Embers of Embers

Chapter 116 Happy Birthday to God, Teacher Lawrence
The cold air was filled with the sense of history. His hand gently brushed against the cold wall. Horner moved forward slowly and finally sat on the bench.
He felt very tired, too tired to sleep like this, but he knew very well that he still had a lot of things to do, so he raised his head vigorously, and then his face was bathed in colorful light.
Looking in the direction where the light falls, there are colorful paintings in the warmth. The mythical scenery is composed of large pieces of stained glass, but it is covered with dust.
Few people come to St. Mary's Cathedral, and the influence of the Evangelical Church on Inlveg is decreasing day by day. Up to now, few people even remember the name of this church, and only call it for its pure white feature, White Church .
Horner stared at the sunlight for a long time, until the dazzling light made his vision pale, and tears flowed from the corners of his eyes uncontrollably, then he turned his head slowly, breathing steadily and enjoying the peace.
He comes from Lower City, and his childhood is a very distant and vague thing for Horner. When he has clear memories, he was already crawling around on the streets of old Dunling. Unfortunately, it was a bad place. In this environment, Horner did not acquire the ability to observe words and emotions, but instead became more dull.
Horner later learned the maintenance trade from an old master and eventually became one of the countless maintenance workers in Old Dunling. The city needed people like him very much. Steam pipes and machinery were everywhere in the city. In every corner, new faults appear every day, requiring maintenance workers to repair them immediately.
This dull maintenance worker has never studied. In his world view, he doesn’t even know what the so-called faith is, but he doesn’t care. He likes it here very much. He will come here every time he takes a break from work. Only here. Horner can stay away from the noise of those machines.
The rare tranquility did not last long. The man walked slowly from outside the gate of the church, as if he knew Horner very well, and came to him with a smile on his face.
"Teacher Lawrence."
Horner raised his head stiffly, his eyes a little dull, as if the soul inside had already fallen into the darkness of his eyes.
Lawrence nodded and sat next to him, still looking kind and friendly, just like the light shining in the church.
"You look like you're losing control of it."
Horner looked very bad. Although he maintained his human form, Lawrence knew very well that the sinful blood was rushing through his body at this moment.
Horner nodded, and consistent with his character, his movements were stiff and mechanical.
"So you need my help this time?"
Horner nodded again.
"I succeeded immediately, all it took was one last person, my mentor."
The dull voice suddenly carried some emotion, and Horner seemed to be laughing, his voice rising and falling.
"My justice will be done, it will be done."
"But gifts come with a price. My child, you have asked for more than once."
Lawrence shook his head and looked embarrassed, but Horner said quickly.
"Then I will give it to you. Whatever you want, I will give it to you and devote myself to your god."
Horner's thick hands grabbed Lawrence's clothes, his eyes were firm and urgent.
He looked at Horner helplessly, and finally sighed.
"Yes, kid, you're about to make it."
Lawrence said softly, and then injected the medicine into Horner's body. The medicine surged along the blood vessels. With the injection, Horner's tense body gradually relaxed, and the restless beast fell asleep again.
Horner acted as if nothing had happened. After the injection, he just stared blankly at the forgotten church. His eyes penetrated the memories. After a long time, he spoke slowly.
"Mentor, I'm going to die, right?"
Lawrence was slightly startled, as if he had never thought that this dull man would say such a thing.
"Yes, but your devotion will bring you glory in heaven."
He described the beauty of this and that after death.
But Horner seemed to hear something funny, he smiled, and there was a little luster in his dull pupils, like the reflection of a dead soul.
"Teacher, I haven't studied, I don't even know how to read, and I don't even understand what you mean by the Kingdom of Heaven."
Lawrence was speechless again, and Horner turned his head to look at him. That ordinary face was expressionless, but it made Lawrence feel an unspeakable sadness, just like a person's silent despair.
Just like you describe the beauty of Old Dunling to a person, no matter how fanciful you say it, he has never seen it or even experienced the so-called beauty. So, no matter how luxurious the reward is, for Horner, it is just It is an unknown that he has never understood, and he will not even be happy about it.
"I...I am very ordinary. My master said that my life has no meaning. I am like a wild beast. I wake up and go out to find food. I come back to sleep when I am full. I have no hobbies or things I want to do. , except for prolonging life, everything I do has no meaning, just like a machine in a factory, repeating itself."
Horner seemed to be talking to Lawrence, but also seemed to be confessing to himself.
"My master said... There are only two kinds of people in this world. One kind of person stands on the stage, admired by everyone, and the other kind of person sits under the dark stage. The meaning of existence is to witness the glory of the other person. Just like the night sky, only a dark night can reflect the splendor of the stars."
As he spoke, tears shed from Horner's eyes.
"I am one of those meaningless people... There are many people in this world who are just like me, mediocre, doing nothing, living without knowing, and then dying without knowing."
It seemed that he was under tremendous pressure. Lawrence rarely felt such an emotion. Horner's mediocre body revealed an almost substantial despair. He was desperate for his own life, and he was desperate for everything about himself, but more importantly. To his desperation, there was nothing he could do.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Lawrence was a little confused. He had never seen Horner like this. In his opinion, Horner was an extremely dull stone, a person who was extremely controlled, but now this walking dead seemed to have regained his soul. The most dangerous time.
"I'm just...I'm just happy, Mentor Lawrence."
Horner burst out laughing while crying. He looked at Tutor Lawrence, and then hugged him hard, using all his strength, as if he wanted to use this clumsy behavior to make Lawrence feel his gratitude.
"You are a devil, Mentor Lawrence. Although you have always said that I am right, in the final analysis, it is wrong to take other people's lives in such a cruel way."
Lawrence remained calm on the surface, but his other hand had already reached under his clothes to hold the hilt of the dagger.
But there was no resistance as expected. After Horner hugged him, he sat back, as if nothing had happened just now. It was a really weird feeling. Lawrence looked at this ordinary man, who was obviously so mediocre, If he was thrown into the crowd, he would never be found again, but for the first time, he felt that he could not see through a person.
"But the devil is also a good devil."
Horner laughed again.
"What...what exactly do you want to say?"
"I want to say that you are a bad person, a complete bad person, a sinful devil, and you can make me irrecoverable with just a little temptation."
Horner scolded, but with a smile.
He said, seeming to recall the person who illuminated his life.
"But you are a good person, Tutor Lawrence. I sincerely thank you. Thank you, the devil, for giving me, the audience, the opportunity to rush to the stage."
"I should have lived like this meaninglessly and died meaninglessly, but you gave me the opportunity to become meaningful and carry out my justice."
He stood up, as tall as a mountain.
"This is my last revenge, and it should be the last time we see each other."
"Actually, I also want to say goodbye to you today. I hope you won't be afraid. After all, I rarely have the opportunity to express my emotions."
Looking at the colorful sunshine, the warmth bathes away the cold.
"God's birthday is coming soon, right? It's a pity that I won't live until then."
Horner lowered his head with regret and said to Lawrence seriously.
"Then I wish you a happy God's Birthday in advance, Teacher Lawrence."
The mediocre soul seemed to truly come to life at this moment, and the tear-stained smile shone with dark light. Lawrence couldn't help but feel his heart tremble, and it was difficult to look directly at that ordinary face, as if he was facing the blazing sun.
"You too……"
Lawrence murmured in response and watched him leave.
(End of this chapter)