Krafft's Notes on Anomalies

"What do you mean?" Green's expression only fluctuated for a moment. When the light of the hay fire shone on his face, the tight wrinkles had been smoothed away.

He pulled a chair from the desk and placed it next to the holy symbol. He sat down and used his body to block the thing enshrined below. He pointed at the other one and motioned for the other party to change to a more relaxed posture before talking.

The visitor did not refuse, he pressed the armrest and positioned himself on the chair. While moving, water droplets kept seeping and dripping from the corners of the trousers, being squeezed out from the gaps in the shoe uppers, and forming a puddle under the feet.

In response to the priest's rhetorical question, he did not answer, but continued to wear that unobvious stereotyped smile. The muscles that raised his upper lip twitched slightly because he was always in a state of tension, and his pupils looked at the priest between the long canthus of his eyes.

In the wrestling-like stare-down, Green was the first to lose. It wasn't because of the pressure, there was nothing in those eyes that was supposed to be probing, intimidating, or insightful.

In contrast, when the visual image is facing a solid wall or a corner of a giant object, it is difficult to interpret the rich emotions that an individual should have. Through the window of the soul, one can only see something huge swimming around, obscuring everything else.

There is a pain in my mind, but it is not real, but a reflection of past experiences, drawn out by an inexplicable force.

Green felt that he had not completely escaped from the dream, or that something like gangrene had been brought out, residing in his soul, and would attack when he was touched.

"."

Mutterings filled the room.

Sandor's lips were tightly closed, maintaining the half-smiling expression, and nodded with satisfaction.

That was not an illusion. Green was sure that the other party also heard it. It was bubbling out under a certain floor tile in the corner of the room. He tried hard to control the urge to look sideways, which would reveal his lack of understanding and preparation.

So he just twisted his body slightly and changed his posture, while quietly shifting his center of gravity so that he could turn around and retrieve the sword when necessary.

"You heard it." The monk affirmed and sat upright. This sitting position would cause pain in the lower back and numbness of the legs and feet when standing up. It seemed that he didn't care at all and did not notice Green's dangerous little adjustment.

"The sound over there, the sound of it."

"What is 'it'?" Despite the risks, Green decided to try to get more information.

It is certain that something happened to this monk, perhaps similar to what he encountered, but deeper and more serious, leading to mental and behavioral pathologies similar to what they experienced in that tomb.

But they have been gone for a while, and logically speaking, the impact should gradually fade with the distance in space and time.

"You've seen it, we've all seen it." Unwavering fanaticism, as blind as a moth chasing the light. Logical thinking, values, the instinct to avoid harm, nurture and innate shaping of a person are being washed away and he is being reshaped.

I have to admit that the person in front of me is no longer the person from the past, but a zombie with a controlled body and soul.

"Is it what we saw in the tomb?"

"Of course not." The monk denied Green's guess and showed self-contradictory hesitation, "No, that's it too."

"They are all it, but it is bigger, much bigger than this." He opened his arms and waved wildly, referring to some kind of incomprehensible and immeasurable volume, more magnificent than the church where it was located, "but it's not enough."

"not enough?"

"Yes, it's still a little short, we can go there first." The smile became thicker, as if standing in front of the gate of heaven, the holy words were already in the ears, and as long as they took one more step, they would reach the realm of bliss, "They also have to past."

The doubts continue to deepen. In Green's understanding, this seems to refer to another group of people, "Who are 'them'?"

Sandor stood up from his chair, raising the tension in the room, and Green was ready to strike before he made any suspicious moves.

However, he just bypassed Green, walked straight to the window, and pushed open the window leaf.

The sleety breeze brought the dunling night indoors. Most of the city had fallen asleep, but it was not completely silent. There are always sounds coming from far or near. There is a patrolling team in the square below, a banquet performance somewhere nearby, and wheels and shoes knocking on the stone road, showing that this is a living city.

A few lights adorned the night rain. The river port on the River Teme was still in operation, and the silhouettes of docked ships could be seen in their position.

These commonplaces feel extremely reassuring at this time, even more so than the protection of churches and holy scriptures.

Sandor just stood in front of the window, saying nothing, and his expression could not be seen clearly on his backlit face.

"them."

He repeated, with a trembling smile in his voice, as if something was stirring his vocal cords, playing a strange happy tune.

"Who are they?" Green felt that it was harder to understand these people than he thought. Perhaps their language function had been burned out along with their logical ability, and they were unable to form words more complex than these short and mysterious sentences.

Perhaps because he felt that he had expressed himself very clearly, Sandor did not answer and continued on by himself.

"It's the door, it's the answer, it's the path to an end to pain and unhappiness."

As if due to psychological suggestion, the pain intensified, and Green felt restless. The pain was a mixture of physical and mental pain, like the dark claustrophobia of being trapped in a windowless room. After intensifying countless times, it gained a physical form. into the mind.

What follows is a sense of relief. I instinctively feel that as long as I follow the guidance of this feeling, I can obtain permanent release. It is a soft quilt that wraps the body, a vast space for the indulgence of the soul, and an aggregation of thousands of voices. It's some kind of mesmerizing white light.

Green tried to bite his tongue until the taste of blood filled his mouth. The pain at the tip of his tongue was nothing to mention among the painful memories it evoked.

But that feeling only lasted for a short time. When he recovered from the chaos, Brother Sandor was still standing at the window, as if attracted by the night scene outside.

"You need some guidance, monk." Green stood up silently and put his hand on his sword. "There is a monastery three days away from Dunling. The environment is very good. I will send you to live there for a while."

"No need, Father, I'm fine."

"It's not up to you." Green has already thought about the resistance and handling methods he may encounter next. The next step is to control this guy and send him to a mountain monastery to be locked up for ten and a half months. Maybe he will get better.

Sandor did not turn around, nor did he intend to make any drastic move. He allowed the person behind him to approach slowly, "It seems that you don't want to go yet, but it doesn't matter. Everyone has a chance."

"When it comes, you, me, or them will be included in it." He spread his arms and embraced the night view in the entire window, overlooking the sleeping and ignorant city.

"With these, it will always be enough."

"Those who deserve to go to hell!" Green finally understood what "they" were referring to. It was not clear whether it was chill or anger that urged him to take action. He rushed forward, pushed Sandor to the ground, and called the night watch team.

Before he was taken away, the unsettling stiff smile remained etched on his face, like an ominous mask worn by an evil wizard when he made a prophecy.

I would like to recommend a new book by a group of friends, "Cosmic Survival Guide". Although it is still very short, the parts that can be seen so far are already very good and have a unique style. I recommend reading it.