York frowned and looked at the vast ruins not far away. People were working hard on the ruins, clearing away the rubble and searching for the buried corpses. Most of them were rotten and dry at this time, but people could still
The first thing I recognized was that they were their family members.
Cries could be heard from time to time in the ruins, and the hysterical sadness touched York's heartstrings. He gently wiped the cross on his chest, lowered his head and prayed.
When York raised his head again, he noticed that the ruins were suddenly crowded with people. Everyone seemed to be discussing something, and faint shouts could be heard.
Afraid of causing a disturbance, York strode over and maintained order. When he squeezed through the crowd, he only saw a sad woman holding a rotting corpse and crying bitterly.
Tragedies like this have become commonplace in Greystone Town after the disaster, and York doesn't understand why there was a riot this time.
"Father...Father York..."
Seeing York, the woman sadly called York's name. People around her didn't need to say anything. The woman spread her hands, completely exposing the body to York's eyes.
York knew why she was so sad.
The deceased was the woman's son, but the body seemed to have been desecrated. All the clothes and accessories on the body had disappeared.
York knew that before the disaster, their family was considered a wealthy family in Greystone Town, and someone took away the belongings of the deceased.
"What's going on?" York asked in a low voice to the person next to him.
"We searched here a few days ago and found no bodies, but today suddenly there was a body here. We dug it out, and this is what it looked like."
The man was the police chief of the small town. After the disaster, there were very few police forces left. His face showed the same fatigue as York.
"We suspect that someone dug it up somewhere else, took away all its money, and buried it here again."
"Blasphemy!"
York looked angry and roared in his throat.
The disaster had caused so much sorrow. York had not expected that someone would desecrate the corpse in such a tragedy. Even a gentle man like York felt a surge of anger at this time.
"Any clues?" York asked.
"No," the police chief raised his head and glanced at the high walls around him. "At night, you can't see anything clearly here."
The woman hugged the deceased and continued to cry. She cursed the sinner who desecrated the body in a low voice, vowing to make him experience the pain of thousands of arrows piercing his heart.
York half-knelt beside the deceased, grabbed the stiff hand, lowered his head and prayed for the deceased.
"Thank you, Father," the woman said.
"nothing."
After the prayer, York stood up again. He looked around and noticed a sneaky figure in the distance.
The vision was a little blurry, but York still recognized the other person, it was Gami.
In an instant, York remembered last night's confession.
"I did something wrong. I got wealth that didn't belong to me from the dead."
Reminiscing about the change in Jiami's clothes, the incident has become very clear. Jiami did this.
York suppressed his anger, crossed the crowd, and strode towards Jia Mi. Jia Mi also noticed York's arrival. His expression was a little panicked, but he quickly calmed down, and then a strange smile appeared.
meaning.
Gami is always like this, standing in the shadow of the alley, smiling like this at the people on the street. People say that he is like a poisonous snake spitting out letters.
"Did you do it?" York's voice was low.
There was a trace of panic in Jami's eyes, but he quickly calmed down, "What do you mean? Father."
"Don't act stupid, you did it, right?"
York grabbed Gami's hand. Gami wore a silver ring on his fingertips, and dark red blood stains could be seen in the gaps between the patterns.
Gami broke free from York's hand and took a step back. More shadows fell on him.
"Are you accusing me? Father," Gami said without giving up, "you need evidence."
"The proof is your confession to me last night!"
York was approaching again. He thought that Gami had turned a new leaf, but in the end he was walking on the dark road without looking back.
"Confess? Have I confessed to you?" Jami asked, "If I confessed to you...why do you know that the person who confessed is me?"
York was speechless for a moment, and his rising anger also cooled down a bit. According to doctrine, when listening to a confession, the priest must protect the privacy of the penitent. Even if he knows who the penitent is, he must pretend not to know. What's more, in last night's confession, there was a
In the darkness, York didn't see Gami's face at all.
"I will not protect criminals," York said.
"You accuse me of being a criminal, but where is the evidence?"
Gami had a tough attitude, "Someone confessed a few words to you in the middle of the night. You suspect that person is me, and you also suspect that I did all this. Father, you can't slander an innocent person."
York didn't know what to say for a moment. Just like what Gami said, he really had no direct evidence to prove Gami's crime. The only thing that could be regarded as testimony was his confession to himself.
"Do you want me... no, tell others about that person's confession to you, so that others can judge?"
Jiami took advantage of the victory and pursued it, "Before there are established facts, wouldn't this go against your beliefs?"
York's face was livid and he said nothing. The smile on Gami's face became even brighter. He raised his hand and knocked the cross on York's chest.
"Remember your vows, Father."
After Jami finished speaking, he turned around and left. York looked at his back and said loudly, "You actually have regrets, right?"
At a certain moment, Jami must have felt regret, otherwise he would not have asked himself to repent, but this regret could not overcome his greedy desire.
The leaving figure of Gami paused for a moment. He turned his head and shook his head, "I don't understand what you are talking about, Father. You know, I don't believe in God."
The words paused for a moment, and Gami continued as if mockingly.
"Justice always has its hands tied."
Gami disappeared at the end of the alley. York turned his back to the ruins and clenched his fists. The woman's cry lingered in his ears and refused to go away for a long time.
York suddenly felt very confused. He knew that it was Gami who had done this, but he was unable to correct him due to his faith and other reasons. Even the wise priest could not help but become confused and at a loss at this time.
In the next few days, more and more corpses were found in the ruins. Like the previous corpses, their belongings had been stripped off. People were angry about the desecration of corpses. The police chief came to the dilapidated town.
An investigation was launched within a short period of time, but no progress was made.
Greystone Town has too many problems to face at this time, and the crime of desecrating a corpse seems unimportant.
York had thought about telling the Sheriff, but this was about Gami's confession, and as Gami said, York had no evidence to directly prove Gami's crime, not to mention that he could not conclude that the penitent was Gami.
Just keep it a secret.
Looking at the sad faces and desecrated corpses, pain grew in York's heart. He knelt in front of the statue, in great pain.
"what should I do?"
York prayed to the statue, but the cold statue received no response.
In summary of teachings, confession is absolutely private and involves a person's morality and personal privacy. Priests should not disclose the content of confession. This is a basic ethical principle.
York fell into an ethical and moral contradiction. He felt pain and confusion because of his beliefs and moral responsibilities. On the one hand, he was bound by his own doctrine and on the other hand, he was bound by the iron rules of the law.
"I need to make him repent," York murmured, "I need to convert him."
Under such a predicament, the only way York could think of was to warm Gami, make him realize his mistake, and surrender to the police chief.
York believed that he could succeed, and he also believed that there must be some goodwill left in Gami's heart, otherwise he would not repent to himself, even if he denied it.
"God, please help me."
York said piously.
…
Under the thick darkness, the lights of Greystone Town have long since dissipated, leaving only the lonely streets and the heavy breath on the ruins. The towering cliffs block out all light, making it impossible to see even one's fingers in the darkness.
The drizzle of rain hit the ruins, making a crisp sound, and the atmosphere became more gloomy and desolate.
The ruins were barren of vegetation and devastated. Some abandoned houses collapsed to the ground, exuding a strong smell of decay. Jiami bowed in the darkness, silently dragging the corpses, stuffing them under the ruins, and burying them again.
.
The truth was almost as the police chief suspected. Gami found these bodies elsewhere, plundered their belongings, and threw them back into the ruins.
But what the police chief didn't expect was that the truth was even more cruel.
"sorry Sorry."
Jami whispered while burying it. The darkness covered the face of the corpse, but Jami remembered his face and everyone's face.
As a casino thug, he managed to escape from the underground casino when the disaster occurred, but the wealthy gamblers were not spared. While others were busy rescuing, Gami secretly excavated the buried casino alone.
As a shadow place in Greystone Town, most people don't know where the casino is.
To Gami, those sad ruins are a treasure trove waiting to be mined.
"Help me, Gami."
There was a rumble of thunder in the sky, and at the same time, a ghostly voice sounded in Gami's ears.
Gami's movements stopped for a moment, and the corpse under him seemed to come to life, grabbing Gami's hand and praying to him.
The surrounding scene changed, and Gami returned to the excavation of the casino at that time. In the excavated mound, he saw the dying gambler. He begged Gami for kindness, but Gami was beaten by the man beneath him.
Attracted by shiny gold coins.
For a moment, Gami really thought about saving him.
"You are all a group of scum in society...not to mention, you are already dead."
Looking at the other party's desperate eyes, Gami hypnotized himself while swinging the shovel and smashing his head.
Blinking, the rain brought an icy chill, awakening Gami's gradually collapsing mind. He broke away from his memories. There was no casino in front of him, only a gray ruin.
Gami speeded up the work at hand and took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to deal with these corpses.
Just as Father York guessed, at a certain moment, Gami was indeed overwhelmed by the guilt in his heart. He sought the priest's confession, but in the dark confession room, when Gami realized that once he admitted his crime, he would
When he was about to miss out on wealth, Jiami hesitated.
He has been wallowing in the mud for too long. Jami longs for change, but doesn't know where to change. He realizes with horror that this may be his only chance.
Greed overcame guilt.
"I won't be too greedy," Jia Mi murmured, "I just need to make enough money. I will leave here and go to a new place. I will use this money to start a new life..."
Jia Mi felt a slight pain coming from his armpits. He noticed that tough black feathers were emerging from his skin. They were densely packed and connected together. Jia Mi's mouth became a little convex, and his flesh began to turn black.
, hardened and turned into a sharp beak.
"Like a carrion bird."
A ghostly voice sounded behind Gami. He turned around suddenly, and the strange hallucinations in his senses disappeared. Those illusory feathers and beaks were gone.
He is still human, but different inside.
Turning around, the outline of a mold lake gradually became clearer in the darkness, and Jami could see clearly who was coming.
It was a young man with a noble and cold appearance, wearing a black suit and white shirt, with a ruby brooch embedded in his shirt.
The face has deep contours, the skin is as smooth as silk, and the eyes are the same color as the gems on a brooch.
Vibrant crimson.
Jiami's breath froze. The other person's existence was so perfect. Jiami concluded that the other person was definitely not a mortal, either a god or a devil.
The man walked towards Gami, his movements were slow and quiet, his steps were light and elegant, and every step was very rhythmic, as if he was dancing an extremely gorgeous and beautiful dance.
Jami's eyes gradually faded, but soon they came together again, and he gripped the shovel vigilantly.
"Stop!"
The man stopped approaching and stood not far away with a smile.
"Who are you?" Gami asked.
"A traveler," the man raised his hands and pointed his palms at Jami, "Don't be nervous, I have no hostility towards you."
As he spoke, he looked behind Gami and looked at the half-buried body. "I didn't see anything."
"Traveler?"
Jami's breathing became rapid, and the muscles all over his body tensed, "Are you kidding me that you are traveling to Greystone Town at this time?"
"Huh? To be precise, I am looking for someone, a woman who is similar to me...Have you ever seen her?"
As the man spoke, he took a few steps forward and tried to let Gami see his eyes clearly, "She has the same eyesight as me."
Those eyes are like rubies. Even under the cover of darkness, they still emit a strange glimmer of light, just like the light passing through crystal glass, flowing with an irresistible fascination.
When looking carefully, Jami seemed to be able to see his own figure reflected in these eyes, as if the whole world was turned upside down by these eyes.
"Her name is Olivia Villeless."
The man continued to ask, "Have you seen her?"
Jami was stunned for a while, and it took a few seconds before his mind came to his senses and he shook his head, "No, not..."
"All right."
The man paid attention to Gami again. He didn't say anything and turned around to leave. The moment he turned around, his dark figure disappeared as if it merged directly with the night.
Jami rubbed his eyes. He could no longer find any trace of the man, as if everything he had just experienced was just an illusion.
This strange encounter did not bother Gami for too long. He continued to be busy with his affairs, laboriously burying the corpses. These corpses were his key to a new life, and he did not stop for a moment.
When daylight fell again, people found Gami's body buried last night on the ruins that had not been cleaned up, and the sad cries echoed over the town again.
People are already suffering from the death of the living, and now the desecration of corpses, like sharp knives, has once again opened up the scars that have not yet healed.
The Sheriff was furious and vowed to arrest the bastard, and the townspeople also cursed the man with vicious words.
York stood in the crowd, silently praying for the deceased. When he looked aside, not far away, York saw Gami again. He still had that cynical look, turning a blind eye to people's sorrow.
"Gami..."
York stepped forward, but before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Gami.
"Father, if you want to correct me, you'd better come up with actual evidence." Gami had a smile on his face, and there was madness hidden in his eyes.
York couldn't help but feel sadness on his face. He was witnessing Gami's depravity with his own eyes, but he couldn't do anything about it.
"Think about how they feel, think about what you did..."
"Father, are you trying to influence me?" Gami shook his head, "This is too ridiculous."
"I'm showing you God's grace."
"Funze?"
Gami suddenly approached York and whispered in his ear, "What can God's favor bring me? Food, or housing? Or a new life?"
“Spiritual abundance.”
"Spiritual? Please, Father, it's hard for me to live. Does spiritual wealth mean anything to me?" Gami laughed at him, "You are too self-righteous."
York was speechless for a moment. He could only say, "I know it was you who did it."
"So what? Where's the evidence?" Gami knew that York was rigid. He was indeed a pious priest, but his mistake was that he was too pious. "Are you going to tell a stranger's confession? Use
A stranger’s confession to accuse me?”
York couldn't say anything. Just as Gami said, he was too kind and pious, so he was restrained in everything.
Seeing York's appearance, Gami burst into laughter and promised.
"Don't worry, Father, I will leave here sooner or later."
Jami said and turned around to leave. Looking at his back, York felt pain that he had never felt before.
York always believed that as a clergyman, he could not reveal anyone's confessional secrets because it would violate his faith and professional ethics.
However, deep down in his heart, York knew that this sinner must face the crime he had committed and bear legal responsibility. He knew that if he did not tell the relevant authorities about this sinner's crime, he would be allowing the criminal to escape justice.
The two conflicts almost tore York's spirit apart, and he said to his back.
"I need your confession, Gami."
Jami didn't look back, as if he hadn't heard.
When night fell again, Gami picked up the shovel and started his work again.
The drizzle of rain kept falling in the dark night. They washed away the dust on the ruins, as well as the dirt and blood stains on the corpses. After many times, Gami was already very familiar with the process. He waved the shovel repeatedly, and soon it was
Another body was dug out of the pit.
After a month of continuous work, he had almost cleaned up the corpses in the underground casino, but the piled up corpses were still a little difficult to deal with.
Forget it, this has nothing to do with Gami, he just needs these people's money, strips off their jewelry and property, and throws the bodies aside. Gami is like a carrion bird, eating away at their remaining wealth.
The rain poured past him, and the cold and humid air poured into his lungs. During the monotonous work, Jia Mi thought about his future. He wanted to go to Fengyuan Highland to take a look. It is said that the environment there is great and it is very suitable for starting a new life.
new life……
The child with ruby eyes broke into Gami's imagination. In the past few days, he would always think of that mysterious man, that ghost-like guy. The man brought Gami a very special feeling, which made Gami look carefully.
Even if he tried to describe it, he couldn't come up with a result.
It just keeps lingering in my mind like a lingering sound.
Slight footsteps came from the rain and darkness. Gami turned his head warily. He guessed it was that man. For some reason, Gami was looking forward to seeing that man again.
But when he turned around, what he saw was a golden cross shining in the dark.
York held a kerosene lamp and looked at Gami digging the grave. He said sadly, "I got the evidence. Gami, is there anything else you want to say?"
Gami had no heart to repent, and York was bound by doctrine. In the conflict, he only thought of this method. He wanted to catch Gami personally, listen to his confession, and bring him to the police chief.
Seeing York, Gami froze on the spot. His awe for divine power made him unable to hold the shovel in his hand.
"God...Father."
Gami's voice was full of panic, which satisfied York very much.
"Do you have anything else to defend? Gami." As if he had won a victory, York strode towards Gami.
Gami showed a look of remorse, which made York even more happy. Before York could take the initiative to speak, Gami said it himself.
"I confess to you, Father."
Jami knelt down on his own initiative, liquid streaked across his face, he didn't know whether it was tears or rain.
"You are indeed a devout priest. Until now, you have still kept secrets for me," Gami murmured. "But your piety is sometimes too extreme... so extreme that it makes people laugh."
Just when York didn't understand why Gami said this, Gami realized that York was the only one coming. He suddenly picked up the shovel and swept York's ankle.
Under the severe pain, York fell directly into the mud. At the same time, Gami quickly stood up, swung the shovel, and repeatedly hit York's head. The pain soon swallowed up York's reason, and there was only blood in front of his eyes.
Once, twice!
York's screams were masked by thunder, and the blood sprinkled on Jami's face was washed away by the rain. When Jami exhausted his strength, he stopped waving, and York under him was already covered in flesh and blood and was dying.
, only the cross on the chest is left, still golden.
"You're too religious, Father, and sometimes that's not a good thing."
Gami laughed at York and kicked him into the deep hole he had just dug.
Severe pain and chill were wrapping around York little by little. He felt handful after handful of soil covering his body, and the increasing weight was about to crush his bones.
"It's okay, Father, your sacrifice will be the beginning of my new life."
"They will find you. It may take a few days or months. Anyway, I will have left by then."
"Thank you for your kindness, Father."
Gami's voice gradually became weaker, and York knew that the soil was completely burying him. When he couldn't hear anything, absolute silence filled his mind.
At the end of his life, York couldn't help crying. He didn't know why he was crying. It might be his kindness, or his ridiculous piety, or it might be nothing at all.
In despair, York did not see the angels who came to the world, nor the warm kingdom of God, but only coldness and numbness, and a scarlet color gradually emerged in the absolute darkness.
Like a hallucination, York saw a man emerging from the darkness. He had a pair of charming ruby eyes.
In the world after death, there is no heaven opening its door to you, only evil that is pressing every step of the way.
