Nightmare

Klein opened his mouth but said nothing. He looked at Neph, and after more than ten seconds of silence, he suddenly spoke:

"I just remembered something people say."

"What?" Neph asked.

Klein looked at her and said, "Blink if you've been kidnapped."

Neph blinked.

Klein couldn't help laughing. He shook his head and said:

"I don't know much about faith, but I think there's one thing we'd better make sure of.

"Neph, when it comes to the Apocalypse, do you still stand by your original position?"

"Of course." Neph nodded without hesitation.

Klein looked at her and said, "That's enough."

Neph froze briefly, then fell silent. She hadn't come to genuinely identify with the True Creator, nor had she been deceived.

It was simply that a complex mix of emotions had planted the seed of faith. That trace of faith was too shallow to stand firm in the face of fundamental questions of right and wrong.

And faith of that degree was actually perfectly normal.

So Neph relaxed into a smile and bobbed her head as she said:

"Let's get back to Rose Redemption.

"It was a secret organization born in the Third Epoch. As you said, it was jointly founded by Sasrir and Amanises..."

Amanises... The unfamiliar name made Klein's heart skip a beat. He stared at Neph, who smiled at him and said meaningfully:

"The true names of True Gods carry power. Outside this place, don't speak or write them in languages that can harness the forces of nature. Even in ordinary languages, it's best not to mention them. The former will draw the attention of the Gods. The latter won't, but fate's influence is subtle, and no one knows what might happen if you keep mentioning them..."

A thought flashed through Klein's mind. He stared at Neph