Chapter 10

Because he was sleeping in an unfamiliar place, Shade woke up very early the next morning. Feeling the pocket watch by his bedside, he saw that it was half past six and thought about going downstairs to see if the newspaper had been delivered. He knew that people in Tobask generally had the habit of subscribing to newspapers.

The former detective, who could be considered middle-class, and whose job required him to read newspapers to stay informed, might indeed have left a newspaper subscription for the current Shade to inherit.

Wearing slippers, he descended the stairs to the first-floor foyer, curiously glancing at the sealed first floor, thinking that he could pry off a board to take a look inside when he had the time.

Turning on the gas lamp in the foyer, he was disappointed to find no newspaper on the doormat. Shaking his head, he decided to change clothes and go out for breakfast. But just as his slippers touched the first step, he heard the sound of a bell.

The apartment building had a door rope outside that, when pulled, would activate a gear mechanism inside, ringing a bell. It was a simple doorbell system.

"Is it the newspaper delivery? No, why would the newspaper delivery person ring the doorbell? Could it be time to pay for the next month's subscription?"

Shade, with meager savings, felt a bit alarmed. He calculated the money he had left and turned to look at the door, unsure who could be outside. He didn't recognize anyone, and the likelihood of someone collecting money was low. It was more probable that they were looking for the previous owner.

"Maybe it's a new client?"

In a worse scenario, it could be the landlord coming to collect rent.

There was no peephole on the door, so Shade had to approach it and, using the language knowledge he had acquired the previous day, asked:

"Who is it?"

He immediately received a response from outside, a familiar voice:

"Is this the Hamilton Detective Agency? I'm Bill Schneider. Do you remember me? I was the psychologist you met yesterday at the newspaper office across from the Nightingale Club, where we exchanged business cards."

In this foggy morning, one of the few people Shade knew by name in this world had come to visit him.

Not expecting Schneider to be the visitor, Shade stood behind the door, unsure whether to open it. His brief hesitation let the psychologist outside know that the detective was on guard:

"Mr. Hamilton, don't worry. Although it's strange to visit at this hour, I have no ill intentions. Time is short, so please take a look at this."

The man outside spoke and slid a piece of paper through the newspaper slot.

"Do you remember what I said yesterday? Adult education, correspondence courses. Detective, you have a very special talent."

Shade bent down to pick up the paper and slightly adjusted the brightness of the gas lamp. By its light, he saw that it was a prospectus.

"Hmm?"

He suspected he was seeing things or hadn't fully woken up.

The paper, about the size of an A4 sheet, had a silver border outlining a parchment shape. It was an admissions brochure for the prestigious "St. Baryons Comprehensive College." Apart from the college emblem at the top, which depicted a book bound by chains, there were no other images. The printed text took up most of the page.

St. Baryons Comprehensive College was not recruiting ordinary students; they were recruiting adult students through correspondence courses.

In addition to this, the paper listed the ten departments, tuition fees, admission times, academic years, enrollment conditions and restrictions, and the recommendation-based application process. From these aspects, it seemed like an ordinary school.

"But why is there no address for the school?"

Shade asked after a long pause, surprised that he didn't ask if the man had a mental illness for delivering a prospectus to a stranger so early in the morning.

"Your observation is sharp."

The psychologist outside praised him and then asked:

"Can I come in to discuss this? Perhaps I can answer your questions about the other you in your head."

The voice in his head didn't appear because it was mentioned, and Shade, standing behind the door, hesitated before opening it.

The middle-aged doctor, carrying a briefcase, stood on the steps, wearing a brown coat and a silk cap, with thick black boots on his feet. He still had a well-groomed mustache, and his blue eyes were very likable:

"Don't forget your milk."

He pointed to the milk box to the left of the door, speaking with a standard accent, likely a local from Tobask:

"The milkman just left when I arrived."

"Alright, please come in."

Shade nodded hesitantly, sizing up the doctor and trying to appear friendly. He picked up the key from the shoe cabinet to unlock the milk box. The psychologist followed him into the apartment after he retrieved the milk bottle.

Equally surprised by the sealed first floor, the doctor didn't say much but followed the silent Shade up the stairs to room 1 on the second floor.

Asking the doctor to wait, Shade returned to his bedroom to change clothes and then boiled water to serve his guest. Although there was no food in the kitchen, at least there was tea to serve potential clients. Otherwise, Shade would have had to offer plain water.

Once everything was ready, they sat down to talk.

The fabric sofa set in the living room looked quite old, possibly an antique. It had two long and two short sofas surrounding a wooden coffee table, perfect for business discussions with clients.

The doctor and Shade sat on opposite long sofas.

"No need for introductions. First, I need to gain your trust."

The mustachioed Dr. Schneider spoke first, smiling and thanking Shade for the tea:

"I came here to discuss the college prospectus I just gave you. First, let me describe your current symptoms—"

"Wait, are the symptoms related to the school?"

Shade asked, but he already had a guess. He wasn't a "local" and had seen such wild fantasies, making him more adaptable to the situation. The "St. Baryons Comprehensive College" mentioned by the doctor was likely a school similar to Hogwarts.

"Of course, please listen. Mr. Shade Hamilton, can you hear another voice in your head?"

Despite his efforts to control his expression, Shade saw his failure in Dr. Schneider's smile.

The doctor added:

"Does that voice say strange things? And are some of those things helpful? It whispers in your ear and speaks unexpectedly, but without malice."

Shade knew he couldn't hide it and nodded.

"And, detective, your symptoms must have appeared within 72 hours."

"More precisely, 24 hours."

Shade said.

"That's even better. We have plenty of time, and it seems our luck is good. After all, the talent awakening period is 72 hours, giving me more time to explain the situation."

Dr. Schneider smiled:

"The above symptoms resemble schizophrenia, but in my eyes, they are not."

He pointed to himself, his blue eyes looking at Shade, speaking very slowly:

"For certain individuals, the existence of 'another me' is a wondrous and dangerous talent. No, it's the initial manifestation of a talent. If guided properly, you can see a more real world, a mysterious and dangerous world. If not guided—"

"Will it fade into the ordinary?"

"No, worse."

The doctor shook his head:

"I don't want to deceive you; there's no need to now. To be clear, these are the signs of a 'Circle Mage' talent, a rare talent. You can consider it a gift or a curse from fate. As for 'Circle Mages,' think of them as a special profession, one that can use mystical powers. I hope you understand."

The doctor was carefully observing Shade's expression. This was still an age of ignorance, and people who believed in deities generally did not accept concepts like "witchcraft." But fortunately, as the doctor's investigation showed, the detective across from him had been mentally troubled a few days ago and only returned to normal due to the awakening of his talent, making his views different from those of ordinary citizens.

On the other side, his guess was confirmed, and Shade nodded hesitantly. He wanted to feign surprise, as a normal person would, but he felt unusually calm, perhaps due to the stress of the previous day:

"So, the strange voice in my ear is actually a manifestation of a system, a power system? Many people experience this, like some seeing farther and others hearing more?"

Shade asked.

"Yes, 'I am you, and you are me.' Every Circle Mage is like this. If you successfully become a Circle Mage, that voice will accompany you for life, helping you for life. That voice is another you, just with a different perspective. It will help you interact with this crazy and noisy world in a more real way, touching the hidden and bizarre. Knowledge, information, and even words have dangerous power, and beyond the safe world of ordinary people, we cannot directly approach forces that can distort our souls."

The doctor paused, giving Shade time to think:

"But the talent awakening period is very short. From the first whisper in your ear to the voice disappearing, it usually takes 72 hours. Not every talent can frequently hear the voice or realize it's not their own thoughts. They might consider it a hallucination or a problem with their ears.

Therefore, Detective Shade Hamilton, whether it's the three major colleges or the church, recruiting and training new members is very difficult. That's why I say we are very lucky."