Chapter 85: Relief

Haru's knees buckled as his legs weakened. He clung onto the crane machine and felt so worn out and desperate. He knew exactly what the crane machine and the system was telling him, but he didn't want to accept it.

Haru felt like if he came into terms with those truths, he'd feel pathetic.

He glanced at the toys he tossed away to give space for his next game and it only made him feel stupid.

"How much more did you want to hurt yourself to make it all believing and convincing enough, you idiot?" He whispered to himself.

Soon, Alicia and Camille went over to him.

It was noisy, but he couldn't push them away.

They kept on asking him if he was okay. They also began checking his temperature and his condition when his eyelids began falling.

Finally, Haru let himself rest for a while by closing his eyes and pretending to sleep. It's as if he'd surrendered everything in a few moments.

Without any thoughts or distractions, he just let Camille and Alicia take care of him.

He felt everything—every single bit of their sincerity and kindness.

He wondered then as well, why not even one of them appeared in that crane machine's glass. He would've felt a bit compensated if either Camille or Alicia were to appear and show themselves as his 'loved one'.

But he thought that maybe the system knew exactly their feelings and so, one cannot absolutely lie to it.

That's why the system or the crane machine or this whole Grand Blisscade world couldn't possibly mistake appreciation with genuine love.

Revealing and unfolding the truth with his very eyes the interior or his heart didn't feel favorable to Haru this time.

He just felt more miserable because of it.

Soon, Alicia and Camille left him inside a room after tending to him by putting wet cloth on his forehead, loosening up his shirt, and putting a warm blanket over to him.

They've even adjusted the temperature to a comfortable one. Haru thought they did a good job taking care of him and he was grateful for them.

He was thinking of thanking them later after he's rested more.

In Haru's act of pretending, he had really fallen asleep and taken his rest.

When he woke up again, the world was silent.

Everyone else was asleep beside him, it seems.

He went around the place for a while, exploring the corners of the labyrinth and enjoying the sight of the aesthetic lights surrounding them.

"This is really well-made," He thought. "The devil must've put a lot of effort into this. How pitiful, trying to get affirmation from broken people like us… He must be as miserable as I am right now."

He put up his hand over his head, covering the luxurious chandelier from his view.

Haru could clearly perceive his connection with the devil and right now, it's quite palpable.

Looking at his link with the devil made him assured and feel better about himself.

He knew that creature beyond the journals, after all.

He knew about everything there is to know about that entity. He kept on walking around to let time pass by and hopefully entertain him or lull him back to sleep.

But as if fate had willed it, his feet brought him back to the crane machine.