Quicksand of Fate

Vittorio sat down, placing his bag on his lap. "As productive as that can be, given the circumstances."

Riccardo leaned back slightly, wiggling his fingers. "And what are those circumstances?"

Vittorio opened his bag, pulled out a folder, and placed it on the desk. "Lorenzo's situation is... complicated. He doesn't show any immediate signs of aggression, at least not towards anyone invading his personal space or what he considers his secrets, as he did before. That's an improvement over when he was staying at the main property. The issue now is that his emotions seem more numb than they were even a month ago."

Riccardo's lips twitched, but whether it was a smile or a frown, Vittorio couldn't tell.

"However," Vittorio continued, "he's getting worse. In the week since I last saw him, his condition has deteriorated. He's isolating himself more than ever, and, given his current state, I suspect the hallucinations have returned."

Riccardo's sharp gaze flickered with slight discomfort as he frowned.

"Is it as dangerous as it was seven years ago?"

Vittorio nodded. "I think he can distinguish between illusion and reality, but he doesn't seem well. He's relying heavily on tranquilizers to sleep, to the point where he's putting himself at risk. If this continues, his mental state could deteriorate beyond repair."

"What about the academy? Could he enroll there?"

"I haven't seen any signs of outright madness in him, even though I've provoked and cornered him psychologically, so I don't think there will be any problems—at least for now. On the other hand, the academy presents a good opportunity for him to break free from his isolation, though it's a cage he won't be able to escape. The academy could provide him with a purpose, a focus, and a chance to reconnect with the world—even if he doesn't want to. The problem is, I can't guarantee how he'll react; he might respond violently. I also can't determine how deeply he's immersed in the illusion or whether he can still distinguish between it and reality."

Riccardo studied Vittorio for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

"How would you describe his current state?"

"Lack of confidence, hallucinations, nightmares, and a rejection of reality. He's closer to madness than ever..."

Riccardo leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping softly on the desk.

"I understand. Thank you, Doctor. We appreciate your hard work."

"Yes, sir. I'll be available if you need me."

Riccardo nodded, and Vittorio stood with a polite smile, leaving the file on Riccardo's desk before exiting.

As soon as the door closed, Riccardo's eyes landed on the file Vittorio had left behind. Seven years ago, after the previous psychiatrist disappeared, Riccardo discovered that Lorenzo had been spying on his electronic devices. Following the psychiatrist's recommendation, rather than plugging the loophole and making Lorenzo live in paranoia, Riccardo chose to leave the loophole open while providing him with information that might indirectly comfort him psychologically. It would prove more beneficial in the long run.

Although it was annoying, Riccardo agreed with Vittorio's advice. As a result, most of his transactions were done on paper, fearing that sensitive personal information might fall into Lorenzo's hands. He didn't know how Lorenzo would react, even to a passing, incorrect piece of information. Also,the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the previous psychiatrist seven years ago remains unsolved.

It's clear Lorenzo had something to do with it, but even with the resources of the first intelligence team in the World Peace Association, Riccardo couldn't uncover anything...

He glanced at the paper file that detailed Lorenzo's actions, analyzing every move, every word, even the tone of his voice when he spoke, and his reactions to some of Vittorio's provocations.

After about five minutes, he spoke to the butler standing beside him.

"Call Sandro."

"Yes, sir. Immediately."

Without delay, within five minutes, his eldest son, Sandro Accardi, entered the study after knocking on the door. His imposing build and confident stride reflected his military career.

"You called me, Father?" Sandro asked, stopping a few feet from the desk.

"Yes." Riccardo pushed the folder toward him. "It's about Lorenzo. He's going to join the academy, but before that, I want you to go and speak with him."

Sandro opened the folder and skimmed through Vittorio's report with a frown. "I don't understand exactly what you want from me, Father."

"Nothing much, just visit him and act according to what you see there... just annoy him a little."

Sandro closed the folder, his expression somewhat confused. He didn't fully grasp his father's meaning, but he didn't argue—his father always had something in mind.

"I'll take care of it."

"How are your mission preparations?" Riccardo asked.

"Everything is going well, Father. There's a vampire spy among us, so we're being cautious. We plan to eliminate him at the border camp of the Third Wall, in the presence of General Oberto Plácido."

Riccardo nodded, listening to his son's informal report on the large-scale mission that would soon be launched, with Sandro at the forefront.

After the conversation ended, Sandro turned to leave. When he reached the door, his father's voice stopped him once more.

"Before you go on your mission, visit your fiancée and take care of things with her."

"Yes, Father. I will…" Sandro replied, then left the office, leaving Riccardo to gaze calmly at the door through which his son had just exited.

He allowed himself a rare moment of quiet contemplation before lowering his eyes to the files stacked before him, a mocking smile creeping onto his lips.

"Hallucination? No... should I say that even if it were me, I couldn't end up with a proper conclusion? It must be very entertaining for you, Basil."