Alex's pupils shrank. If everything was a deception, then the Birdcage's existence was for the sake of this deception! But why?
“If I remember correctly, you've lost your memory, right?”
Alex nodded: “I was adopted by Father Berengar three years ago, and my memories are only from these past three years.”
“Did Father Berengar tell you where you came from?”
“Father Berengar doesn't know either, he just said that I came floating down the river, unconscious at the time.”
Floating down the river? Angel raised an eyebrow: “Then, you might be an outsider like me? Meaning, you also cannot be certain that the history of Gust Town before you arrived is true.”
Alex swallowed: “I indeed cannot be sure, but I think there's no need to fabricate these histories.”
“In your view, there isn't. But to me, the possibility isn't so small.” Angel stretched out his hand, and on his palm, a miniature garden illusion naturally formed, “Since it's very difficult to find the meaning of the Birdcage's existence now, let's start from the Birdcage itself.”
Alex watched this peculiar sand table illusion, his thoughts stirring, wanting to ask what it was, but in the end, he suppressed his curiosity and didn't ask.
“In my view, the Birdcage has two forms.” Angel pointed a finger, and the sand table illusion immediately showed undulating mountains and forests; then, a semi-transparent, glass-like box appeared above it, encapsulating one of the mountains inside the box.
“This glass box is the first form of the Birdcage. It is an area cut off from a continent, preventing people inside the box from getting out.”
As for the second form, Angel removed the glass box, leaving behind only the sand table: “This sand table itself represents the second form–the Birdcage is a man-made area. It stands without support, just a miniature garden created by some Transcendent life form.”
Angel dispelled the illusion and said to Alex: “If the Birdcage is the first form, then the history here might indeed be true. It's just that five years ago, the appearance of the Birdcage cut off the communication between Gust Town and the outside world.”
“But if the Birdcage is the second form, then everything here could be false, including the so-called history.”
After listening to Angel's words, memories flashed in Alex's mind, as if he saw a Birdcage in the darkness…
Actually, when Angel mentioned this, he suddenly thought of something himself.
If the Birdcage is the second form, then creating such a Birdcage has to be for some special thing, or for some special person.
Angel spent a long time wandering in Gust Town that day, and he noticed that the people living there did not doubt the place of their existence at all. They deeply believed that they were the indigenous people who had lived there for many years.
The only exception was Alex.
This man had lost his memories; he was the only one who didn't know the past and might even be a foreigner.
If the Birdcage is the second form, could it be that Alex is the reason for the Birdcage's existence?
Of course, this was just one of Angel's guesses, even if it truly was the second form, it could still be someone else or something else.
“I've been negligent in my considerations. I acknowledge that the Birdcage might be these two forms. However, I feel it's too soon for me to fathom the creator's thoughts with my ability,” Alex paused briefly: “I think we could start by unveiling the truth behind the murder cases.”
Alex no longer brought up the earlier topic, nor did he mention the snippet of memory in his mind; instead, he brought up the earlier murder cases.
“The dead in this series of cases, including Raven Knight, died because, subjectively or objectively, they intended to leave Gust Town.”
“Once they leave Gust Town, they would inevitably uncover the truth.”
“Someone is trying very hard to obstruct them from discovering the truth. Perhaps, finding out who killed them will reveal something?”
Alex's suggestion followed sound logic, but–
“What if the murderer is not human, or doesn't even exist within the Birdcage?”