Case 97: Climax.
Content warning: Potentially disturbing images.
Gritting her sword, Claudia slowly makes her way into the chamber.
The more she goes through the jungle of these bone cages, the more restless she becomes. Roughly scanning through the rows, she guesses that there are at least hundreds of them—mostly occupied.
''...!''
As she inspects one of the cages near the empty ones, a sign indicating that they should be of a recent addition, she immediately realizes the man's face. He is the same person who took his life in that condominium earlier.
Cold sweat runs down her tense face.
This means that they—the police, have been collecting people's dead bodies for... Something. And considering the monster she just encountered, it is safe to assume that this 'something' will not be peaceful.
'I have to stop this.'
As Claudia determines her goal, she finishes the examination of the body and promptly moves on to the others. Aside from strangely not having any visible wounds, they appear to be normal bodies.
In the corner of the room, an old desk is situated. After getting a negative result from checking its danger, Claudia opens one of the drawers.
''...Project 'Alike.''' She mutters.
Carefully, she begins to flip through a file found within. The item indeed provides a clue to what is happening in the area, yet it also sends Claudia terrible goosebumps. Although the small notes inside are filled with cryptic phrases seemingly written with blood, through words like 'alternate,' 'replacement,' 'invade,' and 'fear,' it seems that an unknown hostile force is trying to substitute the humans within this district altogether.
But how? How would they replace humans without being noticed—
''...''
Instinctively, Claudia remembers the creature she has just met in the tunnel. 'Replacement.' 'Alike.'
'Are they trying to mimic humans...?!'
A very possible scenario is born inside her head: Humans slowly fall into these creatures' maw, losing their lives and identities completely, one by one. Moreover, the document also reveals an entity called 'her,' which these mimics seem to be worshipping.
A demon. This is undoubtedly the work of a demon.
In the end, Silaerob is still a mortal. She can't possibly know everything that's going to happen, and the empire should not try to rely on her either.
With such a chain of thoughts, Claudia puts the relevant notes into her pocket and turns her attention to the lower drawers.
''Ah, Claudia.''
''!!''
As the red-haired professor turns around, a familiar face greets her. Hailey Florence sighs in relief and quickly smiles at her.
''Thank god you're safe.'' She says.
''...Hailey.'' Claudia lowers her guard. ''How about the children?''
''I don't see them anywhere, unfortunately. What were you doing?''
''I was reading the...''
''Hm?''
''...Where did you come from?''
''Why suddenly? The tunnel over there?''
When Hailey points to the same tunnel she had been through to get here, Claudia involuntarily squints her eyes.
''Did you encounter something?'' She asks.
''Ah, you mean that pile of burnt flesh and bones..? That was so scary...'' Hailey says with an awkward face, hugging her trembling body.
''...I see.''
''More than that, let's get out of here. I feel this place is dangerous.''
''Alright.''
Letting out a sigh, Claudia releases a bit of her tension as she follows her colleague to the previous tunnel. Continuing the earlier conversation, Claudia begins to explain the file she has gotten her hands on.
''Mimics...?!'' Hailey exclaims. ''That's so creepy...''
''Hah... I think we need to report this to the imperial family as soon as possible—''
Claudia stops in her tracks.
''...!''
''Claudia?''
Ignoring Hailey, who has turned around with a puzzled face, her eyes are glued to the side, and her whole body tenses up. A sea of cold sweat runs down her body, making her clothes stick to her skin. Yet, that isn't what she can afford to think about right now.
After all, without her noticing it, the empty cradles she has just inspected earlier are now occupied—four of them, to be exact.
''Hah.. Hah...''
She can feel her heart thump like it wants to jump out of her chest. The more she stares at her beloved students' unmoving faces, the more her vision blurs.
How did it come to this? What did they do to deserve this? Why is she so helpless?
tack—!
Suddenly, a cold drop of water falls onto her head and trickles down her face, which surprisingly snaps her back to reality. As it is, she wipes the sweat off of her face—
''!!''
—only to realize that what fell down is not water, but instead, blood.
''A-Ah...''
Turning to the ceiling, Claudia nearly loses her balance. Sticking to the mossy stone plates is a huge reptile-like creature. Its outer form has bloody, red mucus-smeared bones, connecting from head to tail with flesh that resembles dense spider webs.
Its skull has been replaced with a human's, and it is constantly twitching all over the place, turning erratically as thick blood drips from its mouth.