“Permanently insane…!”
These four words made Shen Lin’s heart skip a beat. He asked KP, “Can you tell us what he did?”
“This is part of the exploration. You have to discover it yourselves. All I can tell you is that Permanently insane means you’ve lost this teammate forever.”
Shen Lin thought to himself: “You become permanently insane only when your Sanity drops to zero. Each of us still has dozens of Sanity points, how could it all be lost? What did Shawn encounter? Could it be that he meet the so-called god?”
At dusk, Layla finally returned. She was covered in dirt, her face filthy, but her violet eyes were still very bright. She held close a bouquet of lilies, she walked over to Shen Lin and said, “I brought back Mrs. Fournier’s body. Would you like to go with me to pay respects to her? She really liked you. The way she looked at you was like looking at her own child. If you’re willing to go, I think she would be very happy.”
Shen Lin nodded. He took the lilies from Layla’s hands and walked with her into a dark, deserted alley.
In the alley, an emaciated body was wrapped in a worn blanket. She still maintained the expression from just before death, eyes wide open, her face still frozen in disbelief.
Layla used clean water to wipe the blood from Mrs. Fournier’s face and closed her eyes. She said in a low voice, “Mrs. Fournier had a slight cleanliness obsession. She would never allow her face to be covered in so much dust and blood. If she had to leave, her body should at least be clean.”
Shen Lin responded, “Mmm1.”
“She was a great lady.”
Layla said, “Sometimes, I can’t understand what Mrs. Fournier was thinking. She believed the town’s sin came from outsiders. Yet she couldn’t live without the outsiders’ supplies. She demanded an equal distribution of resources instead of letting the townspeople free themselves from dependence on outsiders. It’s all wrong, the sacrificial ritual is wrong, the outsiders are wrong, the people of Moonfall Village are wrong too. But no one wants to change anything.”
Shen Lin frowned slightly: “Psychology”
KP: Secret roll.
Shen Lin felt deep sadness radiating from Layla. Her usually spirited voice now sounded deflated and soft. “Sometimes I see Benson standing under the town archway, staring blankly outwards, especially when sending off the messenger. He longed to leave. He also clearly knew that once he left, he would lose everything he had in Moonfall Village, including the bond with God. He is greedy and selfish. I don’t understand why God would choose him to be the messenger. He has a power so close to the divine, yet he never prays for the town.”
“And then there’s the mayor,” Layla added. “You’ve met him. He’s not like Benson. He wants Moonfall Village to return to its ancestral roots, free from outsider control, to return to the old, simpler time when everyone respected the gods and the gods were close to us. But he can’t give up his status as mayor, nor the conveniences brought by outsiders. He’s an even bigger coward than Benson, he doesn’t dare to change anything. Oh, and, he’s also an incurably foolish father! He dotes on his daughter far too much. It’s honestly enviable.”
Shen Lin quietly listened as Layla spoke, as if Mrs. Fournier’s death had stirred up all of her emotions. “Mrs. Fournier too, she only pursued equality in supplies. She stopped at surface-level fairness. She never thought about the root cause, that we cannot escape the control of the outsiders. Everyone is guilty. Everyone will die. Not because of a lack of supplies, but because we are growing greedier and more selfish.”
Shen Lin asked her, “Have you ever thought about resisting? About changing the current state of this place?”
Layla froze for a moment. She tilted her head to look at Shen Lin. In her dimmed pupils appeared a bright glint. “Of course I have. Sometimes I wonder if I’m the special one, someone who can escape Moonfall Village’s curse, leave this place. But I don’t have the courage. That’s how the world is, many people want to break free of the cage, but lack the courage to do it. I’m just a flower girl without the guts.”
Shen Lin: “Psychology.”
KP: Secret roll.
Shen Lin noticed that Layla’s emotions didn’t quite reach her eyes. Beneath the shine of her bright irises was still a cold, metallic layer.
Shen Lin could feel that she was lying.
Layla smiled and said, “We shouldn’t be saying such things in front of Mrs. Fournier. I’m really sorry. She was a great person. Mike, offer the flowers you’re holding to her. I’m sure she’ll be very happy.”
Shen Lin bowed his head in prayer for Mrs. Fournier and laid down the bouquet.
He asked Layla, “Why did you help collect Mrs. Fournier’s body? She was executed by Benson’s people. Most of the townsfolk are bewitched by Benson now, no one would dare to do what you did.”
“But isn’t it too pitiful for a body to be left out in the open like that?” Layla said sadly. “Mrs. Fournier cared for me a lot and helped me greatly. She gave me back something very important…” Her voice grew soft, as if to change the subject she then said “I’m very grateful to her. And I feel very sorry.”
Shen Lin looked at Layla with confusion. “Why do you say sorry?”
Layla was silent for a moment, then said: “Because… because I didn’t stop her. I should have stopped her.” Her expression became sorrowful. She wiped the redness from the corner of her eyes. “Mrs. Fournier was a good person… she really was..so good…so good..”
Shen Lin sighed and gently patted Layla’s back to comfort her. “You’re a good girl too, Layla. My friends and I all like you.”
“Really?”
Layla stared wide-eyed in disbelief. “You think I’m… a good girl?”
“Yes,” Shen Lin said. “You’ve helped us many times, and you’re very gentle. The lilies you grow bloom beautifully. It’s said that only people with pure and kind hearts can grow lilies like that.”
“Thank you,” Layla stepped forward and hugged Shen Lin. “You’re so kind.”
A tall, cold man stood not far away, staring at her with icy eyes.
Layla shrank back in fear and whispered to Shen Lin, “Your friend is scary.”
Shen Lin: “He just looks fierce, but he’s actually a very good person. You don’t need to be afraid of him.”
Layla hesitated, then nodded slightly.
After paying respects to Mrs. Fournier, they carefully returned to Layla’s room.
The kerosene lamp had completely run out. Layla took out a candle and lit it. In the dim light, she sat on the edge of the bed, her golden hair cascading down. Her fair skin was flawless, making her look like a delicate porcelain doll.
“Mike, are you worried about your friends?” she asked.
Shen Lin nodded and said, “I got separated from them. I want to find them.”
Her hands clenched the bed sheet, her feet gently swinging.
Shen Lin: “Make a Spot Hidden roll.”
35/15 , Success.
Shen Lin sensed that Layla was struggling with something, as if she wanted to tell him something but didn’t know how, or was hesitating whether to speak at all.
Shen Lin’s gaze flickered, and he said:
“They’re very good friends of mine. We originally came here on vacation. When the accident happened, we promised each other we’d make it back together. Once we return, we’ll climb snow mountains, go horse racing, watch the sunrise and sunset together, join school assemblies. On Christmas Day, there’s always a grand fireworks show, brilliant lights float on the moat. They also said they want to watch me perform in a play.”
Layla’s expression paused. Her gaze drifted, falling blankly into the air as she became lost in thought. After a moment, she asked longingly:
“Is the Silit Grand Hall still as magnificent and resplendent as before?”
Shen Lin nodded:
“Yes. The neon lights stay on all night. Almost every moment, noble ladies and gentlemen walk along that long corridor covered in red carpet.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Layla curled her legs up, hugging her knees. Her cheek rested against them as she softly said:
“Actually, when I went out this afternoon, I asked around for you. Your friend, the young man with the thick glasses, was considered a heretic and tied to a cross, sacrificed to the god. He died in the blazing fire. Before that, he used the wrong method to summon the god, offering up his soul.”
“What wrong method?”
“Benson told him. He was Benson’s test subject. I don’t know the details. Those mysterious and divine ritual arrays are known only to Benson. I can only tell you this much, but…”
In Layla’s radiant violet pupils, Shen Lin’s reflection appeared.
“All sin will be cleansed. When the Day of Divine Sacrifice comes, everyone will become as pure as a newborn. Your friends will surely return to your side.”
Shen Lin frowned and asked her:
“What do you mean by that?”
“As long as you calmly accept your own sins, cross that black abyss, waiting for you will be eternal miracle and glory.”
Layla left behind this cryptic message and pulled the blanket over herself as she lay down. She winked at Shen Lin and said:
“It’s an old song the elders often pass down. I don’t know what it really means either. Maybe it’s like saying the dead will reunite in the heavens. I hope it brings you comfort. I’m going to sleep now. Good night, Mike.”
Seeing that Layla didn’t intend to continue talking, Shen Lin could only say:
“Good night, Layla.”
He blew out the candle on the table.
Shen Lin closed his eyes and carefully reviewed all the recent events.
Layla knew far more than her identity should allow. Her knowledge exceeded that of an ordinary girl. Who exactly is she? What connection does she have to the offering lost ten years ago?
If she is the offering lost ten years ago, then what is she trying to do?
Does she know Dylan?
Did Dylan come looking for her?
Why hasn’t Dylan shown up yet?
Suddenly, KP’s voice rang out:
“Make a Luck roll.”
Shen Lin: “……”
He rolls.
70/5 Critical Success.
KP: “……”
At that moment, Shen Lin suddenly remembered,
When he was very young, his godfather once took him to the Silit Grand Hall. It was the most prestigious opera house in the entire empire, gathering countless nobles and elites.
Back then, he encountered a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore a pink and white layered dress, her corset tightly outlining her slender waist. When she saw him, she quietly put a finger to her full lips and whispered:
“Hey, little guy, don’t make a sound. Don’t let them find me. Just for a while, let me watch a little longer. I have to leave soon.”
She stood on the railing, gazing toward the brilliant stage.
A classic opera was being performed.
The girl’s expression was full of yearning.
“How beautiful,” she murmured softly, and reached out to embrace the brilliance.
TLs: I’ll edit everything for a third time once this arc is over and I’ll be posting a page with all the original names and meanings.
I have to correct and check some things such as:
1-3 should be 1D3…
Names coherence…
- A very typical way of agreeying ↩︎
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