The Secret Cult Chronicles of the Decaying Lake Manor

George hesitated for a moment, then reached out and placed his hand on his sister's shoulder.

The forest cemetery, washed clean by the rain, was very quiet, with only the occasional birdsong and the sound of wind rustling through the leaves.

Beneath this seemingly peaceful land lie the secrets of the family's past.

George looked at his mother's name on the tombstone but didn't speak immediately.

In the original owner's memory, her mother was not a Brittany, but no one could deny that she was a beautiful, elegant, and intelligent woman.

She can play the piano, paint, and gently tell stories to children.

Before George left home to study, their family atmosphere was warm and enviable.

This woman suddenly passed away on a rainy night five years ago. Before her death, she was "peaceful and happy," and the process of her death was "abnormally rapid."

The housekeeper, Carson, implied that the mother "may have known and consented" to some of the father's dangerous behavior.

Sybil suspected that her father was hiding something.

George himself witnessed his father’s unusual state in the spirit world and his extreme reactions to certain things.

All the clues point to one core issue:

The death five years ago was by no means a simple "sudden illness".

And what role did his own adoptive father—the once-genius, now terminally ill viscount—play in this death?

Was it out of his own "passion for the path," or was he driven by a deeper force?

The fact that the card could evoke such strong emotions in the Viscount, prompting him to utter the words "Run!" in a female voice, along with the mention of the "Imprisoned Herald" and the fact that "To avoid disaster, she can only create disaster"...

The identity of that black-clad figure is also quite intriguing.

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Some time later, George and his sister returned to the chapel together.

As they entered the chapel, Elliott immediately came to greet them, his expression somewhat strange.

"Young Master," Elliott stepped forward quickly, lowering his voice, "I...I found something inside."

George exchanged a glance with Sybil, then looked at Elliott.

"Speak frankly," he said simply.

Elliott glanced at Sybil almost unconsciously, as if weighing something.

"Don't worry, Elliott," George said gently. "Sybil is family."

Only after receiving these words did Elliott seem to make up his mind.

He gestured, leading the two men into the chapel.

On the east wall of the chapel, several faded religious paintings hang.

"Young master, look here." Elliott pointed downwards, and George looked in that direction, noticing some very inconspicuous marks on the wall bricks below the picture frame.

The marks were very shallow and could not be seen without careful observation.

George looked closer and saw that the marks were arranged in a specific pattern—a circle on top, followed by a group of three stripes of varying lengths.

This circular mark looks somewhat familiar...

"Moon phase symbol?" George whispered.

While George pondered the meaning of the symbols, Eliot reported to his guide in a low voice:

"These past two days I've been taking the master's Labrador, Blanche, out for some fresh air every day, and that's how I met Old Man Mo, the night watchman of the manor."

Elliott paused for a moment.

"He said that the grove was always Blanche's favorite place to come. And he also mentioned that the lady—I mean the Viscountess, your mother—used to come here often and stay for hours at a time."

George looked at Sybil, who nodded in agreement: "He's telling the truth. My mother is also skilled in herbalism, and this must be where she gathers herbs."

So, are these clues left by the mother?

George reached out and touched the engravings, feeling the cold touch of the stone on his fingertips.

But apart from the engravings themselves, he could not sense any trace of extraordinary aura.

George closed his eyes and tried to immerse his mind in the spirit world.

As the cobalt blue vista unfolded, the outline of the chapel became fluid and transparent.

However, those markings did not cause any unusual phenomena in the spirit world; they were just ordinary stone wall patterns.

No findings were found.

George opened his eyes and his gaze fell on Elliott.

"William, I want you to do something," he said.

Elliott immediately stood up straight: "Please give your orders, young master."

George focused his consciousness on the card table in his mind, capturing the cards for "Path to the Spirit World" and "Disciple Elliott".

He decisively stuck the two cards together.

The rules of the card table appeared: [Consume one [Passion] durability to allow this follower to directly enter a pre-recorded circle.]

Without hesitation, George waved his hand and grabbed the [Passion] card that had been refreshed and restored by the promotion, covering it up.

He then left the poker table and said to Elliott:

"Look into my eyes, William."

Elliott did as he was told, his eyes reflecting George's image.

George said softly, "Relax, imagine your consciousness is leaving your body and floating upwards...like in a dream."

A few seconds later, Elliott's body stiffened slightly, a look of confusion flashed in his eyes, followed by shock.

"Young...Young Master!" His voice was unsteady. "I can see..."

"Don't panic, this is normal," George said calmly. "Now tell me, what did you see in your spirit world vision?"

Elliott tried to calm his voice.

He looked around, his gaze finally settling on the wall on the other side of the chapel.

"There are a few more sets of symbols over there," he pointed to the west wall, "and they... are glowing."

George looked in the direction he was pointing—in the material world, there were only a few ordinary religious paintings and peeling paint.

"take me."

The two left Sybil, who was full of doubt, and walked westward.

Elliott pointed to several locations.

"Here...and here...there should be a few more groups."

George immediately took out the knife he carried with him and gently scraped the wall at the spot Elliott indicated.

Dust settled down, and new markings gradually appeared—sure enough, another lunar phase symbol emerged, a crescent moon.

They circled around the center of the chapel, searching as they went.

Even after returning to the starting point, George's brows furrowed even more.

There are eight phases of the moon. The western phases are the new moon and the crescent moon. Along the way, they found all the phases from the waxing gibbous moon to the waning moon, and then circled back.

However, at least one phase of the moon is missing – the waxing crescent.

George strode to the center of the chapel, looked around the space, and finally his gaze fell on a pipe organ standing on the north side.

Compared to the massive structures in the church, this pipe organ isn't particularly huge, but it still occupies a considerable amount of space in the equally cramped chapel.

The dark brown wooden shell is somewhat worn, but the carvings are still clearly visible.

Rows of copper pipes gleamed faintly in the dim light.

George approached the organ and reached out to touch the cold pipes.

Is there something hidden here?