Shrouded Seascape

"I felt like everything had become meaningless. I had no motivation to do anything, and I was just living day by day, responding to my body's needs to survive," Sarthe said, looking serene as he calmly talked about the past. "But I eventually found other things I want to achieve in life.

"I affirmed my beliefs, and I've been wanting to live since then."

"How did you do it?" Lily asked curiously.

"Child, whenever you feel lost, find a quiet place to be alone. Eliminate all distractions, think about what your heart wants, and then follow it.

"When the Light God died, the other religions started maliciously disparaging Him and distorting His image. They even describe Him as an evil god with a penchant for collecting human lives through sacrifices, like Fhtagn.

"When I saw them doing that, I found my purpose in life.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"I'm too old, and I probably won't live much longer, but I can't tolerate my former God being slandered like that, so I decided to write—I'm going to write down the history of the dead Divine Light Order to let people know that it once existed in the seascape."

Just then, Sarthe looked a bit emotional as he said, "The New Testament stated that the Light God was kind and great. He had mercy on us mortals, and he was planning on sending us to the Land of Light, where there is no death nor despair.

"I don't care what others say, but I firmly believe that what He said was true; the noble Light God would never stoop to lying."

Lily was instantly moved by Sarthe's words, and she was reminded of that warm, glowing orb that had resurrected her back then.

"Yes! The Light God never lies!" Lily nodded vigorously in agreement. Having been resurrected by the Light God, Lily would always be full of gratitude toward the latter, and that gratitude would never fade regardless of anyone's slander.

Sarthe's eyes lit up at Lily's response. He nodded approvingly at her and said, "Thank you, child. Nowadays, few people are willing to listen to an old man's ramblings. Anyway, let me give you a book."

Sarthe turned around and rummaged through the pile of books. Eventually, he turned toward Lily and handed her a book with a pure black cover and a white inverted triangle drawn on its cover.

"This is the New Testament. It contains an interpretation of the Light God's revelations. I hope it can help you make choices in the future."

Lily accepted it, but she looked hesitant as she asked, "Can I really take this away? I remember the library doesn't allow students to borrow books."

"Don't worry, child. I have certain privileges as a librarian."

Lily no longer hesitated upon hearing that. She held the book close and bowed toward the old man. "Thank you, sir. Your words have inspired me."

With that, Lily left the library with the New Testament in hand.

Sarthe revealed a satisfied smile, looking very happy as he stared at Lily's disappearing figure.

"Hey, Sarthe, didn't I tell you not to do something like that?" a voice asked.

Sarthe turned around and saw his colleague, who had come to take over the shift.

"I simply provided help to a student who needed a helping hand. What's wrong with that?" Sarthe asked.

"You're no longer a believer of the Light God, so why did you recommend that book? Aren't you afraid that the dean will catch you and fire you one day?"

Sarthe took out the keys from his pocket and placed them on the nearby desk. He then clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward the exit. "That's none of your concern. I'll pay for that book with my salary."

Having clocked out of work, Sarthe walked out of the school gates and saw students walking in pairs just beyond the gate. A hint of envy flashed in his somewhat cloudy eyes. He also had a wonderful life when he was still young.

"Ah, it's really good to be young." Sarthe sighed and boarded the tram to head home.

Half an hour later, Sarthe was finally standing in front of his home in the port district. He took out his key and opened the door, and he sounded slightly boastful as he said, "Sariah, I did a good deed today! I helped a lost and confused student.

"I think I did well, so I'm going to reward myself with a cigarette."

Sarthe went inside, and then he used his right thumbnail to pry off the scar on his forehead, revealing a white inverted triangle underneath.

Taking off his shoes and putting on soft slippers, Sarthe walked over to one of the two sofas and sat down. Then, he faced the next sofa and said, "If today were back then, I would convince her to join the church, but now, I can only imagine it.

"I hope she can find enlightenment in the Light God's revelations."

Sarthe smiled and reached out to touch a hand made out of fabric on the armrest of the sofa next to him.

There wasn't a human being sitting on the sofa. Instead, it was a life-sized doll; the portrait of an old woman was on the face of the doll, and there was a white inverted triangle on her forehead.

"As I said, I'm going to reward myself with one cigarette. Don't worry, I opened the window earlier," Sarthe said, winking at the rag doll. He then took out a cigarette from the cigarette case on the coffee table in front of him.

He held the cigarette to his nose and took a deep whiff before excitedly igniting it.

A puff of white smoke soon enveloped him. He then picked up a copy of the New Testament and began reading it again. The New Testament contained the esteemed Pope's interpretation of the Light God's revelations.

Sarthe had already memorized it thirty years ago, but he still found it to be a meaningful read.

Thy soul, thy flesh, and thy bones belong to the Great One, the ancient ruler who reigneth over all things with His omnipotent power.

His throne is established upon the waters; yet now its location remaineth a mystery, serving as a test unto thee, that it may be revealed who among you is superior in their endeavors.

The Light God is merciful. Upon the day of His advent, He will bestow upon His brethren life everlasting and shall guide them unto the Land of Light, where joy and tranquility persist through the eons.

Sarthe felt like he had gone back in time to a few decades ago. At the time, he was sprawled out on the streets, starving, and a fragrant piece of holy bread had saved him.

Sarthe felt as if he had returned to that brightly lit Divine Light Grand Cathedral. The familiar hymns echoed in his ears once more, and he could see his friends, his family, and his beloved—everything seemed to come back to him at this moment.

When the cigarette burned out, the exquisite and ethereal singing in his ears gradually faded, and he found himself in the cold room of his residence with tears in his eyes.

Clutching the New Testament, he said in a near sob, "O great Light God! You claimed to be omnipotent. You have perished, but… You would resurrect one day, right?"

After a while, Sarthe stood up and walked to his desk. There, he continued with his writing.

As the nib of Sarthe's pen ran across the paper, words written in a forthwith manner painted the paper. Sarthe recorded how he—once a starving and lonely lamb—obtained hundreds and thousands of brothers and sisters upon joining the Divine Light Order.

He wrote about how the Divine Light Order gave him work, food, and had even assigned him a beloved.

Those ignorant always talked about how the Light God's blessing was brutal with a low survival rate, but they had never mentioned that the believers of the Light God were the purest people out there due to the fact that they could never lie.

Everyone had the same sentiments and thoughts. There were neither grudges nor internal strife within the church, and everyone was working toward the same goal.

They could not lie, so marriages between brethren were extremely stable, with few cases of infidelity and divorce. Moreover, the Light God's blessing eliminated the believers' fears entirely against Divinities or bizarre entities; they were basically immune to the cursed whisperings in the vast chaotic sea.

Sarthe had found his life's purpose—he would vindicate his religion as the last remaining Light God believer!

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