TWP Prologue

The appropriate path, the correct path, the one and only path—such a path does not exist.

—Nietzsche

***

「Merciful Father, You are my refuge and the strength that makes me as firm as a rock. It was you who formed man from dust and breathed life into his nostrils, making him a living being with a soul. You sent down your only Son for those who believe in you so we might be saved. Thank you for granting us salvation; I believe that You will forgive my sins just as we must forgive those who harm us—」

The girl’s lips, once red as cherry blossoms, were now pale and cracked, mirroring her fading life like a candle flickering in the wind.

She closed her eyes, clutching the cross tightly, and prayed wholeheartedly to the god of her faith—the one who had never truly saved her before:

「I believe… you will welcome me to that eternal haven. I lay before you the burden I carry for my brother; I pray for his salvation because you shall deliver us from evil.」

—For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever.

—Amen.

The cross twisted in the girl’s slender wrist, and its sharp end pierced her throat. Her eyes widened as a torrent of red gushed from her neck. She looked at Lin You, mouth agape, but could no longer form words. She could only exhale crimson foam as her body tumbled backward, falling into the vast sea.

“Lin Yi, don’t—”

Lin You reached out to the girl falling into the sea, but he couldn’t prevent her from sinking.

He jumped into the water, sinking and surfacing in the icy waves, and grabbed hold of the girl’s hand. A wave crashed over them, slipping her hand from his grasp. He wanted to scream, but when he opened his mouth, only silent bubbles escaped amidst the flowing current.

The girl named Lin Yi sank rapidly downward as Lin You followed close behind, continuously diving deeper. The cold seawater numbed him; within this limited sensory world, all he could see was the silhouette of the girl surrounded by a dark red vortex.

In the depths of the water, a whirlpool seemed to open, as though countless decayed corpses reached out with skeletal hands. Silent and putrid roars echoed as the gates of hell slowly swung open.

Amidst the turbulent currents, the girl’s floating body was seized by these grotesque remnants. Facing despair, Lin You felt the presence of death encircling them. He thought he could see the grim reaper, its skeletal face twisted in a mocking grin, emitting a haunting cackle.