"Oliver!"
It was Joan's voice that roused Oliver.
The old, broad coat had slipped from his shoulders, and the frigid air brushed against his skin. Joan shivered involuntarily, her breath misting in the air.
"It's cold," Joan thought. Her gaze shifted to Lu Li and Anna. "I had a nightmare... Where are we?"
Lu Li didn't answer imdiately. He opened the carriage door and turned, his voice cutting through the chill. "Roostown is just ahead."
A draft of cold air swept into the carriage, carrying the faint light of early morning. They were perched on a hilltop, and in the distance, a small town erged from the misty drizzle, perhaps two or three kiloters away.
"Is the storm over?" Joan asked, pulling her coat tighter and glancing up at the sky.
"The storm changed direction."
The wind now blew from the southwest, sweeping along the Shadow Swamp and into the mainland's interior. Here, they only felt the faint whispers of the tempest. But in Belfast, the storm was likely still raging.
Huddling in her coat, Joan shivered. "What do we do now?"
"Eat."
...
The carriage rolled along a gravel road winding through the hills. Inside, the remains of last night's dinner lay on a newspaper. Though cold and stiff, the food tasted surprisingly good. Lu Li ate in his usual quiet focus, while Joan stole quick glances at Anna between hurried bites.
After a few such glances, Anna tilted her head and asked, "Is there sothing you want to say?"
Joan, her mouth full, struggled to swallow a piece of bread and mumbled, "Uh... I wanted... I an... are you feeling better?"
Anna looked at Lu Li, then offered a gentle smile and replied, "I'm all right now."
Last night had brought two pieces of good news and one of bad. The good news was that the voice Lu Li had heard did not co from the "Door". The bad was that the remnants of the vengeful spirit's consciousness were still affecting Anna.
The other piece of good news was that after Lu Li had expressed his gratitude, the spirit's consciousness had completely faded, freeing Anna from its influence.
"Good," Joan nodded, but then the mory of her nightmare and her missing brother brought a fresh wave of sadness.
Finishing his breakfast in silence, Lu Li shared a piece of dried at and so water with Joan.
The carriage was already approaching Roostown. Low-slung houses and the figures of hurrying townsfolk erged from beneath a leaden sky.
As they neared the town, Lu Li pinned his Investigator badge to his chest and asked Anna not to retreat into the In-Between. There were bound to be exorcists in Roostown, and Anna's aura might attract unwanted attention from anyone with a keen supernatural sense. It would be simpler to just tell them the truth.
Just as Lu Li had predicted, mbers of the Night's Watch in their black uniforms stood at the town entrance, watching the approaching carriage.
"My assistant," Lu Li said as he stepped out of the carriage.
The mbers of the Night's Watch regarded Anna with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. They probably assud she was a companion of Lu Li's who, like Tristan, had been turned into an anomaly by so tragic incident.
Soon, an investigator in a cloak appeared and led Lu Li to the gathering point.
"I'm Ellen Sorn, an agent. I'm currently leading the team investigating this incident. It's a pleasure to et you," said a stately man whose rank seed at odds with his youthful appearance.
"Lu Li."
Two locals who had stayed behind to help led the horses away, while Ellen Sorn escorted Lu Li, Joan, and Anna into the town.
"Roostown is under our control. All residents have been evacuated to Wutongtown, thirty kiloters from here. Only a few n who volunteered to help remain. So far, five squads from the Night's Watch have arrived. You are the fourth investigator."
The town streets were nearly empty. A gloomy twilight filled the houses, and smoke rose from only a few chimneys.
The Investigators and the Night's Watch had set up around an observation post facing Tenebrae. Ellen Sorn was just about to take Lu Li there.
After listening to all this, Lu Li asked, "How can we get closer?"
Ellen Sorn shook his head.
"There's no need to get closer. Until the two evil gods finish their battle, there's nothing for us to do. We're just observing from the outside until one of them is destroyed by the other. That's when we'll make our move."
"Is there a way inside?" Lu Li asked again.
Ellen Sorn frowned. "What do you an?"
Lu Li glanced at Joan, who turned to Ellen Sorn and said, "My brother is in there. We have to save him."
Ellen Sorn's frown deepened as he stared intently at Joan.
"I would not advise you to go to Tenebrae. And... to be frank, not a single survivor has made it out of there yet. We are preparing for the worst."
By "the worst," he ant that there were no survivors.
Joan fell silent, looking to Lu Li, waiting for his decision. Tenebrae was far more dangerous than she had imagined. As much as she worried about her brother, she couldn't make this choice for Lu Li.
"We're going in," Lu Li told Ellen Sorn.
Ellen Sorn stopped and stared at Lu Li in silence for a few seconds before sighing. "All right... Follow ."
The temporary observation post was a hundred ters away. Ellen Sorn led Lu Li and the others to a different building—a tall, circular barn.
A squad from the Night's Watch and several Alliance mbers were on duty at the entrance.
"Bring out the body of a Night Demon," Ellen Sorn said to the Alliance mbers, then explained to Lu Li, "This is a servant of the invading evil god, the only kind we know of so far."
Ellen Sorn had already told them about the servants of the Mother of the Swamp.
The barn doors swung open, revealing three Alliance mbers wheeling a large cart. On it lay a black creature, nearly three ters long. It resembled a massive bat, but its torso was built like a man's. Sharp talons, easily capable of snatching a person, clearly served as its primary weapons.
The Night Demon was a terrifying sight, but not one that inspired complete despair. At least, this creature could be wounded by conventional weapons.
"Wear its wings and go. It's perpetual night in Tenebrae right now, with only a little light from the blood-red sky, so you won't be spotted. But as soon as you enter the town, take off the wings imdiately. Roll on the ground to cover the scent of blood with mud and water, and then hide," Ellen Sorn explained.
"Why? Wouldn't it be safer to keep the wings on?" Joan asked.
Ellen Sorn felt a certain sympathy for the brave girl and explained patiently, "Don't forget, there are two evil gods fighting in Tenebrae. And so are their servants. If you keep the wings on, the servants of the Mother of the Swamp will attack you."
Having said that, Ellen Sorn looked at Lu Li. "This is all the help I can offer. Good luck."
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