Miss Shepherd does not die in the Mysterious World

Chapter 1: Red Moon and Whisperings

Victorian Calendar year 350, February 3rd, 4 AM.

The young girl lying on the wooden plank bed opened her eyes and shot up from the bed, as if waking from some extremely terrifying nightmare.

Before she had time to think and listen carefully to the noisy whisperings in her ears, Mel's attention was captured by a patch of crimson that met her eyes.

The young girl raised her head, looking towards the direction the crimson light was shining from, her amber-colored pupils suddenly contracting.

She opened her mouth, wanting to scream, but found she couldn't make a sound.

As if an invisible hand was choking her throat, she could only watch helplessly as that red full moon hung quietly high in the night sky, not hiding its brilliance at all.

A red moon?

Just as Mel was feeling incredulous and terrified by the scene before her that defied common sense, the whisperings in her ears suddenly increased in volume.

As if unwilling to be outshone by that crimson full moon, it so crudely asserted its presence.

Mel painfully buried her head between her knees, bending the pillow to cover her ears, trying to block out those damned whisperings.

But the whisperings were like countless invisible insects, crawling and biting inside her ear canals.

Countless voices, indistinguishable in gender, age, or even species, echoed incessantly in her ears.

They said—

(You are the chosen shepherd)

They said—

(Go kill those impure lambs)

They said—

(Go shepherd those lost souls)

“Who are you?”

Mel's voice trembled, trying to converse with the voices in her head.

But the voices did not respond to her, merely repeating their own words.

“What the hell are you.... get out of my head, stop being so noisy....!”

They said—

Following an indescribable whisper, Mel's brain felt as if it had been struck by lightning.

In that instant, she seemed to comprehend everything, and then in a very short time, forgot everything she had just comprehended.

After coming back to her senses, all that remained was a deathly silence and emptiness.

And a bone-chilling fear.

“Don't.... get out of my head....”

Mel pleaded in a weak voice.

As if hearing her plea, that indescribable voice disappeared.

But the remaining voices continued to repeat themselves, each repetition clearer and louder than the last.

Her temples throbbed, as if someone was constantly hitting them with a hammer.

The crimson moonlight spilled on her, like being bathed in fresh blood.

“Stop.... I'm begging you, stop repeating it”

Mel curled up into a ball in pain, her thin body trembling violently, like a dry leaf in a storm, on the verge of breaking.

Just then, a light knock sounded from outside the door.

“Knock knock knock—”

The sound of knocking wasn't loud, but it drowned out the voices of the whisperings.

“Mel, are you asleep?”

A gentle voice came from outside the door, sounding slightly concerned.

“Big sister....”

The young girl gasped for breath, reaching her hand out towards the door less than five meters away.

Like a drowning person grasping at straws to survive.

“Save me”

Footsteps sounded softly from outside the door, the wooden floorboards making a faint “creak”.

Veronica gently pushed the door open, the warm candlelight seeping in through the crack, dispelling some of the gloom in the room.

When she saw her younger sister curled up on the bed, Veronica was instantly startled.

“Mel!”

She quickly stepped forward, placed the candlestick aside, then immediately pulled Mel into her arms, gently stroking her forehead soaked with cold sweat, and patting her body that was constantly trembling from fear and pain.

“What's wrong, did you have a nightmare?”

Veronica's voice was gentle, Mel subconsciously hugged tightly onto her body.

Seeing this, Veronica pulled the quilt over, covering her younger sister with it.

“Alright, it's okay now, big sister is here....”

While patting Mel's shoulder, she softly hummed a lullaby in her ear.

The pleasant singing was like a gentle ray of moonlight, softly enveloping Mel's trembling body.

Veronica's voice was soft and distant, as if it could penetrate time and space, soothing all pain.

The young girl hugged her sister tightly, burying her face in her chest, greedily breathing in Veronica's familiar scent.

The annoying whisperings in her ears seemed to have lessened considerably, and the sharp pain in her temples also began to subside.

After an unknown amount of time, Mel leaned in Veronica's arms and fell into a deep sleep.

As the first ray of sunlight shone through the window into Mel's bedroom, spilling onto Mel's face, the young girl frowned, then raised her hand to cover her eyes and sat up from the bed.

The room was filled with the faint smell of a burnt-out candle, mixed with the unique old scent of wooden furniture.

She was alone in the bed, but a few strands of golden hair by the pillow and the candlestick on the table indicated that someone had been there.

Mel rubbed her head, then subconsciously glanced out the window.

The memories of last night came rushing back like a tide, the terrifying whisperings and the red full moon seemed to still be before her eyes.

But fortunately, everything seemed unchanged.

Dunke City was still Dunke City, a city full of industrialization.

And she was still herself.

Mel Rossetti, sixteen years old, lived at number twenty-six, Iris Street, with her older sister Veronica Rossetti, and attended a government-funded public school.

Her parents had passed away one after another five years ago due to lung disease, but they left her and Veronica an inheritance of one hundred pounds.

This money was enough to pay for Veronica's university tuition, as well as her own high school fees.

Although her own grades weren't too outstanding, Veronica was a very smart person.

After she finished university, she might be able to work directly for the government, and then the sisters' lives would take a qualitative leap.

But that was all in the future.

What she had to do now was to first wash up, then have breakfast.

She still had to go to school later.

As for everything she experienced last night, it was just a nightmare that couldn't have been more real.

That's all.

Mel took a deep breath, feeling the chill in the air, and couldn't help but shiver.

She walked barefoot on the cold wooden planks, enduring the icy sensation from the soles of her feet, went to the windowsill, and pushed open the window.

The hinges let out a faint creak, and a smell mixed with coal smoke, the aroma of bread, and damp earth rushed towards her.

On both sides were rows of brick and stone buildings of varying heights, each with a pointed roof and complex decorations.

Chimneys stood in great numbers, with gray smoke occasionally rising from them.

There were already pedestrians on the street.

Gentlemen dressed in black formal wear and top hats hurried past, their canes rhythmically tapping the ground.

Maids in simple long dresses carried baskets, hurrying to the market.

Occasionally, a horse-drawn carriage or two would pass by, the sound of hooves clattering crisply on the stone-paved road.

Mel looked up at the sky, which was covered by a thick layer of gray.

It wasn't a naturally formed cloud layer, but the result of countless factories working together.

The sunlight, passing through this layer of smog, became dim and hazy, casting a repressive tone over the entire city.

Somehow, this gray sky reminded Mel of last night's red moon.

Despite the weather being so bad that even the sun was not visible, last night's red moon was so clear and dazzling.

Thinking of this, Mel couldn't help but shiver.

That feeling of being watched by something invisible returned, and she subconsciously looked around.

But apart from the familiar streets and buildings, there was nothing.

Just then, a breeze blew by, carrying the sound of bells from a distant church clock tower.

The melodious bells echoed in the air.

Mel counted the chimes, seven in total, indicating it was now seven in the morning.

As the bells rang, the flow of people on the street began to grow denser.

Workers dragged their tired bodies towards the factories, and vendors began to set up their stalls.

The entire city was like a giant machine, slowly starting up.

Mel took a deep breath, feeling the pulse of the city.

Although the sky was gloomy and the air was filled with the smell of industrialization, this familiar scenery gave her a trace of comfort.

The fear from last night seemed to have begun to fade, replaced by the trivialities of daily life.

Just then, the sound of cutlery clashing and the faint aroma of food came from outside the room.

That was Veronica preparing breakfast.

She took one last look at the scene outside the window, then turned and walked to the wardrobe, changed into a khaki dress, and prepared to start a new day.

Mel gently pushed open the room door.

Veronica was standing by the dining table, dressed in a dark blue long dress, with a white jacket over it.

Jacket.

Her long golden hair was neatly coiled at the back of her head, revealing her delicate side profile.

Hearing the door open, Veronica turned around, a gentle smile on her face.

“Good morning, Mel.”

Veronica greeted softly.

“Go wash up, then you can have breakfast. I just helped you ask for leave from school, so you won't go today.

As for the missed lessons, I'll help you catch up later, you won't fall too far behind.”

“Good morning, big sister.”

Mel nodded, then turned and walked into the washroom, and started brushing her teeth in front of the mirror.

Veronica followed her in, picked up a comb, and began to gently comb her younger sister's messy long hair.

“Really, what will you do in the future when your big sister is not around.”

Veronica dotingly combed Mel's long gray hair, the teeth of the comb gently grazing her scalp, bringing a tingling sensation.

When spring came this year, Veronica would be going to university in the next city, and Mel would transfer to a boarding middle school.

It was just that Mel, who was already used to being with Veronica, seemed not yet able to accept the impending separation.

Hearing this, Mel's expression couldn't help but darken a little, she lowered her head and brushed her teeth without a word.

Seeing this, Veronica smiled helplessly, then picked up a small hair tie and began to tie her sister's hair into a ponytail.

“By the way, did you have a nightmare last night?”

Mel's movements paused for a moment, then she nodded.

“I....”

Mel said indistinctly, her mouth still full of toothpaste foam, “I had a strange dream....”

She spat out the foam in her mouth, then rinsed her mouth with cold water.

Veronica's hand stopped, the comb suspended in mid-air.

“A strange dream?”

She repeated, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

“What kind of dream?”

“I dreamed... the moon was red.”

Hearing this, Veronica was slightly stunned, looking at her younger sister with some confusion.

“Mel, what are you talking about?”

She asked?

“The moon has always been red, hasn't it?”