Prologue, a story in the dark of night

The young girl Mei looked down at her cousin in her arms. Although she was reluctant, she knew that perhaps the best choice was to place Mei Lin in the care of Mr. Colson.

The little girl saw a kind-looking couple getting out of a car and walking towards the house. She couldn't help but hold the baby in her arms tightly, as she was unwilling to send her only cousin to be raised by someone else. However, her mother also had a point; Xiaomeilin indeed could not go back to New York with them

What about Merlin

So many great figures watched you come into the world, so many great figures placed their bets on you, what a magnificent life it is. But, how will you choose? I am very curious...

Merlin, I will definitely come back to see you often

No

In the process of returning to darkness, amidst the fluttering of his blue cloak, he softly said

She lowered her head and kissed her brother's forehead, and she said

bang

In fact, at the moment the child was born, the mission of the Riley couple was already complete. The mysterious figure looked down at the infant in their arms, who had also fallen into a deep sleep.

Ms. Riley shook her head with a smile, glanced at the time, and said to her daughter

He cannot save her, but at the very least, he can allow her to return to death in peace. The mysterious man gently shook his arm to make the baby in his arms more comfortable, and he softly said:

The sleeping child certainly could not respond to him, but this mysterious figure did not require a reply. He stood up, took a step back, and amidst the ruins of the Riley Manor, which had been destroyed by fire, he quietly faded into the darkness, just as he had come, like ink dissolving in water

In the midst of the inferno, Mrs. Riley's helpless prayers finally received a response at the moment her consciousness began to fade

There is no hope

After speaking, Ms. Riley lifted her head and saw a red Chevrolet sports car slowly driving into the gates of the Riley estate. She stood up, adjusted her clothing and the black veil on her arm, and said to her daughter

Under the cover of darkness, the hands that write stories first touched the paper, the tip of the pen rustling in the dark, gradually sketching out the outline of the tale.

You and your husband died in an accidental fire, this was destined by fate, something I cannot change. But ... ...

The mysterious man's gaze fell upon the crying infant in Mrs. Riley's arms, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes as he said

The scorching flames rolled wildly on the ground, as if they were unleashed demons from hell. They howled, engulfing the countryside villa, pulling careless individuals into the sea of fire. Those poor souls wailed in the flames, praying to every deity they could find, but to no avail

A little girl dressed in a floral dress carefully holds her cousin, making funny faces at the baby in her arms, which causes the infant to stretch out his hands and smile broadly.

I am not an angel

The joy of finding life in a desperate situation made the woman weep aloud. However, in response to her hopeful inquiry, the mysterious man shook his head and said in a magnetic voice:

On his face, shrouded in darkness, there appeared a strange smile

At the very moment before everything completely dissipated, he glanced at the watch on his wrist and cleared his throat lightly

Take the child and leave here! Hurry, I am beyond saving...

The woman trembled with sparks on her body, screaming, her face filled with panic, but before her eyes, everything had already turned into a sea of fire

Mei, I know you really like Merlin, but we cannot take him with us. Our family's situation does not allow for another child. I have to work, and you have to go to school; there is no one to take care of him. If you truly like Merlin, I can allow you to come back once a year to see him

Mrs. Riley felt as if she were experiencing a hallucination; before her eyes, the burning flames were gradually parting, as if a curtain were being drawn back.

He is unable to do it

The mysterious figure cradled the baby in one arm, looking down at Mrs. Riley at his feet. He extended his finger, and a shimmering blue aura cascaded over Mrs. Riley, isolating her from all sensations of pain

It doesn't matter... it doesn't matter, this is enough. Please, take my child away, just take him away... save him.

The flames immediately follow the explosion

In the face of disaster, he finds it difficult to save himself, but he does not want to implicate his loved ones

It is now midnight on August 17, 1971, and in the capacity of both observers, I hereby declare ... ...

The world under the sun is always too straightforward, lacking many twists and turns, devoid of sensibility and obscurity, and also lacking a touch of mystery

The man supported himself with both hands on the ground, as the heavy stones pressed down upon him, growing increasingly burdensome, as if hell itself had descended. In the ever more scorching room, under the flickering flames, he had already sensed his fate.

Who will come to save us! We implore you, save us.

The little girl pouted, looking at her mother

In the glaring light of the scorching fire, a woman, dressed in pajamas and holding a baby in her arms, is kneeling on the ground, attempting to lift her fallen husband back up.

The flames danced around him, yet could not harm him, nor could they even come close. An invisible force suppressed the flames, causing them to recede and forming a blank arc around the two individuals, resembling a sanctuary amidst disaster

I cannot save you, Mrs. Riley

The mysterious figure stood amidst the flames, watching as the eyes of the mother before him closed, entering her final slumber. He did not shatter this poor woman's last beautiful dream

Behind her, her lover, the father of her child, Wilton Riley, watched as his wife and son escaped from despair. Mere seconds later, in the final moments of life, the man who fulfilled his duties as a husband and father was engulfed by the sudden flames

The man is dressed in a sharp black suit, with a white shirt that has a standing collar. He wears a gentleman's hat with blue and black edges, and behind him, a wide blue cloak is billowing.

The mysterious man paused for a moment, crouched down, and extended his gloved hand, clad in black, to wipe the ashes from the face of the weak and suffering woman before him. Amidst the cries of the infant, he softly explained

Your child, Merlin Riley, is destined to play an important role in the future; his life will not end tonight

But prayer ... Perhaps in times of despair, prayer is still useful

The baby's cry awakened the woman. She looked at her husband for the last time, then gritted her teeth, wiped the tears from her face, and staggered around. She protected the infant in her arms with her arm, lowered her head, and rushed into the aisle.

I have already found a new home for Xiaomeilin, and I have contacted James, who is an old friend of mine and Wilton's. He is a true gentleman and the best friend of Wilton and Mei. I believe he will be willing to help take care of Xiaomeilin.

Upon hearing about her cousin's tragedy, she immediately brought her daughter and rushed back to her hometown from New York

Mother, Mother

She is a distant branch of the Riley family and the cousin of Wilton Riley, who died in a fire a few days ago. She married in New York several years ago and is currently the last relative that can be found from the dwindling Riley family

As for you, Merlin, will you become a great person

I ... ...

I have come specifically for him, and I can guarantee that he will at least live safely until the age of 18

Can we really not take Xiaomeilin home? I have always wanted a younger brother, I beg you

Boom

Strangely enough, the baby who had been crying continuously stopped his cries the moment he was held in the arms of a mysterious person, as if he sensed that the danger had passed

The mysterious figure looked around, waved his finger, and completely extinguished the surrounding flames. He then crouched down and placed the child back into Mrs. Riley's arms. He extended his finger and gently touched the child's head, as if bidding farewell. He raised his head to gaze at the starry sky above, where among the twinkling stars, it seemed as though countless eyes were watching this place, watching the infant in his arms

It is about to begin

A phantom shadow, stepping on flames, approached her step by step.

She cried helplessly, struggling to comprehend why such a nightmare would befall them, yet the proud fate never deigned to explain anything to mortals

He is just an ordinary man, merely a mortal

Under the calm night sky, accompanied by a sharp scream, a terrifying wave of sound exploded, shattering all the glass in the room at that moment, as if struck hard by an invisible fist

Even if the flames have already ignited her clothing, even if blood has begun to seep from the wound

A few days later, Buffalo County, Wisconsin, the Riley family residence

Despair is spreading in the sea of flames

Yes, he will definitely become a great person. Otherwise, how could the angels have come specifically to save him... Merlin, my son, how much your father and mother wish to be by your side...

Mei, you should be a bit more polite and call him Uncle Coulson, do you understand

On the sofa beside the little girl sat a middle-aged woman wearing a black veil, her face reflecting sadness and nostalgia as she gazed at the furniture around her and the room itself

She and her child have already run out of escape routes

You little rascal, you must not forget me!

Will my child with Wilton become a great person

The little girl holding Xiaomeilin turned her head to look at her mother, gently stroking her cousin's head while softly pleading:

But the collapsed bricks and stones pressed down on the man, while flames rapidly spread behind him. His face was covered in sweat, and his eyes were filled with terror. He struggled frantically, trying to escape this inevitable doom

The mysterious visitor stood before the injured woman, looking down at her from a height. The woman also gazed at this enigmatic figure, and beneath the wide brim of his hat, she could see a face shrouded in darkness, along with sideburns that resembled white hair.

The woman looked at her husband in despair. She wanted to help him, but the baby in her arms kept crying. This newly born life seemed to sense the danger, instinctively calling for help.

The man felt the rapidly spreading flames behind him, his sweat-drenched face contorted. A glimmer of determination flashed in his eyes as he shouted to his crying and helpless wife:

A response from a higher will

Amidst the screams of men and women, a terrifying chaos descended

No.

The mysterious man looked at the pair of hands covered in burn marks; he could imagine the kind of suffering this woman was enduring, yet he did not express much emotion.

Like the first ray of light that illuminates the night

Mrs. Riley no longer felt pain; she felt very tired and was eager to take a nap. Just before the drowsiness overtook her, she struggled to ask one last question. But then, as if she were both asking and answering herself, she said to herself with a weary expression:

Another explosion echoed, and the wooden house was almost powerless against the ravaging flames. At the moment the woman was about to rush out of the sea of fire, the entire second floor of the room nearly collapsed, trapping the fleeing woman beneath the burning embers

"Hurry up! Mei Yi, go!"

Thus, the starting point of most beautiful stories occurs in a more inclusive night

... ...

Yet even in the moment of her fall, the instinct of motherhood still compelled this woman to hold her infant tightly in her arms

Be a little good

Look, they have arrived

The words of the mysterious person brought a glimmer of surprise to Mrs. Riley's eyes. In that moment, she did not care about her own fate. She struggled to extend her hands, enduring the torment of the flames with her severely burned hands. Her cheeks twitched, yet she still handed the child in her arms to the mysterious person before her, pleading:

Wilton, hurry up, hurry up!

Ms. Riley reached out to touch her daughter's hair and said to the little girl

Are we going to send him to the orphanage

He took the swaddling cloth stained with blood

Rest assured, Mrs. Riley

But, it is time to say goodbye

Are you here to save us

Let us wait and see

Game