Embers Ad Infinitum

that controls time, so ‘She’ doesn’t care about these things.
There is no red tape.”

Shang Jianyao nodded, indicating that he was listening.

Ren Jie slowed down and said, “We don’t have a fixed prayer time, but we often choose the moment when we wake up in the morning.
We thank the Arbiter of Fate for letting us remain alive.
We value the birth of babies and the departure of the deceased the most.
Therefore, our formal rites, or rather religious ones, are usually like sermons when a newborn is one month old or when the dead are buried.
The time is not fixed.

3

“Well, there is a grand ceremony on the first day of December to welcome the arrival of our lady, the Arbiter of Fate.
On the last day of December, there is also a grand ceremony to pray that our lady will open the door to a new world.

“You’ve already learned the salute.
It’s to imitate the way you hold a baby and rock it gently.
The corresponding language is mainly divided into three categories: When it comes to the topic of death and passing, say, ‘The End will belong to the Arbiter of Fate.’ When it comes to the loftiness of life or the grace of our lady, use ‘Thy mercy be praised.’ When it involves new life, say, ‘Newborns are likened unto the sun’ or ‘Life what’s most important.’

“Basically, that’s all.
As for Holy Communion, it’s different every time.
It might be black sesame paste.
It could also be milk, fruit juice, soy milk, meat soup, vegetable soup, or yogurt.
Heh heh, have you discovered anything in common?”

Shang Jianyao thought for a moment and said, “They’re all delicious.”

1

“…” Ren Jie maintained her smile.” They are all liquid food or close to it.
Liquid food is a staple for newborns and those who are about to die.” Without waiting for Shang Jianyao to speak, Ren Jie pointed to the door.
“Alright, you can go back now.”

Shang Jianyao looked back and did not take a step forward.
Instead, he asked, “Auntie Ren, how many Kalendarium are there in total?”

“After a normal person understands the definition of a Kalendaria, they will definitely think that there are 12, but that’s not the case,” Ren Jie said with a smile.
“There are a total of 13 Kalendarium.
One of them is the Kalendaria that represents the year of the leap month.
Heh heh, when leap months aren’t applicable, ‘He’ represents the entire year.”

“‘His’ title is?” Shang Jianyao pressed.

3

Ren Jie shook her head.
“I’m not sure either.
We believe in the Arbiter of Fate.
Therefore, we don’t have to understand the other Kalendarium.”

Shang Jianyao didn’t ask any more questions.
He turned around to leave Zone A, Room 35.

With the help of the flashlight, he traversed the original route to return to Zone B, Room 196.
Every time he approached an intersection, he followed Shen Du by turning off the flashlight and sticking to the wall.

When he returned home, Shang Jianyao walked to the sink and picked up the toothpaste that was so thin that it seemed to be only a thin layer.
After a great deal of effort, he finally squeezed out a bit of toothpaste onto the toothbrush that had sparse bristles.

After brushing his teeth and washing his face seriously, Shang Jianyao saw that the ceiling was still dark, so he sat in front of the wooden table, leaned against the back of the chair, and closed his eyes.

He raised his hand and massaged his temples before putting it down again.

…

Shang Jianyao’s figure appeared in the wide hall that was filled with stars.

He first looked at the cold, pitch-black metal wall nearby before raising his head and looking up into the sky.

The countless resplendent points of light were like the stars described in textbooks.
They formed one star system after another, and multiple star systems formed many galaxies.

There were boundaries between these ‘galaxies,’ but they were not that distinct.

Shang Jianyao had already counted how many ‘Milky Ways’ there were here.
Now, he began to count again:

“One, two, three… eleven, twelve, thirteen.

10

“Thirteen…” He fell silent as his figure gradually faded, disappearing into the hall that seemed to contain stars.

…

After waiting for a while, Shang Jianyao saw the area outside of the window instantly brighten.

The street lights lit up at the same time.
Daybreak had been ushered into this underground building.

Still wearing the thick, dark-green cotton coat, Shang Jianyao picked up his plastic lunch box, walked out of the room, and headed to Zone C.

His destination: Supplies Allocation Market.

On the way there, Shang Jianyao ran into Long Yuehong, who lived nearby.
It was obvious that Long Yuehong had woken up early and didn’t need to line up to use the public toilet.

“The job allocation results are going to be released today…” Long Yuehong deliberately waited on this path to meet Shang Jianyao so that someone could share in his anxiety.

“That’s right.” Shang Jianyao looked ahead and saw a woman at the door of the room, making a fuss about a baby.

His expression changed instantly.
He seemed to be thinking about something, but there was also a hint of confusion.

Long Yuehong glanced at him and asked as they walked, “What’s wrong with you? Did you have a nightmare last night?”

Shang Jianyao fell silent for two seconds before saying, “I’m doubting life.”

20