Chapter 60: Rhovan Torsk I
The moment Marek reached the western checkpoint, it was already abandoned.
’It seems I was late. This is definitely that group’s fault.’
Brushing those thoughts away, he looked around the abandoned checkpoint. There were still concrete barriers covering most of the road, but they seemed to have left a pathway in between, just enough for smaller transport vehicles to pass through. When he looked at the open booth through the car’s window, papers were scattered on the floor—smudged and dirty.
There was also a taped notice covering something on the wall by the booth.
CIVILIAN PASSAGE — SPORTS COMPLEX ACCESS ONLY
After reading it twice, he turned his gaze to the road westward. Apparently, it was the direction where that silver-white-clad woman had gone. That meant Mara had also gone the same way.
For almost three hours, he had not seen those people actively trying to find him again. It bothered him more than when they were actually following him. Inside the sedan, he checked the rear-view mirror, but it seemed strangely peaceful.
"Do you think they’re waiting somewhere ahead?" Celeste asked.
"Hmm." Marek nodded.
"And you’re still going? I don’t know if you’re stupid—"
Celeste stopped speaking. It seemed like she already realized she was overreaching. She knew firsthand the motivation for why he kept going when he could just give up.
He shook his head, the strength of his grip on the steering wheel increasing. "Because Mara might also be somewhere ahead."
He drove the sedan, trying to fit it in between the concrete barriers.
His thoughts were filled with Mara and his mother. At some point, his sense of time left his body, and he thought he reached the old sports complex faster, when it took him almost an hour to reach it.
Lowering his head, he looked at the old sports complex. It had become another temporary shelter for uncontrolled people who awakened their marks. There were also rows of tents that covered most of the field outdoors. Near the eastern fence, smoke kept coming out... it seemed people were cooking using those metal drums that had been cut in half.
’Fascinating...’
He looked at the center of the open old sports complex. Its main stadium building seemed darker than the other structures surrounding it. Based solely on the cables and several dead portable lamps near one entrance, part of the electrical system had probably stopped working sometime after Day 367.
Marek did not drive directly toward the place.
He planned to go on foot, so he parked behind an abandoned delivery truck almost three streets away from the place.
Even then, he did not use the nearest entrance. He circled part of the complex first, checked the streets around it, then found what seemed to be a drainage corridor behind one of the maintenance buildings.
He used that.
Nobody stopped him when he came out near the side of the stadium.
’That’s strange...’
A shelter this large should have had someone watching the entrance. Even the smaller stabilization posts had volunteers sitting behind plastic tables asking people their names.
Marek continued for several meters until he saw someone standing beneath a damaged
He recognized a man with a large build first.
’Taurus.’
It was the same man, the same detainee who had intercepted them at Route 8 back then.
The Taurus-marked man’s arms were crossed while he leaned slightly against one of the concrete posts. He did not look surprised at all when Marek appeared from the side route.
That alone confirmed enough.
Marek stopped several meters away. He did not come anywhere near the man whose strength could potentially fling him off to the other end of the stadium with just one swing of an elbow.
"So, you’re waiting for me." Marek looked at his clothes.
’I should have criticized how his clothes never changed... but this is not the time...’
The detainee exhaled through his nose. "Unfortunately, yes."
"Unfortunately?"
"You will understand soon."
Marek completely ignored his reply and put his hands in his pockets. "Where are the others?"
"Nearby."
"And the person giving you orders?"
The man stared at him for a moment. ’Rhovan was right. This kid is really smart. He even knew that part... but that still doesn’t explain Rhovan’s obsession over finding this kid.’
He then tilted his head toward the corridor behind him. "He’s inside."
Marek remained still. The strange pressure behind his ear shifted a little, but Celeste remained silent. ’Wow... very reassuring...’
The man noticed that Marek was still standing here, so he said, "If we’re planning to attack you, doing it beside a shelter with civilians would be very stupid. We already told you, especially me, I would never try to hurt civilians."
"But that doesn’t translate to you all having planned something else," Marek argued.
The man sighed at his remark. His eyes contained dark circles already, which meant something might have really distressed him so much. "You two are really going to be terrible together. I have already had enough of one. Now, I have to deal with two. Fuck."
"Who are you talking about? The one you’re following orders from?"
"Me, apparently," an answer came from somewhere behind Dario.
Marek’s eyes instantly moved towards the corridor. He did not even notice this man appear behind this Taurus guy. For someone supposedly being searched for by the government, he looked so well put together. Irritatingly. Something about this man already irked him.
’His appearance... compared to my haggard cargo pants and coat... well, I’d be damned...’
His dark coat looked quite clean. Marek briefly wondered whether the man had somehow found a portable functioning laundry service while everyone else was walking around Linden looking like they were ghosts who could feel gravity.
However, Marek noticed little tiny details. There was dirt near the bottom of his dark pants, and his pitch-black boots had several scratches—but looking at Dario and the others...
’It’s very different. Worlds apart. It’s like comparing a still ocean to a raging one... Even his hair looked like gold chopped away from gold bars.’
Then, he noticed the thin golden line beneath his collar. It matched the description. Only two Signs were suspected to have their marks near their chests: Taurus and Leo. However, he was more inclined to believe this man was a Leo.
The man stopped beside the Taurus-marked detainee, with a smirk on his face.
Marek noticed something else after that. The people around them kept glancing at this guy.
A volunteer carrying folded blankets almost stumbled over something on the ground. Two people near one of the old vending machines also looked over. Another whispered something to another person.
Strangely, even Marek seemed to be affected by his presence. His attention kept returning to the man despite already knowing where he was standing. For some reason, he did not like the feeling.
The empty black center of his Ophiuchus Mark suddenly became... just slightly warm underneath his shirt. He was confused about why it would happen when he was able to control it better than before. But still, he paid attention to the guy in front of him.
That guy was also staring at him. Intently. His gaze briefly went from Marek’s shoulder before moving back to his face.
"Marek Vale, we finally meet."
Again, for some reason unknown, Marek disliked hearing his full name from a stranger.
"Yes," he replied nonetheless.
Then, the man, keeping the grin on his face, crossed his arms over his chest.
"Rhovan Torsk."