“Five!”
A clap of thunder roared through the air; it was the clearest sound Shade had ever heard in the Interstice. Immediately following it, dozens of pitch-black beams descended straight from the high mists like a rain of light.
Shade didn't have time to worry about his injuries and dodged instantly, but the black rain of light actually began to move, tracking him.
“Four!”
His nose twitched; Shade smelled the floral fragrance from that bedroom. He was close to leaving. A pitch-black scythe swept in from the front again, and because of the rain of light tracking him from behind, Shade had no way to dodge. Once he stopped to defend, he feared he would be relentlessly attacked by those beams until he was powerless.
“No choice then.”
The power of the last red butterfly was completely absorbed into his body. Shade’s footsteps paused for a moment, and then his entire being exploded, transforming into a swarm of red butterflies that flew high into the sky.
“Three!”
But the red butterflies did not fly far. The master of the Maze suppressed high-altitude flight, forcibly pressing Shade back down to the ground and restoring him to human form. Shade was actually glad Barton had done this; for a fleeting moment, he had almost believed he truly was the collective consciousness of the butterfly swarm.
“As expected, I cannot rely too heavily on the power of relics...”
The black rain of light followed close behind, and simultaneously, Joey Barton drifted slowly toward him. He held a black sphere in his hand, and the sphere was expanding. Shade had a premonition that once that black sphere burst, the combined protection of the [Soul Ring]'s shield and the [False Undead] state likely wouldn't be enough to save him from the resulting injuries.
“Two!”
Someone was shaking Shade's shoulder. In a state between dreaming and waking, Shade's consciousness seemed to split in two.
“Mr. Watson, this is the power I have realized within the Interstice. By delving so deep into death, by touching death so intimately, I have come to understand exactly what the End is.”
Barton's voice sounded as if it were coming from far away, yet he was so close. His unique upbringing had given him more talent than Iluna or Darkness, and coupled with the power of the Interstice, the danger of this battle was actually on par with the final showdown with Darkness.
“Is every encounter with a Chosen more difficult than the last?”
While running, Shade pressed his palms together and then suddenly pulled them apart, a silver moonlight arc slashing toward the man flying low in the air.
“I grant thee—”
The black sphere shattered. Time seemed to freeze in that instant. Darkness descended, and everything around them seemed to be pushed toward the finish line—the endpoint that represented the end
“—The Destined Death!”
“Wake up!”
The sensation of cold water being poured over his head jolted Shade's frozen consciousness awake from the dream.
“Oh!”
He opened his eyes, gasping for air, breathing deeply and savoring the joy of living life. Then he began to cough violently, hacking blood from his lungs.
Cold water slid down his cheeks; someone had indeed poured water on Shade's face.
He was back in the basement of the Cassandra Auction House, propping himself up with one hand, sitting on a soft four-poster bed. The black gauze around him had been pulled back. Miss Aurora sat sideways by the bed, holding Shade's left hand, while Grandma Cassandra gripped a red butterfly pendant with a tense expression, likely intending to seek help from Grace and Helen.
As for the old witch's apprentice, Miss Rita Swift, she stood at the head of the bed holding an empty bowl, smiling at Shade with a look of slight embarrassment.
She was the one who had splashed the water.
The fire in the hearth had been relit, and the old witch's shadow was cast across the bed. The sound of maids moving about made the world feel more vivid, and allowed Shade's cold soul to perceive the temperature of the real world once more.
Still breathing heavily, Shade could still feel the sensation of all things perishing at the final moment of the dream. He believed it was impossible for Joey Barton to use that move without a price, but even so, he didn't want to face that scene again.
Looking down at his right hand, the doctor's black crystal amulet had shattered. Although the three relic rings on his left hand were intact, the chaotic elements of whispers indicated they were on the verge of losing control.
Shade quickly took off the rings. The female sorceresses waiting nearby took the rings and rushed them to the containment room on the other side of the basement.
“Shade, how do you feel now?”
Miss Aurora asked with concern. Shade shook his head.
“The situation is bad, very bad. Without a targeted plan, I'm afraid even the Church won't gain much of an advantage.”
He briefly explained what had happened in the dream of the Interstice, emphasizing that Joey Barton, relying on his talent as a Chosen and the knowledge he obtained from the Truth Society, was gradually merging with the Unknowable-grade relic, the [Interstice of Life and Death].
“He can even activate the Maze [Interstice of Life and Death] within the Interstice itself. With the two overlapping, it's hard to imagine how he could be defeated. And then there's that final move, the wide-range indiscriminate attack, Destined Death. Within its range, even those with the ability to evade instant death will be pushed toward the end... It's terrifying. I can't imagine a mortal being capable of this.”
Miss Rita Swift handed Shade a towel, and he wiped the water from his face. Miss Aurora's hand was transmitting warmth to him, and he felt a bit better.
“However, one thing is certain: Barton truly intends to enter true death through one of the three passages, and then find the soul of his beloved within death.”
“The mountainside passage is guarded by us and Daphne, and the mountain peak has the Church and the Phoenix. Does he intend to go through the gate at the foot of the mountain?”
Miss Aurora speculated
“After all, you encountered him near the Natural Cathedral in the Interstice.”
“That might just be to distract the Church. The souls guarding the cathedral would have noticed him using the Maze just now, not to mention the Church teams you mentioned who entered the Interstice to find him. I think we'll receive news from the Five Gods Church soon. Therefore, there's a possibility he could use any of the three passages...”
After a moment's hesitation, he added
“The balanced Chosen is staying at the foot of the mountain cathedral. Additionally, the Church has three Thirteenth-Ring sorcerers locally, and the three great schools of occultism each have one. Even if they are split up, there will be one Thirteenth-Ring at each passage.”
“No, the Church's three Thirteenth-Rings should all be on the mountain; the ritual requires them,” Grandma Cassandra said. The old witch, who was usually all smiles, now had a worried expression on her face.
“Regardless, the final moment is finally arriving. It seems the ritual isn't today, Tuesday, but tomorrow, Wednesday evening... Shade, what do you plan to do tomorrow?”
Shade blinked.
“Since Midhillburg will be so dangerous tomorrow, I plan to stay in Tobesk and wait for your good news.”
“That lie is very clumsy,” Miss Aurora snorted with a smile. “In any case, whatever you intend to do, be careful.”
She could never imagine what Shade's actual goal was.
During the short hour Shade spent in the dream, more than half a day had passed in real time.
It was now noon on Tuesday. The witches invited Shade to have lunch with them, but Shade, who still had things to do, politely declined. Before he left the Cassandra Auction House, Grandma Cassandra handed him a slightly rusted red butterfly pendant. This was a complete pendant, imbued with the elements of whispers.
“The teachers are still in their rooms and are expected to be able to move freely tomorrow or the day after. Now that the Interstice is on the verge of collapse, they dare not risk going out and catalyzing a disaster. Shade, this is an item crafted by the teachers; it allows you to temporarily use a portion of the red butterflies' power. But do not use it unless absolutely necessary; the power attached to it is too great.”
“Grace and Helen...”
Grandma Cassandra couldn't possibly know what Shade intended to do, but the twin girls had likely guessed that Shade would enter the Interstice again tomorrow.
After bidding farewell to the two witches, Shade headed to the Sun Cathedral of the Midhillburg Diocese once more, putting in a great deal of effort before he could see Iluna.
He informed the seventeen-year-old girl of the situation in the dream, emphasizing the Maze and the Destined Death, warning her to be extremely careful. At the same time, Shade learned that the team dispatched by the Natural Church into the Interstice today had an average level of 8.
However, neither Shade nor Iluna had much faith in their operation.
After writing a letter to Sister Daphne at the House of the Blind, he returned to Tobesk. By the time he got home, it was already evening. Holding someone else's cat, Shade waited on the first floor of the Diviner's Association for Luvia to finish work, and then the two of them went to a restaurant on Silver Cross Avenue for dinner.
Luvia listened quietly as Shade recounted the day's events. Once he finished, she asked softly
“So, after you go home, you'll prepare your travel gear and head to Midhillburg to wait for the Church's ritual to begin tomorrow?”
“Yes. When the Church ritual begins, the guarding forces of the three passages will be at their most dispersed. Joey Barton will most likely act then. I will go deep into the Interstice—using this body rather than through a dream. In the Interstice, I will witness Joey Barton's end.”
Shade sliced the steak on his plate.
“Since he doesn't want to turn back, and is unwilling to turn back, I can only regard him as an enemy. Fortunately, with the [Night Watchman] in hand, I have confidence in facing the Maze again. With Iluna's help, it shouldn't be a big problem this time.”
Although his tone was relaxed, Luvia knew how perilous this was.
To have dinner with Shade, the purple-eyed girl had specifically applied light makeup. Now, she pursed her lips.
“You chose the cathedral at the foot of the mountain instead of the peak? Why?”
Shade used his fork to arrange three pieces of steak in parallel on the plate; Mia the cat watched him expectantly.
“Priest Augustus is currently at the peak, and Sister Daphne followed the witches to the mountainside. Isn't the remaining answer obvious? Moreover, Iluna is at the foot of the mountain. Even if only to ensure her safety, I cannot go anywhere else.”
“Does she need your protection?” Luvia said softly, swirling her red wine glass under the gas lamp, the crimson liquid shimmering with a dreamy hue. “I really hate this feeling of waiting—waiting for you to return from an adventure.”
“Since the Starry Sky Whale didn't appear tonight, it will definitely appear tomorrow night. While you wait for my return, you can also complete the Astronomy Academy's big autumn event. The process won't be boring.”
Shade sighed. “Actually, I'd really like to see such a legendary creature, but unfortunately, tomorrow night, I'll likely be in the Interstice.”
“You know I'm not talking about that.”
Luvia shook her head, reached into her handbag to pull out her divination cards, and pushed them toward Shade, signaling him to draw one.
“Same as always. Before you set off, let me divine for you, my knight.”
Shade nodded, first batting away Mia's outstretched paw, and then drew a card from the middle.
“The Ferryman.”
The card depicted a vast river surface, with a massive moon only half-floating on the water. A robed ferryman rowed his oar toward the moon.
He placed the card face-up on top of the deck and handed the cards back to Luvia.
“So, what does this card mean?”
“You will become an important guide, pointing the way for a significant person, and receive a reward for it—that is the most basic meaning of this card.”
“And the other meanings?”
Luvia shook her head and said nothing. Shade could tell her mood was poor, but he understood her thoughts. The three of them had agreed to witness this together, yet once again, it was Shade and Iluna facing it, while Luvia could only wait in silence.
“Iluna told me today that she can return to Tobesk this weekend, and she invited us to have dinner and see an opera. When the time comes, shall we still go to the King's Opera House of Delarion? Perhaps we can try a different place this time.”
He smiled and changed the subject just as the waiter pushed a trolley over with clam chowder. Shade loosened the button on his formal sleeve and signaled Luvia to look.
“Look.”
He slid his finger into the cuff and "plucked" out a slightly wilted red rose.
“For you, Luvia.”
The young waiter nearby thought it was a magic trick, while the purple-eyed girl recognized it as the effect of the occult art [Toy Making].
She took the flower, managing a small smile. Shade leaned back slightly in his chair, shifting his gaze from the beautiful girl across the table to the crystal chandelier above the high-end restaurant.
The light was beautiful, very beautiful.
【How many flowers did you buy from that flower-selling girl?】
A whisper echoed in his ear.
“Eight.”
Shade remembered clearly.
【How many have you given away now?】
“Iluna, Queen Diana, Miss Galina, Tifa, Luvia. I've given away five.”
He thought for a moment. “Oh, and Lacia and Dorothy; they shared one. So, there are two flowers left.”
【And who do you plan to give the remaining ones to?】
The light made Shade's eyes shimmer. Many noblewomen around them were stealing glances at him. Luvia also held the flower and looked across the table at this handsome young man with a smile on his face.
Sometimes, the purple-eyed girl couldn't believe her own luck in meeting this cat-loving young detective.
“Those flowers weren't all roses. As for who I plan to give them to...”
His right hand instinctively reached for his chest, tapped it lightly, and then produced a handkerchief. The movement was natural; no one could tell anything was amiss.
Only “she” was smiling gently. “She” was always like this.