Melissa moved toward a small table in the corner of the safe house, where a kettle and two cups sat waiting.
I stayed near the door, watching her warily.
Not because I didn't trust h- okay well not ENTIRELY because I didn't trust her.
No, something felt off.
My eyes were picking up things that didn't feel right. Since I entered this room.
"Tea?" Melissa asked, lifting the kettle.
I put my hand up. "I'll pass."
She poured herself a cup. The steam rose in delicate spirals.
I turned to her. "You said your father is Regiran," I started. "But he told me you were his apprentice, not his daughter."
"He lied." Melissa sat down, cradling her cup. "To protect me. The fewer people who knew, the safer I'd be."
That explains why he was so nervous about revealing her.
"Safer from..?"
"From my uncle. Councilman Gerard Thorne." She took a sip.
I nodded. It made sense from what she told me earlier.
"I assume he didn't appreciate how his sister married a Stage 2 artificer."
"Yeah.. It didn't land well." She grimaced. "The Thorne family disowned her. Eighteen years ago, when I was five. I barely remember what it was like before that."
I scanned the walls.
Four wards on the walls. Stage 5 quality minimum. Professionally installed it seems. But the one near the window.. It feels like there's something missing? My intuition screamed.
I continued. "Why did she marry him?" I asked. "If she knew her family would react that way?"
"She was running from something. Maybe a burden, maybe she fell in love. What I think is she was running from-"
"Gerard Thorne."
She nodded in response.
I glanced at the window. The shadow on the floor is too deep for this ambient light level.."
I shifted my position, allowing myself to keep both Melissa and the window in my peripheral vision.
"What was she running from? What do you think?"
"I think she was running from the truth. How the Thorne family built their fortune." Melissa's hand tightened around her cup. "I believe my mother found something. Evidence, proof of what he's done."
"Which was?"
She hesitated, studying me. Probably deciding how much to reveal to an outsider.
"Eighteen years ago, Gerard was involved in human trafficking. Slaves. He sold them to high ranking officials. High risk. He made fortunes. But the way he made them… It disgusts me.
"These slaves were?"
"Used for their bodies."
"Women, children, they didn't discriminate."
My expression sank.
What a scumbag.. Absolute trash.
My anger started to flare up yet again.
Just stay calm, Hiroto. No point in getting angry.. Yet.
Melissa continued. "My mother was working in the family business at the time. Accounting, ledgers, that sort of stuff. She saw the discrepancies. Started investigating." Her voice dropped. "And then seventeen people connected to the operation all died. All within a month.
"You think Gerard silenced them. No loose ends."
"I know he did. My mother knew too. That's why she ran. That's why she married the first person who'd take her– a stage 2 artificer with nothing to his name." She looked at me. "That's why me and my sister exist. We're products of a woman fleeing for her life."
There some dust fell. But there's no draft. There should be nothing to disturb it unless..
Something passed underneath it.
Imperceptibly I put my hand on my revolver.
"And the Veridian Lens?" I asked, keeping her focused on me. "How does it connect? How did this Stage 2 artificer build something that coincidently reveals the Thorne family's secrets."
"My father spent fifteen years building it. Not to detect lies– to see the past." Melissa leaned forward. "It can show events from years ago. Decades even."
Way stronger than my ability, and any person can wield it. Powerful.
"So I doubt your mother chose that man for no reason. She must've known about the Veridian Lens."
She nodded. "Yeah.. probably. But it still pains me. To think my life is based around lies."
"She must've been the one to push the Veridian Lens from a truth-seeker to being able to view time itself. She must've seen something in Regiran."
My vision focused upward. There lay a distortion. Barely visible. Like heat shimmer.
On the ceiling.
Directly above Melissa.
"He probably built it to expose Gerard," Melissa continued. "To finally prove what my mother knew. To protect our family.. by destroying his."
The distortion was moving. Descending slowly.
Two meters.
Then 1.8 meters.
I needed to keep the conversation going, to confirm what I was seeing.
"But someone stole it before he could finally use it."
I paused then continued. "But something's not adding up."
She looked up. "What?"
"Your father created the lens to expose Gerard. To gather evidence of murders from eighteen years ago. He's terrified of your uncle, protecting your family from him."
I tapped my notebook. "So why the hell would he invite Gerard to a private viewing of said artifact."
She shifted where she was sitting. Uncomfortable.
"Thats.. A good question."
"It's not just a good question. It's a massive contradiction." I stood, trying to shift my position.
"Your father knows Gerard is dangerous. Know's hes killed. And then he brings him to the shop, shows him the very artifact meant to destroy him, and says 'hey, look what I made!'"
"Thats either incredibly stupid," I continued, "or there's another piece to the story."
Melissa was quiet for a moment.
"My father didn't invite Gerard."
I stopped in an optimal position. "What?"
"Gerard invited himself. The viewing was supposed to be for legitimate buyers."
"But he showed up anyway. He heard about it through his connections. My father couldn't refuse– Gerard is a city councilman, head of the Security Committee. Turning him away would've been suspicious. Would've made Gerard wonder why he wasn't welcome."
The curtain moved again. No wind.
"So your father had to play along," I said. "Pretend it was nothing more than a truth-detector."
She nodded. "Yeah, exactly that."
"And did Gerard suspect anything?"
"We.. don't know. She looked at me. "Gerard isn't stupid. He's Stage 6, been in politics for decades, survived assassinations, investigations. If he had any suspicion.."
"Then the viewing was a death sentence."
"My mother thought so too. That's why she panicked afterward." Melissa's hands tightened around her cup. "She was convinced Gerard had figured it out. That he'd come back with enforcers, seize the Lens, kill my father to silence him."
QUESTION: Did Gerard know the Lens's true capabilities?If YES: Why not seize it immediately?If NO: Why steal it at all?
I kept my focus split.
"Five attendees," I said. "Plus the authenticator. Six people who saw the Lens." I looked at her. "Did any of them seem particularly interested? Ask unusual questions?"
"The Magistrate barely looked at it. She seemed... distracted. Like she was only there out of obligation." Melissa thought for a moment. "Lord Treylow was very interested. Kept asking about practical applications, business uses. His wife seemed bored."
1.2 meters.
"Gerard saw the Lens, asked questions, then left. Someone stole it days later. The real question– was Gerard involved in the theft?"
"My mother thinks so."
"Then what do you think?"
Melissa went quiet.
1 meter.
A glint appeared. A weapon. Targeting Melissa's neck.
"I think," Melissa said slowly, "that Gerard would've done it differently. If he wanted the Lens, he would've used his authority. Legal seizure. He wouldn't hire thieves."
Smart. She was right.
"So someone else stole it," I said. "Someone who knew about the viewing. Someone who wanted it badly enough."
"The Treylows, maybe. Mr. Treylow seemed very interested in owning it."
"Or the Magistrate, though you said she seemed uninterested."
"Yes."
I paused. "Wait. You said your mother panicked after the viewing. What did she do?"
Melissa hesitated.
"Melissa. What did your mother do?"
"She... she tried to destroy it herself." Melissa's voice was barely above a whisper. "The night after the viewing. She went to the shop while my father was asleep. She was going to smash it, burn it, anything to make it disappear."
"But?"
"But she couldn't get through the security. My father had locked it behind Stage 5 wards that only he could open. She couldn't break through without alerting him." Melissa looked down. "So she left. Went home. And two days later, someone else succeeded where she failed."
That's important. Elena tried to destroy it herself.
2.8 seconds to impact.
"Which means.."
I moved, willing essence towards my eyes.
Judgement's Eye!