Whispers of destiny

Emilie's words triggered a sudden revelation in Adrian. Due to the pen, he had been contemplating how to make the mansion exclusively his by erasing the mark.

However, if he simply removed the mark and left it concealed, preserving its hidden state as it had been all along, wouldn't it amount to the same as owning it?

Adrian turned to Emilie and asked, "Do you reckon that pen influenced my thinking, or have I just grown dimwitted from being here?"

In her characteristic fashion, Emilie delivered a sarcastic response, saying, "When were you ever intelligent to begin with? It's only because I indulge your detective antics that you act this way."

Adrian couldn't help but feel a pang of hurt at the remark from a child, but he sighed and chose to let it pass, understanding that Emilie was doing her best to get back to her comfort.

However, the thought couldn't escape his mind that if Emilie could secure a supply of her beloved chips here, would she consider making this place her permanent residence?

Adrian dismissed his idle thoughts and proceeded to approach the cubicles. As he peered inside at the afflicted entities, a wave of pity washed over him, their condition tugging at his heart.

'What could they have possibly done to deserve this fate?'

Adrian mused quietly, his empathy for the afflicted beings making him ponder if death might indeed be a merciful release for them at this stage.

Lost in thought, Adrian knelt beside one of the seemingly lifeless creatures, though he was aware it wasn't truly dead. He strained to hear the faint, feeble heartbeat, marveling at how it managed to hang on to life, barely flickering in the darkness.

Without hesitation, Adrian retrieved the needle from his cane and drove it into the creature's head, causing a gruesome splatter as the head disintegrated.

He had expected a simple puncture, but the unusual softness of the creature's body took him by surprise.

Upon realizing that the creature's heartbeat had ceased, Adrian confirmed its death. What followed was the gruesome transformation of the body as it dissolved into a peculiar puddle of organs that were inexplicably drawn into the small circle present in each cubicle.

Witnessing this grotesque sight, Adrian couldn't help but curse whoever was responsible for these abhorrent acts.

Adrian had never been inclined to harm those weaker than him, and he despised violence. He loathed being compelled to kill these helpless creatures, but even more so, he resented allowing the perpetrators to go unpunished. It wasn't about a strong sense of justice; it was about making them experience the consequences of their own actions.

"You'd best hope our paths never cross, whoever you are," Adrian muttered.

Adrian proceeded to repeat the same grim task in each of the remaining eight cubicles, totaling nine in all. He couldn't help but notice the eerie correlation between the nine cubicles and the nine cores representing human souls.

However, he chose not to dwell on it, as the number nine had often carried particular significance in his world, and he was focused on the immediate task at hand.

Observing the macabre scene of the organs being drawn into the circle, Adrian left the cubicles and joined Emilie, who was still contemplating the expansive runic circle. Her thoughts remained a mystery, and he decided to approach her to break the silence and inquire about her well-being.

Adrian broke the silence, turning to Emilie with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "Do you think it will work?" He had taken action without being entirely certain it was the right course, but he was resolved not to let these once-human creatures continue to suffer in this cruel state any longer.

Emilie responded with a thoughtful gaze, "It should work. Runes like these usually need a trigger, and in this case, it seems to be humans. Whoever did this wasn't up to any good."

Finished with the topic, she moved towards the stairs, feeling repulsed by the whole situation and eager to leave the basement.

Observing Emilie's departure, Adrian followed suit without further delay. With Emilie's cores now replenished, he felt it was the right moment to depart from this place.

As Emilie ascended the mansion's upper levels, she spared a fleeting gaze across the familiar surroundings, confining her exploration to the areas she had previously traversed.

With their return on the horizon, she had no desire to venture into uncharted territory. Casting a brief look at Adrian, who had also joined her, she silently inquired about his next move.

"We should consider bringing some valuable relics with us. Alaya knows our location, and she won't let us be. She's probably itching to get her hands on us right now," Adrian suggested with a sly chuckle, eager to witness the reaction on Alaya's face.

"It does make me wonder," Emilie mused. "You've been surprisingly unaffected by those bizarre coincidences in the dream realm, haven't you?" She couldn't help but recall how Adrian's life had been plagued by strange and unexplainable coincidences.

Hearing Emilie's words, Adrian couldn't help but shudder, as the mere thought of those nightmarish coincidences still sent chills down his spine.

Adrian decided to put those thoughts aside, recognizing that there was little use in dwelling on such matters at the moment. He understood that he would have his fair share of challenges to confront once they returned to their own world.

Adrian had his doubts about whether the white-suited robos from the House of Gentle Tablet had conducted a background check on him or not. He was fairly confident that his identity had remained concealed well enough when he faced the enigmatic big boss at the end of their encounter.

However, a lingering concern crossed his mind. Could Alaya use his information as leverage to secure her own safe passage? Adrian pondered this, acknowledging that he might have considered the same tactic in her position.

It was a subtle reminder of the differences between himself and these younger individuals. In a way, it almost made Alaya appear somewhat childish, even though he himself was younger than her.

"Let's hope for the best when we return," Adrian remarked, "as it was far from pleasant having your life dictated by others. But I believe I'll be alright now, especially if it was connected to whatever Alaya had in mind."

With those words, Adrian retrieved the pen from the Ninefold Tome, though he was still uncertain about how it truly functioned. Initially, he believed it could only store one of each core level, but now it appeared his assumption might have been mistaken.