A brave man may not live, but he cannot die

Chapter 235 The Journey of Life (Part 1)
College time is Saturday, 3 PM.

With the sound of the iron cage hitting the ground, and after a jolt, Celia found herself in a dim, yellowish forest.

A light gray mist hung in the air.

The gentle voice of Dean Stephens rang in her ears: "Have you ever been to the beach?"

A nervous Celia looked back, but saw no one.

"No, Ms. Stephens. I grew up in Aswell and have never left the city."

She said somewhat shyly. The sea in the book was a boundless blue, with the white sails of the fleet appearing and disappearing on the horizon like clouds, lighthouses standing tall, and beautiful corals floating by. Even the most dull-witted child in the alley had left Aiswell, either to visit relatives in the countryside or simply for a picnic.
But Celia had never been, not even once; she had never even left Eastwell. The young girl had once seemed quite understanding of her father's excuses, assuming he was too busy at the tavern, but upon learning the truth, she felt a profound, unspeakable bitterness.

On the eve of the Arcane Festival, her father told her about her origins and posed that question to her. Only then did the girl realize with astonishment that what seemed like an ordinary childhood and daily life was actually a miracle built on blood and loyalty.

"Xiao Qian. You want to draw the Hero's Holy Sword as Augustus Britannia and wear the British Crown that should belong to your father, and even more so, to you."

"Should I stay in Aswell, simply as 'Celia,' peacefully spend the six years of my studies in Grindelwald, and then inherit this little tavern of mine?"

Like a drunkard's dream, like the nonsensical legends of a wandering poet, it happened without warning, turning the girl's otherwise insignificant life upside down. When she learned that she had a prophetic destiny, a life that could make her famous throughout the world, she felt breathless.

Can a girl who has never left the city or seen the sea really bear the expectations of so many people, draw that sword, avenge her parents, and ascend the throne amidst thunderous praises?

Stephens' voice echoed in my ears—

"You should be able to see it when you go on your second-year study tour. In the Kingdom of Ron, in a port city called Aknets, there's a place where the sea meets the river—"

Celia blurted out, "The boundary between fresh and saltwater? In the sunlight, it looks like two colors of water merging together. A hazy yellow and a clear blue, that line undulating with the waves."

Stephens asked in surprise, "You've been there, haven't you? Haha, what a lovely description, it sounds like you're writing a newspaper article."

Celia blushed.

Listen, listen to what others have to say.

She had actually been there. But only in her "dream".

It was a spring outing for the second year of high school, and the school arranged for them to pick up trash at the beach. Jianghai City, of course, has both a river and a sea. The towering, white, reinforced concrete bridge that looks like two Grindelwald's eyes strung together is a sight to behold. She sat on the bus, idly looking at her phone, not paying any attention to what color the sea below the bridge was.

She was waiting for Quinn to reply to her message.

At that time, the two were not yet together and were still in the ambiguous stage. Quinn treated her more like a tutor to a stupid student who was not good at any subject.

Quinn sent her this message, with the note: 'Selected essay material; add this paragraph whenever you encounter a topic that requires describing the sea.'

Actually, the girl was thinking about whether they should take a walk on the beach together, sneaking out together. But since they weren't together yet and neither of them had ever been in a relationship, it was impossible for the girl to bring up such a thing. She could only keep rambling on and on, trying to get the girl to open up. Then Quinn said something like this, and started giving her a lesson on QQ, teaching her how to describe a spring outing and how to describe the ocean.
Celia in my dream really infuriated me.

But when "Celia" stopped paying attention to him and the classes split up to carry out their tasks, Quinn suddenly reappeared, taking the small pliers and trash bag from her without any prior notice, and said, "Let's go pick them up over there."

It all happened so naturally that the girl didn't even have time to blush when she caught up. It was the most beautiful beach there; there was no trash to be found.
Sacred Heart High School would not send these young masters and ladies to do voluntary labor on the beach for no reason. The next day, the Jianghai Daily devoted a small section to reporting on the matter, with pictures of a clean and tidy beach and outstanding students wearing Sacred Heart school uniforms.

Celia always suspected that it was the photo in the newspaper that made the 'father' in her dream realize about his daughter and the tutor.

"Arcane magic and spells are extensions of imagination. This is the outer edge of the Forbidden Forest. If I told you this was the outer edge of the Forbidden Forest, what would you imagine?"

"Uh..." Ceria stammered when suddenly asked by the dean, "Forbidden Forest, and... the outer perimeter of the Forbidden Forest?"

Yes, yes, it is.

Stephens showed no impatience with the first-grade student who had the worst grades; instead, she spoke to her gently, as if teaching a child:
"The Abyss is not a house, and the Forbidden Forest is not a place like a doorway or front yard. Although strictly speaking, this place is not yet part of the Abyss, it is like the ocean, the boundary between saltwater and freshwater."

Stephens guided him very patiently.

"Are you saying that the boundaries of the abyss change at any time, like waves?"

"That's right~ You don't need to specifically look for a direction. Just walk aimlessly and you can enter the surface of the abyss."

"Then how should I leave?" Celia glanced nervously at the cage behind her.

"Observe the fog. Go towards the side where the fog is thinner. If you can't distinguish the thickness of the fog, then there are likely two possibilities."

Celia then remembered that Quinn and Amamiya Nene had emphasized this knowledge more than once, and quickly continued the second half: "Either I've been corrupted by the abyss and my mind has been affected, or I've entered the second layer?"

"That's right. Absolutely correct."

Stephens' voice faded away: "Walk slowly, I will follow you. If you feel slightly dizzy, try meditating first, then judge the thickness of the fog and walk out little by little."

"The most important thing is to keep your emotions stable. If you suddenly feel very happy, very angry, or very sad, I will follow you, my child, and you can go with confidence."

“Thank you, Ms. Stephens.” Celia quickly bowed.

Although she saw nothing, Stephens was actually less than ten steps behind the girl.

The woman, holding a staff and resembling a monk, smiled serenely. She had taught so many students, all of whom acted according to the code of conduct for arcane mages—that is, to discard all unnecessary formalities in life. There were not many lovely girls like Celia who were polite and would express their gratitude so earnestly.

The gray fog seemed to avoid her, and there wasn't a trace of it within a meter of Stephens.

If she takes just one step forward, she can create a pristine land for Celia, free from the pollution of the abyss.

She stared intently at Celia, her eyes not reflecting the flesh-and-blood girl and her increasingly soft, cool brown ponytail, but rather a blurry, soulful humanity.

Currently, it seems
everything is normal.

Apart from
Almost invisible to the naked eye, the gray mist, like the one around Stephens, did not approach Celia, remaining at a distance of about a transparent film from her snow-white skin.

Although she herself was unaware of it, at least the gray fog on the outer edge of the Forbidden Forest and even the surface of the Abyss would not 'touch' her. In other words, Celia would not be affected by the Abyss pollution of the Forbidden Forest and the outer layer of the Forbidden Forest.

Stephens's gaze shifted slightly, his bare feet barely touching the ground, as he floated behind her like a ghost.

The Dragon Lord's protection?
The Eternal Church even gave this divine grace, which can only be used once, to Celia. Why was her reaction the most severe when the Abyss fell last time?

The archmage, who had taken over as vice-headmaster of Grindelwald's teaching department after the Sixth War against Demons, calmly watched his lovely student.

This is the first time in a thousand years that someone has experienced symptoms of abyssal dreams despite their soul not being corrupted.

She wasn't observing Celia, but the Abyss.

If the Abyss underwent even the slightest change around Celia
Stephens held the wand the whole time.

Even if this is Grindelwald's student, even if this is the prophesied child of Britain, even if she would feel guilty for the rest of her life, she would not hesitate.

This potential threat that could lead to the destruction of the world must be eliminated here.

Celia paced back and forth.

The forest was quiet, so quiet that she could hear her own slightly nervous heartbeat, the sound of her loafers on the ground, and the gentle sway of her ponytail with each step.

The gray fog spread quietly, and she couldn't help but think, what a beautiful scene it would be if solar energy appeared here, and the sunlight could penetrate these mists and illuminate the orange, bright yellow, and apricot-yellow leaves, mottled like an oil painting?

Celia showed no signs of being delirious.

The cage was so far away that it was no longer visible. Celia did not lose her sense of direction as her teacher had said. She knew that as long as she turned around and walked in a straight line, she could return to the iron cage. Although she was not sure if her feeling was correct, she initially used counting, observation, and coordination methods to confirm whether she was conscious. But as time passed, the girl gradually relaxed.

The abyss doesn't seem so scary.

This sense of security might have come from knowing that the Dean was nearby, but Celia already had the leisure to daydream and think about other things.

For example, why do the abyssal relics that first appeared on the ground look so similar to the strange world in the dream?

Every twenty steps or so, Celia would see a piece of scrap metal buried in the gray mist or under tree roots, some large, some small, some broken and fragmented. Most of them were unrecognizable, their original appearance blurred by decay and rust. But there were some things, things that didn't exist in Temuria, that Celia could name.

Is that one with blades a handheld mini fan?
There's a large hole in the metal casing, like an air conditioner's outdoor unit?

That was a gas station's fuel tank; the upper part was missing, and the brand was unrecognizable. But the fuel nozzle and hose were still tangled in the tree branches, resembling a post-apocalyptic ruin.
Celia stopped in her tracks.

Up until now, she has maintained that she is mentally sound. However, the relics she sees often appear in her dreams in similar ways, leaving her unsure whether this is due to her perception being influenced by the abyss, or simply a coincidence or overthinking.
Celia found a tree stump nearby, patted it clean to remove the dust, and then gathered her skirt and sat down.

She decided to meditate for a while before observing the world again.

Close your eyes, sit cross-legged, adjust your breathing, and begin to use meditation to enter the depths of your mind.

Perhaps it was because her meditation trigger was Quinn's silhouette as he played the piano that she couldn't help but let her mind wander and found it difficult to enter a deep meditative state.

But this time, it was surprisingly easy; my mind and soul calmed down, and my consciousness went completely dark.

Stephens appeared before Celia, who was meditating cross-legged.

Although he didn't sense any changes in the Abyss, the vice-dean, who had disciples all over the world, still looked somewhat uneasy.

She watched the girl leaning against the tree trunk, her small chest rising and falling slowly as she drifted off to sleep, and her eyes twitched.

How can you sleep at this stage? Have you no self-respect?

Mi Yutong stood in front of the gate of Jianghai No. 2 Middle School, looking up at the banner.

Wishing all 2013 graduating students the best of luck in the National College Entrance Examination! May you achieve top scores!

The cicadas chirped in June, the sun shone warmly, and students poured into the examination hall, filled with tension and anxiety. Traffic police maintained order at the school gate.
Quinn stood in front of her, holding their college entrance exam certificates and stationery bags. How lucky they were to be assigned to the same exam room.

She patted Quinn's hand.

What are you spacing out for?

"I'm thinking about whether to block the director of admissions at Peking University first, or the director of admissions at Tsinghua University first."

Mi Yutong laughed, drawing the attention of the boys around her.

Quinn, however, showed no smile. His expression was strange, and the girl could sense that her boyfriend's emotions were somewhat different from usual.

"Are you nervous?"

The principal's expression when he said that Sacred Heart High School would produce a top scorer was more certain than when he said his son was his own.

“Of course not.” Quinn laughed. He always gave Mi Yutong a sense of adult composure, and that familiar feeling was back.

"Let's go, it's time to enter the examination room."

Don't be nervous.

"We're not taking the entrance exams for domestic universities, so what's there to be nervous about?"

"Yes, it'll be over soon," she remarked, reflecting on her high school life.

Then, amidst the envious and jealous glances of those around her, she boldly took her boyfriend's hand.

"Correct."

Quinn gripped her hand in return.

"It will be over soon."

The first subject was Chinese, which was not a subject that Mi Yutong was not very good at. The reading comprehension was "Textual Research, Criticism and Appreciation". She couldn't appreciate it at all and felt that she would be severely criticized by a certain teacher in bed afterwards.

The second subject was math, which she wasn't very good at either. The girl tried her best to solve the problems she could, and then began to pray for her boyfriend.

Math is the only subject where points might be lost. How high my boyfriend's score can go depends on whether he has come across practice problems with a similar approach to the last big question.

After the two exams were over, Mi Yutong walked out of the exam room into the midday sun, wanting to meet up with Quinn first.

It was noisy at the school gate. As she got closer, Mi Yutong saw her family's Rolls-Royce, surrounded by parents taking pictures to protest the traffic jam, and the driver constantly apologizing to the traffic police and trying to persuade them.

Upon seeing her emerge from the examination hall, the driver immediately jogged over.

“You didn’t need to park here. I can walk to the hotel myself. This is so inconvenient,” the girl complained, but was interrupted by the driver, who was usually extremely obedient to her.

"The boss is in trouble. Get in the car and let's go."

Before she could even figure out what was happening, Mi Yutong was shoved into the back seat of the car amidst her parents' scolding and the clatter of the traffic police writing tickets.

Here, she met Quinn, who was holding a phone.

He stared blankly at the car's starry sky ceiling and calmly said:
"Yutong can't live without her father, and my future children can't live without their grandfather. Don't commit suicide, I'll find a way to save you."

This was the last thing she heard her boyfriend say to his father.

(End of this chapter)