Inside the car, only the low hum of the running engine and the slightly hurried, not yet fully calmed breathing of the three could be heard. The lingering aftertaste of that brief yet intensely tense and stimulating action still permeated the air.
Firefly, still shaken, gently patted her chest. Through the rearview mirror, she looked at Daziel's side profile, which appeared exceptionally calm and composed in the dim light. An indescribable, complex glint flashed deep in her eyes, a mixture of lingering fear, dependence, and perhaps… a different kind of affection.
As his 'little girlfriend,' she was, of course, willing to do anything with Daziel. Even if it was… Kidnapping Robin!
Sparkle, on the other hand, licked her slightly dry lips, her pink eyes still shimmering with an unfaded, peculiar excitement and intense amusement.
"Job done, mission accomplished." She chuckled lightly and remarked, "Much smoother than expected. This big star doesn't seem very vigilant, does she?"
The vehicle drove steadily through the night-enshrouded streets, gradually moving away from the brilliantly lit Grand Theater district. It eventually disappeared completely deep into the bizarre, disorienting depths of Penacony's nocturnal cityscape.
The vehicle glided silently, entering the deep fringes of the dreamscape construction.
This was the border of the Golden Hour's 璀璨 (brilliant/resplendent) radiance, a deeper layer where the dream's structure was exposed—an abandoned construction and renovation zone of the Family, where rust and oblivion intertwined.
This was also, in the original plot, Firefly's secret hideout where she and the protagonist had taken a photo, a safe haven that could temporarily shield them from the Family's omnipresent eyes.
The tires crunched over scattered gravel and industrial waste, emitting a faint but clear "shh-shh" sound, finally coming to a steady stop in front of a massive, rust-covered iron gate that looked as if it might collapse at any moment.
A thick, pungent odor of rust, dust, and some unknown chemical mixture permeated the surroundings, a stark contrast to the luxurious, sweet fragrance of Penacony's surface.
The air was thick and stagnant; only the distant, hazy neon glow of the city, like dying stars, barely cast its light upon this desolate area.
Daziel was the first to push open the car door and get out. The surrounding deathly silence made him frown slightly. He quickly moved to the back of the car and yanked open the trunk.
The black object, still wriggling and whimpering faintly inside the bag, was effortlessly hoisted onto his shoulder, as if it weren't a universe-renowned superstar, but merely a heavy sack of goods.
Firefly bit her lower lip, her pale little face still showing traces of lingering terror. She pushed open her car door and followed closely behind Daziel.
Sparkle stretched lazily, her joints making soft cracking sounds, a look of unfulfilled excitement on her face. She also hopped out of the car and stepped through the creaking iron gate.
Inside the gate was an extremely dilapidated and empty converted warehouse.
Large patches of coating had peeled off the walls, revealing the mottled, unevenly colored rough bricks underneath, like the building's chapped skin.
The only light source was a solitary tungsten filament bulb suspended from the center of the ceiling, emitting a dim, weak yellow glow. It barely dispelled the palpable, thick darkness but also made the countless dust particles floating in the air clearly visible, like a hazy mist.
In the very center of the room stood a dusty, battered old wooden chair, its surface scarred, one corner even missing.
This crude, almost squalid environment formed an absurd and cruel contrast with the distinguished individual who was about to be placed upon it.
Daziel strode to the wooden chair, and with a heavy "thud," dropped the black bag from his shoulder onto the cold, hard concrete floor, kicking up a cloud of dust.
He bent down, deftly untied the knot securing the mouth of the bag, and pulled it open.
The bound figure was revealed—it was indeed Robin.
Her once meticulously groomed, smooth, and radiant silver hair was now disheveled, covered in dust and unknown stains. Her expensive, elegantly tailored performance gown had become wrinkled and was even slightly torn from being dragged across the rough ground.
The silver-gray tape over her mouth was still secure; only intermittent, terrified whimpers could be heard from her nostrils.
Sparkle strolled over with great interest, tilting her head to scrutinize this sorry-looking captive, as if admiring a trophy.
"Tsk, tsk, look who we have here?"
Sparkle lightly poked Robin's dusty cheek with her fingertip. "The chicken-winged girl who once shone so brightly on stage, singing her heart out."
"Looking at her now, well… hmph, she's no different from a distressed sparrow that's fallen into a mud puddle, flapping its wings but unable to fly."
Sparkle's tone was filled with undisguised mockery and malicious amusement.
Firefly stood to the side, looking uneasy at the scene before her. She subconsciously clutched the hem of her clothes, her eyes darting away, as if unable to bear looking at the superstar's miserable state.
Daziel ignored Sparkle's taunts. He tilted his chin, motioning to the two of them.
Firefly and Sparkle understood. One on each side, they worked together to lift the struggling Robin, whose efforts were futile due to her bonds, from the ground.
They struggled to seat Robin on the solitary wooden chair.
Daziel took out a spare rope and reinforced her bonds by wrapping it around her several more times, ensuring every joint was securely tied, completely eliminating any possibility of her escaping.
Only after doing all this did Daziel slowly squat down, looking levelly at Robin's pretty face, now contorted by fear.
Those azure eyes, once filled with gentle starlight, now held only the most primal, purest fear and despair, her pupils violently constricted from terror.
Daziel reached out, his fingertips moving towards the troublesome tape.
He needed her to speak, to divulge the secrets of Penacony's deep-seated conspiracies.
However, just as his fingertips were about to tear off the tape—a sudden change occurred!
Robin's eyes suddenly shot wide open! Her pupils, previously constricted by fear, instantly dilated, losing focus, as if her very soul had been snatched away by an invisible force!
She began to struggle violently, her body thrashing and 撞击 (colliding with/banging against) the wooden chair with an almost frenzied intensity.
The already old and rickety wooden chair emitted an unnerving "creak—creak—" sound under her savage force, as if it would fall apart in the next second!
"You… what are you going to do to me?!"
The tape hadn't been completely removed, yet a hoarse, shrill voice leaked out from the gap, filled with an utterly irrational frenzy and paranoia.
"The light of Harmony is omnipresent! Under Its illumination, all evil will have nowhere to hide! You… your despicable act of kidnapping me will absolutely not end well!"
This voice was sharp and piercing, filled with a certain fanatical belief that had been forcibly instilled, a world apart from her usual gentle, soothing singing voice!
Sparkle raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms, and snorted lightly.
"Oh my, oh my, it seems our little chicken-winged girl hasn't quite grasped her current situation. How pitiful, and laughable."
Hearing Sparkle's voice, Robin seemed to have a switch flipped. She struggled even more frantically, almost toppling herself and the chair over.
"I know! I understand everything!"
She shrieked hoarsely, tears mixing with the dirt on her face, streaking it with grimy tracks. "You kidnapped me to destroy! To destroy brother… to destroy the Charmony Festival that brother painstakingly organized!!"
Her voice was filled with a twisted rage and a martyr-like fanaticism.
"You rats in the gutter! You vicious villains! I won't let you ruin brother's plans! Absolutely not!"
"Even if… even if you use me as a threat, brother will never compromise with you! He will make his own judgment! The Family's interests are paramount! You can just forget about it!"
Daziel's brows instantly furrowed tightly, an ominous premonition welling up in his heart.
Something's wrong! This definitely isn't just fright or intense resistance.
This reaction is more like… a deeply implanted, unshakeable cognitive program!
It seems Robin, just as he had suspected, has had her mind completely controlled by Sunday's seemingly gentle yet cruel "Tuning."
Firefly was terrified by Robin's sudden crazed state, her face paling. She instinctively took half a step back, her body trembling slightly.
Sparkle, however, moved a few steps closer, her heterochromatic eyes glinting with curiosity and understanding as she carefully observed the fanatical yet vacant expression on Robin's face.
"Oh my, oh my, it seems things are a little more troublesome than expected,"
Sparkle tapped her temple lightly with a slender finger, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "This isn't some simple post-kidnapping trauma, you know."
She chuckled lightly, her tone playful, as if discussing an extremely interesting discovery.
"Sunday was really ruthless with his precious little sister. Tsk, tsk, this level of Tuning is probably the most thorough, most core kind, isn't it?"
Sparkle's tone was as casual as if she were evaluating a piece of art, but the content of her words made Daziel's heart sink.
"I wonder if this good brother intended to 'protect' his sister this way, to shield her from worldly troubles… or if he wanted to completely turn her into an absolutely loyal pawn that would never deviate from its path, to serve his grand plan?"
Hearing the words "most thorough Tuning," Daziel's expression became even graver.
"The most thorough Tuning?"
He repeated in a low voice, his heart sinking completely.
Thus, the original interrogation plan was now declared completely invalid.
Facing someone whose mind had been completely formatted, like a puppet on strings, any form of coercion or inducement would likely be like talking to a brick wall, and might even trigger more violent resistance or lead to a complete mental collapse.
Daziel recalled that in the original plot, the "Tuning" Sunday had applied to Aventurine seemed to have preserved a considerable degree of Aventurine's autonomy.
Even though Aventurine, under the influence of "Tuning," couldn't defy Sunday's direct questions, he still retained the initiative in his mental processes, which allowed him to subsequently plan and execute a series of counterattacks.
But Robin's current condition was clearly much more severe than Aventurine's at that time. She looked as if she had almost completely lost her self-awareness, left with only the implanted fanatical commands.
"Then… then what do we do now?"
Firefly's voice trembled uncontrollably. She looked helplessly at Daziel, her pretty eyes filled with dependence and bewilderment.
This sudden turn of events had clearly far exceeded her expectations and her ability to cope.
Daziel took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He stood up and gestured for Firefly and Sparkle to temporarily leave this oppressive room.
He needed a relatively quiet environment to think of a countermeasure.
The heavy iron door was closed again, temporarily shutting out Robin's still intermittent, frantic cries from behind it.
The three of them came out to a slightly quieter corner, lit only by dim lights.
"In her current state, we won't be able to get any valuable information out of her."
Daziel rubbed his faintly aching brow, feeling an unprecedented sense of difficulty.
This was undoubtedly an extremely strong, even inhumane, safeguard set up by Sunday to protect his secrets, or rather, his plan.
Sparkle crossed her arms, leaning leisurely against the cold wall, that roguish smirk still playing on her lips.
"Undoing 'Tuning' isn't an easy task, you know."
She drawled, her pink eyes glinting with the light of someone enjoying the chaos. "Unless… you can find that fellow Sunday himself and have him undo it personally."
"…"
She deliberately dragged out her words, her gaze carrying a hint of inquiry as she looked Daziel up and down. "Or use a stronger, more corrosive mental power to forcibly overwrite the 'voice' he left deep in Robin's consciousness."
"However,"
Sparkle shrugged, adding, "that method usually comes at a considerable cost, and the risks are extremely high. One wrong move, and you might just turn the person into a complete idiot."
Just as Daziel's brows were knitted in a tight frown, pondering the possibilities Sparkle mentioned, feeling at his wit's end…
"Ding!"
Suddenly, that long-unheard, cold, and mechanical system notification sound echoed in his mind.
[Scanning…]
[Scan successful!]
[New conquest target added: Robin]
[Fallen Value: 0%]
[Mission: Raise Robin's Fallen Value to 50%]
[Hypnosis: An advanced evolution of the 'Clockwork Trick' ability. Besides directly manipulating the target's basic emotions, it can achieve deep intervention and complete control over the target's will, making them absolutely obedient to the host's commands.]
[Reminder to Master, only higher-level mental control techniques have a chance to counteract and dismantle the 'Tuning' authority bestowed upon Sunday by the Aeon of Harmony.]
Daziel's eyes suddenly lit up, a wave crashing in his heart.
Hypnosis?
This ability sounds… like it was tailor-made for the current situation!
Moreover, this is a special ability that's a must-experience even in the inner world's plot!
Since it's an evolution gained from increasing Fallen Value… then things seem much simpler?
Subconsciously, almost instinctively, he thought of his ever-efficacious "fire poker."
By increasing Fallen Value to obtain stronger mental control, perhaps…
I can directly use the "fire poker" to forcibly raise Robin's Fallen Value?
Honestly, Daziel quite admired Robin's character model.
Last life, when playing through the game's story, seeing Aventurine display Robin's "corpse-like Dream Bubble," preserved like a beautiful specimen in the Dream Pool, a profane thought had flashed through Daziel's mind at the time.
Such a perfect "work of art," it would be too pitiful for it to just dissipate.
Perhaps… perhaps I should just, while she's… available… cough, cough…
Now, having this opportunity for righteousness to dispel the discordant notes is actually quite good…
However, the system's next warning, like a douse of ice water, instantly extinguished the impractical wishful thinking and titillating fantasies in his heart.
[Reminder to Master again…]
[Target 'Robin's' mental state is deeply interfered with by the authority of the Aeon of Harmony. Her core 'Tuning' command has extremely high priority and stability!]
[Conventional mental contamination methods, including the fire poker, will have extremely limited effect on her!]
[Forcibly using such methods will, with high probability, fail to break the core 'Tuning' command and may instead lead to the target's complete mental collapse or irreversible damage!]
[System recommends attempting to activate the 'One Person, Thousand Faces' ability!]
[By simulating the identity, voice, and even aura of specific key individuals, conduct targeted mental induction and deep intervention to dismantle the foundation of the 'Tuning' from within.]
Specific key individuals…
Daziel instantly understood the system's hint.
The "Tuning" imposed by Sunday was rooted in Robin's absolute trust and dependence on her brother.
Then, the key to unlocking this lock, perhaps… only "Sunday" himself could do it.
Or rather, the Sunday "played" by Daziel.
Using the existence that Robin subconsciously trusted most, the one she was most defenseless against, to tear open that seemingly impregnable mental barrier from within.
This was absolutely the only solution that could reach the deepest part of Robin's heart and bypass the "Tuning's" defense mechanism!
A resolute glint flashed in Daziel's eyes. A bold, even somewhat crazy plan, quickly formed in his mind.
He turned around, looking at the worried Firefly and the curious Sparkle, his expression becoming unprecedentedly serious.
"You two, from now on, stand guard outside."
His voice was low and powerful, carrying an undeniable decisiveness.
"From this moment on, no one, no sound, is allowed to touch this door."
He emphasized particularly, "Especially members of the Bloodhound Family! They absolutely must not discover the abnormality here! We cannot repeat the blunder from Oti Mall…"
Daziel's tone carried an intangible, powerful pressure, his gaze as sharp as a knife.
"Kidnapping Robin is no small matter. Once the Family finds out, even Mr. Gallagher, who seemed willing to help us, would likely find it extremely difficult to mediate or explain on our behalf."
This operation might take some time. The process must be absolutely secret, and the outcome absolutely controlled!
Firefly immediately nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with unconditional trust in Daziel.
"Understood! Daziel! We'll stand guard outside!"
She knew that whatever Daziel decided to do, it was to resolve the current predicament. She just needed to trust him and do what she was supposed to do.
Sparkle, however, tilted her head, the amusement on her face deepening, her curiosity thoroughly piqued to its peak.
"Oh? It seems our savior, good brother Daziel, has already thought of an excellent plan?"
She took a step closer, her heterochromatic eyes glinting with inquiry and excitement, almost pressing against Daziel's face.
"What are you planning to do? Could it be… you're going to use force on our beautiful but disobedient superstar?"
Sparkle deliberately dragged out the last syllable, her tone ambiguous and laced with a malicious expectation.
Daziel didn't answer Sparkle's suggestive question, not even bothering to spare her a glance.
He took a deep breath, cleared his mind of distracting thoughts, and focused all his spirit.
He mobilized that mysterious and powerful force within him, a force capable of distorting the boundaries of reality and perception.
"'One Person, Thousand Faces,' activate."
A faint light, like flowing liquid metal, quietly circulated around his body, suffusing, reshaping.
His figure elongated and changed within the light, the contours of his face softened, his hair color shifted from dark to gold, and along with it, his entire temperament underwent a heaven-and-earth-shattering transformation.
In just a few short seconds.
Where Daziel had originally stood, there now appeared a man dressed in a well-tailored, pure white formal suit, his silver-gold hair smoothly combed and impeccable.
His face was gentle and handsome, his eyes exuding a compassionate, sorrowful gleam, his lips perpetually holding a faint, almost imperceptible smile that seemed to pity all living beings.
It was the de facto leader of the Penacony Family, the spiritual guide of the Halovians, Robin's elder brother.
—Sunday.
The roguish smile on Sparkle's face instantly froze, solidified.
Her pink pupils widened abruptly, her mouth slightly agape, so astonished she couldn't utter a single word.
"…"
Questions and shock stuck in her throat, leaving her speechless for a moment.
But "Sunday," played by Daziel, was already oblivious to her astonishment.
He turned around, his face wearing that iconic, compassionate, and gentle smile, and reached out to push open the heavy, rusted iron door.
The door hinges emitted a piercing "creak."
"Sunday's" figure disappeared behind the door, shutting Sparkle's utter amazement and Firefly's silent, tense worry, along with the faint, flickering light from outside, completely behind it.
The heavy iron door of the warehouse slammed shut with a dull "thud," completely cutting off Sparkle's lingering astonishment and Firefly's anxious, hand-wringing worry outside.
The dim yellow bulb swayed silently overhead, casting dancing shadows in the dust-filled air, barely illuminating this dilapidated, deathly still space.
The air was thick with the smell of rust, mold, and… a faint scent of blood?
No, it was the smell of Robin's sweat, induced by fear, mixed with dust.
Robin was still firmly tied to the solitary wooden chair in the center of the room. The previous intense struggle seemed to have exhausted her strength. Now, she was only panting softly, her disheveled golden hair clinging pitifully to her sweat-dampened forehead and cheeks. Her once magnificent performance gown, now covered in dust, looked even more tattered, having lost all its former brilliance.
She seemed to have temporarily calmed down, her eyes staring blankly at some point in front of her. The tape, half-torn from her lips, still bore ferocious marks, and the corners of her mouth were even chafed raw from her earlier struggles, with tiny beads of blood seeping out.
Just then, a familiar figure, with steady footsteps, slowly emerged from the shadows and stepped into the light.
An immaculate white suit, impeccably styled short golden hair, and those eyes, always carrying a gentle, compassionate gleam.
It was her brother! It was Sunday!
Robin's previously vacant, unfocused pupils suddenly snapped into focus. Like a drowning person clutching at a lifeline, her face was instantly flooded with incredulous joy and a bone-deep dependence.
"Brother!!"
She called out urgently, her voice trembling violently with the relief of having survived a calamity. "Brother! You're finally here! Are you here to save me?!"
Her voice cracked with emotion, filled with grievance and fear.
"I… I was kidnapped by a gang of vicious villains! They… they want to ruin the Charmony Festival! Brother! Where are those bad guys? Have you… have you already dealt with them?"
"Sunday," played by Daziel, slowly stopped in front of her, his face still wearing that compassionate smile that seemed to embrace all the suffering in the world.
But upon closer inspection, deep within that smile, there seemed to be something indescribable, something unsettling.
The light happened to project from behind him, casting an elusive, deep shadow on his handsome, gentle face.
"Yes, my dear sister."
Daziel perfectly imitated Sunday's unique, gentle tone, but his voice seemed deeper than usual, carrying a strange magnetism, like a lover's whisper.
"I have already… subdued all those miscreants who dared to harm you."
He leaned down slightly, closer to Robin, his gaze like the most precise instrument, slowly sweeping over her face, stained with dust and tears, carrying an almost appraising, playful quality.
"But, listen carefully, I came today not just to save you…"
His eyes became somewhat strange, no longer purely concerned.
"Actually… there's something, brother has always, always wanted to tell you…"
A deep sense of bewilderment flashed in Robin's eyes. Her body instinctively recoiled from his overly intimate proximity and strange gaze, but the ropes behind her bound her firmly to the chair, rendering her immobile.
"Brother…? What is it?"
Her voice carried a hint of confusion and a subtle unease.
Daziel didn't answer her question immediately. Instead, he reached out, not to untie her bonds, but to suddenly grab the back of the chair!
Accompanied by a deafening screech of wood, and Robin's short cry of surprise, the entire wooden chair, along with Robin securely tied to it, was slammed to the ground with an almost brutal force by him!
"Thud!"
The dull impact echoed violently in the empty, silent warehouse, making the very air tremble.
Robin was thrown into utter disarray by this sudden turn of events, seeing stars. Her cheek slammed hard against the cold, rough, grit-covered concrete floor. The intense pain made her unable to suppress a pained grunt.
Her vision instantly spun. Through her disheveled hair, she could only see "brother's" figure looming over her. That figure, elongated by the swaying, dim yellow light, was filled with an unprecedented sense of oppression and unfamiliarity.
"My dear sister,"
Daziel's voice drifted eerily from above, like an echo from the abyss, carrying a heart-stopping, bone-chilling strangeness.
"Actually, there's one thing, brother… has always wanted to tell you…"
Robin was utterly panicked, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst from her chest. This brutal treatment, this cold gaze, could absolutely not be her brother! Absolutely impossible!
"Brother! What on earth are you trying to say?! You… you first… untie me first! It hurts so much…"
Her voice was already choked with uncontrollable sobs. Immense fear, like a cold, venomous snake, began to coil around and tighten its grip on her heart, inch by inch.
Daziel slowly squatted down, assuming the posture of an absolute controller, looking down at her current wretched state, like a lamb to the slaughter.
He reached out, his slender fingertips gently brushing through her golden hair, which was splayed on the ground and covered in dust. His movements carried a deeply unsettling, eerie "gentleness."
"My good sister,"
His voice was extremely low, almost an exhale against her ear, like a demon's whisper. "Did you know? You and our… long-departed mother, really are… more and more alike."
This line, of course, was stolen by Daziel. Since he wanted to leave a lasting impression on Robin, the more outrageous, the better.
Sure enough, this sentence, like a discordant note when a string suddenly snaps during an orchestral performance, exploded without warning deep within Robin's mind!
Mo… Mother?!
Brother… why would brother suddenly mention mother?!
And… and in such a… such a strange, almost blasphemous tone and gaze?!
An overwhelming terror, like a surging, icy tide, instantly submerged all her reason and ability to think!
She began to struggle violently, her tightly bound body writhing and twisting futilely on the cold floor, like a fish nailed to a chopping block.
"No!! You're not brother!! You are definitely not my brother!!"
She finally screamed uncontrollably, her voice distorted and shrill from extreme fear.
"My brother… my brother, he… he would never say such things! He would never look at me with those eyes! Who are you?! Who are you impersonating?!"
She desperately tried to lift her head, attempting to see the face hidden in the shadows, but the other's features remained blurry. Only those eyes, now devoid of any compassion or gentleness, instead exuded a soul-chilling amusement and coldness!
Daziel let out a low, pleased chuckle. The sound was particularly jarring in the dead-silent warehouse, like the claws of a demon scraping against her nerves.
"Who said… I'm not?"
His fingers didn't stop because of her screams. Instead, following her smooth silver hair, like a venomous snake, they slowly, inch by inch, slid towards her delicate, fair neck, then to her exquisite collarbone…
The touch carried an unspeakable, sickeningly profane quality. Wherever the cold fingertips passed, it incited violent, uncontrollable shivers on her skin!
Robin's entire body instantly stiffened like a stone sculpture, her pupils dilating from extreme fear until they almost filled her entire eye sockets!
This is definitely not brother!
Absolutely not!
Brother's touch was always warm and restrained! Filled with a brother's care and protection!
It would never be like this… so cold! So… bone-chilling!
"Let go of me! Get your filthy hands off me! I don't want to be embraced!"
She screamed with all her might, trying to break free from this touch that made her soul tremble, that filled her with utter disgust and terror.
However, the tough ropes bound her tightly to the cold floor, rendering her completely immobile, like a helpless, desperate lamb sacrificed on an evil altar.
Daziel's fingers, however, grew bolder, his fingertips lingering and tracing the edge of her expensive gown, as if admiring a perfect work of art about to be defiled, or as if measuring the dimensions of his prey.
Robin's screams became more shrill, more desperate, mixed with uncontrollable whimpers and sobs.
She thrashed her head wildly, trying to avoid that touch, as ominous as a branding iron. Tears streamed down her face like a bursting dam, blurring her vision.
"Get away! Get away from me, you bastard! Please, get away from me! Please don't look at me like that, looking like my brother!"
But Daziel completely ignored her violent resistance and hoarse curses, instead leaning even closer to her ear with malicious intent.
His warm breath fanned across her extremely sensitive earlobe, eliciting a violent shiver from her. His voice was low and seductive, like a poison seeping into her consciousness.
"My good sister, don't be afraid, and don't look back…"
"I… am your dearest… Brother Sunday…"
This sentence, mimicking her brother's most affectionate, most gentle term of endearment, now sounded like a whisper from the deepest pit of hell, carrying an unparalleled malice and destructiveness, completely shattering the last psychological defense in Robin's heart!
"NOOOO! NO! NOOOO—!!!"
A scream so sharp it almost tore the air, pierced the eardrums, erupted fiercely from the depths of her throat!
It wasn't just from the fear of physical violation, but more from the utter despair of her faith completely collapsing, her entire world crumbling before her eyes!
She felt her spirit, her soul, being mercilessly eroded, defiled by something more terrifying, more profound, more filthy than death itself!
The image of her brother, who had always been like a beacon, like a faith supporting her, perfect and flawless, holy as a deity, was being torn to shreds before her very eyes by this terrifying imposter, in the most unbearable, most cruel way! Along with it, her entire world shattered into pieces!
Daziel clearly felt the violent trembling of the delicate body beneath him, and her mental state, on the verge of complete collapse, like a candle flickering in the wind.
He knew the time had come.
That mental shell constructed by "Tuning," seemingly indestructible, had begun to show irreparable cracks under this extreme cognitive shock and mental contamination.
The protection—or rather, confinement—forcibly imposed on her by Sunday…
Was being overwritten, dismantled by another, more primal, more direct, more defiling fear and despair.
He needed to apply one last bit of pressure, to completely destroy that mental barrier, to let the real Robin's consciousness surface.
His fingers continued downwards, through the thin, dust-covered fabric, lightly, almost imperceptibly, and extremely slowly, touching the graceful and sensitive curves of her body.
Each seemingly light touch, yet filled with insinuation and profanity, sent violent spasms through Robin's entire body and elicited even more shrill, more broken screams.
"No… don't… don't touch me… please… please let me go…"
Her voice was completely hoarse, like a broken bellows, filled with a dying plea and boundless despair.
But Daziel didn't stop. His eyes were cold and focused. He needed to completely destroy the sacred, inviolable brand Sunday had left in the deepest recesses of her consciousness.
This method was undoubtedly cruel, even evil, but it was the only possible way to pry open the unyielding shackle of "Tuning" at this moment.
…
Outside the warehouse, Firefly's face was ashen. She pressed herself tightly against the cold, rough iron door. The screams emanating from within, so shrill they hardly sounded human, continuously pierced her eardrums and her heart, making her terrified, her legs trembling incessantly.
Sparkle, however, still stood aside with her arms crossed, the amusement on her face growing even more intense, her heterochromatic pink eyes glinting with an almost cruel excitement.
She tilted her head slightly, as if carefully listening to and evaluating this grand drama of mental destruction personally directed by Daziel, wondering just how much "fun" it could bring.
Inside the warehouse, Daziel slowly withdrew his hand, looking down at Robin, who had almost completely lost consciousness beneath him, only her body twitching instinctively.
He could clearly feel that the power of "Harmony," that cold, implanted will that had always lingered deep within her spirit, was rapidly weakening, receding, and melting like solid ice exposed to the scorching sun.
The time was about right.
Daziel slowly stood up, the expression on his face returning to his own cold indifference.
The effect of "One Person, Thousand Faces" quietly dissipated. The light faded, and he reverted to his original appearance.
Silence permeated the warehouse, leaving only Robin's faint, rapid breathing.
A moment later, Robin, lying on the floor, as if waking from a long dream, slowly, laboriously opened her heavy eyelids.
Her eyes were no longer wild or vacant, nor purely fearful. Instead, they were filled with the bewilderment of someone who had survived a calamity, deep exhaustion, and… a hint of indescribable confusion.
She looked at the unfamiliar, grey-haired, golden-eyed man before her, her memory seemingly severely fragmented and chaotic.
"You… who are you?"
Her voice was extremely weak, like the low hum of a mosquito, filled with deep confusion and a lingering trace of wariness. "Just… just now… what happened just now? I… I think I had a terrible nightmare…"
Daziel didn't answer her question immediately, merely looking down at her quietly, his expression complex.
It seemed that the extreme mental shock therapy he had just administered by "playing" Sunday, although the process was somewhat… unspeakable, even quite vile…
The result, however, was significant.
It had successfully interfered with, even overwritten, Sunday's unbreakable "Tuning" effect.
The goal, after all, had been achieved.
Now, the real interrogation would begin.
_
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100 powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone! 5 reviews = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone!
Secure your early access before it's too late!
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