Chapter 73 “Incomplete Memory”
This Translation is hosted on bcatranslation.com
With a swift, deliberate movement, Duncan averted his eyes from the dazzling golden mask, instinctively adopting a demeanor akin to the rest of the believers encircling him. His gaze subtly lowered, reflecting the devout reverence etched across the faces of his surrounding counterparts as he played the part of an earnest disciple.
So far, his ears hadn’t picked up any substantial information, and it was paramount that he avoid prematurely arousing the suspicion of this ominous cult.
Just as his eyes fell to the ground, a prickling sensation crawled up his spine. He felt as though he was being observed and monitored.
The sensation nudged Duncan to knit his brows ever so lightly as he surreptitiously traced the source of this feeling. As anticipated, it was the enigmatic girl dressed in a stark black outfit, a peculiar bell swaying around her neck, stealing covert glances at him. The moment their eyes locked, she swiftly averted her gaze, attempting to feign nonchalance.
The unusual attention left Duncan puzzled, bewilderment creeping into his thoughts.
He was certain he didn’t recognize her, and there was a conspicuous absence of any details about this girl in the vast pool of memories inherited from this body’s previous inhabitant. What could possibly be the reason behind such intense scrutiny from a Dark Sun follower he was encountering for the very first time?
Was it due to the distinctive dove that had nestled itself on his shoulder?
As these stray thoughts cavorted in his mind, the sonorous voice of the cult leader, now enhanced by the golden mask, resonated throughout the room. With the mask secured, the leader seemed to transform into an avatar of divine power. His voice became deeper, more commanding, making it unclear whether it was the result of a deliberate modulation or an extraneous consciousness breathed into him by the mask.
“The prayer session has concluded,” he intoned, “Our Lord has borne witness to our unwavering devotion and reverent awe. His grace has filled our souls with radiant light. Brothers and sisters, let’s express our gratitude for surviving another day in this cruel, sunless world. We are one step closer to the glorious rebirth of the burning sun and the re-establishment of order.”
Clad in the golden mask, the charismatic ‘priest’ spread his arms wide, his voice hypnotic, and then abruptly, his gaze found a corner of the assembled crowd. His voice softened, adopting a friendlier tone.
“Before we commence today’s gathering, let’s extend a warm welcome to two of our comrades. They found themselves lost in darkness during trying times, but through the benevolent guidance of our Lord, they have returned to us… Let’s take a moment to introduce them.”
Two comrades?
An echo of the leader’s earlier words jarred Duncan’s memory; he wasn’t the only unfamiliar face in the congregation today. He followed the direction of the leader’s gaze and found the same girl in the black dress.
Oddly, he felt no surprise.
With a confident stride, the girl stepped forward, starting in a clear, articulate voice, “You can refer to me as Shirley. Both my parents were devout followers, but they fell prey to the ruthless minions of the Storm Church four years ago. I’ve been laying low in the Crossroad neighborhood since then, cut off from the rest of our brethren… thankfully, you arrived.”
Her voice, soft as a summer breeze, was laced with docility and obedience. Unless one witnessed it firsthand, it was challenging to reconcile such an innocent demeanor with the violent underpinnings of a blood-soaked cult.
“Welcome back to our fold, young sister,” the leader responded with a nod of acknowledgment. He then swiveled towards the gathering, elaborating, “Shirley’s parents were victims of the church purge four years ago. We found their names etched on the casualty list from that period. Now, let us turn our attention to our other comrade.”
Finally, the leader’s gaze locked onto Duncan.
“Duncan, a dweller of the lower district,” Duncan stepped forward, his movements fluid and confident, having mentally rehearsed this moment, “A few days back, a sacrificial ritual in the sewer was thwarted by the Storm Church. I am a survivor of that incident.”
His declaration was succinct yet heartfelt. The news of the Storm Church’s raid on the cult’s underground base had made headlines, the grim details splashed across several newspapers. Consequently, his statement triggered a ripple of murmurs throughout the crowd. The leader, positioned at the epicenter of the assembly, nodded in affirmation, elaborating, “This is yet another comrade whose faith has been through the crucible. He has endured the ruthlessness of the Storm Church’s hounds, yet found his way back to the Lord’s embrace. The holy amulet he bears is proof of his trustworthiness.”
Upon the leader’s endorsement, the cult members who were previously uninformed about the circumstances shifted their focus towards Duncan. Their responses varied from approving nods to sympathetic sighs, as Duncan managed to maintain his composure, reciting multiplication tables in reverse in his mind to keep himself grounded…
“The brief introductions have concluded,” at this juncture, the leader segued into the topic that had piqued Duncan’s curiosity, “Now, let’s bring everyone up to speed on the current situation.”
Duncan’s senses instantly sharpened.
“…At present, a substantial number of our brethren are converging on this city-state, including devout believers as well as potent messengers and priests. Our influence within the city-state is progressively solidifying, and the dawn of order restoration draws nearer…”
“However, it’s unavoidable to acknowledge that the minions of the Storm Church have mobilized as well. The city-state has recently escalated its scrutiny of newcomers, leading to several of our meeting points being compromised by the authorities. Thus, those operating within the city must remain vigilant. We can temporarily scale down the collection of offerings. The Sun’s heir has decreed: more than half of the power we have recently amassed is adequate, and the heir himself will bridge the remaining gaps…”
The surrounding believers appeared deeply moved by this revelation, breaking out in fervent praises of the Dark Sun’s benevolence and might. Duncan, however, was drawn back to the memory of the sacrificial ritual he’d witnessed in the sewer. The cult was evidently amassing power via such rituals, and if his interpretation was correct… the puppet masters, known as the “Sun Heirs,” were directly orchestrating these actions this time around?
The power reserves of the cult seemed to have been depleted due to the vigilance of Pland’s authorities and the church recognizing their illicit activities. Yet, if the so-called heirs were to intervene directly… the cult’s sinister plans would likely remain unhampered!
As these thoughts circulated in his mind, the leader’s voice rang out again: “…Our current priority is to ascertain the exact whereabouts of the sun fragment. Always remember, our ultimate objective is to herald the return of the true sun into this world, and recovering the lost sun fragment is a pivotal part of this grand endeavor!”
Duncan’s mind went into overdrive — sun fragments? What were they?
Could the assembly of these sun fragments catalyze a significant event? He sensed the dove on his shoulder becoming increasingly more agitated. Ai was flapping her wings erratically, producing soft cooing sounds deep within her throat.
Through their connection via the ghost fire, Duncan could vaguely interpret what the dove desired.
She yearned to cry out, to make her presence known, to coax Duncan into seizing the solar axe, and amass an opposing force. Yet, she was restrained by her form; after all, in this world, she was but a mere dove.
This realization filled the otherwise spirited creature with profound frustration.
“Quiet,” Duncan murmured discreetly, his hand gently caressing the dove’s head in an attempt to soothe her. Concurrently, a member of the cult standing near the leader inquired, “Do we have any rough estimates regarding the sun fragment’s location? Is there a way we can… detect it?”
“Currently, the sun fragment is in a dormant state and undetectable by any known means,” the leader responded, shaking his head, “However, our Lord has provided a hint. The fragment is believed to be concealed somewhere within the lower district of Pland. Given we have new members joining us today, allow me to provide some context.”
“Based on the information we’ve gathered, the shard fragment first manifested in the human realm roughly eleven years ago and likely catalyzed a large-scale paranormal event — it could have resulted in a massive fire, inexplicably high heat in a specific block, spontaneous human combustion, or widespread hallucinations. Our current investigation revolves around these potential indicators.”
“The city-state authorities possess extensive records of paranormal incidents spanning over the years, and our devout followers are in the process of accessing these archives. Ordinary citizens residing in the lower district might also recall the ‘unusual occurrences’ that transpired here eleven years ago. Our task is to gather such leads to extrapolate the possible location of the sun fragment. However, exercise caution. Any probing activities must be conducted discreetly. While the control exerted by the authorities over the lower district has generally been lax, the hounds of the Storm Church possess a remarkably sharp instinct… They are on high alert.”
As the cult leader laid out the present scenario for his captive audience, Duncan found his mind racing, fixating particularly on the time frame mentioned — “eleven years ago.” According to the leader, this was the time when the alleged “sun fragment,” some form of supernatural entity, first made its appearance. But Duncan found himself dwelling on this timeline for a wholly different reason.
Eleven years prior, a six-year-old girl named Nina was tragically orphaned.
The culprit was seemingly a massive fire.
Was this mere coincidence? Could such a random alignment of events truly exist?
Duncan wrestled to piece together the scattered shards of memory within his mind, but most of these memories had been swept away with the demise of his body’s original owner. Despite his utmost efforts, he could only resurrect a couple of vague images: the body’s previous owner, frantically darting away from the blazing inferno with his lifeless niece cradled in his arms, the blurred silhouette of a building succumbing to the merciless flames, and in the far-off distance, the contorted city streets appeared like hazy illusions, teeming with hordes of terrified people fleeing in all directions, their screams echoing into the night…
What if the sun’s fragment assimilated to Nina’s body meaning she is the last puzzle for the resurrection of the Sun God
Then that would result in the dreams that the Executor of the church kept dreaming on, it might brought his wrath to this city because of it.
then that would be a boring cliche
True
As opposed to a boring twist cliche? xD
Possible, but that feels too convenient and lucky.
Just realized that the previous dark sun god emissary got sacrificed by his own artifact that it likely put power into itself.