Chapter 544

Time seemed to freeze, in their deadly standoff, only the sound of heavy breathing echoed in the air, seeing the old man still struggling, the red-eyed Leon suddenly grabbed a chopstick from the table and viciously plunged it into the old man’s throat, he pulled it out and stabbed it back in repeatedly, blood spewed everywhere.

Finally, the light in the old man’s eyes began to fade, his body stopped struggling, and his head slumped down weakly.

Leon released his grip, staring blankly at the old man before him as complex emotions surged in his heart, he had never imagined he would end a person’s life with his own hands, but in that moment, he knew he had no other choice, he stared at his trembling hands as blood dripped from them, drop by drop.

Leon tried to calm himself, but the terror and panic crashed over him like a tidal wave.

“I… I killed someone…” Leon muttered, his voice thick with disbelief and despair, he slumped to the floor, clutching his head with both hands as tears welled up in his eyes once again.

In this moment, he felt an unprecedented loneliness and helplessness, as if his entire world had collapsed, he was clearly the person who treated me best, why did it turn out like this? His parents had passed away, and no one else cared for him, he had thought meeting this old man was a stroke of incredible luck, yet it still ended up like this.

All the strength seemed drained from Leon’s body, he sat paralyzed on the ground, everything around him becoming blurry and distant, the lingering alcohol mixed with the brutal shock of reality made his brain feel as though it had been struck by a sledgehammer, he tried to sort through his thoughts, but every attempt felt like struggling through thick fog, unable to find a way out.

The hut’s lighting was dim, a single sallow candle flickered on the table, casting mottled shadows across the room, the air was thick with the stench of blood and the pungent smell of alcohol, the two scents creating an indescribably oppressive atmosphere.

Leon’s breathing grew rapid and heavy, every breath felt like inhaling icy blades that pierced his heart and lungs, he looked down at his blood-soaked hands, they looked so alien and terrifying, he had never thought he would become this, a murderer who had personally taken another’s life, his heart was filled with remorse and terror, as if countless voices were condemning his crime and mocking his incompetence.

“I… I killed someone…” The phrase echoed on a loop in his mind, like a demonic curse he could not shake, he looked up at the old man lying on the floor, that once-kindly face was now twisted and horrifying, eyes wide open, brimming with unwillingness and resentment.

A violent wave of nausea surged in his chest, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to erase the scene from his mind, but the memories rushed back like an unstoppable tide, he recalled every detail of his time with the old man: the warm smiles, the words of care, the seemingly casual help, he remembered the comfort and encouragement offered when he was lonely and helpless, the long-lost familial warmth.

He even began to doubt his own judgment, did I misunderstand him? Was it just a hallucination caused by the alcohol?

But when he opened his eyes and saw the lifeless body on the floor, all his illusions shattered.

…

He understood that all of this was real, he had indeed ended the old man’s life with his own hands.

An unprecedented despair and loneliness enveloped him, as if the entire world had abandoned him.

Just then, faint footsteps broke the silence, Leon jerked his head up, looking toward the door, he saw a figure slowly walk in, it was a woman wearing a white dress.

She stood at the door, eyes complex as she looked at Leon and the old man on the ground, her face held no shock or confusion, instead, she revealed a gentle gaze.

“Leon, it’s okay, this isn’t your fault,” her voice was warm and sweet, like a spring breeze.

Leon did not answer, he silently lowered his head, he knew he could not explain any of this, nor could he face his sister, he felt like an orphan abandoned by the world, curling up in a corner, lonely and helpless.

The woman slowly walked over, crouched beside him, and gently patted his shoulder, trying to offer a trace of comfort and strength.

“Leon, tell me what happened, why are you here? Why did all this happen? Just say it all out, as long as you speak, you’ll feel much better,” her voice remained incredibly gentle.

Leon looked up at her eyes, which were full of concern, and tears welled up again, he choked out, “I… I don’t know… I just… I just drank a little bit of wine… and then… then he touched me… he said… he said he wanted to help me… but…”

His words broke off intermittently, unable to continue, tears rolled down his cheeks like pearls from a snapped string.

The woman furrowed her brows, she understood Leon was in a state of extreme fear and confusion, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and said gently, “Leon, don’t be afraid, I am right here with you, we will face all of this together, okay?”

Leon nodded slightly, but his body still trembled unceasingly.

Seeing this, the woman asked nothing more, she simply gripped Leon’s hand tightly, trying to pass warmth and strength to him.

Time passed minute by minute, the atmosphere inside the hut grew heavier and heavier, both fell into silence, each lost in their own thoughts, scenes of his time with the old man and the horror of this night replayed on a loop in Leon’s mind, his heart was fraught with contradiction and struggle, he did not know how to face all of this, nor what would become of his future.

Watching this scene unfold, Adam’s heart felt incredibly heavy, although he could see the woman, he knew full well she was a hallucination, she was a phantom figure Leon’s mind had conjured to protect his own sanity.

Right at that moment, a flurry of urgent knocks shattered the tranquility inside the hut.

The woman frowned, she stood up, walked to the door, and peered out through the crack, she saw several constables in official uniforms standing outside, their expressions solemn.

A/N:

Extra chapters

Dragon – 1 Extra Chapters

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