Now Liam Moore seed barely alive. My hands trembled naturally, likely because I wasn’t ready to lose him. I touched his neck. A faint, almost imperceptible pulse flickered under my fingers. It felt as though it might stop at any mont.
“He’s held on for a long ti. Even when he was thrown to be its prey, he kept resisting. It must have been a pain like having his nerves severed. Anyway, like father, like son, right?”
I had to keep talking. I had to buy ti until I could think of sothing.
“What is this painting? Why is Liam Moore in a place like this?”
“Oh, it’s nothing special. I just needed a bit of Liam Moore’s power. Got quite a lot, actually.”
The voice explaining all this was gradually changing, sounding less and less like Herschel Hopkins. It was now a young man’s voice. I could see sothing behind Herschel. Black horns, those were the first things I noticed.
Herschel fell helplessly to the ground as the figure stepped over him and slowly ascended onto the painting. Just then, my vision blurred. It felt as though a thin veil covered my eyes, making it hard to discern its shape. Darkness was gathering.
[I was bored. Waiting so long made hungry. But these impudent little creatures kept interfering. They are just ants, but if they keep crawling up your leg, what do you do?]
A black shadow approached .
[You crush them. This is an example. It doesn’t really an anything. No need to put in so much effort. But confusion and fear are excellent spices.]
It spoke.
[Run. Don’t look back. Humans are inherently ugly. They can’t be altruistic, and if they can just save their own lives, that’s enough. You’ll act like a typical human. So run.]
I wanted to. The whisper was so sweet, I wanted to believe it. It felt as if it were trying to sever my will. Had Herschel suffered sothing like this?
I stopped myself from nodding involuntarily. If this was to be the end, I wanted it to be my decision.
Then a thought erged. In this place where there was no solid ground, my remaining resolve whispered. But what about the others left here? Owen and Herschel?
I bowed my head and gently stroked Liam Moore’s cheek. There was still warmth. His eyelids slowly fluttered open.
“Hello, Liam.”
I smiled. The man squinted his eyes weakly. His cracked lips parted slightly. A faint, wheezing sound ca out as he called my na.
“Shh. It’s okay. Everything will be alright.”
His feverish grey eyes looked at . That alone grounded in reality. He made exist. My mind cleared. I knew what I needed to do.
It’s strange. While sothing, be it a god, a devil, or a monster, was urging to abandon you and flee, you gave the strength to move forward. Even if it ant facing an abyss or unending despair.
“Jane, how…”
His hand reached out to . After several failed attempts, he finally grasped it. How did I co to be here? Well,
“I ca to save you, you reckless, stubborn detective.”
So I’m sorry. A aningless apology fell to the ground.
He seed too weak to understand my words now. He was too exhausted. Where should we go? To which point in ti should I flee to save him?
[Are you not going to run?]
Then the horned beast asked.
I saw ten horns. A black shadow, speaking like a dragon, lowered its head to look down at . Its eyes were filled with curiosity, as if anticipating my choice.
With his battered body, Liam Moore pulled closer. His lips whispered.
“Leave .”
There was no undoing this. What was destined to happen had to happen. That was the natural order. But humans are not creatures that move strictly according to rules. I am simply one of those people—stubborn, unable to give up, yet desperately struggling.
“Indeed, you’re right.”
My voice trembled horribly. Even the mist covering my corneas couldn’t block out the power reaching out to . My hand felt heavy. Through the hazy vision, I could see the light emanating from the ring on my thumb, barely shining in the vast darkness, warning .
But I was certain, the greatest threat to my safety here was none other than,
“Liam Moore.”
It would be .
I deliberately put on a cheerful front as I spoke. The gun felt heavy. My fingers ached. But I could do it.
“Don’t look at .”
“Jane…”
His sleeve was pulled. Realising what I intended, the man hastily tried to get up, clutching his wound before collapsing again. His coughing was incessant. His heaving lips glistened red. He desperately clung to my hand. But it was not hard to shake off his weakened grip. For the first ti, I looked away from him first. His eyes widened.
I gently stroked his hair. Saying goodbye to this mont of Liam. Perhaps asking for forgiveness, maybe.
I pressed my lips softly to his forehead. Liam Moore’s face contorted. He looked as though he was about to cry. Like a child. Holding his head, I whispered over and over.
Don’t look. It’s okay. I’m really okay.
“I will co back to save you.”
“No, Jane. Don’t…”
I’m sorry. But this is the only way I know.
A gunshot rang out. My mind went blank.
[FO(Fade Out)]
＊ ＊ ＊
So many choices appeared. Before Liam Moore disappeared, after he disappeared, after eting Plurititas, after standing here.
I could go back. The stories were speaking to .
Human relationships are, how should I put it, a kind of accumulation. The actions seen so far pile up and rebuild .
The very first version of says, I never intended to go this far for Liam Moore. He was just an NPC, after all. What did it matter? I thought. It was even unpleasant. I believed he could never beco a real person to , just sothing that mimicked one very well.
But at so point, it beca natural. Liam Moore smiling at , his body heat, seeing myself in his eyes—those things.
To Liam Moore, I am Jane, and he pulled into reality. All this happened as naturally as rain soaking through clothes. Just like that.
Hesitation is always long. Looking at the blinking chapter, gazing at the save slots written in my handwriting, I fell into thought. The black space claid to be my ho until I returned.
Now I’m used to it. Like Liam Moore, this too.
Many things change.
I’m redefining the justice I knew.
“It’s a relief.”
I murmured into the air.
Just, it never happened. It’s truly a relief that it didn’t happen yet. Liam Moore won’t have to see my death, and I won’t have to see his.
Ti is like a wave. The mories engraved are lighter than anything, so perhaps, the sa mont will never return. My choice made a mont the future and at the sa ti the past. Just as there is nothing exactly the sa on the shore’s waves…
Lost in thought, a breeze-like touch brushed past . The presence filling this space welcod my visit. A faint laugh was heard.
“What should I do?”
「…」
“Can I save Liam Moore?”
「…」
“What was that, anyway?”
aningless words spread like ripples into the air. No answer. Perhaps it was waiting for my choice.
Take pity on , who wants to resist the naless existence. The more the ripples echoed, the clearer my consciousness beca. A song heard from a distant place pushed forward.
“Help .”
There are monts when determination wavers. When the firm heart cracks, and in the faint hope, one suffers, longing for salvation from soone, be it a person or a transcendent being.
My tongue felt bitter. The astringent taste seed to numb my sense of taste. Swallowing poison wouldn’t be more painful than this.
Despair is also like a wave. The heart is like a sandcastle. Without a sign of solidifying, it crumbles helplessly when pushed in. Where despair swept through, only broken resolve remains.
Humans are indeed, funny creatures. I thought so. There are so many selfish people who care only about themselves, but strangely, the ones I’ve seen put others before their own bodies. Is it because only good people are around? Or because their own lives aren’t that important? Or are they just special? All wrong. Completely wrong. It’s just, that’s how it was. For these people, it was just natural.
Even an ordinary person has the courage to lift their head once in front of great adversity.
Perhaps it was because I was an ordinary person that I could resist the existence of trying to drag out the ugliness.
My eyes burned. Reality was stinging. Yet it made move forward again. That’s why I begged.
Don’t just watch, help . I’m willing to offer anything. Help .
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