Scepter of Thorns

Edward reappeared in the room. He carefully examined the order and position of the items, as well as the hair caught by the edge of the drawer, and changed the outfit after the slightest change.

He lifted a lamp, and the wick that had been extinguished lit up the moment he touched the handle.He gently closed the door, removed the "Do Not Disturb" sign, and soon an attendant came to hold the lamp for him. The two went straight to the bedroom. The attendant closed the curtains according to his instructions, closed the door and left.

Edward took off his coat and unbuttoned his coat, revealing two scabbed scars.Sitting on the bed, he pulled out a sharp dagger from under the quilt, tempered the blade carefully with a burning wick, and carefully picked apart the blood-stained scab. Unhealed wounds are thoroughly exposed to the air.

Then, Edward wiped the dagger clean and put it back in its original place, ignoring the two wounds.He changed into light-colored pajamas and half-sat on the bed, reading those old and incomplete documents.

I don't know which Pope left those documents in the drawer, because they hadn't cleared them out because of their identity, and the previous Popes didn't touch them for some reason, but left them to him for nothing.

The content on the document is not confidential, but an ordinary story, but unfortunately the writing is long and boring, making it uninteresting.

The main idea of ​​the story is that the benevolent Pope adopted a child from a poor area and raised him until he became a holy son. Pope abdicates.But when he was aggressively forcing the palace, the old Pope sat on the throne and revealed the truth sadly. He had already learned everything from the dark thread, but he still couldn't believe that the child he raised would betray him.So the rebellion became easier. The Light Arrow Knights captured the rebels, but under the old pope's instruction, they only let the child go. He escaped with serious injuries and has never been heard from since.

A very boring story, Edward thought.The only thing that makes people curious is who the pope is, he must be a person who is easily entangled by emotions.

He put the file into the space ring, and there are more things to be busy tomorrow.He turned off the light and closed his eyes.

A piece of darkness twisted, he was dragged into this vortex, chaotic colors appeared in front of his eyes, and then gradually became orderly, like a framed painting presented in front of Edward's eyes.

He felt himself walking.

This is a very, very long corridor.Light penetrated from the half-open glass to the tiles, focusing on a large cloud of dust.He walked alone in the silence, and the time was compressed infinitely. He didn't know how long he had walked, but he only knew that he could not stop.

Fortunately, he saw a door at the end of the corridor.

He opened the door and walked in. It was still a corridor, so long that there was no end in sight.

He went on.

The decoration pattern is exactly the same, and the dust and light are still lingering and telling.He felt a little irritated, but his body walked uncontrollably and automatically, just like a string puppet that was precisely controlled, without the slightest deviation.

Probably after walking for a long time, it has come to the end, and there is still a door.He pushed it away, and it was that corridor again.

After walking several corridors in succession, his dissatisfaction finally reached its peak.When opening the seventh door, he thought, if it was still a corridor, he would use all means to stop himself.

He stopped.

It was a door leading to the palace. Standing at the door, he saw the dazzling black and white decorations scattered around every corner.In the middle of the opposite wall, there is a throne inlaid.

It sits here unusually, as if it were an arrogant monarch.The cold light reflected from the black crystal pierced into his pupils, bewitching him humanly: Come on, this is yours, sit on it.

He suddenly found that his body was moving towards the throne uncontrollably again, he could see its malice but was powerless to stop it.Just when his hands were leaning towards the finely crafted handle, and his waist was half bent, a sonorous but very familiar voice came to his ears: "Stop, Kairos!"

It was his own voice.

The early morning sun was cold and clear, Edward sat up suddenly from the bed, his eyes could not hide the tiredness.He changed his pajamas and opened the curtains.

It was as if the curtain had been lifted.

He instinctively felt that something was wrong, that even though it was the exact same environment, it was just uncomfortable.Edward opened the door of the room and walked straight along the corridor to the side door.

Too quiet.

There is no bird song that should be in the early morning, no noise that should be in the church, and there is not even a breath of life.No one, just empty buildings silent like a funeral.

He suddenly understood what it was, it was an illusion, and he was deeply trapped in it.Eager to prove, he manipulated the light and hurried towards the altar facing the church, but luckily he hadn't lost it yet.The pillar of salt was high above, looking down on him like a god.Edward urgently needed to verify his terrible conjecture, so he ran to the top of the altar to see the back of the pillar of salt.The name on the top is not Edward Daulsas, but a deliberately mangled word: K...rl...oz...-...n...

Edward caressed the scars, and felt an indescribable familiarity in his heart. He was sure he had seen this word before, and he had an indescribable intimacy with the owner of the name, as if he had played the most important role in his life, witnessing watched his growth, and finally watched him leave.

who is he?

The pillar of salt shrouded Edward in the shadow, and he tried to recall, but could not find traces left by the memory.Like a healed scar, leaving nothing but a blank space.

※※※

The owner of the contract can manipulate the contract with the technique of nightmare.

——"Book of Contract-Master and Servant"

----Chapter3. Nightmare & End----

The author has something to say:

When I opened it yesterday, I suddenly found that there were 10 collections, which shocked me =.= It changed to 11 today.