With his feet as if they were filled with lead, and his chest like a broken bellows, Bard ran back to the hut where Grete lived. At this time, there was only a pool of blood left on the open space.
Someone in the surrounding area opened the door and ran out to put out the fire. This is a big deal. If it is not done well, the house here will also be burned down.
The noise when Gretel was beaten before was much louder than this. The sounds of struggling, insults, begging for mercy, and beatings lasted for a long time, but everything was so quiet until the sound of fire fighting came from the distance.
Bud rushed into the small room. The previous group of people were no longer in the room. Only Gretel was curled up in the corner covered in blood, breathing weakly.
"I'm sorry Gretel! I'm late, I'm a coward."
Seeing Grete's miserable appearance, Bud burst into tears.
Sitting on the ground covered with dried blood and dust, Bud carefully supported Gretel against the corner.
At this time, Grete's eyes were swollen and bruised, and he could no longer open them. He seemed to want to say something, but he no longer had any strength and could not even lift his arms.
Bard held his hand and called his name, trying to cheer him up and take him to a nearby temple. Unfortunately, Gretel couldn't say a word.
Then Bud tried to pick up Gretel, but felt that Gretel had multiple fractures on his body and an extremely painful expression on his face, so he had no choice but to put it down.
Tears flowed down silently, and the warm tears fell on Grete's wrists, splashing water stains.
Gretel seemed to sense something, and her fingers moved on the palm of Bud's hand. Bud looked at the finger carefully.
The weak fingers moved very slowly, as if it was very laborious, conveying the final words one stroke at a time.
'Don't...cry...weep.'
After finishing the stroke, Grete's heart slowly stopped breathing as if his wish had been fulfilled. His body became colder and colder, and no longer had the warmth of life.
On the other side of Hopeland, people are still immersed in the festive atmosphere. Even at night, many stalls are still open, the smell of barbecue, orange lights, lively noises, shopping tourists, filling the city center.
Street and alleyway.
"Lexi, don't rush home yet, there will be a show later." Lan Lier pulled Lacey to stop in front of a stall selling shells, and there was a girl with black hair and brown skin standing next to her.
"Well, there will be fireworks later."
"Ling Xin, don't say it out loud. I have no sense of expectation at all." Lan Lier complained softly.
As if he noticed something, Lorraine Hill stood up and looked at the sky in the distance.
"What's wrong, Lacey?"
"I remembered something else, so I'm afraid I can't watch the fireworks with you."
With her blue and transparent eyes hidden in the shadow of the hood, Lorraine Hill said a soft farewell to the two girls beside him, then turned and left.
Ling Yin looked thoughtfully at the direction where Lorraine Hill was leaving, when a friend's voice sounded next to her.
"What happened to Ringtone?"
"It's nothing. By the way, how do you know this Miss Lacey?"
"It was introduced by Sister Tireila. At that time...she was..."
"That's it, that's good, because she is very powerful, maybe you can't beat her."
"No, Ling Yin, I am Sequence 5. Little Lacey is probably Sequence 3 at best." Lan Lier looked unbelieving.
"You will know later."
Bang--
Bang--
As a few soft sounds came from the distance, colorful fireworks slowly rose in the night sky, just like stars rising from the earth, blooming with colorful colors in the sky.
The colorful stars bloomed into huge flowing flowers, scattered light spots were like golden rain falling from the sky, and the empty night sky suddenly became lively.
Residents and tourists in the city stopped to watch, and bursts of laughter, blessings, and prayers rang out among the crowd.
Then more fireworks rose from the ground, and the spectacular and beautiful scenery unfolded in the night sky of Hopeland like a scroll.
Gorgeous fireworks continue to rise and bloom, illuminating the dark alley.
A young man was walking on a deserted street holding his friend's cold body. His hands were heavy and sore. The excitement in the distance seemed so far away, as if he was in two different worlds.
The tears on his face slowly dried up in the night wind. He walked slowly through the deep alleys, wanting to bury his friend on the hillside by the sea.
A small canal passed through the edge of the city, and Bud staggered onto a small bridge.
Fireworks rose in the distance, reflecting the bridge deck and casting waves of light on the quiet water of the river. The young man's figure was faintly dim under the cold firelight, looking very lonely.
There were slight footsteps in front, and a slender figure appeared on the other side of the bridge. He wore gray boots and a black hooded robe. His long, pale golden hair poked out from between the hoods, and was gilded with a light silver color by the moonlight.
Then the footsteps stopped.
Lorraine Hill looked at the familiar young man in front of him. His eyes were filled with sadness. His hands were holding a body that had lost its temperature. Behind him, in the distance, there were black smoke and fire. From time to time, people could be heard.
Shouts.
"Still, are you late?"
Looking at the previously cowardly young man, she sighed softly, already having a lot of guesses in her mind.
Bud looked at the girl who had helped him on the bridge, his steps stopped, and his hands finally couldn't bear the weight. He fell to his knees and cried bitterly, but his eyes blinked desperately to prevent a single tear from falling.
Lorraine Hill looked at the boy quietly. After a while, the choking sobs slowly stopped.
"Are you sent by God to save me?" Bard raised his head and looked at the girl in black robes in front of him.
"But why not save my friend."
"Why, why does the hero in the story always appear last?"
"Aren't you a hero? Why can't you save everyone!"
He seemed to be questioning Lorraine Hill, but he also seemed to be venting his anger at his own cowardice and incompetence.
Although the young man may not have really asked himself, Lorraine Hill still gave an answer.
"I'm sorry, I'm not a hero, and I can't save everyone."
"In other words, it's sad to expect heroes to save everything."
In various legends, everyone is always happy to hear that a brave man or hero has stepped forward to defeat the evil villain and save everything. They place their hopes and wishes on others, while they are content with the status quo and dare not change.
.
Lorraine Hill stood at the bridge, quietly listening to the boy's narration about the short life of his good friend Gretel.
"Why keep waiting instead of standing up for yourself?"
Looking at this cowardly young man, Lorraine Hill spoke again, just like he did in the alley outside the restaurant that day.
"Why do people always place their hopes on others, preferring to pray to empty gods, hide in corners and feel sorry for themselves, waiting for the noble person they meet by chance, rather than take a step on their own?"
"When will you become your own hero?"
Under the cold moonlight, the girl took off the hood on her head, her silver hair fluttering in the air, and her bright red and transparent eyes looked directly at the shocked young man.