293 Final Words (1/2)

”Am I finally going to die?”

He was at the top of the white tower, the highest point of the dark city. It was silent amidst the corpses. The Robin and Mordred had gone. Only the youth was alone in his puddle of blood. He had given up on struggling.

Emergency sewing was useless. He had not learned any healing scores and they would be useless too. As for the medicine, he had eaten them all and they were useless. In other words, he had tried everything to no avail.

His heart had completely shattered and the poison had spread to all his organs. He had lost two-thirds of his blood. Ye Qingxuan lay in the warm blood and stared at the sky. He felt himself going closer and closer to death.

”It’s so quiet.”

Gazing at the darkening world, he unexpectedly did not feel any fear. He only felt regret. There were so many things he had not done and so many things he had not said.

A pity. It was such a pity…

Faint footsteps sounded in the silence. The footsteps walked through the puddles of blood and stopped beside him. Clear eyes looked down on him.

”Ye Qingxuan, you’re dying soon.” The faraway voice sounded in his heart. It seemed like a hallucination but was so familiar. However, he could no longer hear it clearly.

”To be honest, I don’t want this either but I can’t do anything, Ye Qingxuan. No one is immortal.”

”Are there no other ways? I think I can be saved.”

”Ye Qingxuan, you can’t be saved.” The comer gazed at him pitifully and shook his head sadly. ”I’ll miss the days we played marbles together.”

”Really? Seems like there aren’t any solutions.” Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes in regret. ”I’m sorry. It’s been so long but I never asked your name.”

”Gawain,” they said. ”You can call us Gawain.”

”Gawain?” The youth sank slowly into darkness. ”Since you can read my mind, can you help me leave some final words?”

”Yes,” Gawain agreed. ”Anything else?”

”Take…my heart out…”

-

Late at night, the waves of Avalon were abnormally angry.

First, the rumbling from the Elizabeth Tower sounded throughout the city, shocking everyone from their dreams. However, they then sank into another nightmare.

Next, the enchantment of Avalon collapsed. The entire city fell into chaos. Without the restrictions of the enchantment, the heaviness of aether rose rapidly. Within a few hours, the white safe zone had become a yellow zone. It even showed signs of becoming a red zone.

The Musician Union and Church had acted and activated their own enchantments. However, they hardly had an effect. Who would have expected that the century-old enchantment would collapse?

Then a black sun appeared in the sky. The chaotic vortex of Avalon’s Shadow emerged and hung above the moon. It swallowed everything and emanated the thick aura of the abyss.

Every musician’s heart shook. They were afraid any movement would cause their souls to be tainted by the aura. Every connection and message to the outside world was suddenly cut off… Right now, Avalon had truly become a lonely island in the sea.

However, a man sitting on a bench in the dark alley of the chaotic downtown slowly opened his eyes. Outside the alley, the noise of metal scraping sounded.

Hundreds, thousands… The military had acted at this critical moment. At least a small battalion now rushed into downtown. They raised their shields and were covered in armor as if they were stepping onto the battlefield. Their spears reflected the cold moonlight.

Endless clangs of metal sounded in all directions. Countless people swarmed over. Their eyes were filled with cold murderous intent. Their steel boots crushed all obstacles; the rumbling rang in their ears.

”It seems that the parliament…has finally acted.” Coldness flashed through Ghosthand’s eyes. He looked back at the closed door. ”Sir, it’ll be too late if we don’t go now.”

The dark room behind him was silent. The Shaman opened his eyes as if he had woken from a dream. ”Let’s wait a bit longer,” he said and closed his eyes again.

The darkness was still.

Taken aback, Ghosthand sighed in frustration.

”Is this what you mean by ‘guard the door and don’t let anyone in’?” Ghosthand rubbed his face and sighed. ”Mr. Shaman, this is an entire armored battalion. Your command is a bit hard to follow.”

Clunk, clunk, clunk. The locks snapped. The black glove restricting his invisible arm fell onto the floor.

The cold light of metal appeared at the entrance of the alley. The incoming heavy-armed military hoisted their spears and aimed at the old man before them.

Amongst the group of soldiers, someone yelled, ”Kill him! Kill him! Drag the Shaman out. Anyone who fights back will die!” The wizened man with a hunchback waved the heraldry in his hands and yelled, ”These are the Queen’s orders! Do not be doubtful and follow the command!”

Elegance and grace no longer existed in Ingmar. His hair had practically all fallen out during these short few days, revealing his spotted scalp. With his hunchback, he looked decades older.