Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 181: Echoes of the Dark Sea
"At the end of the story, we use memories as our boat and longing as our sail to sail towards the shore that will never be forgotten."

The brilliance of the dream slowly faded, the ruined stage receded before their eyes like a tide, cracks spread like vines, pulling all the light and shadow back into darkness inch by inch.

The space that once held the gamble of fate eventually fell silent, as if it had never existed.

Alison, Ian, Rex, and Baroque stood there quietly, no one moving.

The emptiness in my heart is like the moment after waking up from a dream, the memories are taken away, and only suffocating silence remains.

They looked at the scales that originally carried hope and sacrifice, but the two ends were empty, with no one left.

Just when all the emotions were weighing on him like they were about to crush him, the space shook slightly.

A familiar figure slowly walked out from the crack in the void.

"...Si Ming?" Rex spoke almost subconsciously, and the cry was trembling.

The figure fell in front of them, familiar yet unfamiliar.

Siming's figure became much thinner, and his whole body seemed to have been drained away from the depths of his soul.

The playful light that once existed in his eyes was gone, replaced by a kind of pain that was so quiet that it was almost dead.

He didn't speak immediately, but just looked at them, one by one, as if confirming every name still standing in front of him.

"...I'm back." He whispered, as if afraid of disturbing something, or as if he was talking to himself in a dream.

"But... Calvino and Lilia, they..." Alison couldn't help it after all, and her voice was choked when she spoke.

Siming closed his eyes and let out a long breath. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the spade card tightly in his right hand, as if any loosening would cause it to lose its last hold.

"I see."

"They made a choice, and we must remember it—always."

His tone was steady as usual, but to everyone's ears, it sounded as heavy as a hammer.

Without saying anything more, he turned around and led everyone slowly towards the core of the dream.

The treasure chest opened quietly, emitting a faint light.

Each person holds an item that carries memories of their journey—a broken pocket watch, a few yellowed cards, a ring engraved with symbols...

Each one is not a treasure, but like the echo of a lost moment.

They looked down at the objects in their hands, no one spoke. At that moment, they all remembered in silence.

But when they were about to leave and turned around to look back, they were shocked to find that the roads around them were slowly disappearing.

The exit of the dream was closing little by little, as if they were trapped in the deepest level of the dream.

A feeling of helplessness and astonishment quietly spread.

At this moment, a light and shadow emerged——

She stood quietly in the fog, her figure slender and her eyes as gentle as the sea.

"Everyone, this way."

That familiar voice, like the last breeze of a spring night, awakened everyone's memories.

"Lilia!" Ian shouted subconsciously, but realized the next moment that she was not her real body, but an illusion.

The voice suddenly stopped.

She was wearing that sea-blue short cape, her skirt fluttering lightly, and her footsteps stepped silently into the void.

She was not a physical entity, but she was as steady as if she had returned from a dream, just to see them off for the last time.

"Everyone, thank you for walking side by side with us." She whispered, her voice soft but piercing the heart.

“Please keep going – even if we can’t be with you in the future, please remember that we have braved the storms together.”

She stood in front of the quietly opened colorful door, smiling as she watched everyone leave.

Alison stretched out her hand, but in the end, it only penetrated the shadow.

At that moment, she finally shed tears.

"I'm sorry...we couldn't protect you..."

Lilia shook her head, her smile showing no blame but endless tenderness.

"it does not matter."

"I never regret it."

"Meeting, knowing, and accompanying you is the happiest thing in my life."

Her voice enveloped them like a tide, bringing blessings and farewells.

Everyone walked into the door of light step by step, leaving the final chapter of the dream.

And she, standing on the other side of the dream's end——

Watching them leave is like saying goodbye to my former home.

In the port of the Sea of ​​Dreams, the stars hang low and the lighthouse stands alone at the border of the Black Sea, like a night watchman, silently watching the return and departure of people.

The sea breeze blew, carrying the lingering warmth of dreams and whispers from the abyss, brushing across everyone's cheeks, as if whispering reluctance and farewell.

Alison gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, her knuckles turning white, but her voice was barely audible. "I didn't expect... it would be so quiet when I left."

"If they were still here..." Rex whispered, his voice tugged from deep within his chest, "perhaps things would be more lively." Ian bit his lip, gazing at the deep blue line where the sky and sea meet in the distance, and gave a wry smile: "I'm actually... starting to miss the sound of Calvino's violin."

Baroque was silent for a long time, then slowly raised the wine jug. His movements were slow but firm: "Even if they are gone, they will always have a place in our hearts."

Siming stood beside the crowd, raised his head slightly, and was about to open his lips to recite the spell for the return journey when -

Suddenly, a melodious, heartbreakingly familiar violin sound floated gently from the deepest part of the fog.

The melody spread slowly like mercury, gentle and lingering, as if gently pushing away the heavy sea breeze.

The notes carry the passion of the storm and the tenderness of farewell, and each one strikes the heartstrings.

Everyone turned around at once, their eyes filled with astonishment at first, and then, in a few breaths, that surprise turned into almost stunned shock and disbelief.

The fog parted, and a dark blue ghost ship appeared - the Lost One.

As if in a dream, the ship slowly approached, its hull translucent, but without the coldness of the dead, instead, it was as warm as a lighthouse.
Bathed in the shadows of stars and moonlight, quietly undulating on the sea of ​​dreams, as if never leaving, as if always waiting.

On the bow stood those two all-too-familiar figures.

Calvino stood straight with his cape fluttering slightly, like a gentleman at the bow of a ship seeing off his close friend.

His shoulders were still broad and steady, as if they could bear the wind and waves of the entire sea of ​​dreams.

The breeze blew through the gray hair on his temples. He lowered his eyelashes, touched the bow with his fingertips, and lifted it lightly, which seemed to ignite the silence of the whole night.

The bow fell, like the wind across the sea, the sound of the zither was low but profound.

It was as if an old ship was slowly setting sail at the end of a dream, carrying with it memories of the past and unspoken vows.

The notes slowly rose in the air, like the first falling star in the night sky, or like the words "I'm sorry" that he had suppressed in his heart, finally finding an outlet.

Beside him, Lilia closed her eyes, her expression peaceful as a dream.

Her slender fingers plucked the strings lightly, and the music sounded like morning dew falling on the moonlit sea.

Crystal clear, delicate and gentle, like the confession she never said, like the footsteps she always walked towards him while turning her back to the storm.

Her piano music and Calvino's low hum slowly intertwined, one high and one low, like a tide, like the intersection of night and stars.

The melody gradually expanded, like the last horn sound before the Lost raised its sails, which was both a call and a farewell.

The piano music gradually rises like waves, rolling over the memories of sailing, laughter on the deck, roaring in the storm, singing by the campfire,
Finally, like the waves receding, only the soft whisper on the shore remained:
"Goodbye, my friends."

It was not a performance, but a ceremony engraved in the soul, a poem written by them with the sound of the piano.
It is the final movement of fate and also their unspoken "farewell".

The sound of the piano travels through the sea of ​​dreams, flows into everyone's heart, and echoes in the softest corner of their lives.
Just like the morning star lighting up the horizon, it guides them to keep moving forward - even if there is no return.

Alison finally looked up, tears falling like broken strings. She raised her hand to wipe them away, but she couldn't stop the low sobs.

Ian lowered his head, laughing a little like crying, his voice hoarse: "Asshole...you actually brought the violin over there..."

Rex silently took off the lens of his right eye and gently wiped away the moisture with his fingertips.

He looked at the boat and the familiar figure without saying a word.

Baroque raised the wine jug high in his hand, but did not drink. Instead, he tilted his head back, pointed the mouth of the jug in the direction of the ghost ship, and whispered softly, "Cheers to you, Captain."

Siming looked quietly at the figure at the bow, his eyes no longer dull or cynical, only filled with an unprecedented calmness and respect.

He saw Calvino turning his head slightly and looking at them during the break in his performance.

At that moment, Sima Ming seemed to hear his unspoken voice:
"The end is near. Please call us and we will play the final movement for you."

Siming nodded gently and whispered, "Okay, I'll wait for you."

The piano music faded away in the wind, and the silhouette of the Lost slowly sank into the thick fog again, like a dream returning to the sea, like a lamp entering the night.

Everyone remained motionless for a long time until Siming whispered, "It's time to go home."

They looked at each other, without saying a word, and turned to walk towards the light door leading to reality.

Ian was the first to step in, followed by Rex. Alison put one hand on the sword and the other on the pocket watch, took a deep breath and stepped into the light.

Baroque took one last look at the ship, punched himself hard in the chest, and stepped through the door.

Finally, Sima Ming stood in front of the door, looked back at the deep sea, and bowed deeply.

"Goodbye, Calvino."

"Goodbye, Lilia."

The gate of light opened, enveloping their dreamlike journey.

And in the depths of the sea of ​​dreams, the dark blue lighthouse ship floats quietly.

The Lost is still waiting for the return of its people.

"Deep in the sea of ​​dreams, we left behind indelible memories."

"They have not left, but have transformed into the sound of the piano and the waves, accompanying us forever."

"Next time you embark on a journey, please remember to look back. The ghost ship of the Lost Ones may still be rising and falling on the other side, waiting to play the song of reunion with you."

"And at the end of this fateful cycle, there's an unfinished performance, waiting for us to meet again."

"Goodbye, Calvino and Lilia."

"Goodbye, Dreamy Sea."

(End of this chapter)