It has been a day since they moved in with Sora's group. It was a strange experience, but the first night went smoother than he expected. While he could sleep on the couch, he was fine with micro-naps. Sleeping felt uncomfortable; this exhaustion felt more natural. More deserved.

  The next day, Ken sits alone on the balcony with the micro-recorders, watching the Sand De Royale Hotel. The afternoon sun shines on him while the winds cool him, leaving his body caught between relaxation and restlessness, never quite settling into either.

  “There you are,” Stella says as she slumps over the balcony railing.

  “Hey,” Ken greets while focusing on the recorders. He is looking for the memory slot, trying to retrieve the echo held within.

  “This is so boring!” She loudly complains.

  “Boring? I thought you were having fun with Olya,” Ken answers.

  “I guess I was, but she's so plain and proper. Besides, I thought we would go hunting for the Cultists. Or being attacked. Or haunted.”

  “Haunted?”

  “You know, the Benefactors are dead people, so maybe they send their ghost friends after us.”

  “That one on you,” Ken accidentally drops the watch on the floor. “Damn it!”

  Stella turns to him and asks, “What are you doing?”

  “Trying to get the storage cards out of this. But it's harder than it looks.” Ken sighs as he focuses on the edge of the watch. “Look, you'll have to adjust to this until Baltro is dealt with. There's nothing else we can do until then.”

  Stella groans, “Ugh, I would usually bother Bristol or Melanie. But Mel is busy trying to get Danzo's attention, and Bristol is busy speaking with Gearfried.” She stares inside the suite and grins. “But Olya mentioned someone who could entertain me~.”

  Ken looks up and follows her stare. He sees Agami speaking with Olya, busy pointing at his armament. Ken turns to Stella immediately and says, “No. He is the last person I want you to speak to.”

  She chuckles lightly as Ken refuses her idea. “What? It wouldn't hurt to get to know him. Besides, what's the worst that lil’ ol’ me can do?”

  Ken is not amused by her jokes. The last thing he needs is Stella messing with Sora's second eldest. The pressure that he felt when Sora warned him after the interrogation still haunts him. The only thing he can do is deter her from speaking to him.

  “I don't know much about you, but from what I have experienced, you will only cause him trouble,” Ken answers.

  Stella sighs as she leans her head back. “Of course, the paranoid one is against the idea. I should have complained to someone else.”

  “I'm serious. Stay away from him. Someone like you should not come into contact with someone like him.”

  “Someone like him?” She asks.

  Ken glances at her. “He is still pure and innocent.”

  “Pffft, as if you know what someone's like.”

  “I can see it in his eyes, his mannerisms, and the way he speaks. He is trying to be like everyone in there, but he doesn't have that darkness in him. That dirt. Unlike them. Even Olya has some underneath,” Ken warns her.

  “Tch, fine~” Stella finishes as she walks away.

  A few minutes after she leaves, Ken can focus on the watch. He accidentally presses the dial, causing the back to pop out. He looks around to see if anyone is there with him before returning to it. Glad nobody saw that.

  He picks up the storage card and slides it into his phone. Browsing the card, he finds the echo.

  He presses play and puts the phone near his ear.

  “Do I look fine?” He hears Olya's voice first. “Hello?”

  “Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah. You’re good.” Agami's voice is heard after.

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  “Okay? No problem with your disguise either?” She says. Ken fast forwards the echo until they arrive at the Milton Recreational Center.

  “Have a wonderful evening, Mr and Mrs Blinks,” a man's voice says. It seems they arrived.

  “Uhm, Jonathan? Jonathan?” Olya repeats.

  “Yes, Ol- I mean Kelly, haha,” Agami awkwardly blurts. He pauses the echo and thinks for a moment. Jonathan and Kelly blinks are their cover, huh? Seems Olya was working overtime covering for him.

  He looks at Agami playing with the twins. He is more right than he thought about Agami not belonging in this type of world. Ken presses play.

  From the background noise, they seem to be in some kind of room. Ken can hear some ambient noises in the background.

  “My hand,” Olya whispers.

  “I'm so sorry, I didn't-” Agami apologises before he is interrupted.

  “It's alright, you can apologise later. Right now, we need to hear what the Navigator wishes.”

  Her cover skills are impressive. Even without anyone there, she maintains the facade.

  The background noise in the echo is drowned out by chatter from nearby crowds. Have they joined the main crowd?

  “Something is strange. The air smells weird,” Olya comments.

  “Dreamer?” Ken mutters under his breath.

  “What now? We can't ri-”

  “We do not speak about non-believers in the presence of our Navigator. We hear our savior's wishes, then carry them out,” Olya interrupts.

  The two remain silent; only the chatter of the crowd in the background can be heard. After several minutes have passed, the background chatter softens, and Ken hears the sound of an orchestra playing.

  They're starting.

  “True believers, our Navigator thanks you for your attendance. For today, he shall bless us with words he deemed ‘imperative for Ascension’!” A loud voice is heard, and the cheers of the crowd follow. “Now, to deliver our Navigator's words upon us, is none other than his most trusted follower and prophet: MARKOV VORDIER!”

  Ken freezes upon hearing that name; a loud ringing hangs over him. Markov Vordier!? I killed him…didn't I? No– I'm certain I did. He digs through his bag and pulls out the corkscrew, the dried blood still clinging to it. Did they bring him back the same way they did Senzo?

  After a minute, the crowd becomes quiet as Markov speaks again, “My brothers and sisters, as you may have heard, an assassin was sent to take my life. Unfortunately, he succeeded, and I lost my life. But through the Navigator's will, he guided my soul back to this world, for HIS POWER IS INFINITE!”

  The crowd broke into a roar of cheers. “While I was recovering, I heard that some of ours have lost their lives seeking revenge against me, some losing their lives to hunt down our enemies. But I have harrowing news for all of you. A group of people is trying to send our faithful Navigator back to the beyond, forcing him to forsake us!”

  Ken hears a mix of angry and shocked murmurs in the background. “Now, now. The Navigator is aware of this, and to ensure he can still serve and save all of you, he has announced that it is time for the Ascension!” The crowd is stirred even more, some in surprise and excitement.

  “In five days, when the moon is at its highest, we shall ascend from the pen that touches the sky!” As he finishes, the crowd erupts into cheers.

  “Five days at the pen that touches the sky?” Ken repeats under his breath. He turns to look at the Sand De Royale hotel. So that's where we will confront Markov.

  He returns to the echo. “So to prepare for the Ascension, let us pray and offer our thanks to The Navigator. And to make this night even more special…” From the sound of the crowd, something is happening. “We will welcome these lost souls and help them to follow the Navigator's guidance or remain forever lost.”

  “We need to leave, now!” Agami whispers to Olya.

  “What, are you insane? We will look suspicious!” Olya argues.

  “It doesn't matter, one of the guys, I know him. He was there when Tenmei and I defeated his boss.”

  Defeated his boss? Ken's eyes narrow as he realises who it is. Byron. The one responsible for Senzo's death. How could he forget the sole person responsible?

  Agami and Olya go quiet; only the sound of the crowd moving past them is heard.

  “Sir, ma'am. Is something wrong?” A voice asks.

  “Oh, our…dog is sick and we-...we need to go check on him. The vet that's taking care of him requires our information, and we need to leave…now,” Olya responds.

  Does she struggle with changing plans?

  “That is rather unfortunate. Would you not wish to stay a bit longer until the prayer is over? The Navigator will surely hear your wishes and heal him.”

  “It's urgent, we will make up for it later, but our dog needs us,” Agami interrupts.

  “All the best for tonight then,” the man replies. From the tone of his voice, their cover is already blown.

  “So we had some snakes amongst us. The Navigator will be displeased,” a voice announces.

  The rest of the echo is about their escape and yields nothing else he can learn. The echo in Olya's recorder is nearly identical to Agami's. Ken stretches before walking to the railing, deciding his next course of action. While Sora and the others will handle Baltro, someone needs to deal with the rat.

  Taking a deep breath, he resolves what he needs to do.

  He will kill Byron.