Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 447 Embers and the Star

"The blood moon pays the debt, and the lament ceases."

Some leave, some stay;
And the stars are still calling—

The Tower of the End awaits those who come after.

—Notes at the end of the volume of "The Mysterious and Uncanny Remnants"

Deep inside the main hall, the air was as heavy as solidified iron.

Sophie leaned against the bed, which was covered with bloodstains and silk fabrics, her breathing weak, but her eyes trying to be clear.

Her arms stretched out weakly, cradling the infant in her embrace; the infant's tender cries contrasted sharply with her fading breath.

“Liseria…” Her voice was so soft it seemed it might break at any moment, “You deserve more than anyone else… to be the guardian of this city. To inherit… the regency…”

His words were interrupted by a long cough of blood.

Liseria knelt before the bed, tears blurring her vision. She grasped Sophie's hand tightly; her fingertips were icy cold, as if she were holding a destiny about to break.

“I’m sorry…it’s all because of me…” Liseria’s voice was almost breaking down. “I brought misery, I made this city bleed, I…destroyed it.”

She raised her head, her eyes revealing a resolute determination.

“I am unworthy to be a regent. I am already a lamenter of fate, the embodiment of calamity.”

If I stay here, Alleston will only fall into a new abyss.

Sophie's tears slowly slid down her cheeks. She seemed to want to say something, but she was too weak to speak.

Liseria leaned down, her forehead touching Sophie's hand, her voice soft yet firm:
"Please hand over the position of regent to Edel. He will protect this land... As for me, I will go to the Tower of the End."

Her gaze seemed to pierce through the dome and the starry sky, landing on a distant place that only a celestial calamity could perceive.

"That is the battlefield above all celestial calamities. If I can climb that tower, perhaps I can make a wish, perhaps I can atone for my sins. I must go. I must find a way to make amends."

Her voice echoed in the quiet room like a low elegy, both an answer to Sophie and a confession to the entire Areston.

Sophie finally showed a relieved smile, her trembling fingers touching Liseria's hair as if she were stroking her own sister.

"You...you will definitely find it..."

After saying that, she closed her eyes, her breath fading slightly.

The baby's cries rang out again, as if bidding farewell to the world on her behalf.

Sophie's breathing grew lighter and lighter as she leaned against the pillow, the baby in her arms still crying.

Those eyes had never seen the cruelty of the world, yet they were destined to bear countless burdens.

Edel slowly stepped forward and reached out to take the tiny life from the swaddling clothes.

The child was quiet for a moment, as if sensing the reliance of blood ties, and hooked his little fingers around Edel's hand.

Edel felt a tightness in his chest. In that moment, he saw the shadow of his father, Henrian, and the image of his brother, Orion—the weight of that bloodline connection was so heavy that it made his breath tremble.

“Father…brother…Meddes…” Edel murmured inwardly, “Now, even you are leaving me, Liseria?”

He looked up, his eyes resolute yet filled with sorrow.

“Very well.” He made a vow in his heart to the departed and to the infant before him, “Then I will protect the Empire. Until little Leon grows up. By then, perhaps I too will ascend the Tower of the End and seek justice for Treion’s fate.”

Before she finished speaking, Liseria gently walked to his side. She stopped crying, and simply stretched out her arms to hug her brother tightly.

The brother and sister embraced, needing no further words.

She whispered a single word: "Thank you."

Then, she let go and turned around. Her silhouette stretched long in the lamplight and blood-stained shadows, lonely yet resolute.

—She is going to the Tower of the End to find her own redemption.

Before the bed, Sophie's gaze gradually lost focus. She looked down one last time at the infant she had once held in her arms, her fingers gently tracing his cheek, her fingertips icy cold.

“Leon…” Her lips trembled, but she couldn’t finish her sentence.

A long silence followed, with only the baby's cries filling the room.

Novell Barletta, who had initially hesitated to step forward, clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. Gazing at his sister's body, he suddenly lowered his head and murmured, his voice choked with emotion:
"Sister... I swear... even if it costs me everything, I will never let anyone hurt this child again..."

Tears streamed down his face. In that moment, this timid boy finally showed a glimmer of steel amidst his grief.

In the corner, the unassuming girl, Leah Balleta, stood timidly.

Her eyes were red, like a frightened little animal, and she murmured softly:
"Everyone... already has a direction, but where am I... going in the future?"

Her voice was almost drowned out by the silence that followed the chaos.

Si Ming stood in the shadows, watching her silently.

He knew very well that the child had already realized that "Aesop Lee" was just a mask he was wearing.

She knew, but never said it aloud; she simply hid her loneliness more carefully in silence.

"I'm sorry, little one," Si Ming said to himself.

He raised his hand, a faint ray of light falling from his fingertips. The mysterious power of the true lies and the Notebook of the Nameless One gently brushed across Leah's brow.

In that instant, the fear, confusion, and shadows of the past in her eyes were gradually erased.

The memories of the Barletta family faded away, leaving only a new warmth in her heart—

She remembered having an older brother named Ian; she remembered boarding the Doomsday Rose and sailing with him to live in the world of Door.

Leah blinked and looked up in a daze.

“Ian…brother…” she called softly, her eyes finally settling down, like a child who had found their family.

She lifted her foot and walked towards the door, her back view slender yet light.

Behind her, Si Ming watched her go, a faint smile playing on his lips:
"Go. Live well with a new name."

Alan Herwin raised his head, the traces of sorrow in his eyes completely gone.

He looked at Liseria, opened his mouth, but ultimately did not kneel down.

“Your Highness…” he said softly, “I owe you the torch, but my steps can no longer follow yours.”

He turned and looked at the crumbling walls and dark streets of Areston.

There, a third of the block was deserted, and the wounds left by the Blood Moon and the Sorrowful Fate were still festering.

"The people in the city need protection. The shadows of night are still growing. If no one steps forward, Alleston will die."

Edel stared at him, remaining silent for a long time, before finally nodding solemnly.

"Then, from this day forward, you shall be the first Lord of the Night's Watch in Alleston. You shall report directly to me and watch over the night."

Alan was silent for a moment, then bowed deeply.

"As the king commands. The watch fire shall not be extinguished."

He turned and left. In the square in front of the royal palace, the remaining night watchmen raised their torches one by one, the orange flames illuminating the faint but resolute light in the ruins.

From then on, the night sky over Areston entered a mysterious era.

Dr. Taran bustled about Morningstar Manor. He treated countless survivors, his hands stained with blood, but his eyes burning with light.

“The Dawn Healers Association,” he murmured to himself, “From this day forward, Alleston will have true healers. If the mysterious can save lives, I’m willing to bet my entire life on it.”

The first rays of dawn shone on his figure, marking the beginning of new hope.

However, from another shadow came low curses.

Arno.

He survived. He should have died in the Blood Moon Storm, but he evaded the military's screening like a viper.

His face was contorted with rage, and he cursed under his breath:

"Trian...the royal family...damned bloodline...you have ruined everything I have, I will make you pay for it all!"

A crimson moon shadow silently appeared behind him, and within the twisted shadow, it seemed as if demons were whispering. The blood moon's frenzied sneer echoed in his ears:

"Madman, keep hating. Hatred is fire, and fire will pave the way for you."

Arno slowly raised his head, his eyes seemingly ignited by a dark red flame.

In the night amidst the ruins, his low laughter was more sinister than any vengeful spirit.

A new, dangerous spark ignites in the darkness.

The sea breeze swept across the ruins, carrying a salty and bloody scent. The sky finally quieted down, the blood moon faded, and the city fires gradually died down.

As everyone cleaned up the mess, Allison boarded the deck of the Doomsday Rose. She put on the tricorn hat blackened by gunfire and turned to look back at Sirius.

"My ship will continue its voyage."

Her voice was as crisp as ever, yet it held a hint of reluctance.

"But remember, Sir Fate—if you go to the Tower of the End, remember to send a message. I will stand by your side, even if it means risking my life there."

As soon as he finished speaking, the black sails of the Doomsday Rose rose, and it seemed as if a giant bird was taking flight.

Baroque was still covered in blood. He retracted his semi-transparent tidal giant form, patted Siming on the shoulder, and the pat shook half of Siming's body.

“Hey,” he grinned, “I can block you again anytime, as long as you don’t mind. My size is enough.”

Rex leaned against a broken stone pillar, lit a pipe, and exhaled a wisp of white smoke.

"Don't think you can beat the game without me."

He smiled, but his eyes were serious. "When that happens, I'll shoot to clear the way for you."

In the night breeze, the wind chimes of the Lost One rang softly, their crisp sound echoing across the square.

Calvino's steady voice, Lilia's cheerful laughter, and Ian's boyish responses all came through the air:

"Siming, we are ready at any time."

"The end or hell, it doesn't matter."

"Anyway, we'll always be by your side."

At that moment, it was as if the entire Lost One had returned to the back of Si Ming.

However, in the crowd, Celian's expression was complex. She walked up to Si Ming, her long, blood-red hair disheveled by the wind, her eyes showing both hesitation and determination.

"The Fate Master..."

She bit her lower lip and finally whispered:
“I am not above the Star Calamity. It is only in your lies that I have become the ‘True Ancestor of Blood’.”

"But if I don't actually take that step, I won't be able to accompany you to the end."

After a moment of silence, she turned around, her back view cold and lonely.

"Wait for me. When we meet again, I will be the true progenitor of blood."

After saying that, she turned and left without looking back, disappearing into the night.

Si Ming watched her departing figure, his fingertips tracing the playing cards in his pocket. A slight smile played on his lips, but he remained silent.

Just after Allison, Baroque, Rex and the others left one by one, Si Ming turned around and saw Liseria walking quietly towards him.

Her steps were light, her skirt still carrying the lingering echo of a lament, but her eyes were much clearer than before.

“Siming,” she whispered, her voice like a gentle breeze, “we will meet again at the Tower of the End. By then… I hope we will no longer be enemies.”

Si Ming paused for a moment, about to answer, when she suddenly asked softly:
"Before that... could you please give Marlene back to me?"

Si Ming blinked, then burst into laughter.

He flicked his wrist, and a mysterious card dissolved in his palm, slowly revealing the image of the Spider Woman in the air. The writing on the card was clearly visible:

【The Tragic Spider Maiden – A Girl Serving the Lamenter】

The half-human, half-spider figure slowly appeared. Her eyes were empty, but when she saw Liseria, her gaze softened.

She bowed slightly in greeting, her voice hoarse and thread-like:
“My beloved family… Your eternal handmaid, I salute you.”

Liseria paused for a moment, then gently grasped Marlene's cold fingertips, a bittersweet yet relieved smile appearing on her lips:

"In the end, it was my fault that you were ruined... My tragic fate has made you into this kind of being."

But Marin simply knelt down quietly, as if all her sorrow had been released.

Liseria looked up at Siming. Suddenly, she tiptoed and gently kissed him on the cheek.

Her voice was faint, like the night breeze: "If we can meet again at the end... please don't be enemies anymore."

Si Ming was taken aback for a moment, then smiled: "Me too."

The next moment, Liseria took Spider Girl's hand and turned to leave.

Her figure gradually disappeared into the mist, and a faint, ethereal singing voice drifted from afar, like a lullaby or a farewell song.

The fog dissipated, and the stage curtain fell.

Alleston was finally quiet under the cover of night.

Amidst the ruins, the flames have died down, leaving only broken walls and rubble, the air thick with the smell of blood and ashes.

Si Ming walked alone on the stone path.

The soles of the boots crushed the scattered white masks, the sound of them shattering particularly clear in the deathly silence.

He looked up toward the direction of the palace, and faint cries of a baby drifted over.

Si Ming chuckled lightly, his eyes cold:

"This decaying kingdom is still hoping that an infant will be its king?"

He turned his head to look at the distant street where the mist had dissipated, the direction from which Liseria had disappeared.

"And that Ai Xing, who pretended to be a saint, was so naive as to believe that blood debts could be repaid with tears?"

Si Ming shook his head, his smile chilling.

He walked slowly, looking down at the city. Most of it was as gray and desolate as a ghost town, with only a few faint lights flickering occasionally.

At the end of the ruins, Alan Herwin passed by with his watchmen, holding oil lamps.

Si Ming murmured to himself:

"Royalty, nobility, church, princesses... they treat human life as nothing more than an asset."

But they didn't know—the real flame had already been planted in their hearts.

Alan paused for a moment as he brushed past Si Ming.

The boy's eyes were cold and aloof, but in that instant, he nodded slightly to Si Ming.

Si Ming smiled in response, then burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the ruins of the dead city, like a mockery of fate.

Alan gripped the oil lamp tightly and murmured softly:

“There has never been a savior. Teacher, I know that… Thank you for your teaching.”

He turned to look at the palace, his eyes no longer displaying the feigned loyalty of the daytime, but rather a naked contempt and sneer.

“Your Highness Edel…we Night’s Watch have never been loyal to you.”

As the night wind blew by, an unseen flame was burning in the flickering firelight.

—A lie begins, and a lie ends.

"The blood moon falls, the lament ceases, and yet, upon the embers, some still embark on their journeys."

The Tower of the End awaits all fools who dare to challenge fate.

—Preface to "The Traveler's Tale of the End"

(End of this chapter)