Chapter 11: Dreams and Revelations
The soft glow of the gaslight cast flickering shadows across Captain Dunn's face as he stood in the doorway of Klein's apartment. His expression was neutral, almost bored, as he delivered the news that Klein had been dreading and anticipating in equal measure.
"Mr. Moretti, I'm Captain Dunn Smith of the Tingen City Police Department," he began, his voice steady and professional. "I'm here to inform you that we have found some additional information regarding your friends, Welch and Naya."
Klein nodded, a lump forming in his throat. He gestured for the captain to enter, closing the door behind him with a soft click. As they settled into the small living area, Klein's mind raced. This was it—the moment he had read about, the catalyst that would set everything in motion.
Captain Dunn's words washed over him, confirming what he already knew: Welch and Naya were dead, victims of an apparent double suicide. As the captain spoke, Klein felt a strange sensation wash over him, like a veil being drawn across his senses. The room seemed to blur at the edges, the captain's voice becoming distant and muffled.
With a start, Klein realized what was happening. He was falling asleep—or rather, he was entering the realm of dreams. A part of him wanted to fight it, to stay awake and face the reality of his situation. But another part, the part that remembered Dipak's life and knowledge, whispered that this was an opportunity.
*In dreams, people are less suspicious. They tell the truth.*
Klein allowed himself to drift, surrendering to the pull of sleep. The world around him shifted, melting and reforming into a hazy, dreamlike version of his apartment. Captain Dunn was still there, but his features were softer, less defined. When he spoke, his voice echoed strangely.
"Mr. Moretti, I truly believe you've lost your memory," Dream-Dunn said, his eyes filled with a compassion that seemed out of place on the stoic captain's face. "Tell me, what do you remember?"
Klein found himself speaking, the words flowing freely in a way they never would in the waking world. He told Dunn about the confusion, the fragments of memory, the sense of displacement. As he spoke, he realised he had a degree of control over the dream, able to guide the conversation and shape the environment subtly.
“It's like Inception movie,”Dipak's memories supplied. “I have some control, but not complete.”
He was grateful for this limited control. Without it, he feared scenes from Earth might bleed through, compromising his cover in ways even a dream couldn't excuse. As the conversation with Captain Dunn continued, Klein felt his grip on the dreamscape begin to slip. The edges of the room began to waver, and Dream-Dunn's form started to flicker.
Panic seized him, and suddenly he was running, fleeing through ever-shifting corridors that bore no resemblance to his apartment. He ran until his lungs burned, until—
Klein jolted awake, gasping. He was back in his chair, Captain Dunn looking at him with mild concern.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
"Are you alright, Mr. Moretti?" the captain asked. "You seemed to drift off for a moment there."
Klein nodded, composing himself. "Yes, I'm fine. Just... overwhelmed, I suppose."
Captain Dunn's expression softened slightly. "Understandable. What I have to tell you next might be difficult to hear, but I think it's important for you to understand the gravity of the situation."
Klein leaned forward, curious despite himself. This wasn't part of the novel he remembered.
"A few months ago, we had a case involving a cult," Dunn began, his voice low and serious. "One of their members managed to break free from their control and came to us with information. We assembled an official team and managed to shut down their operation."
He paused, his eyes distant as if recalling a painful memory. "The support from the police to suppress this cult was comprehensive. No one was off the hook. For that whistleblower, we also confirmed that he had no lingering demonic scent left on him. He was not cursed and did not suffer any mental disorders. He didn't have any personality problems or any other irregularities, nothing."
Klein listened intently, a growing sense of unease settling in his stomach.
Dunn continued, his voice taking on a bitter edge. "Later, he got a decent advancement in his career, got married to a very good wife, had a son and a daughter. His dark past seemed far away from him. The horror and bloodshed seemed to have completely vanished."
At this point, Dunn Smith gave out a laugh and said, "Yet in March this year, despite being in good financial health and having a loving wife and adorable kids... he strangled himself to death in his own office."
The crimson moonlight outside the window shone upon Dunn Smith. At that instance, his seemingly self-derisive smile made Klein feel unspeakably horrified.
"Strangled himself to death..." Klein drew in a gasp of cool air silently, as if seeing his own tragic end. Thoughts raced through his mind. *Even if I escaped it once, it might just be temporary? Is there any way to resolve this completely? Become a Beyonder to fight it?*
The room returned to silence. Countless thoughts welled in Klein's mind.
Just as Klein made up his mind to consult Dunn Smith for any solutions, the captain stood up.
"We should go," he said. "There's an expert I'd like you to meet. She might be able to help recover your lost memories."
In that moment, a crystal-clear memory surfaced in Klein's mind. He knew exactly who they were going to see. “The spirit medium.”
As they prepared to leave, Klein quickly penned a brief note to his sister, explaining that he would be out for a while. With a deep breath, he followed Captain Dunn out into the night.
They climbed into a waiting carriage, the clip-clop of hooves filling the awkward silence between them. As they traveled at high speeds through the city, Klein's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and questions.
Finally, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Klein asked, "Captain, you mentioned an expert. May I ask who we're going to see?"
Dunn half-turned his body and turned his head back, his abstruse gray eyes meeting Klein's. "Oh, let me introduce beforehand. The official disguise of the 'expert' is the most renowned spirit medium of Awwa County."
Klein's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Then what is her actual identity?"
A hint of a smile played at the corners of Dunn's mouth as he replied, "A true Spirit Medium."
Before Klein could process this revelation, the carriage came to a halt. The driver's voice called out, "Mr. Smith, we have reached Welch's apartment."
"Let's get down," Dunn said, straightening out his black coat that reached his knees.
As they stepped out into the cool night air, Klein felt a mix of anticipation and dread. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was stepping onto a path from which there would be no return. With a deep breath, he followed Captain Dunn towards the apartment, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
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Name: Klein Moretti (Dipak)
Age: 22
Sequence: Fool's Path (Sequence 9)
Spiritual Power: 70% [Recovering]
Strength: 6
Agility: 6
Constitution: 7
Intelligence: 10 (+2)
Spirituality: 7 (+3)
Luck: ?
Skills:
- Acting (Level 5)
- Authority (Level 2)
- Beyonder Abilities (Level 2)
- Beyonder Knowledge (Level 1)
- Culinary Improvisation (Level 2)
- Cultural Adaptation (Level 1)
- Deception (Level 2)
- Dream Manipulation (Level 1) [New]
- Fog Manipulation (Level 3)
- Gathering Management (Level 1)
- Genre Savviness (Level 2)
- Historical Analysis (Level 2)
- History (Intermediate)
- Investigation (Level 1)
- Mystical Identity (Level 1)
- Negotiation (Level 2)
- Novel Memory Recall (Level 4) [Improved]
- Occult Knowledge (Level 2)
- Precognition (Level 1)
- Quick Thinking (Level 3)
- Self-Awareness (Level 3)
- Stress Management (Level 2)
- Talisman Making (Novice)
- Tarot Knowledge (Level 1)
- World Awareness (Level 4)
Condition:
Anxious, Alert
[Skill Improved: Novel Memory Recall (Level 4)]
[New Skill Acquired: Dream Manipulation (Level 1)]
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