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墨書 Inktalez
In the morning, Qiluo Ling woke up and stared at the ceiling in a daze. Ever since she learned that death was near, she had been extremely reluctant to wake from her slumber; she wished to sleep forever, even to die in her sleep. This way, she wouldn't have to face the pain, anxiety, and despair of being awake.
But when the biological clock struck as usual, she had no choice but to wake up again and confront a new day, a cruel day. Today was the third day, with only two days left until her death. Her mind was instantly flooded with the harsh realities: where was that painting supposed to lead her? What clues could it provide? Did she need to go to South Korea to find the original artwork in order to discover the third movement of Demonic Music? Countless questions made her head throb.
Qiluo Ling got out of bed, had breakfast, and prepared to take a walk on the nearby streets.
Walking along a secluded road, she reached the end and saw a small hill.
At the center of the hill was a flat area where several buildings were situated. The architectural style was Baroque. The main building was a three-story white structure with wings, accompanied by three two-story brown houses. Surrounding the buildings were green lawns and lush trees. Beneath the trees were many deep yellow wooden benches, sparsely occupied by patients dressed in blue patient gowns.
Qiluo Ling walked around the white fence to the entrance of the building, where the hospital's name was displayed on the door. She entered and followed a path leading into the first floor of the main building.
The first floor of the main building was dimly lit; upon entering, there was a small space that served as an office. On either side were deep corridors adorned with portraits of Holy Mary holding the Christ Child.
The office door was open, and behind a desk sat a middle-aged man in a white suit, engrossed in writing something.
Qiluo Ling approached the door and gently knocked. The middle-aged man paused his writing and looked up at her. He appeared to be in his forties, with brown skin and hair mixed with strands of white.
"Please come in. Hello, miss. How can I assist you?" he said politely.
"Hello, my name is Qiluo Ling. I would like to..." Before Qiluo Ling could finish her sentence, the middle-aged man interrupted her.
"Wait a moment. Could you repeat your name?"
"My name is Qiluo Ling."
The man's expression seemed somewhat strange as he quickly asked again, "Where are you from?"
Qiluo Ling felt a bit strange but still replied, "I come from Shanghai, China."
After hearing her response, the middle-aged man stood up, excitedly grasping her hand and said, "I have finally waited for you, Miss Qi. I am the director of this hospital, and I have been waiting for you for twenty-four years."
"What? I don't understand what you mean," Qiluo Ling said, somewhat confused.
"Aren't you here to find her?" the middle-aged man asked in bewilderment.
"Who is she?"
"I'm really sorry, I don't know her name. I only know that she is my savior."
Seeing the bewildered expression on Qiluo Ling's face, the middle-aged man said, "Let's talk while we walk. She is on the fourth floor. I'll take you to see her."
Qiluo Ling followed the middle-aged man to the wooden staircase and stepped up to the second floor.
"Twenty-four years ago, I was only twenty years old, very young. You should know that the world was in turmoil during the 1990s. Looking at how young you are, perhaps you were too young back then to understand the global situation at that time. That era saw drastic changes and turmoil in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, marking the transition between old and new centuries. Various ideologies clashed violently, extreme ideologies emerged, and anger and unrest filled the air. At that time, driven by youthful passion and under the incitement of extremists, I mistakenly joined an Extremist Religious Sect and became a member of a Heresy."
"And then?"
"Due to opposing beliefs, there were brutal killings between religious factions. At that time, another faction's assailants were preparing to assassinate me. In that critical moment, she intervened. Although I was not injured, she fell down the stairs and has remained unconscious ever since. If it weren't for her, I would have lost my life long ago and vanished from this world. After this incident, I found a way to escape that Cult, using my parents' inheritance to buy this hospital. I placed her in this hospital, giving her the best room and care, hoping she would wake up."
"Has she not regained consciousness in these twenty-four years?"
"Yes."
"Then how did you know I would come to this hospital?"
"This is somewhat unbelievable. Before she fell into a coma, she told me that twenty-four years later, a Chinese woman named Qiluo Ling would come to find her, and she hoped I would promise to bring that Chinese woman to see her. At the time, I thought it was very strange; how could she possibly predict something twenty-four years in the future? Perhaps it was just nonsensical talk from a brain injury. But today, when I heard your name, I felt so excited; it was simply incredible. You are the Chinese woman she mentioned."
Qiluo Ling remained silent, not speaking.
"But are you sure you don't know her?"
Qiluo Ling shook her head.
"Maybe you've seen her face; perhaps you'll remember who she is."
"I hope so."
"There's one more thing I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"At that time, she was five months pregnant before her brain injury, and when she fell down the stairs, she did not miscarry."
"What? Did she give birth while in a coma?"
"No, no. Although she lost consciousness and had no independent breathing or heartbeat, she did not die. It was as if every cell and tissue in her body, including the fetus in her womb, were in a state of sleep. Although the fetus stopped growing and remained at the developmental level of five months from that year, it did not die."
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