Demon Lord Shapeshifting System

Harker sat down in front of Galeas, and soon the hypnosis interrogation began. 

"You were vying for the same internship position as Felix Garcia, right? Can you tell me more about your thoughts about him? As your competitor?"

Despite his face being still and remaining unblinking, Galeas still responded with emotions in his tone just as he would if he was responding to the question while awake. Except they're sure he'll be 100% truthful. 

"I don't have much to say about Felix Garcia. I was surprised he murdered someone, because I honestly thought he'd be one of my weaker opponents. I'm antisocial, but so was he, and he seemed much worse. When push comes to shove, I can make an impression of my father and act just as confident and intimidating as him."

Galeas even chuckled. "I even almost managed to scare Felix once. I said that because of his record of destroying the school's property, Mr. Holmwood, the Headmaster, might not support him in his application. And referral is pretty important in these things. Connections are everything, really."

Joan blinked. "Now that's scary. He's much more pragmatic than he looks, right?"

Roland frowned. "More like manipulative. But he's right. Ask him if he ever tried to sabotage Felix in some way besides scaring him."

Harker asked his question, and Galeas merely responded: 

"No. What I did was barely sabotage and only a word of advice. I will get that internship. I had always wanted to get out of this place and get to see what's out there. In that vast universe, waiting for me."

He added. "I know that to be an astronaut, I need to physically train myself. But it was my father himself that insisted that I study first, and be part of their technical team. Then, my father will train me himself to get past the physical test."

Harker was now sure that this 'vendetta' that Ivan mentioned had nothing to do with the Galeas. But there was another thing that bothered him.

"Your father…. What does he think of Felix? Before and after he got arrested? "

At this, it took a while to get an answer from Galeas like he was considering it. 

He then said: "I'm actually not sure. My father doesn't know him besides the fact that we're going after the same internship. But there's something in his eyes when I mention Felix Garcia…. I can't describe it. I always found my father hard to understand sometimes."

"Could it be hatred?" Roland asked. 

Harker repeated this question, and Galeas shrugged. "I couldn't tell."

The three of them looked at each other for a while. Could it be the police chief himself who had something personal against Felix?

It would make a lot of sense. He had a deal with the Circus Cabaret, and he seemed to be aware of what happens in that place. Harker remembered what Samson said about how he seemed shady, and that he distrusted him.

But why? What would push the chief of police to frame an innocent boy for murder. 

"Do you know if your father had any grudges? Or if he had mentioned something about the Circus Cabaret and the murders?"

Galeas responded. "My father and I are close, but he's not much of a talker. His work is just simply a topic that we don't discuss, it's an unspoken rule. All he spoke about were the basics. How they found Felix with the murder weapon, with blood samples of Dahlia all over him, and that he skinned her face at 3:33 a.m before running away to the dumpsters and falling asleep."

Roland frowned. "3:33? But the records said it was 11:57." 

"That's when he stabbed her, yes. Or more accurately, when he was last seen by CCTV grabbing her with a knife in hand." Galeas corrected him. "But my father said that the skinning began at that time, and it only took him 3 minutes to take it all off."

Joan furrowed her brows. "If the last time they were seen by the CCTV was at 11:57, how did your father know the exact time he skinned her? Was there a witness who saw it?"

Galeas shrugged again. "I'm not sure. That's just what my father said."

Roland shook his head. "No… There weren't any witnesses who came forward and saw Felix murder Dahlia. They saw him passed out on the dumpsters when it was already morning. And Harker and I went to the crime scene ourselves, it's too dark there to see anything and very few people go there at night."

His face looked determined. "Chief Fieldings most likely saw the skinning himself. The question is…. Why would he be watching that, and not do anything?"

And so, this solidified Chief Lance Fieldings as they're primary suspect. 

The mystery of these skinwalkers was just getting more and more complicated. There were so many leads to follow, so many paths to take, and Harker wasn't sure where they lead. 

He could only continue walking blindly and hope that it will lead him to the end he wanted.

"That's all for now, right? We'll just have to question Mr. Fieldings next." Harker thought. 

Roland nodded. "Yeah…. It's a good thing that your skills are still here even after 3 months have passed. Without them, we'd probably have a harder time proving Felix's innocence."

"That's because they got duplicated when I ate Le—"

He stopped himself. Reminding Roland of the past might just remind him of the things he wanted to forget. 

"Anyway, that's it. I'll pretend to talk to Galeas about Astronomy, you guys can go ahead and wait for me outside." Harker said. 

Roland and Joan nodded. They went outside the door, and Joan suddenly pulled Roland to the side.

"Are you alright?" Joan suddenly asked. 

Roland blinked. "Huh? Of course I would be, Ms. Seward. Why would you be asking—"

"I'm no psychiatrist, but I am a psychopharmacist. Harker had mentioned some…. concerns about your behavior. He had also said you'd been taking drugs that you had when you were back in high school. Since you're his friend, I want to help in any way I can. " She said genuinely. 

Roland pulled his hand away, and chuckled lightly. "There's no need, Ms. Seward. Yes, I had a history of anxiety and paranoia when I was young. But it's not that bad now, I have grown to handle it."

"Your troubles a child and your troubles now are not the same, Mr. Faust. You will need new prescriptions, new solutions to your mental instability. I advise you to at least take another diagnostic test—"

Roland rejected her firmly this time. 

"I am fine. And drugs can't really help me and my problems. The only way it can be solved is if I forget everything entirely. Forget the pains that had been with me since I was born."

He walked out of that place, and passed by a hallway full of mirrors as some sort of installation by the art students in this university.

And there he was again. That dark figure who was always following him. Nothing but a figment of his imagination. 

He ignored it. "Not today, Mr. Shadow."

But this time, Mr. Shadow spoke through the looking glass.

"When will it be then, Roly-poly? When will you accept me?"