The radiance enveloping all of Moon City gradually faded and drew inward, finally gathering atop the central tower into a straight pillar of light that pierced the heavens.
Faced with this "miracle," some could not believe their eyes, while others wept. Some immediately rushed to their families, while others prayed devoutly to the Sun God, believing that the Lord had finally answered Moon City once again.
Others suspected they were hallucinating and stared blankly at their brightly lit surroundings.
Such were the many faces of human emotion.
Lin Chuan had already left Moon City, as silently as he had arrived.
Nim stood at Moon City's entrance, looking at Lin Chuan in his white linen robe, carrying a small birdcage. After a moment's hesitation, he said:
"Your Excellency Lin Chuan, I hope to gather Moon City's residents tomorrow and tell them the source of this miracle."
"Mm." Lin Chuan nodded slightly and replied calmly, "You may."
He stopped and took the lantern he had brought with him out of the void. At the same time, a pair of half-illusory black lips that seemed to be singing praises appeared in his palm.
Lin Chuan placed them on the lantern. The lips melted instantly, merging with it like water.
He handed the lantern to Nim.
"What is this?" Nim accepted it respectfully with both hands and asked in a low voice.
Rather than answer him, Lin Chuan began recounting in an even tone:
"The Sun God fell at the Betrayal Banquet and was reborn amid corruption. But his youngest son, the Angel of Time Amon, does not consider the reborn True Creator to be the father he once knew."
He continued:
"So he wanders the Forsaken Land of the Gods, watching all the surviving city-states and stealing the lights of those who change