Late at night, inside the narrow, dark ward, Dorothy, dressed in black, sat by the hospital bed, teaching the dazed and listless Anna her lesson, a lesson on praying to the gods.
Dorothy recited each sentence and had Anna follow along. Since Anna's mental state was not very good, she often paused or mispronounced words. It took Dorothy quite some time to get Anna to finish the prayer with her.
...
"Upon this world, infinite and endless;"
"The place where countless destinies converge;"
"The gate and key to infinite supreme truths;"
"Great Aka, who records all things."
...
Under Dorothy's guidance, Anna began to pray in a daze, praying to a divine name she knew nothing about, praying to Dorothy herself. In the dark, narrow space, a childlike, ethereal voice echoed.
Sitting beside Anna, Dorothy, who had heard the prayer up close, also received a prompt from the system. She immediately used Anna's prayer to establish a link with her.
Afterward, Dorothy immediately took action, converting the remaining Spirit Sight from "Lamb Song" in Anna's mind into Spirituality. In an instant, the Spirit Sight in Anna's mind was completely swept away.
Sitting on the bed, Anna's listless, dazed eyes slowly became clear and bright. After blinking a few times, a hint of confusion appeared on her face.
"Huh... I, what suddenly happened to me... so strange..."
Murmuring, Anna began to look around curiously until she saw Dorothy sitting next to her, smiling at her.
"Teacher Mayshouse... why are you here... Ah, no, you just came in, to teach me something, to teach me how to pray..." Covering her head, Anna said somewhat confusedly. Clearly, during the period of Spirit Sight erosion, her memory was somewhat jumbled.
"How are you feeling now? Anna?"
Looking at Anna in front of her, Dorothy asked. After shaking her little head, Anna slowly replied.
"Feeling... um... still a little dizzy, but much better than before. At least... um... at least I know what's what..." As she spoke, Anna turned her head to look at Dorothy, then spoke with a slightly confused expression.
"Teacher Mayshouse, did you do this? Did you save me and make me clear-headed again?"
"No... it was the being you just prayed to. I just taught you how to pray. The grace that saved you was bestowed by that one." Looking at the confused Anna, Dorothy said. Listening to Dorothy's words, Anna began to recall the prayer she had performed in a daze earlier.
"Prayer? Right, Teacher Mayshouse suddenly came to me, saying she was giving me a lesson, teaching me to pray. It took me a long time to learn, and the one I prayed to wasn't the Holy Mother... nor the Saint Child or the Saint Father... but... named A..."
"Shh..." Just as Anna was about to say something, Dorothy made a shushing gesture.
"Remember, do not mention anything about that one in front of anyone else. This is a rule you must adhere to after being saved..." Facing Anna, Dorothy warned. Listening to Dorothy's words, Anna paused slightly, then nodded.
"Uh... um, Anna understands. Then, Teacher Mayshouse, could you please ask that one to save the other children too! They, like me, were adopted by Viscount Field, and then they all became so strange. The doctors and Sisters here said their condition seems very bad too. Could you please ask that one to save them as well..."
Blinking her eyes, Anna pleaded with Dorothy again. She clearly remembered the strange behavior of the orphanage children during the ritual that night. During her time of confusion in the hospital, she also vaguely remembered the conversations between the doctors and Sisters. She understood that she was not the only one facing difficulties at this time.
Although Anna was still a little unclear about the current situation, not knowing what the strange divine name meant, how it differed from the Holy Mother she usually worshipped, and what connection it had with Dorothy, she knew that if that strange god could save her, it should also be able to save others.
Facing Anna's plea, Dorothy sighed slightly and then said.
"I'm afraid not, Anna. There are significant differences between gods. That one is not the all-loving Holy Mother. That one will not bestow grace upon mortals without restraint. That one does not wish for That one's name to spread too widely at this time. Asking That one to respond to your prayer and bestow grace upon you was the limit of what I could do."
With a hint of apology, Dorothy said to Anna. Unlike Anna, the condition of the other children was not just pure Spirit Sight damage; there was also severe drug erosion. She could handle the Spirit Sight but not the others.
Listening to Dorothy's response, Anna couldn't help but lower her head in disappointment.
"Is that so... Then I'm truly grateful to you, Teacher Mayshouse, for praying to the god for precious grace on my behalf..." Although she was disappointed inside, Anna still thanked Dorothy. Looking at Anna like this, Dorothy smiled slightly and then continued.
"However, this matter is not without a turning point. They can be saved without divine grace, and the key to this salvation is now with you, Anna."
"Me..."
Listening to Dorothy's words, confusion appeared on Anna's face.
...
The moon set, the sun rose, and daylight arrived.
The night passed, and Shan Dian Hospital welcomed the daytime once again. Doctors and Sisters shuttled through the corridors, busy with their work. Apart from a small disturbance caused by cats and dogs that got in last night, everything was the same as usual.
At the hospital entrance, Mr. James, a middle-aged man in formal wear with a small mustache and a few gray hairs, stood there, looking into the distance, occasionally checking his watch, as if waiting for something.
After a while, a carriage drove from afar and stopped in front of the hospital entrance, in front of James. The coachman got down from the carriage, opened the door, and a man stepped out.
This man was about forty or fifty years old, wearing a suit, a top hat, with short, thick limbs, a bulging belly, and a face full of flabby flesh as he smoked a cigar. When he saw James in front of him, a fawning smile immediately appeared on his face.
"Oh... Mr. James, you're here so early. It's my fault for making Mr. James wait. I apologize, I apologize."
Looking at James, the man took the cigar out of his mouth and said with a bow and a smile, his tone full of flattery. Seeing his behavior, James also smiled and said.
"No need for apologies, Baron Harold. I just arrived early myself. You are very punctual."
"Hahaha... This is Mr. James's invitation, how could I not be punctual? To be honest, I have one good quality, which is never being late for a gathering, even if it's in Igwinte." The man named Harold continued to smile and said to James, while James responded.
"Hehe, you might have misunderstood. I brought you here not for a gathering, but to show you something."