"I once entertained a delusional fantasy while teetering on the brink of mental collapse."
The young man stretched out trembling hands and gently took the children's cold little hands, speaking in a choked whisper.
"In that place, there was no Sin City, no Butcher. There was only a human city hidden within the Hidden Realm, and an ordinary family living in the slums."
"You were all there. Though life was poor, every one of you loved life and looked forward to the future."
"Then I appeared. I met you, came to know you, became acquainted with you, and completely became part of it all. In the end, I decided to take you away from that remote city—to the world outside, to the Holy Light Pure Land, to the prosperous cities where humanity was truly meant to live."
"And you gladly accepted my idea."
"And so, in the end, we left hand in hand, waving goodbye together to the city of Sin City."
Ye Chen's brows were tightly furrowed, his tone heavy, his eyes brimming with sorrow.
"Now."
"How I wish it were real!"
"How I wish I could save you from your fate!"
"How I wish I could truly take your whole family away!"
"Take you to the Holy Light Pure Land!"
"So you could return to that beautiful land and once again have peaceful, happy lives!"
"I..."
"How!"
"I wish!"
"That. All. Of. This. Could. Come. True!"
As Ye Chen spoke, his voice grew ever more choked, tears streaming down without cease.
The young man's sudden display and words completely bewildered the children.
With their memories in disarray, the Daige Siblings still had no idea what their fate had become, and naturally could not understand what Ye Chen was talking about at this point.
Yet although they could make