At dead of night...
At this moment, the lights in the Lighthouse City Lord's office were still dim and yellow.
Who knew why the master of this place kept them that way? Perhaps he was simply trying to save energy. Perhaps he didn't want others to see his face clearly. Or perhaps there was some shady business going on here?
In any case!
Whatever the reason, he simply refused to turn on all the lights in the City Lord's hall. He wouldn't even let the place become a little brighter.
"..."
Amid the shifting light and shadows, Charles, the current City Lord of the Lighthouse and head of the Church of Light and Shadow, sat slumped on the City Lord's throne, looking haggard.
A black eyepatch covered his right eye. The empty sleeve of his left arm swayed gently in the breeze from the open window. He sat there with his coat open, motionless as if he were already dead.
Anyone who came closer would easily notice that the scarlet rot had eaten into his exposed chest. It looked like countless horrible, knotted earthworms, leaving dreadful red-black marks across his skin.
It was clear that his condition had worsened. The scarlet rot had spread to his chest and would soon reach his head.
By then, death would be his only fate!
"..."
Just then, the Light Bearer, Fan Lu, approached Charles with light but hurried footsteps, carrying something in her hands.
She set it down, then glanced at Charles's faintly rising and falling chest. Her brows furrowed, and her heartache and worry were plain on her face.
Then, as usual, she carefully examined Charles and tended to his wounds. Her practiced movements made it obvious that she had repeated the same routine countless times.
"Ah..."
"The scarlet rot has spread