He divided the “night watch duty” into segments and distributed them evenly.
It was a clumsy method, but perhaps the only one available at the moment.
Vivian frowned but did not object. Alicia’s eyes flickered, yet she remained silent.
Lilith, however, pouted, appearing somewhat dissatisfied.
“Then what about Brother?”
Lilith asked, her voice tinged with grievance.
“I’ll sleep by the fire.”
Lynn pointed to a relatively flat patch of ground near the flames.
“That way, any of you can see me, and any of you can protect me. No one should think about pulling any little tricks behind my back.”
He spoke bluntly, his tone carrying a hint of reckless desperation.
He sat down, leaning his back against a tree. He felt the pulling sensation at his ankle begin to appear rhythmically again.
Vivian hesitated for a moment but ultimately said nothing more.
She walked to the north side of the campfire, her eyes scanning the dense forest with vigilance.
Her longsword was held horizontally in front of her.
Alicia moved to the south side of the fire and thrust her magic staff into the ground.
A Holy Light Barrier shimmered into existence, enveloping both her and Lynn.
Lilith walked over to Lynn’s side and sat down right next to him.
Her hand once again reached out to grab the corner of his clothes.
“Brother, are you cold?” she whispered, her breath brushing against his ear.
**[Lilith’s Blackening Value: 92%]**
The Blackening Value had returned to its original position.
Lynn did not answer her. He closed his eyes.
He knew this was merely a fleeting peace.
He felt Lilith’s hand gently kneading the fabric of his clothes.
That invisible silk thread remained coiled around his ankle.
He could almost see those three pairs of eyes staring at him through the darkness.
He was still the prey in a cage.
It was just that this cage was slightly larger than the one during the day.
Furthermore, there were three beasts taking turns watching the night outside.
Every tiny sound made his entire body tense up.
Tonight, his sleep would be very fitful.
***
Lynn could not sleep.
Physical exhaustion hit his sanity in waves, but his spirit remained as taut as a fully drawn bowstring.
The firelight flickered, stretching the surrounding shadows into various grotesque shapes.
Vivian stood like a sculpture, guarding the north without moving an inch.
Alicia’s Holy Light Barrier emitted a soft glow, but Lynn knew that beneath that radiance was a pair of eyes that never relaxed their vigilance.
And beside him sat the greatest threat.
Lilith’s breathing was light and even, leaning against his arm as if she had truly fallen asleep.
Yet the hand gripping his clothes never let go. The strength wasn’t great, but it felt like a shackle.
Lynn kept his eyes closed, forcing himself to relax.
He had to rest; he needed to continue acting tomorrow, continuing his struggle for survival in the gaps between these three women.
After an unknown amount of time, his eyelids grew heavy, and his consciousness began to blur.
He felt as if he were falling into a pool of warm water, and the tension in his body slowly drained away.
He finally drifted off to sleep.
—
When he opened his eyes again, Lynn found himself still sitting by the campfire.
The fire was still burning. However, the flames were static, like frozen amber.
There was no crackling sound, no heat.
The surrounding forest had also become strange.
The trees were the same, but every leaf was motionless, and the shadows in the woods were as deep as ink, swallowing all sound.
Deathly silence.
Vivian and Alicia were gone.
The positions they had been guarding were empty.
The Holy Light Barrier had vanished, and the longsword was nowhere to be seen.
Lynn’s heart skipped a beat.
He jerked upward and stood, scanning his surroundings.
“Brother, what are you looking for?”
Lilith’s voice came from behind him.
Lynn turned around. Lilith was standing right behind him with a sweet smile on her face.
She wasn’t leaning against him or clutching his clothes; she was just standing there, watching him.
“Where are Vivian and Alicia?”
Lynn asked, his voice dry.
“Them?”
Lilith tilted her head, her smile unchanging.
“They were too noisy, so I let them be quiet for a while.”
“What did you do to them?”
Lynn’s heart sank. He took a few steps toward the spot where Vivian had been.
His feet did not press into soil, but rather something soft yet resilient, like walking on a thick carpet.
“Brother, don’t worry.”
Lilith followed him, her footsteps making no sound at all.
“In this world, I won’t let anyone disturb us.”
She reached out and took Lynn’s hand. Her palm was very warm.
Lynn tried to pull his hand back, but he found he couldn’t muster any strength.
“Where is this?” he asked.
“It’s in your dream, Brother,” Lilith answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“It’s also… our world.”
She pulled Lynn along, walking toward the pitch-black forest.
Lynn could not resist; he could only be dragged along by her.
The darkness wasn’t as terrifying as he had imagined; instead, it felt very gentle.
They passed through the stationary trees and arrived at a clearing.
Vivian and Alicia were there.
They maintained their night watch postures—one standing, one sitting—but their bodies had turned grey, like stone statues.
Their faces still held expressions of vigilance, looking incredibly lifelike.
Lynn’s pupils contracted.
“You…”
“Shh.”
Lilith placed one finger against her lips.
“Look, Brother, see how well-behaved they are now? They won’t fight with you, they won’t look at you with those strange eyes, and they certainly won’t try to steal you from me anymore.”
She walked over to Vivian’s “stone statue,” reaching out a finger to gently stroke the statue’s cheek.
“This woman always wanted to lock you up. She said it was dangerous outside, but she’s actually the most dangerous one. She wanted to break your arms and legs so you couldn’t run away, right?”
Lilith’s voice was very soft, like she was sharing a secret.
She then walked over to Alicia’s “stone statue,” inspecting that holy face.
“And this one—she talks about God, but in her heart, all she thinks about is how to bind you inside the Church Cathedral. She says you are the Holy Son and wants to purify the filth on your body. In reality, she is the filthiest one.”
After Lilith finished speaking, she turned her head and gave Lynn a brilliant smile.
“But it doesn’t matter. Now they’ve all become decorations. From now on, only I will accompany Brother.”
Lynn looked at the two grey statues, a chill racing from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
This wasn’t an illusion; he could clearly feel the warmth of Lilith’s palm and see every minute detail on the two statues.
“Madwoman…”
He squeezed the two words out from between his teeth.
Lilith’s smile stiffened for a moment.
“Brother, what did you say?”
“I said you’re a madwoman!”
Lynn struggled, trying to fling Lilith’s hand away, but her grip was like an iron vice.
“Why would Brother say that about me?”
A hint of hurt appeared in Lilith’s eyes.
“I just wanted to protect you. They are all bad people; they all wanted to hurt you and keep you all to themselves. Is it not right for me to deal with them?”