### Chapter 30: Return
Night Lan and Night Star both burst into tears simultaneously.
The cries of these two girls overlapped, creating an earsplitting din that somehow managed to go unnoticed by everyone.
Time continued to tick away.
Enormous sounds echoed around them.
Storms brewed, thunder roared, and countless people’s wails could be heard.
Explosions, screams, and furious roars reverberated around, but none managed to interrupt the girls’ despondent weeping.
Her inner sadness had long made her oblivious to any external factors.
When she learned that the entire theater troupe had been wiped out, her heart had already shattered to pieces.
Now, there was nothing she could do.
Crying was the only way she could express the sadness and despair in her heart.
### Outside the World
A dark chapter from the past was unfolding.
This chapter was real and did happen, but it was hidden by powerful forces.
All secrets would now be unveiled.
### The Future
In some country, a petite girl flips through an ancient book she found at home, curiously reading the recorded text.
[XXXX Year, the Demon King descended, turning Lightback City into an infernal hell. This was the darkest day in Holy Church history.]
[The day the Demon King came down, the sky was covered in black feathers, symbols of evil and misfortune. Anyone touched by the black feather would become a Demon King’s follower, cheer for everything he did, and go mad… It was the most terrifying disaster! Run! Run! This is the end of the world! — Holy Knight Kean]
[The hundred holy knights at Lightback City Cathedral all charged towards the Demon King fearlessly, but they were easily decimated by this terrible foe. What a disaster! Who incited him?!! — Cathedral Recording Officer]
[The Holy Church dispatched a thousand holy knights to face the Demon King, but they were also utterly destroyed. Quite laughable, even those blessed by gods couldn’t stand against a true demon. In sum, everyone got what they deserved. — Wandering Bard]
[Seems some ritual was completed, and the Demon King disappeared without warning. No one knows where he went. Perhaps he returned to hell or another unknown place. Afterward, the authority of the Holy Church plummeted and they crumbled completely. — Royal Recording Officer.]
The girl looked at the records with confusion, unable to make sense of their meaning.
“Monster King… sounds so cool, right? But does the Demon King actually exist? Maybe everything’s just fantasy?”
Educated in her era, she maintained skepticism about the events recorded in the book.
But the information seemed very credible.
Then she started searching the web for historical records from that year but found no evidence supporting the book’s claims.
“There’s nothing here, it must be fake? So disappointing…”
After failing to find the information, she sighed sadly and began examining the events recorded in this ancient book anew.
Just then, her mother approached.
“What are you looking at, child?”
“I found this weird book in the basement, is everything written here true? I couldn’t find any proof online.”
Hearing this, her mom took the book, her expression growing serious before breaking into a slight smile.
“The fact that it doesn’t appear online doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Perhaps this history has been hidden, known to few. Remember, never tell anyone about this. It’s a secret.”
“Got it, Mom.”
Though perplexed, she nodded in agreement.
And from her mother’s words, she realized that this event truly happened, and the Demon King existed.
She became curious—wondering how the legendary Demon King looked.
But alas, seeing him wouldn’t be easy—perhaps he was still lurking in hell.
…
Night Star Lan, when she wasn’t fully aware, found herself back in the pitch-black wishing space, exhausted from crying.
Maybe she had cried too much because no matter how sad she felt, she could cry no more.
“Mmm…”
On the screen before her, the image of the solo grand performance by the group leader played.
This was her wish.
Using star eclipse power to pollute half the nation and putting on an unprecedented grand performance was indeed the glorious moment of the Rising Sun Theater Group.
Until just now… her wish had come true.
With that, the surrounding dark space instantly shattered.
When Night Star Lan regained consciousness, she found herself lying on a bed within the Night Watcher Headquarters.
This was her resting place.
But upon returning to reality, Night Star Lan remained dazed.
A short time later, Night Lan and Night Star stood up synchronously, walked to the wall, opened the entrance to the theater, and stepped inside.
Revisiting the familiar theater, Night Star Lan suppressed the sorrow within, shaking as she called out.
“Group Leader…”
No sooner had the words left her lips than the figure of the Group Leader emerged from the nearby shadows, slowly making his way to Night Lan and Night Star.
“So, what is it, Observer?”
Seeing the Group Leader, Night Star Lan finally lost control of her emotions.
Her inner resolve broke down like a dam, her eyes welling up with tears, before she threw herself at the Group Leader, hugging him tightly.
“Ugh… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I didn’t change anything… I tried hard to keep my promise… but I failed… I can’t bear the tragedy, why did they d*e? That shouldn’t have happened…”
Her words were jumbled, and her thoughts were scrambled with overwhelming grief.
After achieving the wish moments ago, she could have wished again to twist the mournful history into a favorable ending.
But… she had promised the Group Leader she wouldn’t interfere with his fate.
Even if she changed the outcome to her liking, the members couldn’t have survived, and even the Group Leader would vanish.
All her emotional actions could completely destabilize the present harmony.
Thus, she couldn’t do it.
The knowledge prevented her sadness from being held back.
There are fates in this world she can’t alter—a multitude of complex causes.
Even the omnipotent wish machine becomes constrained.
As though sensing her turmoil, the Group Leader gently stroked the heads of the two girls.
“Don’t worry, Observer, you’ve already tried your best. I understand your sorrow, your despair, and your helplessness. But holding onto these feelings serves no purpose; let it go, move forward, and rest now.”
Under the Group Leader’s gentle soothing, the two girls relaxed, falling asleep.
The entire time, she had been struggling with resisting the negative side effects of the wish machine.
With the Group Leader’s comfort, she no longer resisted.
