Chapter 21: Returning Home
The cold winter air, heavy with frozen moisture, seeped through the cracks of the dilapidated house, which seemed darker than usual. The warmth of the small heater had vanished, leaving behind only hardened ash, indicating that the place had been devoid of human activity for several days. Even the few potatoes inside the cracked supply box had begun to rot or sprout small roots.
In the corner of the room, on a desk cluttered with crumpled papers, sat a pale-skinned human youth. He leaned his forehead on his right hand, which rested on a white sheet of paper filled with cryptic writing, while his left hand dangled limply beneath the table. The rest of his lifeless body sat in his wheelchair, which seemed frozen in place.
He appeared hunched over strangely, his limbs stiff and blue, his skin pale, and his breath cut off. Without a doubt, Sollivan was a lifeless corpse, devoid of any signs of life. And yet...
"Hah..."
"Khhh..."
Suddenly, his chest expanded, and he lifted his head, taking a long, deep breath. Due to the dryness of his throat and mouth, devoid of even a drop of moisture, it felt as though the cold air was laden with thousands of needles that pricked his throat, making him cough hoarsely and dryly.
His black eyes opened wide, but despite that, his vision was blurred, and he looked around hazily, unable to make out his surroundings. His thoughts raced, and he tried to understand his situation, but his mind, frozen from the extreme cold, couldn’t think clearly.
After a few seconds of waking up, he felt an overwhelming sense of terror and disbelief. As the slow seconds passed, he began to regain some clarity in his vision and thoughts, and then he said in a voice barely audible, "Appear."
However, nothing happened.
"Hah..." He sighed in frustration and tried to move his frozen hands, but he couldn’t. His face darkened, and his gaze dimmed. He stared blankly at the table nearby, but suddenly, his eyes lit up.
He slowly lifted his head and looked at a specific spot beside him, where his loyal companion, Noctis, emerged from the shadows of the ground. Unlike usual, Noctis didn’t stand firmly in front of him but instead took a step back, trembling with fear and panic. His body contorted strangely, as if he couldn’t maintain his human form.
A dry smile appeared on Sollivan’s haggard face, and he ordered firmly, "Pull yourself together." His words weren’t just a command for the shadow but also for himself. In response, the lost and confused Noctis turned to look into his eyes, and then he became slightly more stable.