Falling into the Abyss

The aircraft traversed the prosperous city, and the surrounding buildings gradually decreased, and the overly huge trees became denser and denser, clustering from both sides of the road to form a long vault, like an endlessly extending corridor. Bunches of light golden sunlight fell from the gap, like a rain curtain of light that was hit by the fast-moving traffic and splashed in all directions.

As time goes by, there are fewer and fewer aircraft or dual-purpose vehicles around. After descending from the main track, only one of them was left speeding among the fortresses of giant trees. The terrain began to rise, and the circling tracks and highways looked like a pearl-colored ribbon. On one side is a cliff, on the other side you can see the endless peacock green lake at the foot of the mountain.

And on the top of the mountain, facing a nearly vertical cliff, is a towering castle with a pointed vault. From a distance, it looks like a vicissitudes and solemn king overlooking the mountains and lakes at his feet.

Tanisel pointed to the building complex on the top of the mountain and said, "There is my home."

Ethan sighed, "So beautiful..."

"Where is beauty, it is more appropriate to say that it is eerie." Samuel added a sentence beside.

The car stopped in front of a tall stone gate, the iron gate closed tightly. Not long after, a communication request flashed in the car. After Tanisel was connected, an elderly male Beta Eve appeared. He had thin cheeks and no beard, his hair was silver and neat, and he was wearing a long dark blue coat. Those somewhat muddy blue eyes showed a look of astonishment after seeing Tanisel, "Master!"

Tanithel also smiled, "Terridus, I'm back."

Ten minutes later, Ethan and Samuel were already standing in front of the double-opened mahogany gate of the main building of the castle. The classically carved and brass handles on the door made Ethan suddenly stunned.

This is the third time he has seen these two doors.

The first time I saw him was on the Red Earth. When his spirit was infected by Sab Nicholas, he saw the illusion, and when Mars entered the room where the eggs of the Order God and the body fluids of Sab Nicholas were hidden, he was I saw these two doors that gave him an indescribable sense of familiarity. Every time I see them, there will always be a nightmare experience afterwards.

And now, he actually saw it at the door of Tanithel's house.

He waited for a while, but the "illusion" did not disappear. On the contrary, it slowly turned on, and a few Eve people who were probably servants filed out of it. The leader was the butler called "Teridaus" that I saw on the communicator screen before. Tanisel said that the housekeeper had served his family for a lifetime, caring for him from the time he was born, until he became a priest and left the castle, until the death of Grand Duke Nishikawa, until most of the servants were dismissed in order to cut expenses. , He stayed without hesitation, taking care of this magnificent building without the owner.

The servants and the butler were very happy to see Tanithel, so happy that tears flashed in the corners of their eyes. But Ethan just kept paying attention to the two doors, and he began to suspect that the door might not be his illusion...

Why... these two doors are here? Where should it be the least?

The uncomfortable feeling caused Ethan to faintly resist this ancient and magnificent castle surrounded by beautiful vines. But when I thought that this was the place where the priests grew up, I wondered if I was thinking too much.

Tanithel was introducing Ethan to the butler at this time, "This is Eldrin, and this is Asaniel next to him. The two of them are my apprentices. I want to arrange for them to live here first."

Seeing that Ethan didn't react at all, Samus secretly kicked him in the calf. Ethan suddenly returned to his senses, and hurriedly followed the manner of Priest Eve and saluted the housekeeper. The butler slightly bowed to him and Samuel in a cold and polite manner, and turned to Tanithel, "Because I don’t know in advance that you will be back or there will be guests, it will take some time to clean. Rooms."

"Ah, it doesn't matter, I can take them to get familiar with the environment first. Mrs. Zelda, can you please prepare some dinner for us."

Another gentle-looking woman, Beta Lian, claimed that she smiled at Ethan and Samuel with a very loving and maternal expression. After all, in their eyes at this time, he and Samuel were just two children who might be underage.

This castle has a history of many centuries. The prince and grand prince who has been the most trusted by King Eve often lives here, so the whole building gives people a style of arrogance, majesty and contempt for everything. The castle is magnificent, full of relief murals, full of history. Such buildings have existed on the earth for a long time, but now the remaining pictures can only be seen in ancient books.

"There are two main buildings, three towers, connected by air corridors. The restaurants are on the first floor, and the study is on the second floor. You can walk around at will, but don’t go down the cellar. It’s dark and damp. Leaking." Tanisel introduced as he walked, eyes always resting on Ethan, a bit like a kid offering treasures, "How about it, do you like it?"

Ethan put the image of the castle's main entrance that he had just seen behind his head, smiled and nodded at the priest, "You grew up here?"

"Yes indeed."

Ethan imagined the little priest running through the long corridor in front of him like a snow hare, and the sunlight came through the stained glass and filled his angelic hair. Thinking about it, I felt soft in my heart and couldn't help but smile.

Samuel asked, "How long shall we stay here?"

"You can live as long as you want. Unless you really want to be priests in the temple."

"That..." Ethan looked at the priest hesitantly, as if asking somehow. Tanithel already knew what he wanted to ask, and leaned down slightly and said in his ear, "Don't worry, I will find a way to bring the Egg of the God Order out of the temple. I will heal you." After that, he actually touched his head like a child.

Ethan slapped his hand away pretending to be angry, but the ease on his face couldn't hide. With the promise of the priest, the big stone in my heart was put down.

At this moment he looked up and saw a portrait hanging at the end of the corridor. It was a very handsome and tall blond male Beta. His eyebrows were very similar to Tanithel. He was wearing a gorgeous robe and many jewelry rings on his hands. He was graceful and luxurious but had a cold and arrogant temperament, especially those pairs. The silver eyes, even if they are just a picture, can shoot cold light. He pointed to the portrait and asked, "Is that...your father?"

Samuel noticed it too, and whistled, "It really looks alike!"

Ethan turned his head to look at Tanisel, but saw that the priest's expression was a little strange. At this time, he was a little different from his usual appearance. On his exquisite face, he did not see the always perfect charming smile, or the compassionate professional expression. It was like peeling off all the disguise, but what was revealed was A touch of sadness and loneliness.

"Yes, he is my father." The priest said, suddenly the conversation changed, "I will take you to see your room!"

Feeling that he was about to touch some memories that the priest wanted to bury, Ethan shut up and nodded obediently. He remembered that the priest had said to him that the reason why he gave up his inheritance rights to become a priest was to be able to access the eggs of the God of Order and use it to save his father. But even though he passed the heavy examinations, really became a priest, and came into contact with the eggs of the God of Prologue, he still failed to save Duke Nishikawa.

Perhaps at that moment, his full significance as a priest has been lost. What has supported Tanithel's persistence in playing such a role until now?

**********

The dinner was very rich, and Ethan and Samuel, who had to eat compressed bread from the Forbidden City for so long, had their stomachs bulging. Ethan returned to the room he was arranged to face the garden outside the window, and lay on his back on the large and gorgeous four-poster bed. The fire in the fireplace was burning, and everything else seemed beautiful and peaceful.

But he just thinks something is wrong.

Are they those walls? They don't seem to be straight up and down, but inclined downward at a subtle angle, you can't see it unless you look closely. Moreover, in this room, there seem to be many unnecessary corners, and those corners also have strange curvatures, which will make people feel dizzy after a long time.

Is the design of this room in Eve's architectural style?

The dusk was heavy outside the window, and Ethan turned off all the lights in the house, and only then could the outline of the mountains in the distance be faintly visible. The sky light reflected by the planetary ring illuminated a corner of the sky. In this bright moonlight, Ethan got into the bed and tried to fall asleep.

But when everything fell silent, he finally found something wrong.

It's not the angle of the wall, but...there is breathing in this room.

It does not belong to his breathing.

He flicked off the bed and sat up and asked loudly, "Who is here!"

Only silence answered him.

Ethan stood up, turned on all the lights, and searched all corners, including under the bed, wardrobe and bathroom. Did not see anything suspicious.

Is it an illusion? Ethan was not sure anymore. He turned off the light and crawled back on the bed.

However, the breathing sound appeared again, so clear, as if a dying person was breathing with all his strength. The voice was very rhythmic, not rushing, not sullen, and even a little too slow, as if something was waiting or brewing.

Ethan couldn't tell the source of the sound. He wanted to ignore the sound and force himself to fall asleep, but sometimes he felt that the breathing sound was far away, and sometimes he could almost feel someone blowing into his ears, shivering and opening his eyes, there was nothing. . In the end, he couldn't, so he had to open the door of the room and walk along the dimly lit corridor to the door of Tanithel in memory, hesitating whether to knock on it. After all, it is late now.

Who knew that the door opened before he did it.

Ethan was startled, "You...how do you know I'm outside the door!"

The priest bent his eyes and looked at him, "Have you forgotten that our souls are still tied together? Just now I sensed that you were upset and seemed to be a little confused and disagreeable. I guessed you might come to me. What's wrong? Isn't it afraid of sleeping alone?" The priest gave him an evil smile.

Ethan habitually tried to push his glasses to conceal his report and embarrassment, but he pushed back empty. He scratched his head in embarrassment, hesitated for a moment, and decided to ask, "How come there is another person in my room...?"