Bandera fantasma

Capítulo 4

I can't lose her, my love!

At this moment, the police approached: "Mr. Tan, hello. We have a few questions about what happened in your home. We investigated the scene, but all the locks on the doors and windows were intact, and there were no signs of forced entry. By the way, we found this in the footprints you described after being stabbed by glass."

He handed me a photo showing my bloody footprints, with a faint, footprint-like layer clearly visible on top.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [15]: "Through verification, we have confirmed that the bloody footprint is yours, Mr. Tan. As for the thing covering your footprint, we have carefully examined it." He paused, "It looks like a footprint, but we can't find any patterns that can prove its identity. We can only preliminarily determine that it is a footprint." "If there is a shape, there is a clue! Why don't you check and compare it with the footprint records in this city? You will definitely be able to catch the murderer!"

"First of all, as I just mentioned, based on all the signs at the scene, we have ruled out the possibility of someone breaking into the room. Therefore, we cannot classify your girlfriend's case as a murder. Moreover, the footprint comparison work has been completed, and the results are in."

"What is it like?"

“There’s only one person in the whole city whose footprint shape matches that,” he said, looking me straight in the eye, “and that’s your girlfriend—Elu!”

How is that possible? From the moment my foot was injured and bleeding until I ran to the bedside and picked up Ellu, she stayed in the bedroom the whole time and didn't touch the ground. How could she have left this perfectly fine footprint on top of my bloody footprint? Time and space don't make sense! What kind of conspiracy is hidden here?

"Furthermore, Mr. Tan, if this is considered a murder case, the only person with the opportunity to commit the crime is you! We will continue our investigation."

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(xi) Lingering feelings are hard to let go

Ailu lay quietly in the intensive care unit, her eyes closed, a tube of medicine sustaining her life. My love! You must hold on. When you wake up, you'll find a completely different me, a me who loves you with all my heart. I watched her through the glass for a long time, recalling everything that had happened. I can assure you, no one passed by me during the time I walked from the kitchen to the bedroom! Who would leave that footprint without any pattern? To find out the truth and clear my name, I have to go home and figure it out myself!

I squatted by the footprints. The scent of Ailu still lingered in the room. Thinking about how I left one hospital yesterday and left another today, it seemed like I had an inextricable connection with hospitals.

The police had already encircled the footprints with lime. I couldn't help but think of the circle drawn by the golden cudgel in Journey to the West, but even Tang Sanzang couldn't escape his fate. What was destined to slip up would still slip up. What couldn't be preserved would still be preserved. The footprints had dried, because the blood had congealed, broken, leaving no evidence. The only clue was that photograph. But how could I possibly get it from the police? No! Even the most perfect crime leaves traces. But I couldn't find a motive for Ailu's murder. I hadn't been in this city long, and I knew her simple life inside and out. We couldn't possibly have any enemies. I only had her as a girlfriend here; a crime of passion was simply absurd. How could a woman hold a grudge against her? A woman? Yes, there was a very obvious clue, but it had been overlooked: the footprints that matched Ailu's definitely belonged to a woman, and this matter must be related to a woman. Who was that mysterious woman, and what was her motive?

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Emerging from the restaurant, the night was already deep. I turned up my coat collar and headed towards the hospital. It was a narrow alley. A thin layer of mist hung in the air, making the night feel even more desolate. There were many strange legends about the hospital. One was about a woman who died after a doctor's failed surgery and returned as a female ghost seeking revenge. Every night, the woman would mysteriously appear on the doctor's way home and ask him for the time. In the end, it was just a story to scare friends traveling at night with me. I thought about it and couldn't help but smile. I'm not a doctor; why would a female ghost come out to ask me for the time?

But then, a woman really did walk towards them, dressed in red with long hair. Her long, black hair, like silk threads, fluttered in the night breeze.

The hazy neon lights cast a mysterious phantom behind her.

This scene is so familiar! I have a strong feeling that she has some kind of grudge with me that is hard to unravel, but I can't remember anything about her. I only want to do one thing: see her face clearly!

This time, she didn't avoid me. As if she could see right through me, she walked gracefully over and stopped in front of me. Through her flowing hair, I caught two points of light, glistening with tears. Those two lights were so familiar, as if we'd known each other in a past life. Scenes from the past flashed through my mind: the woman asking for cigarettes in the bar, the flat face with only large eyes, the large teardrops, the giant python suddenly appearing, the blade flashing towards Ailu! It was her! It was her! She must have hurt Ailu! Ignoring her eerie presence, I lunged at her, grabbed her shoulders, and shook her violently: "You wicked woman, you did it! Why did you hurt her? Why?"

But the woman I held became lighter and lighter, her body, soft and boneless, was icy cold, as if her bones had truly been removed. She slipped from my grasp, slumped to the ground, and murmured, "Wrong, everything was wrong!"

"What's wrong? Explain yourself!" "I can't kill her, I simply can't kill her, that's a huge joke!"

She laughed hysterically.

I was bewildered by her inexplicable outburst and incoherent ramblings, so I squatted down and said, "You admit it? You did it all, why?"

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [16]: She chuckled and said, "Why, do you really want to know? You won't regret it?"

"You're not leaving until you figure this out. I won't leave your side for even a moment until I know the truth!"

“Alright, I’ll grant your wish!” She pulled an exquisite bottle from her pocket—a golden perfume bottle with a glowing label that shimmered brightly: GOLDEN LOTUS FROM DESERT! She gracefully uncorked the bottle, murmuring as if in a dream: “I’ve been searching and searching, searching for the key to unlock your memories. It’s been such a long journey. I was exhausted, I wanted to give up. But one day, I finally found this in faraway Eastern Europe.”

She turned to me with a sinister smile, gently pressed the perfume button, and a burst of fragrance erupted—the kind of scent that always makes me lose myself! So it really was this woman manipulating everything in secret. Who is this vicious woman?

I reached out with all my might and suddenly brushed aside her disheveled hair that was covering her face, revealing a face I never expected—Elu! At least she had Elu's face! Caught off guard, she was stunned and frantically pressed the button a few more times. The fragrance intensified, and I knew that I was about to succumb and lose myself again. She said slowly, "I will take you to find out everything."

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The wind howled in my ears, and countless halos of light blinded me. A tearing, ripping pain brought me back to consciousness. "Ailu" was carrying me through a dazzling halo of light.

"Who are you? Where are we? Have you killed me?"

"You should know what it's like to go through these cycles of reincarnation, what it's like to suffer!" she said bitterly as she flew. "For six hundred years, I spent my days traversing these cycles, enduring torment, searching desperately for you!" She stopped in front of a halo. "This is from the last hundred years. This is the third time I've found you here. Would you like to see it?"

I peered through the halo at the strange world outside with a mixture of belief and skepticism. There I was, sitting upright at a desk, draped in a cassock, with a single candle, a wooden fish, and a wisp of smoke, all accompanying my quiet contemplation.

"I hate it so much! I hate that every time I tried to find you, you were either cultivating or had simply entered the Dao, making it impossible for me to get close to you or do anything. You've deceived me for six hundred years, and you haven't given me an answer! A full six hundred years!"

"What are you talking about? It's as if we have a deep-seated grudge. What six hundred years?"

"It's more than just a grudge! I've had this feeling stuck in my chest for six hundred years, unable to release it. I trusted you so much, hoping you could resolve my pent-up emotions. In these six hundred years, you reincarnated several times, but I only succeeded once, a laughable and pathetic one! And..." "What?"

"If you want to know, I'll take you there right now."

She angrily lifted me up and floated forward quickly. The colorful halo had turned into white light. I gritted my teeth. I knew she was doing it on purpose. She wanted me to suffer as much as possible to vent her so-called six hundred years of resentment.

We finally stopped. It was a quaint ancient courtyard, seemingly connected to a large mansion next door. A broken plaque lay on the ground, the characters illegible, except for the faint resemblance to the character "蓼" (liao). Yellow leaves danced wildly in the autumn wind, swirling up dust and scattering it everywhere. An old, ailing crane cried out in the pond. A woman in red rolled up her long sleeves, scattering layers of yellow leaves, revealing a flat mound beneath. The tombstone read, "Tomb of my beloved wife, Ai Liao." Ai Liao? Ai Lu? The world is truly unbelievable; names with similar pronunciations appearing within six hundred years. I was solemn: "Who is buried in this tomb? This vast courtyard is neglected, left to decay, not even anyone adds soil to the grave." I stepped forward and scooped up some soil to add to the mound. The woman watched my movements with a mixture of reproach and resentment, and said slowly, "That's me buried there!" My astonishment was beyond words.

She continued slowly, "Fortunately, you saw this and still couldn't bear it, otherwise you would already be beheaded." Before I could ask a question, she continued, "This family used to be very wealthy and powerful, but unfortunately, love always brings great harm. The master of the house committed suicide, and the mistress's younger sister returned seeking revenge. She was a rare and extraordinary woman, but unfortunately, she had a tragic fate. First, she was forced into a brothel, and then she was raped and murdered by several local ruffians instigated by her cruel sister in a fit of rage. Fortunately, justice prevailed, and those ruffians kept increasing their reward. Such a large family fortune was destroyed just like that, it was not worth it. The servants in the house took advantage of the chaos, some running away, some looting, and they all scattered like birds and beasts. The mistress reaped what she sowed. The ruffians, who could no longer squeeze any money out of her, raped her and sold her into a brothel as well. Later, she laughed foolishly all day long and went mad. Some say that she ran away and jumped into this pond, and died."

I am deeply saddened by this horrific tragedy.

"You're heartbroken? That's strange. This was your calamity from past lives; no wonder you feel pity. I, on the verge of death, find it unbearable; how much more so for a mortal like you?" Her voice choked slightly. Suddenly, her expression hardened. "But you... why did you betray me!"

"Betray you? Did I betray you in my past lives?"

She turned around, her shoulders trembling slightly. As I listened to her recount another tragedy, I knelt before the grave.

"You opened my coffin, tears gathering my soul. I looked at you, listening to you say you would reveal the truth. I waited so long, but there was no news. The resentment in my heart grew deeper and deeper. Several times I tried to find a way to be reborn, but I died each time because of the pent-up anger in my chest. Why won't you come back? You let me die unjustly to this day without knowing why! You are so cruel!"

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [17]: "No! No way. After hearing what you said, I don't think I'm that kind of heartless person. There must be something fishy going on. Let me uncover this secret that has been buried for six hundred years!" I analyzed carefully, recalling the relevant records on the Internet. I made a decision: "Take me to Xinjiang!"

"Xinjiang? Where is that?"

"That's right, it's the Western Regions you mentioned. According to historical records, people have seen the Golden Lotus in Kashgar, Western Regions. There must be clues there. Yuan Shiwu must have gone there!"

"Alright, I'll take you there. We've waited six hundred years, what's a little more time?"

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(12) A Tragic Love and a Tragic Child

Where am I? Am I back in the desert? It's so hot, like being roasted by fire! I look around, and the bright red rocks are as clear and translucent as the sun, even the internal textures are clearly visible. Where am I? Where are the Gai siblings? Where is the golden lotus I saw? We were in a clear spring, how did we end up here?

"Brother Gai! Miss Man!" I wandered through the crimson cave, but I couldn't find my way around. The water and blood on my body seemed to have dried, and my steps grew heavier and heavier, but I had to get out! I still had so much to do; I needed to uncover the truth behind Ai Liao and my father's deaths, and I needed to unravel the mystery of my own origins. But I kept going in circles, and I couldn't go on any longer.

A sudden tremor stirred my will to survive. The red rocks shook violently, as if the world was about to crack open and swallow me up. Rocks from above crashed down, creating bursts of flame on the ground. I kept dodging, but the tremors in the cave grew more intense, and I had almost nowhere to hide.

My head was spinning, and it felt as if countless tiny insects were crawling inside me, trying to burst out of my skin. I was terrified, but powerless to stop them, left to their mercy. Just then, a clear whistle pierced through the rocks, penetrating my dazed mind. I steadied myself and looked in the direction of the sound. I had a feeling that hope lay there. With a series of soft splashes, a golden light shattered the raging red, and I was drawn in by the torrent it created, propelled by its force, freeing me from the terrifying red.

I vaguely saw that golden light, like a magnificent ribbon, yet swift as a sword. It gently landed me on a stretch of Gobi Desert, then swiftly shot into the sky, transforming into a bird, flapping its two enormous wings. The surrounding clouds instantly gathered, turning into sweet rain that fell and nourished my wounds. I gradually felt the burning sensation subside, and my consciousness slowly returned. The golden light flashed away, and a moment later it carried another person. I gazed at the sky, and from the braided hair, I vaguely recognized it as Gaiman.

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Gaiman lay in my arms, and Ganlin quickly roused her from her unconsciousness. Gaiman struggled to open her eyes, crying out, "No, brother, save me, save me!"

"Miss Man, wake up! Are you alright? Where's your brother Gaida? What happened?" I asked anxiously, afraid that I might cause harm to two lovely and innocent lives.

When Gaiman saw it was me, she buried her head in my chest and sobbed, "Brother Yuan, you're awake! My brother, he..." She was sobbing uncontrollably. I gently patted her back to help her catch her breath.

She continued haltingly, "Brother Yuan, do you know? The oasis we found that day was also a fake, a trap set by the devil! It was the dryland lotus floating down from the upper reaches of the river that revealed everything to us. You fainted because you didn't know that the river water... that clear water..." She bit her braid, persisting, "was actually a river of blood, flowing with the blood of our lost people in the desert. The devil used it to lure passersby, repeating the same misfortune over and over again. That deity was the devil incarnate! He took the form of a man, shouting and cursing, saying that a wicked woman had ruined his plans. He leaped into the air, grabbed an eagle, and threatened to crush it." I refused and ran over, only to find him putting the eagle in his mouth and chewing it up. His mouth was full of blood and feathers. I was furious and terrified. I lunged at him, but he tried to attack me… My brother put you down, who had fainted, and desperately tried to save me. The demon knocked him unconscious in one blow. Only then did the demon notice you. He dropped me, opened his jaws, and lunged at you, as if to drink your blood. His teeth suddenly grew long and gleamed. I lunged at him, desperately trying to hold him back, but he slapped me to the ground. I couldn't watch him harm you. I crawled desperately toward you, but his mouth was already at your neck. I was so scared that I couldn't stop screaming. I thought it was all over now.

Gaiman took a breath and continued, “I cried and begged him not to hurt you. He turned his head and smiled sinisterly. His eyes were even flashing red! I was so scared that I forgot to cry and forgot to scream…” --- Magpie Bridge Fairy replied [18]: She stared blankly for a long time, shook her head vigorously, and continued, “Just then, I smelled the scent of the golden lotus on the dry land. A voice drifted down from the sky. The voice was beautiful and resentful, as if it contained great pain. I heard her cry out, ‘You villain, can you really be so heartless? He is…’ Before the voice finished speaking, a soft sobbing sound came again.” Gaiman imitated the woman’s voice so vividly that it seemed to reveal a deep affection in his voice. "The demon stopped, as if truly considering a difficult matter. A moment later, he went berserk again, shaking his head. His red hair transformed into clusters of flames that shot towards the golden lotuses on the dry land of the river. The lotuses rose into the air, gathered together, and spun endlessly around the demon. The demon grew even more enraged, his eyes blazing like fire. He tried to bite you several times, then retreated. I didn't know what he wanted to do. He suddenly turned around and walked towards me. I thought, 'Fine, if he kills me first, I won't have to suffer watching you get hurt.' But as he approached, he ignored me and instead lifted the turf from a cliff face, revealing a hole, glowing red like a pit of fire. With a wave of his hand, you..." I flew inside, crying and shouting, "Do you want to roast Brother Yuan and eat him?" He smiled and asked, "Are you heartbroken?" At this point, her face flushed instantly, and she shyly touched her braid, finally saying, "I cried out, 'So what if I like him? You might as well kill me too!' He laughed and said, 'Fine, I'll grant your wish.' Then, I was thrown into that fiery pit. The door to the pit immediately closed. I couldn't find you, and I couldn't find the exit. I was so scared. But then I thought, Brother is still outside, with that devil. What will happen to him? I didn't dare think about it. Later, I was hot and hungry, so I closed my eyes to rest. When I woke up, I was with you. But, Brother, where is he?!"

I patted her on the shoulder, feeling a mix of emotions. I could only comfort her, "It's okay, look, we're all fine, and your brother will be too."

In truth, an ominous cloud was gathering in my heart. I had a gut feeling that I was gradually approaching the truth, but instead of joy, I suddenly felt an unprecedented fear—a fear to face it, to tear away the thin veil that concealed the truth… ※※※※※※※※※※ Night deepened, the rain stopped, and countless stars scattered across the dark sky, connecting with the pitch-black Gobi Desert to form a vast, boundless net. The jagged cliffs on all sides revealed various grotesque faces in the hazy starlight, like ghosts and monsters.

I helped Gaiman up, hoping to find a place to stay, get through the night, and regain my strength so that I could search for Gaida the next day.

Just as we were frantically searching through this endless black web, a familiar, agile figure appeared in the night. Under the starlight, it was clearly Gaida, whose whereabouts we had been searching for so desperately!

“Brother!” Gaiman had clearly noticed him too. She ran over happily and hugged Gai Da’s neck like a nightingale: “Brother, where have you been? We were so worried about you! You didn’t even come to see me! I missed you so much!”

Gaida's face was flushed with an unusual redness. His eyes were fixed on him as he shoved Gaiman away, who drifted away like a kite and landed on the ground some distance away. Gaida walked straight towards me, closing in on me, and stiffly stretched out his hands, easily grabbing my neck. I couldn't even dodge!

I struggled, struggling to say, "Brother Gai, what are you doing?" He bared his teeth, and his pupils flashed with red flames! I felt a tightness in my chest, tearing at his grip with both hands, trying to break free, but his iron-like hands seemed to possess infinite magic, and I couldn't pry them open. Gaiman crawled over and pounced on me, pounding Gai Da's back: "Brother, are you crazy? He's Brother Yuan! How could you hurt him!"

I sensed something was wrong and desperately cried out, "Gaiman, run! Your brother's gone mad! Be careful he doesn't hurt you!"

"He is no longer the original Gadda; he is just a shell being used!"

A kind female voice sounded behind me, and two golden beams shot out from my sides. Gaida seemed to be stung, his eyes glaring angrily. He quickly withdrew his hands and roared as he lunged at me from behind. I clutched my neck and turned around to see a middle-aged woman enveloped in a golden light. She nimbly dodged Gaida's frenzied attacks, preventing him from getting close, and said to me, "Child, help that girl to the side. Don't come any closer."

As if hypnotized, I picked up Gaiman, who was stunned and trembling from the sudden change, and hid behind a large rock, watching everything that was happening here.

As the beautiful woman dodged, she shouted into the air, "You villain, stop using innocent lives to commit evil! You can't bring yourself to do it, so you resort to such despicable methods to manipulate others. Do you think this will resolve your inner conflict?"

A burst of fire suddenly lit up the sky, and a handsome man appeared. With a wave of his hand, Gaiman collapsed to the ground, his face turning deathly pale. I rushed over and carried him back, but he was already dead! Gaiman was heartbroken and fainted.

The beautiful woman said, "You wicked scoundrel, after all these years, you still haven't changed your despicable nature!"

The man said, "You've finally shown yourself to me. It's been twenty years. How have you been?"

The beautiful woman angrily said, "Don't bring up the past! I, the Golden Lotus Saintess, have tried my best to make amends for the mistakes I made. If I had seen through your wolfish ambitions back then, how could I have..." "Hehe, it's pitiful that you were so self-righteous and ignorant back then, trying to drag me out of the Demon Realm. You were too naive!"

"It was my poor judgment that led me to believe I could resolve your anger with justice and save the children of the desert from your cruelty. But you are so despicable, taking advantage of my youth and pretending to be moved by me..." The beautiful woman paused and said bitterly, "You even used sweet words to coax me... I only regret that I lacked self-control, which led to this terrible mistake..." --- The Magpie Bridge Fairy replied [19]: "Hahaha, it's laughable that you are so ambitious and eager to make a name for yourself, but you chose the wrong opponent. However, you still have some beauty, so why shouldn't I play with you?"

"You!" The beautiful woman trembled with rage. "You've deceived me, and I admit defeat, but you don't even spare your own flesh and blood, and you even want to use his blood to enhance your demonic powers!"

The man gritted his teeth, "You bitch, you should have kept quiet. Today I'll see what other tricks you have up your sleeve to save him! Back then, while I was practicing my martial arts, you took that bastard away from me..." "Hmph, if I hadn't done that, the child would already be in your mouth!"

"You took that brat away, and I couldn't find him anywhere, and I almost ruined my cultivation! I searched high and low, and finally found his whereabouts, but that unfilial son was too affected by the human energy. The demonic blood containing the essence of the Golden Lotus of Dry Land in his body gradually faded, and its effect on my cultivation became weaker and weaker! Taking action against him is also useless!"

"So you infiltrated my territory to steal the Golden Lotus of Dry Land in order to rekindle the demonic blood within him, in order to awaken the blood energy of both the immortal and demonic realms within him?"

"How hateful that you actually found that merchant surnamed Yuan ten years before me and taught him how to make his unfilial son avoid my divine power and not be affected by me!"

"So you used magic to bewitch Old Master Yuan's mind, causing him to commit suicide! So that the child would have no protection from now on and would be at your mercy!"

"If it weren't for absorbing the demonic blood containing the Golden Lotus of Dry Land, which could help me quickly master my divine skills, I wouldn't have spent so much energy playing games with you all these years. My offspring must contain my blood. The first time I used the Golden Lotus of Dry Land, he revealed his true nature, just like me! I watched him kill the servants, and I know he felt the same pleasure as me. The greater his madness, the stronger the heat within him, the better the demonic effect of his blood! He dragged that woman into the room, but he just stared at her. I thought he should kill her, as that would help the demonic blood grow! I used a little magic to burn away his last bit of willpower with true fire. Haha, he bit into that woman, sucking her blood. He truly is worthy of being my offspring!" The man laughed triumphantly, looking up at the sky.

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I felt a cold sweat break out on my back, my heart pounding as if it would burst out of my chest. My hands and feet were ice-cold, my head was numb. What they were saying was clearly my experience, everything about me. This was the secret I couldn't understand! These two were my biological parents whom I had been searching for so desperately. I was actually a product of a conspiracy, a twisted fate! Who am I? What am I? What is the meaning of my existence? I am nothing more than a seed used by my biological father to practice his skills! He kept his back to me. I so wanted to see what he looked like, what kind of face someone with such a heart of stone would have. I noticed the strangeness beside me. Gaiman had already woken up. She crossed her arms and looked straight at me, her eyes revealing complex emotions. Clearly, she had also heard the conversation between the two and guessed what they meant.

The beautiful woman continued, "You deliberately made him kill the woman he loved, activating his demonic blood. Then you disguised yourself as a merchant from the Western Regions, using the kind-hearted Luo Enen to let him learn about the origins of the Dry Land Golden Lotus, and helped her escape the brothel. You then told the child to come to the desert so that you could succeed!"

"That scoundrel isn't beyond redemption, but the Central Plains aren't as warm as my desert. Besides, with the training I did in the Fire Refining Cave, the demonic blood essence within him has fully manifested! Just when I was about to succeed, you rescued him again. Today I'm going to drain his blood dry. If you try to stop me again, don't blame me for not remembering our past relationship. From this day forward, I will reign supreme over all under heaven!"

"Don't even think about it! As long as I'm here, you'll never hurt my child again! Twenty years ago, I took him back from you, intending to raise him myself. But I worried that you would eventually find him, so I reluctantly let him wander the world, hoping to guide him back to the right path. I would secretly visit him every year. Ten years ago, I realized that the fragrance of the Golden Lotus on my body would harm him, so I had to tell Old Master Yuan the truth. From then on, I stopped going to the Yuan family, which gave you the opportunity to succeed!"

"What makes you think you can stop me? I've waited twenty years, and today my merits will be complete! Anyone who tries to block my way, die!" The man turned around, and I saw his face! I saw it—he had a face exactly like mine! I had never hated my appearance so much; it contained evil! I hated myself, hated that I was neither immortal nor demon, hated that I was the illegitimate child of an incestuous love between an immortal and a demon. I felt utterly hopeless and turned to smash my head against the rock.

Gaiman cried out in surprise. The beautiful woman turned around at the sound, and with a graceful wave of her long sleeves, she lifted me up. She floated over to me and said, "Child, do you blame your mother?"

I stared at this gentle woman, overwhelmed with sorrow. I shook my head and slowly said, "I don't blame her. What's the use of blaming her?"

Did I have a choice? But why did you choose to give birth to me? Why didn't you give me a chance to choose?

The man laughed from afar, "What right do you have to choose? You were destined from birth to sacrifice yourself for my demonic arts. Did you have a choice?"