I Pray That You Forget Me - Chapter 113
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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Bang!
A thunderous roar echoed through the sky, and a tremor shook the ground beneath my feet. At that moment, as the dark sky flared a bright red, someone screamed behind me.
“It’s an air raid!”
Of all times, why now?
“Rize!”
My prey shouted and rushed toward another one of my targets, who had collapsed in fear.
“Return to the bunkers!”
“Where’s the cellar?”
“Ahhh!”
“Don’t push!”
From the barn behind me, the screams of those trying to escape mixed with those returning. Meanwhile, the air raid sirens began to sound belatedly across the valley.
Before my eyes, bombs fell incessantly, their flashes turning the world a fiery red, yet I stood my ground, refusing to flee.
The light of death colored the mountains beyond.
* * *
The Falkland forces mistook another valley beyond the mountains for a government hideout and unleashed their air raids there. Thankfully, Eisenthal remained safe, but fear began to take hold that the next attack would be on our location.
Reluctantly, more people considered abandoning their ancestral homes. Yet, no one could escape the valley. The government and military had issued a travel ban in the Eisenthal region.
The local residents, forcibly conscripted as laborers, knew the bunker’s location and layout. In the eyes of the government, we were all potential traitors.
In the end, no one could leave or enter without military permission and oversight. Goods could only be exchanged through checkpoints set up on the roads, and all correspondence with the outside world was subject to checking.
“Cough….”
The government, which had thoroughly prevented people from leaving, could not stop the plague from entering.
“Cough, cough….”
An influenza outbreak from unknown origins, swept across the continent. It had spread to the front lines, where the military was fighting not against the enemy, but against the plague.
Though this was not reported in the newspapers, rumors spread from mouth to mouth, reaching even this remote mountain. Eventually, the disease made its way to me as well.
“Cough….”
Lying sideways on the bed, losing the battle against my cough, I was startled by a crashing sound and looked up in shock.
‘No, no!’
The lock of the bedroom door, which I had secured with a key, was being forced open by Johann’s strength. In that moment, a surge of energy coursed through my limp body.
I quickly got up and rushed to the door, bracing my whole body against it. The door, which had opened just a crack, slammed shut again.
“Haah…”
That was close. Just as I relaxed in relief, a throbbing headache returned. Having already exhausted my strength, I leaned against the door and slowly sank to the floor.
Should I drag the mattress and blankets over here and lie down?
“Open this door.”
But I didn’t have the strength left to do so, so I closed my eyes and listened to Johann’s pleading voice from behind the door. There was no need to press my whole weight against it anymore; Johan had stopped pushing.
With his strength, he could easily break the lock even with his bare hands, so he could easily shove the door open at the same time. Yet, he seemed worried I might get hurt and only begged without trying to push the door any longer.
“Rize, please don’t be stubborn.”
I usually concede to Johann on most matters, but this was something I absolutely could not compromise on. Even with a thick door between us, I tightly covered my mouth with my sleeve and shouted.
“If you want me to rest, can’t you just let me be instead of trying to nurse me?”
There was a reason I was being harsh to the man who wanted to take care of my sick self.
Johann must not catch the flu. If someone who has had tuberculosis catches this flu, it could lead to a relapse.
The mortality rate for those who had tuberculosis is alarmingly high, and many die from the flu before they can even experience a relapse. I had heard horrifying rumors that, as soon as the flu started circulating in the nearest tuberculosis hospital, patients were dying in droves.
‘Johann is in danger.’
As soon as I felt symptoms this morning, I sent Johann away and locked myself in the bedroom. Since the government had issued a school closure due to the flu, Johann hadn’t gone to work, and he had gone to pick up the free medication distributed by the government.
It was only after he returned that he realized I had locked the door. He had been trying to persuade me to open it, but I had stood firm.
I thought he would give up, but here he was, trying to break the door down. It was so unlike him, and I was still taken aback. I wondered how much it would cost to fix the lock.
Just thinking about it made my head throb again, and Johann’s persuasion started up once more.
“Rize, you just need to sleep. Just a little, open it a bit. I’m only trying to give you some soup.”
It wasn’t a lie; the smell of soup was wafting through the crack in the door, but it was clear that was not the only reason he wanted to come in.
“You’re just going to use that as an excuse to get in. I don’t need soup…”
Although, to be honest, the smell was enticing, and I felt a twinge of regret.
“Just slide a biscuit under the door.”
Earlier, I hadn’t had any appetite and had forgotten to prepare anything to eat. I still had no appetite, but past lunchtime, my stomach was starting to grumble.
“A sick person should not be worrying about such trivial things…”
