Ebert and his companions stood outside the chamber. The sun was still shining brightly, but their moods were like dark clouds. At this moment, an old elder quietly appeared behind them.
"Young men," the elder's voice was low and hoarse, "come with me. It's time for you to know the truth."
They followed the elder through a maze of corridors, eventually arriving at a small, secluded room. There was a round table in the center of the room, with a shimmering crystal ball on it. The elder motioned for them to sit down, then took a deep breath and began to speak.
"First of all, I must apologize to you." A trace of guilt flashed in the elder's eyes. "We deceived you and deceived everyone. The birth of the 'Son of Light' was just a carefully designed bait from the beginning."
Abbott felt dizzy and couldn't believe his ears. "What? How is this possible?"
The elder gently stroked the crystal ball, "The illusions you saw during the mission and the sudden power you gained were all deliberately created by us. We need you to believe this lie in order for the entire plan to proceed smoothly."
Saraswati frowned, "Why do you do this? This is too cruel for us."
"For the greater good," the elder sighed, "You may not know that the council seats in Jiluodu City have always been allocated by various forces. Twenty seats are occupied by the Hand of Brahma, and each is occupied by the Dark Legion and the Shadow Knights. Fifteen seats, other small forces occupy the remaining seats. This distribution is extremely detrimental to the development of Brahma's Hand."
Abbott felt sick, "So, this is all for power?"
The elder nodded, "Human nature's greed and possessiveness are the same in any era. We need an opportunity to change this situation, and the birth of the 'Son of Light' is the best excuse."
"So, what about Lila?" Ebert suddenly thought of the gentle woman, "Is she also part of this scam?"
The elder's expression became complicated, "Lila is my sister. She...she was also kept in the dark. We took advantage of her kindness and innocence to make her believe that she really gave birth to the 'Child of Light' .
The news hit Ebert like a punch to the heart. He thought of the sincere joy and worry on Lila's face, and those emotions were all based on a huge lie.
"What about Akash?" Saraswati suddenly asked, "He seems to know something."
The elder nodded, "Akash has indeed known about it for a long time. He is an important part of our plan. His mission is to ensure that you can complete your mission without letting you discover the truth. He has been struggling in his heart. That's why you noticed his unusual behavior."
Ebot recalled Akash's strange actions, and suddenly everything made sense. But this rationality made him feel even more painful.
"The purpose of the entire plan," the elder continued, "is to lure the attention of the Dark Legion and the Shadow Knights. If a 'Son of Light' is really born, it will break the balance between the various forces. We use this opportunity, After you attract their attention, take the opportunity to launch an attack and eradicate their power in Jiluoduo City."
The room fell silent. Ebert and his companions were in shock and disappointment. The ideals they fought for, everything they believed in, turned out to be just an elaborate scam.
"You have to understand," there was a hint of pleading in the elder's voice, "we do this for the greater good. Sometimes, in order to achieve our goals, we have to make some hard choices."
Ebert stood up, his eyes filled with anger and disappointment, "A hard choice? You took advantage of our trust and the lives of innocent people. This is not a hard choice, this is naked betrayal!"
The elder lowered his head, "I know it's hard for you to accept this fact now. But please believe that we are doing this for..."
"For what?" Saraswati interrupted him, "For power? For control? Whose interests are the 'greater interests' you talk about?"
The elder was silent. The atmosphere in the room became solemn and depressing. Abbott felt a deep sense of exhaustion and disappointment. He thought of his master, the ascetic who chose to spend his remaining years in a small town. Now he finally understood his master's choice.
"We should go," Abbott whispered. "I don't want to hear any more."
They stood up and left, leaving the elder sitting alone in the dim room. As they walked out of the room, Ebert glanced back. In the faint candlelight, he saw a tear shed on the elder's old face.
But at this time, Ebert could no longer feel sympathy. They walked out of the meeting hall. The sunshine in Jiluoduo City was still bright, but in their eyes, the city had lost its former glory.
"What should we do next?" Saraswati asked softly.
Ebert looked into the distance, "I don't know. But I know we can't stay here any longer. This city, this council, is no longer what we once believed it to be."
They walked down the street in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. This mission brought them not only physical harm, but also psychological trauma. They had to re-examine their beliefs and rethink the balance between light and darkness.
In this world full of intrigue and deceit, how do they find their place? This question will accompany them on their next journey.