Director spear pressed against Reinhard's throat, her boots planted firmly on his chest. Around them, the others lay sprawled across the stone floor.

Joseph, clutching his ribs, Marie's spear rolled just beyond her fingertips, Scath's crimson-black hammer scattered beside her prone form.

The floor beneath them gleamed like black glass, reflecting their battered forms while Anasha stood there watching with wide eyes.

But then footsteps echoed from behind them.

Reinhard's eye darted toward the sound, straining against the pressure on his throat. The entrance they'd come through had a figure emerging from the passage. The man paused at the threshold, silhouetted against the dimmer light of the corridor beyond.

Then he stepped forward, and it was Phineas. He was wearing a black suit with a gold chain glinting across his vest, glasses that he lowered over his silver eyes. He stopped, head tilting as he surveyed the defeated group scattered across his stage.

Then his face split into a delighted grin.

"I was wondering who could survive my traps and guards." Phineas' laughter bounced off the carved pillars. "Of course, it would be my main actors and their supporting cast!"

The Director's masked face tilted upward. "You are late."

Phineas spread his hands, the gold chain swaying slightly, and he shrugged. "Sorry about that. I was making sure everything would work fine outside." He reached up, adjusting his glasses with one finger.

"Then let's get started." The Director bluntly said. "We need to hurry before the Empire and the Academy's forces arrive."

"I am coming, I am coming." Phineas waved dismissively, beginning his approach across the mirror-smooth floor. "Sheesh, you would think you would be the Director of this and not me, Martha."

The name dropped into the chamber and made everyone tremble in shock.

Reinhard's breath stopped as his body trembled beneath the boots pressing into his stomach. The others froze in their scattered positions and reacted.

Joseph's head quickly moved up despite the agony on his side, Marie's fingers halted their crawl toward her spear, Nikki's eyes went wide, Roana's mouth fell open, Gran clenched his fist, and Scath's entire body tensed.

They all turned to the Director.

The chamber fell silent save for their own ragged breathing. Even Anasha, motionless on her distant platform, seemed to lean forward with interest.

The Director sighed before her hand rose slowly to her mask. "You just had to say it, didn't you?" The words emerged flat as a clicking sound rang out. The first latch released, the sound was impossibly loud. "Is this a part of your play as well, to hurt them even more?"

Click and click, the remaining clasps gave way before the Director lifted the mask from her face with both hands, drawing it away slowly.

Long waves of hair tumbled free, in shades of violet and deep blue that shifted between purple and azure as the light played through the strands. But it was the face that made Reinhard and the other tremble even more. Familiar light blue eyes gaze at them with a beautiful face and a black chain around the neck.

It was the same eyes that had examined their wounds with gentle concern, that had crinkled at the corners when in conversation with them. The same delicate features that had smiled reassurance, shown worry, and expressed joy at them. It was the same eyes that shone when Reinhard talked about his dream and goal.

It was Martha.

Reinhard's arms began to shake, the trembling spread through his shoulders, down his spine, rippling through his entire frame.

Joseph's face drained of color, Marie's hand flew to her mouth, and a choked sound escaped between her fingers. Nikki stumbled backward even from her seated position, Roana frowning even more, Scratch clenching her fist, and Gran gritting his teeth.

Phineas stopped his approach, now standing between them and the distant platform where Anasha waited. He examined his nails, holding one hand up to catch the light, and then he nodded with satisfaction. "Well, I felt like this stage was missing some emotion and vulnerability. After all, without any of that, then how can the audience and actors get invested in their roles?"

Martha's hand moved through her hair, fingers combing through the violet and blue strands, drawing them back from her face. "You're a fool."

Phineas opened his mouth to respond, but then Reinhard interjected.

"Was it fake?" Reinhard asked with his fists clenched. "The person we talked with? The person who talked about her goal? Was she fake?"

Martha blinked in surprise before her expression settled into something softer, and a faint smile appeared. "No. That was still me. My wish to change the medical field, my desire to help people, and the memories I made with you. All of it was the real me and not a fake mask."

She shifted her weight, the spear remaining steady at Reinhard's throat even as her posture relaxed slightly. "Before you ask, no, I didn't know you guys were this crazy fool's actor in his play." Her head tilted toward Phineas without her light blue eyes leaving Reinhard's face. "He only told me they would come. I just thought you were all his clients... Well, except for you, Reinhard."

Reinhard's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"I sensed you at the Bolner Storage building two days ago." Martha said softly. "I noticed it was you, and so, because of our talks, I let you go. And it was the same when you invaded here last night."

Phineas straightened abruptly, blinking in surprise. "Huh? They invaded here before, and you didn't tell me?"

Martha's gaze turned cold as she glared at Phineas with hints of annoyance and disgust. "Shut up. You are the last person allowed to be mad about withholding information."

Phineas threw his head back, and he began laughing while Martha waited until the laughter faded. And he grinned at her.

"I thought you were investigating Mehko and not Phineas, but I suppose they are the same, considering how close both are." Martha says softly after moving her gaze back to Reinhard.

Reinhard shifted his arm to cover his face and asked. "The next question is why?"

Joseph pushed himself up on shaking arms. "Yes... Why!? What about the people you healed? What about your patients? What about the people who looked forward to coming to the clinic? The ones who you made happy?"

Martha's shoulders tensed with her expression shifting into pain before the mask of indifference slammed back into place.

But they'd all seen it, that flash of the woman they'd known.

Marie forced herself to her knees while her fingers curled into fists. "What could summoning Fenrir help you with, Miss Martha?! How would that help change the medical field?!"

"Hmm." Martha hummed, but she didn't give an answer.

"Hahaha!" Phineas clapped his hands together. "So my actors really were taking their investigation seriously! As expected of my discerning eye, it truly picked the best ones for evolving this play into something better."

"Shut up, you yapping fool." Scath's words cut through Phineas self-congratulation. Her wine-colored eyes fixed on Martha with laser focus. "Martha, you aren't doing this for the medical field, I'd guess?"

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