Nightmare Assault

Chapter 343: Penance

A voice came from outside the door. “Are you alright? Were you the one…” It was the guard. His voice was laced with confusion and concern. Everyone who came here to visit would be unstable when they left. The guard was used to it. After all… the place was called a healing centre, but it was really a prison. It was used to withhold many former elites. So many futures had been silenced there. The people would never live under the sun again, no matter what.

Their families were not allowed to visit. Only their former teammates were allowed that privilege. When the young man said he needed to use the toilet, he knew the man just wanted to find a quiet place to calm down. That was why he brought them there. It was secluded and rarely used.

“Sir.” He enquired, “Do you need any help?”

The sound of rushing water overwhelmed everything else. The guard believed he heard something, but he couldn’t be sure. The water got cut off, and An Xuan walked out, flinging his hands. The bangs on his forehead were wet and stuck to his face. Water dripped down his face. “I’m fine.” He said apologetically, “I lost control.”

The young guard was instantly taken by surprise. “Sir, please don’t say that. This… is my responsibility.” To be honest, he didn’t have a good impression of the people from the executive branch. In his eyes, the people there were young but had an air of absolute arrogance. They were often very aloof. Their gaze suggested that they wanted to dig your heart out. However, the man before him was different. He was kind and gentle. The guard wondered how a man like him survived among the group of monsters.

“We’re here,” An Xuan announced softly. The guard snapped out of it. He drove the car and sent An Xuan to the gate and then the sentry. There would be other guards to handle the rest. After the inspection was completed, An Xuan could change into his normal attire and leave.

Staring at An Xuan, who had changed, the guard’s eyes shone. An Xuan wore a long black coat, black pants and black leather shoes. The collar of the coat had embroidered golden threads. It shone under the sun. At that moment, the guard realised the man was not as gentle as he appeared. He stood there rigidly like a flag on the battlefield.

The wind picked up the coat to reveal the tattoo and tank top underneath. The guard’s eyes narrowed. He shouldn’t have been able to see it through the distance, but he did. The tattoo painted a city of eternal night. The man stood on the roof of the tallest building in his black coat. Under him… was a wave of ghosts climbing up.

“I stand in the night in the hopes that more people can witness the dawn,” Night Guardian.

TAP TAP TAP

In the dark corridor, the leather shoes clicked against the floor. There was a dark door at the end of the corridor. The door had an aged handle. It was covered with the trace of time. One touch and one could bring away pieces of time’s passage.

An Xuan adjusted his breathing as he stood before the door. Not many were qualified to reach this door. He barely had the qualification. Those who were qualified to open this door were mostly dead. Their portraits hung along the two sides of the corridor. They stared at everyone who came through.

CREAK

The door swung in. Under the mottled light was a blurry face. The man was seated on the innermost couch. He looked like he had curled into the dark. Only his face was revealed.

An Xuan stopped hesitating and walked over. The door closed without warning. The stillness of death pressed down on An Xuan.

“No. A00131,” An Xuan began. This was the first time he hated the silence. The place felt like a bottomless swamp. This was his first time there.

“Repeat for me.” The croaky voice started. An Xuan’s heart couldn’t help but shake. “The oriole incident.”

“One year ago, my team received a mission that was coded Oriole. Due to a mistake in information, they suffered from Deep Red’s premeditated ambush. Agent A00137，B02497，B03214，B04008 died. Agent B04149 is alive but has been confirmed as corrupted. Currently, he is…”

“Where were you then?”

“Since the mission confirmed that the target was merely a follower of Deep Red, I was tasked to stay behind as a safeguard. I didn’t join the team.”

“Is that why you have been secretly investigating the Oriole incident?” The voice fluctuated. The pressure on An Xuan increased.

An Xuan gritted his teeth. “Yes.”

“You should know the rules of the Night Guardian.”

“Yes.”

“The consequence of looking into confidential information that doesn’t involve specific agent without an order…”

“I know.” An Xuan raised his head to interrupt, “You didn’t call me here to tell me these, right?”

The silence spread.

Moments later, the hoarse voice resumed, “We are in the Night Guardian’s underground penance room. It is where the sinners repent for their sins. Have… you sinned?”

An Xuan’s face shifted slightly.

“The person you’re looking for is outside the door.” The man continued. He didn’t sound impatient. He sounded more like a tired robot. “He is not qualified to be in here. No one can forgive his sins.” He paused, “Not even God.”

An Xuan bowed at the man and left. He saw there was an additional paper bag on the handle of the door. He removed it. He walked out and slowly unwrapped the bag. There was a sealed envelope with the Night Guardian symbol.

He read through the letter. When he reached the last door, he sighed. He put the letter back and placed the edge of the envelope on the candlestick. The fire flickered, and the letter turned into ash.

“No. 4…” He turned around to stare down the corridor. An unknown wind caused the candles to dance. The portraits on the wall seemed to come alive. They looked like demons from hell. Some had bursting veins, and others looked as strong as a cow. However, a few of them looked more like mental patients with dishevelled hair and reddened eyes….

The thing that really grabbed An Xuan’s attention was their hands…

Or, more accurately, the barely discernible door that floated on their hands.