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墨書 Inktalez
Eileen looked around in shock. The people who had once been filled with pain and despair now radiated happiness, as if they were experiencing some kind of blissful illusion. Her heart was overwhelmed with indescribable confusion and fear. How could this all be real?
She ran frantically toward Mark and Lisa, her heart filled with endless hope and despair. However, when she reached out to touch them, her hand seemed to pass through the air without any resistance, penetrating the past effortlessly. Mark and Lisa chatted happily, their faces glowing with joy, as if they were completely unaware of Eileen's presence.
"Mark! Lisa!" Eileen screamed, trying to get their attention. She waved her arms frantically but felt as if she were trapped in a silent dream where all sounds were swallowed up. Mark and Lisa simply smiled, glanced around, and continued their cheerful conversation, entirely oblivious to Eileen's existence.
Eileen's heart was filled with unbearable pain and despair. She fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. Her body trembled under the weight of this immense blow, filled with countless regrets and self-blame.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Eileen cried out, her voice heavy with endless pain and remorse. "I shouldn't have brought you here... I'm sorry..."
Her voice echoed in this pristine cubic world, as if expressing the despair and helplessness deep within her heart. Mark and Lisa continued to smile and chat, completely unaware of Eileen's presence. Their happy smiles filled her with profound contradiction and agony.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Eileen kept apologizing, tears mingling with sweat as they slid down her cheeks and dripped onto the white ground. Her heart was filled with countless questions and confusion, but at that moment, she felt too weak to seek answers.
The sound of cicadas rang out again, gentle yet steady. "Child, you do not need to blame yourself; none of this is your fault. They are happy now; you should be glad for them."
It continued, "This place... is everything I have given them, the reward that these loyal followers possess."
Eileen responded angrily, "You're just deceiving them! They were doing well in the real world! You don't understand anything!"
The cicada chuckled lightly after hearing this, its voice laced with disdain and mockery. "Hahaha... Don't understand? Is everything you see truly real? Do you know Mark's pain? Do you understand Lisa's sorrow? Do you grasp the townspeople's centuries of grief?"
A surge of intense anger and confusion welled up within Eileen. She could not accept the cicada's words, yet they pierced her soul like a sharp blade. She turned to look at Mark and Lisa; their faces were radiant with happiness as if they had found true joy in this world.
"Mark's pain... Lisa's sorrow..." Erin murmured softly, her heart filled with countless questions and struggles. She had always thought she understood them, but the words of the Cicada left her in a state of shock and confusion.
"What you see is just the surface," the Cicada continued, its voice imbued with an indescribable power. "You think you know everything, but in reality, you know nothing. The pain they endure in the real world is beyond your imagination. Here, this is their relief, their redemption."
Tears filled Erin's eyes as she struggled to accept it all, overwhelmed by confusion and despair. "No... this can't be... they shouldn't be here... none of this should have happened..."
"You believe you can save them, but all you've brought is more suffering." The Cicada's voice grew deep and cold, as if revealing a merciless truth. "Accept reality, child. This is their choice, and it is their fate."
Images flashed before Erin like a rapidly playing film. She saw Mark in his past as a war correspondent, scenes of bloodshed and violence flooding her vision. Severed limbs, shattered buildings, the roar of artillery, bodies piled high—death's threat loomed everywhere. Each image was etched deeply into Mark's memory, allowing Erin to feel the fear and trauma he had experienced.
Mark's figure on the battlefield flickered continuously; he risked his life to document the brutality of war, his face set with determination and resolve. Yet behind it all lay endless pain and despair. Erin witnessed him losing comrades on the battlefield, shielding civilians amidst explosions, shedding tears for innocent victims in hospitals.
Then the scene shifted to Mark's life after returning to normal society. Every night, he was haunted by nightmares that robbed him of peaceful sleep. His complexion was pale, his eyes filled with exhaustion and pain. During the day, he forced a smile, acting carefree as if nothing mattered. But Erin now understood that it was merely a mask he wore to hide his inner wounds and fears.
Her heart swelled with unbearable pain and regret as she saw Mark waking up in the dead of night, drenched in sweat, gasping for breath, his hands trembling. The memories of the battlefield clung to him like ghosts, refusing to let go. She saw him standing before a mirror, staring at his reflection with a glimmer of helplessness and despair in his eyes.
"This can't be..." Erin whispered softly, her voice filled with shock and confusion. "Mark has always been so strong; he never..."
"You think you understand him, but what you see is only what he wants you to see," the Cicada's voice echoed again, still gentle yet steady. "His pain is unimaginable; every day he battles his own fears and traumas."
Erin's tears spilled over once more; she couldn't believe everything unfolding before her eyes, yet those images felt so real that they pierced her heart deeply. "I'm sorry, Mark... I didn't know you were carrying so much..." she choked out, her voice heavy with endless regret and guilt.
She fell to her knees, helplessly watching those scenes unfold before her, her heart brimming with countless questions and pain. She knew she couldn't change the past, but she hoped to understand and support Mark so that he would no longer face it all alone.
"This is his liberation, the peace he has been seeking," the cicada's voice continued, filled with sincerity and sorrow.
The scene shifted, and Erin found herself witnessing a familiar sight: Lisa being bullied during her school days. Lisa was cornered by several classmates, her face etched with fear and helplessness. They shoved her around, mocking her, leaving her feeling utterly humiliated and in pain. Tears streamed down Lisa's face as despair filled her heart.
At that moment, Erin appeared without hesitation, rushing forward to drive away the bullies. Her face was a mask of anger and determination as she stood protectively in front of Lisa, like a solid wall. Lisa looked at Erin with gratitude, her eyes sparkling with admiration as if she had found a savior.
From that day on, it seemed that Lisa lived under Erin's protection. Whether at school or in life, Erin was always by Lisa's side, becoming her guardian and supporter. Lisa held deep respect for Erin, but gradually a hint of resentment began to grow within her. She admired Erin's bravery and strength but also felt increasingly small, unable to escape this dependency.
Deep down, Lisa longed to break free from such a relationship, yearning to live independently and carve her own path. However, every time she tried to step out from Erin's shadow, fear and unease would surge within her, making it impossible to persist. She felt trapped in an invisible cage—unable to escape yet unable to accept it.
In the scene, Lisa sat alone in a corner of the library during her university years, her eyes filled with loneliness and struggle. She worked hard to find her direction, but whenever she faced difficulties, she would unconsciously seek Erin's help. The pain and shame of her own inadequacy tormented her, yet she felt powerless to change this reality.
As Erin watched these scenes unfold, an overwhelming sense of regret and anguish washed over her. She had never realized the pressure she had placed on Lisa; she had always thought she was helping Lisa but had overlooked the desires and struggles deep within her.
"I'm sorry, Lisa..." Erin whispered, her voice heavy with remorse and guilt. Tears streamed down her face once again as she could no longer contain the pain inside. "I didn't know... I really didn't know..."
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