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Lily returned to the room, locked the door, and collapsed on the bed. Her head was splitting, as if countless needles were piercing her head, making her unbearable. In her mind, the low and bewitching voice sounded again: "Come, come outside the city, I will give you strength to get rid of this endless pain..." This voice was like a spell, constantly echoing in her ears, impacting her will. Lily held her head with both hands, curled up on the bed, and her body trembled slightly, trying to resist the erosion of this voice. Since the dark monster appeared today, this voice has appeared in her mind from time to time. Lily felt that this was not a good thing, so she didn't tell Mark.

She struggled to get up, stumbled to the table, and poured herself a glass of water. The trembling fingers barely held the water glass, and some water spilled out, soaking her clothes. Lily raised her head and drank it. The cold water flowed through her throat, but it couldn't extinguish her inner anxiety. She held the table and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down, but it was all in vain. That voice was like a maggot on the tarsal bone, tightly entangled with her, making her unable to get rid of it.

Lily walked to the window, opened the window, and looked out at the dark night sky outside the holy city. In the night sky, the stars were dotted, flickering with faint light, like broken diamonds scattered on a black curtain. In the distance, the holy stone altar exuded a soft halo, like a bright light in the night sky. However, all this lost its color in Lily's eyes, and she only felt endless darkness and despair. The temptation of that voice became stronger and stronger, surging like a tide, almost swallowing her. She felt that she was about to lose control of her body, as if there was an invisible force pulling her, making her want to go out of the city involuntarily.

"No... I can't..." Lily shook her head vigorously, trying to get rid of the control of that voice, but the more she struggled, the clearer the voice became, and the more bewitching it became. She began to pace back and forth in the room, her steps messy, like a trapped beast. Her heart was extremely anxious, like an ant on a hot pot, unable to find a trace of peace. Finally, she walked to the door, took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked out.

Lily walked along the corridor with a shaky step. On the walls on both sides of the corridor were some ancient murals depicting the history and legends of the holy city. The characters on the murals were lifelike, as if telling a series of dusty stories. However, Lily had no intention of appreciating them. She only saw the darkness outside the city, and her heart only had the call of that voice.

At the same time, Mark was hiding in the dark, observing Lily's room. He hid behind a dense tree, and the shadow of the tree blocked his figure, allowing him to blend perfectly with the surrounding environment. He saw Lily's door open and immediately followed her alertly. Mark's movements were light and agile, like a cheetah in the dark night, without making any sound. He kept a safe distance from Lily, not only to ensure that he would not be discovered, but also to ensure that he could clearly observe Lily's movements.

The night sky outside the holy city was even darker, without the illumination of street lights, only the starlight fell, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground. Lily walked out of the city, her figure looked particularly thin in the darkness, as if she would be swallowed by the darkness at any time. Mark followed closely behind her, his eyes full of worry and confusion. He didn't understand why Lily went out of the city alone at this time, and he didn't understand why she behaved so abnormally.

"Lily..." Mark called Lily's name silently in his heart, and his heart was full of uneasiness. He had a hunch that Lily's trip must be strange, and he must find out the truth of the matter and protect Lily's safety.

Lily's fingers unconsciously brushed the rough stone bricks on the corridor wall. She didn't notice the murals telling the history of the holy city, nor did she notice the lifelike expressions of the characters in the murals. She moved her legs mechanically, and the darkness at the end of the corridor seemed like a huge magnetic field, attracting her to walk towards it involuntarily.

Mark held his breath, crouched, and pressed against the wall, moving his steps lighter than the falling leaves. He locked his eyes on Lily's slightly hunched back, and his right hand subconsciously clenched the dagger at his waist. Where Lily walked, a series of shallow footprints were left on the carpet on the ground, which was soon smoothed out by the elasticity of the carpet itself. The braziers on both sides of the corridor emitted a dim light, and the flickering flames reflected on the wall. The light and shadow changed constantly, just like Mark's uneasy mood at the moment.

Outside the holy city, the sparse bushes in the wilderness swayed in the night wind, making a rustling sound, like a whisper. Lily walked out of the city gate and took a deep breath. The air outside the city had a hint of earthy smell. She looked up at the night sky, which was dotted with stars, like broken diamonds scattered on a black curtain. She walked forward along a rugged path, and the gravel under her feet rolled, making a slight sound.

Mark slowed down his pace. The environment outside the holy city was more favorable to him. He dodged and hid behind a huge rock. The surface of the rock was rough and uneven, almost integrated with the surrounding environment. He observed Lily, and Lily's footsteps became faster and faster, as if responding to some kind of call. Mark squinted his eyes, and there seemed to be a black shadow shaking in the distance.

"Who is it?" Mark whispered to himself. He poked his head out from behind the rock and carefully observed the movement in the distance. The shadow seemed to notice Mark's gaze and quickly disappeared into the night.

Lily quickened her pace and almost trotted forward. Her white robe fluttered in the night wind like a ghost. Mark's heart was alarmed. He felt that something was wrong and immediately rushed out from behind the rock.

"Lily! Wait!" Mark shouted loudly.

Lily's body trembled violently when she heard Mark's voice. She stopped and turned around slowly. The moonlight shone on her face. Her face was pale, her eyes were empty, and there was no trace of life.

"Mark..." Lily's voice was hoarse and weak, as if it came from another world.

Mark ran to Lily and grabbed her arm, "Lily, what's wrong with you? Why did you come here alone?"

Lily's eyes flickered, she lowered her head and avoided Mark's gaze, "I... I don't know..."