"You don't realize the value of things until you lose them."

A cliché phrase, I know, but I just realized how true it was.

I didn't have much ever since I woke up inside Jevan's body. And in the end, even the little I had, I lost.

Funny, isn't it?

Every day I spent in that cell, the memories kept coming back.

Memories of my days in the Lower District, with Iris and Raven.

Raven… the reckless fool.

Why in the name of the Creator did you do it? Who asked you to sacrifice yourself? Who gave you the right to die in my place?! I don't recall us being that close for you to throw your life away for me.

Weren't you the one who wanted revenge on that researcher? Then why did you abandon it all now and decide to die?!

But the most absurd thing wasn't just the recent memories returning to me. Other memories surfaced too.

I saw a masked boy talking to young Raven in a place resembling a morgue. And that same masked boy was walking with Iris.

In this isolated prison, I no longer thought of escaping. I just wanted some rest. Rest that, unfortunately, I couldn't have. Because around me, the spirits kept drifting, begging for release.

But as time went on, I started to grow accustomed to them. I even got to know one of them.

His name was Raghu. And unlike the others who never stopped screaming, he spoke to me and consoled me about my companions.

I only hope I haven't lost my mind.

And so the days passed until that day came when the iron door finally opened. I lifted my head, and there he was, Inspector Edward Graves.

***

[Edward Graves Perspective]

I had just returned from the mission I was assigned. There were traces of the Madness Authority in that remote village. The journey back to the imperial capital, Medlia, was exhausting, but I arrived with a unit of the Bureau's men.

I entered the building of the Public Investigation Bureau branch and went up to the office of the Chief Inspector, Director Stefan.

I stood before him and placed the report on his desk.

He picked up the paper and read the first line, then without lifting his head, he said:

"How was your vacation?"

I swallowed my real reply. I had requested leave to rest, but he insisted on sending me to that village, under the pretext that the weather there was nice and I could relax after the mission.

That wasn't the purpose of my leave. I had tried to refuse, but he forced me with his usual manner.

I wasn't in the mood to argue with him as usual, so I answered flatly:

"Good."

"Did you notice anything unusual in the village?"

I answered immediately:

"There were traces of an Authority's power."

"What kind?"

"We couldn't identify it precisely, but most likely it was the Madness Authority."

His face hardened, then he folded the report, set it aside, and said:

"The Madness Authority? It's been a long time since we last had a case like that."

The Madness Authority was one of the rarest powers, and we rarely ever dealt with it. In the past, it was entirely monopolized by the royal family of the kingdom of Velda.

Back then, the Bureau had no involvement in such cases. It was strictly a royal affair.

But around twenty years ago, when the Medgar Empire invaded that kingdom with the help of several other realms, everything changed.

When Velda fell, the coalition seized the system Pieces that the royal family held. Most of them were taken to Medgar, the rest divided among the allied kingdoms.

Amid that chaos, some Pieces leaked out, and a number of madmen started appearing. We handled most cases quickly and efficiently, so they never posed a serious threat.

Until that incident happened… the one tied to Researcher Valentine Crow.

My fists clenched. I adjusted my hat and turned, ready to leave, when I heard him say:

"Stop looking for that man."

I didn't turn or answer. I just left. Normally, you don't get warnings in cases like this. They demote you instantly to a junior investigator. In the worst cases, you're expelled altogether. And Stefan wasn't the type to give second chances.

But perhaps because he knew just how sensitive this case was for me, and for many other inspectors, he chose to overlook my actions as long as I didn't cross a certain line. And it seemed he noticed I was about to, so he warned me.

Sorry, Stefan. This time, I can't listen to your warning. Even if it costs me my position.

…

I didn't leave my office for six straight hours. During that time, I was drafting a flawless plan to capture Valentine.

I weighed the probabilities, calculated the variables. There was no room for error.

Then Lionel entered, standing upright before me, and said:

"Inspector, you've been assigned a new mission."

I lifted my eyes from the map.

"Give me the details."

…

In the basement of the detention building. I was walking quickly as Lionel explained the mission. An incident labeled Level Six threat had occurred in the Lower District.

Four assimilators had clashed: a user of a system Pieces bearing the Authority of Water, a female assimilator of the Authority of Fire, a male assimilator of the Authority of Silence, and an assimilator of the Madness Authority.

Both the Fire and Silence assimilators were killed, while the Madness Authority assimilator fled, and Bureau teams were now pursuing him.

As for the system piece user, he had been captured and was now being held in Cell Zero. I was assigned to interrogate him. I had several suspicions about this case, and I hoped they were all wrong.

The moment I reached the detention center's gate, the two guards stepped aside and opened it. I rushed toward the cell and shoved the door open.

And there he was. Jevan, sitting on the ground, leaning against the stone wall. He wasn't the one I expected to find. I had thought I'd see his other companion.

His clothes were stained with blood, his eyes sunken, dark circles beneath them.

Neither of us spoke. We only stared at each other in silence.

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