It turned out that Lin Gui's worries were justified.
The next day.
Early morning.
Sunlight spilled down without any hindrance.
The sky above Avalon was actually a bright cerulean blue.
Why was there sunlight deep within the Wall of Sighs?
The reason was simple.
The Demon King Pillar towering in the center of the city was just too high.
Its height completely cleared the dense mist that lingered around the Wall of Sighs year-round.
Like a giant opened umbrella,
it not only blocked the peering of demons but also kept the mist outside the barrier.
Sunlight was able to penetrate the boundary, falling warmly onto the small city.
This light did more than just disperse the night;
it also dispelled the ever-present, suffocating sense of oppression that characterized the Wall of Sighs.
Avalon in the morning light displayed a unique beauty.
The grey tiles on the roofs of the low stone-built houses were plated in a pale gold.
The vegetable beds in front of every household were lush with greenery, hung with crystal-clear dewdrops.
The winding mud-stone road gleamed, and moist moss clung to the gaps between the stones.
The outline of the distant city walls was clearly visible—coarse yet sturdy.
A few curls of cooking smoke rose leisurely, melting into the clear blue sky.
The air was crisp and cool, carrying the scent of vegetation and earth.
Occasionally, early-rising residents would push open their wooden doors and nod to one another in greeting.
Everything was so peaceful that... it didn't seem like it was in the center of a notorious deadland.
In the room where Theia was confined.
Avalon's first morning.
Theia woke up in a daze from a soft bed.
Her long silver-white hair was scattered across the pillow, with a few strands sticking to her cheeks.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and her blood-red eyes half-opened, still clouded with sleepiness.
Last night's sleeping arrangements had been simple.
Theia slept in the only bed downstairs.
Eve Isaiah had volunteered to sleep in the attic, saying she "needed peace and quiet."
As for Lin Gui—
Theia had no idea where he had gone in the middle of the night.
She only remembered being exhausted and drifting off into a daze.
Now that she was awake, she saw him—
Lin Gui was leaning against the wall by the door, cradling his oak staff.
His head was slightly bowed and his eyes were closed, looking as if he were asleep.
Theia blinked as her consciousness gradually cleared.
She frowned and sat up.
She originally intended to wake Lin Gui gently to ask where he had been last night,
but then she suddenly heard a clamor of voices from outside the door.
The sounds were very close, as if they were right against the door panels.
Theia was stunned and instinctively held her breath.
She slipped out of bed quietly, her bare feet stepping onto the cool floor.
Walking on her tiptoes, she moved noiselessly to the door,
carefully pressing her ear against it.
The door wasn't thick, and the conversation outside drifted in intermittently:
"...Is she really Lord Gusion's kin?"
"White hair... I saw it with my own eyes. White hair just like Lord Gusion's..."
"But didn't Lord Morpheus say yesterday that she was a descendant of a Demon King?"
"Are you stupid! It's white hair! Among the Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Kings, how many have white hair?"
"But..."
"Lord Gusion is also white-haired! This must be... must be a blood connection!"
"Maybe she's a member of Lord Gusion's clan who's been living elsewhere..."
"Last night, when I went to the latrine, I heard Lord Morpheus in the next stall saying she was Lord Gusion's kin! I absolutely didn't mishear!"
"Yes, yes! I was in the latrine too and overheard Sage Kilian saying the same thing in the stall next to me!"
"Holy crap, what a coincidence! You two were the ones in the stalls next to me that day!"
"Then yesterday... when we treated her like that..."
A female voice full of obvious guilt cut in, her voice trembling:
"I even pointed a pitchfork at her..."
"She was clearly so pitiful... searching for this place all that way..."
"And yet we treated her as an enemy..."
Another low, gruff male voice spoke up:
"Apologize."
"We must apologize."
"Avalon... shouldn't treat people seeking refuge like this."
"Especially... someone who might be related to Lord Gusion."
Inside the room.
Theia was completely dumbstruck where she stood.
Her red eyes were wide and round, filled with confusion.
Lord Gusion's kin? A white-haired descendant of a Demon King? An apology?
Apologize to who? Could it be that another white-haired demon had come to Avalon,
and that demon was somewhere near where they were being held?
It was too much information; she couldn't process it all at once.
Just as she was trying to organize her thoughts—
"Knock, knock."
A knocking sound suddenly came from the door.
Immediately after came the click of the lock turning.
Theia felt a jolt go through her entire body.
She remembered the aggressive scene with the Avalon residents the night before.
Without a second thought, she kicked Lin Gui, who was still asleep beside her.
"Wake up!"
At the same time, she grabbed the collar of his mage robe and gave it a violent yank.
Whoosh!
She almost literally dragged and hauled the not-yet-fully-awake Lin Gui toward the stairs,
her movements so fast they stirred up a gust of wind.
Lin Gui stumbled from the pull, nearly losing his grip on his staff.
His black eyes snapped open, still glazed with the disorientation of just waking up.
Theia didn't have time for that.
Her heart pounded as she dragged Lin Gui up to the attic in three steps,
as if something terrifying were chasing them from behind.
Up in the attic, Eve Isaiah was already awake.
She was leaning against the window, one leg pulled up while the other rested casually on the sill.
Her pale-gold short hair glowed softly in the morning light.
She was quietly watching the town below as it woke up,
her posture tranquil, her expression peaceful, and she even looked somewhat holy.
Eve Isaiah sitting by the window.
Hearing the hurried footsteps, she turned her head slightly.
When she saw Theia dragging Lin Gui and rushing up in a panic,
Eve blinked gently.
Then, she nonchalantly lowered her leg from the window sill
and brought her legs together, adopting a more formal posture.
"Good morning."
She gave the two of them a faint smile, her voice soft.
"Has something happened?"
Theia lowered her voice tensely, "Eve! Those people are coming in! Judging by the sounds, there are a lot of them!"
Eve merely tilted her head and gave a soft laugh. "I know."
Theia: "...Huh?"
Eve smiled as she explained:
"They've been gathered at the door since before dawn."
"I've been watching from the window."
"They were carrying things, walking back and forth outside the door, hesitating for a long time."
"The faces of many of them... are filled with guilt and anxiety."
"Carrying things?" Theia asked instinctively. "Is it pitchforks and farm tools again?"
Eve shook her head.
"Not weapons."
"Fruit, vegetables, and the baskets contain..."
She paused, a trace of playful mischief flashing in her eyes.
"Some thick, warm clothing that looks handmade."
Theia was completely bewildered.
She opened her mouth but no sound came out.
The tension in her eyes hadn't faded, but it was now mixed with massive amounts of confusion and daze.
Fruit? Vegetables? Warm clothes?
What on earth was going on?!
Just then.
The door was pushed open.
A crowd of people poured in, carrying large bags and small parcels.
They were the same residents who had been holding farm tools and looking full of suspicion the previous night.
They rushed into the house in a swarm, looking around.
After searching for a moment, someone suddenly looked up—
and happened to lock eyes with Theia, who was peeking down from the attic stairs.
Theia retracted her head in a fright, her blood-red eyes wide.
"Lin Gui! They're rushing up!"
She hurriedly turned around and grabbed Lin Gui's arm, shaking it.
"Quick! Get us out of here!"
Lin Gui's head bobbed back and forth from her shaking.
His eyelids were half-drooped, his eyes full of the exhaustion of someone who hadn't slept enough.
"Mm... just a bit longer..."
He mumbled incoherently and leaned back against the wall while hugging his staff.
He clearly didn't take Theia's urgency seriously.
Theia stomped her feet in frustration, her silver hair almost standing on end.
"Wake up! They're already downstairs!"
The sound of footsteps from the stairs grew closer.
The wooden boards creaked underfoot, accompanied by low whispers.
"The attic... they seem to be up there..."
"Be quiet, don't scare her..."
The trapdoor at the top of the stairs was gently pushed open.
Faces filled with apology and trepidation emerged from below, one after another.
They weren't holding weapons; instead, they carried fruits, vegetables, and clothes.
Seeing the three of them in the attic, they visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, the crowd slowly surrounded them.
Theia was completely tense. Without thinking,
she grabbed the back of the still-groggy Lin Gui's collar and violently hauled him in front of her,
using him as a human shield between herself and Eve.
The scene was somewhat comical.
Lin Gui, held by her, finally blinked his eyes open in his daze,
only to find himself standing there like a human barrier, positioned right between the two groups.
He blinked blankly, appearing as if he still hadn't quite grasped the situation.
Rate on N.U.
