Mrs. Gregory and Seventh continued their argument, words flying back and forth. Mrs. Gregory firmly believed she wasn’t wrong; she was simply trying to find a way of life for herself and all the villagers. On the other hand, Seventh, no matter how she explained it, refused to accept it. The principle was to adhere, not to break.“Mrs. Gregory, are you sure someone from outside can solve our problems? In my view, the two of you are only making things more complicated,” Seventh argued.Mrs. Gregory replied, “So, do we have another solution? Is there anyone in this village capable of resolving it? You tell me.”As the argument reached its peak, Jonas, who had been trailing them, overheard their conversation. Earlier, when Seventh and Mrs. Gregory had walked out, he had followed them. Somehow, he felt something was amiss. Seventh seemed unusually concerned about whether or not someone was leaving the village. Although he knew this matter was related to their ancestors’ heritage, had anyon
Etham and Liliana continued to argue relentlessly, each holding their own opinion, refusing to yield. Those around them couldn’t contain themselves any longer, and they split into two factions, engaging in heated disputes.“I think what Etham said makes sense. We don’t need to be responsible for anyone!” A woman walked up to Etham and spoke assertively.However, many others were displeased with their views. Clearly, everyone in this place had received the village’s hospitality. Now, when they had the chance to leave, were they willing to discard all those favors? Regardless of what was said, it was extremely hard to accept!“Bringing Karl onto the boat, how should we do it? We have so many people. Can’t we control him if he goes mad? Miss Liliana mentioned it earlier. Karl needs to get out for treatment.”“That’s right. We owe them, and now we need to repay. Not to mention, we can’t stand by while someone dies. I still believe in science; Karl is ill and needs to be taken out for trea
After Elena’s words, a series of other women spoke up. They also wanted to board the boat, feeling that they were not inferior to men in any way. They could seek help, just like the men. One of the most vocal among them was Daisy.“Yes, I’m definitely getting on that boat. I don’t know, I’m not satisfied. You can’t be biased like this,” Daisy proclaimed. This might have been the first time everyone saw Daisy so resolutely, even more determined than Elena.“Let someone else take my place; I won’t board the boat anymore. I need to stay behind and assess the situation of the injured. Besides, I trust you will come back to rescue us,” Liliana spoke up. She willingly relinquished her position to others. From the beginning until now, it seemed as if Liliana never aspired to that position; she even felt that what she truly desired was to remain here.Seeing Liliana decline the opportunity to leave, Count Armstrong remained silent, his gaze still fixed on Daisy.Therefore, there was an empty
This left Jonas in shock. At first, Jonas believed that the paper left behind by Mrs. Laura was a clue leading him to the culprit. But it turned out to be a warning, a hastily written warning. Now Jonas could understand why this paper was under his bed and not somewhere in Mrs. Laura’s room. It was meant for him. Perhaps Mrs. Laura had foreseen that something would happen to her, so, before her death, she left this note as a desperate message. Mrs. Laura had no children, but subconsciously, she might have seen Jonas as her own, not wanting him to stay here, in a place that could kill him at any time.Invisible to others, the paper left by Mrs. Laura had become a heavy burden on Jonas. First, he felt a profound sense of sorrow. Mrs. Laura had protected him before her death and hid this warning under his bed. Yet, Jonas couldn’t protect her and could only stare at her body hanging in the air. Until now, he still couldn’t find out who had caused her death. There was something else that m
Both of them lay quietly on the bed, but neither spoke to each other. Sleep eluded them both.The recent events troubled Jonas. His initial purpose when leaving the town and boarding that ship was to go to a new, peaceful city to cultivate his magical abilities. However, fate had other plans. The shipwreck had thrust Jonas into a battle between life and death, eventually leading him to this peculiar village. His original intentions and the reality of his current situation were complete opposites. He had sought serenity but was now burdened with perplexing matters that left him increasingly headache-ridden.Karl, on the other hand, rolled restlessly on the bed. He couldn’t close his eyes without the image of Paul, the little dog, stabbing at his heart like a knife. For many years, Karl had been living alone, and Paul had become his constant companion. Their relationship had developed beyond a mere pet-owner bond; it was more profound than that. But everything was now beyond repair, no
“Jonas, is there any noise outside?” Karl asked anxiously, looking over at Jonas.“Yeah, it sounds like someone shouting,” Jonas replied. He immediately got up, picked up a walking stick next to him, and rushed outside. A sense of unease was creeping in.Karl didn’t hesitate and followed Jonas.Outside, everyone had already rushed to the street. The narrow road was packed with people.Jonas stood to the side, quietly observing the situation. Karl’s house was made of sturdy wood and designed to be soundproof, which had allowed both Jonas and Karl to remain oblivious to what was happening outside. When they opened the living room, they were shocked to hear the commotion. The weather outside had taken a turn for the worse, and it was now extremely severe. The strong winds were blowing relentlessly, causing several thorny trees to uproot and lie on the ground. The snow was steadily accumulating in thick layers, covering the ground. Occasionally, in the distance, tornadoes appeared, and a
Now Jonas had to make a choice: think of himself or the lives of others. Far in the distance, the boat was continuously tossed about, and the wind was getting stronger. It was only a matter of time before the boat would completely capsize, and the ten people on board would become ten lifeless bodies sinking into this nameless river. The icy wind relentlessly bit into Jonas’s skin, while the snow fell without mercy onto his hair. Watching the desperate figures, Jonas’s inner conflict found an answer. If he went out to save people now, he might not die, but that other “species might devour him.” However, if he stayed here to protect himself, his conscience would die. Once the boat sank out there, Jonas’s conscience might be drowned as well, and he would spend the rest of his life in agony and regret.Having decided, Jonas immediately dashed forward, aiming for the direction of the river. That was his answer, and his conscience had triumphed.“Jonas, stop!” Karl’s agonized cry pierced th
The waves grew larger, and the wind showed no mercy, directly striking Jonas in the face. Jonas kept swimming, struggling against the waves. Naturally, he encountered many difficulties, but he had expected this. He clung to the lifeline, fearing that any moment of distraction might cause him to lose it, and the waves would sweep away the boat. Jonas bobbed up and down as he continued to swim against the turbulent water. The river’s water level had dropped by now.People on the shore watched Jonas as he swam closer, their eyes wide with astonishment. They couldn’t believe that Jonas was still alive, let alone swimming back to them. It was beyond the imagination of everyone present. They couldn’t believe that a human could contend with the forces of nature. The scene before them was truly ferocious.“Look, it’s Jonas, isn’t it?” Seventh shouted.“Do you see it too? I thought I was seeing things!”“Yes, Jonas is alive, he’s still alive, he’s swimming towards us!”Karl also looked in the