Beyond the Eternity

I faked a cough. "Ahem! Aside from that, how did you guys escape from that place?"

Moon Jiyeon was the first to respond.

"Ah, that... When I defeated the enemy, it was Soo Jinyoung who brought me out."

"She did?"

"Yes! I was really shocked. She just broke in and dragged me out."

"Wait, she broke in?"

Before Moon Jiyeon could elaborate, Miyuki Kuroi chimed in with admiration,

"Yes, it was the same for me! Soo Jinyoung-nim crashed down from above and crushed that woman like it was nothing."

"Wait, didn't you say you defeated your opponent by burning? How does that even add up?"

Miyuki hesitated before explaining,

"Umm, I lured her into a room filled with oil and set it ablaze. She burned, but instead of dying, she turned into some hideous, gigantic creature. That was when Soo Jinyoung-nim crashed in and killed her in a single shot!"

Yoo Rin added her own story next,

"It was the same for me. After defeating those two sisters, I passed out. Soo Jinyoung-nim was the one who dragged me out."

"So, everyone was saved by Soo Jinyoung-ssi?"

"Yes," they all answered in unison.

I nodded slowly, taking it all in.

In summary, Soo Jinyoung had single-handedly saved the entire group.

From what I knew, Soo Jinyoung was the only character capable of breaking into an artificial dimension, an impenetrable space designed to be inaccessible from the outside.

As expected, she was truly the protagonist.

The only person who could rival her level of absurdity was the Regressor, Sohn Jinwon. Honestly, those two seemed perfectly matched for each other.

I turned my head and saw Soo Jinyoung leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed.

What was she doing?

Ah, I see. She must have overused those "Eyes" to locate and cut through the "Errors," enabling her to break into the artificial dimension. Now, it seems she's entered an energy conservation mode to recover.

Moon Jiyeon tilted her head and asked,

"By the way, why are we still here? Didn't we already fulfill the narrative clear conditions?"

"We did, but only for one. The main objective hasn't been completed yet."

Her eyes widened slightly in realization. "Oh, right! We're supposed to solve that case, aren't we?"

"Exactly. Did you manage to gather the missing fragments on your side?" I asked, glancing at her expectantly.

"Of course," she said with a dramatic sigh. "I did manage to collect one… before I got hunted like a dirty pig, that is."

"Sorry about that," I replied dryly. "What about you two?"

Yoo Rin nodded. "Yes, I got one."

Miyuki added, "Me too."

One by one, the group members brought out the missing memory fragments they had collected.

On the bright side, it seemed we were finally nearing the end of this story.

I retrieved the fragments I had gathered so far, and together, we began piecing the puzzle back together.

† †

[Memory Fragments: 20 / 20]

[All memory fragments has been collected.]

Even though the hidden narrative had been cleared, we didn't return to Earth.

That was because the conditions of the Main Narrative, solving the mystery of the house, hadn't been resolved. If we were truly playing the role of detectives, it was only logical to sift through all the evidence and form a valid conclusion.

Naturally, not all the answers were laid bare within the fragmented memories.

After reviewing all missing memory fragments, the main crucial points had been highlighted:

Julian was the killer of Reginald. Died from a gunshot wound.

Adrian was killed by multiple stab wounds. Over 50 stab wounds.

Viola died from multiple gunshot wounds, with both legs severed. Cause of death: exsanguination.

Iris was confirmed to have stabbed Adrian to death.

Victor was killed by a gunshot wound to the head.

Dante also died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Elena succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds.

Simon was killed by a gunshot wound to the head.

Luna was shot multiple times and bled to death.

Dr. Riccardo Falcone was killed by a gunshot wound to the head.

All the servants were also killed, most with similar gunshot injuries.

We were gathered in the parlour, seated on the couches, with the evidence staring back at us. The list of details was neatly written on a piece of paper and placed on the center table.

Moon Jiyeon furrowed her brows and tilted her head,

"Hold on, something isn't right."

I asked, "What is it?"

"Julian was the one who killed Reginald, correct?"

"Yes."

"And he also confessed that to his wife, Victoria, right?"

"That's correct."

"Then who killed him? No, more importantly, where is his wife? In the memories, Victoria hasn't been killed. Can we assume she's the killer?"

I nodded slowly, "You noticed that too. It's a strong possibility, but it doesn't paint the full picture."

Her eyes narrowed in thought. "Then what are we missing?"

"Hmm. We're not missing much; it's about piecing it all together and figuring out the order of events. Didn't you notice that Iris wasn't killed either? I think I've got a theory about what actually happened."

Moon Jiyeon leaned forward. She appeared rather intrigued,

"Then let's hear it."

Taking a deep breath, I explained,

"Here's what I think: Julian killed Reginald because he wanted access to the family's hidden gold to clear his debts. But to do that, he needed the Witch's Epitaph solved, which he couldn't manage alone. He probably confided in his wife, Victoria, hoping she could solve it.

"But then Adrian's death happened. Iris, in a fit of twisted obsession, stabbed him to death when she realized she couldn't have him. Of course, this didn't go unnoticed. Adrian's parents must have realized what happened and panicked. Knowing that the other family members would find out eventually, they decided to silence everyone.

"The weapons used in the massacre were likely taken from a hidden inventory in the house. Julian, as the eldest child, would've had access to it. Together with Victoria, he started eliminating the others one by one. Remember, somehow, all doors and exits had been locked from the outside, so nobody could escape and all phone services would have cut to eliminate the possibility of calling for help."

Moon Jiyeon rubbed her chin, deep in thought.

"I see. It's a solid theory, but wouldn't killing everyone be counterproductive? What about the gold? If they killed everyone, how would they access it?"

"That's a good point. My guess is that someone solved the Witch's Epitaph and used the gold's location as leverage. Whoever it was, they weren't foolish enough to reveal it outright."

Yoo Rin suddenly chimed in. "Wait, ahjusshi!"

"Yes?" I replied, glancing her way.

"What about Isabella? I don't think she was killed."

The room fell silent as we processed her words.

"Isabella…" I murmured, flipping through the fragments in my mind. "You're right. There's no record of her death among the fragments."

Moon Ji-yeon raised an eyebrow, "So she's the one that deciphered the Witch's Epitaph."

"It's likely plausible. Compared to the other family members, Isabella is the most likely candidate. Her actions and motives are shrouded in mystery, and she's always been… different."

Moon Ji-yeon nodded thoughtfully,

"Perhaps the Witch's Epitaph is something that could only be solved by the main family members themselves, even though the witch's letter claimed anyone could attempt it."

I said,

"That would make sense. The Epitaph might have some hidden connection to their lineage, or shared history. That would explain why we weren't able to solve it, even with Soo Jinyoung-nim's abilities."

Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my arms.

"If Isabella was truly the one who deciphered the Witch's Epitaph, does that mean she survived? So far, the fates of Iris, Victoria, and Isabella remain unknown."

The unanswered questions continued to pile up.

Like a tangled web of lies and truths, the mystery revealed more layers every time one thread was severed.

I continued,

"And then there's another problem, who locked all the doors and exits from the outside? The fragments clearly showed that the house was sealed, trapping everyone inside. If Julian was behind this, he'd need to coordinate it perfectly. He could've ordered George, the family head butler, to lock all exits from the outside. But then George himself would need a way back inside to avoid suspicion."

Moon Jiyeon's eyes widened,

"In that case, one door must have remained unlocked, for him to re-enter without raising alarm!"

"Yes. If the family head, Reginald, was murdered, there's no way his personal butler wouldn't have noticed. It's clear that George was working hand in hand with Julian. In fact, I refuse to believe that only two people orchestrated the massacre of an entire family."

"Then that would mean George was an accomplice," she concluded.

"Without a doubt. He, Julian, and Victoria must have plotted the murders together. To avoid suspicion, they started by eliminating the servants, ensuring there were no witnesses, before turning their attention to the family members."

I paused, then frowned as I replayed the memory fragments in my mind.

"But there's a contradiction; George himself was also murdered."

Moon Jiyeon said,

"It's possible that Isabella and the murderers had a falling-out. Once everyone else was eliminated, Isabella might have solved the Epitaph and located the gold. The others, driven by greed, must have decided to kill her."

Her reasoning was sound, so I nodded in agreement.

"That makes sense. But if she noticed their betrayal and escaped, it would explain the chaos that followed. She could have armed herself using one of the hidden weapons and fought back. Julian's injuries were extreme as his right arm and left leg were blown off, and his head was partially destroyed. As for George, he was killed with a single gunshot to the head."

Moon Jiyeon added,

"That lines up. If Isabella fought back, it could have turned into a bloody standoff between her and the others."

I continued,

"The final confrontation might have occurred outside the mansion, which would explain why there are no recorded fragments of what happened to Victoria, Iris, or Isabella after that point."

The room fell silent as everyone absorbed the implications.

This tale was one of betrayal, obsession, and greed.

Truly, a harrowing narrative.

Their tragic history and stories had festered like a slow poison, culminating in the massacre of an entire family.

Now, I understood why this story remained an uncommon entry in «Link».

But how were we supposed to reach a definitive conclusion?

There were only three plausible outcomes for how the story could have unfolded:

First, Victoria might have succeeded in killing Isabella and escaped with her daughter, Iris.

Second, Isabella could have triumphed over Victoria and gone on to kill Iris as well.

Third, Isabella might have killed Victoria but spared Iris, leaving her alive.

In any case, they wouldn't have been able to carry much of the gold by hand, only enough to ensure a comfortable life.

But which of these possibilities held the truth?

After a moment of contemplation, I opened my eyes, ready to present the definitive conclusion. I said:

"The most plausible outcome of that confrontation is this: Isabella killed both Victoria and her daughter, Iris.

"Isabella had no reason to spare Iris, especially after killing someone as promising as Adrian without hesitation. She may have wavered at first, but in the end, she likely chose to eliminate all potential threats."

"Thus, Isabella became the sole survivor of the Valoment Family Incident."

Moon Jiyeon frowned, clearly unconvinced.

"Wait, hold on. How did you suddenly arrive at that conclusion?"

"Think about it," I explained patiently. "The system's clear condition was to solve the mystery surrounding the house. We've already accomplished that. Anything that happened outside the house doesn't fall within the scope of this narrative.

"As long as our conclusion is reasonable and rooted in the evidence we've gathered, it satisfies the story's requirements. Whether or not Isabella survived or what happened to her afterward isn't our concern within this narrative."

As if on cue, the cold, mechanical voice of «Link» echoed through the room.

[Congratulations, you have successfully cleared the Sixth Narrative.]

[Your clearance rewards will be distributed shortly.]

Moon Jiyeon looked too stunned to speak.

"Ah, so that really worked."

"It's important to read the system messages carefully. Some stories are more simple than they seem on the surface."

Yoo Rin seemed almost bored. "So, in the end, it was a simple story."

I chuckled,

"I suppose you can say that."