Chapter 641: The Lucky Ones Have Corpses
As Adam gazed through the starry night sky from the peaceful blessed land, Julius did the same on the chaotic flying ship.
Dried blood coated the battered dark hull in a deep burgundy that filled his nostrils with the stench of decay. But it didn’t bother him. Not anymore... not more than the cleaved tentacles writhing on the deck, the burnt body parts of sea beasts, and the stiff corpses of his former teachers, schoolmates, and refugees.
In two brief weeks of travel, he had seen horrors he could not name before they departed—the same his brother had tried to protect him from. Forget about innocent pranks and dark humour; only carnage, rage, and madness paved their path. The most ironic? It was supposed to be a path to hope.
The tumultuous dark flows beneath them engulfed people in the hundreds, and sea beasts devoured even more. As for those still on the deck? They were the lucky ones. After all, they still had a corpse to bury.
"Did I make the right choice, big brother?" A guilty mutter escaped his eyes, the moonlight reflecting on his blood-soaked hair. "Did I doom us all?"
Hearing him as he caught his breath after the latest battle, Arun snapped his face towards him. The innocent young man who once believed wealth and rank could solve almost all his problems was no more. His dashing features and arrogant gaze had faded, too, leaving behind the weary traits of a young warrior longing to return home.
"Don’t doubt!" He gripped Julius’ shoulders, clenching his jaw. "Everyone agreed, and Elena prepared the flying ship long before you offered to leave. The lack of food, the refugees, the beasts. We were cornered, so put your mind together."
Julius gazed into Arun’s eyes, the grief hidden behind the determined facade not escaping him. Even after a month, the death of the father he had looked up to his entire life, his mother, relatives, and duchy still affected his best friend.
But Arun was right. He couldn’t let doubts gnaw at him. It was just... unbearable to feel powerless while watching so many people die.