Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 1155

The spring rain pattered down, tapping against the ground and echoing in the hearts of the two figures in the corridor.

"Louise was a good child," Jenkins said softly. "Perhaps she's gone to a better place, a place even more beautiful than the starry sky."

Jenkins reached out, catching the rain in his palm. Silvery threads splattered against his skin, inadvertently spritzing the cat's fur. It let out a soft whimper, but seeing that Jenkins was in the middle of a serious conversation, it refrained from voicing its complaint.

"A place better than the starry sky..." Finney murmured. "Mister Jenkins, will I really see Louise again?"

If the downpour could match the weight in Jenkins's heart, the ground would have been battered into a thousand craters. Not even the most intricate words could capture the complexity of his emotions at that moment.

For a fleeting moment, he desperately wanted to tell Finney the truth—that Louise had become an angel. But his reason held him back. This was the Church of the Sage. Even if its leaders likely knew his identity, he absolutely could not discuss such a matter here.

"You will meet again. I swear it," he declared, his voice firm. "Sometime, while you are still in this world, you will have the chance to see Louise again. I promise you, Finney. I give you my word on the name Jenkins Redemptor Williams. You will!"

Fighting back tears, Finney gave a stubborn nod. She clutched his hand, and together they watched the downpour outside the covered walkway.

"Mister Jenkins, is life always this hard? I lost my parents, I have no other family, and now... now I've lost my best friend, too."

But Jenkins knew he had to answer from his own understanding. He wanted to help Finney build a healthy perspective on life, something to hold onto at her young age.

"The hardships of life are trials given to us by fate. Many people believe that only the pessimistic talk about fate, but it truly exists in this world. And fate never mistreats a kind person—that's one of the reasons I love this world... Finney, loneliness is a trial given to mortals. No matter how many difficulties you face in the future, you must never lose heart... And I will always be here for you."

A small hand held his larger one, and a turmoil of emotions churned within Jenkins. Fate had dealt Finney too many cruel blows. And though he knew there were countless children her age in even more tragic circumstances, he could never stomach such injustice.

Finney didn't meet his gaze again. Instead, she just nodded silently, her hand in his, as they both stared out at the rain. The cat, bored, let out a soft meow, but Jenkins paid it no mind.

"Mister Jenkins... are you lonely?" Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on noveⅼfire.net

An unknown stretch of time passed before Finney asked the question in a small voice. It was another question Jenkins found difficult to answer, reminding him of the sharp exchange he'd had with Halama Rynsarm at the old elf's home.

"Do you remember the title of my first book?" he asked instead of answering.

"The Stranger's Story Collection."

Like most children her age, she was fond of his stories.

"To this world, every person born is a stranger. We spend our entire lives learning to live as strangers—even when we're utterly alone, even when faced with malice from all sides, even when we can't speak a single secret held in our hearts. We still have to live on. A mortal spends their whole life trying to change from a stranger into a true resident of this world, trying to fit themselves perfectly into it..."

It was rare for the girl to interrupt him.

"Yes. And then we die. Life doesn't come with much inherent meaning. Living through loneliness is something every being must experience; for some, that period is short, and for others, long. But the happiness that follows that loneliness... that is the sweetest happiness of all..."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"I'm still young myself. I can hardly claim to understand the meaning of life. You can just dismiss everything I just said as pretentious nonsense."

Jenkins waved off his own words as meaningless. Confused, Finney looked up at the young man, not understanding why he would say such a thing.

"Finney, this isn't an ordinary, predictable world," he said, his tone shifting. "In this world, anything is possible. Truly. Do you believe in miracles?"

The girl didn't know how to respond, so she remained silent.

Jenkins rummaged in his pocket and pulled out an orange he'd brought from his room, originally meant as a treat for the cat. Ignoring Chocolate's indignant stare, he picked out a seed and stepped out into the rain.

He glanced back at Finney, wiped the rain from his face, and tossed the seed into a patch of soft earth.

"Miracles exist in this world, Finney," he declared, his voice rising above the patter of the rain. "The dead can be brought back to life, the sun can rise in the west, and mortals can learn to fly. Even a lonely stranger can find a home... Life can be controlled. It can even be reversed."

He stamped his foot on the ground. A green light flared to life, dancing like a flame in the pouring rain. Light and water merged into a brilliant spectacle, so bright that Finney had to squint against it.

Defying the rain, a sturdy sapling pushed up from the mud. Defying the wind, lush branches unfurled in every direction. Defying the season, tiny fruits blossomed across its boughs. Defying time itself, a small, proud tree laden with plump oranges stood in the courtyard, drenched in the storm.

"Mister Jenkins, come back! You'll catch a cold."

Finney shouted to him.

"I won't catch a cold, because this world has miracles," he replied with a grin. "I truly love it here, Finney. I love everything about this place."

Soaked to the bone, Jenkins plucked two oranges from the tree. As he walked back to the covered walkway, his clothes began to steam and dry.

He handed one of the oranges to the girl. She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Mister Jenkins," she said, her voice filled with awe, "I believe that miracles really do exist. And you... you are my miracle."

She looked at him with a stubborn intensity, the emotion in her eyes so raw it almost frightened him. Jenkins managed a weak smile, peeled the other orange, and divided the segments between Finney, Chocolate, and himself.

He turned to watch the rain falling in the courtyard, wondering if he, a stranger in this land, would ever truly find a home here.