September 1

Morix Law Offices

4:30 PM

Lily Shield

When we finally got back to the agency, I could hardly contain my excitement. We were finally going to find out the truth behind this whole mess. I was as nervous as I was excited. Deirdre had already seemingly figured it out, so maybe this would go a bit faster than it would have otherwise. I wasn't entirely sure, but I got the feeling I would find out the truth soon.

The three of us walked into the agency. Deirdre gestured for us to follow her to the elevator. We got in silently. I wanted to say something to pierce the quiet, but I couldn't think of anything. I kept my mouth shut as the elevator hummed.

We walked out of the elevator and into the lobby of the floor with Mr. Morix's office. I watched as Deirdre knocked on his door. "Mr. Morix?" she asked. "Are you in there?"

There was a bit of shuffling from the other side. I heard the door unlock shortly before Mr. Morix peered out. Only one eye was visible, so he hadn't changed at all since we had seen him earlier on in the day. "Hello," he said. "What is it you need?"

"Can you come out here? We need to talk to you," I explained.

Mr. Morix hesitated and then walked out of the room. He shut the door behind him. I noticed the glove from before was still hanging out of his pocket. "What is it you need?" Mr. Morix questioned. He shoved his hands into his pockets.

Somehow, he looked even worse than he had earlier. His eyes were puffy and red. His expression was tired. I could see tear stains on his cheeks, though he was trying to hide them. Mr. Morix was actively avoiding all eye contact, as if he found the floor to be the most interesting thing in the world all of a sudden.

"I want to know who you're working with," Deirdre told him firmly. "I want to know who Oracle is."

"Oracle? I don't know who you're talking about," frowned Mr. Morix. I brushed my hand over my Magatama. I saw the Psyche-Locks clang into place once again. I had seen it coming, but I still felt a frown appear on my face. The obsidian black was threatening in a way, and I hated it somewhere deep inside of me.

"We know you're involved with Oracle. You may have avoided being exposed thus far, but I'll go on and tell you now that you can't escape it any longer. I know who you've been working with," Deirdre pressed. "You've been cooperating with Prosecutor Lin, Prosecutor Burke, Chief Prosecutor Bespoke, Venus, Cassidy, Pieter Fury, and Oracle themselves. You slipped up earlier. You know something now you shouldn't know, and it told me exactly who Oracle really is behind the mask."

"I don't know what you're getting at," Mr. Morix said bluntly. "Can you speak plainly for a moment?"

"I wasn't sure of it until you slipped up earlier, but Oracle... Oracle is Chrysalis, right?" Deirdre asked.

My eyes went as wide as saucers. "What?! Oracle can't be... You can't be serious. You've heard her talk about Oracle, right? Chrysalis hates her. She blames Oracle for the deaths of Venus and Cassidy. How can that be her?" I questioned. "You can't..."

"You whispered her name earlier. I'd assume that's because you're worried about her. You know that she's in danger. The three of us were the only ones who know that though. We heard her being abducted over a phone call. However, you knew exactly how much danger she was in without us telling you about it. I didn't realize the implications about it until about an hour ago. Occisor didn't tell us who the hostages were, so you couldn't have learned Chrysalis was a hostage on your own either," Deirdre continued. "You would only know if you had seen her with your own eyes, but the only hostage shown was O, or Oracle, as we have recently learned."

Mr. Morix frowned deeply. "You... You really think I'm involved with Oracle? You sure are determined to prove this. For the record, I was merely worried about Chrysalis because she's still stuck at the airport. I'm worried about her. She may be with a group, but she still gets anxious and has been struggling. I don't see how my concern can show that I'm an accomplice to a spy. You're jumping to conclusions, if you want my personal opinion," he told us with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Why are you still trying to keep this from us? You know we've figured out the truth. Why not tell us?" Yuri asked, though I could tell she was still surprised at what Deirdre was proposing.

"I want more evidence, not just assumptions based on my behavior. Proof is everything in court. You should know that well. I was the one who taught you such. If you wish to pull anything from me, you need to provide evidence of your claims. If you can't, it's just a gamble, and a risky one at that. People won't want to open up to you if you can't back up your words. That's how the universe works," Mr. Morix continued. He seemed to have regained his composure. He was standing up tall, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Then let's go over the facts, shall we?" Deirdre asked. "Lily, you were working with him back during the first case when I wasn't. You know more about that than I do."

"You mean the murder of Venus Rinko?" I questioned, to which Deirdre nodded. "Yeah, sure... I think I can do that. I remember Shayla Willows was a witness. I learned from my brother after the fact that she was likely Oracle under a disguise. I kept it in my back pocket, but I didn't focus on it too much for a while... Thinking back on it though... Chrysalis and Venus were pretty close friends before she died, right? If that's the case, why wouldn't she be at the trial? Wouldn't she want to know who was responsible for the murder of her best friend?"

"However, Chrysalis was nowhere to be seen, which is a problem... Of course, this problem dissipates when you think of Chrysalis as Oracle. If she was Shayla Willows, she would have been at the trial after all. It would explain why Chrysalis herself wasn't present," Deirdre continued. "In other words, that strange behavior from Chrysalis can only be explained if she was Shayla Willows."

"Chrysalis didn't show up because she wasn't feeling up to it. She was feeling sick at the time. Venus' death made her feel awful. She barely had the energy to move in her sadness. Chrysalis told me she was planning on going to the trial, but I told her not to come. I made sure she stayed at home to rest for the day. I told her how the trial went after the fact to quell her curiosity," Mr. Morix told us. "I think that's natural. She was feeling sick. It makes sense as to why she wasn't there."

"If it's really that convenient, then tell us where Chrysalis was the day of the murder trial of Jackson Blocker a year ago. She wasn't there for that one either, was she?" Deirdre asked. "Why would she be absent? Does she have an alibi for when Estelle Burns was exposed as Oracle?"

"I'm pretty sure she was at rehearsal for a musical she was in at the time. She simply couldn't make it. It's not like it's a big deal anyways. It's not like I drag her to every case I take on. Yuri and Venus switch around too," Mr. Morix told us. "I don't think you can really use that to accuse Chrysalis of being Oracle. Do you have anything more concrete than that? I want the actual evidence here, Deirdre. Anything less than that must be dismissed."

"We've noticed that all people who seem to have ties with Oracle were in a photo taken two years ago. All the people I listed before are in the picture, and all of them have a relationship with Oracle. You can't really deny that, can you? It's too much of a coincidence for all of them to be involved and be in the picture. It doesn't seem possible," Deirdre continued.

"It could still be a coincidence. Besides, that seems to be just a theory as well. Just because Venus and Cassidy were involved doesn't mean the rest of us are. You've merely been theorizing that the rest of us have to do with Oracle. I need something physical before I'll follow you here. Do you have anything on you that can be used to show I'm involved? Do you have anything to show that my younger sister is the Oracle so many people are seeking?" Mr. Morix questioned.

"We found quite a bit in O's office we can bring up," Yuri pointed out. "I mean, we have the photo, the locket, the papers on Pieter Fury... I mean, we have the entire suitcase out in the car we can use to our advantage."

Mr. Morix's eyes went wide in surprise. "An entire suitcase?" he echoed. "Where in the world did you find that?"

"It was in the corner of O's office. We dug through it and found a few things inside that point to who Oracle is. All of it is incriminating of your younger sister, whether you choose to believe it or not," Deirdre explained. "Yuri, could you go out and grab it for us? We should show him what we found. Having the physical evidence will make it easier."

Yuri nodded and saluted. Deirdre tossed Yuri her keys, prompting the young girl to dash out of the room. Deirdre and I turned to Mr. Morix once she was out of view. "You know, there's also the matter of the supposed motive proposed by Occisor a few months ago. They suspected it was because of the GC-9 incident that took place at the local Sparx Factory two years ago. If you ask me, Chrysalis could very easily have that as a motive. She knew the victim and would want justice for her death since the killers went unpunished. You can't deny the possibility of that motive," Deirdre went on firmly. "The facts go against any claims you may produce."

"She was one of many people who cared deeply for my mother before her passing. Most other workers at the factory wanted justice for her death as well. All of them must be suspects as well by that logic, yes?" Mr. Morix asked with a raise of his eyebrow. When we didn't reply, he continued. "That's what I thought. Can you give me something conclusive now? At this point, your only hope seems to be the suitcase, but you can't place all your bets on one piece of evidence. That's not a strong trait for a lawyer to develop."

I found myself biting my lip to keep from having an outburst. He seemed to have an explanation for everything. Had he really been thinking that far ahead? I knew he was perceptive and smart, but I hadn't anticipated this much preparation... We would need to find a way to work around it, even if I had no idea how we would pull that off.

"I'm back!" Yuri said with a chirp. She entered the room, rolling the suitcase behind her. She was panting from running to the car and back. She plopped the suitcase onto the floor and sat beside it. Yuri unzipped it and began to dig through its contents.

"Where are the papers?" I asked, starting to look into the suitcase as well. After a few seconds of searching, my fingers seized a small stack of pages. I yanked them out with a grin. "Found them!"

"What are those?" Mr. Morix questioned with a frown. "How do they tie into what we were talking about?"

"These papers give details on Pieter Fury. They mention he's currently located somewhere in Germany, though no specific address is given. He was found in the picture we believe shows the associates of Oracle, so he must be relevant," I explained. "Plus, it was in the suitcase belonging to O. That ties him into it pretty seamlessly, wouldn't you agree?"

Mr. Morix shrugged. "I suppose... It's not like you can ask him about it. He's not here anymore. Nobody can ask him anything about Oracle these days," he told us. "What do you think those papers have to do with this conversation?"

"Oracle was trying to find him. She was searching for her former coworker," Deirdre said. "So long as we're talking about Oracle, we might as well mention him. He's involved, after all."

"What makes you so sure he's got ties to Oracle? Is it the picture that has you convinced he's involved?" Mr. Morix asked. "The picture is just a theory. Venus and Cassidy can't prove without a shadow of a doubt that everyone in the picture is an associate working with Oracle. It's nothing concrete."

"Why would O be carrying it if it wasn't involved?" Yuri pointed out.

"I need something solid. I've told you so many times that you need evidence in order to prove my brother and I are involved. This is a theory. Give me real proof," Mr. Morix pressed.

"We thought everything fit in perfectly while we were at O's office, but since he's pointed out the photo is just a theory, we can't tie it in," Yuri hissed to me and Deirdre. "We have to figure it out soon, or he could retreat back into his office, and then we won't be able to get an answer out of him!"

"Well... There must be something we can use... All we need to do is push that the photo does involve Oracle and all of their associates. Let's prove the other people in the picture are involved with Oracle. From there, all our other evidence should come tumbling into place," I suggested. "We know Venus and Cassidy were involved. We figured that out after their deaths. Let's find something for the other six people."

"Okay... Well, let's think about it. Chief Prosecutor Bespoke had the chance to press for an investigation into Estelle Burns after her disappearance, but he never did. Maybe that was because he wanted Oracle to get away," Yuri said. "Plus, there's one other thing about Chrysalis I didn't notice until recently... When I think about it, Chrysalis didn't wear gloves back when we first met. You can see that in the picture. However, you never see her without a pair these days."

"The small glove in Mr. Morix's pocket might be hers then! It's too small to fit any of us, but Chrysalis always seemed to have unnaturally small hands," I told them.

"I don't know if we should really be focusing on the other copies of the picture right now," Deirdre cut in. "I wasn't thinking about it when we first brought up the picture, but we have one specific copy of the photo that shows Oracle is involved with it. I'm sure you remember how a copy of the picture was found in the suitcase. It was hidden pretty well, but that doesn't change the fact that it was there. Why would O be carrying it with her unless she had something to do with it? If it was a picture of her associates, things would make a lot of sense. Wouldn't you agree?"

"That sounds about right to me too," I nodded. "Well, Mr. Morix. What do you think of that?"

Mr. Morix frowned. "The photo has been used in a few cases involving Oracle in the past few months. Maybe she was carrying it as part of her endeavors to learn more about Oracle," he suggested.

"However, O was not trying to learn who Oracle was. She already knew fully well Oracle was just her behind the mask. We heard it from her own mouth earlier today she was Oracle. Occisor was loud and clear about that after hearing it from Y's research," Yuri cut in. "You can't say it was part of her cover either. I know you're thinking about it. I can tell it from that look in your eyes."

"Oh?" Mr. Morix prompted, his gaze growing dark.

"The picture we're talking about had tearstains on it. I don't know why it would have markings like that on it unless it was important to Oracle. If it was a picture of her and all the people who helped her get to where she is today, it would make sense," Yuri explained. "Now, I think we should talk about the locket."

I crouched down next to the suitcase once again and dug through its various pockets before stumbling upon the cool metal of the locker. I dragged it from its position and held it out to Mr. Morix. "We found this in the bag. It has two people in it. One of them just so happens to be Venus. I don't know of anybody else who was close enough with Venus to want to keep her picture in a locket. Yuri and Venus are sisters though, so she would be able to tell us if there was anybody. Yuri? Did Venus have any friends who would want to have her face in a locket?"

Yuri shook her head. "The only one I would think of would be KJ, but he was at the courthouse this morning when O was exposed to the world. Chrysalis, on the other hand... The two of them were practically joined at the hip. While I can't quite pinpoint their relationship, Chrysalis was really close with her. She would have a reason to hold a little piece of her when she traveled or something," Yuri answered.

"There's another thing that can work in our favor then," I grinned triumphantly. "All of this is piling up far too much now. It can't be a coincidence with this much evidence pointing to Chrysalis being the one. If you have an explanation for it, then feel free to try and explain things now. I don't know how well that's going to work out for you, but you can give it a try. Go on. We're waiting."

I couldn't help the smirk that worked its way onto my features. We were finally getting somewhere. After ages of him denying our claims over and over, we finally figured out how to pin this on her. We had the evidence we needed. Neptune had been right in that regard, even if she spouted a bunch of nonsense along with it.

"Oracle could have easily had relations with Venus that you didn't know about, Yuri. You didn't realize your sister was involved with the project at all while she was alive. She could have easily hidden her friendship with a third party as well," Mr. Morix told us, crossing his arms. "Unless you can give me something else, I won't be able to accept anything."

"Let's talk about the letter from Pieter Fury then," Deirdre suggested. She got down next to the suitcase and rummaged through its contents before pulling out the envelope and the letter. I vainly hoped the water on the back had cleared up and that we would be able to read the name of its recipient, but that was not the case. I had expected the envelope's writing to be just as blurry as before, but I was still a little disappointed deep down.

"This letter was written to Oracle from Pieter Fury, presumably before his disappearance," Deirdre continued. "We read over it, and if you ask me, it seems far too personal and heartfelt to merely be between coworkers and comrades on a project. It felt like it was coming from something deeper, like a feeling of love. We don't have the name of the person who received it, as there's water on the back blurring out the name, but it still seems telling enough to me."

"From what we've heard, Pieter was only close with one person before his disappearance. Other people were merely acquaintances in his eyes. The main person he focused on was his youngest adoptive sister, otherwise known as Chrysalis. I wouldn't be surprised if this letter was from him to her, telling her that he was glad they had spent time together," I continued. "Unless you can somehow explain what all of that flowery language is about, it seems crystal clear what this letter is about."

Mr. Morix paused once again, his lips forming a tight frown. "I don't think we can call that conclusive either," he told us. "Pieter could have very easily reached out to a few other people. He was quiet and kept his secrets well. That letter may have been to O, sure, but that doesn't mean it belongs to Chrysalis too. I'm afraid I can't accept this as evidence either."

Yuri stomped one foot against the ground assertively. "That's what you've been saying this whole time! You've been going on and on about how we don't have the right evidence, how none of this is conclusive, how it's just a coincidence! You know what?! I'm sick of it! I've been working with you for two years now! I don't understand why you can't trust me enough to tell the truth! My older sisters died because of this mess! I know it wasn't directly Oracle's fault, but that doesn't mean I've had closure! I never got to say goodbye or anything! They just left home one day and didn't come back! If anybody here knows the truth behind Oracle, the truth behind who they were working for and why they died, it's you, and I'm here to find it out!" she shouted.

The tension that formed in the air after her rant sent a shiver down my spine. I looked to Deirdre, who refused to meet my eyes. She was gazing intently at Yuri, waiting for her to say something else.

We didn't have to wait very long before the silence was broken. "I know that it's dangerous. My sisters knew that too, and they still jumped into this mess. I already told you I know this wasn't Oracle's fault. She didn't ask for all these people to die. However, I still want to hear the truth. I want to know who they were working for. As of right now, you're the only person who I can ask a question like that. For the love of all things holy, can you tell me what it is that's going on? Who is Oracle really behind the mask? Why is all of this happening? Why did you get involved? Who supported this? I need to know," Yuri continued to say. She was considerably softer now than she had been a few seconds before, but I didn't comment on it. Instead, I focused my gaze on the floor so I wouldn't have to meet Mr. Morix's eyes.

Speaking of him, Mr. Morix wasn't saying anything. I could see his fingers dart to his pocket where the black glove was located. He messed around with it for a moment before pulling it out completely. He stared down at the glove silently, turning it over in his fingers. "I should have expected you to get mad that way. You've been in the dark since Venus died back in February. Cassidy's murder probably only deepened your questions. I wish I could say more on the matter, but I'm afraid I can't. It's not my choice to make," he told us. Mr. Morix seemed to have come out of his shady phase. At this point, he wasn't even trying to deny that he knew something. He let out a sigh. "I can't tell you yet."

"We've already basically figured it out. Even if you were claiming it was all coincidental, it seems far too perfect for it to just be chance. Besides, it seems like you've stopped putting up a fight, like you know we've beaten you," I said with a frown. "Maybe you could just make it easier on all of us and tell us the truth now."

"I can't tell you," pressed Mr. Morix. "It's not a good idea. Oracle is dangerous. Enough people have already gotten hurt. I don't want you three to be put at risk next. It's far too risky."

"Mr. Morix, please... You have to talk to us. We already know who Oracle is. Like Lily was saying, this is too much of a coincidence. Besides, if you talk to us, we might be able to help you get her back. She's in danger right now. You aren't the leader on the defense here, so we're the ones in charge of her fate. We were planning on helping her out anyways, but we need the details if we're going to do that," Yuri pleaded. "Would you rather we keep snooping around on our own? That's arguably even more dangerous."

Mr. Morix considered her words for a moment. He looked down at the black glove in his hands again. He turned it over a few times before letting out a sigh. "I feel like she should be the one to explain it all to you. I don't have the right to tell you the details," he said softly.

"Mr. Morix, you need to understand her position. If we can't hear what we should and shouldn't reveal, what we can and can't do to save her, she won't be able to explain it to us. I'm trying to be optimistic, but unless we see a miracle, we aren't going to be talking to her anytime soon. It's not going to happen now or ever," Yuri told him with a frown. "I'm not doing this because I hate you. None of us hate you. I'm just trying to learn the truth."

Mr. Morix shook his head. "I... I don't want to think about it like that... Deep down, I know she's in danger, but I can't do much of anything to help her. I don't have a way to track her. I'm not the leader of the defense team. All I can do is beg you and Ghastly to do your best to save her, but that won't help anyone. Chrysalis can't be saved by just words at this point. It's going to take much more to bring her home," he whispered.

He let out a hefty sigh and stared down at the glove again. His fingers closed around it wordlessly. Mr. Morix continued to look at it for a few more seconds before speaking. "I... I know what I have to do. For the sake of Chrysalis, I need to tell you the full story behind Oracle," he said softly.

"So... You'll tell us?" Yuri asked eagerly, a smile appearing on her face.

Mr. Morix nodded. "I will," he answered. "I do want to warn you ahead of time though... Oracle's tale is a long one. It's not easy to sit through. I had been hoping she would have been able to tell you on her own time, but Occisor has prevented that. I'm going to have to explain it in her stead for the time being... However, since I'm telling you my side of the story now, you have to promise me you'll bring her home to hear her thoughts on the situation."

"We promise," Deirdre told him firmly. "We won't let anything happen to her."

"I'm sorry for the way I was acting. I've always been desperate to hide the truth. I don't want her to end up in even more trouble. I'm so used to protecting people by not talking to them about Oracle, I suppose. I was thinking that would work here, but given all the information you've gathered by now, that simply wasn't going to be possible..." Mr. Morix's voice trailed off as he looked down at the glove for a bit longer. His grasp on it tightened, his eyes growing glossy.

Mr. Morix raised one hand to wipe away the tears that had been forming in his eyes. With a shake of his head, he looked to all three of us individually. When he met my eyes, I gave him an encouraging smile.

"Take your time," I said gently.

Mr. Morix took a deep breath. "We don't have much time, so I'll get onto it. Of course, I have to preface this by saying what I'm about to tell you can't leave this room. I can give you a list of people who know. You can talk about it strictly with them. Any others could put her at risk. I need to enforce this rule for Chrysalis' sake. Her life is on the line depending on who knows about this and who doesn't," he went on.

"We'll keep it secret," Deirdre assured him. "We understand the dangers behind the Oracle project. Ever since being hired here, Lily and I have seen firsthand what can happen to those involved... For the sake of those involved, it'll stay quiet."

"Yeah. It'll be just between the four of us and anybody else who knows," Yuri told him. She placed one hand on his shoulder and smiled encouragingly his way. "Don't you worry a bit."

"In that case, I see no reason to hold this off further," Mr. Morix murmured. He inhaled deeply once again and looked down at the glove with forlorn eyes. "Oracle... The true identity of Oracle is exactly what you assumed. My youngest sister, Chrysalis, is the one and only Oracle. It's been that way from the beginning. As for her story... It's a complex one, but one I believe you need to hear. With that said, let's get right into it..."

Well. Now you know.

I want to come on out and say this now: I have been foreshadowing this since literally chapter five. A minor detail from chapter six (which mentioned Chrysalis wearing gloves) basically spoiled this twist if you were paying enough attention. Good job if you picked up on that.

I'll be explaining the full story next time via Cotoli, so I hope you're ready for that.

-Digital