Servant of Night?

  It was a strange title, one that he’d never heard of before. He recalled the ranks of the Ministry members from: Official Member, Senior Member, and Captain. Yet none bear the description “Servant of Night”.

  Wait—He paused, his eyes resting on Felanor’s otherworldly figure.

  In the second epoch, before the establishment of the Churches of the Night “Mother”, ‘she’ was commonly referred to as “Night”. Following that context, then, every devoted believer who serves the Night Mother is, in fact, a Servant of Night.

  Thinking so, he smiled and bowed gentlemanly. “Ulrich Constantine, a Watchman of the Ministry.”

  “Also a Servant of Night.”

  He decided to use his name in Belham for a number of reasons.

  For one, this was the only real name that he had in reality, not his name on earth nor Johan’s identity in the shadow realm. Back then, he’d basically sworn an oath by awakening under the Mother’s watchful gaze.

  This was a vow which binds him, and in dealing with the matters relating to gods, it was best to act with ‘honesty’. Even if this environment was just his dream, a dream can affect reality. He’d seen that firsthand in his encounter with the Legendary Leviathans. Though, the nature of his dream was rather special, it was better to be safe.

  In that moment, her head tilted, and there was apparent confusion on her face when listening to his name, title, as well as claim of being a “Servant of Night”.

  However, she didn’t correct him and smiled gently, gesturing toward Zheng San.

  “He is your friend?”

  “Yes, ma’am, you can say that.”

  Felanor grew silent, then after about thirty seconds, she spoke again. “Your name is the same as that person.”

  Same as that person? She knows someone who has the same name as me?

  Immediately, he recalled that strange look in her eye upon their first meeting.

  “Haha! It’s a rather common name where I’m from.”

  She didn’t comment further and gestured for him to follow after her. “I have heard your prayer. Though ‘she’ is not pleased with your offering, ‘her’ grace still reached you.”

  Ulrich froze, letting out a soft, nervous chuckle. “Praise the Mother.”

  Saying so, he tapped his chest thrice. Felanor, despite the darkness, followed his gesture to pay respect to the Mother above.

  She smiled? It was too dark, so he couldn’t see clearly. But he swore that she smiled, not that amiable smile, but a genuine one, albeit brief.

  At this moment, she turned around, staring at Zheng San. “He cannot come with you.”

  Immediately, Zheng San jolted. However, facing this mysterious lady who was far more bizarre and abnormal than Ulrich, he smiled wryly and sighed.

  “Hehe! You guys have fun, I’ll be waiting at the tourist building near the shore.”

  With that said, he walked away, leaving Felanor and Ulrich alone in the dark forest.

  “Shall we?” She said. Her eyes were glowing in the darkness, like starlight in the empty space above.

  This appearance… It’s just like my Blessings of the Shadows!

  …

  Ulrich followed behind Felanor, not knowing their destination.

  In this moment, it was dark, dark enough that it devoured his hand, feet, bushes, and trees. His breath was cold, though he voiced no complaints. The air was rather nostalgic, reminding him of Belham. Though he’d be glad it was not as polluted.

  There was a tranquil silence that rested between the two of them. Perhaps she wasn’t a talkative person, or that he too, was reserved. Either way, the silence only grew.

  Looking at her from behind, he can’t help but feel admiration. It was strange. He couldn’t see her at all, yet this ‘intuition’ was transparent as day. His spirituality, instinct, all formed a voice that screamed—Respect her, admire her, and worship her!

  He held back this odd feeling and followed Felanor, wherever she was taking him.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Eventually, they arrived at a rundown church. Fortunately, there were lights flickering embedded in the front entrance. But it comforted him no less.

  “This is?” He asked, confused and baffled.

  Why are we visiting the church this late…

  She didn’t answer him and instead wondered. “Have you heard of the Eternal Club?”

  What?

  He nodded and expressed his knowledge. “I have heard of its name. It’s a secret organization that handles illegal services in the underworld.”

  “Not entirely correct, but I won’t say you are wrong. The existence of this Club is much more than that.”

  Saying so, she smiled slightly and led him into the church, then toward the back of the building.

  “You are the second person to step on this ground.”

  Was someone here before me? Who? He held back the urge to blurt out his thoughts and looked around.

  It was an empty flat area, spared for the rundown fence that surrounded the church building, if you can call even the rusted bars of metal ‘fences’.

  What he noticed was many headstones scattered across the patchy dirt. Some tilted, others were struck halfway into the ground. Clearly, it hasn’t been maintained in years, if not decades.

  Seeing this, he frowned. “Why are we here?”

  She paused, her face blank as she pointed in front of him. “The truth behind Belham.”

  Belham. He froze. This was the first time he’d heard of this word. Not from his own mouth, but from another person within this dream.

  Recalling her reaction, remarks, as well as interest toward his name, he had a foreboding feeling. The headstones, as well as broken down churches and fences intensified this feeling.

  Gradually, he turned his head, facing a broken-down headstone.

  It was tattered, as though someone had hammered it a hundred times before burying it in the dirt. Despite its condition, he could make out several lines of text—Celtic text.

  “Here lies Ulrich Constantine.

  XX December, Year 13XX.”

  The date is crossed out…

  He froze, his lip dried, but he kept on reading.

  “A hero, a wanderer in the darkness.

  Should this find you,

  Search for eternity.

  Worship Night, praise Night, and embrace Night.”

  Ulrich's face twisted, his heart thumped with a roaring sorrow.

  Why did he feel this way? This sense of sadness was not like a blade that cut down his heart. It was something else. All this time, what was he searching for? The truth of his dreams? The way back to home, to Earth?

  When he started his journey, his heart was like a still lake, unperturbed by the changes and revelations during his encounters.

  Selena stirred his heart a little, prying the gate of his heart open ever so slightly.

  After this slight opening, every single change and discovery nudged this gate further. Even then, it was still closed. And all these discovery and revelations he encountered was ultimately buried in the sea of his heart.

  However, this headstone wasn’t just a tiny stone. It was a mountain, one that he could not bury away.

  This is me, I know it is! My intuition and spirituality are clear; I can’t deny it.

  This name and this writing shouldn’t exist, but reality is before him.

  Felanor noticed his expression and didn’t speak. For a long time, there was peace and quiet, though Ulrich’s heart was raging.

  After a while, Ulrich stood up and turned to Felanor. His face expressionless, and his thoughts concealed.

  “Ma’am, I think I understand now.”

  Her face remains blank.

  “Search for eternity… The meaning of this is within the ‘Eternal’ Club, correct? No wonder you brought up the Eternal Club earlier, saying that it is not simple.”

  Saying so, he couldn’t understand why the Eternal Club would involve the matter in Belham, and his own death. As a matter of fact, he’d glance at the other tombstone, most of the names were unfamiliar.

  Captain, Rosaline, as well as the other members of the Ministry, was nowhere to be seen, just his own.

  This message on the gravestone… It must be from me! It had to be. Doesn’t that mean… The me in the past, that is my future, is aware that I will discover the connection between reality and the dream. And so, left behind this message?

  This was just his speculation, but he felt like this was something he would’ve done. Either way, the message on his headstone was a significant clue.

  At this moment, Felanor raised that familiar, mysterious smile. “All your answers are within the Eternal Club.”

  “…”

  Inwardly, he was shocked. In his eyes, her identity was definitely not ordinary, perhaps not even Rosaline, the Keeper of the Sanctuary, could compare. And even she cannot speak of the matter directly?

  In that moment, a startling thought appeared in his mind.

  “This second person, did you also tell them about the Eternal Club?”

  Once again, she smiled.

  T—That’s a tacit approval!

  “Can you tell me who this person is?”

  She gave it a thought and nodded. “Her name is Autumn. Autumn Hall.”

  I have never heard of this name… Helpless, he wondered. “What is she searching for?”

  Felanor pointed at ‘his’ headstone and answered. “The truth behind this person’s death. The truth behind the destruction of Belham.”