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| {{Stage
| | #REDIRECT [[Luke's Sweet Chapter 02-06]] |
| |gameMode=Character Stories
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| |stageType=Story
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| |name={{PAGENAME}}
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| |previousStage=Luke's Sweet Chapter 02-03
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| |nextStage=Luke's Sweet Chapter 02-05
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| |stageCost=None
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| |firstClearReward=None
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| |unlock=
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| |guide=
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| ===Script===
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| {{Script
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| |scriptHeader=Find Clues I: Central Business District
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| |characterLinks=You!Main Character,Luke!Luke Pearce,Aaron Yishmir!Aaron Yishmir,Morten Rickmon!Morten Rickmon
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| |script=
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| {{Float|{{Background location|name=Street Corner|location=Stellis Central Business District|image=Stellis - Outside Themis (Day).png}}}}
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| ''Discuss the notes with Luke.''
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| After saying goodbye to Aaron, you and Luke stop in a quiet corner.
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| {{SL|Luke|Let's take a look at the information Aaron gave us.}}
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| {{SL|You|All right.}}
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| The information in the file folder is mainly the results of a police investigation in North Stellis where Morten Rickmon was found injured...
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| As well as tracking the whereabouts of Rickmon after he came to Stellis. However, no interviews had been conducted.
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| {{SL|You|Well, at least we don't have to make a trip to North Stellis now. There's nothing useful there.}}
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| {{SL|You|They found Rickmon in a surveillance blind spot. The nearby residents didn't see anyone suspicious, so there aren't any witnesses...}}
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| {{SL|You|It's almost as if Rickmon appeared out of thin air. It's way too bizarre.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|...}}
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| Luke looks over the information, carefully going over it for ten more minutes.
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| {{SL|Luke|This was premeditated.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|They attacked Rickmon elsewhere to make sure they caused mental damage, and then deliberately abandoned him in North Stellis.}}
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| {{SL|You|Attacked him elsewhere... then moved him?}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Yeah, look at the results of the trace identification.}}
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| You move beside Luke and look at where he's pointing.
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| {{SL|Luke|There were no other shoe prints on the ground except for the concerned citizen who found Rickmon, as well as a set of drag marks.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|If this is the place where Rickmon got beat up, it would have left other traces, not just these.}}
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| You nod, deep in thought, as a question pops up in your mind.
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| {{SL|You|But if the culprits found out Rickmon's investigation interfered with their business, why didn't they just...?}}
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| Before you can finish, Luke already knows what you mean.
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| He sighs gently and shakes his head.
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| {{SL|Luke|Killing people to keep them quiet is indeed the best way to prevent more secrets from coming out. However, it might also attract police and public attention.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|It's relatively easy to accept an "accidental mental disorder" without evidence or clues, rather than a death with no apparent reason.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Furthermore, Rickmon has no family members and he's in no shape to file a police report.}}
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| {{SL|You|...}}
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| You can hear a sliver of helplessness and dissatisfaction in Luke's tone, and you don't know how to respond.
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| After a while, Luke frowns slightly.
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| {{SL|Luke|There is much we need to investigate.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Who is the person that Morten Rickmon mentioned, and what role do they play in all this?}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Who was the person that hurt Rickmon, and where was he hurt?}}
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| {{SL|Luke|More importantly... Where is the notebook that Rickmon mentioned? Is the information it contains still intact...}}
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| The series of questions brought up by Luke leave you troubled.
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| {{SL|You|(If we assume someone planned the attack on Rickmon...)}}
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| {{SL|You|(Then the mastermind must be covering his tracks to avoid exposing his identity.)}}
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| {{SL|You|(It's already been several days since Rickmon was found, and we can't delay any longer...)}}
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| {{SL|You|(If we don't get to the bottom of this, our hard-earned clues will be...)}}
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| Suddenly, you feel a warm touch in your palm, and you realize it's Luke grasping your hand as you come to your senses.
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| He strokes your back to comfort you.
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| {{SL|Luke|We have many questions to answer, but we'll take it one step at a time.}}
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| His expression is soft and natural, and his words have a soothing charm.
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| Your heart gradually calms down.
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| {{SL|You|You're right. You can't get fat in one sitting. We'll need to uncover the clues one by one.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Yeah. Don't rush, take it easy. We'll find a breakthrough.}}
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| {{SL|You|What should we do next?}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Let me think...}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Everything has a beginning and an end. As you said before, we have to thoroughly go over Morten Rickmon's background.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|We have to understand his background and social network to know why he came to Stellis and what he was doing here.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Once we know that... everything else will fall into place.}}
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| {{SL|You|Yeah, that makes sense!}}
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| After saying that, you can't help but sigh.
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| {{SL|Luke|What is it? Something wrong?}}
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| {{SL|You|No, nothing... I was just thinking about what I can do when you're investigating.}}
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| {{SL|You|I'm not very good at scouring the internet for information, but I won't just be a cheerleader.}}
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| You want to do everything you can, together with Luke, and search for any useful clues.
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| Luke bursts out laughing, rubbing your head.
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| {{SL|Luke|As much as I want to say that you just need to be by my side... I know you won't agree to that.}}
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| {{SL|You|Good.}}
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| At that moment, you recall the information you just read, and an idea pops into your head.
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| {{SL|You|I know!}}
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| {{SL|Luke|What?}}
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| You flip through the folder of information that Aaron gave you and point to the places where Morten Rickmon visited.
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| {{SL|You|While you're investigating Morten Rickmon's background, why don't I check out the places that he visited?}}
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| {{SL|You|Perhaps we'll find somewhere special.}}
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| Luke looks at you, and the corners of his mouth curl up, making you feel somewhat "guilty."
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| {{SL|You|I admit going to every single place is stupid, like searching for a needle in a haystack...}}
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| {{SL|You|But... that way, we won't miss anything.}}
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| Luke doesn't say a word, but he lifts your hand delicately.
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| {{SL|Luke|I don't think it's a stupid idea.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|I just feel like you've done a lot for me.}}
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| {{SL|You|...What do you mean? It's my pleasure.}}
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| Luke doesn't linger on the subject. He picks up a sheet of paper and studies it for a moment.
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| {{SL|Luke|Here's the plan, [Player]. Head to the bookstore first. If you don't find anything useful there, check somewhere else.}}
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| {{SL|You|The bookstore? Why?}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Morten Rickmon isn't from Stellis, but he went to the same bookstore twice.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|His records show that he only visited the other places once. So there must be something special at the bookstore, right?}}
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| You carefully look over the information again and nod.
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| {{SL|You|You're right.}}
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| {{SL|You|Then I'll do as you say and head to the bookstore first.}}
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| You and Luke smile at each other, seeing a glimmer of hope in each other's eyes.
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| {{SL|You|All right, let's split up!}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Yes, my Watson!}}
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| }}
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| {{Script
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| |scriptHeader=Find Clues II: Southeast Stellis Street
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| |script=
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| ''Go to the bookstore to gather information about the notes.''
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| {{SL|You|Excuse me, do you remember a customer by the name of "Morten Rickmon" that visited your bookstore?}}
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| {{SL|Bookstore Owner|Morten Rickmon...?}}
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| The bookstore owner seems confused until you hold up a picture of Morten Rickmon.
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| {{SL|You|This person.}}
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| Looking at the picture on your phone, a wary expression appears on the bookstore owner's face.
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| {{SL|Bookstore Owner|Why do you ask?}}
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| {{SL|You|Hmm... Well, you see...}}
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| {{SL|You|Morten Rickmon got in an accident two days ago, and the circumstances around the accident are strange. The police are investigating this matter.}}
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| {{SL|You|However, the investigation is still in the early stages. I was instructed to ask around to avoid too much public attention.}}
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| You take out the file folder that Aaron gave you and Luke, pointing to the official seal.
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| The bookstore owner's eyes change as soon as he sees the seal.
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| {{SL|Bookstore Owner|I see. I won't say anything to draw public attention.}}
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| {{SL|Bookstore Owner|I remember the fellow you're talking about.}}
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| {{SL|Bookstore Owner|He bought a whole set of Stellis souvenir notebooks at my store.}}
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| {{SL|Bookstore Owner|I talked to him at the checkout. He seemed like an interesting fellow.}}
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| {{SL|You|Did he mention anything in particular when he talked to you?}}
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| The bookstore owner touches his beard and shakes his head.
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| {{SL|Bookstore Owner|No, he only asked me where the best place to visit in Stellis was and said he would bring his girlfriend next time.}}
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| {{SL|You|(Girlfriend... Was the person that Morten Rickmon mentioned his girlfriend?)}}
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| Suppressing the doubt in your mind, you ask about Morten Rickmon again.
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| {{SL|You|I heard that... Morten Rickmon visited your store twice. Was there something important to him here?}}
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| {{SL|Bookstore Owner|Oh, that? Here's the thing...}}
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| {{SL|Bookstore Owner|I told him about our custom service the other day...}}
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| {{SL|Bookstore Owner|So one day he brought in a notebook and said it was something he had written before. He wanted it made into a custom notebook.}}
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| {{SL|Bookstore Owner|I finished the custom notebook according to his specifications and delivered it to him via courier. I don't know if he liked it or not.}}
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| {{SL|Bookstore Owner|There was nothing else besides that.}}
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| {{SL|You|...}}
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| The bookstore owner clicks his tongue and goes on about something else.
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| {{SL|You|Mister, thank you for your cooperation. I'll not bother you any longer.}}
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| {{SL|Bookstore Owner|You're welcome.}}
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| }}
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| {{Script
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| |scriptHeader=Find Clues III: Luke's Residence 2F
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| |script=
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| {{Float|{{Background location|name=Detective Agency|location=Time's Antiquities|image=Time's Antiquities - Office (Day).png}}}}
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| ''Discuss the current clues with Luke.''
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| {{SL|You|Luke, I'm back!}}
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| {{SL|Luke|How did it go? Did you find anything?}}
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| {{SL|You|Yes.}}
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| You recount to Luke the information you learned from the bookstore owner.
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| {{SL|Luke|Great, not only does it match the information I found, but you were able to uncover something else.}}
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| {{SL|You|Of course. This is a piece of cake for me.}}
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| {{SL|You|Luke, what else did you find?}}
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| Returning to the topic of Morten Rickmon, Luke's expression becomes solemn.
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| {{SL|Luke|Look.}}
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| He leads you over to the whiteboard, which is filled with his research and drawings.
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| {{SL|You|(He researched so much in this short amount of time? Amazing...)}}
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| Luke points to the picture of Morten Rickmon on the whiteboard and the scribbles beside it.
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| {{SL|Luke|According to my research, Morten Rickmon was orphaned at the age of 10 after his parents died in a car accident.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|With the help of his parents' inheritance, he was able to finish college and became a local elementary school teacher. He seemed to be well-liked at the school.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|At this point, there's nothing suspicious about Morten Rickmon's background, but... this is where things get strange.}}
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| {{SL|You|What is it?}}
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| Luke points to the photo of a woman on the right side.
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| {{SL|Luke|It was easy to decipher Morten Rickmon's social network. He had no relatives and very few friends, and he didn't really interact with his coworkers.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|The only person he's close to is his girlfriend, who you also learned about from the bookstore owner.}}
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| The girl in the photo has a delicate face with a gentle smile. The name written at the bottom reads, "Olivia Kilner."
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| {{SL|Luke|It seems they started dating in junior high and have been on good terms ever since.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|However, not long after Rickmon started working, Olivia Kilner was diagnosed with cancer and was hospitalized for long-term treatment.}}
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| {{SL|You|...}}
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| Luke pauses for a moment, putting down his hands. There is a hint of sadness on his face.
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| {{SL|Luke|And two months ago... Kilner, who had been getting better, died suddenly...}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Unable to accept his girlfriend's death, Rickmon was convinced that something shady happened. He got into a dispute with the hospital over Kilner's death.}}
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| {{SL|You|How is that possible!? Then he told the bookstore owner... that he wanted to take his girlfriend to Stellis.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Perhaps... it was just a beautiful wish that Rickmon had in his heart. }}
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| {{SL|Luke|I reviewed the news coverage of the dispute between Rickmon and the hospital...}}
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| {{SL|Luke|The description of Kilner's clinical manifestations in the weeks leading up to her death... is very concerning.}}
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| {{SL|You|Hmm?}}
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| {{SL|Luke|She also exhibited intermittent nerve pain... and other symptoms that cancer patients shouldn't have.}}
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| {{SL|You|!!!}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Maybe Rickmon suspected that Kilner had been treated with drugs that were not compliant with the law, which led to her death.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|But the hospital's medication record for Kilner showed no anomalies. They even paid a large sum of money to her family...}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Thus, the dispute between Rickmon and the hospital fizzled soon after.}}
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| {{SL|You|So... Rickmon was conducting a secret investigation in Stellis?}}
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| {{SL|Luke|Yes, I believe Rickmon was searching for his girlfriend's real cause of death and the source of the drug in Stellis.}}
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| {{SL|You|...}}
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| At this point, the office becomes quiet, so quiet that you can hear the rustling of Luke's clothes.
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| You look at the photo on the whiteboard again, her smile still gentle and bright...
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| Through her, you seem to see the cold nothingness of the blazing sun.
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| You move your lips to say something, but an inexplicable bitterness rises to your throat, preventing you from speaking.
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| And so, time remains silent. You look away, afraid to face Luke.
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| {{SL|Luke|...}}
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| {{SL|Luke|[Player], I know you're worried about me.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|But I'm not the same as her. I'm doing great right now.}}
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| Suddenly, Luke's voice rings in your ear, his tone slower and calmer than usual.
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| You turn around to see the same darkness in his eyes.
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| {{SL|You|Luke, you're not lying to me, are you?}}
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| You choke on your words as you question Luke, trying to force a smile.
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| {{SL|Luke|No, I'm not.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|We're still investigating Morten Rickmon... We'll find hope at the end of the tunnel.}}
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| Luke takes your hand, the engulfing confusion fading from you as you feel the warmth from his palm and skin.
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| He hungers for your answer... as much as you hunger for his.
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| You tiptoe lightly around him and press your face into his chest.
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| {{SL|You|Yes, we'll find it.}}
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| In the eerie silence, you can only hear his heart...
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| It takes some time for you and Luke to calm down.
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| Afterward, Luke goes over the rest of the information, and the two of you discuss your next course of action.
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| {{SL|You|Now that we know more about Morten Rickmon's background, we can speculate what he came to Stellis to do...}}
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| {{SL|You|Then what should we do next? Should we investigate Olivia Kilner's death or try to find the notebook?}}
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| {{SL|Luke|I also want to review Kilner's medication and medical records...}}
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| {{SL|Luke|But there might be jurisdiction problems because this is an intercity investigation. I'll have to consult Aaron before we move forward.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|I just pulled footage of Rickmon from all over the city, trying to pinpoint his last known location.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|But it will take some time to review the footage... For now, I think we can check out Rickmon's residence.}}
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| {{SL|Luke|He booked a hotel here in Stellis, and we might find clues there.}}
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| {{SL|You|Good idea, let's go.}}
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| }}
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| |characters=
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| {{Character|name=Luke Pearce|image=Luke character icon 1.png}}
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| {{Character|name=Bookstore Owner|image=Elderly M character icon.png|nolink=true}}
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| }}
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