Three days passed in a blur. Every night, I sat by the river, drinking, waiting for Serena Chen to arrive, but she seemed unwilling to see me anymore.
I want to go to the Illusory Realm. Right now, deep down, I know the reason I came here was because of my strongest desire.
There are so many things I want to say to Ethan Zhang, but I can't. I saw him briefly in a dream, but didn't speak a word before we parted again. Who knows how many years it will be before I see him next.
Now, all I can do is keep waiting. Only Serena Chen can take me to the place where the Illusory Realm and reality merge. I suspect Fan Xiaoran entered the Illusory Realm from this time-warped place.
I haven't dreamed these past few nights. Everything I've experienced lately is the truest reflection of my heart. Maybe I was guided here from the start because some part of me was hoping for a miracle.
My arrival gave May Shaw a sliver of hope, but May Shaw was already dead. The tiny hope I brought was ultimately shattered.
Long ago, I realized how cruel hope can be. Yet I kept pretending to be strong, believing that as long as hope stayed in my heart, one day I would see light. Time and again, I crossed over, thinking I could give others hope. But who will give hope to me?
I've thought it through. I can't bear it any longer. I must go to the Illusory Realm.
Only by going to the Illusory Realm can I finally calm my anxious heart. If I can't see them, if there are no words, no one can begin.
Even as night fell, I kept drinking, drifting off countless times and waking in the cold. Serena Chen still hadn't appeared.
I didn't know what to do. My heart felt heavy. Staggering, I returned to my room. I'd already buried May Shaw's body by the river and cleaned the room. I didn't want to leave; I just lay back down on the bed.
I've always slept alone, and these past days have been no different. Even when May Shaw was beside me, I never felt any warmth from her. I sensed it long ago but never wanted to think about it—maybe I just didn't want to face it.
After I lay down, I soon closed my eyes, curling up under the covers.
In a haze, I seemed to float above the town again. This time, it was deserted—silent, bathed in moonlight. I looked up, but the moon was gone. The sky was full of stars, yet the moon was nowhere to be found. It puzzled me.
When I looked at the town again, shadows of people filled the streets. I tried to descend, but the chaotic figures vanished. Then, snow began to fall from the sky.
Everything felt so strange. I even wondered if I was awake, but I couldn't be sure. I reached out and caught a snowflake drifting down from above.
As soon as it landed in my hand, I felt its chill. The snowflake slowly melted in my palm. I swallowed hard, rushed back to my room, and was startled to see myself sleeping there.
"What is going on here?"
I couldn't figure it out no matter how I tried.
"It's Awakening. I noticed long ago—the power of Awakening in you has already awakened, Rachel Lan!"
I heard a deep voice behind me. I turned, but saw no one.
"Who are you?"
The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. Suddenly, the voice burst into laughter.
"Everything you desire inside is what led you here, Rachel Lan. If you want to reach the one you long for, I can tell you how—and show you the way back."
My eyes widened as I tried to return to my body, but I couldn't.
"Your arrival woke me. I sensed you coming, so I awakened. Sadly, it's hard for you to find me. But if you do, I'll guide you to the Illusory Realm—to Ethan Zhang, the man you love."
"You are... the Wraithlord!"
I realized it, and laughter echoed all around me.
"I noticed it in the darkness—your potential is remarkable. Instinct awakened, and now Awakening. For a human, that's almost impossible. But you did it, Rachel Lan. I'm pleased."
"How can I find you?"
I asked, realizing this must be the last fragment of the Blood Jade sealed here, carrying a Soul Fragment of the Wraithlord.
"It's almost impossible for you to find me. I'm at the center of The Lie. If you want to find me, you must discover the corresponding Verity Incantation."
"What do you mean?"
I asked, and the Wraithlord burst out laughing.
"You'll understand. Once you grasp everything here, you'll see how wondrous this place is. Even I don't know who created the spell I can't break."
The voice faded, and I woke with a start. The wind howled outside—it was already morning. I checked the time: just past nine. As I got up, I recalled everything I'd seen and what the Wraithlord said, and this incredible level of Awakening.
I stepped outside. The moment I left the hotel, my eyes widened in shock at the impossible sight before me—the river and sky had flipped upside down. I rushed to the roadside; below was a sky like a bottomless abyss, and above, a river flowing slowly beneath the ice.
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"What is going on here?"
I muttered in confusion. Then I noticed to my left—the Faceless Town had connected directly to the road. I hurried over and saw countless Faceless Ones moving about in the opposite, deserted town.
"Why is all this happening?"
I looked around, unable to figure it out. The biggest changes were in these two places, and the whole area felt deeply strange.
I remembered what the Wraithlord said about The Lie and needing to find the Verity Incantation. I went back to a shop by the river and sat there. Before me was a vast emptiness, like staring into a bottomless gorge. The sky was a brilliant blue, yet there was no sun, while sunlight poured over my small town.
The sunlight was layered upon itself—strange and unnatural. Some places were bright, others dim, like a sun about to set.
Now, my only concern was what the Wraithlord meant by The Lie. I just needed to understand it. It had to be simple—if it were too complex or involved arcane knowledge, I could never find the Wraithlord. Since he said I had potential, The Lie must be easy to uncover. As for the Verity Incantation, I already knew what it was.
That strange old man taught me his spell, and mentioned the Verity Incantation—it's a power that resides in the soul, built from one's true heart. It's a potent magic, but incredibly hard to achieve.
Around noon, I grabbed something to eat, then wandered this bizarre town. The sunlight no longer changed—it stayed the same, no matter the time.
By afternoon, it was clearly dusk, yet the town was still bright as midday, just like in the morning. But I still hadn't found anything special.
Late at night, in my room, I still couldn't understand what the Wraithlord meant by The Lie, or how I was supposed to find the Verity Incantation.
It was so bright outside that I had to draw the curtains tight and seal myself in before I could sleep peacefully.
I slept until morning, dreamless. When I checked the time, it was already past ten. I pulled open the curtains and, to my shock, it was night outside.
I rushed out. The town was just like in daylight, but now moonlight layered over everything. Some places looked frosted white, others were dim and dark. But the strangest thing was the Milky Way at the roadside—a real Milky Way, with countless stars sparkling in the curtain-like sky.
I crouched by the roadside, gazing at the endless starry sky. All my inner agitation seemed to vanish.
Day and night had completely reversed. Suddenly, something clicked—the meaning of The Lie seemed to match its surface. I remembered visiting the blind old woman and the little old man; it all started with them. I got caught up in this bizarre event right before my thirty-sixth birthday. Now, I must be thirty-six—the number of ninefold completion.
"If everything here is The Lie, then everything I see and encounter is built from it."
My eyes widened. Suddenly, everything around me—houses, stars, river—began to dissolve like morning mist. All at once, I was surrounded by pure white. I stared in astonishment.