Instantly, a suffocating chill clouded Candace’s eyes, but she continued in the gentlest voice she could muster. “Silly child… of course you are my son…”
“When I found out that I was not human, this supposition instantly entered my mind,” Feng Bujue said. “Thinking back to the words behind that picture, ’Arthur and Andrew, my children, my love’, it did not matter whether it was Arthur or me who found it… right?”
Feng Bujue looked into Candace’s only eye and said, “Actually, you are not only hungering after his power but mine as well. Neither Arthur nor I are your children, and we are both non-humans. The only difference is… I am more innocent and easier to control.”
He scoffed. “You are one scary woman. The depth of your cunning is so deep that I have to be impressed…”
Many memories flashed in Feng Bujue’s mind. Every clue on his clue map became clear, and they led him to the central truth. Feng Bujue stood up and said, “Arthur called me as his ’silly little brother’ twice. The first time was when we were young. We were less than ten… By then, he had realized how different he was, and he knew that he was adopted. And I still treated him like my real brother. I respected, admired, and trusted him. Therefore, when he said that, it was because he approved of the sibling bond that we have between us.
“And just moment earlier, he repeated this for the second time. And it was followed by, ’you thought you were clever, and this is the price you pay. Initially, I thought it was the victor’s sarcasm, but now that I think about it… I realize there was pity and helplessness in his voice. So, why did he say I was being silly the second time?”
At this point, Feng Bujue’s tone changed, and he started to continue the explanation from the perspective of the player. “Arthur is very clever. There’s no reason he wouldn’t come to the same conclusion as I did. It was only a matter of time. After the experiment failed, Arthur got the information that Andrew ’was not human’. He would have naturally made this extrapolation…
“I have limited knowledge, but I similarly came to the same hypothesis. While Arthur knows more about you than I do, he soon realized that… Andrew isn’t your child as well.”
Feng Bujue sighed.
“Perhaps it was pity or guilt, but Arthur decided not to tell his brother the truth because he knew that Andrew would not be able to take this truth. Under your influence, Andrew believed that it was his brother who tricked him. He believed that Arthur was a cruel demon. If Arthur had told him that his supposed mother was the one who was using him and he was just another vessel of power that you were nurturing for your own benefit… For someone who was so innocent and ended up in this state, that truth would be so cruel.”
He shook his head. “Arthur is a ruthless person, but only with Andrew would he show some kindness. He knew that it was under your influence that Andrew betrayed him. Even when the experiment failed and the things had been done, he still couldn’t bring himself to kill his brother. At this point, Arthur had done everything he could. He told me how to cure myself before leaving, and he thought of everything. He had me come to ask you who Andrew’s biological father is. Ha… Actually, this was Arthur’s way of being kind to Andrew. This way, you could admit what kind of creature Andrew is, without exposing the fact that you are not Andrew’s biological mother.”
“You… you are not Andrew. Who are you?” Candace looked at Feng Bujue in shock.
“I am someone who has come to give you relief,” Feng Bujue replied as he squatted down. He pressed his palms to the ground and activated the circle. Instantly, the blood glowed, and energy ballooned from the circle. Several seconds later, the light faded. Feng Bujue remained standing. Looking from the side, Andrew had returned to his human form, and the zombie-like appearance had disappeared. Not far from him was Candace. Even though she had also returned to the appearance of a human female, her body had started to decay, and the extremely painful process of decay began…
“Your Summoning Mastery has been unlocked. A new quest has been updated in the lobby.”
“Ah! What’s happening? What’s happening!” Candace screamed madly as she rolled on the ground in pain.
“I have to say that Arthur is also an innocent person.” At that moment, Feng Bujue looked more like that calm, evil boss. “His departure took away all the sin with him, but what happens next? Andrew cures his wound and helps you regain your human body, and then you two will continue in this peaceful life? After experiencing all that, you will forgive the child who has always treated you as his mother, will you?”
Feng Bujue took several steps back to maintain his distance from the writhing Candace.
“I don’t think that’s possible… If you still had any conscience left, you would have cancelled your plan when the two boys were still small. If that happened… Arthur wouldn’t have come after you. He would have accepted you as his mother, like how he accepted Andrew. The fact that he poisoned you meant that you didn’t give up on your plan, and his life was threatened…
“Over several decades, even if you’d reared two dogs, even if your initial purpose was to turn them into food, if the owner was a conscientious person, she would have given up on that plan.”
“What do you understand? They are monsters! They deserve to die! My husband, children… they are all killed by monsters like them!” Candace roared with her last breath. “What is wrong with the fact that I want the two little monsters to pay‽ You want me to let them go? Hahaha… every day, every minute! When I smile at them, when I hug them, when I put them to bed, I couldn’t wait to peel back their skin! That is what they owe me! What’s wrong with me asking back for what I deserve‽”
“So, that’s why… Your personal hatred has been diverted to the whole species, and then you captured two innocent children and started this self-deceiving revenge,” Feng Bujue concluded. “Your ridiculous logic aside, perhaps from an objective standpoint, you are not wrong… From the human beings’ perspective, they are indeed a threat to this world. But also from the human being’s perspective…”
Candace was at the end of her life; the decay had spread to her internal organs. Her eyes were bulging as she saw Feng Bujue take out something from his pocket. It was a wooden comb, and it was carved with A.A.
“Back then… between three people without any blood connection, a family was formed. The tears, the joy, and the bliss, was all of that fake? When you wrote down that sentence on the back of the picture, did you really not have one trace of nostalgia for that moment in time?
“Monsters are born without humanity or emotions? From how I see it, humans can be crueler than monster. It is this twisted world that creates real monsters like your.” Feng Bujue picked up the comb and held it before his eyes. “This was just a normal piece of wood… It is the bond between brothers that helped Andrew escape from pain.”
He looked at Candace. “But what in the world will be able to save you?”
“Hidden quest complete. Teleportation will occur after the ending.”
An expansive field and a dark house appeared. A figure walked out from the front door. He had blond hair and was covered in dirt. His eyes were filled with confusion and emptiness. The clouds dispersed, and Andrew saw a small figure standing on the road that led away from his home.
“Big… brother.” Andrew called out from his memory, but he did not know what else to say.
“I was worried, so I hung around before leaving.” Arthur appeared calm. “What happened?”
“I… I killed her. I killed… Mom…” When Andrew said that, tears leaked out from his eyes. He wiped them with his sleeves. “She… she isn’t my real…”
“I know. It’s okay.” Arthur cut him off as he studied his younger brother. “Are your wounds healed?”
“Yes,” Andrew replied, “but I still don’t know what monster… I am…”
“Monster?” Arthur scoffed. “Since you have recovered, it doesn’t matter what you are anymore.”
He snapped his fingers. Instantly, fire rose into the sky. Behind Andrew, the house lit up like a bonfire, and it turned into a giant fireball.
“It’s all over now…” Arthur sighed, looking into the sky. “What you need to do is retain the good memories and abandon the rest to the fire. You can be a demon or a monster; the sun will still rise tomorrow. If you’re a monster, live your life as one. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Now, I no longer have any reason to turn into a human, to live a so-called peaceful life… I want to leave this small place, to explore the world. You coming, brother?”
“I…” Andrew hesitated before smiling. “Ha… Two monster brothers with blood on their hands raising a storm all across the Sita continent?”
“It sounds wonderful, does it not?” Arthur smiled.
“Yes, it does… brother.” Andrew showed rare determination in his eyes.
Under the moon, with the wind rising, two shadows walked side by side as they left their childhood home. The fire behind them chased off all the shadow.
They headed down the road into the unknown future.