In the present day, Simon's core was getting brighter and brighter. Even in his sleep, he was examining it carefully.
Simon's core was formed like a white gem and torn like yarn. This was because Simon was only in the Dissonant stage. However, he had progressed to the Stabilized semi-stage not too long ago.
Even if he was just Dissonantly Reformed, the sudden influx of spiritual energy from Saber made him progress faster. This caused Simon to have a complex look on his face.
He was happy that now, he would be able to ascend into the Reluctant stage. At the same time, he was filled with dread because of a trial he would have to endure to achieve it.
Each trial was specific to a Signator; there was no telling how and when it would form. The most common reports would be the act of the Signator rewatching the events that had led them to achieve their Signature.
With Simon's Goal type Signature, he knew the reason behind his. Thus, he was frightened to go through it.
(No matter how I feel, I will have to see it sooner or later by force. This feels more like a wicked curse than a power.)
With that, Simon touched the ball of yarn, descending into his core at its lowest depth.
"Simon, close your eyes."
"Huh? But why, Naomi? My dad is—"
"I said close them." The woman insisted in a heavy southern accent.
Simon looked back at the woman with a pout. This version of Simon was no older than five. He remembered this time vividly; the woman behind him was now his guardian, Naomi.
She had curly hair that dripped down to her shoulders, matching her milk chocolate skin perfectly. Just like the rest of the bureau, she was forced to wear a blue and white uniform.
Her eyes were like a beautiful copper sea, and her figure was barely contained by her clothes. She fought with Simon for a while, trying to force him out of the room.
"Naomi, stop!" Simon yelled.
He desperately fought against her, trying to keep her hands from covering his eyes. Simon was sitting down in a chair, the same chair he sat in every day, awaiting his father's return.
It would only be a minute or two until he was back — so why did she want Simon to look away so badly? Even as he struggled, he did not win. He was only a child after all.
She barely managed to cover most of his vision as Simon kept resisting. Just then, his father walked in through the doorway.
His father shared the same stone depths that Simon did, his hair a short golden blonde. However, his expression made it seem as if he was not physically there.
He wore a white coat, with a belt, and another layer of an all white suit underneath. The only other color that could be noticed was the sleek black of his tie.
"Dad, tell her to let go of..." He stopped mid-sentence.
Krk!
The sound ruptured his eardrums. He saw a faint drip of crimson liquid fall, which made him look upwards. Through the slit of Naomi's fingers, he saw his father stabbing himself in the eye with a lance.
Naomi quickly covered them again, and his father continued. He grabbed a dagger off his belt, plunging it into his own throat.
"Johnathan..." Naomi muttered.
Johnathan gripped the dagger tighter, swiftly pulling it across. Instead of cutting his head clean off, the blade stayed lodged, making his head twist and loll.
As it dangled, he pushed the lance deeper inside before pulling the dagger up. He did not stop until the two metals collided. Only then did Johnathan pull the dagger out and carve his own tongue out.
Everyone watching this scene did not dare to intervene. This was the cost of a human tampering with another's Book of Life.
If one dared to intervene with this person's will — they would only be killed before Johnathan continued. Johnathan was already dead at this point, but their will was still not carried out.
He pushed another dagger into his artery, making a pool of blood spurt out towards Simon. Only then did he pluck out his own fingernails, before tearing apart his skin.
Simon, in his current form, was forced to watch this entire scene play out. However, the Simon from fourteen years ago could only hear the terrors.
The same expressions dawned on their faces, however — shock, fear, sadness, and pain. Simon did not know how much longer he could bear this... It was too heartbreaking.
In one swift strike, Johnathan had cut his own foot off. He hopped on one leg to retrieve it before holding it upside down to let the blood spill from it.
As soon as there was no more, he knelt and began to carve words into the puddle with the handle of the lance that was still in his eye.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Simon jolted awake, seeing Saber still in the corner of the room. She quickly hid inside his body, and Simon wiped a tear from his eye before standing up.
He forced himself to do what little of a routine he could before answering the door.
"Hello?"
As it swung open, it was not who he was hoping to see. Standing before him was Alina, and she turned her head, seeing Simon's state. Simon frowned, but did not dare to speak any longer.
Alina led him downstairs into a car, waiting until he got into the passenger's seat to start driving. The drive back to the interrogation room was silent; neither of them dared to say a word.
"...It could not be received or forgiven. Accept it, get lost from that distortion." Alina said.
Simon still did not respond to her, which only made her narrow her eyes. Besides that, no interaction was shared between the two.
As they reached the room, Simon hurriedly entered, leaving Alina behind. Only then did he let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Although this did not last long. At some point, he would need to descend into that nightmare again. The thought of this made Simon feel weak, a chill crawling down his spine.
Time did not wait for him; however, the next moment, the detective walked in the other side of the room.
"Good morning, Legacy of Crest."
"Stop calling me that."
"You must not be a morning person."
"Don't try to act friendly with me. If I'm such a monster in your eyes, then humans have no right to show kindness to me. Let's get this over with for the day."
The man paused, he seemed almost... Satisfied?
They both took a seat and began to continue.
"You launched a personal investigation against Elliot Grayson. Tell me about it."