Chapter 120: Fireflies

Chapter 20: Firefly

“Clack.”

The metal gate swung open, and a figure was violently thrown into the cell, tumbling across the concrete floor before coming to a halt.

“Quite heavy,” muttered the overweight guard with a look of disgust. As if tainted by the blood on Lu Yun’s body, he shook his hands vigorously and wiped them on his sweat-stained uniform.

With a casual snap, he locked the metal gate behind him. Seemingly recalling something pleasant, he hummed a discordant tune and swaggered away.

Inside the cold, dim cell, Lu Yun’s entire body convulsed, sprawled out on the floor.

His eyes rolled back, revealing bloodshot whites.

Torn apart by three conflicting forces within him, Lu Yun had long since lost consciousness.

From the shadows in the corner, Lurulas timidly poked out its small head.

Its crimson eyes reflected the image of Lu Yun lying on the ground.

A look of worry crept over its pale, fragile face.

The solitary red antenna atop its head quivered, sending invisible ripples through the air.

Delicate spiritual energy reached out, circling Lu Yun’s body.

As if trying to understand his condition, Lurulas guided its faint psychic power to lightly touch Lu Yun’s head, attempting to link their consciousness.

Suddenly, as if encountering something horrifying beyond measure, Lurulas’ psychic energy was violently repelled. An intense sting forced it to cry out in pain.

It clutched its head and collapsed heavily onto the floor.

Its pristine white body, mottled with black spots, trembled violently before slowly calming down.

Struggling to its feet, Lurulas shakily approached Lu Yun’s side.

Its gaze froze on his agonized face. With a gentle movement, it placed its small white hand on his chest.

Although this psychic-type Pokémon had lost most of its powers due to human cruelty and experimentation, its fundamental ability as a mood Pokémon remained deeply etched in its soul.

A soft, pearly glow blossomed along Lurulas’ arm, radiating a gentle warmth.

Lurulas transformed its scarce positive emotions—so rare in its brief existence—into a nurturing light and bestowed it upon Lu Yun.

Though Lu Yun still convulsed, the pain etched on his face gradually softened beneath the soothing glow.

Yet it was in vain.

The tender emotional energy could only temporarily ease Lu Yun’s suffering. Within his body, the three forces continued their fierce battle.

Mentally, Lu Yun remained trapped in the cursed illusion crafted by the “Decaywood Specter’s Blood Gaze.”

Panting heavily, despite knowing it was futile, Lurulas kept sending its feeble energy to Lu Yun from afar.

Its tiny arms trembled as it propped itself on the ground, nearly collapsing onto Lu Yun.

Beneath its withered, straw-colored bangs, Lurulas’ clear crimson eyes gazed deeply at him.

This was the first other spirit it had ever encountered, and its first venture into another’s mindscape.

There, its sensitive nature had sensed Lu Yun’s genuine kindness toward it.

Even with only a few simple exchanges, Lurulas—whose heart was as pure and innocent as a newborn’s—had come to regard Lu Yun as an important companion.

It knew that after human experiments, its own life was drawing to a close.

Rather than silently fading away—

Its gaze shifting, Lurulas bit its lip, as if making a solemn decision.

The emotional glow in its palm gradually subsided.

After a few steady breaths, Lurulas straightened its small frame and sat upright beside Lu Yun.

Its hands crossed over its chest, fingers lightly touching with a tiny gap between the palms.

Its fragile body shook violently as pink, circular ripples emerged from the antenna atop its head.

Flowing down its pale cheeks and slender neck, the pink light wrapped around its alabaster arms, gathering healing radiance between its palms.

It was not enough.

Lurulas knew these mere “healing waves” alone could not save Lu Yun.

Lowering its eyelids, it sank its consciousness to the deepest depths of its heart’s lake.

Feeling and reaching—

It found it!

Within the shadowy waters, a small, softly glowing fish rested in Lurulas’ grasp.

It was the last living carp of its core psychic lake—the essence of its very life as a psychic Pokémon.

“Pfft!”

Crimson blood spilled from Lurulas’ mouth as excruciating pain racked its body.

As if its body had become an empty shell, Lurulas gathered the last of its life energy.

In the palm, amidst countless pink circular patterns, a pure white droplet gradually formed.

The pearly light shone gently, neither harsh nor glaring, carrying the final farewell of a fading life—soft and warm.

Summoning its last ounce of spiritual power, Lurulas controlled the life-infused healing droplet as it drifted slowly through the air toward Lu Yun.

Like a tear falling upon a still lake, the life droplet tenderly merged into Lu Yun’s body, sending ripples of white light outward.

Seeing the droplet dissolve, Lurulas’ spirit relaxed, and it weakly collapsed backward.

Sweat dotted its pale cheeks.

Its chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, yet curiously began to calm.

With its last strength, Lurulas bent its slender arms, bringing its hands together lightly before its chest as if in prayer.

Eyes half-closed, head lifted, it gazed toward the void above—a dark, empty ceiling.

In its mind, it imagined a bright, clear moon hanging there.

...

“Where is this...?”

Amid an endless sea of crimson, Lu Yun slowly opened his eyes.

An illusory air wrapped his ashen-gray body, his feet sinking deep into a pit of blood-soaked mud.

Looking up toward the sky—

There were no clouds, no sun.

Only a vast, dark red firmament stretched overhead.

Confused, a powerful force surged from beneath his feet.

It felt as though withered claws, formed from the scarlet blood itself, reached out from the blood swamp, clutching at every part of Lu Yun’s body, dragging him downward.

Unable to resist, despair and pain flooded Lu Yun’s amber eyes.

Sinking deeper—knees, waist, chest—

Until finally his neck.

Amid endless torment, Lu Yun was slowly swallowed by the blood mire, pulled by the terrible claws.

His once bright vision grew dim, consumed by pitch-black darkness.

On the brink of death’s abyss, Lu Yun, clutching his final hope, raised his head and stared at the dark red heavens.

There, a faint pearly light suddenly appeared.

It swirled and spread—

Like a full moon emitting the gentlest glow, suspended far above the crimson sky.

The soft light brought warmth and comfort.

The pearly droplet fell like gentle rain onto the blood-red earth.

Like ice and snow meeting the radiant sun, the scarlet blood swamp gradually melted under the tender glow.

The once dark red firmament was slowly enveloped in a pure white light.

...

Energy calmed, the illusion faded.

In the cold, gloomy cell, Lu Yun abruptly opened his eyes.

As if realizing something, he struggled to lift his body.

He turned his head toward the side.

There, Lurulas’ frail form was pale and nearly translucent,

Surrounded by a shimmering glow like fine dust of life drifting softly.

Seeing Lu Yun awake, Lurulas weakly forced a smile.

“The moon... is it beautiful?”

Lu Yun nodded dreamily, wanting to say more but his throat choked with emotion.

“So beautiful...”

He murmured softly as Lurulas gently closed its eyes.

“Don’t!”

Lu Yun shouted, reaching out to Lurulas—but grasped only empty air.

In the dark, chilly cell, the light of life flickered like fireflies on a summer night, drifting through the air,

Its brilliant glow a final tribute to the world it was about to leave behind.