The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 36: Underground

"They?" Lumian was surprised to hear Raymond's response.

He originally thought that Raymond had "drowned himself" in the river, becoming a sacrifice to some entity. But now it seemed that someone else was involved, not just an invisible force dragging Raymond into the water.

"Who are they?" Aurore asked the question.

Raymond's expression twisted and stiffened. His eyes were filled with both hatred and a dullness, and he shouted angrily:

"Pons Bénet! It was Pons Bénet and his men!

"They held me down in the water!"

After Ava and I left the riverside, Pons Bénet and his thugs appeared where Raymond had come ashore, holding him down in the river, drowning him alive to make him a sacrifice? Based on Raymond's few words, Lumian pieced together what might have happened.

The entire Lent Festival had turned into a sacrificial ritual to some sinister entity!

Aurore continued to ask for details, but Raymond kept repeating the same few phrases, as if that was all he could remember.

Sigh, we definitely missed the best time for the séance... We can only gather some residual obsessions... Aurore thought for a moment and decided to ask Raymond something he might remember clearly, or perhaps not at all:

"Did they sacrifice you to some being?

"What are its characteristics? Where is it?"

This time, Aurore was smarter and didn't directly ask for a full name. She just wanted to collect some peripheral information to help with her judgment.

She believed that if Raymond's spirit was still aware during the sacrifice, he would have "seen," "heard," or felt something and left a deep impression; otherwise, he wouldn't.

Raymond froze, transparent tears tinged with blood gathering in his eyes.

Lumian watched him with a tense expression, his hands unknowingly clenched.

Suddenly, Raymond shouted:

"Underground! Underneath the church!"

What? Aurore almost doubted her ears.

Considering her earlier question, Raymond was clearly saying that the being he was sacrificed to was hidden beneath the church!

That's impossible. It's the Fifth Epoch; how could a god walk the earth? Aurore calmed herself and thought that Raymond's spirit, which was only a fragment of his obsessions and a bit of spirituality, was giving a very confused response, obsessing over just a few points. In other words, he might not be pointing to something beneath the church, but rather reacting out of instinct.

But regardless of whether Raymond was making a truthful answer or just repeating his obsession, there must be something wrong under the church, something hiding a key part of the sacrificial ritual!

Aurore could only hope that the secret hidden there wasn't too terrifying or exaggerated.

She asked about other matters, but Raymond's spirit kept repeating, "They drowned me," "Pons Bénet," and "underneath the church."

Seeing that there would be no further revelations, Aurore ended the séance, watching as Raymond's figure disappeared above the candle flame, and the eerie blue tint on the altar quickly faded away.

After dismissing the Wall of Spirituality, she found Lumian standing there, lost in thought, not saying a word.

"What are you thinking about?" Aurore waved a hand in front of her brother's eyes.