West Coast lyrical rap played in the bar, its rhythm brisk yet tinged with melancholy, like the streetlights that came on at night in this city.
The moment he sat down, Lucifer noticed something unusual about the bar counter. It was not assembled from wooden planks, but carved from a single whole log. Judging by the grain, it had some age to it.
"This is timber from the Sails," the bartender explained as he polished a glass. "Sails Shipyard represented Seaside City's former glory. After that great ship was decommissioned, our boss bought one of its timbers. This is a nameplate from the city's history."
Lucifer ran his fingers over the slightly rough grain and said with some feeling, "Human history is not actually very long, yet you always find so many things worth commemorating in it. Clearly, those things have nothing to do with modern people anymore and can no longer offer you any protection, yet you are always proud of them."
One of Schiller's hands rested on the bar, while the other held a glass. He quietly watched the light fall across the surface of the liquor like a lighthouse beam upon the sea. Then he suddenly turned to Lucifer and said, "It seems you already have some ideas."
Lucifer nodded. "I have measured every patch of land on every continent on Earth with my own footsteps. I have seen a great many histories."
"When I was in the midst of them, I only marveled at humanity's chaos and disorder. But after everything ended, I suddenly realized that a single moment in my life was already a long stretch of history to humankind."
Lucifer raised his head and looked at the ceiling. "During my travels, I did not leave without taking any souvenirs. I collected a few little