Klaus: (Raises his head, his eyes holding a deep focus) "Where still water meets a faint fire, and souls sing of beauty that has faded."
Klaus looked at Rio, then at Sergeant Elias, who was still confused.
Klaus: This isn't a riddle about a place in the sky, but a place on Earth. "Still water" is an old fountain, and "faint fire" is the old gas lamps that are still lit in that area. And "souls that sing of beauty that has faded" are books. It's the Historical Archives Library, where the lost records of the country are located.
Elias: (Nervously) Are you kidding me? You want us to go to the Archives Library because a poetic riddle says so?
Klaus: (Laughs softly) Not a poetic riddle, Elias. It's a signal from one artist to another. The criminal here uses art as a means of expression, and their language is not words, but symbols.
Klaus and Rio left the studio, leaving Sergeant Elias and the police bewildered. The city streets were bustling with life, but they walked with determined steps toward the Archives Library.
Rio: (In her quiet voice) Do you think we'll get there in time?
Klaus: (Stares at the horizon) I don't know, Rio. But the criminal is not in a hurry. They are giving us time to understand their work.
They arrived at the Archives Library, an old building with a unique architectural style that overlooked a huge, non-functioning fountain. The old gas lamps on both sides of the building cast a faint light. The place was strangely quiet.
Klaus and Rio entered the library. The main hall was dark, but a faint glow illuminated a part of it. They approached cautiously and found the scene. There was an old man, "Oscar," the last historian of the country's lost secrets. He was dead, sitting on the floor, surrounded by hundreds of old manuscript scrolls.
The scrolls were open, and the remaining ink lines flowed from them, forming concentric circles on the floor, like ripples in water. Each circle bore incomprehensible symbols, but they were arranged in a precise order. And the dead historian's hand was holding a pen, as if he had been writing something.
There was no sign of a break-in or violence. Everything seemed calm, except for that strange scene.
Klaus: (Whispers in astonishment) He has unleashed all the history that has faded.
Klaus picked up one of the manuscripts that was near the historian's hand and found another riddle on it, written in the historian's own handwriting.
Klaus: (Reads in a faint voice) "In the heart of silence, a sound is born that no one hears. And in the silence of the heart, the echo of a power that no one touches reverberates. Seek the sound that is yet to be born, in the heart of the silence that does not die."
Klaus and Rio stood in silence in front of the dead historian, while the ink lines flowed from the old manuscripts. Klaus held the paper with the riddle and contemplated it deeply. His eyes followed the words, but his mind was working on other levels.
Klaus: (To himself) "A sound no one hears." "A silence that does not die." "Echo of a power." This is not a riddle about a place.
Rio: (In her quiet voice) If it's not a riddle about a place, then what is it?
Klaus: (Ignores her question, and continues to contemplate) The words here don't mean what they say. They are concepts. "The sound no one hears" is a secret. "The silence that does not die" is an eternal promise, or a curse. "The echo of a power that no one touches" is someone's legacy, a legacy no one can see, but its effect remains.
Klaus turned his gaze to the historian. There was something else, something no one had noticed. The dead historian's hand was not only holding the pen but was also pointing to a specific letter in one of the open manuscripts. The letter was "L".
Klaus: (Whispers to himself) I understand.
He looked at Rio, and signs of exhaustion appeared on his face. This was not just a puzzle, but a battle of wits with someone who believes that ideas are more powerful than life.
Klaus: (In a tired voice) The criminal isn't crazy. They see every person as an idea. And now they want to end another idea.
Rio: (Feeling concerned for Klaus) You look tired, Klaus.
Klaus: (Laughs bitterly) I'm fine. I've been looking for criminals who kill for money or revenge, but this person kills for art. They turn humans into symbols. And that makes it more complicated.
Klaus: "The secret no one hears" is the secret of the ancient "L" family's legacy. It's a family famous for making secret artistic masterpieces that are never displayed to the public. The last member of that family is "Expert Leo," the keeper of those secrets.
Klaus: (Nods his head) He's in his office now. But he won't be alone.
Klaus and Rio left the library quickly. Time was running out, and Klaus knew that the criminal had already reached the next target. His eyes were lit, but his exhaustion was clear. It was a race against time and an unpredictable opponent.