Bab 24: Twenty-fourth, end of the banquet.
The diary had filled in part of Lu Li's understanding of this world; at least he now knew when the phrase "stay in a place with light" began to appear and what had caused it.
After closing the diary, Lu Li thought for a moment and then tucked it into his chest. This diary, which could influence those who viewed it, could also be considered a supernatural object.
Lu Li had no intention of pursuing this lead. The eyeless ghost, Ruth, had already been physically exorcised by him. As for the "it" described in the diary, it was not something Lu Li could confront. He would, when the time was right, hand over the diary to the Police Station or to the night watchmen.
Lu Li then checked the other two bunks, but unfortunately found no clues related to the ghost girl Asina Leslie.
Lu Li asked the Ghost Girl sitting on the windowsill, "Do you know anything about Asina Leslie?"
The latter shook her head, "I only knew her after she became a ghost. I had only seen her a few times before that."
"Can you sense where she is?"
"Hmm... not nearby."
Lu Li nodded and left the break room, "Let's go back."
The other two rooms on the second floor were a studio and a storeroom; there wouldn't be any clues there.
It was approaching midnight. In the quiet, dim corridor, Lu Li walked with an oil lamp in hand, followed by a slightly ethereal, chattering young girl in a white dress.
"By the way, what's your name?"
"Lu Li."
"You seem different from the other night watchmen. They are all afraid of us. Why aren't you scared?"
"Because it's useless. Fear and impulse only reduce your rationality and do not aid your actions."
Back on the first floor, they encountered Asina's ghost again.
"... my... child..."
Asina, dragging the intestines that extended from under her dress, murmured the same phrase over and over, drifting unconsciously through the corridor.
After absorbing part of Ruth's ghost, her presence had grown stronger, and a shadowy outline vaguely appeared behind her. Around the outline, several indescribable, distorted tentacles gently swayed.
This dissuaded Lu Li from any thoughts of tackling the situation forcefully. Asina was no ordinary ghost; perhaps she was close to becoming a vengeful spirit, something beyond the capabilities of a novice Exorcist like himself.
Fortunately, she didn't exhibit the same clear malice as Ruth.
Hugging the wall, Lu Li quietly waited for Asina to pass by. The ghost floated into the range of the oil lamp's light and vanished.
"Come out, she's gone," Lu Li said, turning his head to speak to Anna, who had hidden behind him. "Are you afraid of ghosts as well?"
Anna put her hands on her hips and retorted with faked bravery, "Who says a ghost can't be afraid of other ghosts?"
Lu Li had no logical answer to that, so he chose to remain silent.
Once back at the desk by the door, Lu Li set down the oil lamp and settled into the wooden chair.
Lu Li asked, "Why are you in the painting?"
Anna floated in midair, flitting about like a sprite, her voice clear and melodious, "I don't know. I was just inside the painting when I woke up."
"So are you Anna, or just a painting named Anna?"
Anna gave Lu Li a look and floated down in front of him, "What silly things you're saying. How could I have memories from before I died if I were just a painting?"
Lu Li asked a few more questions. Although Anna constantly criticized, she still provided detailed answers and seemed a bit excited.
Perhaps she had always been alone during the time she dwelled within the painting, and since every night watchman was extremely afraid of ghosts, not to mention engaging in conversation, Anna enjoyed and relished the time she spent talking with Lu Li.
Lu Li subconsciously thought about the sculpture, perhaps it also had this reason for following him?
Anne Bassey was the founder of Madam Anne's Art Gallery, located on the Ailen Peninsula in Himfast, roughly 200 miles from Belfast.
There, the artistic atmosphere was rich, and it was a well-known City of Art on the Ailen Peninsula, where even the common people had some level of appreciation. However, after the "Night of Calamity" Anna described had struck, no one cared about art anymore. Galleries and art museums withered one after another, and the lives of mother and daughter Anne and Anna were taken by a disease.
On her deathbed, Madam Anne entrusted the gallery to Benjamin, who had a passion for art, and indeed he did not disappoint her trust. He chose to relocate the gallery to a port city like Belfast, which could hardly boast an artistic atmosphere, instead of selling it off.
A portion of the staff chose to follow the gallery to Belfast, such as James Campbell, who killed Ruth and was then killed by Ruth.
Anna Bessie became conscious or, rather, awakened after the gallery had moved to Belfast. She was the first ghost to appear in the gallery, followed by the sculpture, then Ruth, and then Asina.
"Is Asina a local?"
"Yes, she was hired by Benjamin after he came here. I've seen her a few times. Each time, she was working late into the night before leaving with an oil lamp. She was a very hardworking girl, but unfortunately..."
Anna was very timid and shy, so for a long time after her awakening, she hid inside the painting, peeping out at the outside world.
"Can you only appear after dark?"
"I need to rest during the day." Anna turned around, then suddenly tilted her head, "But it seems like I can come out during the day too?"
"Haven't you tried?"
"No... I thought ghosts could only come out at night..." Anna said, a bit embarrassed. The reason she rested during the day and appeared at night was merely based on her reading from ghost stories that "ghosts usually haunt at night."
After Anna had spoken, she began urging Lu Li to share his own story. She floated to the opposite side of the table, cupping her chin in her hands and looking on with anticipation.
Lu Li briefly recounted some of his experiences in Belfast, omitting his identity as an Exorcist.
"What about before that?" Anna urged, like a little girl eager for a bedtime story.
"..."
Lu Li remained silent.
In the end, Lu Li didn't tell her, and although Anna felt somewhat disappointed, she hid it well. She did not want to lose Lu Li, the hard-earned friend she had made since becoming a ghost, the first one at that.
As Lu Li and Anna talked, time gradually passed.
Outside the harbor, a hint of light began to rise from the deep sea's horizon; dawn was breaking.
Anna yawned, but halfway through, she realized Lu Li was watching her from across the table and, feeling embarrassed, covered her mouth, her cheeks blushing slightly: "I should go back to rest."
"Mm."
Lu Li rubbed his brow and stood up, escorting Anna back in front of her oil painting.
Anna floated in front of the painting, shy but somewhat expectant, she asked, "Will you come back tomorrow?"
"I will."
Lu Li nodded. He was going to investigate information about Asina during the day, to suit the remedy to the case. Solving the problem of just one ghost would not get him sufficient payment from the stingy Benjamin.
"Ehehe." Anna couldn't help but let out a silly laugh, feeling embarrassed, she covered her face and floated back into the painting.
She returned to her original pose, her body and gaze becoming rigid, blending into the same style as the painting's background.
Lu Li extinguished the oil lamp, and the surroundings plunged into dimness.
A pale, faint light crept in through the window into the deserted corridor.
Hadiah
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