When the funeral service ended, those who paid their respects took their leave, one after the other. Only then did Xiao Luo finally step out of the shadow and make his way slowly toward Takahara Kei's grave.
The black-and-white photograph of Takahara Kei captured his benevolent smile. His deep sense of guilt caused him to resort to suicide to atone for his part in inflicting untold suffering to those who died in the experiments conducted by the genetic engineering facility. Xiao Luo recalled a revealing part in his article, entitled "On the Crimes of Ri Nation," where he wrote: "If I am to die soon, then I would rather lay in eternal slumber bathed in the brightness of divine light, and far away from the shadows. Flowers will sing hymns to soothe the soul of a criminal like me, as mourning spirits perch upon beautiful autumn leaves."
"I, Xiao Luo, am here to congratulate you, Mr. Takahara. May you have a good journey!"
