~Chapter 131~
I felt my toes touch the air. But at the same time, I felt the strong arm that pulled me up.
“Wait a moment…”
The man’s voice behind me was low and firm. But there was a wetness in his voice that made my whole body stiffen.
At that moment, I struggled to breathe.
…I shouldn’t hesitate any longer.
A world I had never faced before.
All I knew was the name of the owner of this body.
In this unfamiliar world, I had fallen, losing everything I had.
Someone who didn’t know anything about my situation.
I felt a little angry that he had saved me.
If I didn’t act now, I would hesitate again.
My gaze naturally fell to the terrace below.
“……Ah.”
I saw the house I used to live in, bathed in bright sunlight.
Everyone seemed to be reaching out to me, saying this was where I truly belonged.
Was I possessed by a ghost? No, even if I were, it didn’t matter.
“Let go of me!”
I struggled with all my might to escape from the man’s embrace, but his large hand stubbornly covered my eyes.
“……!”
With my vision darkening, I couldn’t see anything.
I quickly grabbed the railing, trying to hold onto the vision that had disappeared in an instant. But the man, holding me tightly, stepped into the room.
“Let me go!”
I tried to resist, but the more I struggled, the stronger his grip became.
In anger, I bit his shoulder, but he didn’t flinch, as if it didn’t hurt at all. He only gently stroked my head.
“It’s not your fault.”
The sudden voice made my body stiffen.
‘What is he saying…?’
The man remained still, as if he had just spoken something obvious.
He kept repeating that everything would be fine.
Maybe it was because I was in the relatively young body of Bianca.
The adult-like tenderness in his touch made something hot rise up in the back of my neck.
……What does he know about me?
He couldn’t have felt the guilt I carry, nor could he have felt the emptiness I feel.
I wanted to say something harsh, but the emotions that flooded me held me back.
“Not everyone knows everything from the start. That’s how the story begins.”
The wet voice rang in my ears, and there was a strange certainty in it.
Even in this chaotic situation, he seemed like someone who had accepted this moment from the beginning.
“……”
I didn’t understand what he meant.
I felt like I should ask right now, but my throat was tight, and no words came out.
His embrace, so unfamiliar yet strangely warm.
I didn’t know anything about this world, and I knew even less about this man.
But somehow, it felt like he had known me for a long time and had been holding me.
My eyes began to sting.
“You’ll get what you want.”
“……”
“But, this isn’t the way.”
There was a desperation in his voice, heavy with sadness.
…Could it be Cedric?
Or was it Leon, who had spoken to me before?
No, it wasn’t either of them. They weren’t as large as this man.
Plus, his voice was different.
…Or perhaps, someone who knows me?
I cautiously lifted my face to see the man’s face, but only a shadow of darkness appeared.
“……”
It was an odd sight, but it didn’t send chills down my spine.
Maybe because I felt he wasn’t someone who would hurt me.
I swallowed the overwhelming emotions with difficulty.
“Think of all of this as a dream.”
The man kept wiping my face and continued speaking.
“Everything around you isn’t real.”
…Not real.
“Then what about you, sir?”
“……”
The man let out a sigh that sounded almost like the air had left him.
It was a ridiculous laugh.
Of course, this man didn’t sound old.
‘But still, how frustrating.’
He hesitated for a moment before gently touching my cheek.
“Yes.”
“……”
“So, don’t cling to anything in this world. Just make your wish come true.”
“……”
“By enduring, you’ll eventually find a way to return.”
I opened my mouth, unsure, but his tone was so full of certainty that doubts began to cloud my mind.
“How do you know that?”
“I know everything. I’m someone greater than I look.”
This man had endured for a long time in this world.
So, he must know a lot.
I hesitated but finally spoke cautiously.
“So, did you endure and eventually get what you wanted?”
“Of course.”
His answer came easily. As my eyes widened, he smiled faintly.
“At first, I made a lot of mistakes, and I regretted many things.”
“……”
“I also wanted people to understand me, but now it doesn’t matter.”
His gaze, which I had been staring at, began to tremble slightly.
“Just being able to be with you now is enough for me. I’ve already achieved my goal.”
“……”
“I just hope you won’t be alone for too long.”
Is that all he wants?
Memories shattered like a broken mirror scattered around me. Something seemed to come to mind, but it disappeared suddenly, over and over again.
Somewhere in my mind, something screamed for me to remember, but the more I tried, the more my head throbbed with pain.
At that moment, the man grabbed me.
“Whenever you feel that this place is terrible, remember my words.”
“……What words?”
“Don’t blame yourself.”
I froze.
“As you said, this world is made of letters, so don’t shift the blame elsewhere.”
“……!”
“No matter what moment comes, this is all part of the flow that was meant to happen.”
He paused.
I couldn’t see his face, but it seemed like he was wearing an expression of pain.
The man was blurry, as if he existed on the boundary between reality and fantasy. But perhaps it was his presence that made me feel anchored to reality.
I couldn’t even see his eyes properly, but his gaze felt heavy and painful.
“……Promise me.”
His voice came after a long silence.
“Promise me that you’ll endure until then.”
The desperation in his breath felt like the last thread tying everything together.
“That you won’t let go again…”
The man’s fingers hovered in the air before gently touching my wrist.
The tremor I felt was transmitted to me, and I nodded with great difficulty.
Yet, he seemed to not fully trust my words, as he said nothing.
But I couldn’t argue. I was just as confused, and I couldn’t fully believe his words either.
“No matter how unfamiliar and burdensome this place is, you’ve already endured a lot.”
I could feel an indescribable sadness and turmoil in his emotions.
After hesitating in silence, his hand slowly moved and placed something in mine.
And at that moment.
“……!”
The broken memories began to piece together, creating shapes. The memories rushing in were strange, yet oddly familiar.
Just then, something swirled inside my head.
***
[Bianca was a greedy person. She had to get whatever she wanted by any means, and only then could she be satisfied.
She wanted something badly.
Ricardo Hessen.
A man she had desired since she was young. But his love was directed elsewhere.
If she could take away his place to return to, it wouldn’t hurt so much.]
***
Suddenly, I was trapped in the scene that overwhelmed me, and I gasped for air.
“This is……”
But when I regained my senses, I was standing alone in the room.
‘A world made of letters.’
The only thing left from the unknown man was a single sentence.
