A coin, a potted plant, a newspaper, a calendar, a flashlight, many unfinished commissions.

These are the things on Lu Li.

The newspaper has a destination, Lu Li just needs to hand it over to Mishelia, the coin should be used in a vending machine, the calendar and flashlight might serve their own purpose, only the potted plant’s use remains unknown.

Deep in the silent night, Lu Li quietly opens the door.

Click—click—click—

The nurse’s patrolling footsteps, which echo throughout the day, are fading away.

This doesn’t mean she’s gone... in a few minutes, the footsteps will reappear.

The nurse is always patrolling the third floor.

Remembering the pattern, Lu Li uses this chance to slip out of the ward, passing the empty nurse’s station, and returns to the second floor before the footsteps come back.

Ignoring the dim floor leading to the first floor, Lu Li first comes to Ward 210 and knocks on the door.

Knock knock knock—

Friday opens the door, and Lu Li can feel the strange gaze from within the shadow of the hood.

"What do you want, sneaking out and knocking on a lady’s boudoir in the dead of night?"

"I’m looking for Mishelia."

The gaze becomes teasing: "Do I need to give you two some space?"

"No need."

Lu Li steps sideways into the ward, looking into the staring red eyes, and says, "I found the one who killed you."

He hands the rolled-up newspaper to Mishelia.

"They’re already dead... killed by you."

[...And their bizarre deaths have also sounded a warning to us: disaster comes from the mouth.]

That’s what the end of the newspaper reads.

Lu Li has no way of knowing what the real newspaper says, nor what he’s saying, paranoia has trapped him in a gap between reality and fiction, unable to discern anything.

The newspaper clutched in Mishelia’s hand gradually wrinkles, and before Lu Li can remind her that it’s someone else’s property, she tears the newspaper to pieces.

Hatred, too, is torn apart.

Giving her time to soothe her emotions, Lu Li asks Friday standing nearby: "How are the Chief Anomaly and the Model after I left?"

"They were discharged, I guess this Asylum must really dislike you... Oh right, they left something for you, said it was left in your ward."

"I’ll come by later."

Lu Li nods lightly. Mishelia’s whole body glistens with blood, but Lu Li doesn’t bother her about the reward, returning to the empty Ward 204.

A note lies quietly on the bedside table.

It mentions that the mother and daughter have found the culprit that separated them—the patient on the third floor, The Time of Silence.

They hint to Lu Li that only by staying quiet can he approach.

The end of the note holds their insight: [The separation and pain we’ve experienced are just momentary bitterness before sweetness...]

Afterward, Lu Li also finds the Remnant of the Drowned, and tells it: "I allow you to take away my time tomorrow."

The nurse has been watching him all day, Lu Li plans to skip a day and see if the nurse becomes lax again.

Before dawn, Lu Li avoids the footsteps and goes to the fourth floor, intending to visit the Master of Dreams.

Knock knock knock—

There’s no response to his knocking, late at night is not a good time for a visit.

Lu Li returns to the third floor of the Asylum but doesn’t go back to his ward.

Remembering the figure on the note, Lu Li silently opens first the barred door and then the door to Ward 302, silently stepping into The Time of Silence’s ward.

A withered, decaying outline lies on the bed.

Lu Li has long been accustomed to the unusual appearances of Asylum patients, but what draws his attention to this decayed corpse is: it’s a boy.

Glancing around the empty ward, Lu Li does nothing and leaves quietly as he came before heading to the second floor to fetch the Big Sister.

Click—click—click—

The ever-present nurse’s footsteps echo through the quiet corridor, fading away at the staircase. Lu Li and the Big Sister stay silent, making their way to Ward 208 to awaken the Pig King.

The Pig King displays surprisingly human-like drowsiness, and Lu Li tells it: "I think I’ve found your master."

The Pig King lets out a sharp snort, though Lu Li closed the door when entering, the night-disturbing snort pauses him.

Listening carefully, there seems to be something approaching in the mist-like darkness outside the door.

Lu Li immediately tucks the Big Sister under the bed, then follows her underneath.

Knock knock knock—

Just then, a knock resounds suddenly.

The Big Sister covers her mouth, Button Eyes exchanges a glance with Lu Li.

Before the echoes fade, the door unexpectedly opens.

The nurse appearing at the door scans the room before scolding the Pig King: "Keep it down at night."

Bam—

Her door-closing noise is even louder.

After ensuring the nurse’s footsteps have receded, Lu Li and the Big Sister crawl out from under the bed.

"That bitch almost caught us," the Big Sister curses.

Lu Li approaches the door, opens a gap, and once he confirms the nurse has indeed left, he lets the Pig King follow them to the third floor.

"Stay quiet..."

Lu Li doesn’t want to find out what happens if there’s noise near The Time of Silence.

Returning to Ward 302 without any incidents, the Pig King rushes to the edge of the decaying body’s bed before the Big Sister can react.

Another piece of the puzzle completes.

Yet before Lu Li can say anything, the sound of footsteps echoes faintly from outside the ward.

"Run!"

The Big Sister frantically pushes Lu Li’s head, "We’ll be fine, but if you’re caught, that bitch will lock you in the dark room!"

"Then I’ll leave this to you."

Lu Li doesn’t refuse, leaves the Big Sister behind, and runs out of the ward. Footsteps approach from downstairs, Lu Li covers the flashlight and runs back to his ward, closing the barred door, pulling the room door shut, and huddles by the door to listen.

The footsteps arrive at the third floor, drawn by the Big Sister’s deliberate shouting, then fall into an eerie silence.

Lu Li frowns suddenly, softly closes the door, retreats to the bedside, climbs onto the bed, and closes his eyes.

The expected next day doesn’t come... because Lu Li hears a creak from the hallway, then the second door opens too.

Feigning sleep, Lu Li feels a faint gaze on him. After a long while, the door closes again.

Lu Li continues to wait in silence until a sliver of light pierces his eyelids.

The Remnant of the Drowned wakes him in the morning.

"Wait a moment." Looking at the bedside table, the calendar date has changed to "eighteen," "Is the nurse still outside?"

"She’s on the second floor."

"Where’s the Big Sister?"

"She’s in the ward."

Lu Li and the Remnant of the Drowned leave the ward and first head to Ward 302. The Time of Silence still lies on the bed, the Pig King is gone.

He doesn’t know what happened after leaving last night.

Lu Li goes to visit the Master of Dreams, who is already awake. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"I accidentally ripped up the newspaper."

Lu Li apologizes, to which the Master of Dreams casually replies, "It’s just a newspaper anyway."

"Let me wake up tomorrow night." Then, back on the third floor, Lu Li tells the Remnant of the Drowned.

Midnight... Lu Li wakes, glancing at the calendar reading "19," and heads to the second floor.

"I’m looking for Mishelia," he tells Friday.

"She’s been discharged."

"Did she leave anything?"

"Just a single sentence. She said—" Friday murmurs, "Follow this arduous journey, to reach the stars."