North x Northwest No Chapter 139

Chapter 139Previous

After what seed like an eternity, Ed was greeted by another mont. This period was just as agonising and long as the previous one. Much longer than his lifeti and much longer than any eternal history.

Then the sounds of clatter and rippling waves tickled his ears. Bird chirping, too.

That goddamn flying beast will appear whenever he feels like it and bother my ears Though, its most likely just my hallucinations

Similarly, a brightly lit island flashed before his eyes at tis. Ed eventually realised that such hallucinations could indicate that his brain was finally going insane. Also, his symptoms only worsened over ti. Of them, the sudden scent of fruit was the most difficult to resist. A sweet odour emanated from sowhere, stimulating his sense of sll. However, the more he slled it, the drier his salt-stained mouth beca, and his hungry stomach famished in agony.

I can only imagine how thrilling it will be to bite into one of those bright yellow fruits and taste their sweet nectar This illusion is indescribably tempting, but I have to resist the urge to swim. I know that when I chase this illusion and start kicking my feet and swinging my arms, Id end up in hell in no ti. Nonetheless, I can still sense the desire in my legs telling

to get there When in reality, my legs are probably nothing more than pieces of rotting at Damn it.

Ed had tried to not think about his legs too much as such thoughts wouldnt help him with his survival. But he couldnt deny he has been concerned about them for quite a long ti now.

Will there even be any blood left after my wounded legs have been subrged in the sea for hours? The bleeding from the open wounds must have continued Even at this montOr maybe theyve already fallen off and a swarm of fish, slling the blood, are having a feast right now.

The more he thought about it, the stranger his legs began to feel. He was uncertain whether they were still attached to him as even the dull pain had disappeared. Over ti, Ed has forgotten how to move them. To be exact, it was the sa for his arms, torso, and head

There seems to be no reason for

to go on like this

When that thought crossed his mind, the last bit of strength slowly vanished from his body. Like being sucked into an unknown opening, his soulless body sagged further and further down. As if it had been waiting for him, the black abyss opened its jaw wide around his feet. Ed gradually sank and the shadow of the abyss made it all the way to his forehead. However, the mont it was about to swallow his head, a brightly shining straight line drew horizontally over the darkness.

The starting twilight on the horizon spread into his darkened field of vision. The perating energy caressed his eyelids faintly and sweeter than all the hallucinations he had before.

Ed opened his eyes languidly, just like one would when waking up from a deep sleep. Rays of light pierced his red eyes like the tip of a sharp knife and blinded him. Baffled, Ed opened his eyes in an instant. It was so vivid that he almost couldnt believe it. The light that burned brighter and more brilliantly than any other sunrise he had ever witnessed, lit a fire that seed to pierce his retina. Ed was certain that this ti, the scene before him wasnt an illusion and he fearlessly faced the stinging pain.

The light that seed to be embracing life, slowly pushed the night back with its brightly-coloured red glow and only left a trail of clouds behind. As the sunrise wielded its brush over the sky, Ed was greeted by an ecstasy of sand dunes, tree trunks, and palm trees swaying in the wind. A flock of birds took off and flapped their wings across Eds view.

The emotion of welcoming life filled his tired eyes with tears.

This is the light that made an end to my hell I can never not be ecstatic about it even if it blinds

***

Cesar stared at the half-crumpled paper. It was a palm-sized note with no writing on it. But despite that, it disgusted him as if it contained the dirtiest ink in the world. Cesar washed his face dry unconsciously. Hes been doing that since a few hours ago and redness from friction clearly started to show. His hair was a ss too, which was unusual for him, but he didnt bother to fix it.

He had been debating whether or not to write sothing on it for a long ti.

What a miserable ti

He wondered if Lil would ever doubt him or wanted to confirm the content herself. It was a ti of iniquity in which he struggled to obtain undeniable proof.

In the middle of that struggle, Cesar had been hit with a terrible realisation. He knew better than anyone that he couldnt persuade Lil solely based on circumstances or feelings.

Liloa could never be coaxed by mouths that claid innocence, spouted confessions, or misrepresented the truth. She firmly believed in the evidence that remained after a cri was committed. If she couldnt find it at first glance, shed take her ti obtaining it Thats why I need this vexing piece of paper to convince Liloa about Edgars misdeeds. Unfortunately, in this case, there was no other tangible evidence of any kind, so I had no choice but to fabricate it Of course, if I had more ti, I wouldnt have engaged in such disgraceful and impulsive manipulation And I wouldnt have to live with such guilt But sowhere down the line, Liloas attitude toward Edgar had clearly shifted. Im not sure if Im in the right to be jealous or if its just my delusion, but Edgars cunning tricks started to work at so point.

During that ti, Cesar had beco more and more nervous and wanted to remove Ed from the Bell Rock as soon as possible. So, the navigator tried to make Lil suspicious of Ed again in the hope that she would banish him herself. However, it proved to be difficult to touch Ed without telling a lie.

Whats more, I deceived her first. I never told her that the doctor was actually Admiral Retiro, even though I recognised him during our very first eting And now, I probably cant tell her till the day I die Because, Liloa will inquire as to why. Why had I stayed on the sidelines when I knew what kind of garbage we brought on board. This troubleso situation wouldnt have happened if I had told her about Edgar from the mont we t him in the mansion of the Count of Amiaeng Saying that I was intimidated by him would be useless. Furthermore, telling her; I was afraid youd leave will never be accepted as its such a cowardly excuse. Also I wouldnt be able to bear that humiliation anyway

As Cesar couldnt confess, he had to beat around the bush and co up with subtle lists to trap Ed. However, that progress was agonisingly slow. In the end, he talked Courant into being a witness to Eds cris, but unfortunately for Cesar, that failed too.

But then ca that night, less than a day later, when I woke up next to that empty space I couldnt even feel Liloas body temperature anymore. She was nowhere to be found, and I couldnt sense her

Lil wasnt on the deck, the stern, or the docks. Cesar had stood in the silence of the damp dock, the ships lowest compartnt, for a long ti. He waited for her to co back, even turning to the wall-less void and begged the person who never showed up to et

there. It was only after Cesar frightened the passing sentry, doing his usual rounds with a lantern, that he ca to my senses. Completely unaware of how long he had been standing there

flashback

Perhaps we just missed each other. She mightve already returned to the captains office when I was out here to find her. Im not sure why I didnt think of that sooner

From the dock, his feet naturally started to take him to the end of the cabin deck. But halfway there, Cesar stopped and pondered.

What makes it seem so natural? Its like Im convinced that Liloa cant be anywhere else than the captains room

With that Cesar regained his steps.

It felt like he walked for a long ti despite the short distance. As he neared the end, he eventually raised his eyes. A wall lantern reflected on the familiar reddish wooden door of the captains quarters. However, to Cesar, the space behind the bulkhead felt more alien than ever. He took this path dozens of tis before and t her in that form even more often. Still, the thought of eting Lil in that foreign body that didnt belong in this world, filled his chest with discomfort. Feeling strange, Cesar ca to a halt.

I didnt go out of my way to chase a stranger like Lil Schweiz I long for the original Liloa

The fact that she was nowhere to be found in the captains office, drove Cesars composed thoughts right over the cliff.

Theyre probably at each other right now, skin to skin In this deep night in the Admirals cabin

Cesar shivered in horror at the sentence he had written in his mind. He tried to shake it off, but that foreign body made from material unknown to this world, transford into Lils soft skin and voluminous hair with the touch of an unknown man. It beca a woman who moaned and whispered, watched through the eyes of a man that wasnt Cesar. Then Lils face, filled with drunken pleasure, was seen clearly.

Cesar couldnt breathe. His entire body heated up like a blade held in a boiling fire