chapter 2: It's been a long time, you bastards (2).
Chapter 2: It's been a long time, you scoundrels (2)
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A dream.
More specifically,
It was a memory of a much older past.
A memory I wish would never return.
A pitch-black environment, a world of emptiness.
If you look for a long time, you'll feel a lack of sensation.
Sensation of time, sensation of the environment, sensation of self.
Gradually… a person's logic will disappear, and only madness will remain in their mind.
Only the pitch-black world will remain in a person's mind.
In the end, only despair will befall their mind, and they will become a puppet devoid of will.
A little girl sat in the deep darkness, resting her head on her knees.
In the unending silence, a sporadic gasp could be heard.
The source of the sound was none other than the little girl.
Rags for clothes, a frail body from hunger, yet the unique color of her white hair could not be hidden.
With the flow of clear liquid from her eyes, the unique color of her eyes could be seen.
A mixture of violet and blue, and the most peculiar thing is the blending of the two.
The beautiful white hair flowed down to her waist.
She seemed to be crying.
In the dark gloom, there was no one beside the girl.
Even with her crying, no one comforted her.
I'm scared.
The silence continued for a while, and what was heard intermittently was only the girl's gasp as she tried to hold back her tears.
That's when…
Hahaha…!
A burst of laughter broke the silence; no, it was a chorus of laughter.
Kahahahaha…!
A distorted sound that assaults the ears.
The roar of laughter was like a sound from the depths of hell.
The girl covered her ears while trembling in fear.
It's started again.
The girl lamented to herself, wishing for this nightmare to end.
Unfortunately, it wasn't just that.
The world began to glow with an ominous light.
Fearsome faces appeared in the darkness, with wide smiles—illuminated in a bloody color, resembling crescents.
The ominous light of their faces illuminated the environment in a gloomy way.
- Hahaha! Why do you resist life? Do you want to benefit the world? Then disappear! What right does a hideous creature like you have to ask for life? Kahahaha!
A voice that shook the world, sounding like a roar, came out.
Kahahaha!
The ominous sounds of laughter filled the corners.
- Fight! Come on! Fight! Just like the insect that you are! You're waiting for the destruction that will befall you, the end of your miserable story… Aaah~ it brings joy to my heart!
- Rights? What right does a monstrosity like you have to demand the right to live? Hehehehe! Kuahahaha! Hahaha—!!
With the ringing laughter, a series of words began to fill the surroundings.
It was like a curse.
The little girl buried her head deeper between her legs, searching for an escape from this nightmare.
"…Please… stop."
Her beautiful voice came out as a whisper; it could barely be heard.
The voice of a pure child, not yet tainted by the injustices of life.
In this world, none of the laughing faces gave her any consideration.
Her body trembled uncontrollably.
The sound of laughter rose, the curses intensified, and didn't subside.
- you are~~ you're the witch that we want burn, we want burn, we want burn~
- you're the witch that we want burn, why are here?
- you're the cursed kid, cursed kid! you're the cursed kid and you have to die!!
- With torches and swords, and swords, with torches and swords we will burn you~!
-hahahaha
The devilish faces circled the girl like a group playing a game, laughing and singing a song.
It was like people gathering around a witch and preparing to burn her.
As they approached, the little girl was frightened and tried to stand.
Her body barely moved, and she stumbled. Even so, driven by fear, she ran away.
The little girl began to run in the dark gloom.
No matter how far she ran, she didn't notice the end of the black horizon.
No matter how much time passed, she didn't reach anywhere.
She couldn't see anything in front of her.
There was only an endless void across the horizon.
In this eternal void, madness and obsession will swallow the self.
That was the fear.
Time passed as she continued to run, but no matter how far she got, the sound of laughter didn't decrease.
On the contrary, it seemed as if it had increased.
Even so, she continued to run with all her might.
Her speed was rapidly decreasing.
Her body was drenched in sweat, whether from exhaustion or fear.
The girl stumbled, tears falling from her eyes, but she gritted her teeth and stood up.
Her body was full of wounds; blood flowed from her knees.
How many times had she run already?
She had been running for an unknown amount of time, without a sense of direction or purpose.
She just ran, hoping to get something.
She fell and stumbled, sometimes feeling dizzy.
Other times she felt like vomiting whatever was in her body.
But what would come out of her frail body, which had been without food for a long time?
Even if she wanted to, she couldn't vomit anything.
Her body was already pale.
But with all this… the girl didn't stop.
She didn't blame the circumstances or simply give up.
No matter how many times she fell, she got up again.
This time was no exception.
With a strong gasp, as if gathering air through her lungs, she continued running.
She wouldn't stop.
It was because, in front of her, she saw a bright light.
Often, when faced with emptiness and loneliness, when faced with despair, our intelligence and strength are not enough.
There are times like these when no light can be seen on the horizon, and you won't find the solution no matter how much you think.
And although it seems strange, only hope and will can keep a person going.
Will is what makes you invent hope in the midst of despair, and bring a new answer when you can't find the solution.
At the moment, what was driving the girl to run was something not will, something not even close to hope.
Despair, and deep fear.
She was desperate to escape, even if it meant her body collapsing.
Obsession, expectations, disappointments, the survival instinct.
With a burden too heavy for her to bear, the girl ran away from her despair.
The child continued running.
Anywhere but this place, even if it was into the unknown, was better.
She convinced herself of this, in the midst of her eternal struggle with her disappointments.
- I'll get there, just a little bit!
Her perseverance was truly admirable.
The light, gradually, began to approach.
Effort never betrays a person.
And this girl deserves the reward for her efforts.
However, there are inevitable things in the world.
Just at the moment she was about to enter through that bright light…
Disappearance.
Before her shining eyes, before her desperate struggle, the light disappeared.
It was as if the world was mocking her efforts.
Kyahaha! Kuahahaha! Hahaha—!!
The faces that had chased her earlier—after their temporary disappearance—appeared.
As if they had seen something pathetic, they laughed madly with a terrifying sound.
No… no, please no!
The girl's eyes were filled with despair.
Fear, confusion, disappointment, and exhaustion.
Many emotions could be seen in her beautiful eyes.
Her body had already reached its limits a long time ago.
She fell to the ground with regret.
She bit her lips; the tears made her vision blurry.
With the blood that covered her body, a scene of a tragic artwork was depicted.
Across the dark world of emptiness and the horizon, one place was lit with a bloody red color.
Strange faces with crescent-shaped cracked smiles could be seen.
The faces were flying around someone like a crowd.
Snow-white hair, ragged clothes, a severely injured body.
Blood dripping through the body; the area from the chest to the middle of the body is red.
The arms were disfigured; the fingernails barely clinging to the girl's skin, and inflammation and rotting flesh could be seen.
All that, and not to mention the feet which were burnt in some parts.
Some places on the arms and feet are ulcerated, revealing the white bones.
The uniquely colored eyes are blurry; tears fall from the dry eye sockets.
She could no longer cry.
The area is covered with a mixture of pure red and dark black.
Blood covers the entire place, and the red faces merge with the shadows.
With the spotlight on the girl, her expression can be clearly seen.
And that expression was simply… disappointment.
As the distorted faces merged with the emptiness, the only source of light began to dim—gradually.
The light began to disappear along with the girl's form in the darkness.
She retreated backward in fear of the darkness, unwilling to fall into pain.
No more, no, I don't want pain, I don't want, I don't want, I don't want, I don't want!!
She retreated with difficulty, despair taking hold of her.
But her wish wasn't fulfilled; shadows were already creeping into her heart.
Her form was miserable—as if the world were drawing the curtain on her story.
And it was just another story in this world.
The story of a little girl, where an artwork is revealed that makes one realize the cruelty of this world.
And even if this were a nightmare, didn't she want to wake up?
To wake up from it quickly; it was a wish that didn't come true.
And unfortunately—for her, as if a bucket of cold water fell on her after feeling warmth—it never ended.
No matter how much time passed and went by, it seemed like the passage of eternity.
The only indication of her feeling the world was the feeling of constant pain and hunger in this place that was her misery.
- Someone.
As the devilish laughter increased in silence and darkness, black hands appeared from within the darkness and grabbed her.
She tried to push the hands away, but she couldn't touch them, while the hands could touch her.
Completely covered, the girl crawled trying to escape, but it didn't matter.
No matter how hard she tried to escape, the hands clung to her like shadows that follow a person and stay with them all their lives.
- Please save me!
The girl pleaded and tried to resist, but nothing worked.
In the face of darkness, escaping and asking for help are useless.
Escape has always been futile.
The only thing a person can do is accept the facts and face them.
This was the last time the little girl pleaded for something.
In her hazy memory, that was the last time she asked for help.
She didn't do it again afterward.
The girl's body disappeared into the darkness.
Only her beautiful eyes remained visible, with a strange glow dominating them.
Time passes as a person lives and learns.
It was the same for her.
The shining eyes looked dull.
Nothing remains.
All that was seen were two eyes suspended in the air.
Cold.
Those eyes, imbued with a silent coldness.
They instilled a deep fear.
Time passed, and nothing changed except for the suspended eyes.
Previously, she felt the injustices of the world and tried not to accept them.
Anger, fear, hatred.
Through experiences, a person goes to the top or to the bottom.
Even if a person doesn't want to, they will change.
Whether at their own initiative or by external circumstances.
They will undoubtedly be changed.
After this, what was left for the little girl?
Only coldness and apathy remained.
Her sparkling eyes shone monotonously.
Eyes that had lost all hope in the world.
Time ruthlessly moved forward, and the black hands disappeared from the surroundings.
The girl's body appeared, and her expression was apathetic.
The little girl was no longer seen anywhere.
It was as if years had passed.
Unlike the ragged clothes before, the changes were clear.
Elegant clothes to match the unique eyes, snow-white hair, and radiant skin that had been well-cared for.
Unlike the frail body in her early years, her health was truly amazing.
In her childhood, she had trembled and cried.
The little girl cried alone until her tears dried up.
She tried to help others, hoping that someone would return the kindness someday.
She lit up the world of others, hoping that someone would save her like in fairy tales, and be her light.
Unfortunately, no one came.
Pleading, begging, and wishing, she begged for help from anyone, but everyone's reception was cold.
Sometimes, no matter how much a person pleads and begs, no matter how much they believe the other person's intention is not malicious, they will only encounter deaf ears.
The world was like that; often, no one will help you.
Not everyone was kind, and most of them were actually just hypocrites.
Simple and requires no explanation.
A clear fact—difficult to accept.
It was like the realization that dawned in her mind.
She calmly accepted that fact and didn't refute it.
Crying and begging wouldn't change anything.
The sounds of crying and sobbing began to fade.
No sound was heard afterward.
Whether it was the sound of crying, the sounds of laughter or words, or even the devilishly distorted faces.
They had all disappeared.
In her adulthood, she stood alone.
She watched the dark emptiness apathetically.
Although cooperation with others has its benefits, it was a matter of choice.
When the presence of others becomes necessary for a person, it means dependence on them.
Dependence on others is a sign of weakness.
The world is full of betrayal and deception, so don't trust anyone easily.
The girl in the middle of the darkness walks slowly.
There was no one with her; whether it was the mockery or the laughter of others, she had gotten used to them a long time ago.
Deceive your enemies before they deceive you, and stab them before they stab you.
For me…
- That's the only way I'll survive.
In the stages of her life, she was desperate to escape the darkness; she wanted someone by her side.
Does she need anyone now?
She was walking in the darkness alone.
She didn't give an answer and preferred silence.
She didn't let anyone touch her heart.
And what drove her forward was the unknown.
She walks forward silently, always persevering and struggling.
She didn't want to understand others.
And at the same time… she didn't want anyone to understand her.
That's how the girl lived.
And that's what she understood from life.
Crack!
In the darkness as she walks toward the unknown, the sound of breaking glass is heard.
The darkness was dissipating.
The dark world shattered.
As if a mirage, the world began to disappear gradually.
But even so, the girl walked with an empty expression.
None of what happened was her concern.
Crash!
The world completely shattered and shone with a bright light.
And before she knew it, she felt warmth filling her body.
ــــ※ ※ ※
Awakening.
A girl with shiny silvery hair slowly opened her eyes.
She felt blurry as she tried to wake up; the world was unclear.
There was a damp feeling on her cheek.
When she raised her body to sit up, she noticed that she was alone.
There was no one.
"…Was I crying?"
The girl touched her face to check, and a clear liquid touched her fingers.
The feeling was cold.
It was naturally her tears.
She remained lost in thought for a while.
Why did I see this again?
A dream of a distant past.
No, rather, it was a nightmare.
A nightmare she didn't want to see again.
Unconsciously or without the mind's realization, the body began to tremble slightly.
I…
Bitter memories flashed through her mind.
The pain of the past, hatred, scorn, and fear.
It was a set of gloomy emotions, scars that would never disappear.
Barely any positive memories were recalled.
I don't want to go through that again.
She bit her lips to try to keep her clarity present.
"I won't be as pathetic as in the past."
I'm not weak anymore.
I won't run anymore.
In this world, the weak won't survive.
A world where everyone can deceive.
A world where anyone can become crazy.
A world where anyone can be an ally, where anyone can become an enemy.
The most reliable person was only yourself.
Trust yourself more than everyone else; trust your own strength more than everyone else.
That's how a person becomes stronger.
Never forget.
Only the strongest win, the most persistent, the most extreme, and the most prepared.
In this crazy life, a person must be crazier.
Her gaze was firm; a drop of fresh blood slid across her lips.
She did that to keep her clarity present.
The girl tried to regain her composure. As time passed, her previously trembling body began to calm down.
She wiped the blood on her lips with a handkerchief she took out of her jacket.
After fully regaining her senses, she began to notice the environment.
The veil of darkness still covered the world.
Did I sleep this long?
It seems she slept longer than she thought.
It didn't seem like the middle of the night; the world was slightly bright.
"It seems it's nearing dawn."
After observing for a while, she stood up and stretched her stiff body.
Fall.
Something fell smoothly from her body to the ground.
Perhaps because she was lost in thought, she didn't notice the fallen object until she stood up.
A long black coat.
It was a type of clothing she was familiar with.
Lilith Cronus, the wise leader, with a steely heart, the cunning fox, she was known by several titles.
No young man had ever gotten this close to her before in her life.
And that girl was covered with a young boy's coat while she was sleeping.
Her caution had truly failed her. What if he had bad intentions toward her?
The sleeping young girl wouldn't have been able to do anything in such a situation.
But there's nothing like "what if" in this world.
"The previous source of warmth, don't tell me…"
She shook her head to dispel the distracting thoughts from her mind.
She could only carry the coat and thank the boy later.
"Actually, if I did it that way, perhaps…"
Thoughts flowed, and the gears inside her mind started working.
"Fufufu~"
A gentle, mischievous laugh echoed in the empty hall.
Her face was adorned with a fox-like smile.
Remembering the storm and the dream, Lilith quietly began searching for a spot to gather and sort out her complex thoughts.
While she didn't notice, it seemed they had already emerged from the storm during her sleep.
There were some scratches on the ship, but luckily, no severe damage.
Perhaps this means that the rest of the journey would be safe.
"♪Hum~ hum~ humming~♪"
She heard a gentle humming sound pulling her out of her thoughts; she tried to pinpoint the direction of the sound, and it led her toward the person standing at the bow of the ship.
She had previously ignored him as just another person trying to find peace in the morning.
But now she was able to identify his appearance from her current distance.
"…It's that boy!"
For some reason, the young girl felt a little excited upon identifying his appearance.
She was going to look for him later to ask him something, but she didn't expect to find him here.
Was that a stroke of good or bad luck? She didn't think about it much.
She thought about what she should do and how to respond to the boy for a while in silence.
Without realizing it, the morning sun had already risen.
Returning to the present.
That's all that happened to Lilith; of course, she didn't anticipate her conversation with the boy Leon drifting toward a strange direction.
After both laughed heartily, they stared at each other fiercely for a while without a single word.
And just like that, silence fell upon them.
Before Leon broke it.
"…Young lady—"
"I think we should stop this now?"
Lilith said with a genuine smile.
"After you, first."
He replied with the same expression.
"Tsk, he didn't fall for it!"
She thought silently while inwardly scoffing coldly.
"Anyway, it's strange that no one has arrived yet."
Leon stared at the horizon, and specifically, his gaze was fixed on the island which was now perfectly clear.
Huge, majestic, gigantic, vast, call it whatever you want, but you won't call it small in any way.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean the reconnaissance team."
"You mean that? Thinking about it, you're right."
They were supposed to have sent a distress signal yesterday; they were supposed to have arrived already.
Something was out of place. Did they encounter an unexpected problem? Or did the news not reach them?
"Hohoho~, what do we have here, have you already thought about it~?"
What sounded like an old man enjoying something came out.
Lilith was somewhat surprised inwardly, but she didn't show any signs of nervousness on her face.
"You, finally came out?"
As if not surprised, Leon's words came out naturally.
Since when was this old man here? His face didn't show such questioning.
'Oh? Look at this rascal?' The old man thought. Were his intentions read? Impossible.
"Yohohoho, it seems this old man was noticed~."
"It's difficult not to notice when an old man has been lurking since dawn, isn't it?"
The old man smiled bitterly as if he had been discovered.
'This rascal! Who's lurking, huh?!'
"The chill that ran through my body was truly frightening. It's not a woman or a young girl who is watching this handsome young gentleman; it's an expired old man? What did this virtuous soul do in life to get this?"
His voice was like someone who had experienced the injustices of life in full.
Tears welled up as he wiped them.
Even the best actors in the empire would bow to him in respect with such a performance; an admirable acting!.
'It's annoying when he does it, but it's refreshing to see this on someone else!'
Lilith thought, amused.
It's always fun to see someone else's misfortune.
But the old man didn't have the same idea.
"You son of a bitch..! This old man was going to grace you with his honorable presence, but you say expired?! Huh?!"
He wanted to step forward to slap his face, but Lilith stopped him.
"Sir, stop, you must be calm!"
"Leave me be! One slap! No, two! If you give me a moment, I'll slap him three times!"
Why does the number keep increasing?.
"Huh?! Honorable?! Who?! If someone told me you were a beggar, I would have believed it! And you tell me you're gracing me with your presence?! Honorable my ass!"
Even he stepped forward to kick the old man's behind.
The young girl found herself between them, preventing them from fighting.
Don't you have any shame? Look, people are already staring at us strangely.
Leaving that rascal aside, aren't you my grandfather's age, old man? At least respect your age!
Lilith wondered for a moment, with a visible vein on her temple, what would be the fate of this strange conversation.
Seriously! Stop, old man! And you, you rascal, shut your damn mouth!
After a back-and-forth between the old man and the boy Leon, the atmosphere calmed down a bit.
"A-hem, important, I'm sorry for showing such a sight, young lady."
"…It's alright, it's alright, we all make mistakes. There's no shame in watching people at dawn."
"That's healthy—huh?!"
The young girl said while laughing softly; her charming appearance would make young hearts beat violently.
But in the old man's eyes, her appearance was like an executioner ready to flog him.
Why did you have to hit the sore spot!
I didn't! Listen to people before judging, young lady!
I'm a victim; it's all because of that damned rascal!
'It's because you scared me earlier, hehehehe~'
She didn't say anything, but her expressions conveyed her feelings.
Leon cleared his throat and coughed to attract attention.
"Important, a-hem, don't worry, I forgive you, old man, part of the blame is also on me."
The old man was inwardly shocked. He thought he was a foul-mouthed rascal, but perhaps he had misjudged him?
At the moment he was going to thank him for his understanding…
"If I weren't this handsome, none of this would have happened, so I'll bear some of the blame."
You should have kept your mouth shut, you scoundrel, huh?!
Forget what I said; this rascal is a son of a bitch!
Understanding?! Huh?! Damn your understanding and forgiveness!
The old man almost vomited blood from anger!
"In any case, regardless of this, sir, I think you're from the rescue unit, aren't you?"
Not wanting to continue the fruitless conversation and witness an ugly fight between an old man and a young boy, Lilith hastened and got to the point.
Finally! Someone here knows what manners are! Thank you, young lady.
"…That's right. We arrived three hours ago. Fortunately, the ship had already emerged from the storm by the time we arrived."
"That explains a lot, but it doesn't explain why you were spying on me, let alone talking to us."
It's not spying; it's observation. As the head of the rescue unit, I can monitor the survivors; can't your damned brain understand that?!
Although he only said it inwardly, he smiled outwardly cheerfully like a grandfather teaching his grandchild.
"The reason initially was to talk to the young lady. We wanted to thank her, but we received news that she was asleep, so we waited until she woke up."
-Heh, what do you think, you rascal? You won't provoke me this time!
-Tsk tsk, whatever.
The old man and the boy continued their visual exchange as if saying something like that to each other.
'But think about it, old man, what is he sharing with her?' Leon thought while staring at Lilith.
As if noticing his gaze, Lilith smiled at him as if she wouldn't tell him anything.
-Try to figure it out yourself, you rascal.
Leon was inwardly annoyed, but he returned the friendly smile with one of his own.
Damn you, you witch.
"The rest can be guessed to some extent."
Lilith's voice came out naturally, as if she understood the main point.
"Perhaps this old man went out and saw me in the early morning, relaxed and at ease, so his curiosity was piqued about me, but he didn't want to appear strange, so he kept watching me."
Leon completed what Lilith wanted to say; someone might even think they consulted before organizing this conversation.
"After he decided to stay lurking, he kept watching, then I came out. He wanted to talk to me, but then he saw me hurrying to talk to young sir Leon."
The situation was that simple; perhaps there are some points that weren't mentioned, but that's the gist of it.
The old man was surprised by the quick wit shown by these two young ones.
'This is worth looking forward to, isn't it?' he thought, smiling.
"And so, here we are. Perhaps what delayed him was trying to calm the waking people."
The last voice to come out was Leon's.
"Are we right?"
They looked at each other at the same time, and when he wanted to answer…
"Yes, we are right."
"It's impossible for that not to be the answer."
They nodded to each other as if they were satisfied with their answer.
…Okay, perhaps it's worth looking forward to, right?
Is it too late to regret it?
He looked at the sky with tears falling from his eyes, thinking about how foolish he was to start a conversation with these two rascals.