Story Reader / Main Story / 24 Chaos Unsnarled / Story
It's so c-cold... H-help me...
Anyone... Please... Grab my hand...
Alright, alright, you can let go now.
...Sob... Dad... Mom..
Don't cry out loud. Monsters are lurking nearby. Any noise will draw them over.
...Sob... B-but... Mom and Dad... They can never come back...
...This is the end of the world for you.
They lured the monsters away for you and even left you food. You have to pull yourself together and make sure their sacrifice wasn't in vain.
I don't want food! I want them back!
Shhhh—
The woman swiftly clasps her hand over Lilin's mouth while simultaneously stomping on the expired food can that slipped from his grasp. Only after carefully listening to the surrounding sounds for a period, the man and woman show a palpable sense of relief.
Look, kid, I couldn't care less if you eat or not. All I need you to do is stay quiet. If you make a noise like that again, don't come crying to me when things go south.
Take it easy. He's just a poor kid who lost his parents not long ago...
He's just joking with you. Here, take this.
The woman pries open the lid of the slightly misshapen can and places it into Lilin's mud-covered hands. The touch of the cold metal sends a chill that surpasses even the frigidness of late winter roads, seeping into Lilin's fingertips.
Eat it, or your parents died for nothing.
The woman holds no intention of causing the boy sorrow, nor does she press him to embrace the harshness of reality.
Her voice devoid of any inflection, the woman states the fact, treating it as yet another incident in their endless struggle for survival, just like the countless others that already happened.
Tears continue to stream uncontrollably from the child's eyes, flowing like an unending spring of sorrow and swiftly dropping onto the battered can.
He gazes at the woman before him, her hunched back evoking memories of his mother's frail expression.
Lilin, listen to me...
Mom, Dad... He...
Dad's too tired to run. He just needs a little break...
Is he...
Lilin, you must hold that uncle's hand when you run, as tightly as you can. Don't let it go, alright?
I gave him everything your dad and I have. He'll take you to somewhere safe first.
But I want you to hold my hand. Mom, are you leaving me?
Silly boy... You're the only reason I live for... That's why I'm doing this...
Having said that, the woman choked on her words and instinctively chose to withhold them, unwilling to subject her child to the cruel realities of the world.
It's a deal, then. Remember, you must hold his hand. Don't let it go, alright?
Before hearing the answer from Lilin, the woman pushed him toward the leader of the survivor group with all the strength she had.
Upon ensuring her child's safety beside the man, the woman mustered a smile upon her pallid face. With her hand pressed against the wound on her stomach, she resolutely dashed toward another path.
Lilin, you must... cough... you must run fast! Like this, but faster...
Run!
From deep within her chest, she unleashed a final scream of despair, a piercing cry that cuts through Lilin's mind like a sharp bullet.
He held that man's hand as tightly as he could. Though that hand felt not as warm as his mother's, not as big as his father's, he still held it with all his strength, just as his mother told him.
Hey! You're going to eat or not? Why are you staring into space?
Lilin can't help but clench his hand, his gaze fixed upon the woman's face.
Suddenly, he bursts into action, scooping food from the can with his bare hand and shoving it into his mouth, as if he had been on the brink of starvation.
Sob... Too much salt. It's so salty...
But the soup Dad made with canned food before was really good...
Ah... You can have some of my water, but don't drink it all. Leave me some.
After rummaging through her pocket for a while, the woman retrieves a half-empty bottle of contaminated water and places it next to Lilin.
Returning from his patrol, the man exchanges a meaningful glance with the woman. They step away from the rest of the group, their voices hushed as they start talking.
He must be injured.
The man's gaze shifts toward one of their companions, who is currently taking a moment to rest.
You sure? What are you gonna do?
I saw him pour water onto his left calf. We don't even have enough to drink. No chance in hell he'd waste it on cleaning himself unless there's some kind of injury going on.
So what else can I do? We already agreed that we are just traveling together and nothing more. Everyone should be on the same page... except maybe that kid.
With that being said, the man catches a glimpse of the boy stuffing himself with the canned food, impatience evident on his face.
If the boy's father hadn't given me that half bottle of alcohol last week, I wouldn't have even considered bringing him along. I couldn't care less about the food they left us. Supplies are just waiting to be snatched from all those corpses scattered around.
Heh... And here I thought you still had some sympathy left in you. C'mon, it's just a kid. How about you adopt him as your son?
For what? So he can bury my body once I die? I won't even have a body left to bury if those monsters have their way with me.
But that woman, she was something else. Didn't even bat an eye before getting herself killed, while the kid just clung onto me the whole damn way here. What the hell am I supposed to do? If he can prove himself useful, I guess he can tag along.
See, that's what I've been trying to tell you. You just don't get it. But you might, if you actually take him in as your own son.
Cut the crap.
The woman giggles quietly, the eccentric laugh making her sound like a twitching bat.
Hey, kid, from now on, you're gonna start taking shifts with us for lookout duty.
I'll teach you this once in the morning, just once, and you better learn it. I can't have dead weight dragging us down here, got it?
And, call me by my name. I'm not your uncle.
Without waiting for Lilin to respond, the man proceeds toward his resting spot, while the woman falls silent as well. She retrieves the water she just offered to Lilin and walks away.
Lilin puts the empty can aside, his stomach so stuffed that he feels the urge to throw up.
For the first time, he has finished an entire can of food by himself.
For the first time, he has fallen asleep alone without snuggling up to someone.
With his eyes firmly closed, the boy prays that the food he recently ingested will quickly provide warmth to his body, guarding him from the freezing embrace of the lengthy night.
Several days later.
Ahh! Get away from me!! Arrrggghhh—
A Hetero-Creature hooks the clothes of the crippled man, and he never rises to his feet again.
More and more Hetero-Creatures are drawn to that direction, which buys valuable time for the other people who have already been drained by their frantic escape.
Let's split up!
The hunchbacked woman nods at him and makes an immediate turn, rushing toward a narrow path with a younger woman.
****, I wanted to go that way!
Drained from the relentless running, Lilin lacks the energy to calculate the chances of survival for each path. He tastes the metallic tang of blood in his throat, struggling to breathe like a dying horse, his overworked lungs protesting with every gasp.
There's only one thing left in his mind: hold that uncle's hand tightly and live.
But Lilin has been forbidden from clinging onto the man for support since day one, so he can only resort to staying as close as possible to him.
Ah!
Having pushed his stamina well beyond its limits, Lilin's leg muscles reach a state of uncontrollable fatigue. Caught off guard by a sudden cramp, his body gives way, causing him to collapse onto the ground with an audible thud.
The man running ahead quickly reacts to the noise of Lilin's sudden fall. He slows down and eventually comes to a complete stop, turning around to check on the boy.
Uncle... Wait for me...
Filled with fear and desperation, Lilin raised his hand high toward the man, begging to be lifted up from the ground.
If he manages to survive here, he will do anything for that man—
I beg you...
The man's gaze flickers toward the approaching Hetero-Creatures, still at a distance. In that brief moment, hesitation flashes across his eyes.
Then he swiftly retrieves a can of food from his waist pack and forcefully kicks it toward the child. The metal can rolls across the ground, creating a piercing screech as it moves.
Lilin struggles to rise, but the pain in his right leg hampers his efforts whenever he tries to put weight on it. It's likely that he sprained his joint when he fell.
Don't blame me. You're too useless. I've already done you a favor by keeping you around for this long, and that should be enough to repay whatever your old man did. I didn't even ask him for help in the first place.
Women's screams ring from that narrow path before, drawing the Hetero-Creatures at the crossroad turning toward that direction. However, a couple are still approaching over suspiciously, as if having sensed their prey.
Having seen that, the man quickly disappears from Lilin's view without any hesitation.
Wait... wait for me...
Lilin can't even feel his own tears as he cries out. He raises his hand high, his fingers trembling in despair, trying to grab anything, if there is any, that could save his life.
Garwh—
Hearing the unique, uncanny noise made by Hetero-Creatures from behind, Lilin freezes in his position, holding his breath in fright and waiting for the scythe of the death god to descend.
That's probably how they got mom and dad... It must hurt a lot...
Anticipating the pain from being gnawed to death sends a chill down his spine.
I'm sorry... mom... There's no one who comes to save me... There's no hand I can grab...
In fear and coldness, he gradually loses senses of his own body.
...
It's so hot, Dad... Don't make the fire burn so much...
As Lilin mumbles unconsciously, he reaches out to the rag covering his neck, trying to pull it off to feel less "hot."
Geez! Salans! Th-there's a kid here! He's still alive!
His body is cold. He's dying!
Easy, let me take a look... Darn it, it's hypothermia.
Bring some blankets over!!
Ugh... Dad... It's so hot here...
Hang in there, kiddo. You're gonna be alright soon!
Here, put him in my arms. My coat should be warm enough!
There you go. Be careful.
Let's take a break here. The kid probably needs some time to recover. Ask Musar to take people for lookouts.
No problem.
The swell on his leg looks insane. Did he sprain it?
My goodness, then we gotta be gentle. Let's not move that leg. You can rub his other foot to keep him warm.
Huh? But I'm not really a fan of foot-touching...
Fine... Let's switch up. You rub his hands, alright?
It's noisy and hot. As his nerves are awakened once again, pain starts to rampage in his body.
Someone is holding his hand. It feels soft, warm, just like Mom's hand.
What did Mom say again? Right... Hold that hand... and live.
He's warming up... Eek! He's clenching my hand!!!
Saran, keep your voice down!
...Mom...
Haha, I'm not old enough to be a mom yet... I should be more like a big sister to you!
Saran, will you ever act like a real adult? Ahem... Can you hear me, kiddo?
...Help me...
Saran lets go of Lilin's hands, making space for Salans to talk to the boy.
Sensing the disappearance of those warm hands, Lilin hysterically raises his hands toward the two in front of him, as if drowning in the water of despair once again.
It's okay... You're safe now.
Salans immediately holds his chapped little hand, indulging those frail nails that scratch some lines on the back of his hand.
Don't go... Don't go... Don't leave me alone!
Uncle... Sob... I'll do it. I'll do whatever you say!
I can handle the lookout work... I can practice. I'll practice it every day!!
I beg you... I still... I still have cans of food... Cans! Here! I only eat a little. I... I won't be hungry...
Lilin struggles to extend one arm from the embrace of a robust man, pointing at a can of food lying on the ground nearby with his trembling hand.
The woman next to Salans goes to pick it up and hands it to Lilin after dusting the snow off.
But there's no strength left in Lilin's hand to bear its weight. With a clank, the can drops down in front of Salans.
Please... Take it and help me...
It's okay. I don't need...
Please... I beg you... Take it...
Lilin's gaze is fixed upon Salans' eyes, yet his eyes show no focus. He mumbles the same words again and again, fearing that he may hear something like "forgive me" from the adult.
Alright, I'll take it. As an exchange, you gotta stop worrying and have some good rest. You'll come along with us.
Salans gently strokes Lilin's head and wants to tuck the little hand back under the coat, but that hand is still clenching his as tightly as possible, showing no sign of yielding.
Don't worry. Everything's alright now. I'll come to help you whenever you call me, I promise. Everyone will come to help you. All you need to do now is take it easy and have some rest.
Have some rest... Ah...
Is it...? Yeah... I remember... Everyone was good to me...
So I must prove my value...
I'll stay with you forever...
I don't want to be alone anymore...
...Boss... Saran... Granny Windger... Dad, mom... Cough... I feel awful...
Where are you...
Exerting every ounce of energy, the boy struggles in the Red Tide, trying not to keep falling, yet his effort proves futile.
He opens his mouth in an attempt to call everyone's name, but the tide moves faster than his voice, gushing into his mouth and corroding his voice inside out.
Anyone... Please... You promised...
He is now completely engulfed by the purple-red tide. Some changes are occurring to his body, yet he may forever lose the ability of feeling it.
...
...Huh? It's Saran... I knew you're here... I was right... And the others... You're all here...
You didn't lie to me! That's great... Thank you for your hands... Everyone...
