Kayla: Oh dear. It seems a lot transpired while I was away.
Kayla: ...
After a moment's thought, she dials a number on her phone. A few rings later, the call is answered.
Ms. Kimberly: Ms. Grace, I thought you'd forgotten me!
Ms. Kimberly: I've been exposed!
As expected, the voice on the other end is restless.
Ms. Grace: Kimberly, care to tell me what happened in this motel? There's blood and brains splattered in the hallway. Who died and how?
Ms. Kimberly: It was that Zeno madman! He shot himself in the head!
Ms. Kimberly: But I still haven't managed to destroy the ritual sigils under his bed. And I couldn't find the ...
Ms. Grace: ...
She sighs.
Ms. Grace: Now that our base of operations has been exposed, we'll have to take away everything related to the "ritual" and leave.
Ms. Grace: The Foundation's rats will thoroughly search this place soon.
Ms. Kimberly: Ugh, the last thing I need right now is to deal with them!
There's a brief and unusual silence on the other end of the line.
Ms. Kimberly: And, uh, could you tell me more about this Vertin?
There's a hint of anxiety in her voice.
Ms. Kimberly: I might've had a slip of the tongue when she confronted me earlier. How good is her memory?
Ms. Grace: Fret not, Kimberly. People rarely pay attention to things that don't directly involve them.
She smiles faintly.
Ms. Grace: But I do look forward to seeing her again.
Several days later.
Foundation Staff II: We're just here to have a conversation, Ms. Tuesday. Relax.
Tuesday: I found it in the wilderness.
Foundation Staff II: You mean, the "motel" with arcane powers?
Foundation Staff II: Just to confirm, the base form of this arcane consciousness is a heart-shaped "fetus," correct?
Tuesday: Yes.
Foundation Staff II: It's about as intelligent as a one-year-old human, and it lacks the ability to deliberately plan or cause the incidents in the motel. Meanwhile, it sees you as its mother, displaying remarkable trust and dependence on you.
Foundation Staff II: Therefore, we believe you were a major contributor to these incidents, or rather, the one who pulled the strings.
Foundation Staff II: You may not have acted with evil intent, but your actions have caused many residents in Chisos to suffer mental breakdowns.
Foundation Staff II: They were seeking some form of relief from their mental anguish, which provided the perfect opportunity for the Manus to entrench themselves so deeply in this town.
Foundation Staff II: Isn't that so, Ms. Tuesday?
Tuesday: Well, I've never been to that town. And even if it is as you say ...
Tuesday: They made their choices, didn't they?
Foundation Staff II: I see.
She scribbles down the information on her clipboard.
Foundation Staff II: The Timekeeper just reported another crucial piece of information to the Foundation.
Foundation Staff II: Were there any activities going on in the motel undertaken by the self-proclaimed followers of the Order of Enlightenment?
Tuesday: Oh, there indeed were. They left not long ago. I still remember their faces.
Foundation Staff II: What did they do at the motel?
Tuesday: They scribbled on the floor and made strange noises. Oh, I remember now.
Tuesday: Whatever it was they were trying to do, it was a total failure. One poor girl became trapped inside their mirror.
Tuesday: She never stopped trying to escape. The mirror would make banging noises all night long, haha.
Foundation Staff II: We didn't find anyone trapped in a mirror during our search.
Tuesday: Well, that's sad, I suppose.
Her expression remains calm as always.
Foundation Staff II: If you knew they were from a dangerous arcanist organization, why didn't you report them to the Foundation?
Tuesday: Ah.
Tuesday: Why would I?
She licks her lips.
Tuesday: Fear doesn't frighten me. No, quite the contrary ...
Tuesday: It excites me. I would embrace fear any day of the week.
