The doors of the archive slammed shut behind them, echoing down the corridor like the final nail sealing away a secret.
Ethan and Karl walked side by side, neither speaking. The vision of the devoured city still churned in their minds, a gaping wound that refused to heal.
At the corner of the hallway, a familiar figure blocked their path.
It was the Archivist—the elderly agent with cloudy eyes that seemed to see everything. In his hand, he carried an oil lamp, its flame flickering, casting mottled shadows on the walls.
"You've dug too deep," his voice was low, hoarse with age. "These folios were never meant for newcomers."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, a wry, half-defiant smile tugging at his lips."Sorry, I've never had much resistance to the word 'forbidden.' Besides… it practically has my name written on it."
The old agent sighed, as if he had long anticipated this response."Since you've seen it, there's no need to hide it any longer."
He turned and led them into a secluded stone chamber. Old banners from a bygone era hung on the walls. A long table, scarred and dust-covered, occupied the center.
"The Bureau of Nightmare Investigation was not founded to protect humanity," the Archivist said slowly. "The original council's purpose was—control, and exploitation."
Karl's brow furrowed. "Exploitation?!"
"Do you think the Reaper's power was sealed by accident?" The Archivist's voice carried a cold, mocking edge. "Humans extracted part of his authority, turned it into a tool, and handed it to the so-called 'Contract Families.' The Bureau was established to maintain that order. We are gatekeepers, not guardians."
Ethan felt his chest tighten. He thought of the vanished city in the folio, and of the Reaper's whispered words. All the fragments coalesced into a suffocating image.
"So from the very beginning… we were just the overseers of experiments?" Ethan scoffed, his voice trembling yet laced with sarcasm. "No wonder every mission felt like being pushed onto a gambling table. We're the chips, not the heroes."
The Archivist did not deny it—he merely nodded."The crueler truth is, the human elite have long been accustomed to coexisting with the Nightmares. They believe only by taming them can total annihilation be avoided."
Karl's gaze darkened sharply."And Vierno City? Another one of your 'experiments'?"
The Archivist remained silent for a moment, then spoke in a low voice:"That was the first overflow plan. To test whether Nightmare energy could be contained within an entire city… they sacrificed the whole place. The Bureau was merely the executor."
For a moment, the air felt as if it had frozen solid.
Ethan's throat was dry. He forced out a line of black humor:"Perfect. If this story ever got out, we'd instantly win 'Villainous Organization of the Year.'"
Karl shot him a sharp glare, but he understood—this was Ethan's way of warding off despair.
The Archivist looked at them, his eyes filled with both pity and warning:"Now that you know, you must make a choice. Either remain silent, a cog in the Bureau; or… betray, and become everyone's enemy."
Ethan felt a chill in his chest, yet forced a casual, irreverent smile:"Seems like my life's option menu never has 'easy.'"
He exchanged a glance with Karl. No words were spoken, but both knew: from this moment onward, there was no turning back.
Because they finally understood—the Bureau of Nightmare Investigation was never a beacon of light.
—It was the inheritor of darkness.