Main Characters in This Batch

Evelyn (Evelyn Carter)

Adrian Vale (Mr. Vale / Baby boy)

The praise Evelyn gave was completely subconscious, and she didn't see that inside the game, the rain cloud over the boy's head—which had just started to thin out—turned even darker and heavier.

"So talented."

"Perfect."

Adrian gripped his phone so hard his knuckles turned white. The light from the screen reflected on his face, revealing a look of pure shadow.

Jealousy was growing like wild vines, wrapping around him until he could barely breathe.

I'll start learning how to cook tomorrow, he thought grimly. That kind of praise should belong to me.

To keep her from noticing his loss of composure, Adrian forced himself to calm down and quickly changed the subject.

"The national competition is coming up."

Sure enough, Evelyn's attention was immediately pulled back.

Adrian was incredibly good at STEM subjects, especially math. Not only was he at the top of his class, but he also collected trophies in math competitions like they were nothing.

If you win the national prize, you'll get a full ride to a top university, right? Evelyn thought to herself. That's amazing! I'd expect nothing less from Adrian!

Her praise slightly doused the fire of jealousy in his heart.

Adrian's mood brightened a little. See, this was the place he was supposed to occupy in her heart.

Every other man could just exit the stage.

Mentioning a major exam reminded Evelyn of something from her own past.

When she was a kid, before every big exam, her mom would take her to an old cathedral near their house to pray for good luck.

There was a massive, ancient wall inside the church courtyard, covered in white stones and prayer cards. When the sun hit it, the whole wall seemed to glow. People said it was exceptionally powerful at making wishes come true.

But once she hit high school, life got too busy and she stopped going. Later, she heard the church had gradually lost its congregation, and a few years back, some mysterious billionaire bought the whole place, turned it into private property, and closed it to the public.

Evelyn felt it was such a shame.

But... the setting of this game seemed to be a one-to-one recreation of Ravenfall City from a few years ago. Back then, the cathedral should still be open.

She told Adrian about this, half-nostalgic and half-suggesting: "There's an old church where prayers are really effective. Do you want to go try it out?"

"Will you come with me?"

Before Evelyn could react, he added: "Right now. I want to have your blessing."

Evelyn checked the remaining time in the top right corner of her screen. Thirty minutes left. That was enough.

The boy's request was impossible for her to refuse.

"Sure thing," she agreed readily.

As soon as she spoke, the game scene flashed and shifted to the church.

The majestic stone arches appeared before her. A gravel path wound toward the entrance, flanked by lush old pines. The air seemed to be filled with the faint scent of frankincense.

Sure enough, at this point in time, St. Celeste Sanctuary wasn't abandoned yet; it was still solemn and full of people.

Evelyn had the strange sensation of visiting an old home.

"Evelyn?" Adrian suddenly spoke.

"Yeah! What's up?"

"...Nothing."

So she was still there. She hadn't reacted at all on the way here, and Adrian thought she had left.

Evelyn didn't notice the little episode and excitedly told him, "Go further in, through the main nave. There's a prayer wall in the back garden."

The massive stone structure was partly covered in ivy. Its ancient surface was filled with countless small prayer cards and silver crosses, glowing brilliantly in the sunlight. It looked spectacular and holy.

"See it?" Evelyn's voice carried a hint of nostalgia. "That's the ancient wall where everyone hangs their prayers."

Adrian walked to a nearby stand and picked up two brand-new prayer cards and a pen.

"What are you going to wish for?" he asked.

Evelyn typed without a second thought: "For your competition to go smoothly and for you to take first place, obviously!"

Her wish was about him.

Adrian looked at the words, and for the first time, a genuine smile appeared on his face in front of the screen.

He lowered his eyes and, stroke by stroke, carefully wrote on one of the cards:

"I wish for Adrian Vale to have a successful competition and take first place."

Then, he picked up the other blank card and solemnly wrote his one and only wish—the one he was most afraid to say out loud.

"I hope to be with Evelyn forever."

If this place was really as powerful as the legends said, if the heavens truly existed, he hoped they would show mercy and grant his wish.

After finishing, he walked to the wall and pinned the two cards together on a high, sturdy trellis.

That splash of white immediately joined the thousands of other prayers, yet it felt so distinct.

This was the first time he and Evelyn had made a wish about each other.

Evelyn looked at the two cards pinned side by side, just about to ask what he had wished for.

"What did you—"

She only got four words out before a system pop-up appeared.

[Your online time has expired.]

In an instant, the majestic cathedral, the prayer wall, and the boy's silhouette all vanished.

The phone screen returned to the familiar main menu.

She had been force-logged out.

The answer to that question, along with the secret the boy had left at the wall, was left behind in that other dimension, hidden among the silent stones, known to no one.

The wind rustled through the ivy on the old wall, and thousands of prayer cards fluttered.

Adrian was still looking up, staring at that spot that belonged to the two of them.

He was waiting.

Waiting for her next sentence.

Seconds ticked by. The only sounds in the air were the wind and the faint, blurry echoes of a choir practicing in the distance.

That clear, laughing voice didn't ring out again.

The world around him was so alive, yet there was a dead silence in his ears.

"Evelyn?"

He called her name softly. No response.

She was gone.

The tiny bit of warmth from her blessing, the little spark of sweetness from making a wish together—it all shattered into dust at that moment.

He slowly lowered his head, his long lashes hiding the emotion in his eyes.

He didn't dare look at the spot where their shared wish hung ever again.

"I hope to be with Evelyn forever."

Did the heavens really hear it?

He let his hand drop, turned around, and walked down the gravel path one step at a time.

Outside the church gates, people were everywhere. The smell of life mixed with incense, and everything looked the same as when they arrived.

But to him, the whole world had lost its color.

As he was preparing to leave, feeling completely lost, Adrian brushed past a family.

It was a happy-looking family of three—parents holding the hand of a girl who looked about twelve or thirteen.

Her mother knelt down and gently brushed some dust off her skirt. "Slow down, Evelyn. You're bouncing all over the place."

Evelyn...

Adrian froze. He turned back, his gaze cutting through the crowd to land on the girl.

So, people with that same name were all this sweet and lovely.

His gaze stayed on that face for a long, long time. He stood there frozen until the family had walked far away.

His chest felt tight and heavy—an indescribable mix of loss and longing.

He wanted so badly for his Evelyn to be like that, standing right in front of him for real.

Instead of coming and going like the wind, leaving no trace behind, only giving him endless longing and silence.

They had only been apart for a few minutes, but Adrian missed her so much.

How long would he have to wait for the next day she descended?

The boy withdrew his gaze, turned silently, and his lonely figure merged into the crowd, quickly disappearing from sight.