Beyond the Eternity

Was that it?

I furrowed my brows.

Unlike the earlier memory fragment, this one was notably shorter, depicting the characters throwing a tantrum and storming down to the parlor after failing to get their father to confront them.

The parlour?

All of them had gone there, while the butler and physician stayed behind. But something felt off. That butler didn't seem like just any servant. He might have been the Family Head's personal butler, the one who managed the household and earned his master's utmost trust.

Wouldn't someone in such a position be allowed into the Family Head's study? At the very least, trusted enough to bring his meals or deliver messages?

But how was that relevant here?

Even if he were the only one allowed to enter the study, the door could only be opened from the inside since there was no keyhole. But that raised another question.

What happened when the Family Head left the study and the door closed behind him?

If the study were a spacious area equipped with a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, Reginald would have little reason to leave. However, it was hard to believe he would stay confined to his study without stepping out at least once.

No matter how antisocial or introverted someone might be, the idea of being confined to a single place would undoubtedly be unbearable.

Why would he willingly imprison himself in his own home?

[The blessing of your new attribute is activating.]

[Your thought processing speed has increased due to heightened immersion.]

It seemed the attribute I bought from the Exclusive Shop before entering the Sixth Fable was working as intended. My thoughts flowed faster and sharper.

As I was lost in contemplation, Moon Jiyeon turned to me.

"So, the butler could access the Lord's study?"

"It seems likely. Considering what Julian said, it's safe to assume George is the Family Head's personal butler."

"I thought so too. But does that mean he can enter the study freely? Perhaps there's a hidden mechanism somewhere around here."

She began scanning the corridor walls, fingers brushing against the wallpaper. But nothing stood out.

She clicked her tongue. "This is difficult, and we still have no idea what happened here."

"We'll find out if we keep going."

Ryu Yeji suggested.

"How about we start by investigating the children? We don't necessarily need to begin with the adults."

"That's not a bad idea, but starting with the children might lead us in circles. Let's focus on the adults first and finish there before moving on."

"Oh, okay."

Moon Jiyeon raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, should we head to the parlour?"

"Yes, let's head to the parlour. Although I wanted to check out the head buttler first, checking out the parlour will be a great start."

After all, the Fragment in the parlour would serve as the continuation of the previous memory.

We climbed down the stairs and made our way towards the parlour, located on the first floor.

As we walked, I noticed Miyuki glancing over her shoulder every so often, as if she sensed something following us.

But, of course, there was nothing there.

Curious, I turned to Miyuki, walking besides me, and asked. "Hey, is something bothering you?"

".... No, It's nothing."

"You know, your nose becomes bigger when you lie."

"Eh? Do I look like Pinocchio?"

"Isn't that a nice reference? Your nose is big though."

"Ahjussi, you jerk."

Miyuki pouted and looked like she would become upset.

Under normal circumstances, I would have laughed. But something was preventing me from doing just that.

If Miyuki, a medium, kept glancing over her shoulder, it could only mean one thing—something was stalking us.

I glanced behind my shoulders.

As expected, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Perhaps those 'things' were simply hiding, silently observing us for the time being.

But what would happen if they suddenly grew confident?

I shook my head and continued walking as if everything was normal.

As long as we stick to the Ten Rules of Survival and avoid making any reckless moves, we should be fine.

Worst case scenario, we'd have to fight, but we'd be at a big disadvantage since we're on their turf.

When we arrived at the parlour, I noticed its spacious layout and meticulous design. At the center of the room stood a table surrounded by several couches, perfectly arranged.

Surprisingly, not a speck of dust could be found in the room. It seemed the 'furnitures' were performing their jobs perfectly.

Moon Jiyeon examined the room and spoke as if she was amazed.

"This place is surprisingly clean."

"It just means the servants are doing their jobs properly."

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "By the way, this house has been abandoned for a long time because of some incident, right?"

"That's correct."

"Then why are the servants still maintaining it? For that matter, why are they even here at all?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"I don't know. You always seem to know these things."

Moon Jiyeon looked at me with a mix of suspicion and curiosity in her eyes.

She seemed curious about my identity and how I always seemed to know things. However, I wasn't the mysterious presencd she seemed to think I was.

I'm just an ordinary writer who happened to stumble upon a certain novel by chance.

"Let's start searching. The shattered fragment should be somewhere around here."

Skillfully steering the conversation away, I started searching for the shattered fragment, and the rest of the group quickly joined in.

The group dispersed and searched different parts of the parlor. Moon Jiyeon inspected the intricately carved bookshelf along one wall, Soo Jinyoung examined the fireplace, Yoo Rin and Miyuki searched beneath the couches and table, while Ryu Yeji studied the painting above the mantelpiece.

As I surveyed the room and carried out my own search, something on the floor caught my eye. I crouched down to investigate further.

I brushed my fingers against the marks on the wooden floor.

The marks weren't random. The scratches formed a faint pattern, almost like a trail leading toward the far corner of the room where a large grandfather clock stood.

[Observation has been enhanced due to your attribute.]

[You have discovered a subtle clue: Displaced Timepiece.]

Displaced Timepiece?

I frowned.

At first glance, the clock appeared perfectly normal. But upon closer inspection, I noticed that it was slightly off-center, as if it had been moved recently. I placed my hand on its ornate frame and gave it a gentle push. It didn't budge.

Why did this feel unnaturally heavy?

"Find something?"

Soo Jinyoung called out from the fireplace.

"Maybe," I gestured for her to come over. "There's something strange about this cloak."

She stepped closer and examined the timepiece. At first glance, it appeared perfectly ordinary, but upon closer inspection, the hands were completely still, frozen in place.

Time was stagnant.

"It's not working."

"Did you expect it to? The concept of time does not exist in this place."

"I already know that much." She ran a finger along the clock's ornate design. "But you can't deny it's a fine piece of craftsmanship."

"It's beautiful, but It's out of place. Look at the dust pattern on the floor around it, there's a clean outline where it used to sit."

"You suspect something is behind it?"

"Yes. Help me move."

Together, we applied pressure to the sides of the clock. With a low groan, it shifted slightly, revealing a small, dark recess in the wall behind it.

The rest of the group members quickly joined us and widened their eyes as they peered into the hidden space.

Inside was a narrow compartment containing a faded journal and what looked like a shard of glass that shimmered faintly in the dim light.

[You have discovered a memory fragment: Fragment of Despair.]

"Is that...?"

"Yes. It's a fragment."

I reached out to grasp the shard, and as my fingers made contact, a searing jolt of energy shot through me.

What was this?

"Careful."

I heard Soo Jinyoung's voice. She caught my body as I staggered slightly.

Miyuki and Yoo Rin asked, worried. "Ahjussi, are you okay?"

"..... I'm fine."

I managed to shake off the lingering disorientation. I held up the shard for the group to see.

"This is what we've been looking for."

"And the journal?"

Moon Jiyeon asked, pointing to the worn book still sitting in the compartment.

I nodded and picked up the journal.

The cover was brittle and weathered, with its edges cracked with age. Inside, the pages were packed with dense, hurried handwriting. Most of it was indecipherable at first glance, but a few phrases stood out:

「 The Family Head has gone mad. Everyone will die. 」

「 The Witch's revival ritual has begun. The game of demons has begun. No one will survive. 」

「 Decipher the Witch's Epitaph to find salvation. 」

Looking at such ominous words, I couldn't help but become uneasy.

Witch's revival ritual? Game of demons? What the hell happened in this mansion? Was this some kind of supernatural slaughter party?

Moon Jiyeon tilted her head and frowned slightly.

"What is this? Do you understand anything that's written there?"

"I have no clue whatsoever."

"Wait, so all of them were killed by demons or something like that? What's this about a witch?"

Ryu Yeji asked, confused.

"I knew something was wrong with that old man. Did he really summon demons to kill his entire family?"

Says Yoo Rin.

".... I'm confused."

Then there was Miyuki, utterly clueless about everything.

Without exception, all the group members appeared puzzled as they tried to make sense of the journal's contents. Even Soo Jinyoung frowned.

I flipped through its pages, hoping to uncover more information, but most of the writing was indecipherable, with several sections obscured by smears of dried blood. It seemed likely that the journal's owner had scrawled these entries in a desperate hurry, perhaps just before being caught by someone—or something.

I scratched the back of my head.

What was all this about witches and demons?

If these supernatural beings were truly involved with this mystery, it was safe to assume that logic and reason had long since been abandoned.

How am I supposed to pass the Sixth Fable like this?

The scenario has become more complicated.

Let's calm down. I still don't have the full picture, so jumping to conclusions now would be unwise. Considering that this shard has a given name, I should be able to uncover some relevant information.

Having calmed down my uncontrollable thoughts to an extent, I gripped the shard in my hand and summoned the system interface.

[Collected Shattered Fragments: 3 / ???]

[Would you like to examine the Shattered Fragment?]

[ Yes / No ]

[ Yes (Select) / No ]

[Memory Examination will occur...]

Upon choosing the 'Yes' option, the scene began to change.