Two invitations, from the founder of "The Circle," no less.
A precious opportunity—a rare and precious clue to the goings-on here.
Hofmann caresses the edges, sinking into a long silence.
The obedient assistant looks off into the far distance, awaiting the impending storm.
Hofmann: ... You know what happened. But under the Foundation's regulations, I must reiterate that the primary subject of this investigation has been changed to Heinrich.
Hofmann: These two invitations are very useful. I'll tell the Field Agent Squad to act tomorrow night. Once Heinrich's identity is verified, we will detain him in the exhibit.
Hofmann: But I must remind you, Marcus.
Hofmann: What you did today was a serious violation of the Field Mission Manual. And I have to report this to the headquarters.
Hofmann: That island is not of this era. Everything about it is strictly confidential. You have crossed a line.
The mentor's tone was of a stern reproach. Not so inconsequential anymore.
Marcus: ... Understood ...
Marcus's complexion turns deathly pale. Her mouth hangs open to speak several times but fails to make a sound.
If not for the wall, she might well have fallen over.
Hofmann: I know what you're thinking. We need to get closer to this group.
Hofmann: You might think that their ideas are closer to those of the headquarters, and therefore easier to work with compared to the Vienna branch.
Marcus: Umm ...?!
Marcus finds herself surprised by her stay of execution.
Hofmann: You must know that Kakania is not our only source of information.
Hofmann turns away, intentionally avoiding the overeager eyes of her apprentice.
Hofmann: On the one hand, Karl has given us a list. In principle, everyone on this list is useful. On the other hand, the branch has its own connections too.
Hofmann: More importantly, it takes more than a conversation over tea to get people on the same side of a conflict.
The experienced investigator sighs, rubbing her forehead.
Hofmann: I'm worried you are not ready for this, Marcus.
Hofmann: There is too much wickedness out there dressed in the skin of kindness. The most horrible atrocities are always committed for the most seemingly justified reasons.
Hofmann: Even at the headquarters, people are mired in power struggles and compromises.
Marcus: ...
Marcus: Sorry, ma'am, I was naive ...
Hofmann: It'll be the Foundation's judgment call. If the information you've gathered outweighs the risks, you may be treated leniently.
Hofmann: Marcus, look at the street.
The Ring Road has a feeling of tranquility despite the evening bustle.
Hofmann: You're not the only one who wants to contribute to this place and its people. We come for peace, and many before us have tried to prevent foreseeable tragedies, only to cause greater tragedies.
Hofmann: The rules are there for a reason. Nothing in the manual was written out of imagination. Every one of them came from a mistake of the past.
Hofmann: We are only here to observe.
Many well-dressed citizens pass by, enjoying their sunset strolls.
Marcus: ...
Hofmann: This is Vienna in 1914. The birthplace of an enduring war and chaos, the Critical Point.
Hofmann: It is a powder keg, and the slightest spark will set it off. Any action we take could have unfathomable consequences.
Hofmann: That's why we advise extreme caution.
Hofmann: This is our responsibility to this era.
Marcus follows her mentor's hand, gazing into the distance.
For the first time, she scrutinizes the city ahead of her in detail.
Here, countless lives, possibilities, and thoughts new and old collide ...
Would all this end in an instant beneath a curtain of rain?
Marcus: ...
Marcus nods, searching out a word of affirmation.
Marcus: ... I understand completely, Madam Hofmann.
Marcus: I won't make the same mistake again.
Away from the Ring Road, others continue on their life's trajectory.
In Kakania's clinic, a slightly unorthodox treatment is about to begin.
Isolde: ...
Kakania: Isolde? You look sad and pale, what happened?
Kakania: Did something happen in the troupe? Or did those dreadful officials come back?
Isolde: No. I'm just ... a bit worried.
Isolde: You ... you entered a duel for my sake. Dear lord, the thought of you getting hurt breaks my heart.
Kakania: Did Heinrich tell you that? He needs to keep his mouth shut.
Kakania: Don't worry about me, Isolde. I fought for the ethics of the profession, and I'm ready to bear the consequences of my actions.
Kakania: That scum sold the secrets of hypnosis to the military. It's a treatment, not a means of interrogation!
Kakania: In the end, all is well! The duel didn't happen, and I'm here, unharmed. All thanks to that young missy from the Foundation.
Isolde: That young missy from the Foundation ...
Isolde: The lady who just left? I bumped into her at the door.
Kakania: So you've seen her.
Isolde: She was at the Secession Building. You weren't there.
Isolde: Did she give you any trouble? You told me that the Foundation was after you for a while because you didn't have a license.
Isolde: I can help you, doctor. I can ask Mr. Karl to ...
Kakania: Eh? No need for that. We only just became friends.
Isolde: Friends?
Isolde: You told me to stay away from the Foundation staff, but now you're making friends with them ...
Kakania: Oh, she's different, dear Isolde! We met by chance. I gave her an invitation to the exhibit, so you'll see her there. I think you two will become best friends.
Kakania: It would take all day to tell you everything. You're here for treatment. Let's not waste time on unimportant things.
Isolde: Unimportant? Alright ...
Isolde: ...
Kakania coughs, trying to revert to her more professional guise.
Kakania: You're a personal friend, Isolde, so I didn't want to give you therapy in the first place ...
Isolde: Be-because I'm not good enough, or sick enough, to be your patient?
Kakania: No no no, because I'm not good enough. I wasn't properly trained, I don't have a medical license, or a degree! This is the cold, hard truth, and you're too important a friend to me.
Kakania: But I can no longer watch you suffer from the horrible treatments those quacks gave you.
Kakania: I may not have a license, but I have the knowledge and ethics that they don't. I never overcharge my treatment, nor sell unnecessary things to the patient, and I will never experiment on my patients!
Isolde: Heh heh.
Kakania: Your smile. So you agree with what I said about those psychiatrists and doctors!
Kakania: Okay, then let's get to it!
Kakania spins her pen in an excited twirl, flipping open her treatment book.
Kakania: Dr. Sigmund Freud wrote that repression of desires is one of the primary causes of hysteria.
Kakania: You need to release these desires. I'll guide your memory to find the deeply hidden thoughts. Trust me and tell me everything during the session.
Kakania: You'll suffer less from the repression, and your physical ailments, fainting and convulsions, will become less severe.
Kakania: Cast off your shackles and trust in me. This first step is crucial.
Kakania: I know tragedies in your family have affected you deeply. But I'm here to help you now.
Kakania: If you have trouble putting thoughts into words, use this mirror.
Kakania: It reflects your inner thoughts, like a mind's endoscope. I cast an arcane skill on it to help your thoughts surface.
Kakania: Look at it, and tell me what you see.
Isolde: My inner thoughts ...
Kakania: Yes, I won't hypnotize you, nor will I turn around and peek at the mirror. What's in there belongs to only you, we're just going to talk.
Kakania: Hypnosis is a therapy I most detest. It doesn't help you understand and rediscover yourself.
Kakania: And if the dialogue isn't based on the full awareness and consent of both parties, it's pointless.
Isolde: I see. I will do my best.
Kakania: Do your best? Hah, relax, you're not on the job. Just turn around, look in the mirror, and tell me ...
Kakania: What do you see?
Isolde: Uhm ...
Isolde: I see ... golden circles ...
Isolde: Theophil in his study, on his feet, his hand gesturing intensely in the air ...
Isolde: Ah, yes, I'm there too. I'm ...
Isolde: ...?
Her voice becomes strange and sharp.
Isolde: Odd. Why am I not here?
Isolde: Doctor, is your mirror not working? It's not showing my reflection. No, no, this isn't right, I promised to do my best ...
Isolde: I was there, I must have been. I have to remember it. You prepared all of this for my sake, I mustn't disappoint you ...
Kakania: Oh no, she's stuck in her obsessive thoughts!
Kakania: Isolde, please sit down and listen to my voice.
The actress, ignoring her doctor's warnings, forcefully grips the edge of the mirror.
Isolde: Who am I? Where am I?
Isolde: Hello, is anybody there? Who is me? I am who? Greetings. Hello?
The candles go out, and the room fills with an inexplicable breeze.
An incorporeal voice responds to her inquiry, invited in from the void.
Kakania: The lost ghosts. The last time in the Secession Building ... Now I understand.
Kakania: I have to get her to stop relying so much on her arcane power. Luckily, not completing my education is why I know a little bit of everything.
The doctor rushes to the full-sized mirror in the workshop, removing the gray cloths one by one.
Isolde: What are you doing, doctor? Is the session over?
Isolde: Was it because I did something wrong? Did I mess up?
Kakania: Nonsense, you were doing great! I just have to clean the room a bit.
A more intense flash fills the clinic, dispelling the damp and resentful darkness.
Kakania: Shoo, go away! Mirrors are useless to ghosts!
Kakania: Leave my patient alone, and never come back!
