八

从一开始，我就知道，我是这场祭典中唯一的祭品。

九

母亲肚子里面的孩子诞生了。那是我为家族留下的下一个祭品，也是下一个“我”。十八年后，他会同样成为祭司。

十

祭典不会停止，所有人都会沉溺于轮回，而我，为这个故事写上开头。

。

。

。

The Offering

One

When the bell tolls, I know the ceremony is about to begin.

It's a family tradition, held every eighteen years on this day, where the family hosts a grand and luxurious sacrificial rite to honor our supreme deity.

Two

And I am the sole priestess in this ritual.

Three

Dressed in the intricate vestments of a priestess, I board the palanquin bound for the temple under my mother's worried gaze. Before departing, I follow the old customs of the family and bestow the priestess's blessing upon the unborn child in my mother's womb.