Chapter 110: “Coincidence”

This Translation is hosted on bcatranslation.com

In a quaint antique shop nestled in the city’s lower district, Duncan found himself stationed behind the counter, deeply engrossed in a weekly newspaper. His usually indifferent eyes suddenly sparked with intense focus, prompting him to flip back to the paper’s front page. The headlines prominently featured the latest city-state news, most notably announcing that His Excellency Valentine, the archbishop of the cathedral, would soon lead a large-scale prayer service. The auxiliary branches of the Storm Church were also set to participate, ringing bells and playing instruments to bestow blessings upon the city.

To kickstart the upcoming religious event, the city’s governor, Dante Wayne, had formally congratulated the Storm Church the previous night, presenting them with an array of gifts. A photograph accompanying the article depicted Dante Wayne as a middle-aged man with gray hair, tall and thin, with a notable facial scar and a prosthetic eye, hinting at a near-fatal encounter in his past.

Duncan’s eyes continued scanning the paper, but his thoughts drifted to Inquisitor Vanna. She too had a prominent scar near her eye, though it hadn’t affected her vision. Duncan knew that Dante Wayne was Vanna’s uncle, both bearing scars from traumatic events eleven years ago—a disastrous riot incited by a cult, coupled with a catastrophic leak at a factory in the city’s sixth block. These calamities had transformed the uncle and niece into fervent supporters of the Storm Church and dedicated fighters against cult activities.

Duncan had learned about their background not through secrecy but from public records and local gossip. Casual inquiries and conversations with neighbors and acquaintances had sufficed.

As he pondered, the phrase “factory leak in the sixth block” echoed in his mind. Eleven years ago, and now again, these words held significant meaning. Carefully turning the newspaper page, he pieced together information he had been gathering lately.

Various clues and events seemed to orbit this past incident: fragments of a mysterious sun, inexplicable fires haunting his niece Nina’s memories, Nina’s recent nightmares, the life-altering accident that befell Inquisitor Vanna and Governor Dante, and a mysterious girl named Shirley who seemed to be conducting her own investigation.

He couldn’t ignore the resurgence of the Suntists in the city either. Duncan had recently discovered that their “sun god” was an entity mimicking a sun, seeking assistance from outside forces. All these elements were interconnected, all circling back to the notorious “factory leak” incident in the sixth block over a decade ago.

Duncan felt a growing sense of urgency. There were still missing pieces, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something momentous was about to unfold.

Duncan hadn’t yet resolved to confront the entity known as the Black Sun. Still, a looming concern nagged at him: he worried that this enigmatic force, represented as a nameless fire, might inadvertently ensnare his niece and cause her harm. Simultaneously, he was preoccupied with other matters.

To assuage his worries, he had dispatched Ai, his reconnaissance-trained pet bird, to scout the city. The bird had set out early in the morning, and its return was still hours away. Meanwhile, Nina was upstairs, sorting through her textbooks and supplies, preparing for school. The antique shop’s door chimes rang intermittently as people passed by the storefront. This bustling morning energy was something Duncan genuinely appreciated.

“Uncle! I’m going to school!” Nina called out, bounding down the staircase with her schoolbag slung over one shoulder. From what Duncan could see, she had packed a piece of bread for her lunch, wrapped in paper.

“Slow down, Nina. There’s still plenty of time,” Duncan responded, meeting her eyes. An idea suddenly occurred to him. “Isn’t today your museum visit day?”

“Yes! I’m going with a classmate!” Nina pivoted to face him, her face lighting up with excitement. “I won’t be back for lunch. I’ll go straight to the museum with her. You’ll have to fend for yourself at mealtime, Uncle.”

“Understood,” Duncan replied, grinning as he waved her off. “Take your time, be cautious around traffic, and have fun.”

“Okay, goodbye, Uncle!” With a jubilant shout and the rapid tapping of her shoes against the floor, Nina exited the shop. The door chimes jingled as she stepped out, her form vanishing from Duncan’s view as she crossed the street and blended into the morning sunlight of Pland.

Alone once more, Duncan’s thoughts drifted to a recent visit by Mr. Morris, a school official. They had discussed how Nina had few friends at school and was generally avoided by her classmates. Yet, despite her limited social circle, Nina seemed to have found a kindred spirit. A classmate had invited her to the museum, and she seemed genuinely thrilled. Duncan had inquired the previous day and learned that Nina’s museum companion was a reserved girl from the lower city. Their friendship was fairly new but appeared strong.

With Nina gone and the shop unlikely to see any business on this typical weekday, Duncan set down the newspaper and pondered his next move. The house would remain empty until evening; it seemed wasteful to merely sit in the shop, especially when no customers were expected. Perhaps this was an opportune moment for him to explore the city and delve deeper into some of the mysteries occupying his thoughts.

First on Duncan’s agenda was to send new instructions to Ai, ensuring that the bird would continue its reconnaissance mission while he stepped out. Satisfied, he donned his coat, hung a “Closed” sign on the door of his antique shop, and securely locked up before heading out.

Upon reaching the bus station, Duncan was met with a bustling crowd. It was peak travel time, with commuters headed to work and students making their way to school. He blended seamlessly into the throng of people and turned his attention to the route map displayed on the wall. Today’s destination was of particular interest—the infamous sixth block where the catastrophic factory leak had occurred, according to official accounts.

Confident in his chosen route, Duncan retracted his gaze and patiently melded into the sea of awaiting passengers. Multiple buses arrived and departed, their steam-powered engines hissing and belching as they carried away half the crowd. When his bus finally pulled up, its steam-driven mechanism provided little assurance of fire safety, but Duncan boarded without complaint.

Joining the surge of passengers, Duncan found himself sandwiched among bodies, standing room only. The seats, predictably, were mostly occupied by children and women. He navigated to a less congested corner near the back door and settled in for the ride.

With a grating, wheezing roar, the steam engine sputtered to life, signaling the conductor to start the laborious process of fare collection. By the time the conductor reached Duncan, she looked visibly worn; her dark blue uniform was disheveled, a testament to the challenges of navigating the jam-packed bus.

“Sixth block,” Duncan announced, offering a friendly smile.

The conductor paused, looking taken aback. “I’m sorry, where did you say you’re going?”

Frowning, Duncan reiterated, “The sixth block. The route map indicates that the bus is going that way, doesn’t it?”

Seeming to snap out of her momentary stupor, the conductor glanced at the posted route map next to her and quickly nodded. “Ah, yes, yes, we are indeed going there. It’s just uncommon for anyone to request that stop. That’ll be four soras.”

“Uncommon?” Duncan mused as he handed over the fare. “It’s been eleven years since the incident; hasn’t the area around the factory been redeveloped?”

The conductor simply shook her head as she pocketed the money, offering no further information as she continued her strenuous journey through the crowd of passengers.

With his fare paid and the bus in motion, Duncan retreated into his thoughts. All that remained now was to wait until the bus reached the desolate yet increasingly intriguing sixth block.

Just as Duncan began to settle into the rhythm of the bus ride, a sudden and inexplicable feeling overtook him—a distinct sensation that he was being covertly observed. The experience was fleeting, lasting no more than a heartbeat, yet it left Duncan convinced that the scrutiny was deliberate. It wasn’t just curiosity he felt emanating from that gaze; there was a tangible sense of fear and a clear intent to avoid detection. Intrigued by this new development, Duncan’s senses heightened, the seasoned instincts of a captain accustomed to reading the subtlest signals in perilous situations kicking in.

In the very next moment, Duncan’s eyes caught a small figure attempting to slip away, disappearing into the throng of passengers at the back of the bus. Their eyes locked for the briefest of seconds, but it was enough to immobilize the figure, who seemed to freeze like a statue.

Duncan immediately recognized her. She was a young girl, roughly the same age as his niece Nina, wearing a black dress adorned with an unusual collar around her neck, from which dangled a small bell.

It was Shirley.

Navigating through the sea of passengers, Duncan slowly approached her, his face breaking into a warm smile as he greeted her. “We meet again. Are you on your way to school this time?”

Caught off guard and visibly uneasy, Shirley managed to produce a smile in return, though it looked so strained that it bordered on a grimace. “You… Hello,” she stammered, struggling to maintain her composure.

The tension was palpable. Here was Shirley, the mysterious girl investigating the truth behind the long-ago incident that Duncan himself was delving into. And now, their paths had crossed again in a crowded bus heading toward a largely forgotten part of the city. It was a coincidence too significant to be mere chance, deepening Duncan’s intrigue.

For those that just want to support me, you can follow the link to paypal donating. Sadly you won’t be able to get the benefit of reading ahead 

[Table of Content]

[Previous Chapter]

[Next Chapter]