Joshua noticed Cedrick’s unusually stern expression. “What’s on your mind, Cedrick?”

Cedrick was staring at the cover of the book, Abnormal Psychology, and thinking about what Benedict had said to him earlier in the ward.

“Benny told me a professor in the lab gave it to him, so I came to ask you since you were with him the most. Who else spends that much time with him?”

He wanted to know if it was a coincidence or a deliberate act to give a five-year-old child something so disturbing.

“I’ll look into it,” Joshua promised. “I wouldn’t be too worried, though, Cedrick. It must have been a coincidence.”

Cedrick nodded.

Five minutes later, Joshua found out from the professors on duty in the laboratory that it was given by a biochemist named Eugene Yortz.

Eugene was an elderly professor of about sixty, with a snow-white beard, a straight nose, and chiseled features.

He was not Chanaean. Instead, he was sent from Astoria as part of a collaborative project.

Joshua led Cedrick to Eugene’s office to pay the professor a visit.

“Eugene is a strange fellow,” he warned Cedrick in a whisper along the way. “Aside from having a funny character, he’s withdrawn, easily irritable, obsessed with research, and has zero regard for interpersonal communication skills. The things he does sometimes are bizarre.”

Behind his back, the other professors called him Professor Nuts.

After listening intently, Cedrick mulled it over for a while.

a stable and loving relationship with Inez. Compared to the earlier version of himself who had devoted his life to research, he seemed to have become an entirely different person.

was thinking, the pair found

does what he wants and

and thought that he quite liked people

like that give Benedict as strange a journal as Abnormal

his eyes, Cedrick

Knock, knock, knock.

knocked thrice in a

nor was there the sound of someone coming

business,” Joshua said. “Why don’t I keep an eye here and let

appeared stern. “Nobody saw him leave the lab

force, he rapped

sounded from the office. “What good would knocking do? Why won’t you say why you’re here?

profusely on the

an earful

Prof. Mallory. I have something urgent to

silence, the doorknob twisted

still bleary-eyed, glaring at them. “If you come knocking again without stating your intention, Joshua, I’ll assume you’re mute. It’s a

he saw his colleague as an elder who was his father’s age.

a premier laboratory in Chanaea, Professor Yortz. How

opened the door like you wanted, and you’re telling me off,” he said huffily.

replied. “Like you, Professor Yortz, I

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