"You..."
Gilan broke the silence by speaking.
"It's not already..."
"Yes, he's dead."
Mr. Stork nodded, sighed, and continued his sentence.
Gilan's mouth was slightly open, her face full of confusion.
"But, before I died, I seemed to see a beam of Iridescence light descend from the sky and envelop me..."
Mr. Stork took off his hat, wrung out the water, and slowly explained.
He looked bewildered.
"After that, I was in a state of confusion, wandering aimlessly in a mysterious white fog... But I had a feeling that this state wouldn't last long, and perhaps after a while, I would disappear completely."
"Until I heard your voice, Mr. Snowy Owl."
His expression turned serious, and he smiled as he put his hat back on.
"My consciousness returned to my senses, and then I fell into the Black Sea. I followed my survival instinct and climbed ashore, drawn by the firelight."
"Yes, my situation is similar to Mr. Stork's."
Mr. Oystercatcher nodded in agreement.
Miss Seagull lifted her head from Gilan's embrace, her wet, short, black hair clinging to her pale face, making her look rather disheveled. But her expression held an indescribable joy, and her eyes shone brightly.
"I never thought I'd see you again, I'm so... so happy!"
As if she had experienced death, she became less reserved and laughed frankly.
Miss Seagull pulled Gilan along to the Cross-Sword Bonfire and sat down on the ground. Then she turned her head, stared straight at him, and said:
"Thank you. You protected me and everyone else once again."
"Yes, I should thank you again this time, Mr. Snowy Owl."
Mr. Stork also sat down, warmed himself by the fire, and said with deep emotion.
"Regarding our strange state, I have a hypothesis... Perhaps our physical bodies have indeed died, but we are now existing in the world as spirits, still retaining our memories and consciousness from our previous life."
"It's you who kept us from completely perishing."
His eyes were deep, and he spoke solemnly to Gilan.
" Mr. Stork, are you saying that the three of us are now just souls?"
Mr. Oystercatcher, standing nearby, gaped in astonishment at this guess.
He turned to look at Miss Seagull again, and stammered:
"But according to the Church of Hope, after death, the soul either goes to heaven or Hell?"
That's right...
Miss Seagull spoke, but then hesitated. Everything she had experienced told her that what the church said might not necessarily be the truth.
"But who can explain these mysterious forces? The fact that we haven't gone to heaven or Hell yet is the best example of that," she said.
"Although we haven't completely disappeared, we seem to be subject to some kind of limitation."
Mr. Stork raised a hand to warm it by the fire and looked down to examine it.
The palm appeared to be substantial, yet it inexplicably possessed a hazy, water-like quality, like a reflection on a surface of water.
He then moved his hand away from the campfire and stretched it into the darkness behind him.
A short while later, he withdrew his hand, and the hazy feeling intensified, as if it had been distorted.
His entire palm looked as if it were covered by frosted glass, blurry and indistinct, but gradually became clearer under the firelight.
Mr. Stork looked up and addressed the crowd:
"We survived thanks to Mr. Snowy Owl's Cross-Sword Bonfire; its light not only warmed us but also sheltered us."
His expression turned serious.
"Once we leave the range of the campfire's light, we will most likely perish completely."
"We can only survive by relying on the campfire!"
Upon hearing this, Mr. Oystercatcher and Miss Seagull immediately became solemn. They nodded, understanding Mr. Stork's words.
Gilan was also quite surprised.
He realized something.
Perhaps it was the " Iridescence " that captured the souls of Mr. Stork and his companions, and led them to the Mind Kingdom, allowing them to survive.
This was so amazing, yet it also surprised him.
"I'm also very happy to see you all again..."
Gilan let out a long sigh of relief and laughed.
He stood up, looked at his three friends by the campfire in the night, their faces flushed red by the firelight, and solemnly said:
"You will stay here for now. As long as you are not truly dead, I believe that one day we will find a way to bring you back to reality."
*
*
*
The next morning.
Chirp chirp...
Several goldfinches landed on the third-floor windowsill, swaying their little heads and curiously staring at the blond youth lying on the bed inside the glass window, chattering away.
The dazzling sunlight streamed into the master bedroom, illuminating the room brightly.
A bright and cheerful atmosphere, mixed with a warm and cozy feeling, quietly lingered in the air.
Gilan slowly opened her eyes.
He turned to look at the sun outside the window and couldn't help but smile.
I got out of bed, quickly changed into a white shirt and trousers, opened the door, and went to the bathroom to wash up.
As I came out and entered the living room, I saw Miss Sparrow wearing an apron, carrying a plate to the square table in the dining area on the left.
She moved clumsily, but very carefully.
After arranging the food on the plate, he nervously rubbed his hands together.
Just then, Miss Sparrow seemed to sense someone behind her, quickly turned around, and upon seeing Gilan, was first taken aback, then smiled with narrowed eyes:
Good morning, Mr. Snowy Owl.
As she spoke, she clutched her apron and said awkwardly:
"I've prepared some simple breakfast. It's not as good as what you get in a restaurant, but it'll save you some money... After all, prices in the capital are so high."
"Thank you," Gilan said with a smile. "You've really gone to a lot of trouble."
He went over and saw four plates on the table. Two slices of toasted white bread were spread with mayonnaise, and a fried egg and bacon were thoughtfully added in the middle. They were then cut in half diagonally, making for a simple sandwich.
Also served were fried sausages, meatball soup, mashed potatoes, and a cup of homemade tree bark milk tea.
Gilan took a bite of the sandwich first.
Miss Sparrow stared intently at him, biting her lip and clenching her small hands.
Gilan chewed her food, raising an eyebrow.
"Not bad." He smiled and pulled out a chair for Miss Sparrow. "Let's eat together."
Upon hearing this, Miss Sparrow chuckled.
Gilan didn't make any polite remarks.
Actually, the sandwiches tasted quite good.
It wasn't exceptionally delicious, but it was above average. It's clear that Miss Sparrow put a lot of effort into it.
Although she was a rich young lady who lived a life of luxury and was waited on hand and foot, a simple breakfast like this didn't necessarily require exceptional culinary skills.
Those soap opera girls in my past life who couldn't make a proper breakfast were all lies. According to the plot, the male lead would usually endure the unpalatability, force himself to swallow it, and praise the girl's cooking skills, after which their relationship would heat up.
"Really?" Miss Sparrow sat down, picked up the other half of the sandwich, took a bite, and then her eyes lit up. "Mmm, delicious!"
Gilan smiled and tried the food on the other plates.
The results were all pretty good.
Especially that Sticky Bark Milk Tea, it tastes quite similar to the one at the Swan Cafe.
The two ate breakfast and chatted for a while, and their moods improved.
At this moment, Gilan suddenly spoke:
" Miss Sparrow, actually... Mr. Stork, Mr. Oystercatcher, and Miss Seagull, those three are not dead."
"?!"
Miss Sparrow, with a sausage stuck in her hand, looked up and stared at him blankly.
Gilan took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
He managed to fall asleep sitting up.
After a while.
He woke up again, opened his eyes, turned his head and looked behind him. Suddenly, Mr. Stork and the other two appeared behind the chair.
Gilan turned back and smiled at Miss Sparrow.
He seemed to be anticipating the look of surprise on her face.
However, Miss Sparrow just watched him quietly, biting her lip, her expression gradually turning sad and worried.
After a long pause, she seemed to have mustered her courage before cautiously speaking:
" Mr. Snowy Owl... you are ill."