13 Minke Street

“Dear listeners, good evening. Welcome to the ‘Roja Storytelling’ program…”

In fact, Karen had never been inside this house, but Jeff, who had once lain cold and stiff in front of him, had already ‘told’ him about the danger and mystery of this house.

There were many things Karen couldn’t ask about directly, but that didn’t stop him from thinking about them, contemplating them, and imagining them.

Uncle Mason had helped take care of Jeff’s corpse because of his first love.

That afternoon, when Grandpa came back and saw Jeff’s corpse, he immediately told Aunt Mary to call Uncle back.

Then, Grandpa went out.

Later, on the way back from taking Mr. Hofer to the hospital, Karen personally helped Grandpa treat his wounds.

Clearly, Grandpa had been in a fight.

To be precise, Grandpa went to take care of some business, and this business was very likely related to Jeff’s death, which in turn was related to this house. The best proof was Uncle Mason, who couldn’t get out of bed that day after he ‘fell down’.

After that, when passing by that house, Karen saw the leg and the red high heels swaying on the windowsill on the second floor.

Grandpa went to take care of things.

But that pair of legs and those red high heels were still there.

This could only mean one thing: this matter was very difficult to deal with, and even Grandpa hadn’t been able to clean it up.

Plus, with only five to six hundred meters separating them on the same street, the fact that both sides could continue to coexist so close together was enough to show how tricky this house was.

Also, when facing Jeff, Karen had been pulled into a terrifying dream, and in that dream, besides that woman, Karen heard some peculiar sounds.

Static sounds, magnetic, low, coming from the radio.

Of course, originally, these were just Karen’s guesses and speculation. But when he entered the master bedroom and saw that the bed was empty except for the bare wooden frame, yet the radio on the cabinet by the door was still there…

He understood.

That thing, that radio….was the switch.

Having Mrs. Hughes turn on the radio ‘in the name of art’ was Karen’s final attempt at self-preservation.

He actually wasn’t very worried that Mrs. Hughes would reject this proposal. That’s because she was really stupid.

Even with the murderer pointing a gun at him and about to chop him into pieces with a knife, Karen stubbornly believed. He believed that the murderer was stupid!

Now, the radio was on.

Karen breathed a long sigh of relief, and that feeling of burden was instantly lifted.

When the worst outcome was that you would be chopped into mincemeat, mutual destruction seemed particularly beautiful.

However, there was something Karen didn’t know.

That radio was not the switch.

Whether you pressed the power button or not, whether it had batteries, was plugged in, or even if it was just an empty shell with nothing inside, it made no difference to its ability to ‘broadcast’ sound when it wanted to.

…

[Rewind ten minutes earlier]

When Karen drove Mrs. Hughes’ red ‘Cayman’ sedan and stopped at 128 Minke Street, the second floor of this house had already reacted.

A beautiful pair of legs in high heels stood behind the curtains, the heels lightly tapping on the floor.

“What’s the matter?” Alfred’s voice came from the radio.

“He’s here?

“Who’s here?

“Who is he?

“What, it’s him!!!?”

Alfred’s voice conveyed clear astonishment.

Some things seem very scary at first, but after a long time, they can slowly fade and become a common thing, like nightmares – right after waking from the most vivid nightmare, the sense of fear instantly dissipates by seventy to eighty percent, leaving just a lingering unease. After half a day or so, there’s no feeling left. It might even become a joke to tell others. 

But some things are like wine – the longer they age, the richer they become, leaving a deep impression that lingers in the mind, continuously evoking and intensifying it.

Alfred belonged to the latter.

The connection between him and Ms. Molly was a bridge that fell on the spiritual level of the two. But that terrifying existence directly descended on that ‘bridge’ between them. That kind of power was indeed enough to make his heart tremble.

But what really caused lasting damage to him, with an effect that grew more and more obvious, was that being’s chanting of the mysterious ‘holy song’.

That holy song easily broke through Ms. Molly’s barriers, and at the same time left an extremely profound psychological shadow on Alfred, who was ‘watching’ from the side.

After that, he frantically searched through all kinds of materials and ancient books, but could not find any trace of that ‘holy song’.

It seemed to have appeared out of thin air. There was no sign of it in the long river of history.

This was almost impossible!

The formation of a religion must have a ‘god’, whether it’s a single god or multiple gods. In any case, above the minds of the believers there needs to be the figure of a deity.

Once there is a god, there will be doctrines to explain the god’s ideology, and also to help believers understand and follow the god’s ideology.

After there is a god and a doctrine, the next step is the most important one, and it is a step that is repeated and never-ending, and that is… preaching.

More and more believers will constantly revise and enrich the doctrines with their thoughts and wisdom, to make the image of the god clearer, while also shortening the distance between the god and mortals, and thus more easily attract new believers. It’s like rolling a snowball.

This is the objective law of development for any religion.

However, can you believe that even though such a terrifying and well-formed ‘sacred song’ has appeared, there is not the slightest trace of the religion behind it?

This is like bending down to pick up a fresh fish on the ground, only to look around and find yourself surrounded by desert for thousands of miles.

What frightened Alfred even more was that the language of the ‘holy song’ also had no source.

He found many linguistic systems, even tracing back to the ancient letters of ancient civilizations’ languages, but could not match them to the language of the holy song.

Yet when it was chanted, one could clearly feel that it was fluent and rhythmic – an extremely sophisticated language!

Its charm even surpassed most of the popular languages Alfred knew of today.

He somewhat regretted having the ability to never forget what he heard, which led to the rhythm of the hymn ringing in his ears from time to time these days, and each time it made his heart palpitate

It was as if in this song, his body, his soul, and everything he relied on would be trampled underfoot and then smashed to pieces!

A religion without a trace.

A language without an origin.

This forced Alfred to believe one fact:

He was witnessing the birth of a brand new religion!

In this world, there are many churches that have been passed down for thousands of years or even longer. Some can even be traced back to the previous era. Their founders and creators, some are simply the incarnations of the gods of religion, and some claim to be the messengers of God.

But without exception, every founder is a terrifying existence, known as… the Godsend.

They forcibly tore open a gap in the world, creating space for the inheritance and development of their own religion.

Therefore, this was a great being. 

A venerable being.

Perhaps in a hundred, five hundred, a thousand years, the stories he told would become myths, and his own stories would become legends.

When he thought that such a terrifying existence had once descended upon his spiritual bridge, Alfred felt a deep sense of fear.

He had appeared.

He had appeared in Ruland.

Appeared in Roja City.

Appeared on Minke Street.

So, had he chosen this place to sow his first seed?

And beneath this endless terror, Alfred’s heart surged with another emotion called “hope”.

If it is still a seed, can I get close to it?

On the trajectory of the god and his religion’s growth, even a passing stray dog ​​that got into the picture would be remembered and extolled by later generations!

However, Alfred only dared to think about this idea cautiously, because in the story of God, there are not only stories of petting and teaching stray dogs encountered on the side of the road, but also more stories of slaying demons.

However, tonight, that terrifying being had come knocking.

…

“He got out of the car, and he was with a woman? Is she his divine companion or servant?

“Hmm? Looks like his mother?

“This… Could it be that he is the descendant of a god, and that woman is his mother?”

Some gods borrow the wombs of human females to descend into this world.

And in religious legends, the mother who gave birth to a god will also attain a lofty status, worshipped and revered by future believers.

“They went in?

“They’re already on the stairs?

“Straight to the bedroom?

“Ms. Molly, please hide. The first time, your rashness could be seen as a joke by him, unimportant. But if an ant dares to provoke him a second time, it will definitely suffer retribution!”

The red high heels bent down and crawled under the bed.

For others, it might be too constricting to be under the bed. But for her, it was just right.

…

“The woman is holding a gun? Hahahaha, what a stupid woman, she actually wants to use a gun to threaten a Godsend who walks on earth.

“Ms. Molly, look, whatever the woman says, the Godsend will do, because in his eyes, everything is just a joke. This is his entertainment for tonight.

“Just like you last time, also one of his amusements.

“Church of Order? Ankara? Light of Order?

“This woman is truly foolish. She thinks the Godsend is really teaching her? No, he is inflicting punishment on her.

“Ms. Molly, please don’t move. Here is the playground chosen by the Godsend himself. It’s one of his pleasures tonight. We just need to watch quietly, no need to disturb, unless the Godsend calls for us.

“Perhaps tonight, we are just the ‘audience’ chosen by him. We need to do our duty as an audience, be quiet during the performance, and applaud vigorously when necessary.

“Hmm? This woman is possessed, she must have come into contact with a tainted artifact. Her soul is defiled.

“Oh, what a pitiful woman. Both her and the aberrant demon controlling her have no idea who they are facing. They are so oblivious.

“There are always some minor characters who like courting death, because their vision simply cannot see the truth and the disparity.

“Ms. Molly, you say you want to lend a hand to redeem your sins?

“Rest assured, the Godsend will not care about your sin. The eyes of the god won’t even glance at you once.

“Please don’t be impulsive, Ms. Molly.

“Hmm? You say you want to beseech the Godsend to help restore your body?

“No, no, don’t you know what that means? Helping any demon rebuild a body and take on a humanoid form is a major taboo for Church of Order and other orthodox religions!

“Ms. Molly, I know your obsession runs deep, but please restrain yourself, because your rashness may drag me into unfathomable turmoil as well.

“Alright, my corporeal body has arrived on Minke Street, I’m almost there.

“I’m on the street outside the door now, but…I don’t dare go in.

“My god, knowing he’s inside, just standing outside, I unconsciously slowed my breathing. As if breathing any heavier would disturb this magnificent being.

“He must have noticed me already. Even though I’ve tried every means to isolate my aura and hide, everything around should be laid bare under his wise eyes. Nothing can escape.”

…

“Ah, the Godsend made the aberrant demon possessing the human turn on the radio.

“Ms. Molly, see, what did I say earlier? He really noticed me long ago. My proud concealment skills are just a joke before him.

“I’m merely an ant in his eyes.

“And I, a humble ant, am ready to heed your summons!”

…

Outside the gate of 128 Minke Street.

A man in a red suit silently raised the brim of his hat a bit, revealing eyes like blood moons.

At the same time, his lips began to move.

And his voice emerged from the radio in the master bedroom on the second floor:

“Dear listeners, good evening. Welcome to the ‘Roja Storytelling’ program, I’m your host, the humble Alfred.”

After saying this, the man in the red suit outside stopped moving his lips, and the sound from the radio also stopped.

But to Karen, the sound was like heavenly music.

That’s right, it was this voice that had appeared in that nightmare before. 

Earlier, Karen had been a little worried – what if the ‘ghost’ in this house had moved with the previous owner?

Now, there was no need to worry at all. The living had moved out, but they were still here.

Karen didn’t know what to call the ‘thing’ in this house – ghost or… a demon?

But they were beings even Diss couldn’t immediately destroy; beings who could live as neighbors right under Diss’s nose!

Clearly, Mrs. Hughes did not know the twists and turns inside. She just frowned and said regretfully, “I don’t want to listen to stories, I want to listen to songs. But if there are no songs, I can only see it as a pity, but pity itself is a kind of beauty in art. I can’t wait any longer, my dear Karen.”

Mrs. Hughes held a gun in her left hand, and a knife in her right. “Karen, so handsome that I, no, that the two of us drool over, do you want the bullet first, or the knife first? I suggest the knife. Because after the gun goes off, I’ll have to chop you up quickly to make my getaway, and might leave many of your parts behind. If you choose to be quietly sliced by me, I’ll mince you finely, without wasting a speck of flesh. Hmm? Why haven’t you chosen yet? What are you waiting for?”

Mrs. Hughes walked toward Karen with a hideous expression.

Karen, sitting on the edge of the bed, kept glancing at the radio.

What the hell?

Didn’t you already react? Why did you stop after just saying a line?

Fuck, could it be that demons don’t fight other demons?

But…

Aren’t I also a demon? Why does Mrs. Hughes want to kill me?

…

Outside the gate, the cuffs of the red suit swayed gently in the night breeze.

Below Alfred’s handsome, profound features were a pair of calm, blood-colored eyes.

He didn’t dare say another word, for fear of disturbing the Godsend’s delight.

He didn’t dare take matters into his own hands, for fear of disrupting the Godsend’s rhythm.

He was extremely cautious.

At the same time, he ignored Ms. Molly’s series of requests.

…

Mrs. Hughes had come up to Karen. She tilted her head, smiling radiantly, and whispered, “What are you…waiting for?”

As she spoke, she suddenly raised the butcher knife!

Stimulated by this scene, Karen shouted directly:

“WHAT ARE YOU STILL WAITING FOR!“

…

Outside the gate, the wind stirred.

Alfred’s red figure disappeared from the street.

The next moment, the floor-to-ceiling window shattered silently. The glass did not splash everywhere, but fell to the ground softly like cotton candy being blown away.

All this happened in an instant.

Mrs. Hughes’ knife was just about to chop down at Karen when she was startled to find a new figure appear between them.

That figure knelt on one knee. “Alfred, heeding your summons.”

“What the hell!” Mrs. Hughes let out an almost frenzied shriek. At the same time, the knife kept swinging down, now chopping at this man in the red suit.

Alfred turned his head and looked at Mrs. Hughes behind him.

In that instant, a strange luster emanated from Alfred’s red eyes.

Mrs. Hughes’s body froze, stopping in the middle of swinging the knife, unable to move at all.

Alfred turned back around, continuing to kneel with one knee.

Not even daring to meet the gaze of the ‘magnificent being’ sitting on the bed before him.

He put his right hand on his chest, and very humbly spoke:

“Please forgive my presumptuous question, should I follow the will of Your Greatness and punish the defiled before me with the Light of Order?”

I…

Karen’s eyes widened.

He had imagined many possible scenarios. The first, which was ruled out, was that the ‘ghost’ of this house was not at home and he got chopped up.

Then, he imagined the ghost would fight the demonic Mrs. Hughes, like dog biting dog.

In the end, he would probably be killed by the victor.

No matter how much he imagined, he didn’t expect this scene!

Who is he?

Why is he kneeling before me?

Who am I?

Where am I?

What am I doing?

However, although his mind was blank and in a state of shutdown right now, this didn’t stop Karen from following the other’s lead and uttering a sound: 

“Mm…”

Fortunately, it was just a syllable, otherwise the sound of his chattering teeth would not be hidden. Karen believed that he could not speak a complete sentence fluently now.

“Alfred, obeying your will.”

After saying this, Alfred, still kneeling with one knee and head bowed humbly, called out: “Ms. Molly.”

“AHHHHHH!” A shrill scream came from under the bed. Karen, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, was so frightened that he almost jumped up.

Luckily, his knees had long gone soft with fear. So, although his feet were still on the floor, he didn’t stand up. In the end, he remained sitting at the bedside.

A pair of legs, a face.

Karen saw the terrifying woman from his dream again, only this time it was in reality.

He saw the woman open her mouth.

Her originally normal mouth was expanding limitlessly, to an inconceivable degree, as big as an adult man’s height.

And Mrs. Hughes, who was ‘frozen’, could only show a look of horror in her eyes, as her body was slowly being dragged into that huge mouth.

She struggled, terrified. But it was futile. Karen had experienced Ms. Molly’s horror in the dream – her chewing, her swallowing – so he knew how terrible it was.

Mrs. Hughes’ struggling body began to shatter.

Her hands, her feet, her neck, every part of her body, started splitting open with streaks of blood. At the same time, even finer divisions continued.

She began peeling apart.

It was as if a piece of bread was picked up and rubbed, and the whole slice of bread began to turn into a handful of bread crumbs.

A mass of black light broke off from her body. It seemed to want to escape, but the next moment, it was directly swallowed into Ms. Molly’s huge mouth.

After the black light disappeared, the black spots on Mrs. Hughes’ face also disappeared.

A look of relief appeared on Mrs. Hughes’ face.

Her eyes fell on Karen sitting on the edge of the bed. She was wearing a gentle look, and the corners of her mouth slightly curved up.

Karen believed that at this moment, Mrs. Hughes – the real Mrs. Hughes – had returned.

Karen’s heart trembled, and he subconsciously raised his hand, wanting to shout stop.

If Mrs. Hughes was possessed by a ‘demon’ and murdered people, then Mrs. Hughes herself should be innocent, especially after the ‘demon’ had been annihilated.

But before Karen could make a sound, Mrs. Hughes’s body completely disintegrated, turning into a mist of blood that was sucked into Ms. Molly’s mouth.

On the spot, only Mrs. Hughes’ pile of clothes remained. Mrs. Hughes herself was gone.

Ms. Molly, who had only two legs and a face, knelt down on one knee to Karen, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, after swallowing Mrs. Hughes.

And Karen, looking at Mrs. Hughes’ skirt, underwear, black lace on the floor, fell silent.

A faint sense of sadness welled up in his heart.

The God of Order created the laws of order, and the first to violate the law was his daughter. In the end, the God of Order chose to throw his daughter Ankara into the beast’s mouth, to defend the dignity of order.

That is…the Light of Order.