In the Ninth World, in the year -378 BC, this world is known for its ancient roots and advanced civilization. To illustrate its progress, it rivals London in the year 1900.
It is a world where the sun never rises. Instead, a crimson moon hangs perpetually in the sky, moving counterclockwise. At certain times, time itself stands still and then rewinds, which is why they remain in the same year — -378 BC.
This eerie phenomenon has persisted for 20,000,000 years, all due to the actions of Servinius Crown.
Two weeks ago, two detectives were assigned a chilling case that has terrorized London in the Ninth World. A killer who murders in a gruesome yet precise manner — ripping out the victim's heart without damaging a single vein or artery. No sharp tools are used; it is done with his bare hands.
Many detectives and police officers have tried to find any trace of evidence, but to no avail. The murders are random, with no predictable time or place. Whenever he desires to commit his heinous act, he does it.
The mayor, Advias Mctorney, handed this case over to the two detectives, Braydon and Nelin.
They spent six entire days investigating without sleep, surviving only on canned food. Their weight dropped due to the stress and endless searching throughout the city — even in the foul sewers.
Then, one day, they encountered a mysterious clown. He gave them a glimmer of hope, opening doors that once seemed closed. He bestowed Braydon with a mysterious power — the ability to reveal truth and falsehood simultaneously.
But there was a price: if Braydon failed to use this power, the hand itself would punish him.
In their office, Braydon sat, staring at the strange yellow lines etched into his palm.
Nelin reviewed the case files, then glanced at Braydon with a hint of doubt, asking,
"Do you trust what the clown said?"
Braydon rested his chin between his thumb and forefinger, replying,
"We have no other choice. He's our last hope in the midst of this darkness."
Nelin stood up, putting on her coat.
"We better move. It's time to bring down this filthy killer."
Seconds later, someone knocked on the door. Braydon ordered the visitor to enter. It was the mayor, Advias.
Both detectives stood up out of respect. The mayor pulled out a chair, sat down, and motioned for them to sit. His face was filled with anger and frustration.
Braydon glanced left and right, then calmly asked,
"To what do we owe this pleasant visit, Mayor?"
With anger evident on his face, the mayor replied,
"Detectives, I handed you this case two weeks ago, yet we still have no leads or even a single clue to point us to this murderer."
Nelin attempted to speak, but the mayor raised his hand, silencing her as he continued,
"We're closing this damn case. We'll leave it for another time."
Braydon, feeling disheartened, protested,
"But, Mayor, we are on the right track."
The mayor stood, putting on his coat.
"I respect you both, but this is going nowhere."
As he approached the door, hand on the knob, Nelin spoke with pride and confidence,
"We'll put this killer's head on your desk. What do you say to that, Mayor? And there's one more thing — we'll catch him by the end of the day."
The mayor let go of the doorknob, turning to them with a strange smile.
"Well… well… I'll give you this one chance. I want that son of a bitch's head on my desk. And if you fail this time, the consequences will be different."
He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Braydon grabbed his coat and glanced at Nelin.
"Let's head to Horvered Hospital and find out more about this bastard."
Nelin nodded, and they both left the office, mounting their horses. After about half an hour, they arrived at Horvered General Hospital.
They entered the hospital and asked for the director's office. The receptionist replied,
"It's on the third floor, fifth room near the red fountain."
They went up to the third floor and stopped at the fifth room near the red fountain. Standing in front of the door, Braydon looked at his palm and placed it on the door.
A strange, segmented symbol split into five parts appeared on his hand.
The hand spoke in a deep, dual-toned voice, saying:
"Truth: This person will reveal everything he knows and will hide no secrets from you.
Falsehood: He will hide a crucial piece of information that could determine the killer's whereabouts. If he doesn't tell you where the killer is, try opening his drawer."
Braydon's hand returned to normal. Both detectives were stunned by what had just happened. Braydon clenched his hand tightly, feeling a rush of excitement.
"It seems this is the clown's power," he said with a delighted tone.
Braydon knocked on the director's office door. The director invited them in. As they entered, the director looked surprised to see them but quickly stood up to greet them respectfully.
He shook hands with both detectives and gestured toward the chairs. Once they were seated, Braydon started speaking calmly and in a relaxed manner.
"First, how are you doing, Dr. Moller? Second, we are here to ask you about something important. A while ago, one of the most renowned heart and vascular surgeons disappeared. Do you have any information that could help us?"
Dr. Moller seemed nervous and uncomfortable as he replied,
"Welcome, detectives. Regarding the person you're asking about… he ran away."
Both detectives were taken aback by his answer. Nelin pointed at the files on the desk and asked,
"What made him run away, Dr. Moller?"
Dr. Moller took off his glasses, placing them on the table. He crossed one leg over the other and said,
"Two years ago, he performed heart surgery on a young boy who had several holes in his heart. Dr. Abraham was one of the best in this field, but… something went terribly wrong. The boy died on the operating table. After that tragic incident, Dr. Abraham fled, and we haven't heard from him since."
Suddenly, Braydon's hand started burning. He looked down at his palm and saw the word "Falsehood" etched on his skin.
At the same moment, Nelin noticed faint bloodstains on Dr. Moller's neck. Upon closer observation, she realized there was another layer of skin on top — human skin.
Dr. Moller was wearing a mask made of human flesh to conceal his true identity.
Noticing Nelin's stare, Dr. Moller asked with suspicion,
"Is there something wrong, Detective?"
Nelin glanced at Braydon. He immediately understood her signal.
Before they could act, Dr. Moller suddenly leaped through the window behind him, jumping onto the adjacent building.
The two detectives pursued him, leaping out of the window and chasing him across the rooftops. Dr. Moller ran with incredible speed, throwing whatever objects he could find in their path.
The detectives dodged the incoming debris until Dr. Moller finally jumped into a large, abandoned warehouse. They followed closely, drawing their weapons.
These weapons were powerful enough to kill an ordinary human with a single bullet. For werewolves and other creatures, multiple shots were sometimes needed.
Braydon pointed his gun at the killer's head and shouted,
"This is the end, you bastard! Your time is up — forever!"
Dr. Moller laughed loudly, peeling the human skin from his face. He turned to face them, revealing his true appearance — blond hair, three scars over his right eye, and a missing left ear.
"Revenge… I have finally completed my beautiful revenge. I did it," he said with a twisted smile.
Braydon fired a shot, but Dr. Moller dodged it and lunged toward him, aiming directly for his heart.
At the last second, Nelin fired a bullet that struck Dr. Moller's hand, forcing him to retreat.
She looked at Braydon with a mix of worry and frustration, saying,
"Didn't he tell you to protect your heart? You almost died, you idiot!"
Braydon clutched his chest, feeling his heart pounding wildly from fear. He had come terrifyingly close to death.
Dr. Moller charged at Nelin, but she skillfully dodged his attack.
At that moment, Braydon appeared behind him, firing a bullet directly into his head. Dr. Moller collapsed instantly.
Yet, even with a fatal gunshot to the head, he coughed up blood and spoke in a choking voice,
"My dear son… my beautiful, wonderful son… he was killed by Dr. Moller… Oh, how I miss you, my beloved boy… Your father has avenged you."
He turned his sorrowful gaze toward Braydon, his voice fading with each word.
"I am not a butcher or a killer. I killed the murderer and wore his skin. I rid the world of that wretch today."
He spat more blood before continuing,
"Detectives… go to the director's office. Open the drawer. You'll find the names of the children and people Dr. Moller murdered."
With those final words, he took his last breath.
Braydon and Nelin stood in shock, staring at each other in disbelief. The bitter truth was now clear — the man they had just killed was not the monster.
He was a grieving father who had resorted to dark rituals to avenge his son. The real monster had been Dr. Moller all along.
They gathered the killer's body and took Moller's scalp to the mayor, where they presented a comprehensive report detailing everything that had happened. They also handed over a document containing the names of the children and victims murdered by Dr. Moller, specifying the locations, dates, and times of each crime.
To their shock, they discovered that Dr. Abraham was nothing more than a fictional character created by Leon for mysterious reasons that no one would ever know. He took his secret to the grave. Leon had lied in every possible way to divert suspicion from himself, but it was all in vain. They had mistakenly believed he was the killer. In the end, the mystery of Dr. Abraham remained unsolved — was he a real person or just an illusion?
In this tragic case, a hero had died — a hero who avenged the world and everyone in it.
The mayor publicly honored the two detectives, promoting them to prestigious special ranks.
At a quiet café, Nelin and Braydon sat reflecting on everything that had happened. Nelin stared thoughtfully at her cup of coffee and spoke calmly,
"I never expected that we would end up killing an innocent man… but to me, he was the real hero."
Braydon gave a faint smile, gazing out the window at the crimson moon. He spoke softly,
"The hero was Leon… and the clown… not us."
The clown with the crimson mask.