, there was an unfamiliar man with brown, short hair and wide glasses. His clothing was nothing worth praising, just a plain dark green shirt with a brown coat.

  “Sorry, I shouldn’t smoke around our precious patients,” Captain Ottis smiled lowly, but Ulrich shook his head.

  “No, it's fine.”

  Immediately, Erwin, who stood behind Captain Ottis' tall stature, protested,” But he’s not!” He pointed at the unconscious Victor, who could not express his thoughts.

  Seeing this, Captain Ottis' face froze, but just as quickly, he put out the flame and sighed.

  After this, Erwin took a step forward to introduce himself,” I’m Erwin, the Doctor. I’ve heard about you, pretty good for a newcomer eh?”

  “If you say so,” Ulrich smiled awkwardly, then raised his hand to display the silver earring,” Whose earring is this?”

  This question wasn’t targeted at either of them in particular. He just hoped that someone could provide him with the answer to the dilemma clouding his heart.

  Oh?… Ottis Owen noticed Ulrich's voice was a little urgent, perhaps more than he intended. Regardless of the reason, Ottis believed Ulrich must’ve taken a liken to Albert’s gift, seeing as he was so impatient to ask about it.

  “Albert Francis.” He said, a smile rested on his worn expression.

  “The same one from the kidnapping case? You found him? Where?”

  “Yes, well, not ‘me’, but ‘we’. He was held captive in the basement, below where the two ‘corpses’ were located. This is after you and Victor fell unconscious.”

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  As Captain Ottis explained, Ulrich furrowed his brows.

  “The two corpses were partners of Dulvis Mallevan, who worked in tandem to kidnap Albert Francis. They were the first victims at the scene. As for Albert, perhaps due to Victor’s interference, it seems he was left unscathed despite the Abomination appearance.”

  “Dulvis Mallevan?”

  “Sorry, you must not be familiar with that name. Dulvis Mallevan is the Abomination you encountered.”

  Hearing this, Ulrich's finger twitched ever so slightly. Perhaps, even he himself didn’t notice this subtle reaction either.

  “In the end, there are three deaths. We have retrieved all the related ‘Cursed Items’ in the area, as well as cleared up the scene.”

  After saying so, he pointed at the earring resting in Ulrich’s hand and chuckled,” Albert wanted to express his gratitude, so he gave the company the earring as a gift.”

  “And you gave it to me?” He whispered, glancing at Victor.

  Not a sign of greed, Ottis Owen praised inwardly.

  “We Watchmans perform acts of service not out of money or fame. It is our duty. After all, we are the keepers at night.”

  “Of course, money is a good motivation, I won’t deny that. Victor is one of such person.”

  His voice was light like feathers, like irony, though behind this weightlessness, Ulrich could feel a gaping burden that could not be put into words—and into words he did not put it.

  Erwin, who was observing on the side, noticed that the timing was right. He walked up, nudging his glasses, then inquired about Ulrich’s condition.

  “How are you feeling? Any discomfort?”

  Ulrich stretched his limbs, then shook his head, though quickly; the sharp pain in his mind made him wince.

  “My mind feels strange, like a blockage was placed on it. I can’t seem to think properly. And when I try too hard—” He explained, trying to put it into words.

  Erwin nodded,” It feels like daggers stabbing your skull, correct?”

  “That’s right!”

  How does he know what I was thinking?

  “I’m a doctor, of course I know!” He said, puffing his chest forward as he tapped the side of his head,” What you are experiencing is signs of spirituality weakness.”

  “You might not know this, but the saying that ‘all beings have spirituality’ is true to some extent. I assume you must have heard of this saying, it's very popular in the world of mysticism.”

  “Normally, spirituality cannot be manipulated or touched by ordinary humans. However, in moments of life and death, it congealed. This phenomenon often manifests as the ‘sixth’ sense.”

  Hearing this, Ulrich immediately concluded, ”Doesn’t that mean, Weavers, who can use their spirituality, have a heightened sense at all times?”

  Erwin didn’t answer and instead glanced at Captain Ottis.

  “Yes, though there are always exceptions to the rule. But it is safe to assume that all Weavers, even the weakest one, will have exceptional senses.”

  With that said, he felt that this was a good time to discuss the agreed-upon matter between him and Rosaline,“ After a thorough discussion, we have decided that you are a suitable candidate to receive a complete rune.”

  What?

  Ottis Owen saw the shock on Ulrich’s face, which was expected. In fact, Ulrich's reaction was rather mild. Anyone in his current position would’ve displayed more extreme ranges of emotion.

  “Why me? I just joined and barely did anything.”

  “Ulrich, don’t doubt your own abilities. Anyone in your position in ‘that’ moment would’ve acted much differently. Of course, this is only one of the reasons behind our decision. Another is the fact that we are lacking a Seer.”

  Seer? The dead Seer from four months ago?

  “I thought you had requested another Seer from the capital of Lunden.”

  Captain Ottis smiled and shook his head,” We did. But their arrival is unknown, and it is always better to have an extra hand.”

  Ulrich grew silent, not because he was hesitating, but because the ‘opportunity’ had arrived sooner than he anticipated. Should he accept right away? Or wait a little bit? Thinking on this a bit, he was bewildered.

  I believed that my contribution should be halfway to the mark… But this alone is certainly not enough for them to offer a complete rune right away. There must be another reason I am unaware of!

  Ottis Owen took Ulrich’s silence as a form of hesitation.

  He didn’t want to force Ulrich's hand and assured him,” This is an offer, you can reject or accept it. If you accept, then we will provide you with the complete rune, already ‘refined’, all you need to do is ‘awaken’. Once you pass this stage, then you will be considered an official ‘Watchman’.”

  “In the case that you reject this offer, you can still maintain your current status with the Ministry. In the future, if you wish to change your mind, you are welcome to do so.”

  He took one final breath before warning Ulrich gravely,” Remember, if you are not certain of this decision, wait. Even if it takes a year, two, or even five, wait. Only one out of ten will succeed in an awakening.”

  Hearing this, Ulrich's lips twitched. Can I say no?

  Subconsciously, he wanted to blurt out “No”, but his goals for the future asked him to walk down this path. Perhaps, even before this moment came to be, and before it was delivered to him, he had already known his answer.

  In truth, he was helpless, like a pebble tossed in the turbulent waves of the sea. Could he tread back into the life of an ordinary person, stay in Belham, and enjoy a morning brew of tea with a newspaper in hand?

  I could.

  But… He ‘turned’ his head, viewing the past. It started from that single encounter, when he met Zheng San. This was the starting point, a flap of the butterfly wings that brought forth this moment.

  In the end, the only four words he could utter were— “I accept your offer.”