Night Journey

Chapter 26 Day of Despair

Two moons hang high in the sky, stars twinkle, and a silken ring of stars flows by.

Cillian, having mastered the dance steps, linked arms with Ava's waist and darted and weaved through the crowd.

Laughter filled their ears, and the aroma of fine wine wafted from their noses.

Ava asked softly, "Is Tim still watching us?"

"He won't miss this wonderful time, even if he's not the main character."

Cillian smiled and replied, then changed the subject, saying, "Tim likes you very much."

"and then?"

Ciri gazed into Ava's eyes; her brown pupils were incredibly beautiful, and as night fell and the lights came on, it was as if countless stars were reflected in them.

“That’s it,” Cillian asked again. “Why me?”

“Tim is too tall, and dancing with him would be very awkward,” Ava said. “He would pick me up and swing me around like a toy… that’s not dancing at all.”

"As for Mick, I don't deny that he will grow as tall as you in the future, but right now, his physique is not suitable for a dance partner."

The square was teeming with people, like a small raft drifting on waves, swirling from the periphery to the center, and then slowly receding outwards.

Cillian shook his head and corrected him, "That's not what I was asking."

Ava pursed her lips and looked at Cillian with a smile.

Are you interrogating me?

"I don't think this counts as interrogation."

Ava blinked. "But your aura is too strong. You should be gentler, like... hinting at it indirectly."

Cillian thought about it carefully and said cautiously.

What is it about me that attracts you?

"Isn't this a bit too cliché?"

Ava looked helpless and consoled herself, "At least the cliché won't go wrong. At most, people will think you're a bit dull."

Cillian gave an awkward laugh, followed the menacing gaze, and whispered.

“We’ve been jumping long enough, it’s time to take a break, and also to distract my brother. He’s been sitting there like a statue.”

Ava was amused and took Cillian's hand, leading him to a long table where there were a few empty seats for them to rest.

"If I had to give a specific example, it would be something that happened last summer."

Ava picked up a glass of water; she was indeed very tired after jumping for so long.

Cillian tried to recall, but couldn't remember anything. "What happened back then?"

“Nothing happened, you were just chatting and I happened to overhear you,” Ava joked. “Should I remind you?”

Are there any keywords?

"Hmm...who is the most beautiful girl in town?"

Upon hearing this, Cillian's expression immediately turned embarrassed.

Every boy has had a similar experience: commenting on girls he knows, recklessly releasing excessive hormones, and indulging in chaotic fantasies that blend ignorance with lust.

This is usually called youthful restlessness, but when there is an unknown bystander, it becomes a public execution that makes everyone's toes clench.

"Haha."

Ava really liked Cillian's expression at that moment; she rarely saw him like this.

Cillian tried to justify himself, saying, "I don't quite remember. Did I say anything offensive?"

"No, you didn't say anything offensive. On the contrary, you said a lot of nice things."

Cillian was puzzled.

……

Last summer, the Soflow brothers had just finished their night patrol and were having breakfast together in the living room.

Suddenly, someone brought it up and they started discussing who the most beautiful girl in town was.

Cillian ate in silence, while Tim and Mick had a heated discussion, practically reciting the names of every girl in White Cliff Town, even though Cillian didn't know all of them.

Finally, the two of them suddenly asked Cillian who the most charming girl was.

"Ava."

"I put down my cutlery," Cillian suggested.

"why?"

The two said in unison.

From a worldly perspective, Ava was not the most beautiful girl. She was short, her face was covered with freckles, she lacked the gentleness of a girl, and she often punched and kicked the Soflow brothers.

Perhaps because they had spent so much time together, the three of them came to regard Ava as one of the Soflovai brothers, and they addressed each other as brothers all the time.

"why?"

Cillian looked at his two brothers as if they were idiots. "Does this even need to be said?"

"Tim, you always say the baker's daughter is incredibly beautiful, with a great figure and a soft, gentle voice... but do you really know her?"

Cillian began slowly, “You know, no matter how beautiful she is, there will always be someone who is prettier and has a better figure than her. Going back to this kind of thing is actually quite boring, don’t you think?”

"You think she's beautiful, and you want to hold her hand, kiss her, and do things more intimately with her, but then what? You don't even know what she likes or what her personality is like?"

“You’re making wild guesses about a group of people you don’t know at all, but Ava is different. She’s great.”

Cillian picked up the dishes and began washing the grease off them in the sink.

“Ava prepares breakfast for us carefully every day and cares about our daily life.”

She was beyond beautiful; she was like... like the Virgin Mary statue in the Pantheon suddenly descending to earth before me, bathed in a gentle breeze and soft rain!

……

"That day I forgot something in the living room, so I went back to get it, and that's when I overheard your discussion."

Ava squinted her eyes, like a sleeping fox.

“I’m so angry at Tim and Mick’s shallowness that I’m going to go in and have a fight with you, and I’m never making breakfast for you again.”

"And then you heard what I said and chose to forgive them?"

Although Ava explained the reason, Cillian still couldn't quite remember it.

Ava corrected her, "Forgive? No way. I've been making breakfast for you ever since. They were just doing it on the side."

She propped her face up in her hands, curled up into a small ball in the chair, and asked in confusion, "But I don't understand, after Tim said all that, why is he starting to like me again?"

Hearing this, Cillian laughed. "That's another story, but it won't be long. Do you have the patience to listen?"

"Okay."

Cillian shifted his posture, his mind searching for memories.

"It must have been during a night patrol at the beginning of the year when Tim suddenly told me that he had fallen for you. I asked him out of curiosity, 'Didn't you think Ava was just so-so?'"

The mention of "so-so" immediately darkened Ava's expression.

"Tim told me that he wasn't interested in you before, but after I told him that day, he started to observe you carefully and discovered how thoughtful you were to us, how you took care of us, and so on."

Cillian exclaimed, "You should have seen his expression then, full of belated surprise and fear... He had fallen for you without realizing it, and was terrified of almost missing out on you."

Ava waved her hand. "I'm incredibly charming, I'm really sorry."

"Haha."

Cillian glanced at the crowd and whispered, "Have some pity on my brother; he's mustering the courage to walk towards you." Ava turned to look, and Tim was weaving through the crowd, his steps unwavering, pointing directly at Ava.

She asked in a low voice, "Is he so jealous that he's going to beat you up?"

"He is not someone who would be driven by jealousy or prejudice."

Cillian picked up a glass of milk, a smile on his face.

Tim approached the two of them, first giving Cillian a fierce look, then looking at Ava with fear and unease, taking several deep breaths.

I understand that you have someone else in your heart.

After hesitating for a while, Tim extended his hand, "But I still want to invite you to dance, okay?"

Consider it fulfilling a small wish of mine.

Ava suppressed a laugh, pretending to be aloof, while Cillian raised his glass to hide his expression, and Mick stood not far away, secretly observing everything.

After enjoying the inexplicable sense of victory, Ava raised her hand and placed it on Tim's palm.

"Well, I'll reluctantly agree then..."

"Everyone!"

The urgent shouts interrupted the people's dancing.

Ava looked in the direction of the sound and saw Paul running toward the group in a panic, waving his hands and opening his mouth as if to say something.

Suddenly, a crimson light rose from the wilderness, like a blazing sun, illuminating most of White Cliff Town. The celebration froze at this moment, casting a scarlet glow on everyone's faces.

The crimson sun's rays intensified once more, and the blazing winds, like untamed beasts, surged from the wilderness, crashing relentlessly against the high walls.

boom--

Wherever the foehn winds passed, the air ignited, twisting into scorching waves. The sand and gravel on the ground were instantly baked to a boiling point, crackling and popping. The dust raised in the foehn winds turned into wisps of rising blue smoke, drifting into the blood-red night sky.

The high wall blocked the first wave of the foehn wind, but soon, amidst the violent tremors, the gaps between the bricks and stones were mercilessly torn, widened, and peeled off, falling to the ground and stirring up plumes of scalding dust.

A pebble struck the running Bohr, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground, before struggling to get back up.

"Father!"

Ava ran uncontrollably toward Pol, but was pulled back by Cillian who was standing nearby.

The foehn winds had already swept in, instantly knocking down large numbers of people and tearing the magnificent decorations along the way to shreds.

At the critical moment, Cillian shielded Ava with his body, and tables and chairs flew wildly, landing on him and smashing to pieces.

Ava's eyes were vacant, her face was pale, and her pupils were constricted.

Something had scratched Ava—perhaps a scattering of wood chips, or maybe a broken knife or fork. Her hands were covered in a dense network of bloodstains, and her delicate skirt was torn and covered in dust.

"Ha ha……"

Ava's chest heaved violently until it turned into uncontrollable, rapid breathing.

The cries and groans rose and fell from all corners of the square, like a sudden awakening from a beautiful dream, dragging everyone back to the nightmare reality.

"Father!"

Ava broke free of Cillian's protection and searched for Paul in a disheveled state.

Horrible burns covered Pol's entire body, with the skin and flesh of his five fingers even sticking together.

"Ai..."

Paul called out to his daughter incoherently, "I...I'm so cold..."

The intense heat scorched Bohr's body, but his body underwent a completely opposite change.

Fine ice crystals crawled along the surface of the skin, the mouth and nose were filled with scattered ice fragments, and the eyeballs were frozen solid.

A low, hoarse groan escaped as Pol arched his body little by little, his skin covered in bluish scales and his sharp fangs piercing his lips.

Ava watched helplessly as her father gradually transformed into a monster, her mind going completely blank.

A low growl came from Pol's body. He suddenly stood up, his sticky fingers sprouting sharp claws, and slashed down at Ava's throat.

A sharp sword light flashed, and Tim strode forward, severing Pol's arm, followed by a fatal blow that beheaded him.

"Ava!"

Tim grabbed Ava's hand and called her name, but Ava just stood there, staring at her father's body, unable to hear anything.

Everything happened so fast that even Cillian stood there bewildered.

"Get out of here!"

Mick's shout brought Cillian back to reality.

A short figure emerged from the wreckage, pulled out a dagger hidden in his sleeve, and his young, handsome face was filled with anticipation.

"Sword!" Tim shouted at Cillian, "Where is your sword!"

Cillian reached for his waist, but found nothing.

"My...my sword..."

When he was dancing with Ava, Cirion had laid down his sword, but now, under the onslaught of the scorching winds, it had long since vanished into the wreckage.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Cillian cursed himself inwardly. He had always adhered to his beliefs, so why today, why at this moment...?

A long sword came into Cirion's view.

Tim picked up the dazed Ava with one arm and handed her his longsword with the other, urging her on.

"What are you still doing?"

Ciri took the longsword, his gaze sharp and piercing.

“The high walls can’t hold,” Cillian said. “Tim, take everyone and retreat to the Lighthouse!”

Tim asked, "Where's the teacher?"

"over there."

Ciri could sense the energy reaction under the crimson sun. Nun was there.

"Protect her, protect everyone, Tim!"

Cillian loosened his suffocating tie and walked toward the blazing, burning wall.

"Of course!"

Even at a time like this, Tim could still laugh and tease, "Cillian, you better not die, or Ava will be captivated by my heroic rescue!"

"You have to live too, don't let it be the other way around!"

Cillian actually went along with him and made this inappropriate and deadly joke.

But none of them could laugh.

Tim loudly directed the townspeople to rescue the wounded and move to safety, while Mick climbed to a high point on a nearby building, vigilantly observing the surroundings.

Ava knelt blankly to the side, her mind unable to accept this sudden despair. Her gaze wandered aimlessly until it met Cillian's eyes.

She seemed to snap out of her daze, her pale face struggling to remain calm, and she nodded gently to Cillian.

For some reason, Cillian felt a sudden, inexplicable panic. He wanted to look at Ava a few more times, as if a dark fate awaited him not far away.

It seems that Cirion will lose something if he leaves...

But Ciri had no time to think about any of this; his soul essence burned, and his source energy surged and churned.

Cillian lost all expression, as if he had put on a stern iron mask, and stepped forward with his sword.

(End of this chapter)