CH 20.1

Second Floor (13)

Translated by boilpoil

Edited by boilpoil

“Gaze into the Abyss, and It Gazes Right Back at You”

“Butcher.” His radio is blinking.

Having just finished a tiring conversation, Butcher rubs his sleepy eyes for a moment, before letting the call through. There is a ruckus on the other side with hasty noises.

He chases away his exhaustion for now, as his mood sinks.

In Stargaol, order and silence prevails. With the countless rules governing its operation, all the mad beasts are restrained——Yet, right now, he is hearing unusual noises.

Running, shouting, dragging. All mixed busily.

“What’s happening?” Butcher looks back at the shut door behind him, inside of which a conversation just took place——A group of personnel here to evaluate him through talking, observing and investigating.

The questions they investigate include, but are surely not limited to – if Butcher has acted against any rules regarding Coordinator conduct; if Butcher has betrayed the Warden; if Butcher has become incapable of keeping control; if Butcher has become a threat to their operations, and more.

If they reach a certain threshold in their conclusion, Butcher will have to go through something even worse——An internal rectification process.

“Lone Wolf is dead.”

Butcher freezes in shock for a couple of seconds with pupils shrinking to a mere point, as the words of the Chief Physician flash through his mind.

“The circumstances are complicated. I think it’s best you come to see this yourself.”

Butcher acknowledges and walks outside. His slightly round form slowly straightens up as he does; there is an aura to him.

At Lone Wolf’s cell, prison officers are combing through everything. Some are checking the body, others are gathering environmental clues, some have retrieved the surveillance footage… Busy, but orderly.

Butcher stops in front of the door, and looks inside the cell through the hustle.

After he had the conversation, Butcher kept the Chief Physician’s advice close to heart.

When Lone Wolf was discharged, he was transferred to a single cell, with all the usual labour and outdoor activities cancelled. It’s not the same as solitary confinement, but he was isolated from all other prisoners.

Beyond this, he also had two prison officers follow Lone Wolf at all times, just in case.

Even with this watertight arrangement, Lone Wolf still died?

The cell itself is simple enough. A separate bathroom, then a space acting as a heavily neutered bedroom and living room – a single bed, a table made of non-rigid plastic, and a simple cabinet on the wall opposite. There are no other tools around.

Blood is seeping out from the small, isolated toilet. It spreads and grows, like a mocking blossom of a painting.

“Butcher…” The prison officer temporarily organising things around hurries to Butcher as soon as he sees him, and leads him inside.

“Our current discoveries suggest a suicide.” He takes Butcher to the entrance to the toilet and stops.

The door is wide open. On the ground between the toilet itself and the sink is a body leaning against the wall. Time has passed and, well, the fact that he is dead has changed his posture a little, but it is still quite clear that before death, he was sitting here with his head buried in his knees.

“And the manner of death?” Butcher walks around the pool of blood, and lifts up Lone Wolf’s head.

The man’s expression is calm, without a single sign of struggle.

“He pried open the wound on his waist with his own bare hands,” the prison officer pauses here, and couldn’t help lowering his voice, “the cause of death is haemorrhagic shock.”

“The wound on his waist?” Butcher crouches and pushes Lone Wolf’s hand over his waist away. Here, his prisoner’s clothes are tainted crimson.

Butcher lifts the clothes up in order to see the wound more closely. The wound is enormous, dug extremely deep. Just seeing it is enough to tell how mental the person was when he did this.

“Humans have a subconscious mechanism protecting themselves. Often, when someone decides to end their own life, they’d choose a quick and easy method. That is because the more troublesome and painful methods will cause them to immediately and strongly regret their actions, and abort.”

The Chief Physician’s explanation comes from the side.

“There are, of course, more exotic cases——The infamous hypnosis, for example; however, it is normally impossible to hypnotise someone into killing themselves, due to the subconscious I just mentioned. When the order conflicts with subconscious mechanisms, hypnosis does not work.”

“Therefore, in the case of this suicide, given the intensity in his longing for death displayed here, hypnosis can be ruled out entirely.”

Butcher stands up and asks him.

“What else could give him such an intense longing for death, then?”

“Most likely… orders from his superiors.” Seeing Butcher’s look, the Physician adds, “and another, is fear.”

“Fear?”

“Fear for someone so intense it overpowers his fear of death.” The Chief Physician tells Butcher, “I think we already have our answer now——On the question of why Jiang Yiyi had to see him specifically before leaving.”

“Just by locking eyes?” Butcher is in disbelief.

“Just by locking eyes.” The Chief Physician repeats, his tone certain.

“Impossible!”

The Physician glances at Butcher before walking outside, “how so?”

Butcher follows, as the prison officer beside calls out, “Butcher?”

“Keep looking. Find out if it is truly a suicide or a murder.” Butcher waves him away, “summarise every single anomaly he has displayed so far, and give me a report.”

The Chief Physician is outside of the cell. He takes a deep breath in the corridor to exhale all the bloody smell lingering inside.

Butcher comes back, and then analyses, “it is a fact that Jiang Yiyi is currently on the third floor, and therefore could have done nothing against Lone Wolf. Even if he is scared of him, when he knows for a fact Jiang Yiyi cannot reach him anymore, why would he choose to kill himself?”

The Physician walks to stand under the sunlight, and asks another question, while watching the prison officers move about, “today is your re-evaluation, right? How was it?”

“They asked some questions. Same old, same old. Why?”

“Really?” The Chief Physician turns to face him, “and you think that there is nothing wrong with how much bias you are showing towards Jiang Yiyi?”

“Bias?” Butcher asks, confused, “since when did I show bias towards him?”

“Since before. Even just now, you have been making the case that Jiang Yiyi could not have anything to do with Lone Wolf’s death. You and I both know the only factor in this incident is Jiang Yiyi.”

“But then my question remains pertinent.” Butcher asks once more, “if he knows Jiang Yiyi cannot do anything to him anymore, why would he commit suicide because of his fear?”

The Chief Physician looks at him, “his fear is enough to drive him to dig open a healing wound to bleed to death without hesitation. Do you think his rational side was going to stop him?”

“If he is not scared of dying, why would he even be scared of Jiang Yiyi killing him in the first place?”

“Then what is he scared of?”

“That is my question for you.” The Chief Physician asks Butcher once more, staring right into his eyes, “why are you showing such bias towards Jiang Yiyi?”

“I am not!”

The Physician continues staring at him, before suddenly smiling, “perhaps he would have answered the same thing.”

Butcher doesn’t get it, and is just looking at him, confused still.