Escape - Chapter 34.1
Chapter 34.1
“Luce?”
The low voice echoed in her ear, questioning, laced with a note of displeasure. Adeline blinked, trying to regain her bearings. The lingering warmth of the fever still clouded her mind, but the shock remained. ‘How could I?’
She had completely forgotten. Luce, waiting at the guild, and the Escape scroll in his possession. ‘I’m so sorry, Luce. Everything happened so fast.’
“…He’s my colleague. We were supposed to come together, but I left him behind.”
With a self-deprecating sigh, she rested her forehead against his chest. They had already crossed the World Sea, and Luce was still at the guild’s quarters. Considering what she had done, there was no guarantee they would leave him unharmed.
Taking a deep breath, she made up her mind and lifted her head. Looking into his cold, gold eyes, shadowed by the darkness, she declared, “I have to go to District 10. Help me cross the sea again.”
A brief silence followed, punctuated only by the sound of the waves. His response wasn’t the emotional comfort she expected for her concern for her colleague. His dry gaze swept over her earnest face before he abruptly asked, “What’s in it for me?”
“What’s in it for you?”
“If I help you find your colleague, what will you promise me?” His low voice, emanating from somewhere deep within him, resonated with an unsettling power. She had never heard the voice of a demon, but she imagined this was how it would sound if it needed to entice a human.
“What do you want?” she countered, surprised by his question. His eyes, shimmering with a bluish light, made her feel like she was bargaining with a beautiful demon. A foolish human offering their soul for mere worldly glory.
“Damian.”
“What?”
She thought she had misheard. Her mind went blank for a moment.
“Give me the name Damian.”
Silence descended. The throbbing in her ears seemed deafening. When she didn’t respond, his gaze, sharp and expectant, raked over her face, from her long lashes to her stunned cheeks, nose, and lips. She felt as if she had been struck. While she had been weighing his memories, he had known the true condition of existence.
Existence begins with a name.
Adeline remained Adeline after fifty years not because the contents of her body were identical, nor because her appearance was unchanged. The materials that constitute a human are constantly being replaced, and no human can escape aging.
Therefore, what defines her is relationship and name. He wanted to be acknowledged as Damian by receiving the name Damian. He yearned to grasp the relationship that the name evoked.
“….”
But the question was, did he understand the weight of the name he wished to bear? That was why she hesitated. It felt unfair for him to step onto the seesaw without knowing anything. Adeline took a deep breath.
She needed to make it clear.
“Yes, if that’s what you want. But on one condition.”
At her added words, his intense gaze, which had been fixed on her lips, slowly rose to meet her eyes. His golden eyes were mesmerizing, yet chillingly cold.
“If you want that name, you must stop killing people from now on.”
“Why?”
“Because they are alive.”
After a brief silence, 12 let out a low chuckle. But his long, narrow eyes didn’t smile.
“That’s a word game.”
“Why?”
“It doesn’t explain anything.”
“Perhaps. The most meaningful words are often born from meaningless letters.”
His emotionless eyes stared at her, unblinking. Their gazes locked in the air. Adeline didn’t shy away from his piercing curiosity.
“Fine.”
Finally, the answer came from the darkness. The sandy beach, guarded by the night sea, was blue and faint. His features, so similar to Damian’s, were barely visible. Only his beastly yellow eyes gleamed with a faint light, making her heart pound.
