Author's Note: This chapter reveals the origin of the case that changed Evans's life. It can be read independently as a gateway to the mysteries surrounding Sanathiel.
Every beat of Evans's heart was a countdown.Rasen clenched his teeth, hands steady but soul trembling. The sound of thunder was nothing compared to the echo of Clear's scream that day—when he thought he had lost her. This time, he couldn't fail. The storm outside was just a distant echo of the chaos consuming his life. Rain battered the windshield, wipers fighting the torrent, but memories of another stormy day invaded his mind.
The accident.The fear of losing Clear had once devoured him.Now, that same anxiety gripped his chest as he glanced at Evans—unconscious and burning with fever, slumped in the back seat.
In his fever dream, Evans returned to the beginning of his career—to the moment where everything started: the Red Moon case.
Central Office, Six Years Ago
Evans's excitement was palpable the first time he stepped into the Central Office. Recently recommended by the mysterious Mr. A, he arrived for an interview that would mark the beginning of his journey into the unknown.
"How long did you work as an assistant?" asked the interviewer, a man with a piercing gaze and an authoritative tone.
"Three weeks, including today," Evans replied without hesitation.
The man scanned his résumé, evident skepticism in his eyes.
"You're young, Max Miller. Orphaned... that explains your need to prove yourself. But there's no room for error here. No one walks away from this place without consequences. Do you understand?"
Evans nodded firmly."Yes, sir. I'm ready."
The man tilted his head, his eyes darkening as he muttered:"Do you know what reopening the Red Moon case involves?"
"I do.""Then brace yourself. If you fail, you won't just lose your job… you might lose your life."
The interview was short and blunt, but it left a mark on Evans. By noon, he was sharing a table with Eliana—his new partner—who didn't bother to hide her disdain for him.
"If you keep pushing this case, you'll sink. And probably drag me down with you," she warned as she stirred her tea.
"You can find another partner. I won't stop."Evans's stubbornness was enough to make her glance at him with a mixture of respect and exasperation.
After lunch, Eliana took him to the archive room. There, among dust and shadows, Evans found the first clue that would pull him into the abyss: a report on a patient named Lucía, located at Dimension Zero Psychiatric Hospital.
Dimension Zero Psychiatric Hospital
The visit to the hospital was more unsettling than Evans had expected. As he walked down the hallway, a nurse dropped a metal tray. The clang echoed against the walls—but none of the patients flinched. They all stared, in perfect unison, toward one direction: the common room.
The walls seemed to trap the screams of the inmates, and the air was so thick with pressure it was hard to breathe.
In a corner of the common room, he saw Lucía, clutching a tattered doll. Her eyes were lost in a void only she could see.
When Evans approached, Lucía began to murmur, her words a frantic whisper:"He was lying there… His dog tried to save him… I still see it…"
Evans knelt beside her, his tone gentle."What do you see, Lucía? What happened that night?"
Suddenly, her whispers turned into a blood-curdling scream:"The moon was red! Everything was covered in blood!"Lucía began yanking out chunks of her hair as nurses rushed in to restrain her.
Evans tried to calm her, but the doctors shoved him out before he could get more answers.
"Take a deep breath, please," I pleaded."Call security!" they ordered.
That same night, a twist of fate altered the course of his investigation. A woman named Estrella, claiming to be Lucía's friend, approached him under the shadows of the street. Her face bore the weight of years of pain and hidden truths.
"This is all that survived. The truth hides in what was never said… and in what still bleeds."
She handed him a photo: three young girls, including Lucía, smiling under the sun on what seemed like a perfect day.Estrella vanished before Evans could ask more.
Back in his office, he stared at the photo as a disturbing thought began to form. He reviewed recent reports of missing students and found two additional names tied to the case: Aisha and Rasen, both wrapped in mystery after the Red Moon incident.
With the picture trembling in his fingers, Evans murmured to himself:"He will be my answer…"
Back to the Present
Evans jolted awake, gasping for air, soaked in sweat. Fever burned through his body, and every muscle ached. In front of him, Rasen held a sterilized knife, ready to continue the procedure.
"Did you remember anything useful?" Rasen asked, his voice low, almost indifferent as he cleaned another tool.
Evans closed his eyes for a moment, trying to make sense of the chaos in his memories.
"Too much…" he whispered."The Red Moon isn't just a case. It's a web. And we're the flies trapped in it."
Rasen didn't answer.But in his eyes, something flickered—Fear... or memory.