Chapter 9: The Road of No Return p3
…
Europe. The Vatican.
The magnificent, solemn, and silent cathedral was almost completely quiet.
Two stunningly beautiful women were strolling down a long corridor.
The one on the left was the Zhongnanhai agent, Yu Lan. In this holy place, she was not in uniform, but in a well-fitting, elegant pantsuit. At first glance, one might mistake her for an incredibly handsome young man. But the extraordinarily full curve of her chest made it impossible to mistake her gender.
The one on the right was a nun in a black habit, about twenty-three or twenty-four years old. She was a typical Northern European beauty, with light brown skin and a head of black, curly hair that made her look both elegant and gentle. Her classically beautiful face was as exquisite as a goddess’s statue, and her sky-blue eyes were incredibly clear, as if filled with a compassionate sorrow for the world.
She was the pillar of the church’s younger generation, the most outstanding Knight Templar, Christina.
Her voluminous black habit completely concealed her figure, but even a blind man would feel a sense of reverence in her presence, sensing the holy light that seemed to emanate from her.
“Christina, can you tell me now? Why did you want to see me?” Yu Lan broke the silence, looking at the female Knight Templar.
She had been sent to Italy a few days ago and had completed an urgent mission with outstanding results. Her superiors were very pleased and, in addition to a handsome reward, had given her three days of leave.
Originally, Yu Lan had planned to return to Dragon City immediately to continue her investigation into the unsettling case at the research institute. But then she had received a sudden call from Christina, who said she had something important to discuss and asked her to come to the Vatican no matter what.
Although they served different countries and had opposing beliefs, this did not prevent Yu Lan and Christina from being friends. They had met a few years ago during a joint operation, where they had worked together to eradicate a cult. In the course of their shared battle, they had developed a mutual respect and become friends.
“Not yet. First, I want to show you a painting,” Christina said, not answering her question. She led Yu Lan to the end of the corridor and pointed to a mural on the wall, gesturing for her to look closely.
It was a large mural, tens of meters in both height and width, with vibrant, eye-catching colors and an impressive air.
The painting depicted a lifelike, beautiful angel, floating in a misty cloud, with a pair of pure white wings on its back and a golden halo above its head. It was smiling as it received the worship of the masses.
Yu Lan was no expert on oil painting, but she could see that the artistic skill was extremely high. The brushwork and color palette were perfect, especially the angel’s expression, which gave it a “living” quality.
Yu Lan furrowed her brow. “I can only tell that it’s a medieval-style oil painting. I don’t know anything else… Is there something special about it?”
Christina said, “The name of this painting is ‘The Angel’s Broken Wings.’ It is said to have been painted by God himself. There is a secret hidden within it, a prophecy of a great calamity that will befall a later age.”
Yu Lan listened intently, saying nothing. To an atheist like her, this was just ridiculous mystification, but she was polite enough not to argue.
“This is a legend that has been passed down for many years. We never took it seriously, until last week, when we suddenly discovered the secret within.”
“What secret?” Yu Lan asked quietly.
Christina held out her hand, offering Yu Lan a crystal clear sphere.
“Step back and look at the mural through this.”
Yu Lan did as she was told. The moment she looked, her expression changed to one of surprise.
Then she moved the crystal ball away, looked directly at the mural, then raised the ball to her eye again, viewing it from different angles. The more she looked, the more surprised and astonished she became.
Through the crystal ball, the content of the mural had changed dramatically.
The mist surrounding the beautiful angel had become several thick iron chains, binding it tightly.
The two most prominent chains were wrapped brutally around the angel’s half-naked breasts, squeezing them into a shape that was about to burst forth, filled with a sense of sadistic BDSM.
The once-white wings were now an ugly, bruised black, and they looked tattered and incomplete, as if they were decaying. Even more shockingly, on its two naked, beautiful legs, there were streams of pale yellow urine and a mixture of cloudy, thick semen, trickling down.
Yes, urine and semen.
Whoever had created this work, whether human or divine, their skill was truly masterful. They had perfectly captured the moment a pure angel falls and becomes a demon, the contradictory feelings of grief and demonic excitement. Even a complete novice to art could feel the extreme shock.
But the strangest thing was, when Yu Lan looked closely at the angel’s face, she made an even more shocking discovery: the fallen angel was androgynous.
The angel’s long, golden hair cascaded down, obscuring its face. But from the right half of its face that was visible, it still had the tender skin and soft curves of a woman, and even seemed to glow with a more dazzling light. The only difference was that its once-bright eyes were now tinged with tears, as if holding a trace of sorrow and fear, which in an instant transformed into a wanton, demonic charm.
But as she changed her viewing angle, the angel’s flowing hair suddenly receded, revealing the left half of its face. It was the rough, hard profile of a man. The corners of his slightly raised mouth were a terrifying red, like an unknown beast or demon from a jungle at night. Through the crystal ball, it was smiling at Yu Lan with the smile of a predator. A ravenous light shone from its red pupils, as if inviting its prey to a bloody game of death.
“This… this painting is just so… so…”
It took Yu Lan a great deal of effort to tear her gaze away from the angel’s face. She was amazed, trying to find a word to describe her feelings, but she couldn’t.
“Now, do you see how serious the problem is?” Christina said, her face grave.
“What problem?”
“As I said, this painting foretells a great calamity that is to come. And according to all the signs, that calamity has already begun.”
Yu Lan couldn’t help but laugh.
As an atheist, she was certainly shocked by the painting, and it made her feel extremely uncomfortable. But to say that a great calamity was coming because of it seemed a bit of an overreaction.
She thought it was just an incredibly advanced oil painting, that some special technique had been used to create this “hidden image” effect, and that it had no deeper meaning.
“You see, Yu Lan, this is a great calamity that targets women. In the near future, the holiness of angels will be defiled by demons, and they will be forever lost to damnation. If we do not do everything in our power to stop it, you, I, and many other women in this world will all become slaves to desire.”
As Christina spoke, she shivered, her wise eyes seeming to see the tragic future that awaited.
Yu Lan remained noncommittal.
Christina sighed. “I know you don’t believe in God, and you don’t believe what I’m saying. But I still have to ask for your help.”
“Why?”
“Because our Cardinal has foreseen that the devil will awaken in the East, in your country, and then rule the world,” Christina said grimly.
As if in response to her words, the entire cathedral trembled slightly, the atmosphere turning incredibly eerie.
The angel in the mural also seemed to feel the coming disaster and began to tremble along with it.
