I was positive she didn't come after me. I just kept walking, and as I did, I thought of Taffial. Was this what he would have wanted? I thought. Maybe this won't work and she will never be able to return to Perim! Then what? Would Taffial never see his love again? For a mistake I made? Would Corinne ever forgive me?
"Well, well, look who it is!" I heard a hoarse voice laugh.
Officer Thomas stood right in front of me and puffed a smoke in my face. I coughed and I said in between, "Why are you here now Officer?"
"Oh come now ol' pal! Don't you know I need your help!"
"Demeetry's old news. No one cares now!"
"How about Mitsu? Doesn't she want her revenge?"
"No, she doesn't need any more money, and besides, that's time-wasting."
"Not really. Come on, I need to solve this case SOMEHOW."
"No you don't, none of the other cops care. If they did, they'd help you."
He held me up by my collar.
"Listen, kid! I need-!" he stopped himself.
". . . . money. You know, how am I supposed to work for a living if there is none?"
"There are other jobs you can find here, sir," I said as he let go.
"Well, it was nice talking to you, but I have to go," I said, walking past him.
"Where?" he asked. It was none of his business, so I didn't answer. I just kept walking, hoping those two won't follow.

As I kept walking home, those visions started to haunt me. Who was Adalard? Why?
Why did he kill Odille?
I wanted to know. It has been too long to hide the truth. The only way I can find out is going to Perim.
I pulled out the scanner, it's blue paint shining brightly from the sun. I stared at the red button. . . .
If I pushed it, would it really tell me the truth? Would it tell me why Odille was murdered at that time? Would it. . . . would I. . . . do something about it. . . ?
I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. I was prepared to face destiny. I finally pushed the button, one last time.

All was quiet and white.
Then there were positioned the young Mipedian, Odille, terrified, stepping back towards the wall. There was Adalard, a creature who looked almost human, who had golden hair tied into a long ponytail, long bangs hiding behind elf ears, his pale skin shone green, and his bright blue eyes glittered with malice.
He pursued her, blocked her, leaving her no way out.
He was holding a dagger. The golden dragon patterns and jewels shined intensely on it.
His gloved hand reached out for her as she shrieked.
His large hand grasped her small, delicate shoulder.
Odille looked around, panicked.

"Why?" she asked, her innocent eyes gazing up at him.
He brought up his arm, preparing to strike.
"Why are you doing this?"
He smiled.
"When I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!" she cried, and Odille continued to weep.

"I love you too, Odille," he said coldly.

The dagger fell into her body.
Her eyes widened as she fell back slowly. Her long, flowing silver hair trailed in front of her beautiful violet dress.

As she fell towards the ground, Adalard drew back his dagger, all covered in crimson blood. It trailed along with her hair, and it stained her dress as well.
He laughed and turned around.

He walked off into the distance casually.

As Odille lie dead on the cold dark ground, Adalard started to run.

The quiet white was gone.

Odille stared at me.
She looked a little bit older than she did in the vision.
Her eyes then looked down, her green-yellow eyes forming crystal tears.
I walked up to her and wiped them off with my thumb. I then sat down next to her, looking at her straight in the eyes.

"Adalard. . . ." I said. "Thank you, I know. . . . Now I know who. . . . who he is. . . ."
She looked up.
I smiled, not the smile of the creature called Adalard, but the human called Jacob. . . . no, Jake.
She started to weep again.
"I. . . . I don't want to torture you!" she cried.
"It's alright," I whispered, "You must do this. You must. . . ."
"But. . . . but. . . ."
I shushed her and hugged her.
She was tangible, soft, and warm.

"Please," I begged, "please. . . . do it. I need to be punished. This is my destiny. . . . It was not right for you to die. . . . It wasn't!" At that last word even I started to burst into tears.
She still looked at the ground solemnly.
"Please?" I asked.

"No!" she yelled, brushing me off.
But as she said this the landscape changed from the dark castle into the one of the punishment.

She looked around in horror as I was being thrown into the hard ground.
"COME ON!" I screamed. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! PUNISH ME!"

She looked at me sadly as the brown skulls started darting at me, she looked sadly at me when the daggers flew through my body, she looked at me sadly while I was drowning in the ocean of blood.
She looked on. . . . sadly.

And as the punishment went on, it hurt. More than the others had been.

But the truth was the thing that hurt most.
This truth hurt more than all the others, the fact that Corinne died, the fact that I loved more than one woman, the fact that I even played Chaotic. . . .

I never knew, but I was lying to myself.

I was Adalard.