Seated at the center of the room, the trio engaged in hushed conversation, surrounded by attentive butlers and groundsmen.

Cecily cinched her robe's belt, questioning, "Are you certain you weren't followed?" Judy's mind cast back to her visit to the Ethel estate, ensuring she hadn't been trailed.

"I don't believe I was followed. I drove here alone on a desolate road in the night," she replied with confidence.

Sparkles rested on her side, slipping back into slumber as the discomfort from the kick subsided. The butlers' and groundsmen's brisk movements were the only things to rouse her. They recognized the lady of the house, offering salutes as she descended the stairs.

Mrs. Barbara Ethel descended slowly, her eyes heavy with dark rings beneath them, her eyelids only half-open as she had just woken.

"What's causing all the commotion?" she queried as she approached the room's lower level.

"A trespasser, madam. We found him attempting to poison the guest, and Cecily managed to apprehend him," one of the butlers explained.

Taking a seat on the couch, Mrs. Ethel adjusted her feet in fluffy flip-flops and made her way to Cecily.

"Are you alright, my dear? Did he harm you?" she asked, reaching for Cecily's hands.

"No, Auntie, I'm unharmed," Cecily assured with a smile.

Mrs. Ethel shifted her gaze to Judy and stared for a while. She eventually turned her attention to the man bound to a chair at the room's center.

"Couldn't you have secured him elsewhere? He's ruining my carpet!" she exclaimed, her hands expressing her disdain for the situation.

"Butler!" she called, and one stepped forward with sturdy steps.

"Yes, ma'am!" he responded.

Settling by the fireplace, she instructed, "Fetch me my husband's vial rack from the basement."Judy questioned herself about the reason for calling Cecily's aunt, and as the butler rushed off, she turned to Cecily for answers.

"Why did we need to call your aunt?" she inquired.

"Didn't you know? I assumed a reporter like you knew everything about us. that's Barbara Ethel, my aunt," Cecily clarified.

Hearing the name triggered Judy's memories, albeit hazily. It seemed familiar, and slowly, she pieced it together. Cecily took the initiative to explain, sensing Judy's confusion.

"Barbara Ethel, the psychiatrist," Cecily murmured.

Judy's recollection solidified. Barbara was a renowned psychiatrist who wed a world-famous detective. Their marriage stirred controversy as it crossed noble lineage boundaries. Judy recalled that her own family tradition dictated marrying into noble families, but Barbara's love for a non-noble man led to her estrangement.

Now holding the vial rack brought by the butler, Mrs. Ethel commanded, "Bring him closer." She plucked a vial from the rack and instructed, "Remove the tape from his mouth." Stepping to the man, she uncorked the vial and administered a few drops onto his tongue. The man stirred, apprehension deepening as he sensed the gathering around him.

Mrs. Ethel halted him just as he was about to exercise his lungs.

"You will not shout like a lunatic in my house!" She snatched another vial from the rack and muttered, "Quiet down." Before opening the stopper, she shook the blue liquid inside. Sparkles was startled awake by the ruckus and raised her head to see a man chained to a chair in front of her. Sparkles began growling at the man, occasionally barking, as she remembered the kick he gave her. She wasn't fully mature and was a Border Collie. Cecily rubbed her palm across Sparkles' back to soothe her down, and it appeared to work.

"Okay, all of you. Take a step back, you don't want to breathe this unless you want all your secrets revealed," she stated as she mixed chemicals in a vial containing the blue potion and another carrying a transparent liquid. Approaching the man, she shielded her nose with her robe's end as the liquids combined, sparking a potent reaction that birthed a cloud of shimmering blue smoke from the vial. The man struggled, but air couldn't be denied indefinitely; he inhaled the smoke, prompting violent tremors.

"A truth serum, crafted by my husband. Alchemy isn't his forte, but this is his finest creation yet. I'll pose a question, and if you answer dishonestly, the serum will trigger your nerves, subjecting you to agonizing pain! Do you understand?" Mrs. Ethel's tone was resolute.

Hatred glared back at her from the man's eyes.

"What is your name?" Mrs. Ethel's voice remained steady. The man tried to resist, but a surge of excruciating pain engulfed him, intensifying. It felt as if a hydraulic press were slowly compressing his body. Overwhelmed by torment, he screamed. Mrs. Ethel seemed unperturbed by his agony, his cries falling on deaf ears, pushing him to surrender.

"Tomas! I'm Tomas!" The pain ebbed, leaving him breathless in his seat.

"Thomas? Only one name?" Mrs. Ethel inquired skeptically, satisfied the pain hadn't been feigned.

"Very well, Mr. Thomas. Who sent you, and for what purpose?" Mrs. Ethel probed.

Aware of the impending pain, Thomas hesitated, his dread palpable.

"I was tasked to spy on Lady Cecily." Sweat streamed down his cheeks, his breath labored like an overworked hound.

"By whom, precisely?" Mrs. Ethel persisted.

Thomas deliberated before responding, dreading the torment he sought to evade.

"Mr. Starkridge! He assigned me to monitor her!" His words flowed in a rush, a gasp of relief accompanying his exhale.

Cecily and Judy edged nearer.

"Why the attempt on my life?" Judy, clutching her purse, questioned.

"Isn't that clear? Starkridge desires to hide the kingdom's dark secrets, hidden from the world. Deeds graver than Nelanian's tragedy have transpired, all justified under the banner of the kingdom and its people's protection!" Thomas spoke with a bitter cynicism.

"So, are you the one who actually does these things? Mrs. Ethel inquired.

"I am just one of many agents who monitor this kingdom. And I've promised my life to Mr. Starkridge, because if you kill me, he'll find out, and you'll never be able to rest in this kingdom again. You'll be hunted like game till you're all six feet under," he continued his words firm.

"It appears that your allegiance is sworn to a dead man," Judy looked at her phone and stated, "I don't think a dead man's name will provide you safety from inside a grave."

"What exactly do you mean?" Cecily inquired. The entire room's attention had been drawn to her.

"Mr. Starkridge is dead, according to my staff that I left behind in IAA. It appears that an assassin killed him while he was in his office," she explained.

Thomas' eyes widened with surprise. "You think you can fool me?" he asked, laughing. 

"Cecily, go to breaking news on your computer there and show him what I mean," Judy said to Cecily.

Cecily reached for her laptop on the coffee table and powered it on. She frantically typed, then navigated through the pages, until landing on a news website that was live-streaming their footage from the school's gates.

"Horror has struck the school grounds. Mr. Starkridge, the school's director, was found deceased in his office, according to reports. When the tragedy hit, he was in his office, getting ready to fly to Sunset City. His assailant broke into the school and assaulted him in his office, eventually poisoning him and fleeing to the west side of the school's perimeter wall. The culprit was dressed in black and wore a mask, so witnesses were unable to recognize him; however, he was injured during their contact with the school director. Witnesses state that as he made his escape he seemed to have a fractured left arm and a sprained right ankle, and police are on the lookout for any person matching this description. Forensics are on the site, and blood samples will hopefully be recovered and examined in order to identify the offender. We'll be able to update you when more information becomes available, but..." Cecily paused the video and returned her gaze to Thomas.

"You no longer have a master. You have complete freedom. All you have to do is tell the authorities everything, and they will protect you. Nobody is going to harm you,"

Thomas seemed to be in a daze. "You people didn't seem to understand me the first time," he said as he jerked back to reality, " They're everywhere. Even if you contact the cops, I won't make it to the station alive, and if I do, I won't make it through the night. So, please, I am free. Just let me go, and I guarantee you won't see me again!"

"It's too late; I've already contacted the authorities. Mrs. Ethel responded, "They're on their way."

"Then you can kill me since you've already condemned me to death," he added.

Judy and Cecily exchanged awkward looks. Mrs. Ethel stood up and told one of the butlers to take the rack of vials down to the basement. She returned upstairs and went back to sleep seemingly unperturbed as if this happens to her all the time.


UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

"No, you're lying!" Nelanian said, trying hard to bottle his emotions.

The sinister voice was deafeningly silent. Nelanian was on the verge of crying, but he worked hard to keep his emotions in check.

He said again, "Did you instruct me to kill Rhaizen Gale?"

"As I already stated, that was the very first name on my list. I am death list. I have the names of the people you're supposed to assassinate, and..."

"Enough already! You've said that already. What is the purpose of this list? Did you come up with the names on your own?" Nelanian inquired. He had a hunch he had asked about it, but he couldn't recall. Maybe he really did want his memory to be wiped.

"Other Watchers have given me the names. I'm also the one who chooses other names. You also have the option of adding names to the List, but you will not be the one to carry out the assassinations. This is simply a backup plan if you aren't on the same level as your opponent or if you're too weak or damaged to defeat him. You can only use this failsafe ten times,"

"And how many times have I used it?"

"Only once,"

Nelanian suspected he had used it to assassinate his own master. He couldn't deal with the guilt, so he went back to the voice and asked, "And who erased my memory?"

"It was I who erased your memories on your command,"

"After this encounter, I want you to erase my memory again,"

"I'd like to remind you that you only have five chances to request a memory wipe,"

"How many have I used so far?"

"Three times,"

"Then erase it after this meeting is finished," Nelanian said after a little pause.

"Very well then, I would like to remind you that erasing your memory only lets you forget about the people you've killed, it cannot let you forget that you are the Necessary Evil"

Nelanian was all set. He felt a massive rush of energy engulf him, and he was light on his feet. He knew it was the Watchers' power working against him. But he needed to be certain about the question that was plaguing him, and while he knew he was about to have his memories erased, he decided to ask it anyway: "Wait. I'd like to ask one last inquiry. You mentioned that if I wasn't powerful enough to assassinate someone myself, I may make a request to have him killed. You also stated that I had used up one of those requests. Who did I use it on?"

"You placed your request on Rhaizen Gale!" said the voice after a little pause.

Despite the fact that the voice confirmed what he had suspected all along, he took careful to double-check. it was a gut punch and a flurry of emotions washed over him. what could drive him to kill the man who cared for him so? there has to be more to the story.