Chapter 63 – Don’t Forget Me – 3
Kang!
“…!!!”
…
“Ha…”
…
Rustle rustle
“Haa…Huh…”
…
Kang!
Kang!
Kang!
“Hot…!”
“…”
That buck that buck that buck
…
Jerk jerk jerk
Dump
“Whoa…”
…
…
Kang!
Kang!
Kang!
Jump up
“Lucca…!?”
…
Kang!
Kang!
“Ah…”
…
Rustle rustle
Dump
…
Kang!
Kang!
“…!”
…
“Ah…”
An intense sound knocks on my consciousness. I can’t stand it any longer. I forcefully turn my eyelids over to keep getting up.
Kang!
Sorry. I want to sleep a little bit, a little bit I mean I’m so tired No matter how much I beg and beg for it with tears, there is no mercy. It just screams into my ear to keep getting up.
Kang!
…
Okay. Got it…
It’s okay to wake up
“Ha…”
Finally, I let out a shallow breath and forced my eyes open. I barely lifted my eyelids, heavy like gold, and opened my eyes to face the world I didn’t want to see.
And, faced with deep darkness.
“Ha…”
Is it because it is night? I purposely exhaled to get through the darkness and tried to smoke white steam in front of my eyes. However, no matter how much time passed, the darkness that filled his vision never faded. After gazing into the endless darkness for a long time, a possibility suddenly came to my mind.
If. Can’t you see the front?
Come to think of it, strangely, my body is dull and my senses are dull today. Not just normal sensations. I don’t feel the hunger that gnawed at my stomach, the thirst that squeezed my dry, twisted neck, or the cold that kept harshly whipping my whole body. The pain that had been tormenting me for days disappeared in an instant, and I felt at ease for a moment.
At that time, the still normal intelligence scolded me harshly. Ellie is an idiot. If you can’t feel it, it means you’re dying.
“Ha…Ah…”
Go die
It was then that I remembered the events of last night again. Although her body and mind were already exhausted, the words Sarah said stabbed her deeply into her heart.
It won’t be sincere. Sarah can’t do that. Even if I tried to comfort myself like that, my heart, which had begun to collapse once, collapsed like a sand castle. In the end, I squeezed out the tears that couldn’t come out with the strength I had been saving and cried a lot all night.
At that time, did my fragile body do all it could? For the first time I started to think that maybe I was really going to die.
“Haha…”
…
Then no?
However, my weak body questioned my intellect overshadowing it. Shouldn’t you die? You can be comfortable when you die. Is it really wrong to just close your eyes and fall asleep like this?
Really just for a moment. Even if it’s only for that moment, shouldn’t it be comfortable?
I felt like I was about to burst into tears. No matter how much you squeezed it, not even a drop of water would come out, but nonetheless, your eyes flowed hotly. Cozy bed. Warm food. Loved ones. It was so sad and pitiful to see myself dying alone in the snow, deprived of everything I took for granted.
“Ha…”
Abandoned by friends, attacked by colleagues. I have no reason to live. I’m tired now It doesn’t matter if I die like this. Even if I die alone without a tombstone, I don’t want to suffer anymore.
Okay. Now, I really don’t care if I die.
If only I had one wish.
Luca’s face before he died. I want to see you just once
…
“Ah…”
No.
Actually… I don’t want to die.
I miss Luca.
I haven’t even come close to the dream I wanted to achieve yet.
I couldn’t even properly convey half of what I wanted to say.
I don’t want to die like this I can’t die like this.
“Ah… Ah… Ah…”
As it is… I hate it…
“Ah… Ah… Ah…”
I eagerly scratched my neck and anxiously searched for the lost senses of life. Please. It’s okay even if it hurts, so please come back. It’s okay even if it hurts. It’s okay even if it hurts. Let me live just for one more moment Let me be with Luca for just one more moment.
“Ah… Ah…”
The longing for life creeps up all over the body. The unfulfilled wishes pass through my head like a kaleidoscope, and the undelivered words settle down in my throat. Paradoxically, when I looked up, yearning for life more than ever, I felt death clearly.
“Ha…Ah…”
I tried desperately to the end, but now even my breathing is blurred and my heartbeat is so faint that I can hardly feel it. At the last moment, what finally came to my mind was Luca. But her eyes were dark, so I couldn’t see her face.
Luca. Where are you? Please help me I am dying
Of course I know. Now I just have to help. I… I know.
But I am also very sick and tired right now. No matter how much I am, I can’t stand it any longer
…
Still, if you can’t help,
Can’t you just hold my hand one last time?
…
“Ellie.”
Suddenly, someone’s voice called my name. Could it be Luca? I listened with futile hope, but the next moment I heard the voice of a very unfamiliar girl.
“Theta. Artani. Verum.”
Words of unknown meaning ring in my ears. This is not what I wanted to hear. But can never be ignored The girl’s voice contains an unknown magical power that attracts people.
“Erenghetti. Ruta.”
“Ha…”
I answer those words with a soft breath. Then, the owner of the voice laughs a little and repeats what he said earlier.
“Ellie.”
“…”
“Theta. Artani. Verum.”
“…”
“Erenghetti. Ruta.”
“Ha…”
It’s an oddly familiar word. For some reason, it is not unfamiliar, so it is stuck somewhere in my memory and causes a wave in my heart. I follow the voice and raise my head a little.
“Ellie. Theta. Artani. Verum.”
…
Erengeti… Ruta.
Unknowingly, I memorized those words. Then the voice spoke again in a slightly cheerful voice.
“Ellie.”
Ellie.
“Theta. Artani. Verum.”
Theta. Artani. Verum.
“Erenghetti. Ruta.”
Erengeti. Ruta.
“That man. Do you want to see him that way?”
As I recited every single word, the first meaningful words came out. I just nodded silently and let out a light breath.
“Ha…”
“Do you miss that man who smells like peppermint so much?”
“…”
“No matter what? Is that a wish you earnestly?”
You… Who the hell…
Gathering the last of his strength, he managed to ask a question. The voice answered, but now even my hearing was so far away that I couldn’t hear it. You may be really close to death. Even though I had never experienced death, I had a hunch that my life would soon fade away.
“.. … …”
The voice kept whispering something. It was as if it didn’t matter if I couldn’t hear it. The story that went on like that suddenly came to an end with a clear voice.
Then. Can I help you, Ellie?
The last word stuck directly into my head. The voice that came from the edge of death was so sweet and seductive.
“…Huh.”
In the end, before I could think deeply, instinct opened its mouth to answer.
Do you want me to help
“Huh.”
At all costs?
“…”
Does he miss you?
“…Huh.”
Any way. Do you want that
“Huh.”
Good. Then follow me
Ellie.
“Ellie.”
Theta. Artani. Verum.
“Theta. Artani. Verum.”
Erengeti. Ruta.
“Erenghetti. Ruta.”
Good job. Ellie.
Don’t worry.
‘Cause I’ll keep my promise
…
Bassrock.
Then his hearing returned, and his cold fingers scraped the sore snow. The darkness in front of my eyes slowly dissipated, and the pure white scenery filled my eyes until I got sick of it. Feeling the strange magical power slowly leaking from my fingertips, I suddenly faced the rabbit in front of me.
“…”
The rabbit licked its lips and stared at us with bright red eyes. I looked at her and greeted her with her wishes and hopes rather than her thanks.
“…Thank you.”
In the meantime, the words she gave me wandered around in her head.
Ellie. Theta. Artani. Verum. Erengeti. Ruta.
…
What does this mean?
I remember only one thing. Hearing these words on that day, the day when all of our fates changed.
This one sentence, which I don’t even know the meaning of, kept running around in my head.
I know. That this one word eventually brought us disaster. That you shouldn’t expect kindness from others in the land of demons. Maybe, all of this could bring another ruin.
But now all I can say is this. Maybe that’s what I should have said from the beginning. From that day, from the day I couldn’t protect Luca, this might be the only option left for me.
…
Sorry for being stupid. I’m sorry for being weak. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.
But all I can do now is this.
“I’m sorry, Luca.”
I put all my heart into a single word and left a very simple apology. And, she called my name with lips that still tasted the salty taste of tears.
“Ellie.”
The man’s strong coffee scent lingers on the tip of his tongue. Wanting to nause but no time for that, I pulled the words out of his head and spit them out with my guy’s incense.
“Theta. Artani. Verum.”
Suddenly, a faint figure appears over Luca’s shoulder. Could it be that rabbit then? It’s definitely not a rabbit. My mind is still full of doubts. But in the end, he utters the last word.
“Erenghetti. Ruta.”
Oops…
A strange sensation began to creep up from the tips of my fingers. But I didn’t look down. Instead, he stared into Luca’s eyes. You, still hard as a stone, are looking at me with the same earnest eyes as you did that day.
I’m sorry, Luca. But this is my final choice. It’s a very flimsy possibility, but if I do this, I might be able to see you again.
“Ellie. Theta. Artani. Verum. Erenghetti. Ruta.”
Now I can definitely feel my body stiffening from the tips of my hands. I tried to hold it in, but I felt as if my intestines were twisting, my blood was drying up, and my veins were splitting, and involuntarily, a scream of pain leaked out.
“Ah… Ah… Ah…!”
How am I going to be Will I turn to stone like you? Or, is it worse than that?
“Uhhhhh!”
I don’t know. Can’t be sure of anything But it doesn’t matter. If only I could see you again through this, if only I could somehow see your face again.
“Ah…Aaaaagh!”
Okay. If I can hold your hand again, I can do anything Luka. So, promise me one thing. No matter what I become, no matter what state I become. Even if it was hardened to a stone, no matter how much time passed, there was only one. Promise me just one thing, Luca. Please…
“Don’t forget me.”