There was no time to think. Klaus and Rio were running through the city streets, cutting through the silence of the night that seemed to challenge their speed. Klaus's eyes were fixed on one goal: to stop the person behind this series of crimes.
They arrived at the City Palace, a majestic marble building, fortified and lit. The atmosphere inside the royal palace was imposing, but Klaus and Rio moved in the shadows, ignoring the grandeur of the place. They were heading toward a secret vault, buried under the oldest wing of the palace. The air grew colder with every step, and the marble floor echoed their footsteps.
They reached an underground hall, and the massive door of the royal vault was closed.
Klaus and Rio saw a masked man holding a device that glowed in the darkness of the hall.
Criminal: (In a sarcastic voice) I see you arrived uncharacteristically early, but it's not a problem because you will be the first to witness my masterpiece.
Klaus: (With a laugh) There are several definitions in the language dictionaries for the word masterpiece, but this is the first time I've heard that one of its definitions is to plot a conspiracy to overthrow a ruling family.
Criminal: (Astonished) What are you talking about?
Klaus: Everything has been revealed. This building we're in is the palace where members of a royal dynasty gathered to plot a conspiracy to overthrow the Eure dynasty, which was ruling the country at the time.
Klaus pointed his hand at the criminal.
Klaus: Am I not right, member of the Eure family?
Criminal: (In shock) How did you know this?
Klaus: I used my senses and my mind. The petals in the first crime symbolized the garden where the plotters of the conspiracy met. And the victim you killed and scattered petals next to was the last member of the Mithion dynasty, one of the dynasties that plotted to overthrow your family.
Klaus took a paper from his jacket pocket.
Klaus: And the manuscripts that were thrown next to your other victim were all about history, which points to a historical event.
Klaus pointed to the paper he had taken out, which contained the names of several families from the ruling dynasties.
Klaus: And the matter becomes clearer after searching for personal information about the victims, where you'll discover that the second victim's family name is Merciel, and this is one of the dynasties that plotted against your family to overthrow it.
Criminal: (In shock) Wait, how did you know all this information about an incident that the general public is not supposed to know because the current ruling family hid it?
Klaus: (In a sarcastic tone) Simply because I don't know it. And everything I said about the conspiracy of the dynasties against the Eure family is just a lie I invented just now.
Both Rio and the criminal looked at Klaus with looks of astonishment and surprise on their faces.
Criminal: (Shocked and surprised) L...li...lie?
Rio: (In confusion) What are you saying, Klaus? How can what you say be just a lie, even though it matched the criminal's words so accurately?
Klaus looked at Rio.
Klaus: In short, Rio, by using your mind, you can see that in his riddles, the criminal was always pointing to a change in history, as if a historical event he hated because it harmed him had occurred, and he wants to change it.
Criminal: (Laughing) I never expected in my entire life that I would meet someone like you. How ironic. I'm trying my best to get to the secret that will expose the vileness and lies of the current ruling family against my family, but I'm surprised by someone who has known everything about this incident just from the traces of a crime I left, and I didn't intend to reveal any secret related to that incident. I never imagined I would meet someone who could understand my masterpiece more than me. You truly impressed me.
Klaus looks at Rio.
Klaus: It seems I've found a robot with more human feelings than you.
The criminal is shocked by his words.
Criminal: (In an angry tone) What are you saying, you imbecile?
Klaus: Your acting of human emotions is bad, but if you want me to continue the explanation, I'd rather talk to the operator's mind instead of a subordinate metal piece.
Klaus put his phone on speakerphone and stood still in front of the masked man. Klaus's heart was beating hard, but his face was completely calm. After a few moments of silence, a voice was heard coming from the phone speaker. It was a confused voice.
Simon: Hello, hello, who is speaking?
Simon's voice was coming directly from the police station, where he was being held, but it echoed in the hall as if he were there with them.
Criminal: (In shock) What in the world is happening?
Simon: (Surprised) W-w-what is this?
Simon shouts in the police station and talks to Sergeant Elias.
Simon: What's happening, Sergeant? Why did you ask me to talk on the phone, and why am I being held even though I was injured? Wouldn't it be better for me to be in a hospital instead of a police station?
Elias: Talk to Klaus on the phone to know the reason, Simon Eure.
Simon is surprised by Elias's words.
Simon: Eure? I think you're mistaken, Sergeant. My family name is Eitron.
Klaus: (In a calm and mocking tone) A liar's rope is short, Simon.
Simon hears Klaus's words on the phone and brings the phone closer to speak.
Simon: Klaus, what is happening here? Why are you all talking to me like this?
Klaus: Remember you asked why you're in the police station, right? Well, I'll answer you. It's because you're under arrest, you criminal, Simon Eure.
Simon: How... how dare you lie to me and change my family name? I told you my family name is Eitron. And why are you calling me a criminal? You and your assistant saw the criminal attack me, and you took me to the hospital.
Klaus: (In a calm and sarcastic tone) Oh, you're asking why I'm accusing you of being a criminal? Simply because you are. As for the reason for the accusation, it's simple. You're the only one who thought about "time" in this way. You're the one who sees everything as a mistake in a large machine. I should have looked for the watchmaker, not the killer.
Simon: (Shouting into the phone) This is all ridiculous! You can't prove anything! You can't do anything!
Klaus: (Continues calmly) Yes, Simon. I did. I analyzed your way of working. You don't do the work yourself. You send a mechanical metal piece to do the work. And the trick of claiming that the criminal attacked you and caused aging is a clever trick so we would think you're a targeted victim and it would keep suspicion away from you. But the flaw in your plan is that the criminal always killed his victims, except for you, the only one who survived him and was spared, so that would definitely cause a sane person to have doubts about you.
Simon: What is this nonsense you're saying? But Julian also survived him, even though you arrived and the criminal was there just as he was with me, so why don't you suspect Julian too?
Klaus: (In a calm tone) How did you know about Julian, Simon? Weren't you supposed to be in the hospital?
Simon's facial expression changed after hearing Klaus's words to one of extreme shock and fear, as if death was in front of him.
Klaus: (In a sarcastic and laughing tone) You're great at making machines, Simon, but you're not good at holding yourself back. You exposed yourself, you fool.
Klaus looked at the mechanical criminal.
Klaus: Hey, your master exposed himself, so what do you think now? Who's the imbecile now?
At that moment, the automaton stopped moving, frozen in place.
Simon: (On the phone, in a voice filled with frantic anger and despair) No, no, no! You shouldn't have interfered! You shouldn't have talked about this, you meddler! I won't let you make me a victim again, as others did to my ancestors! I am the truth! You've brought death upon yourself, Klaus! You are no different from the scoundrels of the current ruling family who destroyed the lives of my ancestors just for power! How ugly you are and how ugly they are! History must be corrected! The lies must be erased!
Elias: (Raises his hand and nods his head) Exactly. Thank you for exposing yourself, but you won't do what you want. Your plan has failed.
A profound silence fell in the hall. Klaus knew that Simon on the other end of the phone had understood that his plan had collapsed.
Simon: (In a voice dripping with manic rage, shouting) I will destroy you! I will end you, Klaus! Automaton... kill him! Kill Klaus!
At that moment, the automaton turned from a statue into a monster. The metal mask opened, revealing a sharp mechanical jaw. Its hands turned into sharp blades, weapons came out of its joints, and the sound of an engine's roar was heard. It was a roar that filled the hall, as if it were the beginning of the end.