The Light in Memories

Luo Wei smiled and nodded, "Of course I'm willing, but I hope it's not through you sacrificing yourself."

"What?" Eleya frowned immediately. "You..."

She stared into Luo Wei's eyes, his expression serious.

"You already know?" she asked.

Luo Wei hadn't expected his guess to be right, but his expression remained unchanged. "As you absorb the power of faith, your divine side will grow stronger, won't it?"

Eleya gave a slight nod.

Luo Wei continued, "But will that still be you? By the time you become a true god, the original you will be as good as dead, won't she?"

A fleeting look of confusion flashed in Eleya's eyes. "That's true. As my power grows, my emotions grow colder, and it's becoming harder to control my other side..."

Watching her troubled expression, Luo Wei spoke softly, "Just as I said, the real you will die. But I don’t want you to die, so let me save you one more time."

"Save me... again?"

"Yes, just like that time before."

"That time... before."

The bustling streets blurred as Eleya sank into a memory—one she would never forget.

In her youth, perhaps due to her devout faith in the light, she had awakened to divine magic at a very young age.

Blessed with extraordinary talent, she was exceptionally promoted to a healing priestess after coming of age, assisting the local bishop. For someone of her status, this was already the peak.

Originally, she thought she would spend her life in that remote town of a small central kingdom, living an uneventful existence. But in her first year as a priestess, war broke out.

It was hardly a war—just petty conflicts between insignificant nations, barely worth a footnote in the grand history of the continent.

Yet even so, it changed her life forever.

The dark sorcerers hired by both sides brought suffering to innocent people. She saw villages set ablaze, towns reduced to ruins, people wailing in agony, fertile land blackened by corruption...

Her foster mother, that kind-hearted nun, had died because of it.

It was the darkest time of her life. From then on, she despised those who wielded magic and loathed the masterminds behind the conflict—Wegner and Norsgul.

Norsgul, the very nation where the Holy Church resided, shook her faith in the God of Light itself.

She no longer relied on the cowardly bishop, nor did she retreat to the Holy Mountain with them. She would help the people and protect her homeland.

She picked up a massive, crude flail used for threshing in the village and, driven by sheer courage and brute force, drove away the bandits who sought to plunder in the chaos.

She healed the wounded with divine magic, but the flood of injured from all directions overwhelmed the village, clogging the streets...

Days and nights of endless fighting and healing left her body frail, her spirit nearly extinguished.

The moment of her deepest despair came when the terrifying dark sorcerers reappeared. She thought it would be her final prayer.

So she would always remember that scene—sunlight piercing the clouds, falling upon him as he reached out his hand to her.

For a time, she believed she had found that guiding light.

"Luo Wei, who saved me, must be the messenger sent by the gods," she had thought.

And everything that followed indeed matched her expectations. They unraveled conspiracies, confronted hidden dangers lurking in the shadows, and she grew stronger. The enigmatic Luo Wei became, in her eyes, the world's savior—just as the divine prophecy foretold, the day of redemption was truly at hand!

But all that hope had been shattered four years ago...

Eleya's gaze cleared, her eyes filled with complexity as she looked at Luo Wei.

"Thank you, but I no longer need your salvation. This is my choice, the path I am destined to walk."

"Oh." Luo Wei nodded. "Then go in peace."

"Huh?" Eleya was taken aback by his indifferent response.

Suddenly, Luo Wei smirked, his expression turning mischievous. "After you're gone, the rest of us will keep living happily in the old house. Don’t worry about us, and definitely don’t wonder what kind of fun activities we get up to every night~"

"You—" Eleya glared at him in exasperation. "Why would I care about that? Do whatever you want. Do you think I envy them?"

"Lies!" From a private residence at the street corner, Ophelia let out a cold laugh.

Tilis, observing Eleya’s expression through a magical projection, nodded repeatedly. "See? I told you she’s not as indifferent as she pretends to be."

"She’s just in denial," Ophelia murmured. "She’s definitely jealous deep down."

As the two whispered, a married couple in the living room stared blankly at the stack of banknotes on the table, then exchanged bewildered glances.

When the two women had barged in uninvited and thrust a fortune into their hands, the couple had thought they were dreaming...

"Strange things happen every year, but this year’s been especially weird..." The husband stuffed wads of cash into a bag and whispered, "Maybe we should head to the countryside for a while. Saint Callen feels... off lately."

"But this is Saint Callen... where the emperor lives. What could possibly go wrong?" his wife muttered.

"Just trust me on this. I’ve got a feeling something big’s coming..."

"Fine..." she reluctantly agreed.

...

Back at the food stall, Eleya pretended not to care and kept eating.

Helena, unable to contain her curiosity, leaned toward Luo Wei. "Brother, what kind of fun activities? Can I join too?"

Luo Wei grinned. "Sure, sure. Tonight, we’ll all play together."

Helena nodded eagerly.

"What?!" Eleya nearly choked. She stared at Luo Wei in shock. "Even Helena? She’s just a child!"

Luo Wei gave her a puzzled look. "What’s wrong with playing cards together at night? Since when do you police our fun?"

Eleya facepalmed, exasperated.

A whole year’s worth of emotional turmoil couldn’t compare to today—typical of him...

"But seriously, what if I insist on stopping you?" Luo Wei asked.

"No one can stop me. If you stand in my way, I won’t hesitate to kill you," Eleya replied instantly, her gaze turning cold and hollow again.

"Tch." Luo Wei scoffed. She was like a turtle retreating into its shell, unwilling to face him when it mattered.

As the three ate at the stall, Chief Raymond hurried over.

"Finally found you!"

"Luo Wei! Stop eating! We've got another case!"

Luo Wei glanced at the police chief, thinking to himself, How do you always manage to track me down at the worst possible time...

Seeing how flustered and hurried the chief looked, it had to be a major case. Luo Wei stood up and said to Eleya, "You're coming too."

"You're taking me along for your investigation?" Eleya switched back to her usual demeanor, her expression puzzled.

"I told you—I want you to watch as your schemes get dismantled, one by one," Luo Wei said with a smirk.

Sooner or later, she’d slip up. And when that happened, he’d see if she could keep that calm facade intact.