The city streets seemed blurry to Klaus's eyes as he ran at full speed, his coat flapping behind him. His thoughts raced with his steps, analyzing the puzzle and predicting what he might find at the other end. Rio followed him with steady steps, showing no signs of fatigue.
They arrived at Leo's office, a building located in a small alley, away from the city's hustle. The front door was ajar, and a faint smell of smoke emanated from inside. Klaus slowly pushed the door open and entered.
The office was dark, but a small flame illuminated the room. In the middle, Leo was suspended in the air, tied up with intricate, spider-like mechanical devices that sprang from every corner of the room. He wasn't dead, but in a state of deep unconsciousness. The devices made a faint clicking sound, as if they were absorbing something from his body. The scene was both strange and horrifying.
Klaus approached Leo and examined the devices. They weren't absorbing his life; they were absorbing "art" from his body. The devices were stealing the secret of the Leo family's craft, the art of creating "dream screens," which are works of art that trap a person's dreams and thoughts within them. The devices were transferring the secrets from Leo's mind into a small, gleaming metal vessel in one of the corners.
Suddenly, a calm voice emanated from a small vessel on a side table. The voice wasn't loud; it was faint yet clear, as if it were coming from inside Klaus's head.
The Voice: (In a calm and mocking tone) I was wondering when you would arrive, detective. I left you all those clues, and you were just waiting.
Klaus looked at the vessel, his eyes narrowing. This was the first confrontation with his opponent.
Klaus: (In a serious voice) You're trying to steal a family secret. Why?
The Voice: (Laughs coldly) The secret? I'm not stealing it. I'm turning it into art. I will turn every beautiful idea into a work of art that no one can see.
The Voice: (Continues) "The echo that no one touches" is not a legacy, Klaus. It's an artifact, a physical piece, hidden by the last member of the royal family. It's the key to my true power. And now I have learned how to get it.
Klaus: (In an angry tone) Where is it?
The Voice: (Laughs again) Oh, no, no, Klaus. The game isn't over yet.
The voice ended, and the "dream screens" vessel began to flicker, then exploded with a faint light. The mechanical devices stopped working, and Leo fell to the ground unconscious. There was a small, intricately designed piece of metal placed on the table, as if it were another clue.
Klaus: (Whispering in astonishment) He added a new touch.
The riddle of "the echo that no one touches" had now turned into a race to find an artifact, and Klaus now knew he was facing an opponent who would leave him no options.
Klaus sat on the floor, his eyes fixed on the small metal piece. It was cold to the touch and made of a unique metal he had never seen before. It was precisely carved into the shape of a small gear, but it wasn't an ordinary gear; its teeth were very sharp, as if designed to tear something apart, not to move it.
Klaus: (To himself) This piece isn't a riddle. It's part of a machine.
Rio's blue eyes were also analyzing the piece.
Rio: (In her quiet voice) Material analysis indicates it's a nickel-chromium alloy, but it contains unknown particles.
Klaus: (Lifts the piece between his fingers) That's not important. What's important is what it represents. A gear symbolizes evolution. Movement. Progress. But this gear is designed for destruction, not creation.
Klaus's face began to show a mixture of astonishment and exhaustion. He was trying to understand his opponent's mind, and this understanding was wearing him out.
Klaus: (In a broken voice) This criminal doesn't just want to end lives. They want to stop history. They want to destroy every achievement, every step forward, as if it doesn't deserve to exist. They see progress as a mistake that needs to be corrected.
Rio: (Approaches him and places her hand on his shoulder) Klaus, you look...
Klaus: (Shakes his head) I'm fine, Rio. This game isn't just a chase. It's an attempt to change my view of the world.
Klaus looked at the gear again, focusing on the fine engravings on its surface. The engravings were very similar to engineering blueprints.
Klaus: (Nods his head) It's a blueprint. A blueprint for a machine.
Klaus held out his other hand and placed the gear on his palm. The gear slowly spun, as if showing him something.
Klaus: "The Time Machine."
Rio: (In shock) Do you think he's trying to...
Klaus: (Interrupts her) No. He's not. "The Time Machine" here isn't a device for time travel. It's a symbol. It's a machine for creating a new history. And this machine needs a creator.
Klaus: (Stares at the gear, his eyes lighting up with a new flame) "Simon," the greatest watchmaker in the country. He's been working on a secret project for years. He's making "the Cosmic Clock," a clock that legends say can measure the movement of the stars. The criminal wants this clock. It's "the machine" they want to use.
Klaus jumped to his feet, filled with new resolve. The exhaustion was still there, but the determination was stronger.
Klaus: Let's go, Rio. Let's go to Simon's workshop.