The scene before him was so ordinary that Barton didn't see anything wrong with it.
Although he vaguely felt a sense of familiarity, he didn't think it was anything to be surprised about.
How could a scene I see every day not feel familiar at all?
His gaze shifted to the sky, where the crimson the Moon hung silently, scattering its light, instantly calming his mind.
At this moment, Barton seemed to have unloaded an invisible burden, feeling exceptionally relaxed both physically and mentally, and no longer experiencing the panic, anxiety, and irritability he had felt before.
His Spirituality intuition told him that this matter with Furnar was over and would no longer affect his life.
" Storm above, thanks be to God." Barton immediately clenched his right fist into his left chest and muttered to himself.
Without that worry and tension, he only felt exhaustion, like a flood, surging from the depths of his soul, flooding his brain, his limbs, and every cell in his body.
Barton couldn't help but cover his mouth with the back of his hand and yawn, but a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
He didn't linger in the study, turned and left, returning to his bedroom where he took a relaxing bath and drank a small glass of red wine.
That night, Barton didn't dream again and slept exceptionally soundly.
When he wakes up in the morning, he feels refreshed and joyful, as if he has been given a new lease on life.
After glancing at his wife, who was still fast asleep beside him, Barton carefully got up, changed his clothes, and took a walk around the neighborhood.
He had never realized how wonderful his neighborhood was before.
The air is fresh, the environment is peaceful, the scenery is pleasant, and even the pedestrians are so well-mannered.
This made Barton feel even better, and he realized once again that the matter with Furnar was over, and he had returned to a normal and peaceful life.
He maintained this mindset as he returned home and enjoyed breakfast with his wife and children.
During this process, he even told his wife jokes from the newspaper, fulfilling a small request from the children.
Seeing the smiles on his wife and children's faces, Barton felt genuinely content.
Then, he put on his coat, hat, and cane, and went out to take a trolleyless public carriage to the " Loen Antiquities Collection and Preservation Foundation " located on the edge of the city.
Entering his office, Barton regained his usual rhythm. Instead of rushing to work, he prepared some black tea with some unusual herbs for his family.
He leisurely finished reading the few newspapers he hadn't subscribed to at home while sipping his black tea, before picking up the letters and documents he had received and reviewing them one by one.
This process, this rhythm, made him feel exceptionally comfortable.
The only discordant note was that Barton was still somewhat worried about receiving another letter from Furnar.
However, these concerns did not materialize.
About fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on his office door.
"Please come in." Barton picked up his cup and took a sip of black tea.
The person who walked in was Pacheco Dawn, the deputy head of the " Compliance Department." He had an ordinary appearance and nothing particularly special about him, but he gave off a friendly vibe.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Pacheco asked, standing in the doorway as if to greet him.
"Fantastic," Barton said without reservation.
Pacheco nodded and smiled, saying:
"It seems you have indeed moved on from the effects of this matter."
Barton didn't mention the "nightmare" he had, but instead asked:
"And you?"
"I slept very well too," Pacheco replied with a smile. "The police have taken full control of the case, and they reportedly found Furnar last night. Unfortunately, it seems he met with some misfortune."
"May the poor man find peace." Barton did not say that the Lord would protect him, because Furnar had already abandoned his faith in the " Lord of Storms," and if there were any "protection," it would surely be lightning and Storm.
Having said that, recalling the help Pacheco had previously offered and his friendly demeanor, Barton took the initiative to say:
"Shall we have lunch together later?"
"Are you treating?" Pacheco asked with a smile.
"Of course, it's a pleasure to meet you as a friend." Barton stood up and gave a gentlemanly bow.
Pacheco nodded slightly and said:
"Then I'll wait for your invitation in the Compliance Department."
"Before 12 o'clock?"
"No problem." Besides being grateful to the other party, Barton also felt that knowing the deputy head of the " Compliance Department " would be of great help in advancing his future work.
Moreover, he believed that Pacheco, like himself, was superior to the average person in some aspects.
After watching Pacheco leave his office, Barton sat down again and silently, slowly exhaled.
As an ordinary person with normal intelligence, he could clearly see that the matter of Furnar was strange and involved issues in the realms of mysticism and religion.
In addition, he was also very interested in the division of the Tamara Family, the Concealment history of the Quaternary period, and the various details of Furnar's experiences.
But he knew he couldn't delve too deeply. For an ordinary person, the greatest fortune was to have seen the part of the iceberg above the water and survive. If he tried to find out the details below the surface, he would surely drown.
His past archaeological experience made Barton afraid to take risks, and unwilling to take any.
For him, curiosity was probably the least valuable thing.
After a moment of silent reflection, Barton continued with his work.
As it approached midnight, he put down the items on his desk, picked up his coat and top hat from the coat rack, left the office, and walked to the door of the " Compliance Department ".
Knock, knock, knock, Barton knocked on the wooden door in front of him.
Soon, Pacheco opened the door, glanced at Barton, and said:
"Give me five more minutes, I still have something to take care of."
"No problem," Barton replied without hesitation.
"Come in and wait," Pacheco said casually.
Without any ceremony, Barton stepped into the " Compliance Department " and found a chair to sit down.
As his gaze casually shifted, he noticed that there were about six or seven people in the " Compliance Department ".
Just then, he heard someone knocking on the door.
Before the " Compliance Department " employees could get up, the door creaked open.
The first person to enter was the vice chairman of the " Loen Antiquities Collection and Preservation Foundation ".
This was a sprightly old man. He looked around, his gaze lingering on Barton for a brief second before he said:
It seems everyone is here.
Let me introduce you to a new colleague.
As he spoke, the vice chairman took a few steps forward, revealing the new employee of the " Compliance Department " who was following behind him to everyone.
This is a woman in her twenties with a high nose bridge, full lips, deep gray eyes, and a very pretty face. She is wearing a common blue long dress.
However, her face was expressionless, and she didn't look like a real person; she was more like a wax figure.
Barton and Pacheco's gazes suddenly froze.
The vice chairman continued with a smile:
"She will be the deputy head of the ' Compliance Department,' just like Pacheco. Her name is Alicia Tamara."
(The End of an Ordinary Person's Daily Life)
PS1: Of course, we can't delve too deeply into the daily lives of ordinary people. This is a presentation of the surface of the iceberg without going into what lies beneath the surface. Well, it can be considered a narrative attempt.
PS2: If the ending is solely for the purpose of creating a sense of fear without considering the characters' values, then it should be written like this:
As he spoke, the vice chairman took a few steps forward, revealing the new employee of the " Compliance Department " who was following behind him to everyone.
This is a woman in her twenties with a high nose bridge, full lips, deep gray eyes, and a very pretty face. She is wearing a common blue long dress.
Barton and Pacheco's gazes suddenly froze.
At this moment, the woman's lips curled up, and she said with a bright and natural smile:
"Hello everyone, I am Alicia Tamara."