The distance from the warehouse to the Sanctuary was not long, seeing as they are both located on Euston Street. On the way there, Ulrich harbored some doubt as to whether or not Captain Ottis was still clocked in.

  However, recalling the recent events, he shook his head.

  Everyone in the ministry was hot on their feet due to the lack of manpower. Not to mention, within Belham, many strange cases and oddities required the Ministry's attention. Often, these cases were not serious—in fact, they might be the work of some imbecile and swindler who wanted attention.

  Either way, Ulrich was sure that Captain Ottis was still in his office, if not working, then sleeping on the couch.

  He was right.

  When Ulrich stood in front of the door and produced three low knocks, a response arrived instantly.

  “Who is it?”

  “It’s me, Ulrich.”

  There was a moment of silence, then came his voice.

  “Come in.”

  Ulrich twisted the doorknob and entered.

  The inside of the room was truly messy. Without even lowering his eyes, there were papers, rags, and other items resting against the floor. Not to mention the dense fog of smoke, presumably from Captain Ottis's smoking habit. However, the worries and concerns on Ulrich's mind wore him more than the tobacco smoke ever could.

  At this moment, Captain Ottis sat on his wooden chair, his hand holding a black fountain pen. Since his head was lowered to his desk, he didn’t notice Ulrich’s expression. And if he did, he would’ve noticed an abnormality.

  “How was Father Lorel’s lecture?” Captain Ottis asked, recalling that Ulrich had attended his first lectures. Even now, his head remained lowered, and his hand occupied.

  “Good.”

  “I assume you chose Divinations as your first topic? I heard a bit from Rosaline.”

  “I did.” Ulrich nodded.

  “That’s good, I hope you can learn the Art of Divination as soon as possible. After all, we have high expectations for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  He wanted to infuse energy into his words, but couldn’t. Each breath became heavy as stone, to the point that even a slight smile felt forced. And yet, at the mention of Rosaline’s name, he can’t help but blurt out a question that’s been lingering in his mind.

  “Where’s Rosaline? I haven’t seen her since my awakening.”

  Captain Ottis's hand paused, just for a moment, before the scribble sound continued.

  “She’s inside the Repository.” He answered tersely.

  Hearing this, Ulrich grew silent. Captain Ottis’s momentary movement did not escape his eyes. For that reason, he had a feeling this matter was more complicated than expected.

  Perhaps Captain Ottis noticed Ulrich's confusion, so he briefly explained, “She cannot be away from the Sanctuary for too long. This is one of her restrictions as an Oath-sworn to the Night Mother, and as a Keeper of the Sanctuary.”

  Another restriction? I thought being a Keeper was a blessing… But it sounds like there are many restrictions that I’m unaware of.

  Following that thought, Ulrich can’t help but wonder, “What happens if she leaves the Sanctuary for too long?”

  This time, Captain Ottis's hand fully stopped as he placed the pen down on the desk. After doing this, he raised his head and stared at Ulrich blankly.

  “We all die.”

  W—What?

  In that instant, Ulrich's mind was struck by lightning. His jaw clenched, his lip quivered, and yet not a sound came.

  Leaving the Sanctuary for too long, and we all die?!

  Captain Ottis blinked repeatedly. He quickly realized his odd choice of words, “Sorry, I don’t mean we will die instantly. It’s just that the source that maintains the ‘Seal’ within the Repository is her existence. If she is absent for a prolonged time, the seal will weaken, unleashing all the things that’s kept within the Repository.”

  “This is a calamity that we must avoid.” Saying this, Captain Ottis picked up his pen and lowered his head again.

  So we all still die? Just a slower and painful death… For a second, Ulrich had the urge to ask what was stored in the repository for such a mechanism to exist in the first place. Doesn't that mean, if Rosaline were to be killed on duty, wouldn’t everyone in Belham suffer? That would indeed be a disastrous outcome.

  While Ulrich was deep in his thoughts, Captain Ottis interrupted him.

  “I assume you are here for another matter?” He asked in passing.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  It was rare for his team members to visit him personally. When they did, it was usually about duty-related matters or reports they deemed necessary—like the recent one regarding Albert Francis's abnormal case.

  Ottis Owen doubted that Ulrich had come this late at night to discuss Father Lorel's lectures. Surely the newcomer would be better off studying in the library or resting at home.

  And he was right. Ulrich reached into his coat pocket, pulled out Selena's silver earring, and then placed it on the table.

  Immediately, Captain Ottis's hand froze. He raised his head, his brows furrowing as he stared at the silver earring.

  “Are you returning this?”

  “No. Do you know the owner of this earring?”

  This time, Captain Ottis noticed the urgency in his voice as well as his anxious look, so he placed down the pen and stared at Ulrich attentively.

  “Albert Francis?”

  He doesn’t know? Ulrich shook his head and lowered his voice by two octaves, then tossed a familiar name in the air.

  “Selena Morris.”

  Captain Ottis' face twisted, his eyes flickered to reveal that light gray pupil. For a moment, the silence grew between the two of them.

  After about a minute, Captain Ottis leaned forward and let out a deep breath.

  “Are you certain?”

  Ulrich's smile grew wider, as though he was waiting for this question. He didn’t speak, nor voice his thoughts. Instead, Ulrich reached into his pocket to pull out that picture frame from the warehouse, then placed it on the table.

  After doing so, he gracefully twirled the frame with his finger to face Captain Ottis.

  If Ulrich mentioned of Selena’s name was a startling breeze, then the earring, as well as the picture frame on the desk, was a massive tidal wave.

  “Are you implying that the Albert case and Selena’s absence are connected?”

  Ulrich nodded, “Yes. Of course, Albert could have obtained this earring through other means, and this earring could, in fact, not be the same as in the picture.” However, Ulrich's voice was confident as he added.

  “I believed that the latter is unlikely.”

  Captain's hand clenched tighter, though, recalling Ulrich's recent activities, he blurted out, “Divinations?”

  I knew you were gonna ask. Ulrich smiled. Fortunately, he was prepared, knowing that these questions would arise during his report.

  Seeing this, Ottis Owen's expression darkened.

  The implication of this connection was terrifying. If that was the truth, then not only is Albert Francis' case under the influence of the Twilight Order. The previous two cases are also linked to this maleficent organization.

  In that same sense, it was also likely that the Twilight Order's area of influence was within the confines of Portsmouth, where the kidnapping cases occurred. From this conjecture, they can safely assume that all kidnappings, if not most, are linked to the Twilight Order. The scale of this implication is beyond one’s imagination.

  While thinking along this line, Ottis Owen rapped his finger against the table. Finally, he turned to look at Ulrich, “How confident are you in your divination skill?”

  “Very,” He said without hesitation.

  There was another point he did mention, which was the fact that he couldn’t recall the origin of the earring at first glance. However, Captain Ottis already had an explanation for this phenomenon.

  “Temporary memory loss is normal when dealing with Abominations or experiencing spiritual weakness.”

  I did hear about this…

  With that said, he got up from his seat and put on his coat, then left the office. Ulrich followed after him, but Captain Ottis stopped him.

  “You did well in verifying the matter before making a report. Take the night off, I’ll need you in the morning,” He said.

  “I will give Albert a visit and ask some questions. Since you are a seer now, we will rely on your divination as guidance. It’s best if you remain in the back as our support, rather than being on the front line.”

  Finally, he remembered another person, “Tell Victor to be ready. He should have recovered enough to be on the field.”

  Victor? Can that blind guy even see the sidewalk? Ulrich was doubtful, but didn’t question it if Captain Ottis believed otherwise.

  “Alright.”

  After concluding their conversation, Ulrich returned to the guest room and leaned into the couch. Countless thoughts came and went like a tidal wave, and he couldn’t quite keep his mind calm.

  I should trust the captain’s words… He comforts himself. With that thought out of the way, Ulrich snapped his finger.

  Under the ceiling light, his shadow fluttered, as though it was tugged by an invisible hand. From there, it quickly took the form of an arrow, then rose in the air.

  After which, Ulrich reached his hand forward and tapped the head of the arrow.

  It has a physical form… He noted. Ever since his awakening, Ulrich hadn't had the need nor the opportunity to test out his ability yet. And now, he can’t help but feel the urgency to grow familiar with his arsenals.

  Of course, he had other weapons on him—the revolvers and various charms that the Ministry bestowed upon him. But aside from the revolver, everything else was new, and he haven't had the chance to use them just yet.

  While bearing these thoughts, an idea came to him. He inched his hand a bit forward, then grabbed onto the ‘body’ of the arrow. It flickered momentarily, but did not dissipate.

  I can hold on to it, like a spear. The shaft was cold to the touch, and it felt like touching marshmallows—the kind of softness similar to the finest mattress that's been chilled.

  Ulrich swung the ‘arrow’ around, but avoided hitting the furniture in the room. After all, he didn’t want to pay the bill if they were damaged.

  Interesting… At that moment, he opened his palm, and with a thought, the arrow flew forward as though a bow was drawn.

  Its pointy tip pierced the air, producing a sharp note that should've punctured one’s ear, yet it was still and eerily quiet. And just as it was about to hit the thick wall, Ulrich waved his hand, causing it to dissipate into thin air.

  At the same time, his spirituality dropped by a noticeable amount.

  This feedback, I feel like I can only make five arrows at my optimal state...