Chapter Thirty-Three: The Chosen Children

Returning to her own room, Lily locked the door behind her. First, she reread the contents of the first letter to ensure she had missed nothing. Satisfied, she folded the sheet neatly and placed it in the upper left corner of her desk, then turned her gaze to the second letter.

Good evening, Miss Lily.

I trust you have finished reading the first letter. I sincerely hope what I have written will prove helpful to you and your companions.

As one of the 'chosen children,' I believe it is necessary for you to understand more about the details of the 'Paths.'

Here, I will introduce you to some of the fundamental aspects of the 'Paths' and their corresponding abilities. Let us begin.

Midnight—Those who walk the night.

Individuals on this Path become stronger in the darkness. They require very little sleep, and their strength can reach astonishing levels. When powerful enough, they can even forcibly draw others into a shared dream. On the other hand, lack of sleep may lead to fading memories and a receding hairline.

Guests—Visitors who can traverse between different Sisyphus.

Those on this Path possess the ability to travel between Sisyphus cities at will, guided by their own willpower. However, this ability requires the acknowledgment of some unknown existence, which is why they are called 'Visitors.' In the vast majority of cases, their visits succeed. Oh, and they are notoriously difficult to restrain—they always find a way to escape. They also claim the existence of an inner world, vibrant with color: reds more vivid, blacks deeper, beneath a sky illuminated by twenty-two strange rays of light.

Mischief—Gamers of rules and perception.

This group is currently the most feared. Their movements are swift, and each could make a remarkable magician, guiding others' attention and thoughts in ways that defy understanding. Most crucially, they can find many 'high-value items' within Sisyphus, all of which grant them the means to manipulate and deceive others.

At this point, Lily felt a surge of conflicting emotions. Clearly, this was her own Path. But why did her Path revolve so much around manipulation and deception?

It seemed that acquiring these high-value items was the key to enhancing oneself.

Steeling herself, Lily read on.

Spectator—The ultimate observer, reader of hearts.

Those on this Path are not formidable in combat, but their powers of observation are terrifying. The meaning behind your actions, the emotions mirrored in your expressions—nothing escapes their notice. When strong enough, they can influence your mind, making you briefly behave unlike yourself.

Reveler—Hedonists to the extreme.

Apparently exclusive to women, those on this Path are driven by an irresistible urge to pursue pleasure above all else. Anyone or anything that can provide sufficient delight may be accepted as a companion, and their abilities are connected to this pursuit. Their devotion to enjoyment goes far beyond normal bounds—they are true obsessives.

Heaven’s Chosen—Those who peer into and challenge fate.

The primary abilities of this Path are divination and prediction, though they are also capable in combat and possess spell-like powers. This is an exceptionally versatile Path, but its numbers are few, so little more can be said here.

I hope this page of the letter will likewise be of help to you, Miss Lily.

Liu Shiqin

At the end, Lily drew a deep breath—reading the second letter had almost made her forget to breathe.

“Thank you, Miss Shiqin. This is of great help to me and my friends at the orphanage,” she silently expressed her gratitude.

What Liu Shiqin had written was of inestimable value to Lily and the orphanage at this moment.

“So each Path has its own unique abilities…” Lily set down the letter, drew out the coin she wore at her chest, straightened in her chair, and let the coin dance between her fingers as she pondered.

“So each Path has its own unique abilities…”

But after reading so much in Xiaguo’s language, she found herself unconsciously muttering the phrase in Xiaguo tongue.

Realizing this, she nearly dropped her coin, thrown a little off-balance.

“No, no, English is so beautifully melodious—I don’t want to find myself speaking Xiaguo language all the time,” Lily murmured, as if clarifying her position to someone.

Leaning forward, she picked up the letters again and reread them. Although she found no new information, she felt her understanding of the Paths solidify.

She supposed John must be a Midnight Path ability bearer.

In the first letter, Miss Shiqin had mentioned that every orphanage in Xiaguo shrouded by the fog tornado would experience the arrival of a Guest. Did this mean that St. Lance’s Orphanage, too, would soon welcome a Guest Path ability bearer?

The phrase 'chosen children' also weighed on Lily’s mind. Did this mean that all ability bearers would be children roughly her own age? But if so, why not describe them as 'chosen youths'?

After all, both in Xiaguo and in English, ‘children’ and ‘youths’ are distinct words, used for different age groups.

Miss Liu Shiqin appeared younger than herself, yet she had already become a Guest…

Could it be that one did not have to be fifteen to be chosen and gain abilities?

But clearly, Lily had no way to confirm this for now—especially since, at present, the only two ability bearers at St. Lance’s Orphanage had both been chosen on the day of their fifteenth birthday, upon coming of age. She could only remain skeptical, unable to prove anything.

Perhaps it was simply that Liu Shiqin’s features made her look younger.

Mischief… Lily’s gaze drifted back to the character on the letter representing her own Path, her feelings tangled.

She had no desire at all to become the sort of person who toyed with and deceived others. Yet Lily was well aware of her own abilities—her agility, her persuasive speech, the gauntlet she wore—all confirmed Miss Shiqin’s words.

“It’s all right, Lily. It’s not the gun that kills, but the one who pulls the trigger.” She comforted herself: as long as she did not use her abilities to play with or deceive others needlessly, and used them only when necessary, she would not become that kind of person.