The heavy rain has not stopped, and even seems to be getting worse. The wild wind carries the cold rain and beats against the towering outer wall of the Deep Sea Cathedral and the doors and windows inlaid with stained glass, as if it is the dense and chaotic heartbeat of this city-state.
In the square in front of the city-state, steam walkers and steam tanks have been assembled, and heavily armed guards are silently blocking all intersections.
On the bell tower at the back of the cathedral, a special brazier was lit. Purified whale oil mixed with pieces of sea wood burned in the brazier. The flames lit up in the storm like a beacon guiding ships to return.
Enhanced by a special condenser, this bright flame was clearly visible in most of the city-state.
As the brazier of the Central Cathedral was lit, similar flames appeared over churches in various parts of the city-even in the most remote community church, there was a towering bell tower far away from the Central Cathedral, and on that tower
The top is where the brazier is placed.
On this stormy day when darkness fell, one lit bell tower after another formed a continuous lighthouse over Pland. When all the lights were lit, the melodious bells and loud whistles spread throughout the city-state.
.
The boilers of every church were started, the bells of every church were ringing, and Plande roared in the storm, as if civilization itself was fending off some invisible invading force in the darkness. This was unusual.
The situation caused all residents to close their doors and windows tightly, and those who had more knowledge in extraordinary fields noticed the current critical situation from the unusual movements in churches across the city.
Deep in the consul's mansion, Dante Wayne, who had just woken up from a coma, immediately heard the ringing of bells and whistles outside the window, and saw the "lighthouses" far and near in the darkness. With the help of his attendants, he
He stood up and looked at the doomsday-like scene outside the glass window in shock: "The cathedral has activated the reality stability barrier...a disaster of the level of reality invasion has occurred?!"
"We are still investigating the situation," an auxiliary officer came to Dante's bed with a slightly nervous tone. "The situation is very sudden. The cathedral only said that all urban areas in Plande need the highest level of lockdown - you were in a coma at the time.
Bishop Valentin used emergency powers..."
Dante did not respond to the assistant officer's words, but seemed to suddenly notice something, and his brows widened: "...Fanna is back."
"Miss Fanna?" The attendant who was looking after him turned his head in confusion after hearing this, "Miss Fanna didn't return to the mansion, she should..."
"I know," Dante knew that others might not understand what his meaningless words meant, so he waved his hand and then his eyes fell on the auxiliary officer, "The city-state guards are still under mobilization by the city hall.
?"
"Yes, Bishop Valentine has only taken over the security forces and a small number of city-state guards responsible for emergency response," the auxiliary officer nodded immediately, "most of the city-state guards are still waiting for your order."
"Okay, except for the first division, let all the city-state guards obey the arrangements of the cathedral," Dante felt that his mind was still groggy, but he still quickly ordered, "In addition, the whole city has entered the highest level of martial law, ring all the martial law bells,
After the bell rings, anyone who appears on the street...no matter who they are, will be treated as a cultist."
The auxiliary officer was immediately startled by this order: "Mr. Dent, this..."
"Execute the order," Dante raised his head, his only remaining eye was sharp, and traces of blood seeped around the ruby prosthetic eye again, "We are now in a state of war."
"……yes!"
The auxiliary officer took the order and left. Dante coughed violently. It took a long time for his cough to subside slightly, and he whispered to the attendant beside him: "Take me to the cathedral."
"Mr. Dent, your body..."
"My health doesn't matter. I have something important to tell Bishop Valentine."
"yes."
…
Nina held Shirley's hand tightly and sat behind the window, looking fearfully at the scene of strong winds and torrential rain outside. Thunder exploded in the sky one after another, causing all the doors and windows to tremble uncontrollably. This terrible scene even
Shirley, who had always been very courageous, couldn't help but tremble slightly, and couldn't help but curse in a low voice: "I'm so fucked, what the hell is this weather..."
"Shirley, you can't... you can't curse," Nina was also scared, but still said with a straight face, "Uncle said you..."
"Okay, okay, I won't curse, I won't curse, don't tell Mr. Duncan," Shirley said quickly, and then, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed the figure appearing on the stairs, and subconsciously shrank his neck, "Ah
, Mr. Duncan is down."
"Uncle Duncan!" Nina stood up immediately and ran almost quickly towards the figure who was coming down the stairs, "You...have you finished your work?"
"Well, I'm done for now, but it's not over yet," Duncan said, pressing Nina's hair casually, and then turned to look at the counter. Morris was still sitting there, but his face looked better.
At one o'clock, Duncan nodded to him, "The man has been brought back."
"I just felt that she was back," Morris said immediately. "Although I don't know how you did it, but... thank you very much for your help."
"This is just the beginning, it's a little early to say thank you," Duncan said, turning to look out the window. "The conspiracy was exposed, they have already started taking action in advance, and the invaders are launching an attack on the other side of the curtain... I guess
Coming soon."
Morris looked worried, while Nina looked at Duncan in confusion: "Uncle, what kind of intruder? You said..."
"Nina," Duncan interrupted the girl directly. He turned his head, with an expression of seriousness and seriousness that Nina had never seen before, "Do you believe me?"
Nina barely hesitated: "I believe it."
"Very good, then you have faith that this storm will end safely. No matter what happens, don't panic. No matter what I do, don't be nervous or afraid," Duncan said seriously, looking into Nina's eyes.
Then he raised his finger and pointed at Alice, who was standing quietly by the stairs, "Alice can be trusted. If there is an emergency, you should stay with her."
Nina nodded blankly, and Alice immediately expressed her stance: "Please rest assured, Mr. Duncan, I will protect Miss Nina."
"I'm really not confident about your fighting ability," Duncan glanced at Alice, and then sighed helplessly, "But there's no one else to trust."
Another burst of thunder suddenly exploded, and a loud noise of something collapsing came from the distant street. Along with the loud noise, there was a sharp alarm bell from nowhere and the rapid ringing of a bell from a church bell tower further away.
The lights in the antique store suddenly flickered a few times and then went out.
The power was out.
Darkness instantly enveloped the entire neighborhood, and everything seemed to have entered night ahead of time during a storm.
In the darkness, Shirley's voice came from not far away: "I'm going to light the oil lamp! I know where the oil lamp is."
Duncan hummed, but suddenly, he felt Nina grab his hand.
The hands seemed a little hot.
"Uncle..." Nina whispered nervously and urgently. Soon, even the air she breathed was a little burning, "I feel...a little hot..."
In the darkness, Duncan's eyes suddenly became serious.
But apart from being serious, he had no unnecessary panic.
From the beginning, he was prepared for the unexpected things that might happen to Nina.
He just gently held Nina's increasingly hot hand, and between his palm and Nina's fingers, in the gaps between the fingers that were difficult to detect, a little green spark was jumping.
The sound of flapping wings was heard, and the pigeon Ai flew downstairs in the darkness and landed steadily on the counter next to it.
Shirley lit the oil lamp, and the swaying flame temporarily dispelled the darkness in the shop, but on the street outside, the sky was already as dark as ink, and all the brilliance and power of the sun had been blocked by the storm in the city.
outside.
"Nina, do you still remember what I told you just now?"
In the darkness, Duncan's voice reached Nina's ears.
Nina nodded slightly: "Yes."
"Don't be afraid later, something... terrible will happen." Duncan smiled and said softly.
The corner of his eye looked further into the distance.
Outside the display window, on the street where the rain is pouring down, the raindrops hanging upside down have gradually been dyed with an abnormal layer of red. The red color is bright and jumping, as if it is a reflection projected from another time and space into the real world.
But he didn't look at the rain that had begun to rain abnormally, nor did he care about the "reflections" projected through the curtains.
His eyes crossed the scattered buildings and coast of Puland, and he stared in the direction of the boundless sea.
The illusory silhouette of the Lost Home was gradually appearing in his pupils.
…
Heidi subconsciously shrank her neck the moment the thunder sounded.
She was sitting on a bench in the main hall of the cathedral, her hands subconsciously clutching the crystal pendant as an amulet, silently reciting the holy name of Lachem, the God of Wisdom, but she stopped midway through the prayer and looked up.
Not far away is the icon of the Storm Goddess.
"Goddess is kind... I shouldn't mind."
She murmured softly, then continued chanting Lachem's name.
But suddenly, she stopped. A strange heart palpitation made it difficult for her to concentrate.
Heidi stood up from the bench and looked around with inexplicable heart palpitations.
She saw the guards gathering near the main entrance. A small group of civilians who had come to the church to seek shelter because they were too late to return home were placed on the benches in front of the icon. Several priests were walking around in the main hall, holding long
Bishop Valentine with the staff stood quietly in front of the icon, looking straight ahead calmly.
Everything is as usual, but...where does the palpitation come from?
Unknowingly, the crystal pendant around her neck seemed to be getting slightly hot, but Heidi didn't seem to notice it. She just subconsciously came to the window not far away and looked through the transparent pane at the edge of the stained glass window.
The situation in the square.
The young psychiatrist suddenly widened his eyes.
"Fire...fire!" she exclaimed, with horror, "the rain turned into fire!"