Sid wanted the distance of an observer, not the humiliating, dangerous reality of a servant. He scrubbed furiously at a wine stain, his muscles aching from the unfamiliar labor. The entire experience was a terrifying betrayal of his original goal. He was a participant, an actual target for Evelise’s capricious cruelty.

"I don’t want to be part of your miserable, tyrannical past!"

He whispered into the quiet room. He realized that the system wasn’t letting him watch; it was forcing him to live her history, forcing him to feel the fear and contempt that surrounded the woman she used to be.

The manor settled into a tense, uneasy silence as the clock chimed ten o’clock. All servant duties were finally finished, the only sounds left were the low, rhythmic snores of the servants crammed into their shared quarters and the faint ticking of a distant clock.

But Sid couldn’t rest. The Mayor’s chilling command to Henry, and Henry’s repulsive boast about ensuring the "bunny lady" got pregnant, spun endlessly in his mind. He was furious and restless, unable to find peace in the memory, knowing that the Evelise he cherished was being brutally used.

"I’m working on it every damn night."

The sentence made his blood boil and it kept looping in his thoughts. Every time he heard that smug voice in his head, his fists clenched tighter.

"Damn it. No way I’m just lying here while that bastard’s—"

He stopped himself, shaking his head. He didn’t even know if what he’d see would be real or just another piece of this twisted memory. But something in him couldn’t stay still. He needed to see Evelise now. He needed to understand what this Chapter was truly about— why this memory existed.

When the last candle burned out and the servants’ snores blended into a steady chorus, Sid quietly pushed himself up from the cot. The room was dim, the only light coming from the faint glow of the moon through the high window.

"That’s it. I’m going to her. Can’t let this night pass without finding out more."

He moved carefully, every step deliberate, avoiding the creaky floorboards he’d memorized earlier in the day. The hall beyond was dim, bathed in faint silver light from the moon filtering through tall windows. The mansion was enormous, and at night, it felt like it was watching him.

"Why does this place give me the creeps? It’s like sneaking into your grandma’s room at midnight."

He stayed close to the walls, slipping past doorways and open halls, keeping to the shadows like he’d done a thousand times in stealth missions back in his gaming days. His instincts were sharp, his steps soundless.

Occasionally, he froze when he spotted the faint glow of lanterns carried by patrolling guards. Their armor clinked quietly as they made their rounds, their boots striking the marble floor in slow rhythm. Sid waited for each of them to pass before moving again, his heart thudding hard against his ribs.

"What the hell— armor? Seriously? What kind of mayor has medieval knights patrolling his house in a modern world? Man, I swear, the devs must’ve been high when they designed this place."

He took his time observing everything as he went, his curiosity flickering even through his anger. The place was stunning, in a cold, intimidating way. Every wall was lined with portraits of stern men and proud women in lavish attire— ancestors, he guessed, staring down at him as if he were trespassing in their sacred temple.

Sid stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as he took in the massive painting. The Nexus Tree loomed grand and divine, its roots sprawling like veins across the canvas. At its heart, suspended within what looked like a glowing womb, was a nine-tailed fox girl— part human, part animal. Radiating an aura of grace and power. Around her, both humans and humanimals knelt, their hands clasped in reverence.

"The hell... That’s... a humanimal? In the Nexus Tree? Are they— worshiping her?"

He squinted, his brow furrowing.

"What kind of propaganda crap is this? Don’t tell me they actually built a religion around a fox girl. Or worse..."

Before he could get too caught up in the sight, Sid felt something strange— an invisible pull, like the painting itself was drawing him in. His chest tightened as a faint hum echoed in his ears, the same subtle vibration he’d felt back at the Nexus Tree.

"What the—why does it feel like it’s pulling me in?"

He muttered, backing away slightly.

"It’s the same damn feeling I had at the Nexus Tree... Ehh, I’m getting chills. What kind of twisted trick is this, devs?"

He shook his head and forced himself to move on. As he turned the corner, the moonlight caught a massive suit of armor standing in the shadows. Its visor glinted faintly, and for one terrifying second, Sid thought someone was staring right at him.

"Jesus!"

He hissed, clutching his chest.

"This place could double as a horror game map— who the hell decorates their house like this?"

As he moved onward, more objects came into view. Antique vases taller than him, golden-framed mirrors reflecting his shadow as he passed, and marble statues frozen in eternal poses. Everything screamed wealth... suffocating wealth. He realized how much this world Evelise came from was built on control and perfection. It wasn’t a home; it was a museum of dominance.

As he crept up the grand staircase, he could hear faint voices echoing from distant halls— guards chatting lazily, unaware of the intruder slipping through their patrols. The air grew colder the higher he went, the silence thicker.

He reached the upper floor, where the mayor’s family chambers were. The corridor stretched wide, with polished floors and tall curtains drawn tight against the moonlight. He knew which door was hers; he had seen the servants preparing it earlier, whispering nervously about "Lady Evelise’s quarters."

Sid paused before the massive double doors carved with floral patterns and lined with gold trim. He pressed a hand to the wood, his breath steady but low. For a moment, he hesitated.

"Alright, Sid. You’ve broken into castles in games, dodged motion sensors, hacked through digital locks. This is just a memory. A damn scripted event, right? Just... keep your head clear."

He slowly turned the handle. The latch gave a soft click. The door opened slightly, enough for him to slip through.