Falling into the Abyss

The news that Schneider was an Omega swept through the Forbidden City the next day.

Obviously, this news was not accurate. Ethan knew that Schneider’s main sub-gender was still a Beta, but obviously, people still prefer over exaggerating facts in places like the Forbidden City. So even if Schneider had some Omega hormones in his body, they would immediately say that he was one hundred percent an Omega.

An Omega disguised as Beta had managed those vicious thugs in the Forbidden City for so many years, which made many Alpha leaders in the city angry. They began to clash with the guards, and within a week, they were placed under martial law three times because of the riots, resulting in the deaths of more than ten nonhumans and about five guards. At the same time, Samuel’s disappearance made Samuel’s followers suspicious. So one day, they blocked Ethan at the door of his apartment and insisted that he make it clear where Samuel had gone.

Ethan was sweating in the face of the group of big Alphas, so he had to say that Samuel had been sent on a secret mission.

One of them, an Alpha who had tattoos all over his body, didn’t believe him. He yelled and asked if Samuel had anything to do with Schneider. Ethan knew that Cavin’s people had been spreading the rumor that Samuel and Schneider were having an affair, so they were jointly punished together. Although only a few people believed it, when they were in a situation where everyone was against them, everyone, including their own people, would be shaken by the situation.

Hearing the ruckus, Ethan suddenly got angry and yelled, “What’s with this noise! I don’t know if Cavin’s people are waiting for all of you to make a wrong move. Moreover, it’s too strange. Maybe Chen Zeng’s people are also involved in it. Now that you’re causing trouble here, you might as well move those things in the construction site quickly, so people don’t find out! ”

Although he usually did not directly participate in the private “business” between Samuel and his “brothers,” after all, he lived in the same room as him. Thus, he knew where the smuggled goods were probably hidden.

The group of Alphas was suddenly yelled at by an “Omega.” Although they were indignant, they thought Ethan’s words were reasonable. The tattooed man told him, “If you have news of him, immediately inform us!” Then, they all flowed away.

Ethan sat on Samuel’s bed, fidgeting with his hair. At this time, he knew a pitiful amount of information, and only Schneider being intersex was probably exposed. Therefore, why was Samuel arrested?

Unless……Gray Fur knew what happened between Samuel and Schneider?

All of a sudden, Ethan shivered. He felt like he had figured something out.

Schneider had disguised his gender and deceived the government for many years, which would probably only reduce his moral value by 50% and prevent him from being locked up in the Forbidden City. However, if they included the crime of committing adultery with another Omega, his only result was to enter the Forbidden City.

However, why did Gray Fur have to doom Schneider to death? Wasn’t it enough to prove his intersex identity to kick him out of the chief security officer’s position? Was there any special advantage for him if Schneider entered the Forbidden City? Or was it just to humiliate his former boss? According to his abnormal personality, that was not impossible.

Ethan touched his chin and thought hard. Perhaps Gray Fur has long since suspected Schneider. Knowing that Schneider and Samuel were closely related, he also kept a close eye on Samuel. However, how did he know that Samuel was an Omega? Samuel’s Alpha appearance made it impossible to guess he was one unless he encountered a Heavenbounder. But that was extremely unlikely, right?

Unless……there was a mole?

Ethan gradually came up with a name in his mind. Then, his heart sank deep underground, and he suddenly felt that he had some difficulty breathing.

He took off his glasses, rubbed his eyebrows, and closed his eyes. Maybe he was thinking too much, and perhaps he guessed wrong…… He really hoped he was wrong.

It was a Mars mission. Maybe Gray Fur was busy dealing with Schneider’s affairs, but this time, he was detained by a young guard who didn’t deal with much on weekdays. He was escorted to Mars on a spaceship wearing a collar. Because of the lack of funds, the escort did not even separate him from the ordinary passengers and just reserved a window seat for him. At the same time, the guard sat on the outer seat to monitor him.

The passengers noticed a nonhuman near their seats and protested. Many people asked to change their seats to other cabins. Finally, those with children around him all moved away, making him feel that the surroundings had quietened a lot.

He imagined what he would say when he met Tanisiel again. He had too many things to tell him and to ask him. He closed his eyes and wanted to explore the soul bond that had not moved for a long time.

However, when he was detained at the plane, and after he entered the wide elevator and quickly sank into the depths of the red planet, a sense of inexplicable despair gradually diffused from the layers of rock walls, permeating from all directions.

Why was there still silence in his mind? Why hadn’t Tanisiel spoken to him until now?

The elevator slowly came to a stop, and the two doors with a cold, metallic luster opened. The familiar long bridge was outside, connecting to the nearest tower between the skies and the ground. Ethan followed the robot in front of him across the long bridge, but he didn’t see Tanisiel at the end. Instead, he was taken into a room similar to the one he had waited in previously.

Ethan’s intuition told him that something wasn’t right. He tried to ask the robot where Tanisiel was, but the robot didn’t respond to his question. The guard behind him watched him closely, which made him unable to ask other people about it. Finally, after spending more than two hours in the room, he was brought into the elevator again.

This time, they sank more than 200 layers and traveled deep into the core of Mars. Under the thick crust, the bottom of several towers were fused into an irregularly shaped silver-gray building, appearing like melting white wax. Then, the elevator went straight down into the heart of the building, and the bright light suddenly made Ethan unable to open his eyes.

When his sensitive pupils finally adapted to the light, he saw a tall figure approaching. He was taller than Earthling Alphas, had sharp ears, and donned a gorgeous white robe, more extravagant than the average Earth Alpha. At first sight, Ethan burst into joy.

But when his sight gradually cleared up, his joy rapidly condensed into coolness.

He looked at the person approaching him and saw he had shoulder-length dark brown hair, with dark brown eyes that were veiled with mystery and showed his alienation. His robe was laced with purple ribbons fluttering at its sides, and his hand adorned with gorgeous rings held a long golden sceptre.

He was also an Eve, but he was not Tanisiel.

He was the head priest of the Red Moon Temple that he saw in the communication device previously.

Ethan stepped backward, but the guard behind him held a gun to his back. He looked at the strange and familiar man with wide eyes and asked, “Where’s Tanisiel?”

The head priest lowered his head and looked down at him. His slender eyes seemed so sharp that they could dig into the depths of his head. Just by looking at him, a feeling of unease would surface within him, and he wanted to lower his eyes and surrender under his piercing gaze.

“Tanisiel stayed on Eve due to the many times he violated the temple’s laws. From now on, I will be executing Project Zero.” The head priest bent down slightly, and the third eye on his forehead opened into a thin slit. For a moment, Ethan felt a strong mental force rush between his eyebrows. Under the sharp pain, there was a disgusting feeling that someone was peeling off his brain.

“My name is Theonile, Tanisiel’s mentor.” The Eve’s head priest gave him a little smile and showed his white teeth.

Ethan didn’t know where he was.

It was white everywhere, from the ceiling to the floor, and maybe even the walls. He couldn’t tell where the wall or ground began and how big the space was. The brilliant, ultra-modern white plastic material made him feel a little nauseous, especially the continuous white light shining down, which made his eyes ache after being exposed to it for a long time.

He sat in a simple swivel chair with his feet locked together and his hands clasped on the arms of the chair. He tried to break free, but of course, it was in vain.

He couldn’t see anyone, not even any guards. Only the head priest stood not too far from him.

For a moment, Ethan was unsure whether he was awake or in a spiritual illusion created by the head priest. It was like the fairyland that Tanisiel made for him, with old red trees and blue ponds.

“Ethan Eldridge. Tell me about your mother,” The head priest suddenly opened his mouth and asked a question.

Ethan grew alert. “Are you asking about what my mother does?”

“I’m curious.” The head priest slowly walked around him. The golden cane struck on the ground, letting out an echo that reverberated within the emptiness.

Ethan still didn’t want to answer, but the monotonous sound of the man’s walking seemed to force him, which upset him. He resisted for a while but then suddenly felt that it would not be an issue for him to say something. After all, his mother was now probably dead.

“My mother’s name is Liliana Shael’zas. Shouldn’t you have information about my parents?” Ethan suddenly felt that the current situation was very similar to being interrogated, so he felt even more uneasy. The priest’s penetrating gaze caused a tingle to spread from the surface of his skin to elsewhere in his body.

“Of course, we do, but I want to hear your story. That will help me to understand your……predicament.” The head priest was still pacing slowly around the room. The slow and monotonous footsteps were the only sound here, which was capable of driving someone crazy.

“She is a professor in the Conservatory of Music in the Fifth Space Station. She is good at cello and was found to have brain cancer two and a half years ago……”

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” The head priest’s footsteps momentarily stopped. “When I asked you to talk about your mother, you only said facts without any emotional input. You also didn’t make any personal comments about her.”

Ethan frowned. “What do you mean!”

“Tell me, do you think your mother loves you?” the head priest asked coldly.

Ethan wanted to say that, of course, she loved him, but he hesitated for a moment before saying it. Obviously, in front of the Eve, this little hesitation was enough to explain a lot of problems.

“You’re not sure whether your mother loves you?” The head priest asked again. Ethan couldn’t decipher what the priest was thinking from his tone.

Ethan said loudly as if he was throwing a tantrum, “Is there a mother who doesn’t love her child!”

“You didn’t answer my question directly.”

“Of course she loves me!” Ethan yelled and stared at Theonile angrily. “She’ll sing me to sleep, bake my favorite blueberry pie, buy me anything I want, and take me to the playground!” Ethan forced the facts out as if he was trying to prove his point.

“But she’s not at home often?”

“She’s very busy. She has to travel a lot! Until……”

“Until she reached adulthood, and her body rapidly declined.”

Ethan felt as if he had been beaten in the face. Obviously, this Eve man also knew about the strange life cycle of the Heavenbounders, which was similar to that of insects.

“Then.” Theonile suddenly changed his direction and began to pace slowly around him counterclockwise. “Do you think your father loves you?”

The author has something to say:

For the comrades who have read my story published at the newspaper >, right now, daydream studio is printing this story. If you are interested, please come and vote for me~ *the author inserts her weibo address*

T/N: Apparently The Deep Adventures of the Palace has a BE.

Anyway, since Ethan returned to Mars to continue with his atonement mission, Atonement: Mars continues again, after Schneider’s saga.