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From that day on, Qiluo Ling never entered that forest again, but was taken by Madam Carolina to visit nearby scenic spots. During her free time, she stayed in the study, engrossed in reading.
However, ever since that night in the forest, Qiluo Ling found herself tossing and turning at night, unable to sleep. When she finally managed to doze off, it was only a light sleep, and her rest was fragmented.
To alleviate her sleep troubles, Qiluo Ling had to exhaust herself during the day and drink a cup of hot milk before bed while listening to soft music. Even so, the quality of her sleep remained poor.
Sleep seemed to have slipped away from her; it felt as if it was hiding in a dark corner, lost in thought, and no matter how hard she searched for it, she could not find it.
Qiluo Ling lay on her soft bed, her sore eyes wide open, listlessly observing the night. The darkness flowed like gas, lacking a specific shape yet omnipresent. It seemed that after spending so long in the dark, her vision and hearing had become unusually sensitive.
Through the faint moonlight of the night, Qiluo Ling noticed a shadow sitting on the stool at the foot of her bed—a figure in white with long hair, quietly sitting there like a person. If she guessed correctly, this shadow should be that mysterious woman.
Qiluo Ling realized she did not know when the woman had silently entered her room. She listened carefully and could hear the woman's faint breathing and even her subtle heartbeat. This made her aware that this was no longer just an illusion or a fragment of a dream.
Qiluo Ling tried to prop herself up to observe the mysterious woman more closely. However, her body felt as if it were being pressed down by an unseen force, rendering her unable to move.
The room was filled with darkness; the only difference was the darkness surrounding the mysterious woman. Everywhere else was thick darkness, but here it felt slightly thinner. Thus, she could see the general outline of the woman clearly. However, her facial features were submerged in darkness, and Qiluo Ling could not discern what color dress she wore.
"Who are you?"
The other party did not answer immediately, but Qiluo Ling could clearly sense a smile from her—one tinged with a hint of mockery.
"Do you know who Mr. Berland-Mais is?" The woman's gentle voice drifted like a breeze.
"I don't know much about him, just as I don't understand why he gifted this estate to me. I've only heard some general information about his family."
"I am referring to his relationship with your Great-Grandfather. Do you understand?"
"I'm not very clear on that either. I only know that this estate originally belonged to the Saxon Family, which is my Great-Grandfather's family. Later it was sold to the Beland Family."
"What you know is merely common knowledge; today I am going to tell you a secret buried underground for over fifty years."
"What secret?"
"Your Great-Grandparents were killed by Berland Mice."
Qiluo Ling was startled, recalling the dream where the blue man took out a dagger and killed a young man in black.
"Yes, the scene back then was exactly like the one in your dream."
"How do you know about my dream?" Qiluo Ling asked in surprise.
"Of course, I intentionally implanted that dream into your mind."
"How can you control my dreams?"
The other party remained silent. Qiluo Ling suddenly understood the strange cross; although she usually did not carry it, she had always kept it on her bedside table. Perhaps this mysterious woman used it to control her dreams. No wonder her sleep had been problematic lately.
"Why did Berland Mice want to kill my Great-Grandfather?" Qiluo Ling continued to ask.
"I think you should be quite clear about that reason."
Qiluo Ling pondered for a moment and then said, "It's still because of that Demonic Music, right?"
"Yes."
"Then the Nameless Grave in the forest belongs to my Great-Grandfather, right?"
"Yes."
"Then who exactly are you?" Qiluo Ling gazed at the shadow and asked.
The other party seemed to think for a long time before saying, "I am a witch."
"A witch?"
"Yes, I am the witch of this forest."
"I'm sorry, I'm an atheist. I don't believe in the existence of witches. If witches really existed, human civilization wouldn't be so advanced, because many things could be solved with just a spell."
"The existence of us witches is predicated on the existence of demons. If you believe in demons, then we witches exist."
Qiluo Ling fell silent.
"What is the relationship between you witches and demons?" Qiluo Ling asked.
"To put it in modern terms, demons are our big boss, and we work for them."
"You came here tonight just to tell me this?"
"That's not the main point. I came tonight just to tell you one thing."
"What is it?"
"You are going to die soon," she said slowly, like a quietly flowing river, so calm.
Qiluo Ling was stunned.
"Your time of death is already counting down," she continued.
The room fell into silence, a silence that reminded one of an empty classroom after school.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?" She finally broke the silence, her tone carrying a hint of urgency that was hard to detect. This subtle change indicated that the witch cared more about this matter than she did.
"How much time do I have left?" Qiluo Ling asked.
"By the next full moon, which means you have seven days left."
"Oh."
"Why don't you believe what I'm saying?"
"No, I truly believe your words."
"But your unusually calm expression seems to suggest that this matter has nothing to do with you."
"I just feel that sometimes, death is the best way to find relief."
"Are you living in pain?"
"Sometimes that's how I feel."
"Why?"
"I can't really pinpoint the exact reason; maybe it's just a feeling."
"What kind of feeling?"
"Sometimes I feel like living is too exhausting. In fact, life has too much suffering, and when there are no ways to find relief, death becomes a wise choice. Because the cost of living is far greater than the cost of dying."
"Perhaps for others, death is a happy choice. But you do not belong to that category."
"Why don't I belong to this category?"
"You are merely in a state of depression or confusion. You are confused about your own existence and the things around you; you cannot find meaning in life. So you begin to question life but cannot find direction, which leaves you troubled and lost."
"You seem to make a lot of sense."
"Would you like to read this map of life: Sadness is the first crossroads: one path leads to singing, and the other leads to confusion; Confusion is the second crossroads: one path leads to pleasure, and the other leads to nothingness; Nothingness is the third crossroads: one path leads to death, and the other leads to enlightenment; Enlightenment is the fourth crossroads: one path leads to madness, and the other leads to silence."
Qiluo Ling quietly listened to her words, then let out a long sigh, trying to expel the long-standing frustration and sadness from deep within.
"But no matter what, I am about to lose my life," Qiluo Ling said.
"You are indeed close to death," the witch replied quietly, "but you can save yourself through action."
"Can I save myself?"
"Of course, you forgot to ask me why you are going to die?"
"Right, why am I going to die?"
"Because becoming the heir of Devil's Music has a time limit."
"A time limit?"
"Yes, you must gather the complete score of Devil's Sorrow within the specified time."
"Excuse me, how many movements does The Sorrow of the Demon have?"
"There are a total of three movements, each movement is both an independent chapter and an inseparable part of the entire piece. Only when the three are combined can it be considered the complete score of Devil's Sorrow."
"So that means the entire Music has three movements, right?"
"Yes. Your task is to find the other two scores within the time limit."
"I want to find them as soon as possible, but the problem is I don't know where to start."
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