The warmth of breath brushed against Percy's ear, gentle lips whispering:
"Wake up."
Startled, he sat up on the wooden floor, not fully standing. Klaus's eyes were fixed on him. Percy glanced back.
"Oh… it's you. Good morning. I trust you've had a good morning," Orin Morvane said.
Klaus's gaze swept the room. Candles sat at the four corners, the mirror lay on the floor, the broken wristwatch beside it.
"There's no time," Klaus said.
Orin's voice trembled. "What do you mean?"
"The senior officers have summoned both of us," Klaus replied.
Orin's mind filled with curiosity. Were they the Black Crow officers again—another routine mission for ordinary operatives?
Klaus grabbed Percy's hand, pulling him forward. "No time. We have to hurry."
They left the apartment, stepping into the thick morning fog. Their footsteps echoed across the cobblestones, twisted by the flickering glow of gas lamps.
After a relentless run, they paused at a small coffee shop. Klaus, recalling the instructions from the senior officer, said, "Two cups… Black Crows."
The lady behind the counter guided them to the back. Though she was in a wheelchair, the focus was not on her—it was on why they had been summoned.
At the far side of a door, she stopped. Klaus motioned for them to move closer, but she remained still.
Orin wondered what lay beyond. His mind raced with possibilities.
Klaus's expression betrayed nothing—he already knew who had summoned them. He reached out to open the door. The tiny clink of the latch felt impossibly long… but finally, it opened.
Klaus and Percy stepped into a cramped room.
Orin's mind registered disbelief. The space was far too tight for two people—but he said nothing.
Suddenly, the tight wall before them split open, revealing a grand corridor that forced them forward.
Breaking free from the confined space, they entered a long hall. Gas lamps lined endless stone walls.
At the corner waited Lady Ophelia Ravenscroft, her hand pointed straight ahead. Klaus, excited, said, "Good morning. I trust you've had a good day."
Ophelia glanced at him, tilted her head, and moved forward, leading them through the corridor. After a few seconds, they reached the end.
She opened a door, then shifted to a corner near a flower vase.
Before them was a desk. It was obvious—they were inside an office.
Orin's eyes swept the room. To his left, a flower vase and a cupboard filled with books. To his right, various curiosities and pieces of art lined the walls. In the center stood an elderly man.
Two chairs sat close to the desk. On top rested books, a gas lamp, ink, and some cigarettes.
At the other side of the desk, near the window, stood Blackwell. He gestured for them to sit.
Klaus and Percy took their seats, shifting their chairs closer to the desk.
Breaking the silence with a sharp, commanding tone, Blackwell said, "You may imagine the reason you are here—but do not worry."
He paused, taking a calm breath.
"With the Black Crow officers, we trace spirituality—the same as from the store the other day, the same visuality from the church where the officers died…" His tone faltered, touched with sorrow.
"But do not worry. It does not involve either of you directly. What we need from you two—"
Orin interrupted, frustration edging his voice. "So… what do you want us to do? Drag us out here this early in the morning?"
Blackwell's eyes narrowed. "I see… you are men of few words."
Klaus glanced at Percy but said nothing.
Pointing at Ophelia, Blackwell continued, "She will accompany you. But for now, I will explain your task." His voice grew more serious, commanding.
"From the store we visited, we traced the illusions… the box… there was a letter inside."
Orin's mind raced. The piece of paper the Mechanism had revealed earlier—the one with strange writings—he wanted to understand more.
"It is an address," Blackwell said.
Orin's disbelief showed. "Just… an address? So why did the Mechanism refuse to tell me more?"
"Being a Black Crow officer means we focus on potions, rituals… What I'm trying to tell you is that spirituality matters more here than in the average human. Both of you…" He looked at Klaus and Percy, a faintly biting tone in his voice. "…have below-average spirituality."
He paused, shifting his gaze to Percy. Little needed to be said about him—but for Klaus, long obsessed with the Black Crows, this was a rare opportunity—a gift from the commander himself.
Breaking the tension, Ophelia said, "Follow me, both of you."
She led them away from the office, passing through the long corridor once more. Orin could not remove his thoughts from Blackwell; the commander had explained little.
They reached a door labeled Alchemy Room. Orin quickly realized they were here to boost their spirituality.
Ophelia pushed the door open for both of them, then walked away.
Inside, a short lady with long blonde hair—her garments exposing half her body—shifted toward them, then moved closer, gesturing for them to stand at the corners.
She went to a cupboard and brought out four bottles of potions, placing one before each of them.
"Drink this one first, then the second one later," she instructed. "It will boost your spirituality."
Orin's excitement surged. This potion might help him create a regenerating spell for his lost spirituality. But for now, he had to drink one and save the other.
It meant they were about to do something for the Black Crow officers.
The blonde lady shifted them aside, pushing them toward the exit.
"Do not drink it now. Follow me," Ophelia said, her tone serious.
She led them straight down the long corridor again. "You too need to change."
She guided them to a room, advising them to change into garments more fitting for the task ahead.
After a few seconds, both of them emerged, dressed.
Leading them to the coffee shop, she explained why they had come. She wrote the address on a piece of paper and handed it to Klaus.