The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 116: "The Scapegoat"

8:00 AM.

Two policemen leisurely made their way to the third floor of the Golden Rooster Inn. One examined the body, the suicide note, and the surroundings, while the other questioned the tenants nearby. Lumian, using his "Peeking Glasses" to create a simple disguise, stood calmly at the entrance of Room 310.

One of the uniformed officers, holding a notepad, glanced at Lumian. "You're Charles Dubois? Tell us what happened."

Lumian explained how Flamman had already gone mad when he moved in, constantly claiming he'd encountered the Monsuri ghost, that his entire family had died, and that he would be next. He described how Flamman had unexpectedly regained clarity the previous night and enjoyed a carefree drink.

"And what about the wound on his shoulder?" the officer inside the room, who was handling the body, interjected.

"Before he regained clarity, he had a bout of self-harm. I bandaged the wound for him," Lumian replied calmly.

After questioning the other tenants and the bar owner in the basement, the two officers preliminarily concluded that the deceased had been suffering from a long-term mental disorder, had a motive for suicide, and exhibited corresponding tendencies.

As they placed Flamman's body into a body bag, one of the officers said to Lumian, "We'll transport him to the catacombs, but there's a rather complicated process involved. This includes officially determining the cause of death, involving clergy for purification, finding someone to inherit his possessions, and coordinating with the catacomb managers. It'll take about one to two weeks."

Lumian paused for a moment and said, "I drank with him a few times. Let me know when you're burying him."

After giving him an affirmative answer, the two policemen left the Golden Rooster Inn with Flamman's body and the items from his room.

Lumian dropped his disguise and returned to Room 207.

Sitting on a chair, with his back to the sunlit window and facing the dim hallway, his emotions were quite complicated. Flamman's suicide felt like a reflection of what could be his own fate.

Helping Flamman change his destiny of "encountering the Monsuri ghost" wasn't just to make use of it or to seek any other reward. Lumian felt that Flamman, who had lost all his family, was much like himself—one had completely collapsed and become mad, while the other was still struggling to maintain hope, telling himself to remain rational.

Yet in the end, Flamman, no longer haunted by the Monsuri ghost or driven mad by fear, had chosen to end his life.

In the hallway, Elodie, wearing a blonde wig and eye shadow, along with another cleaning woman, had begun their daily routine. They were scrubbing the floors and dealing with bedbugs, never pausing for a moment.

Lumian quietly watched everything unfold, his gaze unfocused.

After nearly fifteen minutes, light but hurried footsteps extended from the staircase to outside Room 207.

Jenna appeared in Lumian's view. Today, she was dressed more modestly than usual, wearing a slightly tight-fitting blouse paired with a light brown cropped jacket and an off-white, puffy skirt. She wore black knee-high boots and still had on her alluring makeup.

She glanced at Lumian, entered Room 207, and closed the wooden door behind her.

Lumian snapped back to reality and quietly watched her, not asking why she had come.

In a curious and excited whisper, Jenna said, "Have you heard? The leader of the Thorn Gang and two of its top members were all killed."

"I know," Lumian nodded.