Page 114 of Mercy Written in Blood

Haruki looked up.

"You asked?"

"Repeatedly."

"And?"

"They're becoming increasingly creative in telling me no."

Haruki almost smiled. That sounded like Kael. He placed the tablet back on the table.

"Who catalogued this?"

"Us."

Ken nodded towards the far end of the room.

"Reina insisted."

Across the archive room, Reina stood beside several shelving units, wearing white cotton gloves while carefully arranging photographs into chronological order. She looked up as Haruki approached.

"You're late."

"I own the building."

"You're still late."

Haruki leaned against the nearest table. His stitches had stopped protesting every movement, though twisting remained unpleasant.

"You've been organising."

"I've been compensating."

"For?"

She looked around the room.

"For the fact that every official agency involved seems determined to remove information faster than we can collect it."

Haruki glanced back towards the evidence.

"So we build our own record."

"Yes."

She handed him a folder. Inside were printed photographs arranged beside handwritten notes — locations, estimated dimensions, material composition, time recovered, whether the object appeared in multiple photographs. Professional. Meticulous.

Haruki looked up.

"You've been working all night."

"So have you."

"You're supposed to remind me that's unhealthy."

"I gave up."

"That quickly?"