The echoes of Rainnes' song still rang in Harold's ears as he vaulted over a low wall in the Capital's slum district. His head throbbed. That frequency wasn't just sound; it was a toxin attempting to recalibrate his very heartbeat.
He reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out the recording crystal from Anne. The crystal was no longer clear; it pulsed with a restless, deep purple glow.
"Damn it," Harold growled. If he, a seasoned soldier, felt nauseous, what of the common folk exposed to that sound every day?
Harold reached a dilapidated old tavern. Julian was already waiting in the darkest corner, seated at a stained wooden table.
"You look like you just crawled out of a monster's gut, General," Julian greeted him bluntly. He immediately poured a clear liquid into a wooden cup. "Drink. It's alchemy from Aethelgard. It will stabilize the resonance in your nerves."
Harold downed the liquid in one gulp. The burning bitterness that scorched his throat slowly eased the pounding headache. He tossed the recording crystal onto the table.
"Give this to Anne," Harold said. "Tell her the 'Saintess' isn't just a symbol. She is a trigger. If William manages to make her sing a full note, this entire city will become nothing more than breathing corpses."
Julian carefully picked up the crystal with a silk cloth. "Lady Anne suspected as much. She also left a message for you. The Church Inquisitors have moved toward Vaine-Castell. They intend to seize our steel warehouses within three days."
Harold stared at Julian, eyes flashing with fury. "Then why are you still here? We must return."
"No, General. Lady Anne wants you to stay here a little longer," Julian lowered his voice until it was barely a whisper. "She wants you to kidnap someone."
Harold narrowed his eyes. "Who?"
"Not Rainnes. It's too early for that," Julian offered a faint smirk. "Kidnap the Cathedral's Head Architect, Master Valerius. He is the one who designed the giant organ mechanism beneath the altar. Without him, William's song is just a directionless scream."
Meanwhile, inside her dark bedroom, Rainnes woke up gasping for air. Dried blood still stained the skin beneath her nose.
The atmosphere was deathly silent, but for Rainnes, the silence was even more terrifying. She could hear the whispers of the Whispering Hollows, which were now daring to crawl across her ceiling.
"Why..." Rainnes whispered, huddling with her knees to her chest. "Why does my voice hurt them?"
Suddenly, her window creaked open slightly from a gust of wind. There, she saw a silver pocket watch lying on the windowsill. The watch did not tick like a normal one; its rhythm matched the beating of her heart.
Rainnes approached and picked it up. On the back, there was a small engraving:
"Time is grain for the hungry, and a dagger for those who lie. Open the back cover if you wish to hear the truth."
Rainnes hesitated for a moment, then pressed a small button on the side of the watch. Instead of the sound of gears, the watch emitted a crystal-clear recording of Anne Marie Vain's voice.
"Rainnes Juoi, if you are hearing this, it means William has placed that crown upon you. Do not fear what you see. Fear what you hear. Meet the man in black armor in the back garden when the third bell tolls. He is the only person in this city who will not kneel to your voice."
Rainnes stared at her golden thorn crown lying on the vanity. For the first time, she felt that her savior was not the Prince who gave her gold, but a foreign woman who gave her a warning.
In the distance, the first bell began to toll.