[2 hours ago]
Dern's manor was silent, the rustling of leaves was the only sound there. As the servants finished their work, they were already in their room or doing anything else.
The doors opened gently and the people entering were Kayle and Eden (or especially for Jein, "Rhun"). There was dust on Kayle and Eden's clothes after they had spent time in the forest where they got lost. Kayle was trying to stay calm before he would strangle Eden while sleeping.
As they arrived, Kayle immediately abandoned Eden downstairs because he was going to see if Dern or supposedly Jein was here. He opened the door quickly and before he could even enter Dern's room, he immediately saw that there was no one here.
Even after all those long hours, Dern was still not here.
'Something is wrong.' Kayle thought as he checked in his pocket and he took out a device which looked like a kind of watch but there was like a kind of dot which showed the current location of a person.
As Kayle looked at it, his expression became darker and he froze at the time.
"No, this can't be...." Kayle's right hand trembled slightly as he held the device closed.
"Why is this little sh#t of Jein there?!"
* * *
{Jein's situation}
Zhertva and I were still in the basement at this time but we quickly started to search if there was something that might help us to open the closed door and exit the basement.
It's been an entire hour now but we didn't find anything, all the things here were just bones, corpses, boxes filled with toilet paper. The basement was dark and there was a lot of dust and it was even harder without light even if Zhertva and I were used to the darkness of the basement.
After we searched, we rejoined to talk again. I said in a disappointing sight, "Ah... There's no clue or anything that might work to open this damn door."
Zhertva stared at me silently, he didn't even answer my sentence or posed a comment. He was pretty weird since I took him out of that cage, and I don't know why but it feels like he's hiding something from me. Again.
Because when we were searching for anything that might help us, he didn't tell me that he found a box in the back of a hiding door. The door was guided to nothing, It was just like an old storage room and the box didn't contain anything at all.
Maybe I shouldn't have trusted Zhertva this much from the start.
Zhertva was trembling slightly beside me, as if he was going to cry before I could say even anything or question him.
Zhertva spoke in a cute sincere tone, "I'm... I'm sorry, Jein. I know you don't really trust me but... I was just panicking and I didn't tell you about this hidden door."
I listened carefully to Zhertva's words and Zhertva was really close to me right now. It was almost like he tried to do something but I didn't really mind being close to him, so I didn't know what was going on.
Zhertva spoke in a soft voice, "Jein, I found bombs in the box and..."
As Zhertva said that, my eyes widened in surprise. There were bombs in that box? How is it even possible? And Zhertva didn't tell me about that earlier.. 'Was he planning something to perhaps betray me and leave me alone here?'
No, this couldn't be. Even if I don't know anything about Zhertva, he wouldn't do that. Right?
But as I thought more about this, we can escape this basement by exploding the closed door. Even if we would have to fight with guards or something like that later maybe.
And after Zhertva explained everything to me clearly about what he was planning to do with those bombs, I was speechless at this but now I could finally get to trust Zhertva if he's such an innocent person.
(Author's words : bro, Zhertva is not innocent...)
Zhertva buried his head in my chest and gave me a light hug. 'Wow, he is a little emotional..' I thought as I lightly stroked his soft, beautiful hair. After resting, Zhertva and I should prepare for our escape.
I touched Zhertva's cheek. Zhertva's eyes were shining with a few tears falling slightly. And I said in a comforting tone, "Okay. I still believe in you but don't do that again, alright?"
Zhertva's face was slightly flushed by my comfort tone and kindness and he answered me in a weak but a happier voice, "Yeah..."
And a few seconds later, Zhertva whispered to me, "Then I'll believe in you, too."
_ _ _ _ _
After half an hour, Zhertva and I started to prepare for our escape. The bombs that Zhertva used to hide near me were in a box stacked with the others, who had almost nothing or just toilet paper. And because of that, we had to search for it for almost an hour again. Of course, Zhertva forgot where it was.
Zhertva and I are organized, I search the boxes on the right and he searches for the one on the left. As we searched for it, my gaze fell on the code that Zhertva had written on the cage's wall in which he was before.
This code caught my attention even though I didn't really know what it meant. But the closer I looked inside the cage, the more I recognized something. The code was morse. Obviously, I didn't really know those kinds of code but I saw a few of those in some video YouTube Minecraft ARG before. Yes, I was a nerd and I'm sure if anyone hear what I'm talking about,they wouldn't even know what it is.
Morse code was the easiest code I could recognize, but I say that even if this is the only code I can at least deciphered a word. And as I looked at it, I started to decode it.
'So... This is "the" and the other is.. i and n...? But I don't really recognize the first and last letter but is it... king? Ah... It will take hours to know what this means...'
I made a ugly face as I tried to decode what this morse code was telling. I knew the alphabet of it but I didn't remember everything. But... 'The king? Is it trying to say the king in y— okay, I'm not going to do another reference. I must stay focused.'
As I was still in front of the wall, trying to deciphered it, Zhertva approached me and with a soft tone he called me out, "Jein..."
I didn't really hear him as I was focused on other things.
"Jein..?"
So, the code is telling 'The king is... there... for.. our souls...?'
What did that mean? Is there some kind of powerful entity or person or something like that in this place? I didn't know about that stuff in The Hope For A Better World, it was not written in that. But even if I read a whole book, I couldn't really know everything about it. Maybe the world THFABW has something I don't know about.
I was completely focused, thinking about the code and decoding the last few words until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I instinctively turned around to see what it is and weirdly, I felt like a gaze looking at me as a threat. My eyes met theirs, it was a scarlet red, almost majestic but frightening at the same time.
But the second after I blinked, all I saw was just Zhertva in front of me being a little stressed. Maybe this was just an illusion that I saw but... how?
'What the actually fuck did that happen to me?' But I skipped those thoughts as I stood up to see Zhertva that was calling me earlier.
"Jein." Zhertva called my name again and he removed his hand from my shoulder. He looked a little nervous as he was staring at me.
"I'm sorry, I didn't really hear you." I apologized to him in a slightly awkward tone. And I continued speaking, "So, what did you want to tell me?"
"...."
"I already found the bombs when you were chilling. Hmph.." Zhertva was obviously a bit annoyed by me because I didn't continue to search for the bombs. It is cute to see him like that though. He didn't even look at me in the eyes and he was pouting like a cat.
I couldn't help it but I let out a soft laugh. I would tease him so much with that, 'Aww, he's in a tsundere mode now? So cute.'
But I immediately stopped making fun of Zhertva and I started to speak again, "So, you already found them? Where is it?"
"It is there." Zhertva pointed to a small corner next to the secret door that Zhertva and I had found, Zhertva must have put it there and forgotten where it was because almost all the boxes look exactly alike.
"Hm.. interesting." I took a few steps closer to the box, when I picked up the box in my hands, it was not really heavy but it sure had something inside. I glanced to my side before finally deciding to open this box.
Inside the box, there were approximately twenty five bombs with names marked TNT. I gently took a bomb in my right hand, there wasn't really any complicated mechanism involved in this thing; there was just a rope that you could set on fire and it would explode. I looked carefully at the bomb, as I thought that Zhertva and I didn't have anything like a lighter for it to work.
I put the bomb back in the box and turned my attention to Zhertva. He was watching me quietly from behind when I verified the box. When he noticed that I wanted to ask him something, he immediately started talking. "Hm? What's wrong, Jein? Do you want to ask something?"
After a moment of thought, I asked Zhertva, "Do you have anything on you? Maybe like a lighter?"
As I said those words, I realized how stupid it sounded because how can Zhertva even have that with him? He's been locked up here for I don't know how long.
And at my question, Zhertva was really confused by it but when I was trying to apologize about that stupid question, before I could speak, he said something unexpected to me. "Yes, I have one on me."
I froze for a second. What did he just say?
"What? You really have one? How?"
"I found it when I searched for the box, I don't know it was here. Maybe it's just an item of a person who was here too before me." He took a lighter out of his pocket and showed it to me. "Here, use it. We'll need it after all, won't we?"
Zhertva sounded strangely calm as he passed me the lighter in my hands. I stared straight at him before responding in a low tone, "Uh... yeah, thanks I guess."
* * *
And with that, Zhertva and I started to prepare the bombs. We placed them near the door so they could blow it up much more effectively, and we moved the few boxes that were nearby to avoid making too much of a mess.
I held the lighter Zhertva had given me in my hand, and now is the time. We must blow this door open.
I lit the lighter and began burning all the bomb cords. And Zhertva was behind me from being hurt by those bombs if something didn't go well.
The ropes begin to burn and become smaller and smaller as they almost reach the bomb system.
Zhertva and I stepped back on the corner of the basement as we waited for the bombs to explode, I was holding Zhertva in my arms to protect him, but after a few seconds, Zhertva said something that surprised me in this type of situation.
Zhertva held my clothes so tightly in his hands that it made me feel a little bit hurt by his touch.
Zhertva looked up at me and with a soft small voice, he asked me. "Jein, can we kiss before this door explodes?"
I froze at Zhertva's words, I was so confused that I almost let go of my hug on him. What was that? I must have misheard, right? What does he mean by that?
"What...?"
"I said can we.."
"Yes, I heared you but.... Uhm..."
I looked at Zhertva's face attentively because there's no way he's serious right now. Zhertva and I have only known each other for approximately 3 hours and this is not exactly the right time for this. But as I was looking at him, our eyes met and I don't know why but I felt like he was truly sincere about what he actually said.
I answered Zhertva's request with a really terrible lie but that was enough to convince him. "Zhertva, it's not the exact situation for this and we can talk about it later but I'm not gay."
I am gay and Zhertva is definitely my type but it's too early for something like this. And now that I realized, 'I'M STILL IN DERN'S FUCKING BODY!!'
For all this time, I forgot something this important just because I was close to a pretty boy... I'm really pathetic..
But anyways..
As I said that I was not gay to Zhertva, he looked a little disappointed and lowered his head and said in a small voice, "Oh... Okay, I'm sorry, Jein."
(But also, Zhertva is gay asf)
I felt a little bit bad for Zhertva when he made that expression on his face but before I could do anything to make the situation even worse than before, the bombs finally exploded and the explosion caused my ears to experience a ringing or buzzing sound, and it hurt slightly. But rather than that, Zhertva and I were totally because we were a little far from the door.
After a bit longer of time, the buzz in my ears disappeared and I looked at Zhertva who was tightly holding onto me. He was so afraid that I could feel his breathing was irregular and his cold sweats.
I didn't know what to do when Zhertva was like that, all I could do was just having my arms still embracing him warmly as he was holding desperately onto me. And finally, after a few moments, Zhertva released his grip on me and pulled me slightly away.
"Jein.." Zhertva whispered softly, it was like he was just enjoying saying my name with his voice.
And without even looking at me as if Zhertva was going to say something important, he told me, "Thank you for protecting me."
I was surprised by Zhertva's sudden thankfulness.
...
.
.
.
.
「 Zhertva was really sincere at this time, he almost forgot he was supposed to just be acting in front of Jein but in a strange way, Zhertva felt something that he couldn't describe. Maybe he was feeling guilty? Or something else, like maybe, he's starting to feel something else than disgust for Jein?
No.
This is impossible.
How can he?
Jein is just another one on the list, Zhertva is just being a little attached. He's someone who was originally sensitive before, that's it.
After all the things he did, all those █ █ █ he experienced by himself because of 'them', how can he ever trust someone at this point?
Zhertva is just having a hard time working, like before.
He couldn't feel anything that makes him want to trust someone or even be happy.
He can't.
He doesn't.
QRNGU
... 」
.
.
.
.
I looked at Zhertva with wide eyes when he thanked me like that. He was really so cute. "It's normal, Zhertva. I'm thinking we are becoming friends right now." I smiled at Zhertva as I said that.
After a moment of hesitation, Zhertva sighed and he smiled at me back. "Yeah, I'm really glad that you're considering me as a friend, Jein."
After that, Zhertva and I started to walk outside of the door that was exploded by the bombs, when we looked outside this; there was no one else here but just Zhertva and I. And this place was really huge, it looked like a big museum but with nothing and there was so much yellow in the decorations of this place that I realized I almost forgot something really important to ask Zhertva.
"...But also, Zhertva?"
"Yes?"
"Do you know what those codes on the wall of your cage mean? When we first met, you were writing them. What does that mean?"
"Oh.... Sorry, but I don't really know what those codes* mean, I was not in my right mind when we met and.."
"Okay, okay. You don't have to explain yourself like that. It's fine."
"...thanks."
As we finished to discuss, I was looking at the place carefully when I was walking to see them clearly. There were countless large gates in the hall, and they were all of the color yellow. Those gates looked a bit familiar to me since I've known a lot of useless things in my previous stupid life.
After verifying the whole place, there was really no one, no guards or the "king" that the code morse was talking about and there was no clue to escape this large kind of mansion. And I didn't know if those gates were going to take us on the outside or something else that is maybe a trap.
I finally turned my attention to Zhertva who was following me everywhere when I was verifying.
"Zhertva... I already said that you should rest, you're not going to have energy to escape with me if you don't take care of yourself." I was saying that like a big brother talking to his younger sibling.
"I'm really fine, I swear." Zhertva said while he was literally gasping for air after following me, running around all the time like a degenerate.
I sighed at Zhertva's persistence but I gave up and in a serious tone, I asked him. "Do you know anything about this place? You're here much longer than me, you should at least know what these gates are for."
"Uhm.... I..." Zhertva thought for a moment before answering my question with a hesitating voice, "I'm not really sure about that but maybe we can... try those gates and if we find an exit, we can escape."
"But don't you think there's a trap?"
"I... I don't know....."
"...."
'Really? Ah.... fuck, this..'
I was so stressed to escape this place that I was involuntarily irritated by Zhertva but as I was thinking, I calmed down and I started to talk again to Zhertva. "Okay, fine. We will see then, hold my hand."
Zhertva froze for a second. "What..? Holding hands...?"
"Yeah."
"Uhm... Okay." Zhertva placed his delicate hand on mine and we are now holding hands. Zhertva seemed a little embarrassed by that.
The moment was really awkward but we immediately walked to a gate for this moment to end.
We entered the gate and after a simple few steps in it, the gate immediately closed and Zhertva and I were stuck here.
"What the..."
I tried to push the gate or open it with kicks, but all I received was humiliation for myself, and the door is still closed. And sure, I was still holding Zhertva's soft hand, we couldn't separate now that we're stuck here. Besides, we couldn't really see very well inside here; everything was black, as if we were trapped in the void.
I turned my gaze to look at Zhertva, "Zhertva, I think we should... Huh?!"
It's only now that I noticed that Zhertva was not on my side, all I've been holding hands now was just the air. "Where the freak is he??"
I was completely stressed now, there's no one here now, it was just me and I didn't know where I could escape this or maybe that there's some kind of monster who will attack me here. But before I could even do anything for myself, I felt like the floor was not beneath my feet and when I looked at it..
I fell into the hole that could take me I don't know where. But when I finally opened my eyes after this horrible fall, I was in the hall again.
"What is happening here?!" And Zhertva was not on my side now, I was all alone. And now, crazy things were happening in this place, I couldn't even know what I would endure now.
But as I stood up from the floor to regain a bit of control, I heard a strange sound in my ears. I turned my head towards where the sound was coming from; it was like a growling sound mixed with desperate cries that I had never heard before.
The sound was coming from a gate. What was behind it?
____________
Notes :
*QRNGU : for the readers who don't know what that means, it's cipher ROT13, and this means DEATH
You will know the meaning of why Zhertva thought that in the story in the next chapter.
**Codes : for the codes they're talking about, if you already forgot, it's in the previous chapter and the morse code is;
- .... . / -.- .. -. --. / .. ... / - .... . .-. . / ..-. --- .-. / --- ..- .-. / ... --- ..- .-.. ... // .-.. . .- ...- . / -... . ..-. --- .-. . / - .... . / -.. .. ... .- ... - . .-. / .- .--. .--. . .- .-. ...
But Jein only translated the first part of it and I'm not going to translate that by the characters in the future chapter, so here's what it said :
"THE KING IS THERE FOR OUR SOULS"
"LEAVE BEFORE THE DISASTER APPEAR"
_ _ _
Author's note :
Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter.