Luke's Sweet Chapter 02-07
Overview
- Stage Cost: None
- First Clear Rewards:
S-Chip x100
Guide
- Hover to view spoiler content.
Script
Victoria Pharmaceutical Factory Interior
There may be additional clues in the pharmaceutical factory. Go check again.
When you and Luke arrive at Victoria Pharmaceuticals, there are traces of the locks being pried open...
Looking around to make sure it's deserted, the two of you sneak into the unguarded factory.
The factory is empty, with no signs of any machinery or medicine, except for a few cardboard boxes on a few shelves.
It looks like shutting this factory down and moving everything away was part of the plan at Victoria Pharmaceuticals.
You and Luke explore the interior and discover shoe prints on the dusty floor.
You: Shoe prints and locks that were pried open...
You: I think Rickmon left these.
Luke nods.
Luke: Let's look around for new possible clues.
You: Yeah.
Luke: [Player], over here!
You: What is it!?
Shortly after, Luke beckons to you at a nearby shelf, and you run over to him.
He carefully pulls a crumpled piece of paper from between the boxes and hands it to you. It is a receipt.
The water stains make the contents difficult to read, but fortunately, the seal is still relatively intact.
You: Victoria... Stellis Institute?
You: !!!
Luke: !!!
You and Luke look at each other at the same time, both overflowing with emotions.
Luke: Maybe the two letters that Rickmon wrote were the first two letters of "institute"...
You: But I thought Victoria Pharmaceuticals only set up a pharmaceutical factory in Stellis. What's this about an institute...?
Luke: It might be an illegal research facility hidden in the shadows.
Luke: It might be where they research the drugs, before producing them at their pharmaceutical factory for distribution...
Luke: One operates in the shadows, and the other operates in the light... It seems this Victoria Pharmaceuticals is more powerful than we had imagined.
And what happened with Morten Rickmon might also have a plausible explanation.
He must have uncovered the existence of the institute here and conducted a careful investigation...
However, they might have found him when he was approaching or infiltrating the institute, and dealt with him accordingly.
All the clues fall into place, pointing to the next stop...
You: Where is this institute located...?
Luke: ...
Luke looks down, deep in thought, then shakes his head.
Luke: I've memorized the map of Stellis, and there are no suspicious buildings above ground that can be used for medical research.
You: Nothing above ground... Then...
You: !!!
You: Underground!?
Luke: Underground!?
You and Luke voice both your speculation at the same time.
The two of you chuckle at the tacit response.
You: It seems we're always on the same page, no matter what.
Luke: Of course, we're the perfect partners.
You: That's reasonable. Why don't we get out of here first? We can figure out where the institute is later.
Luke: All right.
With that, Luke takes your hand and leads you out of the factory... with hope in sight.
Obtain item: Receipt
Southeast Stellis Street
Analyze the current clues.
After leaving the Victoria Pharmaceuticals, you and Luke find a quiet place to discuss where the institute might be located.
Luke pulls up a satellite map of Stellis.
You pull up a list of approved underground buildings on the official Stellis municipal website.
You move beside him, comparing the list with the satellite map to analyze the possibilities.
Luke: We can rule out Long Beach because as far as I know, they're basically all old underground wine cellars.
Luke: Some hospitals and schools have underground buildings that used to be bomb shelters, which can also be ruled out...
After analyzing the possibilities, you and Luke narrow it down to a building in Hemingway Heights.
Luke: Look, this is the only building that is being used differently than the one approved... and there haven't been any changes registered.
You: Yeah, it applied to be used for storage.. but the satellite map says it's a private art collection?
You: Why don't we look around that area?
Luke: Yeah, same as before. If anything feels amiss, we leave.
You: All right!
West Hemingway Heights Street
Ask passersby about the underground building.
You: Hello, do you know of a private art collection nearby?
Middle-Aged Man: Ahh... yeah, there's one just up ahead.
Middle-Aged Man: They seem to be quite mysterious. I don't know what kind of people would keep a private art collection...
Middle-Aged Man: My friends and I wanted to take a look, but we were stopped at the gates.
You: I see. Thanks for your help.
Luke: Thank you.
Middle-Aged Man: You're welcome.
Luke: Excuse me, do you know about the private art collection nearby?
Security Guard: A private art collection? Let me think...
Security Guard: Oh, I remember there was an art collection around these parts, but it's all quite mysterious.
Security Guard: The people that come and go are either wearing black suits or white lab coats... Perhaps it's some avant-garde art that I can't understand.
Security Guard: But the place closed down a few days ago. Maybe business hasn't been good.
Luke: It closed a few days ago?
Security Guard: Yeah, I watched them move their things. They were able to fill two trucks with just boxes.
Luke: I see... Thank you.
You: Thank you.
Security Guard: Not a problem at all.
Analyze the situation with Luke
You: It seems like more than a coincidence that they shut down a few days ago.
Luke: ...
Luke: I suspect they found out Rickmon was investigating them. To avoid any risks, they simply shut down the institute temporarily.
Luke: It's abnormal... how fast they were able to move all their assets.
You: ...What's our next step?
Luke: If they closed down and moved out, then that place should be unguarded by now... Let's go take a look underground.
You: All right.
Victoria Pharmaceutical Research Institute Interior
Enter the underground building with Luke to investigate.
Arriving at the Victoria Stellis Institute, it takes a while for Luke to open the front door.
What comes into view is a dark and gloomy hallway...
Luke: [Player], stay behind me and be careful.
You: All right.
Luke takes your hand and moves forward carefully.
You: Ah!
Suddenly, your foot slips as if you stepped on something, the ground slipping out from underneath you.
Luke barely manages to catch you by using his own body to break the fall.
Luke: Are you okay? Did you twist your ankle?
You: ...
Before you can react, Luke has already squatted down to check on you.
Luke: It looks all right. Try moving your ankle and tell me if it hurts.
You: Okay...
You try rotating your ankles in various ways per Luke's instructions, but nothing feels strange.
You: Luke, I'm fine. Don't worry about me.
You: What about you? Were you hurt?
You shudder, remembering the loud thud when Luke's body hit the ground, but Luke smiles at you.
Luke: Don't worry, I'm more than fine.
Luke: If you don't believe me, I wouldn't mind a personal checkup later.
You: I guess you're fine then, seeing as how you're able to joke around with me.
Then you notice a vial on the floor. It seems this is the "culprit" that caused you to fall.
You place it in your palm for closer inspection, only to realize it's empty. Confusion fills your heart.
You: An empty vial... Was it dropped by accident while they were moving out?
Luke: Put it away first, and let's head deeper inside. Maybe we'll find something new.
You: Yeah!
Deeper into the institute, Luke soon finds the light switch.
After turning on the lights, the room feels both empty and messy at the same time...
There are many abandoned materials on the shelves and chemical test tubes on the experiment table further inside...
Compared to the pharmaceutical factory, this place is very chaotic.
You: It seems the people here left in a hurry... They left a lot of things behind.
Luke: Yeah, I'm sure they were surprised that Rickmon came knocking, so they were in a panic to shut things down here.
Luke: Let's look around for more clues.
You: All right.
You search and explore along the left wall...
You: !!!
Approaching a corner, you freeze up at the scene before your eyes.
You: Luke! Over here!
Luke: What is it!?
Luke hurries over when you call out his name.
When he looks in the direction you're pointing... he also freezes up.
Luke: ...
You: ...
There are pools of dark red blood on the ground in the corner, and a tattered jacket lying beside them.
Extending from the pools of blood are marks that someone made with their fingers...
You: Luke... this...
You look at Luke, who is frowning at this point. Then he takes a palm-sized device from his backpack.
He puts on gloves and uses a metal blade to take a sample of the blood on the ground...
You: (That's Luke's Handy Analyzer...)
Luke's frown deepens when he sees the results on the screen.
Luke: It's human blood, and it matches Morten Rickmon's blood type...
Luke: The jacket on the ground matches the one we saw Rickmon wearing in the surveillance footage.
You: ...
No words escape your mouth as you stare at the jacket and the pools of blood on the ground...
The thought strikes you that you should collect Rickmon's jacket as evidence, but Luke is already one step ahead of you. He places the jacket in a plastic bag.
Luke: This is key evidence.
Luke: It witnessed the atrocities that were committed against Rickmon. It will also witness those people getting punished as they deserve.
You: Yeah.
Luke: Let's keep searching. There must be more clues.
Luke's words are filled with disdain for the culprits. You move over to him and squeeze his palm while nodding.
Luke: [Player], look what I found!
After a while, Luke beckons to you from nearby.
You walk over to him and inspect what he found on the ground — a piece of paper with burn marks on the edges.
You: What is this...?
You carefully inspect the paper. It's written with sloppy handwriting that appears to be half of a chemical formula...
Luke doesn't immediately respond to you, but he takes out some magnetic powder and an electronic device that you haven't seen before.
The device resembles a tiny tablet, with a capsule-like glass tube on the right that connects to an electronic screen.
You: Is this a new device?
Luke: Yes, it's a Comparison Analyzer Mark C, used to compare traces.
You watch as Luke pours the powder into the glass tube, then presses a button on the electronic screen...
After a while, nothing seems to happen with the device.
Luke: The fingerprints were incomplete, so it failed to make a comparison.
You: So what do we do now?
Luke: Don't worry, I've got a trick up my sleeve.
Luke then points the camera on the device toward the paper, and a red light soon covers the whole place...
You: (It's a multi-purpose device.)
Sometime later, the device beeps as data appears on the electronic screen.
You: Are the results out?
Luke carefully looks at the screen and frowns.
Luke: Yes... it matches Morten Rickmon's handwriting.
You: !!!
You: Could these be... fragments of Rickmon's notes?
You look at Luke, who nods.
Luke: If we speculate, on top of what Rickmon said before...
Luke: I suspect they discovered Rickmon's notes contained a lot of important information and planned to burn them.
Luke: But things didn't go their way as the notebook didn't burn completely, leaving behind traces...
Luke: Good thing we found it.
Luke emphasized the word "we" heavily. You look at the paper again, a strange feeling emerging in your heart.
You: I think your analysis is sound...
You: But... what does this half formula represent?
Luke: ...
Luke: The information contained in Rickmon's notebook should be the most important.
Luke: And he continued with the investigation, primarily focusing on Kilner's real cause of death and the source of the drug...
You: We analyzed it before... that Kilner had intermittent nerve pain before her death, and what Rickmon said earlier...
You: Could this formula have something to do with your...!?
You grab Luke's arm in excitement, unable to finish the sentence.
He looks at you, gently taking your hand with a smile in his eyes.
Luke: [Player], I thought the same thing.
You: Great, we finally have some useful clues.
You: It's great... Hopefully, you...
Luke: Yeah, hopefully...
In the gentle, dim light, Luke's silhouette becomes light and soft...
No words are exchanged between the two of you, only a mutual hope.
Street
You and Luke return to the surface after making sure there is no more information to obtain at the institute.
Luke: I'll report to Aaron about our findings here and give him the paper to analyze.
Luke: I'll come see you after I'm done with Aaron.
You: Yeah, I'll wait for the good news at home!
Watching Luke leave, your heartbeat rises inexplicably.
Will everything... really work out the way you want?
At the moment, hope seems to be in sight, and yet so far...
Obtain item: Burnt Paper Scrap
Wait for Luke to come back.
The clock ticks by slowly as you watch the hands go round and round.
Your initially high expectations gradually give way to anxiety and sadness.
You: He's been gone for so long... Why hasn't he come home yet?
You:
You: No, no, don't think like that. But...
In the space of a moment, the unspoken worries only grow more intense.
Antique Shop
Talk to Luke and listen to his thoughts.
The river of time flows, and you stare at the countless antiques in the shop, not knowing how much time has passed.
Just like the antiques, you are waiting in silence and loneliness.
You: When is Luke going to come back...?
You: I wonder what's going on.
Just as your mind starts to wander, the crisp sound of the door opening interrupts your train of thought.
Luke: I'm back.
You: Luke!
Hearing Luke's voice, you run over to the door, wanting to throw yourself into his arms.
Luke lifts you up, spinning you around in place.
Lifted into the air, you feel like a butterfly, joyous and light.
You: How did it go?
After a gentle landing, Luke holds your arm.
He smiles at you with bright eyes, almost as if the sun is shining in them.
Luke: The results are great.
Luke: The half formula is indeed a very important clue, and Aaron has assigned someone to study it.
You: !!!
You: That's great! Our hard work hasn't gone to waste...
You jump into Luke's arms, his warmth passing through your body.
This sudden whirl of great news almost seems like a dream... and you can't differentiate it from reality.
And Luke strokes your back, telling you every detail...
Luke: He promised me that the results of their research, if any, will go a long way in alleviating my symptoms.
You: Good...
Luke: I've reported the matter with Victoria Pharmaceuticals to the bureau.
Luke: They will assign someone else to the investigation so I can have some time off.
Luke: As for Morten Rickmon, he will continue to receive treatment in Stellis. Arrangements will be made to transfer him to a local hospital back home...
Luke: Rest assured, [Player]. Everything will be fine...
Luke's words flow like a warm stream straight into your heart.
This dreamlike feeling grows heavy with every word, then lands on your heart.
You know that your lover's embrace and words, at this moment, are a reality.
You: That's great.
You look at Luke, his smile becoming more tender.
He runs his fingertips through your long hair, speaking in an affectionate tone.
Luke: Now that I'm home and looking at you, it really feels like maybe... our hope won't be lost this time.
Luke: And it feels wonderful to have you share that hope with me.
You: ...
You put your finger to his lips, then shake your head.
You: What do you mean, "maybe"...? It really is!
Luke is stunned for a moment, then a faint smile appears on his face.
Luke: Yes, it really is.
You: And you were wrong about one thing.
Luke: Huh?
Under Luke's gaze, you can feel your cheeks and neck burning up...
You can't help but confess your feelings when facing your lover's enamored eyes.
You: It's not me sharing hope with you...
You: We've already become one. Whatever you feel in your heart, I feel as well.
You: Just like this time, when we went to investigate and find clues about the drug together...
You: Luke, you and I, our fates... have already become inseparable.
Luke: ...
Luke gently pulls your left hand over his heart, then up to his cheek.
Luke: Yes... you're right. Our fates have already been intertwined, never to be separated again.
Luke: [Player], I'm so happy to be with you.
You: Me too...
He tilts his head to rub against the palm of your hand. It feels tender yet ticklish.
Luke: When I was waiting for the results at Aaron's... I was terrified.
Luke: It was completely different from my usual calm.
Luke: I was terrified that the leads we found were going to be for naught.
Luke: I even... prayed in my heart that the piece of paper we found would be useful, that it would give me more time...
Luke: Just one more day, one more minute, one more second... so that I could love you more.
Luke's words are affectionate and loving, but you detect a hint of bitterness.
Yes, "time" is the sword of Damocles, constantly hanging above his head.
Underneath the sword, he is destined to suffer the dull pain again and again, as long as he hungers for you.
But whenever he looks at you, it is always the same warm and healing smile...
Affection, heartache, sweetness... all these emotions rush into your heart.
You: Luke, I...
Just as you're about to say something, Luke kisses your hand to stop you from saying anything else.
Luke: You don't need to say anything else. I know.
Luke: I've never felt that you made me weak or fragile.
Luke: On the contrary, with you by my side, I have the courage to face whatever's coming to me.
Luke: [Player], I won't let go of your hand. Let's create our future together.
You: ...
Luke's eyes are sincere and earnest, radiating with brilliance.
You can't help but take his left hand with your right hand, trying to pull him closer...
You: It's a deal then. We take control of our fate together.
Luke: Yeah... I promise you, I will do it.
You hug Luke with all your might, your lips curling into a sweet smile, sharing this long-awaited hope with him.
His warmth transfers through your skin, making you feel safe and infatuated.
At this moment, he is your little sun...
Luke's Bedroom
Things have finally wrapped up, and you and Luke return to rest in his bedroom.
You lay in his arms, looking at the ceiling and planning what to do next.
You: Earlier, you said your department was giving you some time off...
You: Does that mean we can plan a long vacation?
With a smile on his face, Luke looks down, touching the tip of your nose gently.
Luke: I'm free. But will your law firm give you time off?
You: ...
You: I was so happy that I forgot about my own job...
You: Then... what about somewhere near Stellis? Maybe a trip that will only last a few days?
Luke gives you a sly wink as you ponder where to visit near Stellis.
Luke: I have an idea.
You: What is it?
Luke: "Time's Antiquities Owner Training Program"... Food and accommodation provided, valid indefinitely.
Luke: What do you think?
You: ...
You: Luke! I'm being serious about where to go...
Hearing your words, Luke bends down and whispers, his hot breath brushing your ear.
Luke: I'm being serious too...
You: I...
Your neck and cheeks become visibly flushed.
You are stunned for a moment, not knowing how to respond.
But he seems to notice your "embarrassment" and takes your arm while looking into your eyes.
Luke: The "training program"... starts now.
You feel lost in Luke's smile that is as bright as the sun...
All you can feel is...
...that both your eyebrows and lips are left with a warm imprint that belonged only to him.
Summary
Evidence
Receipt
A receipt found in the Victoria Pharmaceutical Factory. Due to water stains on the receipt, its contents cannot be read clearly. Only the seal can be recognized, pointing to one of Victoria Pharmaceutical's underground institutes in Stellis - the Victoria Pharmaceutical Research Institute.
Burnt Paper Scrap
A paper scrap found in the Victoria Pharmaceutical Research Institute. The paper contains half of a chemical formula, with burn marks on the edges. According to forensics, the handwriting on the paper belongs to Morten Rickmon.
