.

A small figure stood at the cemetery entrancea girl who appeared to be around eleven or twelve years old, dressed in a dark brown woolen coat, a black skirt, cozy cotton boots, and thick gloves. She seemed to have been waiting at the cemetery gate for quite some time. Snow had started to fall in the frosty city during the evening, and numerous snowflakes had already settled on her gray knitted hat, with faint hints of warmth emanating from the twilight snow.

The little girl tapped her feet lightly in place, occasionally glancing down the slope opposite the cemetery. When the caretaker came into view, she immediately smiled and energetically waved at him.

Here again

Upon seeing the girl, the elderly caretaker couldnt help but mutter, his tone sounding somewhat impatient, but he still hastened his steps and approached her.

Annie, the old man frowned, examining the girl before him, youve come alone once more. Ive told you countless times that a cemetery is no place for a child like you to visit alone, especially near dusk.

I already informed my mom, the girl named Annie responded cheerfully, she said its alright as long as I return home before curfew.

The old caretaker quietly observed the smiling girl before him.

Most people in the area disliked the cemetery caretaker and avoided getting close to this creepy and perilous place, but there were always exceptionslike a little girl who wasnt afraid of him.

Mr. Caretaker, has my dad been here yet? Annie looked up expectantly at the stooped old man in black; his cloudy eyes, which typically frightened others, didnt make her uneasy.

No, the old caretaker replied as usual, his voice as cold and unyielding as the wind echoing through the cemetery, he wont be here today.

Annie didnt appear disappointed but merely smiled as she always did, Then Ill return tomorrow and ask again.

He wont be here tomorrow either.

Annie continued to look up, But hell come eventually, right?

This time, the consistently cold and unyielding old man finally paused for a moment. It wasnt until snowflakes landed on his eyebrows that his murky eyes shifted slightly, The deceased will eventually gather in a cemetery and experience eternal peace beyond that doorbut not necessarily in a cemetery of this world, and not necessarily in this cemetery.

Oh, Annie responded, but it seemed as if she didnt take it to heart. She merely turned her head, glanced at the locked fence gate, and asked curiously, May I go in and take a look? I want to warm up by the fire in your little house

Not today, the old man shook his head, Cemetery No. 3 is in a unique situation, with the churchs guardians stationed inside, and its not open to the public today. You should head home, girl.

Alright, Annie nodded, slightly disappointed. She then rummaged through her small bag and pulled out a small package wrapped in rough paper to give to the old man, Then this is for youits cookies my mom baked. She said I cant always be causing trouble.

The old man looked at the item in the girls hand and then at the snowflakes on her body.

He reached out, accepted the cookies, and casually brushed the snowflakes off her knitted hat, Ill accept it. You should head home early.

Alright, you take care too, Grandpa, Annie said.

With a smile and nod, she adjusted her scarf and gloves before walking down the path towards the citys residential area.

However, after taking just a few steps, the old caretaker suddenly called out, Annie.

Huh?

Annie, youre already twelve years old, the old man stated, calmly gazing into the girls eyes as he stood in the twilight, Do you still believe the things I told you when you were six?

The girl paused and looked at the cemetery caretaker, puzzled.

The dead would all come to this cemeteryno matter how scattered they were in life, Bartoks foyer would be their final gathering place.

This assertion was written in the churchs scriptures, but when faced with the same proverb, adults and six-year-old children would always have different interpretations.

Twelve-year-old Annie stood there, bewildered for a long time, while the black-clad cemetery caretaker stood like a cold, rigid iron statue by the tall, locked gate, with tiny snowflakes dancing between them and the winter chill enveloping the dusk.

Suddenly, Annie laughed and waved at the old man, Then you can just think I came here to see you. My mom said that elderly people need someone to talk to regularly.

The girl turned around and sprinted away, gracefully skimming over the increasingly snowy path like a swallow. She slipped at the bottom of the slope but quickly stood up, dusting the snow off her skirt and thermal pants, and hurriedly departed.

Elderly people The old caretaker watched the girls receding figure, only grumbling after she had run far away, This child is becoming somewhat mischievous.

Shattering a childs expectations is even worse, a young, slightly hoarse female voice suddenly emerged from the side, interrupting the old caretakers grumbling. You didnt have to say that just now. The twelve-year-old child will gradually understand what she needs to, and sometimes we hard-hearted adults dont need to expose any truths.

The old caretaker turned and saw the black-clad, bandaged gatekeeper Agatha, who had somehow already appeared at the cemetery entrance, with the previously locked cemetery gate now open.

He shook his head, Let her continue hoping her father will be sent to this cemetery, and then have her come here alone in the snowy cold?

Is that bad? At least when you talk to her, you seem to have some warmth.

Thats not something a gatekeeper should say.

Agatha shook her head, said nothing, and turned to walk toward the cemeterys inner path.

The old caretaker followed her, first locking the gate, then going to his caretakers hut to store the items he had purchased. After completing the shift change with the daytime caretaker, he went to the cemeterys mortuary area, where he found the gatekeeper who had already walked ahead.

Compared to before, the mortuary was now significantly emptier, with the majority of the stone platforms unoccupied. Only a few simple coffins were placed on the platforms at the edges.

Around those few coffins, at least two church guardians stood by each platform, and black staves were scattered throughout the open space between the platforms. The black staves were the signature equipment of the Death Churchs guardians. They inserted the staves into the ground nearby and hung sacred lanterns at the top of the tips to maintain a small holy area that could effectively counteract the corrupting forces from higher beings.

At this moment, the twilight had deepened, and the snowy weather made the sky darker than usual at this time. In the increasingly dim cemetery, the lanterns hanging at the top of the staves burned silently like phosphorous fires, creating a serene yet eerie atmosphere.

We have prepared extensively here, but it seems that the visitor has no intention of returning to this place soon, Agatha remarked casually as she saw the old caretaker appear. Are you sure the visitor has revealed information about coming back?

You should trust the hypnotic skills of professional psychiatrists, the old caretaker shrugged, paused, and then added, I cant remember most of what happened that day, and the buzzing noise is gradually fading from my mind. However, after several hypnosis sessions, I can recall some things the clearest being the visitors intention to return before leaving.

Agatha was silent for two or three seconds before she spoke softly, But there is another possibility. A higher being like that may have a different perception of time than humansits return visit could be tomorrow, in a few years, or even after your death, contacting you in a way that transcends life and death.

Cant you be more optimistic?

This is the result of the church advisory groups discussion.

The old caretaker snorted noncommittally, his gaze sweeping over the black-clad guardians in the cemetery and the quietly burning lanterns atop the staves.

I just hope that these arrangements dont anger the visitor and arent considered an offense or a trap. After all, we know too little about it.

All these arrangements are merely for our own protection, Agatha said. After all, although you claim that your loss of control in your visions was due to inhaling too much incense, none of us knows whether the visitor has a tendency to release mental contamination intentionally. To face a higher supernatural being, we must at least ensure our own sanity.

The old caretaker remained noncommittal and changed the subject after a brief contemplation, What conclusions did you come to with the samples you took earlier?

Do you mean those cultists, or the bodies that melted into sludge?

Both.

As for the cultists, theres not much to say. They were the minions of the Annihilation Sect, supernatural beings who have deeply symbiosed with demons. They were quite powerful, and ordinary church guardians would be in great danger facing them. Fortunately for us, those heretics seemed to lack good fortune. As for the sludge

Agatha paused here, her expression somewhat strange.

Their evolution has, in fact, not stopped even until now. As of when I left the cathedral, those things were still constantly presenting new forms and properties. In the past period, they even briefly displayed a state similar to metal and rock, giving the impression as if it were something often mentioned by the Annihilation Sect in their heretical teachings.

The old caretaker furrowed his brow slowly, You mean primal essence?

The true essence, the purest and most sacred material, the Droplet of Truth bestowed by the Nether Lord upon the mortal world. Thats how the heretics describe it, Agathas tone was laden with undisguised disgust and sarcasm. Such beautiful words, yet hearing them uttered by these heretics is absolutely repulsive.