Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1437 Stealing Destiny?

After the curtains were drawn, the scrutinizing gaze of the portly owner of the "Unique" nightclub was kept out of the bar.

Lumian Lee returned to the bar area, located at the far back of the tavern, where the light was so dim that only the outline of the bar could be seen. He then picked up a glass that he had wiped countless times and began to wipe it again with a cloth.

Compared to the nightclub across the street, the first floor of the "Alone" bar was very quiet. A few customers sat in a corner, savoring the seemingly endless drinks, completely ignoring the bartender Lumian's absence from his post, as if they were not paying attention to what was happening around them and were not thinking at all.

Lumian knew that they truly did not think.

Apart from the intelligence personnel who occasionally come to this "Eighth Bureau" to exchange information and change shifts, most of the guests and staff on the surface are actually secret agents!
Having met a seasoned "Master of Puppets," Lumian knew that before becoming a demigod, an extraordinary being in this sequence could only possess a maximum of three puppets, not even enough to fill the lobby on the first floor of the bar, let alone the puppet shows in the cellar, which usually had a dozen or twenty "audience members" watching. The person behind the scenes who could control so many puppets must be a saint.

Of course, Lumian didn't know the other person. He usually only communicated with the expressionless man who guarded the cellar, pretending that the other person was the real person. The other person also pretended that Lumian thought he was the real person. The two of them understood each other without saying a word.

Just like how the "Eighth Bureau" knew perfectly well that Lumian was a follower of the End Times Church, but still pretended not to know and continued to assign him tasks.

Adding to my identity as a minor member of the "Tarot Club" that is unlikely to be exposed, and the secret gathering my sister attended, I now have so many identities that I have to consider which one to choose every time I go out... His lips twitched slightly, but he held back from laughing out loud, lest the secret partners in the bar notice something amiss.

However, even if the Eighth Bureau finds out about these secret identities, Lumian will most likely not be in any trouble.

After all, the full name of this organization is "the Eighth Bureau under the Intis Intelligence and Homeland Security Committee". As long as it can protect national security and handle supernatural events, it is not the first time that it has cooperated with major churches.

In fact, after gaining a great deal of occult knowledge from the Tarot Society and the "Curly-haired Baboon Research Society" that Aurora Lee attended, Lumian deduced that the current leader of the Eighth Bureau, an angel of the "Diviner" pathway, had likely become a believer in the "Church of the Fool," and that the Tarot Society was likely founded by that "Fool." Strictly speaking, Lumian and the head of the Eighth Bureau were "colleagues" in another sense.

This might be one of the reasons why he is often assigned relatively easy and safe tasks.

In Trier, having more identities means having more options... With that thought, Lumian wiped the wine glasses even more lightly.

But he quickly realized that what happened today required him to write an observation report, and it had to be in quadruplicate: one for Colonel Leah of the Eighth Bureau, one for Archbishop Severia of the End Times Church, one for Lady Chariot of the Tarot Society, and one for his sister Aurora. He immediately stopped laughing.

After all, those two girls had directly contacted Gerdruf, the owner of the "Unique" cabaret, and it's suspected they even took an item from him. Although the girls claimed it was something they left in the cabaret, according to Lumian's observation, the three guests who got off the carriage and entered the cabaret from beginning to end had no interaction with her, so it's unlikely she would steal something in front of a "conspirator".

Fortunately, he had already memorized the physical characteristics of the two girls, which he could later hand over to professionals for divination to obtain more information.

These things are none of my business... Tsk, at such a crucial moment, Franka and Jenna actually went on a trip, saying they were going to the Eastern Continent. Otherwise, I could have asked them to help me write part of the report... Thinking of these two witches, Lumian frowned.

Although the three of them had formed a team early on and had a very close relationship, he, as the only male, often seemed like a third party.

It's okay, I have Aurora... He collected his thoughts, put down his gleaming glass, and pretended to unconsciously stroll to the bar entrance, his gaze once again drifting towards the "Unique" nightclub door.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Leaving the old streets and passing through the somewhat dilapidated "Eternal Sun" church with few worshippers, Christina and Dorothy arrived at the largest square in the Trier Observatory district.

This area is elevated above the surrounding area, with prominent viewing platforms all around. There are many coin-operated telescopes, souvenir stalls, and even a service shop that specializes in taking travel photos and can print them out on the spot.

If it weren't for the genie's urgent request, Tina would have liked to stop and explore the area, enjoying the exotic atmosphere. After all, it was unlikely that she and Dorothy would return to this city anytime soon, and she also possessed the Intis language proficiency granted by the "Wishing Lamp."

Her gaze swept over the many oddly dressed tourists who were clearly from the mysterious Western Continent, and then looked at the buildings in the center of the square one by one. Tina quickly found her target.

It was an ancient hall made up of huge relief stone pillars and the triangular dome they supported. Inside, there were staircases leading directly underground, which led to the dark and mysterious underground tombs of Trier.

Of course, this was all told to her by the "genie".

Thinking of this, Tina touched the "wishing lamp" through her handbag to make sure it hadn't been stolen again, before silently calling upon the entity inside the sealed artifact:

"The genie?"

"I'm here."

The familiar voice, which had become familiar after a day together, rang out.

You still dare to say you are… Tina pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and continued:

"Were you planning to take this opportunity to get rid of me and Dorothy? Then find someone else to take you to the final seal, so you wouldn't have to pay us and could lower the other side's reward? I don't believe an ordinary thief could steal you so easily. Aren't you some level 0 sealed artifact?"

If the genie hadn't tacitly approved or even condoned it, he could have completely distorted the act of "stealing," making those thieves not only unable to steal anything, but even stuffing money into Tina's handbag!

The moment her question entered Dorothy's mind, the genie replied in a helpless tone:

"I had no choice. The 'Wishing Lamp' was indeed stolen, but the one who stole it and took it from me was an avatar of the 'Thief,' an angel. His true form even briefly served as a deity on this path. It's not something I, with my power sealed, can easily interfere with."

"Let alone a level 0 sealed artifact, if He wanted to, stealing your identity, destiny, and all social relationships would not be difficult. Of course, He wouldn't do that; I'm just illustrating how terrifying He is."

"He is Amon, the former 'Angel of Time,' 'Blasphemer,' and the embodiment of 'error'..."

Could the angelic "Thief" be Gerdruf Trensost, who played the "Lovers" card?
Tina immediately thought of the chubby middle-aged man with short brass hair, wearing a monocle and a kind smile, and then felt a sense of fear at the genie's ability to "steal fate and identity."

What does it mean to steal one's destiny?

Dorothy, standing nearby, asked warily and suspiciously.

"Simply put, He can steal your identity and follow you home. Your parents will treat Him as their daughter, your sister will treat Him as her older sister, your neighbors will treat Him as the well-behaved and lovely girl next door, your classmates and your friends will all think He is you, while you yourself will lose contact with everything and die little by little."

The genie lowered his voice and explained in a murmur that seemed to come from a distant place.

Tina and Dorothy both took a deep breath, imagining the bizarre scene in their minds.

"Fortunately, after being defeated by that 'Fool' and having his divine position stolen, Amon's actions have become much more restrained. His true form spends most of his time wandering the stars, searching for extraterrestrial civilizations to carry out his pranks. This world only retains a few strongholds similar to the 'Unique' cabaret we just saw, providing him with some anchors of faith and material for his pranks..." the genie continued.

"You mean, that Gerdruf who's holding the 'Lovers' card and is likely an angel is just an incarnation of Amon?"

Tina suddenly realized what was happening and pressed for an answer.

After a rare sigh, the genie replied:

"This cannot be judged by self-awareness or extraordinary power. It is unlikely that Amon could deeply parasitize everyone who visits the cabaret and turn them into one of His clones, but the key ones should all be... The special feature of the 'Thief' pathway is that if I fully recover my power, it will not be difficult for me to see His abnormality. For now... I can only suggest that you stay away from all people who wear a monocle in their right eye."

"Like this?"

Dorothy suddenly curled her lips into a smile and asked in a teasing tone. Then she took out a crystal monocle with a gold frame engraved with patterns and looked very delicate from her skirt pocket, and awkwardly clipped it onto her right eye socket.

In that instant, the air in Purgatory Square seemed to stop flowing, the surrounding noise vanished, and the whole world fell into silence.

"Haha, if you were a little more skilled, I might have fallen for it."

The genie let out a magnificent, layered laugh, and a gentle breeze swept through the square once more, carrying with it the sounds of conversations in various languages ​​to Tina and Dorothy.

But the two of them caught the hint of hesitation in His tone.

This guy must be terrified… Tina chuckled inwardly, then looked at her sister with a puzzled expression and asked:
"Where did you get that monocle? It doesn't look cheap."

"It appeared in my pocket when we said goodbye to that 'lover'... Maybe it was him, no, He secretly put it there?"

Dorothy adjusted her glasses, then realized something and took out the card with the slogan "Lovers' Night." She found that the monocle image that was originally drawn on it had disappeared, leaving only a few lines of cursive characters.

"I see. If I accept the invitation to the party on the last day of each month, I might become possessed by Him, or become one of the 'Amun followers,' just like those people in short suits dancing on the dance floor..."

She guessed in a probing tone.

The world of mysticism is terrifying! If it weren't for some inexplicable "arrangement," and the fact that the angels and saints we encountered were all quite friendly, Dorothy and I would probably have met with something horrific long ago… This is because we are just ordinary people, without any extraordinary powers… Tina's gaze lingered on Dorothy's face, who was wearing a monocle, for a moment. She pursed her lips and said:

"Let's go, before it gets dark, let's fulfill the 'genie's' wish."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Following the stairs inside the stone building, the two entered the underground area of ​​Purgatory Square, and together with a large number of tourists, walked into a path separated by stone pillars and partition walls.

Here, we've sunk deep underground. The winding staircases block out the sunlight. Although there's a lamp every so often on the walls on both sides, the dim light can't fully illuminate the entire path. Darkness and light alternate as we extend deeper into the ground.

A public guide walked at the front of the group, carrying an old-fashioned lantern, and introduced the history of the catacombs in Intis. Even with the help of the "wishing lamp," Tina could only barely understand part of the content. She knew that the catacombs were divided into four levels, but only three levels were open to tourists. Moreover, it was best not to actually enter the third level, as it was huge, with winding paths, and it was very easy to get lost.

It is said that this place contains the remains of over a million people, some from the last one or two hundred years, others from the Solonian dynasty before the time of Roselle, and even some from the last era buried nearly a hundred meters underground. Even now, new tombs and ossuaries are being discovered from time to time.

Along with Tina and Dorothy, those preparing to enter the tomb included local university students, "outsiders" from other parts of Intis who came to pay their respects to the dead, and tourists from other countries, but the former were the most numerous, all youthful, energetic, and lively.

Of course, they all followed the rules of the underground cemetery, each holding a white candle.

According to the tour guide, this is a rule that has been in place since the underground cemetery was opened to the public. If you do not bring a candle into the cemetery, or if you accidentally extinguish the candle inside, something terrible will happen.

It sounded like a candle-selling tactic... Tina instinctively thought it was a lie, until the bearded tour guide shoved a candle into her and Dorothy's hands and warned them in broken Rune that they had to light the candles before going underground.

Walking along the dimly lit passage to its end, a naturally formed, yet later widened and reinforced, giant stone doorway appeared before Tina. The sides of the stone doorway were covered with exquisite but ancient reliefs of bones, skulls, levers, gears, and other elements. The edges were further decorated with more clearly defined carvings, such as swirling flames and twisted lines, which were obviously added not long ago.

Surrounded by reliefs, two short phrases are inscribed on the lintel above the stone gate:

"stop!
"Ahead lies the Empire of Death!"

Unfortunately, no tourists heeded this advice. One by one, with the help of the guide, they lit white candles and, in twos and threes, stepped through the doorway composed of various reliefs and entered the dark tomb. The scattered lights moved in different directions and quickly disappeared.

Tina and Dorothy exchanged a glance, holding the free candles, and followed several stylishly dressed college students through the gates of the "Empire of Death".

The walls, ceiling, and floor here are made of ancient stone bricks. The adhesive between the bricks has weathered and fallen off, forming irregular, deep cracks. The walls on both sides are riddled with holes, each containing one or more skeletons.

Seeing so many dead people for the first time, Tina felt a chill envelop her. In the darkness where the candlelight couldn't reach, something seemed to be moving. She involuntarily moved closer to Dorothy, trying to warm herself with her body, only to find that Dorothy was also trembling quietly.

The college students in front seemed to be used to this scene. They held their candles, laughed and walked away, and soon turned a corner and disappeared from Tina's sight.

Raphael Cemetery in Tingen wasn't so terrifying; everyone there was a stone tablet inlaid with photos and engraved with epitaphs... She clasped her hands together, letting the candlelight get closer to herself, and then she felt her body temperature warm up a bit.

To distract herself and avoid scaring herself, she silently invoked the genie:

"Is this tomb haunted? What if we accidentally extinguish the candles? Will we encounter ghosts?"

“This is Trier’s underground. If evil spirits were rampaging, they would have been dealt with by the official extraordinary beings long ago…” the Genie chuckled as he replied. “As for the purpose of the candles, they were originally part of a grand ritual to seal certain powers in Trier’s underground. But now they are just a tradition. You can follow them or not, but be careful not to let others see them, so as not to attract attention.”

"It means the candle is just for courage..." Tina muttered, glancing at the candle in her hand. Remembering the prank Dorothy played with her monocle earlier, she had an idea. She puffed out her cheeks and blew hard at the tiny flame.

call--

The candle in her hand went out instantly.

(End of this chapter)