Gun of Ashes

In the fully conscious perception, this was a vast ocean of darkness. Lorenzo felt the currents rising from below, bringing with them a chilling cold and a sense of death.

He was about to cross over. Beyond the [Boundary], dim starlight emerged, just like the dim starry sky Watson showed him in the [Gap].

Lorenzo was about to see it all clearly, getting closer and closer. The slumbering monsters sensed this unfamiliar visitor; they slightly opened their eyes, revealing bloodthirsty fangs.

The atmosphere was oppressive to the extreme. Just as Lorenzo was about to ignite it all, he suddenly stopped, showing a mischievous grin.

The next moment, Lorenzo opened his eyes, the Secret Blood instantly calmed down. He was covered in cold sweat. Without lingering, he leaped off the bed, grabbed the Nail Sword in the corner, and cautiously observed his surroundings.

Honestly, even now, Lorenzo still couldn’t figure out whether his mind was malfunctioning or something else. To actually try crossing the [Boundary] in such a situation, he thought his curiosity wasn’t usually that strong... or had he been tempted? Even his will, when off guard, could be slightly influenced?

Of course, these things didn’t matter anymore. What worried Lorenzo more was whether his repeated crossing at the [Boundary] would anger the Silencers. Although this time, he merely passed by the edge, who knows if they might feel mocked and descend in fury?

If they descended here, it wouldn’t be a big deal. Though he’d feel sorry for the house, if it were blown up, Lorenzo wouldn’t have to clean the room.

The more nervous he got, the more chaotic his thoughts became. Like a frightened animal, he stood rigid with the Nail Sword; unsure how long it lasted, everything remained ordinary: no Silencers, no demons, nothing happened.

Lorenzo sighed deeply. After pausing for a moment, he stepped to the desk, took up his notebook, and began to write.

This was a notebook he started after returning from Gaulunaro, filled with many deductions regarding demons, Silencers, and the [Boundary]. Opening to the latest page, Lorenzo began to write.

”At the Maruri port, when triggering the Silencers, clearly I was the trigger, but those monsters didn’t prioritize me for attack; instead, it was Lawrence. It seemed to them, Lawrence was more dangerous than me. Could it be that they have a way to assess threats?”

Lorenzo continued writing from where he left off, recalling his sensations while passing the [Boundary].

”I distinctly felt that I was at the edge of the [Boundary], separated by only a wall from the viscous darkness. I could vaguely hear the monsters’ breaths... Alright, this is just a metaphor. In a world of conscious perception, many things depend on a very mystical sense of ’feeling’. I think, surely they could also sense me, but what’s strange is, predicting by the actions of the Silencers, they should eradicate all who cross the [Boundary], and those capable of doing so.

But they remain silent, as if bound by some ordinance. As long as I don’t completely cross the [Boundary], even if I daydream on the edge, they won’t bother me...

This makes me question whether the Silencers have self-awareness. Are they an unknown type of monster, or merely machines that act upon orders and rules?”

Lorenzo paused his pen, the young drunkards downstairs had left, possibly affected by the Secret Blood, he felt a bit tired, unsure what to write without more experimental records.

Perhaps after tomorrow, he could experiment with Merlin. With current technology and intelligence, Lorenzo had some confidence in protecting others from the Silencers’ onslaught.

Lorenzo closed the notebook and crawled back into bed. Perhaps still fearful of the Silencers, after some thought, he placed the Nail Sword and the Winchester by his pillow, as if only then could he barely fall asleep.

...

The young man stopped vomiting, staggered, and finally stepped into a small alley on the street, leaning against the wall and sitting powerlessly, surrounded by trash.

Alcohol made his consciousness incredibly blurry, and the world spun around him. His friends around mocked his drinking, their faces slowly twisting into monstrous forms.

”Get up, come on.”

Someone reached out to pull him up, but the young man refused. He was exhausted, shook his head, and lay with the trash. His friends looked at him helplessly, swayed by the effects of the alcohol in their brains, and eventually, fell beside the young man.

In the alley, several drunken young men lay on the ground, snoring. This scene was quite common among young people: waking up on the street after a hangover, freeing their souls... probably.

The young man slept soundly, but after a while, his eyes slowly opened, a dim light glimmered in his eyes, no longer clouded by drunkenness.

Watson stood up slowly, her will took over this body. The physical reaction from the alcohol made her, the controller, uncomfortable. But now wasn’t the time to care about these things; she needed to meet Lorenzo to share this damned information with him.