"Speaking of which, the Black Mist Camp is also filled with the Great Sin Chains..."

Shard thought of this again and then decided to ask the question he had at the moment:

"Is there any reason you’re asking me this question?"

"The chains you wield are a power not everyone can harness. Cherish this power. You may not understand what it truly means now, but someday you will realize what kind of gift the one who gave you this power has bestowed upon you."

This answer was essentially no answer, but it at least indicated that the [Great Sin Chains] were a very unique power... Shard had known it was very unique from the start, after all, the only Arcane Technique he had encountered that could directly affect the Ring of Fate of Circle Sorcerers was this one.

Keep in mind, even when it comes to Relics that can directly impact a Ringwarlock’s Ring of Fate and the "other me", he has, until now, only seen that mirror in the Tobesk Underground Ruins.

The transaction was complete, and on the other side of the rift, in the blazing flames, Mr. Richard Jackman, who had originally sealed the rift with his spiritual body, actually had a corpse lying on the ground on his right side, and the corpse was exactly the same as the soul.

Because the soul could not move due to blocking the rift, the body naturally could not move either. But in the eyes of Shard and Miss Higgins, the two were gradually approaching each other until they merged into one.

"Spatial convergence? Or is the earth moving?"

Naturally, no one answered this question. After regaining his body, the man who had been suffering painfully in the flames actually stood up. A Deity atop the Clock Tower waved a hand, revealing golden glimmers, temporarily sealing the rift in the ground spewing flames.

Although flames still burned behind the rift, the young knight, covered in scars, still staggered through the blaze, step by step, to the rift opened by the Deity. He could see everyone at the top of the Clock Tower through this rift, and naturally, he could also see the elderly Mrs. Miles.

Even though his soul was enduring great pain, even though the long-dead corpse had no strength, he still, driven by his last wish and a lifetime of remorse, took difficult steps and finally arrived in the Clock Tower.

The promise made half a century ago, after years of waiting, after countless sunrises and sunsets, finally came true in this dilapidated and eerie Clock Tower. When she saw the figure that appeared in her dreams countless times walking out of the flames and heard the heavy footsteps echoing in the Clock Tower, even though Mrs. Miles had prepared all her life for this moment, she still trembled all over, tears blurring her vision instantly:

"Richard!"

The staggering knight also called out that name:

"Sarah!"

Shard frowned slightly. The young knight who emerged from the rift, although his soul and body had reunited, still didn’t look like a living person; it was just a body controlled by a soul.

Nonetheless, the soul having gained freedom in this manner was at least better than sealing a rift filled with Demon Flames.

At least Miss Higgins wasn’t concerned whether the man was alive or dead. Moved by the scene, she returned the rusty knight sword in her hand to the man who still carried a strong smell of sulfur. Shard reached into his pocket, pulling out a flower crown that could be worn on the head and handed it to the trembling Mrs. Miles.

The agreement between the two back then was for Mrs. Miles to weave a flower crown with flowering parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme from her hometown’s roadside to welcome her lover’s return. But Shard was unaware of this detail in advance, so his flower crown was made of roses, laurel, gypsophila, and tulips. It wasn’t even made by him but bought from a flower shop run by Angelina’s maids on Silver Cross Avenue—the flower crown was also a common ritual symbol.

Mrs. Miles’s trembling hand accepted the flower crown, her tear-blurred eyes gazed at the young knight refastening his sword to his waist.

Then, both stepped towards each other. The young Richard Jackman bowed his head slightly, and the elderly Sarah Miles placed the flower crown upon his head.

Two pairs of eyes gazed into each other, then both embraced tightly:

"I’m back, Sarah."

"Welcome back, Richard."

Words that should have been spoken many, many years ago were finally uttered at this moment.

The Deity watched the scene with a smile, finding satisfaction in the tale that unfolded before the mortals, deeming it more precious than gold. In Miss Higgins’s heart, a newfound yearning for love emerged once again, while she blamed herself for not pursuing the pretty girls around her in her youth.

At this moment, Shard also had many new thoughts in his heart. He truly admired the two people before him, whether it was Mrs. Miles, who spent her whole life waiting for a promise unlikely to be fulfilled, or the young knight who used his soul relentlessly to block the dreadful Demon Flames to fulfill the promise of a reunion. These were enough to be written into songs, sung, and praised for thousands of years.

"Is this... loyalty to love?"

He thought silently in his heart, and from there he thought of himself, of his feelings for the girls. Yet, there was no bewilderment in his heart anymore. Even if he couldn’t be like the two people before him, cherishing only one person for a lifetime, he could still strive, waiting for someone, fulfilling promises made, never betraying anyone even if it took all his strength.

The two embracing were sobbing, this moment being one they both had waited for too long. Their embrace was so intense, as if they wanted to merge into each other, never to part again.

"Oh!"

Miss Higgins suddenly exclaimed in a somewhat terrified tone, for she truly saw the living body of Mrs. Miles merging with the dead body of the Knight. The souls longing for each other wanted to embrace tightly, so their bodies, which separated the souls, indeed fused according to their wish.

First the chest, then the arms, and finally the head. They slowly sat by the fire, their bodies gradually hunched over, until even their bones touched and forcibly merged with the sound of teeth-grating.

"That’s why I said, this is essentially a horror story."

Shard thought to himself, stopping Miss Higgins from approaching:

"Look closely, this isn’t something we can interrupt."

Black smoke drifted from the two twisted bodies, the choking sulfur smell growing even stronger. The Knight’s soul, with its Demon Flames, was so intense that when the soul’s inherent temperature burst forth from emotion, it melted the bodies, following the owner’s will to never separate.

Mrs. Miles did not resist; the melting of her body could not prevent her soul from touching her lover’s soul. As the increasing heat forced Shard and Miss Higgins to retreat, the black flames completely engulfed them. When the flames faded, nothing was left beside the campfire but two skeletons fused together.

Since the Green Lake incident began, Shard had seen many various Fusion Monsters. Yet only this skeletal form seen now seemed to him not eerie or terrifying, but somewhat sanctified.

Bone twisted and intertwined, bone spikes woven together. The skeleton itself bore a jade-like luster, heavy with elements of Miracle and Desecration.

Beside the skeleton, the souls of Mrs. Miles and Mr. Jackman held hands and looked bewildered at their bodies. The Deity smiled and pointed to the oddly-shaped bone, bringing it before Shard and Miss Higgins:

"Do you understand?"

Both reached out to touch the bones, each witnessing different phenomena behind them.

Behind Miss Higgins, the end of what had been just nine steps slowly revealed the phantom of the Tenth Level. Behind Shard, amidst the dense Steam Mist, the sound of steam whistles and clock chimes echoed, a large Brass Ring slowly emerged, its bronze Spiritual Light symbolizing "Enlightenment," like a copper Sun appearing at the dark Bell Tower’s top.

"Love one person, and you’ll wait a lifetime for her; love many, and you must protect everyone’s Happiness. The attraction of soul to soul, the fusion of body to body, loyal love can transcend vast Time and distant Space. The farthest distance in the world is between souls longing for each other."

"Outlander, you’ve witnessed the story of ’Lovers of the Bell Tower.’"

Everything fell into place, as if it naturally belonged to Shard:

"Outlander, you’ve engraved the Brass Enlightenment Rune - Bell Tower Lovers."

Without surprise, the last Spirit Rune of the Six Rings belonging to Shard appeared the instant he touched the skeleton.

He turned to look at his Ring of Fate, realizing this Spirit Rune was formed from his heart truly understanding "loyalty" and bearing witness to the story’s emotional power.

The Maze Lock had yet to appear, indicating he merely understood the story, not comprehended its power. But it was enough; Shard at this moment had numerous things he wished to share with his girls. Others’ stories had ended, his had just begun.

"Your souls can exist in the Material World for 365 days before reaching the End Point."

The God told Mrs. Miles and the young Knight, both bowed deeply in gratitude. Shard and Miss Higgins also bowed together, expressing their thanks to the Deity.

As for the fused skeleton, it slowly floated toward the still-existing chasm, replacing the Knight’s original soul and sealing the large fissure on the ground. The dark flame attempted to escape from the crack but was absorbed by the skeleton, pulling them tighter in embrace, causing them to gradually melt and fuse with the fissure.

Finally, the Sanctified White Bone fully filled the fissure, perfectly closing the flame’s exit. The remaining black flames on the ground were all absorbed by this strange skeleton.