Tori Plaza

September 11th X288

Florian and Dr. Ronaldo drove to the heart of Tarot Tori City, the Tori Plaza. It was right beside the most efficient transportation offered, Tori Railway.

Tori Plaza was the intersection that bridged the city’s business side with the city’s entertainment side. On one side were an aquarium, museum, theater, indoor waterpark, and further down the Tarot Tori Stadium. On the other side were shopping districts, office buildings, government buildings, and the Tarot Tori Tower, a building owned by the mayor before Mr. Banquet. It was the most densely populated area in the city.

“Will this spot work?” Ronaldo asked.

“It’s perfect,” Florian said. “See that lady in the blue dress?”

“Yeah, what’re you going to do?”

Florian pulled out her notebook and drew the woman’s soul. She began her spirit sketch demonstration.

“It’s a rough sketch, but this is close to what it looks like.”

She drew at an unbelievable pace—one after another. The spirits were truly abstract and diverse.

Dr. Ronaldo was speechless. These souls are definitely not a hallucination. It’s overwhelming. It’s like seeing a geyser of data just seeping from her fingertips.

If I had a better analysis of the souls she sees, accompanied by a full-on interview of the individual in question, I could truly understand a person’s entire psyche. The door to social barriers would completely shatter. Florian has had to deal with this data overload her whole life? It’s no wonder she’s so mature for her age.

If privacy is nonexistent in front of Florian Lilly Cobblestone, then her eyes could also be a curse. It must’ve been hard for her to deal with as a child. So that’s how Florian knew Zachary Venmont died in the hospital seven years ago. She said recent events were what caused her to break her silence. She must be in a really desperate situation to share this burden with me now.

Page after page of souls of strangers piled up in Ronaldo’s car.

“I think that’s enough,” Dr. Ronaldo said.

“Sorry. Finally being able to share this with someone made me get carried away.”

Her smile made Ronaldo tremble. He has never seen Florian so happy.

“You’ve shared so much. I also want to tell you a secret of my own.”

Florian was all ears.

“I’ve taken an interest in my mentor’s old research. He was studying hypnotism during a phase of his work. I’ve just lightly dabbled in the concept. I thought I could use it to help Honest and Fumblehouse.”

“Hypnotism? As in mind control?”

“No, the only thing my hypnotism is capable of doing is helping people relax. Like listening to calming music or counting sheep to help you sleep. Stuff like that.”

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“Oh, your mentor, Dr. Steinsbrook. It’s the name on the sign for the medical center.”

“That’s him; he theorized he could go further—to possible mind control territories, but that is just ridiculous. I saw him give up on that years ago.”

“Amazing. So you have an ability too?”

“I wouldn’t say mine are abilities, more like parlor tricks. How about apparition vision?”

“What?”

“Apparition vision, the eyes that are capable of seeing things no one else does. At least, that’s what we can call your ability in the new case file I’ll make for you. I plan on giving you my full support. I’m just as excited as you are. Your eyes could also help me understand Sergeant Nowell and Miss Fumblehouse more.”

“You’re right. I hope to learn more about everyone too,” Florian said.

“This is a big step forward for us.”

“We can do this!” Florian clenched her fist with a giant grin.

“Do what?”

Florian turned to a new page in her journal and started writing as she spoke. “Here’s what we know. The masked perpetrator, still at large, attempted to kidnap Blythe Banquet from me on Wednesday around five p.m. He was most likely not working alone as a ransom note and negotiations were going on simultaneously at four-thirty p.m. Since Blythe took a detour to visit my sister after school, I was with the target from three-thirty p.m. to seven p.m. I was the wrench in their plan. At the restaurant, the perpetrator’s voice sounded male. He, strangely, had a gun loaded with blanks.”

“Don’t tell me.”

“When the police questioned me, I stumbled over my own words and couldn’t remember much of what happened as I was still sorting my thoughts on what the mayor said to me. I couldn’t remember any identifiable physical features of the kidnapper. However, thanks to the police questioning, I now realize what information is important. Facial features, clothes, height, skin color, tattoos, anything, along with any coconspirator.”

“How will we get the face of a masked kidnapper that already got away?” Dr. Ronaldo smiled as he realized where she was going.

“I don’t know what his face looks like, but I saw something else. Something that only I can see. His soul, the drooling lizard spirit.”

Florian drew the spirit once more. “From memory, this was what the perpetrator’s soul looked like.”

She showed Ronaldo the lizard with saliva flowing from its mouth. Its fins caught the saliva in a mane around its neck with a broom-like tail that swept its tracks.

Florian then pointed to the amazed Dr. Ronaldo. “You can help me stake out sections of the city by driving me around. I’ll demonstrate my abilities to you and find the culprit’s soul in the crowd of people. I’ll then sketch his face and anyone suspicious hanging out with him. If possible, even find out where they are hiding out. After that, we can report everything to the police, clearing Sergeant Nowell’s name and catching the bad guys.”

Florian smiled as if nothing could hold her back.

The likelihood of finding the perpetrator is so low. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to help Florian with the stakeout either. However, this will definitely help with the weight on her shoulders. It feels like we’re making so much progress. Thank you, Florian Lilly Cobblestone.

Ronaldo flipped through more of her journals. “They have hidden meanings behind their souls. You said the mayor had a demented spirit? Right?”

“Yes.”

“He was the one that spearheaded many amazing changes that benefited Tarot Tori City,” Ronaldo said.

“If you could see what I see, you would believe me.”

“I don’t know what to say. I’ve supported the mayor’s every decision. The clinic wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for the revolutionizing opportunities he offered the city.”

“He said something similar to me. I wouldn’t have met you if it wasn’t for this city’s fortune and success,” Florian said.

The two made up their minds.

🙠🙢

The very next day, they initiated their stakeout plan, surveying multiple congested locations throughout the city.