Graveyard Encounters

Luther recognized the broken box; it had been one of the few possessions he and his siblings had when they were poor. Later, he became Nighthawks, earned a lot of money, and stopped paying attention to it. He never expected to see it again today.

He bent down, picked up the box, placed it on the table, and opened it.

The box contained some miscellaneous items.

On top were many needlework tools, two leather belts, and a piece of tough white cloth, probably the ones Cecilia used when she mended Luther's straitjacket. Luther noticed that one spool of thread stood out; it was a bright purple and looked completely unused.

This is...

Luther looked up at the clothes rack.

He saw the purple dress he had bought for his sister hanging there; she had only worn it once, to the theater. There was a noticeable tear in the hem of the dress, which she had deliberately torn to save herself from Ms. M.

Cecilia probably bought a spool of purple thread after that to sew the dress back together; she still cherished the dress she had bought for her.

However, she was unable to sew the skirt back on.

Luther silently picked up the odds and ends and set them aside. Under the sturdy white cloth and leather belt, he found a notebook. Opening it, he saw several 1 Pound and two-pound notes tucked inside. These were the pocket money Luther had left for Cecilia. The notebook contained a detailed Record of the Rondal family's daily income and expenses.

Cecilia seemed to be Consciousness saving money; she managed the household diligently and planned for a bright future.

Luther's fingers traced the delicate handwriting, stopping at the last expense in the ledger. It Record the cost of two tickets to the Tingen Grand Theatre, totaling 6 soli. Everything changed after that performance.

He put down the ledger and then Consciousness looked towards the deepest part of the box.

There's a small brush hidden inside.

The small brush Cecilia used when pasting matchboxes.

Luther's mind went blank for a moment.

A moment later, he picked up the brush and stared at it intently, as if possessed. His lips twitched, as if he were trying to force an extremely ugly smile.

Cecilia, didn't I tell you a long time ago that you could throw it away?

I promised you I would give you a good life.

In the end, this stubborn little girl still didn't listen to herself. Not only did she not throw away the brush, but she also didn't prioritize saving her own life. Instead, she sacrificed everything to ensure the survival of her irresponsible brother, Luther...

Luther suddenly felt very tired, as if his chest was empty, as if everything inside had disappeared.

To confirm, he put down the brush and placed his hand on his chest.

"Sizzle!"

He tore through the skin and Flesh.

"Snap!"

He broke his ribs.

"Puff!"

He pulled the heart out of it.

Luther looked down and saw that his heart was intact.

This heart, which survived only after consuming Cecilia, continues to beat shamelessly.

In the cool early spring, it steamed and pumped powerfully. It was completely unaware of its owner's mood at that moment, and even less aware of the risk that it might be crushed at any moment.

"Calm down."

M's voice rang out softly. Perhaps worried that her appearance would upset Luther, she didn't appear, but instead whispered in his ear, "Don't forget what you're living for now."

Luther remained silent, as if he hadn't heard M's words. He stared at his heart quietly for a while, and finally slowly put it back into his chest.

He didn't want to stay there any longer, so he quickly tidied up everything he had messed up, turned around, and walked out of the house.

The crimson Moon hung in the sky, illuminating the desolate courtyard. Luther's figure appeared very lonely in the moonlight as he walked into the depths of darkness.

After visiting one last place, he prepared to leave Tingen.

Raphael Cemetery, on the outskirts of Tingen North Borough.

The cemetery was quite quiet at night, Luther easily entered without disturbing the caretaker.

This is the Land of the Dead, with tombstones standing tall, casting rows of slanted shadows under the Crimson Moonlight. Those shadows quickly came to life, leaping and dancing, reading the inscriptions on the tombstones. Before long, three shadows floated up simultaneously, as if marking a spot, swaying high in the air.

Using this method, Luther found the three tombs he wanted to see.

The first grave belongs to Klein, and it bears a three-line epitaph:

[Best Brother;]

Best younger brother;

Best colleague.

The tombstone was clean, looking like it had just been wiped, and someone had left a wildflower in front of it.

Ah, it's probably that guy Frye...

Luther remembered that his colleagues had the task of regularly patrolling the cemetery, and it seemed that they had been taking care of this "deceased" comrade. If he didn't know that Klein was still alive, Luther would probably have been quite moved by this epitaph. But since the other man was still at sea doing well, he didn't feel much.

So he only glanced at the tombstone briefly before turning and walking towards another tombstone.

A black-and-white photograph hangs on the tombstone, showing a man with a slightly receding hairline looking at him with a gentle expression.

The epitaph below reads as follows:

Dunn Smith (August 16, 1314 – September 9, 1349)

The true Guardian;

The most trustworthy companion;

The eternal captain.

His tombstone was also very clean, and it was carefully cared for.

Luther stared blankly at the photograph.

"Long time no see, Captain."

He looked down at his blood-red robe and the aura of madness emanating from him, and said, "Now that I'm like this, do you still recognize me?"

Dunn's tombstone and grave stand in silent solitude.

Luther remained silent for a long time, as if unsure what to say. Should he tell him that he was already pursuing the true culprit, or that he had become Sequence 4 Extraordinary, an influential figure in the mystical world, and would soon return to the Church of Evernight to become one of the nine Senior Deacon?

If Dunn were still alive, he might be so shocked after hearing this that he'd probably lose a few hairs.

But he was already dead.

All Luther could do was keep those words in his heart until he avenged himself and others.

As if he could no longer face Dunn's gentle gaze, Luther fled in a disheveled manner, heading towards the last cemetery.

His own grave.

"Rustle..."

Leonard, carrying a shovel, walked along the central path of the cemetery.

He used his power slightly to put the cemetery guard to sleep, allowing him to swagger in. The cemetery was quiet at night. In the moonlight, he looked at each tombstone one by one, searching for something.

"!

Suddenly, Leonard looked in a certain direction, his expression abruptly changing.