The alarms from Lin’s chalkboard monitor gradually grew so intense that the shrill noise could have woken the dead. She struggled to map each new location as it appeared. All Hez could do was watch in bewildered curiosity.

“Nnnnngh, there’s way more negative locations than usual! Where the heck are the new Oneiros when you need them the most!?” she moaned, and then paused. “Wait a minute… This doesn’t look right… There are some new spots as usual, especially these three, but… Is this even possible?”

About three smaller spots appeared to have their connections to Remniche in a serious jumble, represented by the ‘strings’ connecting them to the main city suddenly becoming snarled and twisted among each other. Then to make things worse, the three spots threatened to engulf each other and fuse into one huge negative hotspot.

“No way!! Hez, did you see that!? They’re fusing!! The psyches of three people are melding into one!! Gyaah, this is terrible!!” Lin panicked and raced all around the museum in a cartoonish flurry. “Why is this happening!? I know we’ve had an influx of bad locations recently, but now they’re beginning to mutate!? This warrants an immediate investigation!! Get off your butt and get ready, Hez! We’re heading into a lion’s den cramped with venomous snakes!”

Hez was bewildered by her partner’s erratic behavior, but wasn’t too surprised by it. Compared to the calmer and level-headed Hez, Lin could erupt into an energetic frenzy like this at a moment’s notice. She wasn’t really sure what to do to ‘get ready’ for such an unexpected venture.

Lin skidded to a stop to take a quick peek at the museum’s stairs. “Ah, a visitor! Bad timing! Hez, put up the closed sign before we have people bugging us! Hurry it up!”

Hez frowned nervously and twiddled her fingers before heading to the janitor's closet to find the sign in question.