This left Jonas in shock. At first, Jonas believed that the paper left behind by Mrs. Laura was a clue leading him to the culprit. But it turned out to be a warning, a hastily written warning. Now Jonas could understand why this paper was under his bed and not somewhere in Mrs. Laura’s room. It was meant for him. Perhaps Mrs. Laura had foreseen that something would happen to her, so, before her death, she left this note as a desperate message. Mrs. Laura had no children, but subconsciously, she might have seen Jonas as her own, not wanting him to stay here, in a place that could kill him at any time.Invisible to others, the paper left by Mrs. Laura had become a heavy burden on Jonas. First, he felt a profound sense of sorrow. Mrs. Laura had protected him before her death and hid this warning under his bed. Yet, Jonas couldn’t protect her and could only stare at her body hanging in the air. Until now, he still couldn’t find out who had caused her death. There was something else that m
Both of them lay quietly on the bed, but neither spoke to each other. Sleep eluded them both.The recent events troubled Jonas. His initial purpose when leaving the town and boarding that ship was to go to a new, peaceful city to cultivate his magical abilities. However, fate had other plans. The shipwreck had thrust Jonas into a battle between life and death, eventually leading him to this peculiar village. His original intentions and the reality of his current situation were complete opposites. He had sought serenity but was now burdened with perplexing matters that left him increasingly headache-ridden.Karl, on the other hand, rolled restlessly on the bed. He couldn’t close his eyes without the image of Paul, the little dog, stabbing at his heart like a knife. For many years, Karl had been living alone, and Paul had become his constant companion. Their relationship had developed beyond a mere pet-owner bond; it was more profound than that. But everything was now beyond repair, no
“Jonas, is there any noise outside?” Karl asked anxiously, looking over at Jonas.“Yeah, it sounds like someone shouting,” Jonas replied. He immediately got up, picked up a walking stick next to him, and rushed outside. A sense of unease was creeping in.Karl didn’t hesitate and followed Jonas.Outside, everyone had already rushed to the street. The narrow road was packed with people.Jonas stood to the side, quietly observing the situation. Karl’s house was made of sturdy wood and designed to be soundproof, which had allowed both Jonas and Karl to remain oblivious to what was happening outside. When they opened the living room, they were shocked to hear the commotion. The weather outside had taken a turn for the worse, and it was now extremely severe. The strong winds were blowing relentlessly, causing several thorny trees to uproot and lie on the ground. The snow was steadily accumulating in thick layers, covering the ground. Occasionally, in the distance, tornadoes appeared, and a
Now Jonas had to make a choice: think of himself or the lives of others. Far in the distance, the boat was continuously tossed about, and the wind was getting stronger. It was only a matter of time before the boat would completely capsize, and the ten people on board would become ten lifeless bodies sinking into this nameless river. The icy wind relentlessly bit into Jonas’s skin, while the snow fell without mercy onto his hair. Watching the desperate figures, Jonas’s inner conflict found an answer. If he went out to save people now, he might not die, but that other “species might devour him.” However, if he stayed here to protect himself, his conscience would die. Once the boat sank out there, Jonas’s conscience might be drowned as well, and he would spend the rest of his life in agony and regret.Having decided, Jonas immediately dashed forward, aiming for the direction of the river. That was his answer, and his conscience had triumphed.“Jonas, stop!” Karl’s agonized cry pierced th
The waves grew larger, and the wind showed no mercy, directly striking Jonas in the face. Jonas kept swimming, struggling against the waves. Naturally, he encountered many difficulties, but he had expected this. He clung to the lifeline, fearing that any moment of distraction might cause him to lose it, and the waves would sweep away the boat. Jonas bobbed up and down as he continued to swim against the turbulent water. The river’s water level had dropped by now.People on the shore watched Jonas as he swam closer, their eyes wide with astonishment. They couldn’t believe that Jonas was still alive, let alone swimming back to them. It was beyond the imagination of everyone present. They couldn’t believe that a human could contend with the forces of nature. The scene before them was truly ferocious.“Look, it’s Jonas, isn’t it?” Seventh shouted.“Do you see it too? I thought I was seeing things!”“Yes, Jonas is alive, he’s still alive, he’s swimming towards us!”Karl also looked in the
“In front of you, Jonas!” Earl Armstrong yelled loudly. At this point, he couldn’t maintain his composure any longer. The person in the icy water below was his beloved daughter, and he would willingly sacrifice his own life for Daisy’s if he could. However, jumping into the water now wouldn’t achieve anything. A middle-aged man over forty, like him, couldn’t do much. It would only divert Jonas’s attention. At that point, the chances of saving Daisy would decrease by half.The wind continued to blow, and the boat, unable to withstand the conditions, rocked incessantly, tilting left and right continuously. The people on the boat desperately clung to the boat’s edge. If they let go for a moment, their fate wouldn’t differ from Daisy’s.“Turn left, Jonas, about an arm’s length to your left!” Earl Armstrong yelled. After all, he had been holding Daisy’s hand for a while, preventing her from falling into the water entirely. So he couldn’t let her die now. It would have been a waste of his p
The sword had just struck down when the hand, whether human or ghostly, immediately released it. Daisy’s body began to slowly surface. Jonas held Daisy with one hand, preventing her from sinking any further, and retrieved the sword with the other. In a matter of moments, the sharp sword had transformed back into the appearance of a simple walking stick.“Stay away from these people. If I ever see you again, I won’t be so forgiving,” Jonas threatened, looking down at the water. If he hadn’t been busy rescuing Daisy, he would have removed the mask from the person below to see who they really were. Whatever had been troubling the village for so long had proven to be highly dangerous. But now was not the time. Daisy’s life was the top priority, and if he stayed here any longer, she might succumb to either drowning or hypothermia. Her fragile condition made it essential to prioritize her survival.Jonas swiftly changed direction, swimming towards the shore, one hand securely holding Daisy.
Jonas visited Daisy. On one hand, he was still concerned about Daisy’s health, and on the other hand, he wanted to see what Daisy had to say to him.“Please lead the way, Mrs. Armstrong?” Jonas said.Mrs. Armstrong said little, but she led Jonas to the room.After a brief walk of less than ten minutes, they arrived at their destination. Mrs. Armstrong gently knocked on the door.“Daisy, are you in there?” she asked.“The door’s not locked, you can come in!” Daisy’s voice echoed. Compared to the previous night, her condition had improved significantly.Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong, along with Jonas, entered the room. Jonas’ first impression of the room was that it was small but very tidy. There was a pleasant scent of jasmine in the air, suggesting that Daisy had placed some jasmine flowers in the room.“Daisy, how are you feeling?” Mrs. Armstrong quickly walked to Daisy’s bed and held her hand. Yesterday, when Daisy fell into the freezing water, Mrs. Armstrong cried her eyes out, believing