"What an idiot Kiana is… Don't you already know…" On the empty road late at night, Shu muttered while walking forward with his head down, his voice so soft that no one could hear him.
"Do you think I haven't tried? Is that guy… that easy to take care of? Do I even have that ability?" Shu continued muttering. He didn't know who he was talking to, but along the way, he just kept walking and talking.
"She eats so much… And makes so many demands, and I can't control her… besides you, who can?" Shu gritted his teeth. "So don't try to throw these errands to me. What do you think I am?"
"Wait… I will find the medicine… I will give you a chance to lecture that Kiana…"
Shu whispered, lifting his head. He looked at the road ahead with a grim expression. He was trying his best to search his memory for any landmark.
He would bring these two to medicine and treat their wounds before looking for Kiana and the others.
Shu had thought about going back, to look for those two hot pot restaurants Mei had mentioned, but he didn't want to turn around, even though he knew in his heart that going back was the best option.
His arms had started to ache, and Shu could no longer hide the sound of his footsteps. Each step was heavier than the last.
His breathing was ragged. A drop of cold sweat slid down his face and was blown away by the night wind, leaving a trace of coldness.
He continued forward, searching as he walked.
As he walked, Shu's gaze became clouded over.
Mechanical movements supported Shu as he moved forward. From the recognition at the beginning to now, Shu seemed to have lost his ability to think. Only one thought remained in his mind.
"I must move forward… And then find…"
Find what? It wasn't important… The most important thing now was to keep moving forward.
The blood on his arm had dried, the soreness in his legs had vanished, the colors, the warmth, the sounds had all left Shu. Only the weight on his back and the girl in his arms were vividly clear.
It was as if they were the only things he had left.
He moved forward numbly, until the road no longer allowed him to move forward.
Shu kicked the curb, and that broke his balance and shifted his center of gravity.
"Ugh!" Shu fell forward. The only thing he could do was to tighten his arms, holding the frail body in his arms securely.
Shu's head hit the ground, making a muffled thud. Shu groaned. His vision went blank for a moment, before it returned with a mixture of chaotic colors and lines, slowly resolving into that twisted world.
Besides the pain, Shu felt that his head was warm. But Shu didn't look. He lowered his head, seeing the girl still lying quietly in his arms. He smiled softly.
The warmth on his head slowly spread, along with an unrelenting dizziness. Shu moved his body and tried to stand up.
But that fall seemed to have awakened his exhausted body. All the energy in his body was redistributed. Shu felt like his body was drained of all its energy.
Shu struggled for a moment before realizing that standing up was a fool's dream, let alone that he was carrying two people.
Shu took a breath, finally pulling out one arm. He wanted to support himself and stand up.
But his arm was also in great pain, as if it was being torn apart, like a piece of his flesh was missing.
Shu blankly turned his arm and saw the dried blood covering it. And then, he looked down and saw that his body was covered in dark red blood, flowing from his arm all the way down to his pants, and finally connecting to the trail of blood on the ground that seemed to stretch endlessly.
Oh… Shu blinked, averting his gaze.
I was injured… I'd almost forgotten…
The dizziness was becoming stronger. Nausea, distorted vision, and endless heart palpitations all kicked in. Combined with the "main course" of pain, Shu couldn't help but want to curl up on the spot.
But Shu still pressed his hand against the ground, gritting his teeth, supporting his upper body.
The wound on his arm sent a jolt of pain through him. The warmth from the wound spread. It was the same warmth as his head.
Bending his legs, Shu finally straightened his body and knelt there, breathing heavily.
His vision started to become focused, the scene before his eyes became clearer.
A little bit of starlight… It was as if the stars were right in front of him. Shu blinked. Then he realized that it was just the glass that was reflecting the light.
This scene… was somewhat familiar.
Shu slowly lifted his head, and saw three large, dimly lit characters. His drooping eyelids finally opened fully.
[Train Station]
It was that same train station… the train station near the academy… What's here? Why did I come here…?
Shu took a deep breath, then paused and started coughing violently.
His coughs made him stumble, but it also completely woke him up.
There was… medicine here!!! There were supplies!! Everything he wanted was here!
He remembered it clearly!
Inside those suitcases… Inside the blind boxes he opened, there was everything!
A sudden energy surged within Shu. He gritted his teeth, held Bronya, and carried Mei. He knelt, then stood up firmly.
Then, Shu ran into the waiting hall with excitement, stumbling but determined. With a thump, he fell straight to his knees on the floor, and carefully laid Bronya down. He then untied Mei from his back and laid her flat next to Bronya.
Shu didn't look to see how they were doing. Instead, he immediately supported himself and tried to stand up. But before he could take two steps, Shu suddenly fell again.
Limits and collapse rarely came at the same time. There was usually a process of "unburdening" in between.
After Shu fell with a muffled thud, the hall became quiet.
The silence lasted for a good few seconds. Shu suddenly moved again. He struggled to support his body and shakily walked toward the corner of the room. He reached out and opened the fire cabinet, retrieving the fire axe.
The fire axe wasn't heavy, but Shu's hands trembled as he held it, and it slammed onto the floor, striking a small spark in the dark.