Ch. 6: Encroaching Miasma
Before the barbed wire that blocked off the forbidden grounds, Lucien stood as if frozen, clutching my hand.
Lucien: "The border of the grounds should be further back from the barbed wire… Does this mean…the area is spreading?"
OO: "…the forbidden grounds are spreading?"
Lucien: "This has never happened before…what does it mean?"
Lucien was pale as he stared fixedly on the boundary, and seeing him like that made it really dawn on me that this was a terrible, unheard-of occurrence.
Lucien stood there for a short time in silence when…-.
Lucien: "If it grows beyond the barrier of the barbed wire…it will be catastrophic. I have to hurry and find the cause."
OO: "Eh…"
He let go of my hand, which he had been holding on to so tightly…
Then Lucien headed towards the barbed wire and into the forbidden grounds.
OO: "Lucien!"
Lucien: "Hurry and get back to the castle."
Those were his parting words as he turned his back to me, and I…-.
[CHOICE]
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Refuse and grab his arm (SUN)
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Refuse and hold him (MOON)
OO: "I heard that this area is dangerous and filled with miasma."
Lucien: "I'll be fine. I…there's no way for my wings to get any blacker."
OO: "But…"
Lucien: "OO…"
Lucien turned to look at me, his expression serious.
Lucien: "I can't waste a single second, I have to hurry and find the cause. I have to do something…before it can't be undone."
Seeing Lucien's ghastly expression, I felt my hands that clung to him gradually weaken.
Lucien: "I'm going."
OO: "Ah…"
As we grew further apart, I unthinkingly held my hand out towards his back.
His face just then…I can't let him go in there alone.
OO: "Then…please, take me with you!"
Lucien: "…what?"
OO: "I'll be fine; I don't have wings like everyone else."
Lucien: "No. I don't know what'll happen if someone without wings is exposed to the miasma."
OO: "Please. I know there's probably nothing I can do… But I think it would be better to have two people go instead of just one."
His pure black eyes seemed to waver with some emotion.
It was like he wanted to push me away, but he wanted me to be there… My heart ached as I saw all those complex emotions flit across his face.
After a little while…-.
Lucien: "…stick close, no matter what."
His response was short as he firmly gripped my shoulder.
From that, I could feel his body heat through the fabric on my shoulder.
OO: "I will…!"
I hesitantly gripped Lucien's clothing as I crossed the threshold into the forbidden grounds shrouded in miasma.
OO: "You can't…!"
As if in a daze, I grabbed Lucien's arm as I realized what he was doing.
Lucien: "Let go. At this rate, there will be more like me…"
Lucien tried to pry me off with a trembling hand.
OO: "Lucien!"
Even though I knew I shouldn't enter, I had no control of myself as I clung to Lucien.
Lucien: "OO…?"
His voice seemed so small as he called my name, and his body was trembling.