Escape - Chapter 8.1
Chapter 8.1
***
It wasn’t easy to regain my composure. My mind reeled, as if I’d been slapped across the face. Who would simply agree and leave their lifelong home when told to do so on the spot?
Besides, even disregarding that, Kyle’s words were utterly insane. Go to District 12, a place no one has ever been? And without any preparation or weapons, no less!
Once my head cleared, I instinctively redirected the elevator, which had stopped on the ground floor, back to the 15th floor. If I was going to venture out into a Serpiente-infested world, I needed to be armed.
“…Crazy,” I muttered to myself, surprised by my own actions. Logically seeking out a weapons dealer meant I was buying into Kyle’s story. It meant believing the accident was deliberate, that the metaphor in that novel was real, and that I had to flee to a living hell to escape the authorities. Utter nonsense.
But if not that, then what was I supposed to believe?
I held two choices in my hands: dismiss Kyle and stay home, or believe him and leave District 13. The former seemed more plausible, but I had to believe the latter. Because if Kyle was right, it meant Damian was alive.
Despite using the unpleasant word ‘tragedy,’ Kyle hadn’t refuted my speculation that Damian might be alive. He’d actually said, ‘It’s likely.’
It was the first glimmer of hope I’d heard in nearly two days. That alone was enough justification for this madness. Knowing how rational Kyle usually was also played a part.
With a familiar ding, the elevator stopped on the 15th floor. Praying Lilith hadn’t left for the day, I stepped out.
A short, hurried walk brought me to the brightly lit jewelry store.
“Still open…” I murmured, pushing open the glass door. The inside was eerily quiet.
“Lili! Lilith!”
After a moment of silence following my shout, I heard a stir from the dark corner of the store. A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
“…Adeline?”
“Lilith, can you open the armory for me?” I blurted out, foregoing any explanation. I knew I sounded crazy. I knew this impulsive behavior made me seem unhinged. But the thought that Damian might be alive, waiting for help, made me frantic. I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing; I might actually lose my mind.
“The armory? At this hour…? Adeline, are you alright? I… I heard the news…” Lilith’s pale face was etched with worry. She’d heard about the incident too. She’d probably seen Damian’s name on the casualty list.
“I’m fine. This is urgent. Show me the armory.”
“No, you don’t look fine. What’s going on? Why the armory all of a sudden?”
“Damian might be alive.”
“What?”
“I have to go help him. I need to be armed, at least… Oh, I don’t have any money with me right now… You know my birthday, right? It’s the code to my apartment, so you can…”
“Adeline!” Lilith’s sharp voice made me flinch. Her face was now ashen, almost blue.
“What are you… Just sit here for a moment. I’ll get you something to drink. Let’s talk this through, okay?”
“Lili.”
“I think I know what you’re thinking. But you can’t jump to conclusions, can you? Come on. Have you even slept?”
“…You think I’ve lost it,” I murmured, looking down at her hand gripping my arm. My friend was clearly worried about me. She probably thought I was sleep-deprived, starving, and having a delusional episode.
Maybe she was right.
I was in terrible shape, and my judgment was definitely clouded. Like many with weakened minds, I might have fallen for some hopeless, cult-like nonsense.
But still…
‘You have to run.’
“He’s probably telling the truth. He’s unpleasant, but not the type to mess with people like this.”
‘Right now.’
“A man? What are you talking about? Did someone say something strange to you?”
“If you’re not going to open the armory, I’ll just go.”
“Addie.”
“I need to check other places before it’s too late.”
“Adeline.”
“Don’t worry about me, I’ll just…”
“Damian is dead!”
My shoulders jerked at the sudden outburst. The trembling voice pierced my eardrums. My heart began to pound. A surge of something rose within me, then abruptly cooled, like a pot yanked off a burner. A chill settled in my stomach. I slowly turned, still frozen in the posture of leaving.
“He’s not.”
“If he wasn’t dead, he would have come back. Don’t you understand, seeing as only his left arm returned? Accept reality. It’s the only way he can rest in peace.”
Holding my breath, I stared blankly at my friend’s worried face. Her plump, pale cheeks looked so innocent. My gaze fixed on the dark hair falling across her forehead. Finally, I managed to move my stiff tongue and whisper, “How do you know?”
“What?”
“How do you know only his left arm came back?”
