Subtitle: It's Already Too Late
I grabbed my arm and stood up. I thought I couldn't see properly because of the blood running into my eye. I staggered one step forward.
"Naiadler!"
Naiadler slowly turned his head toward me. My throat felt as if it was tied in a knot. While my body trembled, I stumbled backward.
Even though Naiadler was looking at me, he didn't say anything. All he did was look at me. Instinctively, I reached for my sword. Before drawing it, I called out to Naiadler one last time.
"Naiadler…"
The only sound I could hear was the breathing of the two of us. I drew my sword from its sheath and pointed it at him.
"NAIADLER!"
I took deep breaths and continued speaking.
"IF YOU REALLY TOOK A LIFE!"
Saying this weighed heavily inside me. I parted my lips and continued.
"IF THIS WAS SOMETHING YOU DID FOR PLEASURE… DON'T EXPECT MERCY FROM ME!"
Naiadler threw the corpse in his hand aside and walked toward me, pressing his neck against the sharp edge of my sword.
Naiadler – "I'd bet everything I have that you can't do it."
He said it expressionlessly. My hand began to tremble. I pushed the sword closer and said:
"What happened!"
A few strands of Naiadler's hair fell to the ground.
"I SAID WHAT HAPPENED!"
A faint smile appeared on Naiadler's face. He looked down.
Naiadler – "Everything is just as you see…"
I was angry. I lifted Naiadler's face with the tip of my sword.
"Naiadler, do you even know what this means! Don't play dumb!"
Naiadler's neck slowly began to bleed.
Naiadler – "Yes, I know what it means."
I met my own reflection in the puddle beside us. My eyes were a wine‑red color. My hair was clearly messy, though it wasn't very visible in the darkness of the night.
I shook my head. I held my head and tried to think. While I did, Naiadler grabbed my sword and pushed his head even closer.
Naiadler – "Apollon… I've reached the zero point the man talked about. There's no turning back for me anymore. Please don't try to free me, and please hate me. Believe me, it will make your life more bearable."
I opened my mouth, but all I could do was watch the head that had fallen to the ground. I froze.
"Naiadler?"
I was afraid to look down.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!My hand began trembling, my legs slowly lost strength. I collapsed onto the ground. Everywhere was covered in blood. I could no longer see myself in the puddle beside me.
Suddenly, something slapped me very hard across the face. With a flicker of hope, I looked to see who had hit me.
Naiadler? – "Idiot! And it won't even hurt a bit…"
I quickly turned my head to the severed head on the ground. It was Naiadler's head…
Naiadler??? – "What are you looking at, huh."
I instinctively stepped back.
Naiadler ????? – "Helloooooo!"
Words spilled from my mouth without my control.
Zero – "Once even a single seed of doubt is planted in your mind, nothing can uproot it."
Naiadler ????? – "Apollon…"
I lifted my head and looked at Naiadler.
Zero – "Only I could think of something like this."
Naiadler ???????? – "What are you babbling about? You've completely lost it."
I raised my hand. With an unnaturally wide smile and a strange posture, I pointed at the sky.
Zero – "Prove to me that you're real."
Naiadler – "Idiot! Or wait—damn, I wish I had a camera with me so I could show you this when you grow up."
The fog in my head suddenly vanished.
"NAIADLER!"
Naiadler – "What now."
"That one just now… who was he?"
Naiadler – "It was me. Well, actually, if you'd look properly at the ground, you'd notice it was the 3rd Sur before me."
I quickly turned my head toward the ground. I really could see the stars in his hair, and he looked much more mature.
Naiadler turned his back and started walking toward the depths of the mountain.
Naiadler – "Did you really think I'd feel guilt for killing such a disgusting person?"
I grabbed Naiadler's hand.
"We have to find Odasaku!"
Naiadler shook his arm free and turned around.
Naiadler – "What nonsense are you spouting? That man is strong enough to take care of himself. He's the one who should be finding us."
"Well actually…"
Naiadler raised an eyebrow and looked at me.
Naiadler – "Actually what?"
I grabbed my arm and took a deep breath. I was going to say everything in one go.
"I stabbed Odasaku with a highly poisonous dagger!"
Naiadler – "WHAT!"
"Well, um, that's why—"
Before I could finish, Naiadler grabbed both my arms and started shaking me.
Naiadler – "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT'S WHY? ARE YOU A MENACE? DOES TROUBLE FOLLOW YOU OR DO YOU CHASE IT!"
I quickly pulled myself free from Naiadler's grip and started running.
Naiadler chased after me. I could hear him panting. I turned my head. Suddenly, I stopped to avoid getting caught by a thin rope tied to a dagger flying toward me.
When I looked at Naiadler, he was frozen.
As I bent down to pick up the dagger, I realized something. "Naiadler also ties his daggers to strings and uses them."
While I was thinking this, the person who threw the dagger had already begun attacking.
I stepped back over and over to avoid the attacks. When I reached Naiadler's side, I grabbed his arm and pushed him back quickly.
Naiadler wasn't dodging at all… No, he wasn't dodging on purpose.
"Snap out of it, Naiadler!"
Even though I said this, he still didn't react.
So I ran toward the direction the daggers were coming from to find the attacker.
I quickly drew my sword and pressed it against the person's neck.
"Why are you attacking us!"
When I opened my eyes wider, I realized the person in front of me was Naiadler—No, he wasn't. He was the man whose statue stood in the square.
In the silence, a single voice echoed—a hopeless voice.
Naiadler – "No…"
At that moment, it was as if all time froze. Zero suddenly appeared and touched Naiadler's shoulder.
Zero – "It's your turn, Naiadler…"
Right after he said that, someone threw a sword made of sand toward him.
End of chapter.