As the tension mounted, a small circle quickly formed around Charles and Sonny, with onlookers eagerly watching the unfolding drama. Just then, a staff member in a suit rushed over.

  “Gentlemen, you both have signed contracts. Please think carefully before acting. If you engage in violence within the Association, not only will you be expelled, but you will also be wanted by the Governor.”

  Sonny smiled and nodded, while the translucent fluid around Charles shrank back into his clothing. “Mr. Charles, I truly mean no harm.”

  “What do you want?” Charles asked, his brow furrowed. He had a feeling that if this situation wasn’t resolved today, Sonny would haunt him indefinitely.

  Sonny gestured toward a quieter corner of the hall.

  Once they were away from the noise, Sonny smiled at Charles. “Captain Charles, how much do you know about us?”

  “Not much, but I’ve heard some rumors. For instance, to join your church, one has to undergo an initiation ritual where needles are inserted directly into the brain through the eye. You claim this grants blessings from the sun god.”

  “Mr. Charles, don’t you think such a ritual is practical? In these cursed seas, the greatest danger is the fear in our minds. Once blessed within our church, one will no longer feel fear. That’s why the survival rate among our sun god’s explorers is the highest.”

  “Then why not mention how high the death rate is for those who undergo such rituals? Is it a blessing or a curse? And let me ask you, do you even know what the sun looks like?”

  “Of course.” Sonny pointed to the triangle on his forehead. “This is the image of our lord.”

  Charles nearly burst out laughing. “The sun is triangular?”

  “Why not? That’s the answer given by the oracle.”

  “The sun is round, you idiot!” Charles’s voice rose sharply.

  “Have you seen it? How can you be so sure?”

  “I…” Charles struggled to suppress his words.

  Sonny raised his hands in a gesture of peace. “Fine, since you’re not part of our church, I won’t argue doctrine with you. I’m here to offer you a commission.”

  “A commission?”

  “It won’t take much of your time. Since you’re going to Sodom, could you help me deal with some people? They’re also from the Church of the Sun God, but their beliefs differ from ours.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “How do you know I’m going to Sodom?” Charles felt an unsettling invasion of privacy.

  Sonny chuckled. “Unique individuals like you naturally attract attention. If you show good faith, there will be more opportunities for collaboration. I believe your funds might be running low?”

  “What if I refuse?” Charles sneered.

  “I believe you’ll agree. You’ve worked with the freaks from the Futan Church; why wouldn’t you consider this mutually beneficial arrangement?”

  “Ha.” Charles rubbed his nose. “At least the Futan Church is a bit more polite than you.”

  With that, Charles turned on his heel and walked away. Logically, he should have accepted the deal; he needed the funding. But first, he disliked Sonny’s tone, and second, he wanted no part in the cult's internal conflicts.

  Upon returning to his lodgings, Charles immediately sensed someone had been there. He rushed to the drawer and opened it, finding that his diary had indeed been tampered with.

  “Lily? What happened after I left?” he asked, a hint of anxiety creeping into his voice.

  “She came in not long after you left…” a tearful voice emerged from under the bed.

  “What did she look like? Did she have an inverted triangle on her forehead?”

  Lily timidly crawled out, her fur disheveled. “It was the sister you know.”

  “Which sister?”

  “The one from the drawing in your diary.”

  “Anna?!” Charles’s pupils constricted as he rushed to Lily, grabbing her by the shoulders.

  “Are you sure it was her? Or just someone who looks similar?”

  “It was definitely her. She even wrote something on the back of the drawing. Mr. Charles, why didn’t you mention that she’s not human but a monster?”

  Charles dropped the mouse he was holding and quickly pulled out the drawing from his diary. Flipping it over, he saw neat Chinese characters written on the back.

  “I can’t believe you drew this for me. You said I was fake, yet you still thought of me.”

  “Actually, when I saw that drawing, I felt quite happy. Even if I’m dead, my beloved man still thinks of me.”

  “Gao Zhiming, I’m fake. My feelings for you are fake; everything was created by the Diwa tribe.”

  “I know what you’re thinking. You want to help me escape from the monster’s control, right?”

  “But you’re wrong. I am the monster; the monster is me. We are inseparable.”

  “The Diwa tribe doesn’t have a brain; survival relies on instinct. When we need to think, we create a consciousness, and I am that consciousness created by myself.”

  “I miss you so much, wanting to be by your side all the time. I believe you miss me too, but we both know that even our longing is fake.”

  “I came here today to have a breakup talk, but since you’re not here, forget it.”

  “I don’t want to be controlled by false feelings. I plan to go to the Sea of Earth to find my purpose. Don’t come looking for me. Just focus on your surface world.”

  Zhao Jiajia.

  P.S. (By the way, if you find another woman, don’t let me catch wind of it, or I might just eat them.)

  Charles’s mind became a chaotic mess as he threw the drawing aside, his eyes reddening as he turned to the white mouse beside him. “How long has she been gone?”

  “About half an hour.”

  Without another word, Charles dashed out. He bit down hard on his thumb and, with a swift motion, smeared it against the mirror. His body rapidly transformed, and a massive bat took to the air, gliding low.

  In a dark alley, Anna, wearing a stunning red dress, gazed up at the bat, yellow-green tears glistening in her eyes.

  Just then, a burly arm draped over her pale shoulder. “Hey, girl, how much for a night?”

  Anna gently wiped her tears and turned to face the drunken man. “Two hundred for a quickie, eight hundred for the night.”

  Stunned by Anna’s angelic face, the drunkard quickly regained his composure and excitedly unbuckled his belt. “Eight hundred it is! I’ll take it!”

  With a radiant smile, Anna approached him, but behind her, her pale skin began to crack, revealing black, root-like tendrils slowly emerging.