Arriving at Manson’s Clock,

He opened the door.

“Okay, Old man, this better be important or else-”

“Have a seat my boy”, Manson said in an odd tone.

Lei then noticed there was nothing on his workbench nor in Manson’s

[That’s new, he never sounded this serious]

“Look old man, if you called me here just for some tea or introducing your granddaughter, I swear-”

“Sit, Lei”, He said calmly.

[...Why do I feel like I can’t refuse him?]

Lei then sat in front of him.

[Did something happen?]

“Hey, Old man, did something happen? why do you sound so…different?”

Manson sighed and said, “It seems, it’s time I tell you the truth”

“Truth? What kind of truth do you even-”

“You’ve met Elliot, haven’t you”

Lei's eyes widened.

“How did you know?”

“You were on the news, even If Elliot said it was just a “power outage”, I knew it must have been you”

“But…How?”

Manson smiled and chuckled.  

“Lei, for several years you have been working here, have the thought of “why did I accept you” crossed your mind?”

“...I mean, didn’t you say you took me in because you felt like I was the right pick for your granddaughter or something?”

Manson laughed.

“Well, there are some truth to that, but other than that, It’s because your father asked me to”

[He knew father?]

“You knew…my dad?”

“I knew him very well actually, He and I worked at CARDINAL at some point and met Elliot”  

“Wait…but this doesn’t make sense, if you both had worked together, why have you never-”

“Lei, think for a moment, why or rather how did you end up going to the facility in the first place”

[...the brochure…Elliot must have asked someone to…]

Lei clenched his fist tighter. 

“Wait, but how did he know I would be the one to-”

Manson then pointed at his wrist.

[The watch?]

“What this old junk have to do-”

“You said junk, but we both know it’s not”

[...]

“Open it Lei”

[Huh? how does he know about the opening function?]

Lei pressed both buttons of the watch and it opened, revealing a shard.

“This…is what Elliot is after”

[...What…what is this?] 

“But, still what does this have to do with anything”

“Well, in his last dying breath, your father told me to give it to you”

[To me?]

“But…why?”

Manson sighed.

“Elliot had tried to harness the power of an artifact.”

“Yeah, and dad died sacrificing himself right-”

“Is that what Elliot told you?”

[What?]

“That delusional madman had hunted your father down because He stole the artifact”

“...what..”

[Dad…was murdered?]

Lei’s breath hastened.

His hands trembled

Tears started to well up.

“I…am sorry…Lei”, 

Manson patted his back.

“Elliot will do everything in his power to get what he wants”

[...Mother…Kai…Mei]

“I…I NEED TO GO HOME”

“Wait-”

“Sorry old man.

Lei stood up and ran out.

He rode his motorcycle back home.

As he arrived, his eyes widened. 

He stepped down from his motorcycle.

His hand trembled as he approached the front door that was no longer there.

Shards of broken glass on the floor.

Buzzing on his ear could be heard. 

He fell on his knees and covered his ears

[...I…It’s…my fault]