Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 351 Night of Dream Lanterns
“When you start imagining ‘how the world should be,’ you have already been chosen to become an enemy of fate.”

—Excerpt from "Star Calamity Research Notes: The Awakened"

The night sky above Trean Palace seems to have never truly seen any stars.

Liseria sat alone on the balcony of her palace, her skirt flowing like a still lake at her feet.

The notebook in front of her lay open, with only one unfinished line on its page:

"If I... if this world were still..."

She couldn't continue writing, not because she ran out of words, but because she was afraid.

A hidden fear was slowly eroding her courage.

After returning from Shizuishan, she stayed indoors and didn't speak to anyone for a whole day, as if she had been deprived of even the right to speak.

Maid Marlene pushed open the door and carefully placed the plate down. After hesitating for a long time, she finally mustered up the courage to speak: "Your Highness, you should eat something."

Liseria didn't turn around, but asked softly, "Marlene... how are the children on Broken Tower Street?"

Marlene was taken aback. She knew the truth, of course—the night classes had long been shut down by the church on charges of heresy.

Some of those children were imprisoned, and some were even sent to correctional facilities that were feared by many.

But she clung to the truth, forcing a smile: "They are doing well, and they still think of you. They... are still waiting for you to come back and give lectures."

As she spoke, she carefully took out a bronze lamp from her bosom, its surface gleaming faintly.

It was as if countless hands had caressed it countless times, engraving a short sentence on it:

"If the princess is still alive, the dream lamp will never be extinguished."

Liseria took the lamp, her fingertips trembling. With a slight touch, the wick lit up automatically, its soft light as gentle as breathing.

At that moment, something long dormant within her seemed to awaken suddenly; her eyes welled with tears, and she whispered:

"Are they... really still waiting for me?"

That night, she placed the lamp by her bedside. As the light illuminated the room, the room's outline subtly changed.

She looked up abruptly and was surprised to find herself in a classroom at the night class on Pota Street.

The children sat in a row on the wooden chairs, their faces innocent and expectant. They were silent, yet it seemed as if they were saying:

"Teacher, we're here."

She reached out her hand, her fingertips touching the air, and mist rose up like water, obscuring the view before her.

Then, a soft yet unsettling voice came from the mist:

"Welcome to the Dream Sea, the last writer of Trelian."

Liseria suddenly stood up and looked around. The voice was like a gentle breeze passing through a dream, softly pushing aside the fog.

In the mist, a young girl walked slowly, holding a dream lantern in her hand, its light shimmering like stars.

She had short blonde hair, and her smile was calm and clear.
“I am Lilia, Si Ming’s companion. You lit the dream lamp, and so we came.”

Liseria took a half step back, her voice trembling slightly: "Where...am I?"

Lilia's smile was as pure as the stars: "This is Dreamland, a place that all souls that have not yet given up hope can reach. And there is someone waiting for you."

Amidst the churning sea of ​​fog, a silver-white dream boat slowly approached, with a young captain sitting at the stern, smiling and waving to her.

"I am Calvino, the ferryman of dreams. Aboard, Your Highness. Someone awaits you on the other side of dreams to utter those unfinished words."

Liseria stepped onto the Dream Ship, and the surrounding mist receded like a tide, revealing a starlight-paved channel.

Lilia stood at the bow of the ship, cradling the Dream Lamp, her voice like a whisper:
"Dreams are not a void; they are the last possibility in everyone's heart. That sentence you never finished writing has already awakened us."

Liseria was silent for a moment before finally speaking: "But... can I still go back to them?"

Calvino turned back, his gaze firm yet gentle: "It is precisely because you hesitated that we are here. Your confusion is the beacon leading to the future."

As Liseria gazed at the star-studded shipping lane, her heart gradually calmed down.

Yes, she was not abandoned, and the world was not completely dark.

Because as long as she can still light a lamp, no matter how faint the light, it will eventually penetrate the endless darkness.

Through the mist, the outline of an island gradually appeared in the distance, and a familiar and reassuring figure was waiting for her.

Her gaze was no longer lost; she finally nodded firmly.

"Take me to see him, the one who wrote the ending behind the script."

The dream boat sails into the distance, and in the night sky, the faint light of the stars gradually awakens.

The dream boat continued its journey, gradually entering a deeper realm of illusion.

Along the way, several strange phenomena emerged from the fog:

A colossal library hangs upside down from the sky, its pages falling like snowflakes, each page revealing a truth that the world has failed to accept.

A silent clock tower, which collapses and rebuilds in silence every time the hands reach the hour, as if history has never been properly recorded.
A crown ablaze with flames floats in a sea of ​​mist, from which a child's bewildered whisper faintly echoes: "Knowledge, to whom does it belong?"

Liseria's eyes widened in shock, and her voice trembled as she asked, "Are these... my hearts?"

Lilia answered softly, "That's right. What you dare not look at is your truest desire."

As the mist dissipated slightly, a gentle little island emerged from the sea of ​​dreams, surrounded by faint starlight.

There is only one strange tree on the island, whose leaves turn quietly like pages of a book. Soft cushions surround the tree, and several half-open books are placed there.

A young man with black hair was sitting against a tree, flipping through a book called "Psychological Construction of Illusion" in his hand. His expression was focused and calm, as if he had known about her arrival all along.

Calvino smoothly brought the oars to a stop and chuckled as he looked out onto the island, "Siming, the person has been brought. You can chat at your leisure."

Lilia nodded slightly and added in a low voice, "We'll pick you up when you wake up."

Liseria slowly stepped off the Dream Boat, the ground beneath her feet as soft as clouds.

She looked up at the figure under the tree, her voice trembling slightly: "Si Ming... why did you bring me here?"

Si Ming gently closed the book, looked up and smiled, her complex face reflected in her eyes:

"Because only in dreams can you face your true feelings; in reality, there are too many eavesdroppers."

Liseria slowly sat down, her mind still lingering on the vision from earlier—the burning crown, the silent clock tower, and the child's unanswerable question.

She spoke softly, her voice filled with helplessness: "You told me I could refuse to be a puppet on the throne. But do I really... have the right to make that decision?"

Si Ming did not respond immediately.

He gazed at her, his eyes like firelight at the bottom of a dark sea, carrying a kind of oppressive insight:
"You think that your choice not to fight is out of kindness and humility. But what you are really running away from is the darkness in your heart—you are afraid that your kindness will not be able to overcome those shadows."

Liseria looked up abruptly, her throat tightening: "Then... what can I do? They've been waiting for me."

Si Ming leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as a blade, staring directly into her soul:
"True courage is not asking yourself whether you should do it, but daring to ask yourself why you shouldn't do it."

Liseria, what you fear is never the throne, but the fact that you've never been allowed to have your own will.

His words were like needles, piercing the deepest, most hidden weaknesses and pains in her heart.

Liseria bit her lip, her eyes brimming with tears, but she stubbornly refused to shed them: "It's not that I don't want to fight... it's that I'm afraid, I'm simply not worthy of being their hope."

Siming slowly shook his head, his voice calm and solemn, his gaze like distant stars. Finally, he spoke in a low voice:
“Liseria, I have four questions for you. You don’t need to answer them for me, but you must answer them for yourself. From the moment you dared to ask them, you have stepped into the river of destiny.”

First question: Why were you born into royalty?
The God of Fate spoke softly, like a whisper in the wind, yet every word was piercing:
"Have you ever wondered why you were born at the center of power?"
Why were you born with a life line, astrological chart, and mysteries?

This isn't luck, it's a debt. If fate were impartial, why would it single you out?

Liseria looked up in astonishment, her lips parted slightly, but she couldn't utter a single word. She wanted to retort, but in the end, she only managed to utter a muffled whisper: "I don't know..."

Si Ming nodded slightly, without blaming him, but added in a low voice:
"You are not a lucky one, but one who bears the consequences."

To establish a moral compass for heaven and earth is not for glory, but to uphold a true heart for humanity in this heartless world.

He stared at the life lines on her chest, his tone heavy:

"And you are destined to be that heart."

Second question: Have you ever had any pity for the common people?
Si Ming's voice suddenly turned cold and sharp, striking her conscience directly: "Have you ever seen a madman whose life lines have been burned?"
Have you seen the children on Broken Tower Street who were tortured to death by the church?

Did the mysterious instructor who taught the class break his spine after being interrogated under the 'Sacred Flame Act'?

Liseria's face suddenly turned pale, her pupils trembled slightly, her hands gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, and her lips trembled violently.

She had heard these tragic stories, but had never looked at them directly.

"I...I'm scared," she whispered in a confessional tone.

The God of Fate did not rebuke, but his eyes were filled with pity, and his voice was gentle yet sharp:
Fear is not a sin.

You are afraid because your heart is still alive. You haven't been completely numbed by power; you will still weep for them.

"To establish a destiny for the people is not about charity or handouts, but about letting the world know that people, too, deserve to have their own destiny."

Third question: Do you believe that knowledge can save a country?

Sima Ming suddenly took a step closer, his aura imposing:

"You possess the art of life-marking literacy, and you can clearly teach commoners how to save themselves, so why are you hiding in the deep palace?"
You can change the world by teaching them to read. Why are you silent?

Liseria trembled all over, tears finally streaming down her face, her voice breaking:
"I want to! I so want to continue teaching! But the council won't allow it, the church is shutting everything down, there's nothing I can do!"

Si Ming stared at her, his voice suddenly turning cold:

"If you don't speak up, who will dare to?"
If you don't speak up, this generation will live in darkness forever.

He turned around, gazing at the vast sea of ​​dreams, his voice low and mournful:

"To carry on the legacy of the sages is not to inherit their glory, but to burn your own flesh and blood to ignite their hope."

Fourth question: Do you want to live a comfortable life or die a glorious death?

The surroundings suddenly fell silent, as if dead, and the wind and waves seemed to hold their breath in anticipation.

Siming slowly turned around, his gaze sharp as a blade:
"If you want to live peacefully, then close your eyes, plug your ears, don't ask, don't look, don't think;
You can be a puppet of the nobility, living a life of luxury and ease.

"but--"

His voice suddenly rose:
"If you want to live as a true light, you must be prepared to burn yourself out."

Liseria slowly raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, but she no longer ran away.

The God of Fate approached step by step, his eyes burning like starlight:

"Do you want to be queen?"

She responded softly, "I don't know..."

Do you want everyone to have a life mark?

"I think."

"Do you want children to never have to secretly copy textbooks again?"

"think."

"So, would you be willing to light a lamp, even if it costs you your life?"

She finally looked up, tears streaming down her face, her gaze resolute: "I do!"

Si Ming slowly revealed a smile, approached her, and placed a dimly lit dream lamp in her palm. The lamplight flickered like a heartbeat:

"To usher in an era of lasting peace, not to sit on the queen's throne,"

Instead, he wanted to be the first to step down from the throne and into the lives of ordinary people.

His gaze was as deep as the night sea:

"Liseria, if you do not ascend the throne, it will be a betrayal of the entire star map and the entire world."

The sea of ​​dreams returned to calm, and Liseria held the dream lamp in her hands as if she were holding her own beating heart.

She finally understood that she had no reason to remain silent any longer.

It’s time to wake up from the dream.

She looked up at Si Ming, her gaze no longer hesitant, and for the first time, a genuine light of her own shone through.

"The Fate Master..."

She asked softly, her tone a mixture of respect and a hint of curiosity:

"Did you come up with those four sentences yourself?"

Si Ming paused slightly, then chuckled and shook his head, a distant and heavy memory surfacing in his eyes:

"No, that did not come from me, but from a distant and great era. A truly wise man who embraced heaven and earth once said:"

He slowly stood up, his voice like the deep, resonant toll of an ancient bell, striking straight to the depths of the soul:

"Establish a heart for heaven and earth,

To establish a destiny for the people,
To continue the lost learning of the sages

To usher in an era of peace for all generations.

His voice echoed in the sea of ​​dreams, each word seemingly carrying an irresistible weight:
"This is the ambition of a truly civilized society. Not for divine right, not for imperial power, but simply for humanity."

Liseria stared at Siming, feeling as if a dam in her heart had completely collapsed, and a torrent of emotions surged forth.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her gaze was no longer weak and hesitant, but hard as a sword.

"You said... I should go into the crowd?" she said slowly.

Si Ming nodded quietly, his gaze calm yet firm: "If you do not step down from the throne, no one can enter the crowd."

She suddenly smiled softly, a smile that held a sense of relief and determination she had never shown before.
"In that case, I will be the one who lights the first life-mark lamp for everyone."

The Dream Boat docked once more from the mist. Lilia stood at the bow, smiling as she held the Dream Lamp.
"The dream has ended, Your Highness. Your lamp has dispelled the thick fog."

Calvino rowed, the light from the dream lamp at the bow of the boat like fragments of starlight, leading her toward the shore of awakening.

Before leaving, Liseria looked back at Siming with a mixture of gratitude and determination.

Si Ming waved his hand gently, a faint smile and solemnity appearing in his eyes:
"Remember, the throne is not a reward, but a responsibility bestowed upon you by fate."

If you refuse to climb up, the world will never wake up.

The sea of ​​dreams trembled slightly, the lights went out, and the mist gradually gathered.

Everything returned to calm, and when Liseria opened her eyes, she found herself sitting in front of the bed in the royal palace.

As dawn broke, the faint light from outside the window gently streamed into the room.

She slowly got up and saw a thin sheet of paper next to the dream lamp.

She picked it up gently; on the paper, written clearly in her own handwriting:

Article 1 of the Draft Law on Universal Access to Knowledge and Destiny:
“The study of destiny lines is not limited to people of high or low status. Everyone has a star chart and can understand their destiny.”

Her hands trembled slightly, her breathing gradually became steady, and her heart surged like the first storm of life.

She knew that her war and mission had truly begun from this moment on.

She put on her outer robe, summoned the scribe, took out the royal seal that had been prepared beforehand, stepped out of her bedchamber, and greeted the rising sun.

The morning light shone on her, making her look like a newly drawn sword, sharp and pure.

At that moment, the softest light in the Trelian Palace...

It has finally become the most steadfast and intense light belonging to all the people.

"The stars do not belong to the crown, and the fire does not belong to the temple."

If someone is willing to light a lamp and illuminate the world with its light, then fate will have to rewrite its script.

—Excerpt from "Chronicles of Dreams: The Lamplighter's Prologue"

(End of this chapter)