Previously an independent assassin employed at Rhodes Island as a specialist operator, Operator Phantom had achieved his original goal for joining us by the time he returned from his stint as a Wrankwood actor. After discussion with the Doctor, he has agreed to continue his cooperation with us, providing support for nearby Rhodes Island offices on his travels throughout Terra.
The next attack deals 150% of ATK as Arts damage twice and Binds the target for 3s; target's Nervous Impairment received increases to 1.8x during the Bind; prioritizes attacking enemies not under a burst effect
Mastery 3 · SP cost 2 · Initial SP 2ASPD +35, and Talent 1's splash area expands; while skill is active, can deploy a Blood's Whisper, which Lures up to 4 enemies who enter its range and can path to it (prioritizing elite or leader enemies) for 10s after deployment; once the first target arrives at its position, retreats and Slows all surrounding enemies for 6s, dealing 150% of Tragodia's ATK as Arts damage and 25% of Tragodia's ATK as Nervous Impairment every 0.5s Unlimited duration; Blood's Whisper has an independent Redeployment Time
Mastery 3 · SP cost 25 · Initial SP 0Attack Range expands, ATK +125%, prioritizes attacking enemies not under a burst effect; enemies that have received Nervous Impairment from Tragodia while skill is active take 10% of ATK as Nervous Impairment per second until burst effect is triggered; enemies within attack range have +50% to their Nervous Impairment cooldown recovery rate; enemies entering the burst effect of Nervous Impairment will generate/refresh a Cage of Chaos at their ground position
Mastery 3 · SP cost 40 · Initial SP 30 · Duration 30sAttacks deal an additional 33% of ATK as Nervous Impairment, and deal 23% of ATK as Nervous Impairment to enemies around the target
When deployed, all enemies on the field under the burst effect of Nervous Impairment have ASPD -16 ; when enemies within Attack Range perform normal attacks, they take 70 points of Nervous Impairment
Doctor, I've brought myself here in the flesh. You may stop watching my videotapes.
Ever since doing away with the suppressor on my throat, Miss.Christine has deigned to lead my vocal training, teaching me how to sing unto people's minds without damaging their psyches. You'd like to hear the results? Hm. You did once request a lullaby, which... isn't my forte. I'll need practice still.
It never struck the Crimson Troupe just how their rejection of critique, their scorn of video, laid bare their cowardice and mediocrity. I used to avoid watching anything I performed in, such was my disgust... But perhaps it's time for a better seat. I see you holding those film tickets, Doctor; you needn't hide them. I accept your invitation.
There are people after me. They are disenchanted and voracious, screaming in chaos, dying to find the maker for their crazèd flock. For how could Tragodia truly die? He is but one of countless graven images to fall on the steps—He and all his kind are wholes made of shards, idols formed from syncretism. As it was with that mad and lonely stage director, snobbish soul, old friend of mine.
I've read that evaluation report; Dr. Folinic is suggesting I exit from the frontline for the time being. I can't maintain constant sobriety, that much is true; after years with these hallucinations for company, they are among the few friends I can count on my fingers. But I remain your assassin... Call me, and let me see to the work I know best.
Upon his followers, the troupe leader bestowed masks. Before long, I will set out in companionship to find those followers, one and all. Abandon reason and surrender to violence as they may, I will simply create, perform, and weave their dreams. Till they awaken from despair, till they can reexamine their souls in the mirror, wretched yet free, for better and for worse.
Some unfamiliar operators invited me to a 'movie night' after I reboarded, and the Vampire madame from Engineering seems somewhat soft on me too. So generous is the drama, it bathes its actors in halo even outside of the silver screen. Pardon? Rhodes Island's operators trust me on principle...? Mmm. They ought to be a little warier than that.
It is harder to resist destroying beauty than demonstrating it. It's a notion I try to stifle, but is it so simple to shake my bloodstained creative impulses? They were the one excuse in the troupe to touch on love and hate; they were a poison to tempt the audience; they are an inextricable yet unwordable part of me.
[Note found at the end of a Rhodes Island corridor] 'It is the end of the day. You finally have the time to organize the files on the Wrankwood incident and fill out promotion paperwork for a certain operator. The task leaves you somewhat troubled. 'Out of both duty and sincere concern, you must assess the significance of Lucian's dream-like state with precise language and a predetermined conclusion. 'You find this note at the end of a corridor as you leave your office to clear your mind. 'You attempt to put on a calm face, but cannot prevent the hairs on your skin from standing on end. You are curious who wrote these words: the nightmares of olden days that Lucian has spoken of, a rift caused by the compression of higher dimensions... or has your life become an element in the work Lucian is conceiving? You have heard his midnight murmurs and whispered songs, but the fragments dissipate with song when you attempt to understand his thinking and the words he wrote down. 'Some advice, 'friend'—abandon logic and reason, and forget mundane definitions. Do not expect this note from nowhere to answer all your questions about Lucian, just as I cannot explain to you in words all the interpretations of works, the creations of fictional characters, and the performances of drama, that have existed since the beginning of art... 'You recognized me, didn't you? 'I' do not simply exist within his identity or pseudonym. This two-person play, that is as long as fate, has made me part of him. It was not my original intention, but a pleasant surprise that he has brought me. Be happy, and let yourself sink into his story.'
After our operators stationed in Wrankwood returned to the ship, everyone learned that one of our colleagues was about to make his silver screen debut. The most common reaction amongst our operators was 'Who's Phantom?' As a free-roaming assassin, Phantom's missions have taken him all across Terra, and he rarely came into contact with other operators at Rhodes Island—although the news of his film debut has finally put to rest the rumors that he is nothing more than a Rhodes Island urban legend. 'If he can be caught on camera, then he definitely exists, right? He's not a shadow, or a ghost?' Several months later, the producer Greta Stone sent us the final cut along with an NDA prior to the film's release, as a token of appreciation for the assistance we rendered to the crew. The Doctor and Closure took the opportunity to hold several viewing sessions, hoping to satisfy our operators' curiosity regarding both Wrankwood and Phantom. After the viewings, however, many operators expressed that, far from learning more about Phantom, they now find him even more of an enigma. There are many mysterious legends of Wrankwood: an action movie star who always wears an iron mask and never uses stunt doubles; a prodigy actress who retired promptly after her first film became a smashing success; a director who never shows his face but whose films regularly foreshadow changes about to occur to Terra... Astute operators have noted that Phantom seemed to tell two stories in the film, one of which was the film's plot, and the other was his own story. 'Legends' about Phantom were all the rage for a while. Operators who have worked with him in field missions are unable to recall any information about him, and curious HR operators were unable to find any files on record. Even though Miss.Christine shares tidbits about Phantom with her followers—those operators who cling devotedly by the lady's nap spot at the windowsill, and Shalem patiently describes their past together as trainees at a theater troupe, those seeking an answer seem to enter a place between reality and fiction, and are unable to piece together a complete picture of Phantom in their minds. That is, until a logistics operator excitedly announced that he had the answers to all the questions after speaking to Phantom in the corridors for an hour. The obscure operator suddenly became the center of attention. Everyone who heard the 'legends' had their own image of Phantom, and were eager to unveil his secrets. It took twenty minutes for someone to realize that something was wrong, and by that time the young operator had gone from describing his own hometown in Kazimierz to his current emotional troubles. 'So... what's the 'answer to all the questions' that you were talking about?' 'The meaning of my existence! The path I've walked and the path I'm going to walk! Lucian didn't say much, but I understand everything now!' 'Enough about yourself. You didn't forget to ask what happened to HIM, did you?' 'Of course I asked!' 'Well, what did you find out?' 'About Lucian—' 'Hey, what exactly DID I ask?'
Tsukinogi5★ · Supporter
Tulip5★ · Vanguard
Tulip6★ · Vanguard
Tuye5★ · Medic
Typhon6★ · Sniper
U-Official1★ · Supporter
Uika Misumi5★ · Supporter
Ukusik5★ · Medic
Ulpianus6★ · Guard
Umiri Yahata5★ · Specialist
Underflow5★ · Defender
Utage4★ · Guard
Valarqvin5★ · Supporter
Vanilla3★ · Vanguard
Varkáris5★ · Guard
Vendela5★ · Medic
Verdant4★ · Specialist
Vermeil4★ · Sniper
Vetochki5★ · Defender
Vigil6★ · Vanguard
Vigna4★ · Vanguard
Vina Victoria6★ · Guard
Virtuosa6★ · Supporter
Viviana6★ · Guard
Viy6★ · Caster
Vulcan5★ · Defender
Vulpisfoglia6★ · Vanguard
W6★ · Sniper
Waai Fu5★ · Specialist
Wang6★ · Specialist
Wanqing5★ · Vanguard
Warfarin5★ · Medic
Warmy5★ · Caster
Weedy6★ · Specialist
Whislash5★ · Guard
Whisperain5★ · Medic
Wild Mane5★ · Vanguard
Wind Chimes5★ · Guard
Windflit5★ · Supporter
Windscoot4★ · Guard
Wiš'adel6★ · Sniper
Wulfenite5★ · Specialist
Xingzhu5★ · Supporter
Yato2★ · Vanguard
Yu6★ · Defender
Zima5★ · Vanguard
Zima the Raging Tide6★ · Guard
Zuo Le6★ · Guard
'Justice Knight'1★ · Sniper
12F2★ · Caster
Aak6★ · Specialist
Absinthe5★ · Caster
Aciddrop4★ · Sniper
Adnachiel3★ · Sniper
Akafuyu5★ · Guard
Akkord4★ · Caster
Alanna5★ · Supporter
Alliance/Supportive Operator4★ · Supporter
Almond5★ · Specialist
Ambriel4★ · Sniper
Amiya5★ · Caster
Andreana5★ · Sniper
Angelina6★ · Supporter
Ansel3★ · Medic
Aosta5★ · Sniper
April5★ · Sniper
Archetto6★ · Sniper
Arene4★ · Guard
Aroma5★ · Caster
Asbestos5★ · Defender
Ascalon6★ · Specialist
Ash6★ · Sniper
Ashlock5★ · Defender
Astesia5★ · Guard
Astgenne5★ · Caster
Astgenne the Lightchaser6★ · Supporter
Aurora5★ · Defender
Ayerscarpe5★ · Guard
Bagpipe6★ · Vanguard
Bassline5★ · Defender
Beagle3★ · Defender
Beanstalk4★ · Vanguard
Beehunter4★ · Guard
Beeswax5★ · Caster
Bellone6★ · Guard
Bena5★ · Specialist
Bibeak5★ · Guard
Bison5★ · Defender
Blacknight5★ · Vanguard
Blaze6★ · Guard
Blaze the Igniting Spark6★ · Caster
Blemishine6★ · Defender
Blitz5★ · Defender
Blue Poison5★ · Sniper
Bobbing5★ · Supporter
Botani5★ · Supporter
Breeze5★ · Medic
Brigid5★ · Sniper
Broca5★ · Guard
Bryophyta5★ · Guard
Bubble4★ · Defender
Cairn5★ · Defender
Cantabile5★ · Vanguard
Caper4★ · Sniper
Cardigan3★ · Defender
Carnelian6★ · Caster
Castle-31★ · Guard
Catapult3★ · Sniper
Catherine5★ · Supporter
Cement5★ · Defender
Ceobe6★ · Caster
Ceylon5★ · Medic
Ch'en6★ · Guard
Ch'en the Dawnstreak6★ · Guard
Ch'en the Holungday6★ · Sniper
Chestnut4★ · Medic
Chiave5★ · Vanguard
Chilchuck5★ · Vanguard
Chongyue6★ · Guard
Civilight Eterna6★ · Supporter
Click4★ · Caster
Cliffheart5★ · Specialist
Closure6★ · Vanguard
Coldshot5★ · Sniper
CONFESS-471★ · Vanguard
Contrail4★ · Specialist
Conviction4★ · Guard
Corroserum5★ · Caster
Courier4★ · Vanguard
Crackborne5★ · Defender
Croissant5★ · Defender
Crownslayer6★ · Specialist
Cuora4★ · Defender
Cutter4★ · Guard
Czerny5★ · Defender
Dagda5★ · Guard
Deepcolor4★ · Supporter
Degenbrecher6★ · Guard
Delphine5★ · Caster
Diamante5★ · Caster
Dobermann4★ · Guard
Doc5★ · Guard
Dorothy6★ · Specialist
Dur-nar4★ · Defender
Durin2★ · Caster
Dusk6★ · Caster
Earthspirit4★ · Supporter
Ebenholz6★ · Caster
Ela6★ · Specialist
Elysium5★ · Vanguard
Enforcer5★ · Specialist
Entelechia6★ · Guard
Erato5★ · Sniper
Estelle4★ · Guard
Ethan4★ · Specialist
Eunectes6★ · Defender
Executor5★ · Sniper
Executor the Ex Foedere6★ · Guard
Exusiai6★ · Sniper
Exusiai the New Covenant6★ · Specialist
Eyjafjalla6★ · Caster
Eyjafjalla the Hvít Aska6★ · Medic
Fang3★ · Vanguard
Fang the Fire-Sharpened5★ · Vanguard
Fartooth6★ · Sniper
FEater5★ · Specialist
Fiammetta6★ · Sniper
Figurino5★ · Specialist
Firewatch5★ · Sniper
Firewhistle5★ · Defender
Flamebringer5★ · Guard
Flametail6★ · Vanguard
Flint5★ · Guard
Folinic5★ · Medic
Franka5★ · Guard
Friston-31★ · Defender
Frost5★ · Specialist
Frostleaf4★ · Guard
Fuze5★ · Guard
GALLUS²1★ · Caster
Gavial4★ · Medic
Gavial the Invincible6★ · Guard
Gitano4★ · Caster
Gladiia6★ · Specialist
Glaucus5★ · Supporter
Gnosis6★ · Supporter
Goldenglow6★ · Caster
Gracebearer5★ · Guard
Grain Buds5★ · Supporter
Grani5★ · Vanguard
Gravel4★ · Specialist
GreyThroat5★ · Sniper
Greyy4★ · Caster
Greyy the Lightningbearer5★ · Sniper
Gummy4★ · Defender
Hadiya5★ · Guard
Harmonie5★ · Caster
Harold5★ · Medic
Haruka6★ · Supporter
Haze4★ · Caster
Heavyrain5★ · Defender
Heidi5★ · Supporter
Hellagur6★ · Guard
Hibiscus3★ · Medic
Hibiscus the Purifier5★ · Medic
Highmore5★ · Guard
Ho'olheyak6★ · Caster
Hoederer6★ · Guard
Honeyberry5★ · Medic
Horn6★ · Defender
Hoshiguma6★ · Defender
Hoshiguma the Breacher6★ · Defender
Humus4★ · Guard
Hung5★ · Defender
Iana5★ · Specialist
Ifrit6★ · Caster
Indigo4★ · Caster
Indra5★ · Guard
Ines6★ · Vanguard
Insider5★ · Sniper
Irene6★ · Guard
Iris5★ · Caster
Istina5★ · Supporter
Jackie4★ · Guard
Jaye4★ · Specialist
Jessica4★ · Sniper
Jessica the Liberated6★ · Defender
Jieyun5★ · Sniper
Ju5★ · Sniper
Kafka5★ · Specialist
Kal'tsit6★ · Medic
Kal'tsit Esperanta6★ · Medic
Kazemaru5★ · Specialist
Kestrel5★ · Vanguard
Kichisei5★ · Sniper
Kirara5★ · Specialist
Kirin R Yato6★ · Specialist
Kjera5★ · Caster
Kroos3★ · Sniper
Kroos the Keen Glint5★ · Sniper
La Pluma5★ · Guard
Laios5★ · Guard
Lancet-21★ · Medic
Lappland5★ · Guard
Lappland the Decadenza6★ · Caster
Lava3★ · Caster
Lava the Purgatory5★ · Caster
Lee6★ · Specialist
Leizi5★ · Caster
Leizi the Thunderbringer6★ · Guard
Lemuen6★ · Sniper
Leonhardt5★ · Caster
Lessing6★ · Guard
Leto5★ · Guard
Lin6★ · Caster
Ling6★ · Supporter
Liskarm5★ · Defender
Logos6★ · Caster
Lord/Sharp6★ · Guard
Lucilla5★ · Supporter
Lumen6★ · Medic
Lunacub5★ · Sniper
Luo Xiaohei4★ · Guard
Lutonada4★ · Defender
Magallan6★ · Supporter
Manticore5★ · Specialist
Mantra6★ · Caster
Marcille6★ · Caster
Matoimaru4★ · Guard
Matsukiri5★ · Vanguard
Matterhorn4★ · Defender
May4★ · Sniper
Mayer5★ · Supporter
Mechanist6★ · Defender
Melanite5★ · Sniper
Melantha3★ · Guard
Meteor4★ · Sniper
Meteorite5★ · Sniper
Midnight3★ · Guard
Minimalist5★ · Caster
Mint5★ · Caster
Misery6★ · Specialist
Miss.Christine5★ · Caster
Mitm5★ · Vanguard
Mizuki6★ · Specialist
Młynar6★ · Guard
Mon3tr6★ · Medic
Morgan5★ · Guard
Mostima6★ · Caster
Mountain6★ · Guard
Mousse4★ · Guard
Mr. Nothing5★ · Specialist
Mudrock6★ · Defender
Muelsyse6★ · Vanguard
Mulberry5★ · Medic
Mutsumi Wakaba5★ · Specialist
Myrrh4★ · Medic
Myrtle4★ · Vanguard
Narantuya6★ · Sniper
Nasti6★ · Supporter
Nearl5★ · Defender
Nearl the Radiant Knight6★ · Guard
Necrass6★ · Caster
Nian6★ · Defender
Nightingale6★ · Medic
Nightmare5★ · Caster
Nine-Colored Deer5★ · Supporter
Noir Corne2★ · Defender
Nowell5★ · Medic
Nyamu Yūtenji5★ · Guard
Nymph6★ · Caster
Odda5★ · Guard
Orchid3★ · Supporter
Pallas6★ · Guard
Paprika5★ · Medic
Papyrus5★ · Medic
Passenger6★ · Caster
Penance6★ · Defender
Pepe6★ · Guard
Perfumer4★ · Medic
Perfumer the Distilled5★ · Supporter
Phantom6★ · Specialist
Philae5★ · Defender
PhonoR-01★ · Supporter
Pinecone4★ · Sniper
Pith5★ · Caster
Pith6★ · Caster
Platinum5★ · Sniper
Plume3★ · Vanguard
Podenco4★ · Supporter
Poncirus5★ · Vanguard
Popukar3★ · Guard
Pozëmka6★ · Sniper
Pramanix5★ · Supporter
Pramanix the Prerita6★ · Caster
Projekt Red5★ · Specialist
Provence5★ · Sniper
Proviso5★ · Supporter
Ptilopsis5★ · Medic
Pudding4★ · Caster
Purestream4★ · Medic
Puzzle5★ · Vanguard
Qanipalaat5★ · Caster
Qiubai6★ · Guard
Quartz4★ · Guard
Quercus5★ · Supporter
Raidian6★ · Supporter
Raidian6★ · Supporter
Rangers2★ · Sniper
Rathalos S Noir Corne5★ · Guard
Ray6★ · Sniper
Record Keeper5★ · Medic
Reed5★ · Vanguard
Reed the Flame Shadow6★ · Medic
Reserve Operator - Caster3★ · Caster
Reserve Operator - Caster4★ · Caster
Reserve Operator - Defender3★ · Defender
Reserve Operator - Defender4★ · Defender
Reserve Operator - Guard4★ · Guard
Reserve Operator - Logistics3★ · Medic
Reserve Operator - Medic4★ · Medic
Reserve Operator - Melee3★ · Vanguard
Reserve Operator - Sniper3★ · Sniper
Reserve Operator - Sniper4★ · Sniper
Reserve Operator - Specialist4★ · Specialist
Reserve Operator - Supporter4★ · Supporter
Reserve Operator - Vanguard4★ · Vanguard
Ripresa5★ · Caster
Roberta4★ · Supporter
Robin5★ · Specialist
Rockrock5★ · Caster
Rope4★ · Specialist
Rosa6★ · Sniper
Rose Salt5★ · Medic
Rosmontis6★ · Sniper
Saga6★ · Vanguard
Saileach6★ · Vanguard
Sakiko Togawa6★ · Guard
Sand Reckoner5★ · Supporter
Sankta Miksaparato6★ · Defender
Santalla5★ · Caster
Saria6★ · Defender
Savage5★ · Guard
Scavenger4★ · Vanguard
Scene5★ · Supporter
Schwarz6★ · Sniper
Senshi5★ · Defender
Sesa5★ · Sniper
Shalem5★ · Defender
Shalem5★ · Defender
Shamare5★ · Supporter
Sharp5★ · Guard
Sharp6★ · Guard
Shaw4★ · Specialist
Shining6★ · Medic
Shirayuki4★ · Sniper
Shu6★ · Defender
Sideroca5★ · Guard
Siege6★ · Vanguard
Silence5★ · Medic
Silence the Paradigmatic6★ · Supporter
SilverAsh6★ · Guard
SilverAsh the Reignfrost6★ · Vanguard
Skadi6★ · Guard
Skadi the Corrupting Heart6★ · Supporter
Skybox5★ · Sniper
Skyfire5★ · Caster
Snegurochka4★ · Vanguard
Snow Hunter5★ · Sniper
Snowsant5★ · Specialist
Sora5★ · Supporter
Specter5★ · Guard
Specter the Unchained6★ · Specialist
Spot3★ · Defender
Spuria5★ · Specialist
Stainless6★ · Supporter
Steward3★ · Caster
Stormeye5★ · Sniper
Stormeye6★ · Sniper
Surfer5★ · Vanguard
Surtr6★ · Guard
Sussurro4★ · Medic
Suzuran6★ · Supporter
Swire5★ · Guard
Swire the Elegant Wit6★ · Specialist
Tachanka5★ · Guard
Taraxacum5★ · Medic
Tecno5★ · Caster
Tequila5★ · Guard
Terra Research Commission1★ · Sniper
Texas5★ · Vanguard
Texas the Omertosa6★ · Specialist
Thorns6★ · Guard
Thorns the Lodestar6★ · Specialist
THRM-EX1★ · Specialist
Tin Man5★ · Specialist
Tippi5★ · Specialist
Titi6★ · Medic
Toddifons5★ · Sniper
Tomimi5★ · Caster
Totter4★ · Sniper
Touch5★ · Medic
Touch6★ · MedicI must recall—the conspiracy, the slaughter, the false performances. Does creation break me free of the shadows about me, or does it bring me closer to them? Perhaps my thirst, reignited by death, will one day finally catch fire and rage. Doctor... Witness it. Grasp it. Endorse or reject it. Do not stop it.
Close your eyes. The dark of night now shrouds your consciousness; the sharp discomfort fades. So tell me, what is it you long to see... a ship, a sea of flowers, and us... That is all you want?
Permit me to shirk our operators' curious gazes for a spell. The curtain has finally fallen on the longest play, and I need some time to reorganize my thoughts. I'm sure you understand, Doctor... Pardon? I have to sign the returnee ledger with my Wrankwood autograph?
Would that they could break free of the slaver that is Hate, what then would they do...
I've woken from a nightmare, yet I still am in the night. Would you journey with me even then, dear Doctor?
The symbol of a troupe member's honor was a medal bearing Tragodia—a sentencing to days with thought and taste imprisoned, a painful past I tried again and again to cut away. But you give me a present to delight... and I will cherish it.
The stage is set.
To lead or to dominate—they are but a hair apart.
Alas, the scent of strife; I know it well.
Below the stage stirs not a soul.
Here I perform as me.
The apron and the wings are but the same.
I am everywhere.
The shadow beneath your feet is not your own.
The killing urge doth seize your flesh.
The burning hate doth speak your minds.
Resist me not; come to my song.
Shh... Listen.
Heeding your direction always leads so simply to ideal results. I ought to be on guard...
Stay the curtain call... the time is not yet come.
Flee... until your nightmares catch up to you again.
If this is not the ending in your heart, then rewrite it.
...Could you take some of those film posters off the walls?
Yes, this attire is too formal.
Once this one-act play is... roughly ready, would you like to be the first to watch?
Arknights.
On and on do new days come, yet shadows squat in the crevices of bygone days, so loath to leave. Doctor, be careful, please. Don't wallow too deeply in feelings of regret, in cursing fate. Accept failure, unease, fear... and then carry on walking.
History and murders aside, Wrankwood is a fine vacation spot.
Pierced by Originium crystal, this larynx of mine is a ruthless weapon, and proof of how the arts intoxicate me. Now that I've finally recovered my singing technique, I wonder, would you mind if... As you wish, then. Allow me to dedicate this long-overdue ballad to you. Happy birthday, Doctor.
Perhaps this sailing ship we stand on is a clear glass reflection, and Rhodes Island is but a fantasy woven by you... Yet oneiric emotions can move just as deeply as waking ones; if you believe this is all one beautiful dream, don't wake so soon.
As one after another curious inquirer into Phantom's past came up empty, a consensus began to form—whether he simply did not want to be pried into, or if he really did have a secret that cannot be revealed, Phantom is one of the most difficult entities on Rhodes Island to perceive and comprehend. When the Wrankwood craze had cooled, there was only a cold, eerie blackness left behind of the mysterious shadow that once floated in the limelight, one that few dare to approach. As a matter of fact, opportunities to come into contact with Phantom are not as rare as many think, and such encounters do not always take place in some shadowy corner. He often initiates contact when he feels the need. A veteran medic said she once saw Phantom in Nowell's eyeglasses fitting room, and was surprised to find Nowell teaching him to polish lenses. 'There's no problem with Lucian's vision. In fact, his night vision and dynamic visual acuity are well above average. The reason he came to find me was...' Nowell paused, seemingly unsure why exactly Phantom had come to see him. He has taught many people the art of lens-making in the past, and those with special talent are able to quickly catch up to his methods, while young people with innovative minds look for other tools to increase efficiency. Laymen who come only for the experience or on a whim quickly stop moving their hands and start observing Nowell in boredom. In that regard, Lucian acts like a pure, overly-serious apprentice. He carefully picked the right polishing materials, and was meticulous about rinsing the lens to prevent overheating of the edges. For a few moments, Nowell almost believed this mysterious stranger would inherit his lens-making responsibilities, but when Nowell told Lucian he was ready to move on to the next step, Lucian continued to admire the gleam reflected by the lens' edge, seeming unconcerned that he had already spent many hours in search of perfection. 'Few people are so focused on wasting time. Unless he already has a clear goal in mind... or an eternity to waste.' They talked about little more than craftsmanship and day-to-day life, avoiding anything associated with the 'legends', but Nowell noticed that Lucian subtly steered the conversation in a different direction whenever it seemed they were about to talk about Nowell's family or his experiences in Victoria, as though he already knew everything there was to know about Nowell's most important experiences. 'I'd never seen him before the day he walked into the fitting room, but I can tell that our secrets are alike. I know the way to break my own curse. For his part, it seems he's enjoying the process of breaking it—I hope I'm wrong.'
Illegal operations, serial murders, and an encounter with an Originium storm... Operator Phantom's experience at Wrankwood would put most blockbusters to shame, and he found himself in extreme danger. 'It's been a full month, and Phantom's Blood Originium-Crystal Density hasn't improved one bit. He should be completely bedridden according to the Originium Treatment Handbook, so how is he still walking around?' Phantom's previous doctor, Ansel, expressed his concerns. 'I'm not sure why he refuses to cooperate with his physical examination... Fortunately, Dr. Warfarin has taken over, and some of his medical files have been sealed. I'm sure he'll get better.' [Medical Interview Log] Confidentiality Level: Confidential Subject: Lucian Interviewer: Warfarin '...I'm sure you know better than I do what strange changes have come over me... the progress of the infection due to exposure to the Originium storm, the expansion of the crystals on my throat... but their danger has been nullified. 'You could even call it a medical miracle, but the secrets of life and death are not my concern right now—at least, not from a scientific perspective. To get straight to the point, I've been granted more time. 'Am I glad? No, I don't see time as a gift. There may not be an answer to what I seek for centuries, millennia, or perhaps no single answer at all—which is painful, yet fascinating. All I want to do is leave behind the theaters of man and head to another kind of stage. 'It's better for everyone on the ship. The Doctor has sealed the reports on the Wrankwood incident, and you've increased the access level required to view my medical files... I can sense that some operators harbor doubts about me. 'Singing a song that manipulates hearts, inheriting a set of extravagant robes along with his staff, having Miss.Christine by my side... Mysteries can be lethal. 'I cannot guarantee that no one will be dragged into it. Drama is a human construct. It needs both a creator and a performer, and it needs an audience even more. I don't want what I do to be self-entertainment. My drama is a failure if it is nothing more than self-gratification. 'To break free from one's pen, I must face this newly-free self, and the pen and paper that have been forced into my hands. 'Death and destruction... The Doctor was concerned that I would once again come into contact with the aesthetics of obsession and deviation. But they are natural inspirations that I cannot avoid, nor will I attempt to circumvent them. Drama has always had multiple answers.' ...... 'We will not speak again for the next six months. 'I will leave this place for now, to find an answer to my drama that belongs only to me, to find a way to understand this land... Perhaps it is hysteria, or perhaps madness will bring truth and enlightenment. Do you feel the same way? Are we still part of a story? 'Prejudice, conflict, the unsolved secrets of Terra... If the Troupe Leader is but another character, I want to know what the true author wishes to write, and what I can 'write'.' 'Even if it is futile... 'Even if... I will never wake up again.'
At first, the items that arrived on the office desk of the Archives Department were thought to be a prank. Old gold coins, banners scorched by the fires of war, rubbings of ancient murals... They came from many different eras and places, the only commonality being a certain mark found upon them. As these unclaimed 'pranks' accumulated, people started becoming superstitious, and began doing whatever they could to avoid the night shift, until the Doctor reminded them that it was Phantom who left these mysterious tokens. Most common among these ancient scraps are tomes that depict the legends of Tragodia from across Terra, the earliest being centuries-old. The description of Tragodia varied widely between cultures. In some, he is the god of harvests, love and joy; in others, a deranged hedonist who created drama and the arts. More recent volumes call him the 'Deceitful Ghost'. Even expert archivists had difficulty piecing together a complete picture from these fragments, but Phantom managed to deduce what the predecessor of the Crimson Troupe was, and the identity of the Troupe Leader. It is hard to imagine how much time he spent studying the origins of the Troupe in search of an answer, or an opportunity for 'revenge'. The changes that have occurred in Phantom since his return from Wrankwood indicate that it is not a hatred of being manipulated that drives him to seek the truth. Perhaps, his natural inclinations and obsessions have caused him to surpass the boundaries of right and wrong, viewing his past experiences from a brand-new angle. In order to validate some of these records, the Archives Department wanted to invite him to discuss the origins of some of these objects, but were unable to locate him on the ship. Perhaps in his eyes the curtains have already fallen, and the actor should leave the stage. Or perhaps he simply did not want to make a subjective judgment on an event that he experienced personally, causing both the tokens and the identity of Tragodia to once again become a dangerous private collection. If you asked me how the processor of these mysterious records would view the relationship between Phantom and the legend of Tragodia—whether he has inherited an identity that cannot be explained by modern science, or whether he has yet to escape his nightmare—I would answer from a different angle. Whatever Phantom's present identity is, he is no longer struggling with pain. Perhaps there is a mysterious, unknown side to the words he has left unspoken, but he has been willing to share the results of his decade-long search. Perhaps he will repeat the mistakes of the past, and make radical choices for his heart's desires, but he has given us a chance to understand him, and to stop him. If he has chosen to trust Rhodes Island, then we should repay that trust. —An Archives Department Operator