Tomorrow I will be taking my findings to the Shieldrake Inquisition.
I know how the blood was drained from the two bodies. In the morning, I bought a small hamster from the store. Small sacrifices. I wondered if the knife may have some magical properties. I made a small cut on the hamster and it all made sense. Some kind of dark blood magic has been infused into the knife. As I cut the hamster, the blood from it started floating out into the knife. It didn't stop draining the blood at any moment. That is how the two children were drained of their blood. All it needed was one small cut.
Now, the question about why there was a third child holding the knife. When I was under that monster's illusion, I was about to drink some tea which was just a pile of maggots. The maggots must have needed to be inside of me to control me. That is why when I used that counter-magic spell on the child, it was only able to cut the connection between the maggots and the child, but not kill the maggots themselves. It took time to realize that the maggots could no longer control Alex. When they finally realized that, they killed Alex from the inside.
The maggots must have taken the knife from the evidence room and dragged it along the dirt to under the orphanage. That is where I found that altar and the bowls of blood. The maggots must have been able to drain the blood out of the knife. I'm not sure on how. I wasn't able to figure out how to take the blood out of the knife myself, but it does seem to store it.
The maggots must be everywhere by now. Under the ground and in the walls.
I suspect that these maggots have come to this land by one of the expedition ships. Most likely, the Raging Squid. I checked the port, but nobody was there. Not even the harbormaster. Must be a holiday. I think that the Raging Squid must have brought back something from the western seas. Be it, the maggots or some mage who could have poised as being stranded.
The maggots are too coordinated and very strong dark magic was used. No mere animal can use magic. Some dark mage must be controlling them, but I still have no proof of who this dark mage is.
It is too dangerous staying here, any more than I already have. I have arranged a wagon to take me back to Salentia.
The maggots are too strong and need to be contained. The dark mage controlling them must be very powerful. The knife is a very deadly artifact. This is not a task I can do alone.
The High Inquisitor will know what to do.