I will never forget that night.The wind howled outside the factory. The darkness was thick as ink, and the city’s neon lights felt a world away—as if we stood in a place cut off from the rest of existence.She brought it with her—the Grail.Her hand clutched it tightly, but the faint glow pulsing from its surface and the ominous whispers drifting through the air made it clear:this thing held immense power—and it was even more dangerous than before.“I don’t have much time,” Celesta panted.“You… must destroy it. Or hide it. Just don’t ever let Edgar find it.”I looked into her eyes—there was no fear there.Only a fire that burned with pure, unwavering resolve.I barely had time to speak—when a voice cut coldly through the shadows:“So… you really did betray me.”Edgar.He stepped out from behind the rusted columns of the ruins,his long black coat billowing like a slab of steel trailing behind him.His eyes didn’t burn with rage—they glowed with something heavier:a sorrow, a
Celesta’s condition… is truly getting worse.She’s been unconscious for three days straight now. Even when she briefly regains consciousness, it’s only for a few minutes—her words are fragmented, and her mind is barely coherent.The doctors are helpless. They say this doesn’t resemble any typical illness—it’s more like a collapse on a spiritual level.Some have even whispered, privately:“It’s like… part of her soul has been hollowed out.”I wanted to laugh that off.But one night, as I was sitting alone by her side, Celesta suddenly opened her eyes.She gripped my hand tightly, lips pale, and managed just one word:“The Grail… don’t… touch it again…”There was a fear in her eyes I had never seen before—not fear of illness, nor death—but of something far more ancient, like a nightmare about to swallow her whole.As for Edgar… he acts as if everything is normal.Still handling his duties, holding meetings, inspecting construction projects.But I know—he’s preparing something.He’s g
Chapter 249: Diary – Entry VII & VIIIEntry VIISo it really wasn’t just my imagination.I… we tried it again.Out of curiosity—and yes, a little bit of greed.Wishing before the Holy Grail… really makes things happen.For example, we wished for the foundations in the Western District to stabilize.The soil there is notoriously loose, waterlogged year-round, and construction always collapses halfway through.The very next day, a worker accidentally unearthed a layer of rock-hard subsoil—as if an entire “natural platform” had been buried beneath.Just like that, one-third of the groundwork was done.Even the builders’ guild was stunned.Or the time Edgar wished to open a new trade route at a river bend.No one thought it possible—centuries of silt and failed excavations had buried that path.But days later, a storm rolled in, flooding from the mountain sent a surge downstream—and miraculously, it flushed the entire bend open.The channel was shaped perfectly.Instinct told me all thi
Entry VToday, for the first time in a long while, I can finally say something with a bit of lightness:We made it through.The pressure of these past days has felt like a stone suspended above our heads, ready to fall at any moment.But now—there is light breaking through.And who would’ve thought the one to change everything…was Livia and that “treasure map” she found on that idle afternoon behind the northern hills?That piece of parchment—turned out to be real.We followed the markings, sent out a few trusted workers, and began quietly digging late at night.What we unearthed was a stone-sealed ancient well.At first, there were scattered jewels and relics.But deeper down—there were sealed stairs, and a vast hidden vault.We brought in a few trustworthy antiquities experts, and every single one of them was left speechless.Then came their unanimous verdict:These were noble treasures from the early Empire.Authentic, rare—and worth a fortune.We didn’t report it—and we couldn’t
Diary – Entry IIIWe’re close to breaking. Truly surrounded on all sides.The main road reached the central district—then construction was suddenly ordered to halt, citing “public disturbance.”The rebuilding of the residential quarter had barely been laid when the construction materials “mysteriously disappeared” en route.Even the funding that had already been approved was abruptly frozen—we’re now being asked to submit more paperwork, go through more review processes.But we’ve already submitted everything—three times.There was a time I truly believed:If we had sincerity, vision, and courage, the city would respond to us.But now I realize:The city never responds to anyone.It only protects those already sitting firmly in their seats of power.Elias’ father didn’t come home last night.I know he went to meet some of his “old contacts.”He told me perhaps it was time to “try another way,”that maybe we should start compromising.I understand him—but I’m terrified.Terrified that
The diary was slowly opened—The ink on the first page had already begun to fade, but two names at the very top remained strikingly clear:“To my children: Marcellus and Elias.”For a moment, the air seemed frozen in place.“…This…” Elias stood stunned.Marcellus’s hand paused mid-air, his eyes suddenly darkening with depth.They looked at each other, unsure whether to feel astonished—or afraid.This diary—was left by their parents.Never had they imagined that in the eye of this storm, their parents’ shadows would quietly emerge.“…Keep reading.” Elias said in a low voice, an unfamiliar tension tightening his tone.And so, they continued to read.This long-buried journal would unveil a story none of them had anticipated…The First EntryI hope someday you’ll read this diary.If not… maybe that’s for the best.Today, we officially launched the first phase of the City Expansion Project, together with Edgar.Its codename is “The Ring of Hope.” As the name suggests, we hope to turn this