Michael felt the Beyonder Characteristic swirling in his hand as he placed it in the inner pocket of his suit, next to the formula.
He took one last look at Rebecca's body before leaving the attic.
....
Walking down the hallway, he contemplated his next move.
As he walked, he noticed Mallory approaching from the opposite direction.
Mallory waved at him and said, "Michael, nice to meet you. Is Becca in the atti—"
Before Mallory could finish, Michael's eyes widened, and he ran past him.
....
Michael ran straight to Rebecca's room and began searching frantically. He opened every door, closet, and drawer, even moving the bed from its original position.
Becca is a noblewoman about to get married. She must have some jewelry hidden somewhere...
He threw clothes on the floor as he rummaged through her belongings. Finding a locked drawer, he broke it open.
Inside, he found two books titled: Rebecca's Diary 1 and Rebecca's Diary 2. Without reading the titles, he tossed them aside and retrieved a small wooden box from the drawer.
Opening the box, he found an assortment of jewelry: necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings. Satisfied, he closed the box and left the room.
....
Meanwhile, Mallory entered the attic with a sinister grin.
"Becca, my dear, did you hear the good news? We're getting marri—" His sentence trailed off as he noticed Rebecca's lifeless body.
"Heh, so that's why Michael was running like a rat..."
Mallory examined her body without touching it.
"It doesn't take a genius to know she's dead. But why is she missing her left eye?"
He muttered to himself, "I'm taking too long here. If someone else comes in, it'll look bad for me..."
Deliberately, Mallory stepped backward and fell to the ground. He began screaming loudly, ensuring the entire mansion could hear him.
....
Michael heard Mallory's scream as he exited Rebecca's room.
Shit, that's the Spectator's plan—using Erin's influence to frame me... But why? Why would someone from the Norarta family infiltrate the mansion? And how did he know I'm a Beyonder? I never told anyone, not even Becca...
Michael clenched his fists.
I'll think about this later. I don't have much time left.
He started running toward the mansion's main entrance.
On his way down the stairs, he spotted Viscount Burey and Count Erin heading toward the attic with several servants.
Shit, I have even less time than I thought...
Without hesitation, Michael fled the house.
....
In the garden, Michael scanned for the nearest escape route. He ran toward the wall facing the street, throwing the wooden box over it before climbing.
The wall stood 3–4 meters tall, and though the climb was difficult, he managed.
Jumping down to the other side, he retrieved the box, which now had scratches from the fall onto the stone sidewalk. Fortunately, the items inside remained intact.
Michael ran toward the War Angel's Cathedral, basing his route on the one the Bureys took to get there on the sermon days.
He figured the cathedral would be a good hiding spot due to its proximity to Sienna Quartier, where he could blend into the crowd and escape if necessary.
A huge commotion had started at the Burey's mansion.
Michael thought of going back to observe it, but quickly wiped that thought from his mind.
....
After nearly half an hour of nonstop running, exhaustion caught up with him.
He sat on the sidewalk, panting heavily, his face drenched in sweat.
The passersby looked at him, some with curiosity about why he was there, others chuckled because of his state, and some looked at him with disgust, thinking he was a beggar.
Ignoring them, Michael reached into his suit's inner pocket and retrieved the potion formula.
"Delusional Pathway, Sequence 9 Formula.
...Supplementary Ingredients: 100 milliliters of water, 5 mint leaves, 3 drops of chamomile oil."
As he read, a woman in a light brown vest walked past. Suddenly, she stopped and turned toward him, her expression curious.
"Gregor? What are you doing here?"
Startled, Michael quickly stuffed the formula back into his pocket and looked up.
"L-Lana?" He stood up, his surprise evident.
"What are you doing sitting on the sidewalk?" Lana asked, taking a step closer before wrinkling her nose and turning away.
"You need a shower..."
Michael chuckled and nodded.
"Were you in a sewer or something?" she teased, closing her eyes before glancing back at him.
"I know I'm not in the best shape, but don't you think you're being a bit too rude?" Michael forced a smile, clenching his fist.
Lana scanned him from head to toe before smirking. "Don't worry, I'm just joking. You look terrible, but you don't smell."
Michael stared at her for a moment, then chose to ignore her comment.
"But really, what happened? Why are you here, Gregor?"
Finally, Michael had a moment to process everything. He remained silent, his mind swirling with emotions: the sadness of losing his sister, hatred for Robert Norarta, fear of being alone in an unfamiliar world, and anxiety about his uncertain future.
After what felt like an eternity, he answered, "Many things..."
A tear slipped down his face, though it was barely noticeable amidst the sweat.
Sensing the pain and misery in his voice, Lana didn't press further.
In a quiet tone, she said, "Follow me..."
Without hesitation, Michael followed her.
....
After some time, they arrived at a hotel in the Arianna Quartier.
Lana pulled out a key and unlocked one of the rooms. She stepped inside and gestured for Michael to follow.