The night was thick. Silver moonlight spilled through the forest, casting mottled tree shadows that swayed like hideous ghostly faces in the wind. Lucas and Dalin walked through the dense forest. Although it was deathly quiet all around, both of them felt an indescribable sense of oppression, as if being watched intently by some invisible gaze.
Dalin glanced back uneasily and asked in a low voice, "Lucas, don't you think... we've been walking for a long time, yet it seems like we're going in circles?"
Lucas stopped. After a moment of thought, he gently stroked the tree trunk with his fingertips. His brows furrowed. "There's something strange about this forest. We should have clearly walked out to the east just now, but we're back at the starting point."
Dalin looked around. The forest was deep and secluded, and the mist under the moonlight was getting thicker.
"Maybe this isn't reality."
Lucas raised his eyes slightly. His gaze was sharp, as if piercing through the falsehood. "We're in a dream."
Dalin was startled. "A dream? But I can clearly feel the cold wind blowing and smell the scent of the leaves. How could it be a dream?"
Lucas said solemnly, "Precisely because everything is too real, it's even more suspect."
The moment the words fell, a long - drawn - out ringing of bells suddenly sounded in the forest. It was ethereal yet somewhat strange, as if coming from the depths of the netherworld.
The sound of the bells approached from afar. Right in front of them, a black figure slowly emerged. The figure was wearing a tattered cloak and holding a copper bell.
The person had their head lowered, moving silently, yet exuding an irresistible sense of oppression as they approached step by step.
Dalin tightened her grip on her sword and said in a low voice, "Be careful. He's not an ordinary person."
Lucas slowly drew his long sword. The blade reflected the moonlight, glinting with a cold light. "Who are you?"
The black shadow stopped three zhang away from them. The voice was hoarse and low. "The Soul Ferryman."
"For the souls in this forest, those who are lost all need to be ferried by me."
Dalin frowned. "What do you mean?"
The Soul Ferryman slowly raised his head. Under the cloak, a pale, bloodless face was revealed. His eyes were sunken, as if they could suck away people's souls. "You've been wandering here for three days. If you don't let me ferry your souls, you'll never be able to leave."
Lucas' gaze darkened slightly. He said coldly, "What do you want?"
The Soul Ferryman gently shook the bell. The sound of the bell was like a spell. "Hand over a memory, and you can leave."
Dalin's brows furrowed tightly. "Why a memory?"
The Soul Ferryman slowly raised his hand and pointed at Dalin. "Because there's a crack in your heart. The memory you've lost is already incomplete. If you're not willing to hand it over, the crack will eventually devour you."
Dalin's hand holding the sword trembled involuntarily. Her heart seemed to be pricked by something. Indeed... she always felt that there was a missing piece in her memory.
Lucas stepped in front of Dalin. "If a memory needs to be handed over, I'll do it."
A strange glint flashed in the Soul Ferryman's eyes. He chuckled. "Your memories are too heavy. I'm afraid they can't be ferried."
The knuckles of Lucas' hand holding the sword turned white. "Then let's see."
The sound of the bell stopped suddenly. The Soul Ferryman's gaze was like a knife. "If you insist on blocking, you must be prepared to bear the consequences."
The next moment, the Soul Ferryman's figure flickered and turned into several black shadows, attacking from all directions. A chill filled the air.
Lucas swung his sword, and a streak of sword light split the black shadows. But more shadows
condensed again, as if they were immortal.
Dalin shouted, "Fire!"
She brandished her sword, and a fierce flame leaped from the tip, dispersing the black shadows. However, the sound of the Soul Ferryman's bell rang again, and the flame gradually died out.
During the fight, Dalin suddenly noticed a detail—the bell in the Soul Ferryman's hand was extremely similar to the amulet bell she had lost as a child!
Her heart jolted. Dalin exclaimed, "Why is this bell in your hand?"
The Soul Ferryman stopped and looked up at her. He said slowly, "Because this is originally yours."
Dalin's heart pounded wildly, and her mind was in chaos.
Fragments of memories and blurred scenes gradually emerged...
It was a rainy night. She was still young, standing by the lake. Her sobs echoed in the night.
A black - clad person stood behind her and placed the bell in her hand. "If you ever forget yourself, the sound of the bell will bring you back."
Dalin stood there, stunned, murmuring, "Is it you... the voice that's been calling in my dreams?"
The Soul Ferryman was silent and nodded slowly. "You should have remembered long ago."
Lucas sensed the change in the atmosphere and asked in a low voice, "Dalin, who on earth is he?"
Dalin slowly tightened her grip on the bell. Her gaze was complex. "Maybe... a relative I've forgotten."
The Soul Ferryman stopped attacking. His figure gradually faded away. "That's all for today. You've regained a part of the lost self."
The sound of the bell dissipated, and the mist in the forest gradually cleared. Moonlight once again filled the mountain forest.
Lucas stared at the disappearing Soul Ferryman. He said softly, "This forest... perhaps still hides more secrets."
Dalin looked at the bell in her palm, her emotions in turmoil. "But at least, now, we can move forward."
—
In the forest, the wind wailed. It seemed that there were still whispers lingering in the distance. The secrets of the Soul Ferryman had not yet been fully revealed.