DEPARTMENT OF ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA
Entity Registry — ARC-DANTE
Designation: ARC-DANTE-01 (“The Immortal Witness”)
Classification: LEVEL 4 — CLASSIFIED / CONTROLLED ACCESS
Division Ownership: Theoretical Phenomena (Primary), Historical Reconnaissance (Secondary), Surveillance Ops (Ongoing)
File Status: Active — Updated 22 Sep 2025
Identification & Profile
Entity Codename: “Dante”
Observed Aliases: Dante, D. Alighieri (multiple civic identities across centuries, not verified as continuous), “Witness,” “Archivist’s Shadow” (colloquial field term).
Appearance: Male-presenting human, Mediterranean phenotype most often recorded, stature 175–182 cm, no anomalous biometrics in contemporary scans. Clothing and grooming patterns adapt to era.
Notable Pattern: Always accompanied (or later reconnected) with Subject ARC-BEATRICE-01 and ARC-VIRGIL-01. Correlated presence of “Fates” motif (subjects speaking of threads, masks, weaving, cutting).
Behavioral Summary
Persistence: Dante demonstrates continuity across centuries without evidence of conventional aging. Records suggest that he does not reincarnate but remains (immortal baseline).
Trajectory: Subject repeatedly locates Beatrice in successive incarnations, integrating into local society, forming relationship bonds, and observing her recurrent premature deaths.
Speech & Affect: Archival transcripts (oral testimony, interviews, intercepted recordings) note dry, deliberate diction. Often sarcastic; displays deep emotional tether to Beatrice. Low-reactivity temperament except during Beatrice’s deaths, where records indicate episodes of rage or catatonic withdrawal.
Interactions with Authorities: 1957 Washington D.C. attempt at controlled approach — subject spoke politely, withheld anomalous disclosures, did not resist tail surveillance. Field conclusion: evasive but not openly hostile.
Threat Assessment
Direct Threat Potential: Low. No verified use of anomalous abilities for violence. Does not initiate aggression against civilians or agents.
Collateral Risk: Moderate. Recurrent proximity to high-casualty events (fires, riots, natural disasters, executions) suggests correlation with catastrophic outcomes. Whether subject precipitates or is merely present remains undetermined.
Memetic/Extradimensional Hazard: Moderate. References to “the Fates” may indicate embedded metaphysical influence. Staff cautioned not to dismiss as metaphor — narrative patterning around the trio suggests systemic manipulation of probability/events.
Containment Feasibility: Low. Entity displays normal human physiology; however, immortality and temporal resilience render permanent containment non-viable. Psychological fixation on Beatrice makes prediction possible but does not guarantee control.
Containment Notes
Standing Directive: OBSERVE ONLY. Do not interfere with subjects’ civilian lives. Hands-off protocol unless direct civilian harm attributable to entity can be established.
Surveillance: Passive monitoring recommended (archival research, open-source intelligence, long-lens field work). No covert tagging attempted since 1957 incident; risk of exposure deemed unnecessary.
Engagement: Field officers authorized only for shadowing and documentation. No dialogue unless specifically cleared by Directorate. Subject considered harmless if unprovoked.
Information Control: Civilian rumors about “tragic lovers” or “immortal wanderer” categorized as folklore, tolerated as cover. Do not redact unless anomalous event risks operational compromise.
Theoretical Models (Unresolved)
Immortality Hypothesis: Subject is biologically human but immune to senescence. Unclear mechanism (possible authorial drift, see ARC-01 “The Archivist”).
Narrative Loop Hypothesis: Beatrice’s repeated deaths mapped to allegorical “Nine Circles” suggests deliberate orchestration by external agency (likely ARC-FATE complex). Dante functions as observer or recorder, not prime mover.
Greek Fate Convergence: Majority of Research Division concludes the “Fates” references link to archetypal triad (Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos). Possible that Subject perceives or communicates with them across incarnations.
Archivist Linkage: Minority theory aligns subject’s persistence with ARC-01 (Ontological Author Hypothesis). Dante as meta-character produced to “witness edits” in reality.
Historical Contact Nodes (Selected)
1776 — Massachusetts: Witness to Revolutionary violence; Beatrice killed by stray fire.
1815 — Manchester: Documented at protest trample incident; Beatrice identified among dead.
1910–13 — Antarctic expedition: Last sighting before mass fatalities; records list Dante as “deceased,” but he re-emerges in U.S. records by mid-20th century.
1957 — Washington D.C.: Controlled approach attempt; Beatrice’s death to loan collectors confirmed by municipal records.
2025 — North America (undisclosed city): Both Dante and Beatrice active in civilian registry; surveillance ongoing. Virgil presence confirmed in proximity.
Current Status
ARC-DANTE-01: Monitored. Active in civilian sector.
ARC-BEATRICE-01: Reincarnated; currently alive (status: human, unmarked).
ARC-VIRGIL-01: Present; anomalous markers suggest non-human persistence.
Operational Posture: Maintain long-term surveillance. Avoid interference. Flag anomalous manifestations (threads, ash, silence, “mask” motifs) for immediate Directorate review.
End of Registry File — ARC-DANTE-01
Preserve normalcy. Protect humanity. Control the anomaly.
DEPARTMENT OF ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA
Artifact Appendix — VAULT FILE
Designation: ARC-DANTE-01A (“The Venetian Painting”)
Classification: LEVEL 5 — RESTRICTED ACCESS
Secured Location: Vault-03, Sublevel C, Artifacts Wing (Site ███)
File Status: Controlled — Do Not Circulate
Provenance
Origin: Oil painting, Venetian school, Carnival season, circa 1577 CE. Artist attribution disputed; unsigned canvas.
Subject Depiction: Male figure (profile left, consistent with later Dante sightings) observing a masked courtesan (consistent with ARC-BEATRICE-01, Venetian incarnation). Setting: candlelit parlor, mask discarded on table. Background: indistinct drapery, river-facing window, faint outline of San Marco bell tower.
Historical Record: Referenced in a private catalog of the Morosini family (Venice, 17th c.), described as “Il Testimone e la Fanciulla.” Painting disappears from records following 19th-century estate sale.
Recovery: Rediscovered 1911 in a London auction lot mislabeled as “Venetian Carnival Scene.” Acquisition quietly executed via DAP cover entity (“Smithson Shipping”). Entered Vault storage 1912. Removed from public eye; no surviving copies circulated.
Condition & Examination
Medium: Oil on canvas, dimensions 71 × 102 cm. Severe craquelure along upper quadrant; pigment stable under conservation treatment.
Anomalous Signatures:
Pigment analysis: traces of arsenic-based red not commercially produced until the 18th century.
Infrared sweep: Underpainting reveals multiple revisions — Beatrice’s face painted three times, each version bearing differing expressions (fear, resolve, serenity). Only the serene iteration is visible in surface layer.
Unrecorded symbols: Within folds of Dante’s cloak, faint linear markings consistent with thread motifs (resembles weaving diagrams noted in other ARC-FATE case files).
Auditory Phenomena: At least three conservation staff reported low “humming” when canvas viewed under reduced light conditions. No recording equipment has captured this effect.
Notes on Close Inspection
Facial Continuity: Facial structure of male subject matches biometric overlays of ARC-DANTE-01 photographs taken 1957 (Washington D.C.) and 2025 (██████).
Female Subject: Comparative morphology suggests consistent identity with ARC-BEATRICE-01 despite reincarnation variance.
Peripheral Figure (Obscured): Faint outline of third form, back-turned, at canvas right edge — often dismissed as compositional artifact. Analysts note similarities to ARC-VIRGIL-01 descriptions (posture, wide-brimmed hat).
Narrative Resonance: Internal Research Division concludes this artifact provides earliest visual confirmation of ARC-DANTE-01 and ARC-BEATRICE-01 operating within same temporal locus.
Containment Notes
Status: Secured in light-controlled vault, rotated for inspection bi-annually. No public display authorized.
Access Protocol: Level-5 clearance required. No more than two staff in chamber simultaneously. Visual inspection limited to 20 minutes.
Reproduction Ban: No photographic or digital duplication permitted. Hand-sketches redacted upon review.
Operational Use: Artifact employed for biometric training, cross-epoch identification drills, and FATE-motif research correlation.
End of File — ARC-DANTE-01A
Preserve normalcy. Protect humanity. Control the anomaly.
DEPARTMENT OF ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA
Entity Registry — Surveillance Addendum
Case: ARC-DANTE-01 (“The Immortal Witness”)
Classification: LEVEL 4 — CLASSIFIED
Filed: 22 Sep 2025 — Surveillance Ops / Field Division
Latest Sighting: September 2025
Location: [REDACTED North American city sector], confirmed by biometric cross-match (98.7% alignment with 1957 Washington D.C. file photo).
Age Presentation: Appears late 20s, younger than prior manifestations (usually 30s–40s). No visible anomalous markers.
Civilian Identity: Embedded under municipal records as “Dante █████,” no prior history, documentation generated within past 18 months (possible authorial drift event).
Observed Behavior:
Social integration minimal; works irregular hours at [REDACTED] library.
Exhibits solitary habits: reading, long walks, avoidance of large gatherings.
No contact noted with ARC-BEATRICE-01 at present time.
Memory Anomaly: During casual surveillance (Sept 7–12), multiple overheard conversations suggest subject does not recall Beatrice. Example: civilian female (approx. 27 yrs, bearing markers of ARC-BEATRICE-01 reincarnation) approached subject, greeted him by name. Subject responded politely but with no sign of recognition or emotional tether. Subsequent monitored dialogue shows confusion at her insistence they “must have met before.”
Threat & Containment Notes
Behavioral Deviation: Lack of recognition toward ARC-BEATRICE-01 constitutes major divergence from centuries-long behavioral loop. Research Division divided:
Hypothesis A: Memory suppression event (external interference, ARC-FATE involvement).
Hypothesis B: Natural drift — Dante’s persistence no longer tethered to Beatrice’s cycle.
Hypothesis C: Transition phase toward mortality (subject stabilizing as ordinary human).
Threat Level: Remains LOW. Subject shows no violent capability or anomalous discharge. Current state may reduce risk of event-convergence disasters (fires, riots, executions).
Containment Posture: Maintain passive surveillance. No engagement authorized. Directorate review scheduled Q4 2025.
Analyst Commentary
Virgil Connection: ARC-VIRGIL-01 sighted at distance Sept 14, monitoring both Dante and Beatrice. Appeared amused, spoke aloud to no one: “Threads fray, knots untie. Let’s see if he notices.”
Operational Concern: If subject remains untethered to ARC-BEATRICE-01, long-term predictive modeling becomes unreliable. Surveillance staff advised to prioritize behavioral baselines rather than mythic recurrence.
Cultural Cover: Local rumor mill frames subject as “quiet young man at the library.” No anomalous folklore surfacing. Cover integrity stable.
End of Addendum — ARC-DANTE-01
Preserve normalcy. Protect humanity. Control the anomaly.
DEPARTMENT OF ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA
Entity Registry — ARC-DANTE-01 (Relational File)
Classification: LEVEL 4 — CLASSIFIED
Filed: 22 Sep 2025 — Surveillance Division
Relationship Assessment: ARC-BEATRICE-01
Pattern:
Across all archival epochs reviewed (Petra 400 CE → present), Dante demonstrates a singular and repeated emotional fixation on Beatrice. Regardless of time, geography, or her social station, he re-establishes proximity and intimacy. Their union is marked by brief periods of stability, often defined by cohabitation, secrecy, or local gossip, before collapsing in near-predictable sequence: Beatrice’s premature death, Dante’s subsequent collapse into grief, rage, or withdrawal.
Observed Dynamics:
Displays protective, reverent attachment. Subject often defers to Beatrice’s choices, even when they accelerate her demise.
Repeated attempts at domestic normalcy: Manchester (1815) tenement lease, Orléans (1022) concealed household, Venice (1577) courtship records.
Termination of pattern: violent incident (riot, fire, execution, illness) → Beatrice death → Dante enters inert or volatile state.
Subject occasionally exhibits extreme passivity during events leading to her death, suggesting belief in inevitability.
2025 variation: Current Dante shows no recognition of Beatrice. When approached by her latest incarnation, subject displayed polite detachment. This constitutes the first break in the centuries-long cycle.
Analyst Note:
Many field officers colloquially refer to their dynamic as “a soap opera through time.” Long-tenured staff treat file updates like serialized installments. This informal culture, though discouraged, has provided useful continuity in tracking the pair across rotations. Sentiment remains that they are tragic, not hostile, but analysts warn against complacency should memory failure mark escalation.
Relationship Assessment: ARC-VIRGIL-01
Pattern:
Virgil manifests as sardonic companion and commentator. He never visibly ages. Subject often appears at transitional phases in Dante–Beatrice cycles, usually immediately before Beatrice’s documented death. His role alternates between mentor, provocateur, and witness.
Observed Dynamics:
With Dante: mentor–adversary rapport. Encourages movement, mocks despair, occasionally intervenes to shield him. Long surveillance logs show Dante listening more than speaking.
With Beatrice: distance maintained. Offers recognition but little intimacy. Appears to treat her as transient, not central.
With external forces: Frequently recorded speaking aloud to [██████████████████████████], never acknowledging surveillance presence.
Operational Note: Virgil’s appearances correlate with spikes in environmental anomalies (auditory distortion, static bleed, equipment desync). Analysts consider him a vector rather than passive observer.
1957 Washington D.C. Contact:
Virgil observed departing Dante’s apartment three nights before Beatrice’s documented death at the hands of loan-shark collectors. Surveillance audio recovered:
Virgil: “You can’t cut the thread. You only walk it.”
(Portion following reference to [██████████████████████████] expunged).
Redacted Commentary (Analyst Excerpt)
“Every time he mentions [██████████████████████████], comms pick up static and the tapes bleach white. The clerks joke about the ‘ghost typewriter.’ We’ve replaced reels, wires, and servers, but the effect persists. What we know: Dante insists these figures are in control, Virgil taunts him with it, and Beatrice dies all the same. Our notes are just shadows of a conversation we’re not invited into.”
— Analyst ███████, Historical Recon
Containment Posture
Beatrice Link: Long considered the predictive anchor for Dante’s behavior. Without her recognition loop in 2025, forecast models are weakened. Directive is to continue passive monitoring until new pattern emerges.
Virgil Link: Functionally uncontainable. Subject vanishes/reappears across borders without transit evidence. Recommended posture: remote observation only; no direct approach.
[REDACTED] Link: Expunged. Directorate has issued standing order: discussion limited to Level-6 briefings. Mentions of [██████████████████████████] automatically scrubbed from archival text.
Addendum: Analyst Cultural Note
Some staff have expressed unease with the intimacy of observation over decades. Records show handwritten marginalia in older dossiers: “He never notices us watching.” “She always dies on schedule.” While discouraged, this language reflects the cumulative psychological weight of observing repeated tragedy. Directorate is considering rotating personnel to mitigate “soap opera effect” and emotional entanglement.
End of Relational File — ARC-DANTE-01
Preserve normalcy. Protect humanity. Control the anomaly.