Clementine

The subject can connect with other living beings through Mania, probing their deepest desires and interfering with their psyche. While the ability is active, bite mark-shaped corruption marks appear on the target's body, gradually fading over time.

The subject awakened as a Sinner in her early years. The catalyst for her awakening remains unclear. She claims to have been infected during field research, though the veracity of this statement is yet to be verified.

The subject displays mild corruption, but notable mutations are present in the ears and oral cavity. Activation of her ability triggers severe neuropathic headaches, requiring medication for relief. Chronic sleep disorders and her dependence on pharmaceuticals have formed a vicious cycle, placing her physiological functions at risk of potential collapse.

Subject is a bestselling author from Eastside, specializing in crime mystery novels. Her works have garnered much attention due to their uncanny parallels to reality. Details of the crimes depicted in her writing are strikingly similar to multiple unsolved murder cases in Eastside, suggesting a direct connection between her and said incidents. Following an anonymous tip and subsequent investigation, it can be determined that the subject excels at concealing both her trails and true identity, being able to adopt multiple personas depending on the situation. Subject appears to have a clear target for every action and may manipulate specific individuals if need be. Given that the subject possesses potential psychic interference capabilities, immediate detention and isolated interrogation are recommended.

Following interrogation and cross-referencing, the subject is confirmed to be a survivor of the Redwood Orphanage arson case. She personally witnessed the judiciary's corruption in the hands of those in power and the silencing of her loved ones. The subject herself also faced continuous threats during her pursuit of the truth. Her prolonged covert investigations and utilization of literature as a method to expose the truth stem from extreme distrust in systemic failures, showing no tendencies to cause indiscriminate harm. The subject maintains her hostility toward power structures but retains lingering hope in those who execute justice, demonstrating potential for cooperation and controllability under the restraint of shackles. Continued observation under strict supervision and appropriate guidance is recommended.

The subject came to MBCC's attention following an anonymous tip and was initially cooperative during the investigation. Following the "Murder on the Praeva Express" serial event, the subject disappeared. Subsequently, multiple bizarre cases occurred in Eastside. Evidence at the crime scenes suggests the subject is the potential mastermind.

The subject was raised at the Redwood Orphanage in DisCity, where she had lived since childhood, and she cared for younger children there. Gifted in storytelling and writing, she had once planned to study literature at Eastside University. In N.F. 105, the Redwood Orphanage caught fire during the night, claiming multiple lives. The subject became one of the few survivors, having been away at the time of the incident.

In N.F. 107, the survivors of the Redwood fire resolved to seek vengeance. Inspired by a certain novel from before Nightfall, they decided to execute their plan aboard the Praeva sand ship. Follow-up investigations revealed that the Praeva lost contact 27 hours after departure. All passengers were reported missing and presumed dead. The subject, as an orphan of the Redwood Orphanage, did not board the vessel but likewise vanished without a trace, only to resurface in N.F. 116 as a novelist.

Investigations reveal that all characters appearing in "Murder on the Praeva Express" were based on real individuals. Records pertaining to those connected with the Redwood fire had been extensively altered and deleted. By embedding genuine clues to the Redwood case within her work, the subject's true aim was to spark public discourse and draw out the arsonist.

Due to severe insomnia, the subject is frequently active at night. She has a particular fondness for moongazing and stargazing. She once attempted to modify her Indoor Artificial Sunlight System to include a moonlight mode, but the modification failed, resulting in persistently erratic lighting. When questioned, the subject's explanation was, "I majored in humanities. This sort of work isn't my forte."

When other Sinners request her to tell them a story, the subject typically obliges without hesitation. However, complaint tickets reveal that her stories invariably contain intricate criminal methodologies, alibi construction techniques, and graphic details on corpse disposal. Multiple individuals have developed a fear of being alone at night as a result, forcing the Bureau to reorganize room assignments.

The subject has continued writing even while detained, frequently interviewing fellow Sinners about their lives to gather material for her novels. However, as she tends to immortalize those she admires as victims in her stories, some Sinners are visibly hesitant when approached for interviews, asking, "Do I gotta die too...?"

The subject claims her next work will be modeled after Chief. To this end, she frequently requests private meetings under the pretense of conducting in-depth research, with sessions running far too long to be standard interviews. She would also leave behind notes from their conversations on Chief's desk, with a wine-scented bookmark tucked inside, marking the story between her and Chief as "to be continued."

[Several exquisite butterfly specimens are displayed on Clementine's desk.]

Clementine: Granting fleeting life a form of immortality... now that's a fascinating form of art. Do you find them beautiful, Chief?

• Prompt: It's a bit cruel.
• Clementine: Perhaps. But compared to rotting and fading away, isn't it better to remain frozen at the height of one's brilliance?
• Clementine: 😏

• Prompt: They're quite exquisite.
• Clementine: I knew you'd come to appreciate them too.
• Clementine: 😘

[Someone has unearthed the old phonograph from the Recreation Room. Dance music flows through the night.]

Clementine: Chief, do you know ballroom dance?

• Prompt: Not really.
• Clementine: Perfect, then. Don't worry. Just follow my lead and let the music guide you.
• Clementine: 😘

• Prompt: Of course.
• Clementine: Then, shall we? Come, give me your hand. Watch your step now—wouldn't want you getting dizzy.
• Clementine: 😏

⚠ Crime Consultation

The incident rate within the Bureau has risen by seven percent recently.

System Notifications: Recently, the incident rate within the Bureau has risen by seven percent. According to sources, Clementine's crime consultation business is flourishing, and has already spread throughout the Bureau.

• Prompt: Shut it down immediately

⚠ Locked Room Mystery

Chief receives an unexpected request.

System Notifications: In order to recreate the perfect locked room murder, Clementine has submitted a request, inviting you to enter a confinement cell with her.

• Prompt: ...Should I write my will before we go in?

⚠⚠ Insomnia Regular

Chief receives this quarter's treatment report from the Hypnotherapy Room.

System Notifications: This quarter's treatment report from the Hypnotherapy Room has been sent. Please check it promptly.

• Prompt: View the report

Chief: ...The frequency of hypnosis treatments over the past few months is a bit too high. That and... the average treatment time per person has doubled? This warrants a thorough investigation.

System Notifications: The moment you step into the Hypnotherapy Room, you hear the hypnotist earnestly trying to reason with someone.

Hypnotist: Ms. Clementine, hypnotherapy is only meant to be a treatment option. Overusing it will harm your health. You've been coming in every single day for the past two weeks...

Hypnotist: Oh, Chief, thank goodness you're here! Ms. Clementine keeps thinking about what to write in her novel during hypnosis sessions. I've already been cast as a corpse in her dreams three times now... Please, you have to help me. At this rate, I'll end up with insomnia too.

System Notifications: Clementine looks at you with a wry smile.

Clementine: I promised you I'd stop relying on substances to fall asleep, but... I can't see the night sky from my room. I can't see the moon and stars that used to keep me company during those sleepless nights. So... I had to turn to hypnotherapy instead.

System Notifications: You recall Clementine's concerning medical report. You once made her promise that, for the sake of her health, she would stop using substances to numb herself to sleep. You never expected her to actually honor that promise.

Chief: I'm surprised you actually kept your promise.

System Notifications: Clementine raises an eyebrow.

Chief: But the situation seems to have... gone beyond what qualifies as normal treatment. Frequent hypnosis sessions in such a short span will only harm your body. You know this.

Clementine: (chuckles) Compared to lying awake in the darkness until dawn, this at least lets me see something else. Including that hypnotist who keeps appearing as a corpse in my dreams... I find everything quite entertaining.

Chief: So, what you really need is a distraction?

Clementine: You've seen right through me... Sometimes the darkness is harder to endure than any nightmare. And now that I can't turn to pills or alcohol... You've put me in quite a bind, Chief.

Chief: I understand that you're going through a tough time, but hypnotists have their limits too. Perhaps... we can find another solution together? For instance, when you can't sleep, you could come to my office instead.

Chief: The moon and stars from my window... maybe they're a sight to behold.

⚠⚠ Unconventional Literature

You notice that the young Sinners have been unusually enthusiastic about attending classes.

System Notifications: Lately, you've noticed the Bureau's young Sinners acting strangely out of character. Unlike before, the moment classes are mentioned, all their headaches and stomachaches miraculously vanish. Their attendance rate has been nearly perfect.

System Notifications: All of this is thanks to Syndicate Academy's new substitute literature appreciation teacher—Clementine.

• Prompt: Inquire

Chief: How did you manage to do that?

Clementine: One word—edutainment.

Clementine: Even the most mischievous child can't resist a good story. The moment you start telling one, they'll sit right down and start listening.

Clementine: Weave dry facts into a compelling narrative, and they'll eagerly explore on their own, absorbing knowledge without even realizing it.

Chief: I see. I had no idea you were so skilled at teaching as well. I'm impressed!

Clementine: You're too kind.

Chief: What kind of stories do you tell them? Fairy tales? Fables?

Clementine: Oh, titles like The Valley of Fear, Murder on The Rust, And Then There Were X... If you want the little ones to understand human nature, there's no better reading material than a good mystery novel.

Chief: ...

System Notifications: From that day forward, you require Clementine to submit all lesson plans to your office for review and approval before adapting them.

⚠⚠⚠ The Novelist's Manuscript

The deadline for Clementine's manuscript is approaching.

System Notifications: Whenever Clementine's deadline rolls around, the Bureau's reception room gets filled with editors from various publishers, each hoping to secure her latest manuscript. Today is no exception.

Editor A: Chief, this is the sixth time this month Clementine's delayed her submission. The printing house says they can't wait any longer.

Editor B: She replied to my email last week saying she'd ""just finished the opening""... T-That has to be a joke... right?

Editor C: Last time, we only got her manuscript before the deadline because you stepped in, Chief... So, we're counting on you this time too!

System Notifications: Faced with the editors' pleading gazes, you take a deep breath and resign yourself to the task, pushing open the door.

Clementine: I could tell from your footsteps, my dear Chief. Have those editors elected you as their envoy once again?

Chief: You seem well aware of the situation outside.

System Notifications: Clementine looks at you with an amused smile.

Clementine: The manuscript is nearly complete. Only the ending is missing, which I've unfortunately been struggling with. The protagonist, a man of unwavering justice, uncovers the truth and hunts down the culprit. Yet, when he aims his gun at the criminal, ready to bring them to justice... he discovers that the culprit had struck back first, and his family was already killed. What do you think he should do?

• Prompt: Pull the trigger
• Chief: ...If the law and order failed to protect those he held most dear, then pulling the trigger is the only choice left.
• Clementine: Then this will be the ending—the protagonist pulls the trigger. The gunshot reverberates across the desolate landscape. Thank you for choosing an ending befitting a soul who lives for vengeance.

• Prompt: Leave it to the law
• Chief: Arrest the culprit and bring all the evidence to light. That is the only true tribute to the departed, to prove that justice still prevails.
• Clementine: Then let the ending be this—the protagonist slowly lowers his gun and places the culprit in handcuffs. Thank you for choosing a more ""correct"" ending in my stead.
• Clementine: Perhaps it will give the readers a glimmer of hope, however fleeting. Someone's got to choose the harder path.

⚠⚠⚠ Dangerous Signing

Abnormal gathering detected in Sinner Clementine's room.

System Notifications: Supervision System: Abnormal gathering detected in Sinner Clementine's room. Go and check?

• Prompt: Go there

Chief: You did hear quite a commotion outside today. Perhaps you should go see what's happening?

System Notifications: You follow the directions on the system to Clementine's room, only to find a long queue of people, all excitedly clutching books. Posters are plastered on the walls nearby, promoting ""Bestselling Crime Fiction Author Clementine's Latest Work.""

Chief: Looks like it's a book signing session for her new novel...

System Notifications: Clementine shakes hands with her readers one by one, signs their books, answers their questions... However, you can't shake the feeling that something is off.

Reader A: Ms. Clementine, are the modus operandi in your books actually viable?

Clementine: I haven't tried them personally yet. If you're interested, you can reference a book I often use. It's called ""108 Essential Tips for Committing Crimes.""

Reader B: Ms. Clementine, what if the perpetrator isn't strong enough to kill someone in a single strike?

Clementine: Why not try other methods? Poisoning, suffocation, staged accidents... I'm sure one of them will suit your needs.

Reader C: Ms. Clementine, does a perfect method exist that would allow a perpetrator to escape suspicion entirely?

Clementine: A detective once said that everything leaves a trace, and the key lies in whether you have the eyes to see through the discrepancies. So, my answer is no. Regrettably, a culprit can only employ various methods to avoid being captured, but they can never erase all traces.

System Notifications: The more you listen, the more uneasy you feel. Clementine carries herself like an expert in criminal methodology, writing everything from crime type classifications to techniques for handling bloodstains on the whiteboard behind her in detail.

Clementine: As the saying goes, it's easy to start a fire but hard to put it out. You must pay close attention during cleanup—there are always more details to consider than you'd expect. How should you handle the crime scene? How do you fabricate an alibi? How do you...

System Notifications: The readers listen with rapt attention, and many even begin taking notes in earnest.

Reader D: Well then, Ms. Clementine... if I wanted to create a new type of poison...

• Prompt: Stop her now
• Chief: Everyone out, now! I'm confiscating all those notes on crimes and illegal materials!
• System Notifications: Clementine closes her book and lets out a long, regretful sigh.
• Clementine: What a shame, Chief. We could have had such a stimulating literary discussion.
• System Notifications: You send the readers away. Clementine watches your retreating figure, then pensively jots down a line in her notebook.
• System Notifications: Concept for new book: A crime novelist is stabbed to death at her own book signing. The last person she saw before she died—a righteous detective—sets out to solve the mystery behind her strange demise.

• Prompt: Fight fire with fire
• Chief: Clementine, your methods... are terribly flawed, logically speaking.
• Clementine: Oh? It seems our Chief has studied criminal methodology as well? Please, do enlighten me then. Which part is lacking?
• System Notifications: You and Clementine engage in a heated debate. By the time you finally settle the argument, every last reader in the audience has left.
• Chief: Mission accomplished, though... it took far longer than expected.