Night Journey

Chapter 110 White Gorge
Through the gap in the blinds, Rolf saw Cillian at his workstation, whispering something to Maefoni.

After a while, Cillian looked helpless, while Mefuni chuckled incessantly.

"Are you looking at Cillian? I remember you admired this young man."

Dekar's voice came through, "On that night of the tide not long ago, you invited him to breakfast. For a newcomer, an invitation from the Chief is quite an honor."

"Humph."

Rolf gave a cold laugh and did not respond.

The image of that night involuntarily surfaced in his mind: Cirien fearlessly facing the demon tide and raising his sword against the beasts that wreaked havoc on the city.

Rolf hadn't met someone like Cillian in many years, like a burning meteor destined to fade, yet also destined to shine brightly.

"Let's get down to business instead of all that."

Rolf glanced at De Karl behind his desk; he had been working on documents with his head down ever since Rolf entered the office.

Dekar stopped what he was doing, looked up, his eyes were dark and swollen, he had clearly been up all night.

He spoke first.

"Regarding the matter of the Claws, the City Guard Bureau is still handling it in an orderly manner. Recently, we have eliminated quite a few Chaos Believers."

Rolf shook his head. "If we don't eradicate them completely, these kinds of people will just keep appearing."

"The city garrison's resources are limited, and we have already done our best to maintain order."

"Very hardworking?" Rolf questioned. "You even have the resources to investigate the Reverse Falcon."

Mentioning the reverse falcon immediately creates a tense atmosphere in the office.

Rolf controlled his emotions and said calmly, "Decal, I know about your father, but right now, the Reverse Falcon is not our number one enemy."

“The Reverse Falcon is certainly not our number one enemy,” Dekar nodded, “but what if this Reverse Falcon is a fake?”

Rolf was speechless.

"The information about Reverse Falcon has been destroyed by the city council, but I still remember him."

Dekar pointed to his temple. "I examined the scene where Reverse Falcon was active, and it was full of remnants of soul essence power. This doesn't match the Reverse Falcon I remember."

"Not to mention, Reverse Falcon's actions are always secretive, but this Reverse Falcon directly piled up the Flower River with corpses."

Dekar was silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

“Rolf, I know that because of my father’s death, you’ve always felt that I’ve transferred my personal hatred onto Reverse Falcon, but don’t forget, I know how my father died.”

His voice rose a few decibels, carrying a hint of anger.

"He succumbed to evil, allowing the power of chaos to consume him, and so he died."

There's nothing more to say about this. Even if Reverse Falcon hadn't killed him, I would have. The real question is, why did my father become involved with Chaos?

De Karl sighed heavily and spoke in a calm tone.

“You worked with my father for a long time, and you know him very well. He was such a righteous and kind person, so why would he suddenly believe in chaos?”

Rolf began with difficulty, “We’ve investigated for so long, but we still don’t understand why he would do this… It’s a mystery.”

Decal said firmly, "No, you know, you just don't want to admit it."

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, which made Rolf feel somewhat tired.

He had intended to have a peaceful discussion with Decal about their next steps, but the two seemed to be inherently incompatible; they would argue heatedly after only a few words together.

Rolf said helplessly.

"What exactly do you want me to admit, Dekar?"

It took Decal a while to regain his composure, loosen his clenched fists, and muster his courage to recount the past.

"My father probably never told you where he went during the time he was away from Hull City, did he?"

"Ah."

Rolf remembered what De Karl had said.

Decal's father, Ruhr, suddenly left the city of Hel for a long time, so long that Rolf even thought he had died in the wilderness.

Until one day, Ruhr returned silently. He had become taciturn and his eyes were always filled with deep worry.

Later, Ruhr locked himself in his dimly lit bedroom, and when people heard news of him again, it was because he had embraced chaos and fallen into madness.

No one knows what he went through or what his purpose was in becoming a member of Chaos.

Rolf had thought it would remain a mystery, but now, De Karl clearly knew something. "My father loved this city, a love that transcended so-called class, faction, and even the belief in destiny."

De Karl rubbed his eyes, recalling the image of his father in his mind.

"He wanted to do something for Hull and find a long-term way to preserve it, so he left Hull and went to White Gorge."

"Baixia?"

Rolf was quite surprised; he never expected that Ruhr would go to White Gorge.

"The ancient texts record that when the Great Calamity of No Day Descended, the continental plates were torn apart, creating a narrow rift valley. Lava churned, earthquakes raged, and several city-states were swallowed up."

To prevent the continent from being destroyed, the Lord of Destiny, the Giant God Weaver of Fate, used his immense power to stop the spread of the rift.

De Karl then recounted the origins of the White Gorge.

"After the calamity of no day, the Weaver of Fate foresaw that if no one stopped it, the rift would continue to spread at an extremely slow rate until it tore the earth in two."

So she summoned the miracle creation, the Spinning Machine of Fates, and made the Rift Valley her dwelling place in reality, spinning threads and foretelling the future of the world.

Legend has it that each thread spun on the Spinning Machine represents a destiny, and when the thread breaks, it signifies the end of that destiny.

Rolf naturally knew the story of the Weaver of Fate, and understood why the rift valley was later called the White Gorge.

As the spinning wheels of destiny continuously spin and churn, endless silk threads fill the rift valley, like a spider's nest. Anyone who steps into the White Gorge will glimpse a corner of their corresponding fate through the silk threads, as if they have entered an endless illusion and become lost within it.

"My father completed the trial journey—from the beginning to the end of White Gorge—through sheer willpower."

"In return, as a reward, the stargazer is allowed to seek a prophecy."

Rolf had a vague idea of ​​what he was going to say next.

"Decal said."

"My father sought the fate of the city of Hull."

He picked up a pen, gently held both ends between his hands, and murmured something.

He saw the thread of fate representing the city of Hel; it was so thin, as if it would snap at any moment. A gentle touch revealed only darkness.

A murky darkness, obscuring both the future and the past.

Rolf closed his eyes and sighed deeply, as if he were exhaling all the air from his lungs.

"He returned to Hel City in a daze, carrying this future with him. After that, as we all know, he went mad and became one with chaos."

De Karl put down his pen, wiped the sweat from his brow, and recalled the past with a heavy heart.

"Perhaps my father wasn't insane; he simply wanted to save Hel City and prevent that darkness from descending, and for that..."

Rolf picked up where Dekar left off, speaking without any emotion.

"For this reason, he would rather let chaos devour the city-state."

After they finished speaking, it was as if their gazes had choked them, and a profound silence descended, leaving only the sound of their pounding hearts.

"I'm a little tired, let's talk another time."

Rolf couldn't tell whether he wanted to leave this place or leave behind the overwhelming memories of the past.

Decal stared at Rolf's retreating figure, and just as he was about to push open the door and leave, he suddenly spoke.

"That rumor, the rising sun, sounds truly inspiring, but will it shine upon the city of Hel?" Dekar continued, "or will it destroy the city of Hel?"

"I do not know."

As a spirit craftsman, Rolf disliked saying such things, as it made him appear ignorant and foolish.

But now, he can't think of anything but this pale statement.

It can only be repeated again.

"I do not know."

Rolf left Decal's office; the hustle and bustle of the city guard was so close, yet so far away.

He left alone, his mind filled with a jumble of memories of the past, and he saw his old friend, Ruhr.

The two, hungover and laughing, fought side by side and built the city of Hull together...

Rolf suddenly trembled, as if he were realizing all of this anew, recalling in horror that it had happened decades ago.

Everything is irreversible.

(End of this chapter)