Chapter 744: Song of Sorrow in the Night (Part 2) (Patreon)

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Schiller was certain that he could smell the alcohol in the air. This wasn't something that ginger ale could replace. He frowned and looked at Bruce, who was lying quietly on the sofa, breathing steadily, seemingly asleep.

If the person on the other side of the room was just a wealthy second-generation individual, Schiller wouldn't have been surprised at all.

The empty Manor, the inebriated young master, and the extinguished unattended fireplace all told the tale of a lonely heir.

But Bruce Wayne wasn't just a rich heir; he was also Batman, the most disciplined person in the world.

Schiller had seen him use ginger ale as a substitute for beer. That spiciness enhanced his performance, and when it came to handling the effects of alcohol, Batman had mastered it perfectly. Even Schiller couldn't be entirely sure whether he had actually been drinking.

So, he approached and poked Bruce with the tip of his umbrella. In that moment, Bruce didn't react. Schiller was certain he was truly asleep.

Batman drinking alcohol was highly unusual.

Schiller sighed and walked over to the fireplace. He noticed a shelf nearby stocked with firewood that hadn't been added to the fireplace yet. Judging by the dampness of the wood, it had been added recently, prepared by Alfred before he left.

Schiller picked up a few dry pieces of wood and added them to the fireplace. Soon, the fire blazed brightly, revealing everything in the hall.

Clearly, something had just happened here. In a space where someone had once resided, every trace represented a story.

Schiller took a deep breath and began his deductions.

The most conspicuous evidence in the entire hall was the trail of footprints that had spread from the door. Of course, these footprints weren't Schiller's because he had a habit of wiping his shoes on the mat by the door.

Moreover, these small footprints were exceptionally small, likely left by a seven or eight-year-old girl. Schiller walked over to the door and saw that this trail of footprints had been left by two people, with one child having smaller shoe sizes running ahead of the other with larger shoe sizes.

The two of them seemed to have rushed in and had been stopped not far from the door.

Schiller crouched down and examined the place where the footprints ended. There were some water stains there, apparently dripping from something. Schiller guessed it was rainwater from their hair. Combined with the shape of the footprints, it seemed to be two young girls.

Schiller looked at the door, and the previously pitch-black night sky outside was now brightening as the moon set and the sun rose. It was daytime in Gotham, and it had just experienced the largest rainstorm in three months in the span of a moment, with heavy rain pouring outside.

Two small figures had rushed in from outside, soaking wet from head to toe, their shoes covered in mud. They had just rushed in, and Alfred, who had been adding firewood by the fireplace, hurriedly went to intercept them.

Standing behind Alfred, Schiller took a step to the left and saw that the first girl to enter was blurry in appearance, and her identity couldn't be confirmed. However, the girl behind her was Aisha.

Aisha's hair had grown quite long, and after being drenched in rain, it clung to her face in strands. Alfred quickly brought towels to dry their hair, and as he did so, drops of water from the girls' hair fell onto the floor where the footprints ended nearby.

The light dimmed once again. Schiller stepped over the footprints and approached the area near the sofa. By the light of the fireplace, Schiller saw Bruce sitting there, reading a newspaper. When he saw the two young girls rushing in one after the other, he stood up and walked toward the door.

In an instant, time seemed to freeze, and the water droplets hung in the air as Bruce paused in his steps.

Schiller approached and picked up the newspaper that had been pressed under the armrest of the sofa. He saw that the newspaper contained news of the Metropolis Angelica Troupe arriving in Gotham, along with a brief program schedule.

Schiller turned the newspaper over, examined the creases carefully, and then, Bruce, who had originally stood up and walked toward the door when the two girls rushed in, returned and shifted his posture.

He held the newspaper, stood up, and when he saw the two little girls rushing in, he didn't even have time to fold the newspaper neatly; he simply tossed it aside near the armrest and hurried over.

The posture of the newspaper suggested that Bruce was anxious, but why was he anxious? He knew Aisha was different from others; even getting soaked in the rain wouldn't make her ill.

So, the problem likely lay with the unfamiliar little girl.

Schiller returned to the footprints nearby and examined the shoe sizes. Combined with his memories of the children he had seen in the basement earlier, their faces and body shapes played in Schiller's mind. Then, the face of the thinnest and weakest girl appeared in his mind.

In front of him, the little girl stood at the forefront, Aisha behind her, wanting to grab her. Alfred stood to the left, and Bruce, who had just arrived, stood to the right.

Judging by the accumulation of water stains, they must have stayed here for a while, but then the little girl stayed in place while Aisha ran outside. At the same time, Alfred followed them.

The clues near the door stopped there. Schiller speculated that Bruce had probably brought the little girl home, but for some reason, the little girl had run out in the rain with Aisha following her.

At this point, Bruce might have become angry, scolding Aisha, causing her to run out in anger, with Alfred chasing after her.

Schiller returned to where Bruce was lying on the sofa and noticed a letter on the coffee table. It bore Dick's handwriting.

Since Schiller had been tutoring Dick, he was familiar with his handwriting. The contents of the letter mentioned Dick's busy schoolwork and his plan to stay at school for a few days without returning home.

Schiller raised an eyebrow as he held the letter. Busy schoolwork? What kind of schoolwork could be so busy in middle school? Moreover, Dick had never been fond of studying; he preferred day school and avoiding staying overnight, so he wouldn't have to deal with homework.

Schiller glanced again at Bruce, who was furrowing his brows in his sleep. He knew that Bruce might have had some disagreements with Dick, leading to Dick's reluctance to come home.

Schiller had expected this day to come sooner or later. Bruce's personality was difficult to understand, and there would eventually be a day when communication with Dick failed. However, he hadn't anticipated it happening so soon.

Why they had disagreements, Schiller had his suspicions. After all, he had witnessed Bruce's attitude towards those children, and he knew the root of their issues.

For children who had suffered abuse, frequent changes in their environment were highly detrimental. This could lead to more severe stress reactions.

Previously, Copperpot had rescued them and placed them in the basement of a bar. Bruce had then taken them to the hospital and later brought this little girl home. In these processes, the hospital environment could have been highly stimulating for these children.

Luxurious restaurants and the Manor were easier for them to accept because while the items here had become more refined, they still recognized the originals. For example, the patterns on the chairs were exquisite, but a chair was still a chair. They understood that chairs were for sitting, tables were for placing things, and beds were for sleeping.

But hospitals were different. They contained too many unfamiliar things they hadn't encountered before. Would the pole used to hang IV bags be a new weapon? What was the nurse doing with the injection syringe? Why was everyone staring at them? Why did they have to change clothes? And why did they have to lie on a bed?

These unknowns would greatly stimulate them, and this little girl, in particular, had just escaped from such an environment, only to find herself in another strange place. At this point, she might not have had any clear consciousness left.

Schiller found some traces in the corner of the room, indicating that the little girl had hidden there at some point. However, it was clear that Bruce had followed her here after she hid.

Clearly, Bruce's actions regarding this little girl were almost entirely wrong. He was overly attentive and pressuring, which would create tremendous pressure.

For children who had experienced mental and physical abuse, their understanding of the world was distorted. Many behaviors that seemed normal to others were terrifying to them.

For instance, when an adult approached them, it meant they might get beaten. When someone pinned them down on a bed, it meant something even more terrifying might happen. When someone spoke to them continuously, it meant they might be thrown out. When someone held their hand and spoke to another person, it might mean they were being sold.

These concepts had already taken root in their minds, so these actions would further stimulate them.

Schiller sketched out Bruce's behavioral pattern in his mind. Clearly, in the process of one stimulus after another, this little girl had completely lost her sanity, relying only on instinctive reactions to protect herself.

Considering her physical condition, Schiller believed she had no more than three hours of mobility before she would lose consciousness. After that, she would likely be taken back to her room to sleep.

But what was even more frightening was that when she woke up and found herself in another unfamiliar environment, the stimulation would be even more intense.

"They couldn't understand concepts like 'sleep in the bedroom' or 'eat in the dining room.' To them, it felt like they were caught in a dreadful whirlwind, unable to break free.

And at this moment, the only thing they could do was to run away.

Schiller wasn't sure how the little girl had managed to escape from Wayne Manor, but it was clear that she had succeeded in doing so, with Aisha chasing after her.

Aisha herded the little girl back to Wayne Manor, but at this point, Bruce made another mistake.

He believed he had made progress with the little girl, but in the blink of an eye, she was soaked in rain again, running a high fever once more, and almost getting lost. It was as if all the progress made before had vanished, not only regressing to the starting point but even worse.

He didn't delve deeper into the reasons for this failure but merely expressed his frustration innocently.

Perhaps he was questioning Alfred about why the little girl had run away, or perhaps he was asking Aisha what had happened.

However, Aisha was no ordinary child; she was a wild and untamed Chaos Creature. After sensing Bruce's emotions, she bolted out of Wayne Manor.

At that time, it was pouring outside, and Alfred would undoubtedly choose to chase after Aisha. During this time, it was just Bruce alone with the little girl.

Schiller searched both the hall and upstairs but found no trace of the little girl. He pondered for a moment and then walked through the hall toward the backyard.

There were no children's footprints in the garden, but Schiller did notice Bruce's footprints.

Normally, Batman wouldn't reveal such a vulnerability. It appeared that his emotions were highly abnormal as he walked this path.

Schiller had already anticipated the outcome, but when he opened the warehouse door, he still let out a sigh.

In the corner of the warehouse, a wooden crate was stuffed with blankets and quilts. Schiller walked over and lifted a corner of these items, and as expected, he saw a small foot.

Lifting all the blankets and quilts revealed a small girl, but she was no longer breathing.

From the state of the corpse, her death shouldn't have occurred more than three hours ago. The cause of death was severe malnutrition compounded by heart and lung failure due to hypothermia.

Schiller checked her chest, wrists, and neck. Bruce had taken some first-aid measures, but for children in this age range, surviving after such torture was highly unlikely. By the time she returned to Bruce and encountered him again, she might have been on the verge of unconsciousness.

In severe and prolonged hypothermic conditions, an adult could experience heart and lung failure in just 10 to 15 minutes. This poor girl's condition made this process much quicker, and the entire process might not have taken more than 30 seconds. Even with Batman's scientific and technological prowess, he couldn't save her life.

Schiller sighed and covered the blankets and quilts back over her. As he stood up, he heard a commotion behind him. He turned his head and saw a darker figure at the pitch-black entrance of the warehouse.

Bruce stood outside, holding a handgun, but he didn't raise it. His expression seemed absent, as if he hadn't noticed that he was standing in the rain.

Schiller took a step forward, and Bruce turned and walked away. By the time Schiller reached the entrance, he saw Bruce, still holding the handgun, turning a corner and disappearing on the side of the Manor.

Suddenly, a loud "bang" echoed, the sound of something falling to the ground reverberating in the empty Manor, making it all the more eerie.

Schiller opened his umbrella and walked back to the hall. He saw no sign of Bruce, but the liquor cabinet had toppled over, and expensive wines were strewn across the floor.

Glancing in that direction, Schiller knew that, besides the two missing bottles from earlier, Bruce had taken two more.

Turning his head, Schiller looked out the window. The Batmobile's engine roared to life, and a dark figure, silhouetted against the Thunderbolt's light, sped off toward the horizon.

Batman drove his car, racing down the roads of Gotham. The night here was exceptionally quiet, with wide and straight roads and only one car in sight. There were no obstacles ahead, allowing him to drive faster and faster.

The surrounding scenery became increasingly blurry in his field of vision, and he began to lose a clear sense of speed. The Batmobile's top-notch suspension system made him feel no vibrations from the road, as if he were flying in the rainy night, like those bats that skimmed low over the ground.

Batman thought he was heading to the Batcave, but in reality, the car's direction had completely deviated from the intended destination. His alcohol-affected brain couldn't judge the direction accurately, and he didn't know where he was heading.

Suddenly, he felt that this road was somewhat familiar. He gradually slowed down the car, looking at the buildings swaying in his vision. Among the layered buildings, he keenly caught a familiar silhouette.

It was the White Community Middle School where Dick was currently studying.

The dark car came to a slow stop. The rain grew heavier, and the light from the middle school dorms was like a lamp in a dark room, attracting many moths to look up at it.

But soon, the Batmobile's engine roared again, and Thunderbolt flashed at the edge of the sky. The puddles on the road turned bright white, reflecting the shadow of the Batmobile speeding past.

Only Batman himself knew that when the little girl first fell unconscious, he had already realized what the problem was.

All along, he had been looking at these issues from his own perspective, including the little girl and Dick.

He believed that the little girl should receive treatment, so he sent her to the hospital. He thought Dick should go to school, so he sent him to a church middle school. When something happened at the church middle school, he transferred him to a community middle school, and when the previous community middle school was too far away, he transferred him to a closer one, and when boarding school had issues, he changed it to day school.

It wasn't until he realized that the little girl might have had a mental breakdown due to changing environments too many times that Batman understood what he had been doing to Dick.

When he thought back on all of this, he realized that Dick had expressed himself more than once, but he had completely ignored it.

Dick had said he had no interest in studying, but Batman had brushed it off as a young age and not understanding. Dick had mentioned missing his choir classmates, but Batman thought it was a necessary part of life. Dick had said he didn't know which club to choose at the new school, but Batman believed he should have the ability to decide for himself.

He had never considered what consequences this kind of education would lead to. Just as he hadn't realized what he had done wrong when he sent the little girl back to her room to sleep, he suddenly realized that it was too late to change things.

As he walked the road toward the warehouse, carrying the girl's lifeless body, he felt that it had become heavier. In a daze, he saw a familiar face, Dick's, and Aisha's.

So much so that he could only desperately return to the warmth of the Manor's hall. But the fireplace there couldn't provide him any comfort. At that moment, he noticed the untouched wine in the liquor cabinet.

Three faces constantly swirled in Batman's mind—the little girl, Dick, and Aisha.

On the road leading out of the city, the roar grew louder, and the car sped up.

Suddenly, a screeching sound of brakes echoed. The Batmobile's safety systems activated, but they were useless. The entire car flipped over, the engine exploded, and a fierce fire erupted.

The fire blazed brighter in the rainy night, creating an absurd scene that could only happen in Gotham.

Batman crawled out of the Batmobile, his face covered in blood. In his hazy and confused vision, a gentle light surrounded him, but he knew it was all just an illusion. He closed his eyes tightly and, upon opening them, saw something rolling toward him.

It was a bright circle, shining brilliantly in the rainy night."

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 745: Layers of Shadows (Part 1)