Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

Those were such beautiful eyes, as if they could steal one's soul.

Lyle was breathing heavily; in fact, he was almost out of breath. The curtain he pulled was a mechanism, and a refreshing, exotic fragrance filled his nose and mouth.

The body wants to enter a state of dormancy; even the heart in the chest cavity wants to rest.

Shui Shui emerged, its flying tentacles burrowing into Lyle's mouth and nose, struggling against the taste that had already seeped into his body.

Lyle could only watch in silence, slowly closing his eyes.

It slumbers along with this underground city.

……

"Gurgle!"

"He'll be alright."

Lyle could vaguely hear a voice and felt as if he were in a dream.

A pair of gentle hands lifted me up, as if I were floating above the clouds.

I don't know how long this state lasted, until the warmth of the light soothed my eyelids.

Lyle slowly opened his eyes, still half asleep.

My eyesight is like it's gone nearsighted; I can only see a blurry figure.

A familiar silhouette, some pristine white dresses, an alluring charm.

"Ariana?"

She didn't reply, but gently placed Lyle on the grass.

It departed like a drifting cloud.

His heart felt like that of a patient who had just woken up, and the tingling sensation of blood flowing again throughout his body followed. His heart was still aching slightly. Lyle lay on the grass, finally regaining his senses.

I narrowly escaped death.

Lyle complained about his carelessness.

Still feeling a bit tired, I decided to rest for a while. Surrounded by lush green forests, I was led out of Naslan's Tomb.

I lay on the grass, looking up at the clear sky through the leaves.

The temperature suddenly dropped, as if the sun had already set and the earth had lost its warmth.

Lyle stood up, looked up at the sky, and saw that the light had not diminished in the slightest.

Where does this chill come from?

When Lyle looked down, he noticed a pale, cold face with venomous eyes staring intently at him.

We're old acquaintances.

This is a ghost, a vengeful spirit carrying a strong negative aura.

It appeared out of nowhere, behind an ordinary tree, in Lyle's sight.

One, two, three, four...

When he came to his senses, he found himself surrounded by ghosts, their faces staring at Lyle, the chill of which almost froze him.

What happened? Did I stumble upon the world's seventh day after death?

"The Plague Doctor." Lyle's familiar figure appeared behind the dense horde of ghosts.

The white dress is like a daffodil by the lake, paired with a matching lady's hat and a pale blue scarf that is occasionally fluttering in the breeze.

Ariana is just as beautiful today, even among the ghosts.

"What are you doing here, Ariana?"

Ariana tilted her head, and the peacock feathers on her lady's hat stood up straight from the left.

“I am taking a walk with my servants. As for why I am here, it is because this is my front door.”

Following Ariana's directions, the trees transformed into phantoms, revealing a magnificent castle nestled in the mountains, surrounded by flowers. Sunlight shone on the castle's spires, like a shimmering headdress adorning this beautiful woman.

"This is Naslan Castle, my home."

This is the entrance to the secret realm of Naslan Castle.

Chapter 113 The Beauty of Skeletons

As Ariana waved, the horde of ghosts returned to her.

She clapped her hands. "Everyone, our walk is over for today. Time to go home."

The ghost made a sound, which was eerie and incomprehensible.

Ariana nodded and looked at Lyle.

“Plague Doctor, what brings you here? If not,” Ariana grabbed Lyle’s arm, “please come in and take a look.”

Lyle didn't answer, and Ariana didn't need his answer either. She took Lyle's arm and led him into Nathran's flower world, followed by a group of ghosts.

As the two walked, the grass automatically bent down, revealing their footprints. The flowers turned their calyxes, always showing off their beauty. Brightly colored butterflies fluttered around Ariana, and the breeze flapping their wings made Ariana's long dress even lighter.

Between this natural garden and Naslan's castle lies a vast lake, where a gentle breeze ripples across its mirror-like surface. On the lakeshore, fallen leaves become small boats, drifting away into the shimmering waves.

Ariana seemed to be hopping around; at least Lyle could feel the lightness of her steps. Occasionally, a ghost would cut in line, its pale face passing through Lyle's body and staring at his face. In this cheerful atmosphere, Lyle returned a smile, but he wasn't sure if he noticed. Perhaps, in the ghost's eyes, it was just a bird-like figure with a pointed beak staring at him with those glassy eyes.

It's tasteless; let's go back to where we were.

A butterfly with orange-red wings landed on Lyle's finger, the hand that was tightly clasped with Ariana's. It fluttered its wings, its antennae slapping against the leather glove, seemingly curious about this new thing as well.

Instead of heading to the castle, the two went to the back of a dark grove of trees.

Before Lyle could even form any thoughts, the scene before him dispelled all doubts.

Groups of tombstones.

Ariana waved to the horde of ghosts. "Everyone, it's time to rest."

Having received the order, the ghosts all crawled into their own graves.

Ariana did not leave. Instead, she and Lyle entered the cemetery. In a prominent spot, there was a shady area built by a winding grapevine, and beneath it, a stone coffin was placed. The tombstone placed in front of it was only partially completed, with only a name engraved on it.

Arianna Naslan.

"Ariana, what is this?"

"I designed my own coffin and tombstone."

“After that accident, Helena, Beatrice and I survived. To stay with Helena, Beatrice and I chose our own paths. I joined Andre. However, my former servants have trouble sleeping. One of the things I do every day is to soothe their ghosts, hoping that one day they can let go of their resentment and find peace.”

"...Did you succeed?"

"Someday it will happen. No matter how deep their obsession is, I will always be with them, forever."

"But I'm also very curious about what death feels like. If I had chosen a different path, if I had chosen to say goodbye to my sisters, to sleep in a coffin, buried under the green grass, I'm very curious about what that would have felt like."

"So I'm going to give it a try."

Lyle looked at the sarcophagus in front of him. "So, have you found that feeling?"

Ariana shook her head. "No, every time I lie down, I think of other things and wake up quickly. Just lying there is really boring."

“But not now,” Ariana’s voice was filled with excitement, “because you’re here. As long as you and Shui Shui are here, I’m sure I won’t be bored.”

“So, Plague Doctor,” Ariana said eagerly, “let’s take a nap together.”

"Inside the coffin?"

"Uh-huh!"

Put aside any ominous thoughts in your mind. You're a spirit medium now, so what's there to be afraid of?

"It is my honor to be buried with Ariana."

"Hehe, lie down quickly."

The stone coffin was neither too big nor too small; it could easily fit one person, but two people would feel cramped.

Lyle couldn't turn his head because of the bird beak on the Plague Doctor's mask; he could only lie flat, and even when he lay down, the bird beak would leave a small sharp point on the outside of the sarcophagus. Ariana lay on her side, facing Lyle, her body pressed tightly against his, and Lyle could feel his own heart pounding wildly.

Touching Ariana's body felt like touching a cloud, probably due to some kind of magical concealment.

The thought of physical contact was dismissed.

Shui Shui curled up into a small ball on Lyle's belly, while Ariana stretched out her arm and stroked Shui Shui's body.

Her voice held a hint of a smile, "I think I can feel it, this peace..."

Ariana's voice gradually faded, and the movement of her arms slowed down, as if she had fallen asleep.

Lyle couldn't turn his head and couldn't see her face.

But what Lyle saw was this scene before him.

A pair of transparent hands gripped the edge of the sarcophagus, followed by ghostly heads peeking out. These former servants did not hibernate as Ariana had ordered; they lay on Ariana's sarcophagus like parents watching their child sleep.

"Ah..." Lyle was about to wake her up when he saw the ghosts raise a finger to their lips in a human-like manner, their synchronized silencing motion was truly oppressive.

Realizing that the little master's new tool wouldn't cause any more trouble, the ghost's expression relaxed considerably.

Water was lying on Lyle's body, and Ariana's hand was on Water's head.

Above Ariana's palm, overlapping ghostly hands covered hers, silently radiating light.

Lyle thought to himself that their obsession was probably with Ariana, their master.

How can this obsession be eliminated?

The silence lasted for hours, until Lyle's body began to ache, until Ariana woke up, and until the sun went down.

Lyle said goodbye to Ariana, and the subsequent trip to the castle was canceled. It was too late, and he had to go back to meet up with Ralph.

After Lyle left, Ariana stared at the tombstone in front of her for a long time without saying a word.

A mocking voice appeared behind her.

Beatrice held a wine glass and a bottle of wine in her hand, her pale face flushed from drinking. "I think I just saw your little lover run out, my sister."