Chapter 28

The nurse entrusted the reception to the elderly nurse in the back room and led Wendy and me. Liam’s room was right at the top of the stairs on the second floor.

"Let me tell you, even if I go in, Liam will just be upset."

In front of the room, I whispered to Wendy, who was standing next to me. Although I haven’t had much direct interaction with Liam, I’ve never had a good impression of him since our school days.

"That’s not a problem. In fact, it would be better if he got angry."

Wendy smiled sadly. The nurse unlocked the door and opened it. Liam was sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, which was placed along the wall. The scene reminded me of when I entered Quintus’s sister’s room. It was the same. His vacant gaze, seemingly unaware of our presence, reminded me of Desmond before he died. Could it be that Liam is also like that?

"The day after the school festival, they took him away because he was mentally ill and might harm others. I was the only one who opposed it, but there was no choice for Liam, who had killed three people. When they said it would be better for him to be admitted to a mental hospital rather than be executed, I had no choice but to back down."

Even with the Dalton family’s power, the best outcome would be a life in prison. Being admitted to a mental hospital was a much better option.

"The last time I saw him, he was still conscious. How long has he been like this?"

"I don’t know. When they took him away, he could still talk, but the disease might have already progressed. By then, he was already delusional and saying strange things. When I visited him again, he was already in this state. The director suspected it was a progressive mental illness. There are almost no precedents, so he can’t say for sure."

During the gazebo incident where Jacob and Benjamin died, Liam’s testimony was unbelievable. He said they started attacking with knives and ended up killing themselves in a frenzy. If Liam was mentally ill, it would make sense. He must have already been suffering from delusions and aggression at that time. After that, he also killed Desmond, and his condition has now progressed to the point where he can no longer speak. It was a plausible story.

But how do I explain what I see with my magic-enhanced eyes? The same light that was above Desmond’s eyes during the school festival is also visible above Liam’s. Why is that?

Wendy said she would be fine alone.

If her brother became a vegetable, society would not sympathize with Wendy but would harshly blame her. She would have to live as the sister of a murderer. No one could truly understand the pain in her heart. There are victims and perpetrators, and people feel sorry for the victims and their families. But the world isn’t that simple, I thought, looking at Wendy. Knowing her as a strong person, her current weakness stood out even more. Leaving her alone, looking so exhausted, was difficult.

I left Wendy in the room and asked the nurse outside to guide me to Quintus’s sister’s room. When I visited her room again, there was an additional reading stand. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, reading a book on the stand, looking no different from a healthy girl. Because I had just seen Liam, I had braced myself for a girl who would be motionless like a doll, staring blankly at a point. I felt a bit relieved.

The nurse also entered the room after me. Since I am not a relative, the nurse had to accompany me during the visit.

"The last time I came, there was no reading stand."

"I came again recently. What a good brother, taking care of his sister."

The nurse’s expression, which is usually hard to read, seemed to soften slightly, indicating her positive impression of Quintus.

"I don’t plan to stay long, so I’ll send magic to my eyes right away."

The prediction was correct. Indeed, the same faint light above her eyes, like that of Liam and Desmond, was visible.

"I’m done, so I’ll be leaving now."

"You could stay a bit longer."

"Seeing her face is enough. I don’t have anything else to do, right?"

"That’s not true. Her brother always stays for a long time."

"Quintus?"

"Yep. Do you know what he does in this room?"

"He talks a lot. Yes, he just talks one-sidedly."

"What does he talk about?"

"Not much. We try to stay out as much as possible when relatives visit. Oh, and he also takes care of her hair and nails. She looks neat after he leaves."

I think the man who comes here is most likely Quintus. However, I doubt that the man she talks about is the same dangerous criminal we are chasing. It’s hard to imagine Quintus taking care of his sister so diligently. Maybe it’s because he’s family...

"She seems to be well taken care of."

"Yes, she really is."

The nurse sighed, looking at the girl. Liam and Quintus both have families. It’s not a big deal, but it’s troublesome to see the other side of things that I hadn’t noticed before.

"I think I’ll leave now. It’s strange for a stranger like me to take care of her."

Wendy was still with Liam. Waiting in the hospital, I could hear the meaningless sounds of the patients. I went outside, despite the cold.

Jacob and Benjamin died in the gazebo incident, and Desmond died during the school festival. Now, Liam is mentally ill and confined to this hospital. Liam testified that Jacob and Benjamin were acting strangely when they died. Now, it’s considered a fabricated story to avoid blame, but if Liam’s testimony was true, there must be a real culprit who drove the three to madness and killed them, and then silenced Liam.

The light above Desmond’s and Liam’s eyes was probably also present in the first two. The same light was also above Quintus’s sister. The exact nature of that light is unknown, but it seems to rob people of their free will and eventually drive them to madness and death. ——No, if that’s the case, it’s strange that Quintus’s sister, who has been in that state for a long time, hasn’t died yet. There might be a trigger for madness.

I remember when Desmond died. A thin thread of light extended from the light on his forehead to the wall of the auditorium. It was the same as the path connecting the transmitter and receiver of a magical signal. This means that someone outside the auditorium was sending a signal to Desmond at that time?

Liam maintained his innocence until the end. His claims were consistent from start to finish. He always described the two who died in the gazebo as being like dolls. In the end, he himself became a silent doll.

If we assume Liam is not the culprit, the view of the series of incidents changes significantly. All the members of the bullying group, who were the talk of the school, met tragic ends. It seems intentional, and it’s unsettling to dismiss it as an accident caused by a mentally ill person.

Bullying, Quintus’s sister, dolls... All the puzzle pieces must be in place.

"Hey, you were waiting for me."

A voice behind me pulled me back to reality. Wendy stood in front of the hospital entrance, looking downcast.

"Well, we’re on the same carriage anyway."

On the way to the station, Wendy was distant and quiet. I, on the other hand, continued to think about how the new information I had gathered today related to the series of incidents. We arrived at the station, bought tickets, and waited for the carriage. After sitting in silence for a while, the carriage arrived.

I got up from my seat and started to walk, but my coat was pulled. Wendy, still sitting, was holding the hem of my coat, looking down.

I waited silently for Wendy to speak.

"...I don’t want to go back."

Wendy’s voice was trembling. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She had no place to go, either at home or in the dormitory. She seemed to be in a very bad state.

I sat down without a word. To my surprise, I felt sympathy for Wendy.

"Is it okay?"

"Today, I’ll follow you."

"Thank you."

The driver called out, but I shook my head to indicate I wouldn’t get on. He tilted his head in confusion, returned to the driver’s seat, and set off. Listening to the carriage’s fading sound, I leaned back in my chair.