19th Black Suburb, Blackwood Town.
A small town located in a desolate land. The White Lighthouse stands like a giant creature on a hilltop not far from the town. The rotating light repeatedly washes over the town and its surroundings, making it pure white for a moment, then quickly dimming as the light moves away.
The weather should be clear, but the black sun in the sky seems unable to provide much light here.
Even so, the sky is still bright during the day.
A group of people wearing heavy equipment returned to the town from outside.
Their grey outfits looked like protective suits, wrapping their bodies tightly, and they wore airtight gas masks on their faces.
Only after they passed a white sign did the group finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"We're back in town."
"Don't be careless. You can't be sure if we're really back."
A short conversation made the crowd's slightly relaxed mood tense again, even more heavy.
"Fujii, he was targeted by the 'ghost thing' last week. He relied on his protection to reach the boundary, but he had an Illusion and stopped two steps too early, thinking he was back…"
"Stop talking, Esley." The person next to him held the speaker's shoulder.
Although it was a warning to others, there was no need to repeat the scene of a teammate's tragic death.
Everyone continued forward with heavy hearts.
After passing the line where the sign was located, a person walked out of a small white house on the edge of the distant town, took out a loudspeaker, and began to direct the returning people to undergo a routine comprehensive inspection.
They were used to it.
After a long time, the people who had taken off their protective suits, both men and women, sat in the resting area of the small white house, drinking the hot coffee provided here, waiting for everyone on the team to finish the inspection.
"This coffee is sour." One person frowned after drinking the coffee.
"Be considerate. Supplies are only delivered here once every six months. Although most of the requests we make can be met, there are limits to such luxury requests." The person in charge of the small white house today walked into the room with the last person to be inspected, ticked and signed on their team's list.
Finally, when handing it to the team leader, who was also the person who had just said the coffee was sour, the person in charge smiled without malice: "No problem. Congratulations on surviving another round. The next round is next week, depending on the schedule. Anyway, enjoy your vacation first. Spend time with your family."
These words were not pleasant, but they made the people in this team very excited.
Everyone disbanded on the spot.
Only the team leader stayed where he was and called out to the person in charge: "Ryan, should I be almost there?"
The person in charge stopped his departing footsteps, looked for a moment in the paper files next to him, took out the man's file, quickly browsed through it, raised his eyebrows, and smiled: "Yes, Tikman. You've been here for three years. Your wife has also been doing logistics work for the same amount of time. Next week, you can end your dangerous days here and return to Dadu. Choose a house provided for you in the beloved White District and enjoy the treatment of White District residents. Including your children as well."
When Tikman heard this, his originally rigid face couldn't help but smile, with tears in his eyes.
"That's great."
"It's very good, from a wronged Grey District criminal to a bright white future. I wish you happiness." The person in charge was also familiar with Tikman and offered his blessings.
Tikman gave Ryan a big hug.
Suddenly, a roar came from the sky.
The two looked out the window together and saw a black aircraft flying over the town.
"Today isn't the day for transporting supplies," Tikman asked.
"Of course not, otherwise I wouldn't make do with old coffee beans."
"Then it's the lighthouse." The joy on Tikman's face quickly faded.
Ryan looked at him in confusion. Tikman hesitated, but in the end, perhaps because he was about to leave, he cautiously said to Ryan: "Ryan, are we really just doing work here to open up the future for Dadu?"
When Ryan heard this, he subconsciously shook his head and reached out to pat Tikman's shoulder: "Oh, Tikman. You must be overthinking it, otherwise why would we be doing this work here that could easily lead to death and turn us into something inhuman? Don't think too much, you can completely relax. Your work here is over."
"But…"
Ryan suddenly pulled him into the room, held his head down: "No matter what you saw in the past, don't think too much, don't talk nonsense. I think you're relatively pleasing to the eye, so I'll pretend I didn't hear it this time. Think about your wife and children."
After saying that, he put on a nonchalant smile again, put his arm around Tikman's shoulder, took him to the door, gently pushed him out, and blessed him again: "I wish you happiness, Tikman."
Tikman watched Ryan close the door, then turned to look at the distant lighthouse where the aircraft was flying.
Although Ryan said that, he still couldn't forget it.
When he first came here, he took the opportunity to go and see the lighthouse out of curiosity.
Beneath the lighthouse, there was a Gothic Monastery.
Inside, there were countless corpses of children.
…
Today, the roar of the black claws will descend upon the Monastery again, representing that new lambs will be brought to this paradise and hell.
The girl, wearing a pure white dress, saw the arrival of the aircraft outside through the window in a luxurious but dimly lit room.
The expression on her face did not change. She gently put away the books in her hand, stopped the record player playing music, and stood in front of the mirror to tidy up her appearance.
She combed her messy black hair caused by sleeping. Her delicate face, without any fluctuations, was as exquisite as a doll and as cold as a doll. Her clear blue eyes were like sea-blue gems.
Finally, she wiped the saliva from the corner of her mouth, and then there would be no problem.
She was very beautiful, dignified in demeanor, and her appearance matched the requirements of a nun meticulously, requiring no excessive grooming to be sufficient.
With that, she left the noble and elegant room filled with incense.
She opened the door.
She came to a corridor covered in blood-stained floors, walls, and windows.
After standing there for a while, she calmly found the right direction and walked away.
Passing room after room, she went downstairs, left the Monastery, and arrived at the Monastery's backyard.
She caught up.
Here, the black aircraft was parked aside, and people in uniforms were leading a group of children to the Monastery. These children were of different sizes.
The younger ones were about thirteen or fourteen years old; the older ones were about the same age as the girl, around twenty years old.
They all came from Dadu, and they were all the same.
They were all young people collected from places like the Grey District.
When the children were all standing, the nun came.
In fact, there were many nuns in the Monastery, but because of this one's unique status, the title had become her exclusive title. Under an unwritten agreement, everyone called her that, including the other nuns.
That was an old woman who looked old, with a stooped figure, as if she would fall over with a gust of wind, and she was not very agile when walking.
But she was wearing a nun's habit, and her temperament was solemn. Standing there, a tense atmosphere arose spontaneously.
"Lost children. Welcome to Lamplighter Training Center No. 82. Of course, due to the old woman's personal reasons, I prefer to call this place 'Avalon Monastery'."
The children looked at each other, but they felt that this old grandma looked quite kind…
"And you are the chosen ones. Coming to the Monastery in your tender youth to receive a baptism to get rid of the mundane."
The nun said with a smile, "Through our teaching, your hard work and persistence, you will flatten all the obstacles on the road, and finally become the person who holds up the White Lighthouse."
She raised her hand and pointed to the White Lighthouse behind her.
The children who had just arrived naturally didn't understand.
The girl watching closed her eyes, then slowly opened them.
But soon, they would use their own bodies to experience it firsthand.
"The future of Dadu is on your shoulders," the nun concluded.
Afterwards, other monks and personnel took these children to the Monastery for their first baptism and learning.
"The lambs have entered the pen," the girl said softly.
"The Big Bad Wolf is coming too."
Huh?
Unexpectedly, she was answered. The girl subconsciously turned her head and saw a stranger she had never seen before, squatting on the ground, looking at the front with interest.
Stranger…
But the next moment, the girl quickly turned her head away and looked straight ahead: "The wind is getting stronger."
Then she left as if nothing had happened.
And Zheng Fan's smile deepened.
"You, can see me, right?"