Lord of Mysteries: Sustainer of Salvation

After Eleanor left, Gregor finally had time to think of his next course of action.

To organize his thoughts, he took a piece of paper and pencil and began to write his thoughts on the paper.

He wanted to make sure no one would read it; because of that, he wrote in modern English.

"Even though I became a Delusional less than a month ago, I feel that I have already uncovered most secrets of the acting method.

"I can describe the acting method of the Delusional in two parts: one that focuses on the psychological meaning of the word, and one that focuses on its mystical meaning.

"I discovered the first one while grieving on my way to Division Bell. I unconsciously began to console myself with the idea that Becca is in some kind of paradise in the afterlife. I knew that a paradise is a ridiculous idea; there is no paradise in this world.

"But even while knowing that, I deluded myself into believing in it. When I finally came to realize how ridiculous the idea was, I noticed part of the potion digesting within me, and at that moment, I realized part of the acting method: 'A Delusional believes there is always a better outcome, no matter how bizarre or unrealistic the situation is.'

"This is the foundation of the Delusional potion, the most important aspect; it's what allows a Delusional to keep their sanity even after seeing something that defies their understanding of the world. I believe that this is the most important lesson a new Beyonder can learn.

"I discovered the second part after Wilson's sacrifice. I, once again, deluded myself, this time into thinking that I couldn't lose due to being able to see visions of the future; I forgot the most important detail of the Delusional's abilities: you only see a glimpse of the future, not the entirety of it.

"Visions cannot be used as a weapon to achieve one's ambitions, because one cannot control the variables and details of the future; instead, visions should be used as a way to guide oneself through the unknown and danger. Knowing that, I understood the second part of the acting method: 'A Delusional understands that everything is possible while not losing track of their own reality.'

"If the first part is the foundation of the Delusional, the second can be considered the pillar that serves the purpose of reminding a Delusional that, even though they can believe there is a better outcome, the laws of the Beyonder world are unchangeable and almighty; not even the gods can defy them."

As Gregor finished writing, he left the paper on the table, not worrying about someone seeing it, believing that no one other than himself could read what was written.

He went to the bathroom, turning on the shower.

The shower took around 3 to 5 minutes to heat; in the meantime, Gregor brushed his teeth.

....

After showering, Gregor put on a plain white shirt, brown pants, and shoes. He had forgotten where he had placed his comb; his hair looked messy, but not enough to ruin his appearance.

He decided to visit Eleanor at her house to see if Laura had woken up, and also to see how Eleanor was handling the situation after their conversation.

Eleanor's house was in the southeast part of town. As he walked there, he passed a carpentry shop; he knew it was a carpentry shop because of one of the children who always went to see his tricks when he dressed as a clown.

The child was the carpenter's son, which he always made sure to tell everyone, claiming that his father was the best carpenter in Lenburg.

The carpentry shop was next to the child's house, where his mother had a small garden. The flowers in the garden were so beautiful that some people wanted to buy them. At first, the child's mother was skeptical about selling her flowers, but since the extra income would help her family, she decided to become a florist, selling her flowers in her free time.

Gregor knocked on the florist's door. He had decided to buy some flowers since he didn't know if, in Lenburg's culture, people had the custom of bringing gifts when visiting someone.

The florist opened the door; she looked like she had been working all day. She took a deep breath and said, "Gregor?!" She looked surprised to see him. "Can I help you?" she asked hesitantly.

Before that day, she had not known Gregor's name; she knew he was the clown who always did tricks for the children, but never cared enough to learn his name.

She only discovered his name after someone told her what happened earlier that day at Wilson's house.

Ignoring her reaction, Gregor went straight to the point, "I'd like to buy some flowers."

The florist seemed calmer after he said that. "Of course, what kind of flowers are you thinking?"

Gregor didn't understand anything about flowers; neither Michael Burey nor Abel had any interest in them.

"I don't know; I don't understand much about flowers."

The florist seemed to think for a moment before asking, "May I know why you need them? Maybe I can help you decide."

"I'm going to visit Eleanor and I thought I'd bring a gift," Gregor said.

The florist opened a mischievous grin. "Eleanor, huh? Well, I think roses are the best option then."

Gregor noticed her reaction but ignored it, thinking she was just an eccentric woman.

"Perfect, I'd like roses then," he said.

"That'll be 9 pence; I'll go get them," the florist said.

Gregor found the price absurd; he wanted to haggle, but his memories as an Intisian noble stopped him. As Michael Burey, he had been taught that haggling over small amounts of money was something only uneducated people did.

He took from his pocket a half-pence coin, which at the time was worth 6 pence, and a quarter-pence coin, which at the time was worth 3 pence.

He handed the coins to the florist, who went to get the flowers.

....

Wednesday, May 1st. 14:00

Eleanor's mother, Amelia Rigby, heard someone knocking at the door while washing dishes.

Since both her husband and younger daughter were with Laura, she answered the door.

As she opened it, she saw Gregor, holding a bouquet of roses; the bouquet had around twelve to fifteen flowers.

She looked at him silently for a moment before calling into the house, "Lea, Gregor's here!"

As if nothing had happened, she smiled at Gregor, welcoming him in. "Please come in, Gregor. Lea will be here soon," she said, returning to the kitchen, a mischievous smile evident.

Eleanor arrived quickly, and as soon as she noticed Gregor holding the roses, her face reddened.

Seeing her reaction, Gregor realized he had made a mistake.

Giving a single woman flowers—what was I thinking?

At that moment, Gregor wanted to bury his face in the ground.

To avoid misunderstandings, Gregor decided to play dumb and pretend he didn't know what was happening.

If she asks something, I'll blame it on cultural differences! He thought.

"P-Please come in, Gregor," Eleanor said, slightly stuttering.

Gregor smiled as he entered, handing her the flowers.

"I hope you like them," he said.

Eleanor's eyes widened as she accepted the flowers. "Thank you, Gregor. I—I really like them."

Her mother came from the kitchen, holding a jar. "Put the flowers here, Lea."

Eleanor placed the flowers in the jar and put it on the dinner table.

"I'll go check on Laura," Eleanor's mother said, winking at her daughter.

Gregor was immensely embarrassed by the situation he got himself into.

Your son-in-law just died, and you're trying to act like a cupid?! He thought.

"What brings you here, Gregor?" Eleanor asked.

He smiled. "I wanted to see how you and your sister are."

"She woke up not too long ago," she said, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"And how are you dealing with that?" he asked.

"You were right—when we told what happened to her, she first denied it, refusing to accept it. When she finally did, she became very angry, especially at me."

"But, just as you said, after screaming and getting her frustration out, she apologized and said it wasn't my fault."

That happened way quicker than I expected; I thought it would take some days before she forgave Eleanor...

Gregor thought, impressed by how quickly things happened.

"I told you, she wasn't actually angry at you; she's your sister. She doesn't want to lose you, especially in this hard moment."

"Thank you, Gregor," she said, smiling. "Speaking of her, she said she wanted to see you."

"Good, I also need to talk to her," Gregor said, his tone now calm but serious.

"Then you better be quick before she falls asleep again," Eleanor said, trying to lighten the mood.

Even though Gregor knew where Laura was, Eleanor led him to the room.

The room's door was open; Laura was talking with her parents before she noticed Gregor.

"Sis, Gregor is here," Eleanor said.

As Laura finally noticed Gregor, her face darkened, remembering the events of the morning.

"Mom, Dad, can I talk to Gregor alone, please?" Laura said; her voice was weak, and she looked very tired.

Her parents nodded, leaving the room with Eleanor before closing the door.

Gregor sat in a chair close to the bed.

Without giving him the opportunity to say anything, Laura asked, "Why were you there? Why did you leave Wilson there? How did you know what was happening?" As she asked, she gripped the bedsheets, her voice rising with each question.

Gregor lowered his head, looking at the floor. "I couldn't save both of you," Gregor said as he clenched his fist, remembering the events of the morning.

"After you fainted, the gas turned into a thick fog; no one could see anything, not even the killer. Wilson wanted me to take you with me and run. As I was about to do so, the killer threw a dagger at me. It would have pierced my chest if Wilson hadn't jumped in front of the dagger."

"In respect for him, I took you in my arms and ran out through the window. Shortly after, the fog vanished. When the police entered, the killer had already left."

"I'm sorry..." As those words left Gregor's mouth, he could no longer hold back his tears. Ashamed, he did not even look at Laura. "I take full responsibility for not being able to save him."

"What were his last words?" Laura asked; her tone showed pain, sadness, but mostly a feeling of emptiness.

"He said that he loved you; he wished that you and the baby live happily..." Gregor lied. He remembered Wilson's last words to him perfectly, but he felt that this was what she needed to hear.

Even though he did not say it, I'm sure that's what he wanted...

Laura said nothing. She turned to the side, looking out the window, as if looking for something lost on the horizon.

"Wilson..."