"When I was young, when Count Lisban told me about it, I always thought it was just a legend."
"It can't be more real than the Queen of the Sky or the statues of the gods in the temple."
Moriah stared at the latter with a complicated gaze that Thales had never seen before.
Thales recognized that expression.
That was the expression on Quill Barney Jr.'s face when Samel failed to take the oath.
Disappointment, emptiness, pain, and regret.
There was also a hint of confusion and helplessness.
"However, the story that has been passed down from generation to generation in my family is true …"
He stared at the youth, his head shaking slightly, his chest heaving up and down.
It was as if he no longer knew this companion who had gone through thick and thin with him for a short period of time.
The foreign prince who shared the same fate as him.
In the face of Moriah's arrow, Thales could only bite his lower lip.
At that moment, it was as if even the pain in his chest was no longer important.
What could he say?
What should he say?
"… Calamities are humans, or monsters that look like humans."
Moriah's gaze never left the target. The crossbow in his hand could not help but tremble slightly.
"They breathe, eat, walk, and live in every corner of the Sector just like us. Their every move is exactly the same."
He subconsciously murmured, his tone ethereal.
It was as if he was retelling an old story from long ago.
"But they are not us."
"In the end, they will tear off their masks and reveal their true selves to begin destruction and slaughter."
Thales subconsciously tightened his fist over his chest.
Moriah's eyebrows slowly furrowed. He took a step back, as if he could not believe what he was facing.
He gritted his teeth and took a few deep breaths. The scene from earlier flashed through his mind.
"You are, aren't you?"
"Like just now?"
Thales was silent for a while as he leaned against the wall.
His face was ashen and did not look any better under the bright red light of the fire.
In the end, they are not us.
They would eventually tear off their masks.
Thales vaguely remembered every time he lost control and knocked on the Door. He remembered the Thales who seemed to know everything in his dreams, and the consequences he faced every time he snapped out of it.
"I don't know."
After a long time, Thales spoke in a tone that made him sound as if he was in a dream.
"Even for me, this question is full of mystery."
Moriah also remained silent for a while.
In the deep and serene dungeon, for a moment, only their breathing could be heard.
Then, Moriah's cold laughter echoed in the air.
"So, among the calamities that King Raikaru fought with … which one are you?"
Thales was a little absent-minded.
Moriah enunciated each of his words with the most solemn and wary tone.
"King Disaster?"
"Nightmare?"
"Blood catastrophe?"
"Secret disaster?"
"Calamity before?"
With each word he said, Moriah's expression became sterner.
These words only appeared in the legends of the Walton Family, but he had never taken them seriously.
Calamity.
As he listened to these unfamiliar and strange terms, Thales frowned slightly.
Then, Moriah raised his crossbow with one hand and said his next sentence.
"Or are you the leader of all calamities — the Bane of the Gods?"
The bane of the Gods.
When he heard this familiar nickname, Thales felt another pain in his chest.
The teenager no longer looked at Moriah. He lowered his head and said in a tone that was half relieved and half lonely, "Neither."
"I'm a …"
"Newbie."
Moriah paused for a moment.
"Ha."
His shoulders swayed slightly, and his laughter was a little mournful. Even the fire and the crossbow trembled.
"So, you are like the White Blade Guards. There are newbies …"
There was a faint mocking tone in his words.
Thales tried his best to curl up the corners of his lips while he did not know what to feel.
"Yes.
Mystics, calamities. "
As he thought about it, his mind wandered a little, and his tone was dejected.
"Everything is like a nightmare. No matter how much you force a smile or how much courage you muster …
"But in the dead of night, when you wake up from your dreams at midnight, it will always return to you —"
Moriah's crossbow trembled slightly.
"Enough."
"Calamity."
He interrupted Thales and stared at the latter. His gaze was unfamiliar, his lips were cold, and the veins on his hands bulged.
"Do you know that no matter which temple it is, no matter how dilapidated or how weak the church is, they all warn every king of Eckstedt that the calamity that destroys the world will return and destroy us like how it destroyed the Final Empire?"
Thales did not look at him. He just closed his eyes.
"I …"
But Moriah was not prepared to let him answer.
Nuven's son clenched his teeth and spoke. His fingers tightened on the crossbow's arm as he forcefully suppressed the complicated emotions that he had nowhere to vent.
"Do you know what kind of terror, despair, sacrifices, and casualties Raikaru and his peers endured in the Battle of Eradication to miraculously turn the situation around, defeat the crazy and evil calamities, and build Eckstedt? Do you know what kind of terror, despair, sacrifices, and casualties every Walton was taught since they were young?
Thales did not open his eyes. He forced himself to curl up the corners of his lips.
"Is that so?"
The Prince of Constellation could feel that the bleeding from his nose had stopped, and his strength was slowly recovering under the nourishment of the Sin of Hell's River. The pain in his chest was also gradually alleviating.
At least, he should be able to stand on his own.
But for some unknown reason, as he faced Moriah, who was glaring at him furiously, and as he faced the seemingly shaky Crossbow of Time …
Thales suddenly felt very tired.
It turned out that the companion who once went through danger with him, the companion whom he thought he could entrust his back to …
Would become like this.
This was the calamity.
It was him.
And his own future.
He thought gloomily.
A pleasant female voice that he had not heard for a long time rose in his ears.
"You are walking further and further down the path of misfortune.
"Mystic, this is not a gift or a blessing … It is a curse and misfortune."
As he listened to Moriah's hateful and heavy breathing, Thales suddenly felt as if he was having a long dream that drained his spirit.
In this dream, he had no hope of waking up.
"So, this is our end."
In the dungeon, another spark burst from the torch.
"Was it you?" Moriah asked coldly.
Thales still had his eyes closed.
"What?"
Moriah stared at Thales, who looked miserable. Anger and doubt burned in his heart at the same time.
"Six years ago, Dragon Clouds City … Those legendary monsters would not have appeared for no reason."
Moriah gritted his teeth.
"Tell me.
My father's death, and your covert act of 'destroying half of Dragon Clouds City' …
"Are they all related to you?"
He subconsciously raised his voice and emphasized his words.
"Look me in the eyes and tell me!"
Thales' eyebrows twitched, and he instinctively opened his eyes.
He stared into Moriah's eyes in a daze.
His eyes were filled with anger, pain, hesitation, and bloodshot.
Thales' thoughts slowly drifted away.
He drifted back to that night in Dragon Clouds City.
'Ah, yes.
'Broken eaves.
'Mottled, broken walls.
'Dead silence everywhere.
'Those … things I thought I could put behind me.'
He trembled, but this time, it was not because of pain.
Instead, it was because his heart suddenly tightened.
'Because of those unavoidable facts.'
A second later, Thales absentmindedly spat out that word.
"Yes."
Moriah's arm tightened.
"That night.
"That calamity, and the hydra, Kilika," Thales said in a trembling voice as he stared into Moriah's eyes.
"They went to Dragon Clouds City and caused the deaths of so many people …"
Thales closed his eyes in pain.
"It's all because of me.
Me. "
Silence.
For a moment, even Moriah's breathing stopped.
* Clatter! *
The sound of the torch falling to the ground.
In the next second, Thales felt his collar tighten. He was lifted by the furious Moriah with one arm and pressed against the wall!
* Bang! *
The teenager grunted as he endured the sluggish feeling in his chest. Suddenly, he felt pain in his chin. Moriah had already pushed the Crossbow of Time to Thales' chest and pointed it at his head. The protruding tip of the arrow pressed against Thales' skin, bringing him waves of pain.
Thales had never seen Moriah like this.
The latter's expression was ferocious. His breathing was heavy, and he gritted his teeth. The muscles on his arms and the veins on his neck were extremely obvious.
He was like a raging lion.
Just like … the former Northland King.
"How dare you!"
Moriah growled in a low voice. Thales could feel the former's muscles trembling.
He grabbed the teenager's collar with his left hand and held the crossbow with his right hand and right shoulder.
The string on the Crossbow of Time was extremely tight. It was ready to be fired.
It was about to devour someone.
Moriah suppressed the hatred and anger in him that were like a volcano.
"You damn … Do you know what kind of sin you bear, and what kind of disaster you will bring?"
But Thales' eyes were still, and he allowed Moriah to threaten his life with a blank expression.
"How dare you get close to them?
How dare you get close to Dragon Clouds City, Eckstedt, Father, and … Alex! "
Moriah gritted his teeth so hard that they chattered. His eyes were bloodshot.
"Get close to her country and her people!
"My people!"
Moriah's entire body trembled, and he almost lost control.
"You brought misfortune and inauspiciousness to them, and you brought misfortune like the Bloody Year to them!
"Do you know that your existence is the source of all disasters?!"
Thales felt another sharp pain in his chin. He could feel the tip of the arrow piercing his skin as it trembled.
'Alex.'
This name was one step faster than an arrow, piercing into his dazed brain.
'No.'
'He's talking about … her.
'Little Rascal.'
In his illusory memory, the beautiful girl with the pince-nez turned around and covered her mouth. She looked at him with faint surprise and an indescribable gaze.
"'You want to take me away? Take me back to Constellation? "'
At that moment, his almost scattered thoughts became clear.
Thales sucked in a breath through his teeth. He ignored the pain in his chin and said forcefully,
"I know."
Moriah's nerves were still tense. He glared at Thales, as if he was going to pull the trigger the next moment and pierce through Thales' head.
The teenager said bitterly, "I know it better than you.
In fact, I know it better than everyone else.
"From that day onwards, I know everything that happened around me."
Every single pair of eyes in Shield District that wanted to breathe but could not.
Every single person under the hydra who cried and ran for their lives.
Every single corpse in Dragon Clouds City that was cold and still.
And he could only kneel in the middle of the road and hug the only warm life in his arms. His face was covered in tears as he trembled.
"I'm sorry." Thales shut his eyes tightly. With a heart full of loneliness and sorrow, he said softly,
"I'm sorry, Moriah."
He clenched his fists.
'All those things happened around me …
'Blood debt.
'It's the consequence of him.
'It's something he had to face.
'It's not something he can calmly forget and avoid with a simple sentence like "it wasn't my intention", "I had no choice", or even "it's not my fault", or an even more disgusting sentence like "it's a pity, but it's a necessary sacrifice".
At least, he could not.
"For … everything that happened."
Moriah's breathing became heavier.
Thales' collar was pulled even tighter. He could even feel a drop of blood trickling down his neck under the threat of the arrow.
A long time ago, Thales had imagined a similar scene.
But in his imagination, he faced a large group of people and an entire world. Regardless of whether they were acquaintances or strangers, their faces were blurred, and they pointed at him, a monster who brought countless disasters.
'Now, I'm already very lucky, I think.
'Am I not?'
When he thought of this, Thales felt relieved.
He opened his eyes gently and looked at Moriah calmly. He looked at the anger and sorrow in the latter's eyes.
'Moriah …'
He thought faintly.
'I don't know …'
When this brave prince, who used a smile to hide his heaviness and humor to cover his sorrow, walked alone to the end of the world and drifted to the edge of the sea …
When he looked in the direction of Northland, where he had complicated feelings, and looked at the hometown he had left behind …
When he received the news that Dragon Clouds City had suffered a disaster and his father had died suddenly …
How did he feel?
"So, this is it?"
Thales completely calmed down, and a smile appeared on his lips.
"This is our end?"
The man's eyes were still red, and he stared at Thales.
The anger in his eyes did not diminish.
This reminded Thales of the moment he opened his eyes in the desert.
At that time, it was this red-haired Quick Rope who blinked his curious and excited eyes …
When he thought of this, Thales sighed softly.
"Right, while there's still a chance …
"Thank you, Quick Rope.
"Thank you for saving my life in the desert."
He said softly.
At that moment, Moriah trembled slightly.
He tightened his left arm and pressed Thales against the wall with greater strength. His right hand trembled as he pulled the trigger of the black crossbow.
Thales closed his eyes.
He waited for the man's decision.
The next moment …
* Thud! *
Thales only felt the right side of his face tremble!
Before he could figure it out, he felt the world spin, and he flew sideways against the wall!
He fell hard on the ground.
"Cough, cough …"
Thales groaned in pain, and his entire head buzzed.
He first felt a numbness that spread to half of his face. A few seconds later, it turned into a burning pain that made him grimace.
Thales trembled as he climbed to his feet, trying to see what was in front of him even though he was surrounded by stars.
'How …'
In the next second, something hard was stuffed into his left hand.
Thales was first shocked, then he realized that it was a sword hilt.
Soon, his right arm was tightened, and he was pulled up!
A thick and broad shoulder was placed on him.
An arm was placed on his waist, and he was forcibly lifted up.
In his shock, Thales shook his head vigorously to get rid of the stars that filled the sky.
It was only then that he saw something in shock.
He was leaning against Quick Rope's shoulder. Sometimes his head was high, and sometimes it was low.
From the teenager's angle, he could only see the side of Quick Rope's face. He could not see his expression clearly.
The arrow in Quick Rope's hand had long since disappeared. It had been replaced by the torch that fell to the ground.
"You —" He only managed to say one word before his cheek, which had been punched by Quick Rope, started to hurt.
"Shut up," Quick Rope interrupted him mercilessly. As he gritted his teeth, his unstable and hesitant emotions could be vaguely seen.
"The enemy is still here."
He raised the torch and shone it in front of him. His entire body trembled.
"We have to go to a safe place."
Thales was stunned.
"But —"
"Shut up!"
Quick Rope turned his head around. His eyes were red as he glared at Thales fiercely. His tone was filled with the boorishness and roughness unique to Northlanders.
"Don't force me to hit you again! I still remember those two slaps! "
After he finished speaking, he did not even look at Thales. He turned his head away, and his breathing betrayed his complicated emotions.
Thales stared at the side of his face in a daze.
The torch swayed, and the air was quiet.
An indescribable feeling rose in his heart.
The prince lowered his head and gritted his teeth. He dragged his weak body, leaned against Quick Rope's shoulder, and caught up with Quick Rope.
The two of them left the unconscious Marina behind. Their breathing alternated between fast and slow, rapid and slow.
They were not fast, but they were steady.
The two of them moved forward in silence for a distance. They stepped over a few corpses and finally arrived at the stone stairs that spiraled upwards. They began to climb up.
The scene was immersed in this strange atmosphere for a moment.
In the silence, Thales suddenly chuckled, and it seemed especially abrupt.
Quick Rope's footsteps came to a halt.
Thales continued to chuckle.
"Shut up!"
Quick Rope retorted rudely. His tone was heavy, and his attitude was malicious. It gave Thales the illusion that he had returned to Northland.
"What's so funny?"
Quick Rope raised the torch high, turned a corner, and gritted his teeth.
"It's nothing." The exhausted Thales shook his head.
"I'm just very happy."
He paused for a moment, and with a heart full of grief, he punched Quick Rope's chest.
"I'm very happy that you're still the same."
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