Escape - Chapter 11.2
Chapter 11.2
“Luce, can you see? There are lights here. This area is maintained.”
“Uh… I guess we don’t need the flashlight anymore.” Luce switched off the flashlight, his face still blank. Adeline’s heart fluttered. She had believed it, but seeing it was different. There were other people underground besides them.
She had thought this was just the Serpiente’s habitat…
The existence of another world beyond the one she’d known her whole life was both exciting and nerve-wracking. How did they live? How advanced was their civilization? Did they speak the same language? How were the districts divided? She had a mountain of questions, but one was foremost in her mind.
“If it’s like this outside, Damian must be alive.” Her voice was undeniably hopeful. But at the mention of Damian’s name, Luce’s expression shifted subtly. He had heard the explanation on their way here, about Damian reading that strange book first.
Still, Luce was skeptical about the idea of him being alive. Even Damian, even if he knew something, couldn’t have survived that hell. The image of countless Serpiente clinging to the ceiling, stretching endlessly, was still hard to forget. Impossible.
“Yeah, he must be alive.” But Luce said what Adeline wanted to hear, something to comfort her. This was the difference between him and Damian. Luce wouldn’t hesitate to be hypocritical for the sake of convenience.
“Maybe the people from other districts helped him. Maybe he’s hiding in District 11 or somewhere else.” Adeline, excitedly raising her voice, suddenly stopped. Luce, who had been looking at the floor, lifted his head, curious why she’d fallen silent.
Then he realized.
Thud, thud. Footsteps. More precisely, the sound of someone approaching from around the corner. Faint murmurs accompanied the steps.
‘Can you hear it?’ Adeline mouthed. Luce nodded, his face stiff. They held their breath and tensed. It was unclear if the other person was aware of them, but the footsteps were definitely headed their way.
Tap, tap.
The footsteps grew closer without warning. The two exchanged glances. They might have to retreat back through the wall. Luce gulped, narrowing his eyes at the corner. Adeline silently drew her gun. Whoever was approaching was unlikely to be friendly.
Words from the book kept flashing through her mind: ‘thirteenth cage, paradise, twelfth cage, serpiente’s lair, escape.’
Counting down internally, she gauged the approaching speed. Three, two, one. A slender shadow appeared, and the moment the figure was revealed…
“Don’t move!” Barely ten meters separated them. Adeline’s aim was fixed on the other person’s head. Startled by her shout, the figure—a girl—hesitated. Yes, the source of the footsteps was a young girl who looked to be in her late teens.
“A girl?” Luce’s voice was filled with disbelief. Then, both of them were taken aback when the startled girl smiled brightly, as if in response.
“Oh my gosh! I almost had a heart attack. Thank goodness! You guys, I’m alive!” The girl exclaimed in a cheerful voice. It was baffling. Ignoring their stunned expressions, she continued talking as if conversing with someone invisible.
“Wow! You guys, I swear, this is too nerve-wracking… I wanna go back now. Thankfully, I ran into other users, so… Hehe. I’m gonna ask them to take me back.”
“Who is she talking to?”
“…I don’t know. Is she… you know?” Luce circled his finger next to his head. The tension dissipated. The small girl posed no threat; they could probably overpower her even barehanded.
Unafraid, she approached them, her cheeks still full of youthful plumpness. Somewhere between a girl and a woman, but still a child.
“Hello.”
“Uh, hello.” The girl politely greeted them first. Luce instinctively replied. She looked young, but it was their first meeting.
Adeline remained silent, carefully observing the girl. With her shoulder-length black hair, cute straight bangs, and flushed cheeks, the girl clearly exuded an air of affluence. She possessed the characteristic naivety of someone who had never faced hardship.
‘From somewhere comfortable,’ Adeline concluded, summing up her first impression.
“Excuse me, are you hunting? I’m lost… I’m sorry, but would you mind if I followed you back? I just need to get to the starting district.”
“Uh… yes? Well, not hunting… uh… you’re lost.” Luce stammered, which was understandable. He’d encountered an actual person ‘outside,’ someone who might even be from a different district.
“But the way back is… uh… a bit complicated…” The more he spoke, the more flustered he appeared. Adeline, watching from the side, gave a wry smile.
‘This idiot. Complicated? What’s complicated about it?’ She’d intended to observe the situation unfold, but the most important thing was to find out where this girl came from and who she was. However, looking at Luce’s vacant expression, she knew it was hopeless. Adeline cleared her throat to draw attention. As the girl turned, Adeline casually brushed back a stray strand of hair and carefully chose her words.
“We’re not familiar with this area either. Before asking for help, shouldn’t you introduce yourself?”
“Oh! Yes, I’m sorry! My name is Woo Yune.”
‘Even for a first introduction, that’s a truly strange name.’
