Escape - Chapter 35.1
Chapter 35.1
Adeline’s curiosity was short-lived. She seemed lost in thought, staring into space, but he couldn’t focus on her. The moment he sat up, a dizzying rush, like blood flowing in reverse, shot through his veins.
A primal, unnatural hunger gnawed at him, unlike anything he’d felt in the serpent’s lair. ‘I want to devour. To tear and swallow. To rend flesh and quench my thirst with flowing blood.’
He gasped, covering his eyes with a hand, his dark hair falling across his forehead. For three days now, this intermittent craving had tightened its grip around his throat, growing stronger with each passing hour of starvation.
The metallic scent of blood, once a distant memory, had long since sharpened into a blade, slicing him open. And yet, he had just promised not to kill any humans. He couldn’t even explain to himself the reason for such a self-imposed shackle.
His mind swam in a crimson haze, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His heart hammered against his ribs, his pupils dilated, unable to focus. Then, he heard it.
“…Damian?”
A hesitant voice pierced through the violent throbbing in his ears. He didn’t answer, only looked down. When he continued to struggle for breath without responding, Adeline must have sensed something was wrong. She tossed aside the clothes she’d just bought, rushed to his side, and cupped his face in her hands.
“Are you alright?”
Again, he didn’t answer, but this time, Adeline didn’t press him. Instead, she froze, her body stiff with shock.
‘A serpent. Eyes still and watchful, like a serpent lying in wait. A Serpiente poised to strike.’
“….”
She shouldn’t have shown her fear. But her fingers recoiled involuntarily. And in that instant, he realized. His cold gaze narrowed, tinged with a murderous intent.
In a flash, he reached out and grabbed the back of her head, pulling her close.
“Are you afraid?”
Her breath hitched. His familiar scent filled her nostrils. His face was inches from hers, his head tilted as if to kiss her, his dark hair, like strokes of ink, falling onto her forehead. Adeline exhaled slowly, a shallow breath.
Between breaths that belonged to neither of them, he murmured, his lips barely moving.
“Your fever has broken.”
His low, husky voice sent a shiver down her spine. Adeline blinked slowly. She didn’t ask how he knew. It was common knowledge that Serpiente could sense temperature. It was how they hunted humans in the dark labyrinth. How even experienced explorers perished in the lightless depths….
“…There’s no reason for me to be afraid of you.”
Her words implied that she knew he wasn’t human.
“That’s a lie.”
He chuckled, his eyes meeting hers. She had noticed it in the serpent’s lair, too—he smiled easily. Like a boy teasing a girl he liked. His eyes, a blend of innocence and cruelty, were mesmerizing.
“It’s not a lie. I’m just worried. You look like you’re in pain.”
He was still panting slightly, though less than before. It seemed less like improvement and more like suppression. Adeline cautiously reached out and stroked his cheek. His beautiful golden eyes widened slightly, then narrowed, capturing her image within their amber depths.
Plip. Plop. It must have been around then that the rain began to fall. He had been silently watching her, then suddenly asked,
“Why did Damian die?”
The abrupt question, coupled with the sudden downpour, startled her. She hadn’t even registered the first drops of rain.
The nightmare sprang to life, masquerading as reality. The man on the bed, reading Escape. His question about wanting to raise a child above ground. The blood-soaked scene, only a left arm remaining.
Warmth turned to icy cold.
“The fact that you took his name means he’s definitely dead.”
It felt like a carefully constructed grave was being violently unearthed. He watched her reaction, then continued, his voice measured.
“If he’s dead, why did you mistake me for him?”
His quiet question hung in the air, mingling with the falling rain. She couldn’t answer, as if her voice had been stolen. Even after her hand fell from his cheek, her lips moved soundlessly for a long moment.
“Damian… I mean, you… you went ‘outside’ and never came back.”
“‘Outside’?”
“The Labyrinth.”
His expression remained neutral as he waited for her to continue. If he had simply not returned, there would be no reason for her hesitation.
“People said Damian was eaten by a Serpiente… that he died. They only found his left arm… It didn’t make sense. Damian wouldn’t die like that. So I went into the Labyrinth. And then… I met you.”
Her words tumbled out in a jumble, but he understood. That’s why she had cried so hard when they met. First, at the thought that Damian had survived, then at the realization that he was dead. The tears were different, but their source was the same. An intense love for someone. He felt an inexplicable pang of annoyance.
“So I believe you’re Damian. Somehow, Damian, eaten by a Serpiente, ironically, was reborn as the creature that killed him, as… you.”
Her voice cracked a couple of times, choked with emotion. As Adeline wet her lips, his golden gaze lingered on her full, now glistening lips. His eyes fixed on her mouth, he slowly spoke.
“If what you say is true, you must hate Serpiente.”
“…Hate? That doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
