Chapter 4: Horrid – a.s.sam “—nh!”
Letting out a silent scream, I jumped up with a start. I was spouting out cold sweat. What was… what were they doing?! I covered my mouth as the repulsive scene crossed my mind. Sensing my unusual mood, Yarra spoke as he approached me.
“Your Highness. What do you need? Light or water, a wet cloth or a change of clothes.”
I drank the water for now and straightened out my breathing. The dim glow reminded me of the dream I had seen just now, a.s.sam let out a huge breath.
“I made a mistake.”
“Is this about the boy?”
I had spoken about my dreams to Yarra and several of my men.
“Ahh. That place wasn’t for pathology.”
Speaking of this now, the large shock was too much for me to handle alone.
“It’s a place to wait for death. His friend died. It seems that it will be him next.”
Being able to listen in on the details of the dreams concerning him every night, the boy was no longer an unrelated stranger but someone to be protected.
“Are you certain?”
“Ahh. The setting in my dream changed. Then I saw…”
The words would not come out. It was just that shocking.
“Cutting into the body, his internal organs were exposed! Nh!! If such a thing was going to happen, I would have sent for him immediately!!”
At my words, Yarra’s eyes were dyed with anger. Due to the declining birthrate, it was now common sense to take up “protecting” children even if they weren’t related by blood.
“Currently, is that person still alive?”
“I don’t know. But, I won’t let him die. We’re summoning him here. Call Laham.”
“At your will.”
Seeing off Yarra as he withdrew, I refused Tugura and headed to the bath alone. The boy’s voice that I’ve only heard a handful of times since the first time I started seeing the dreams was brought back to my ears.
『Help me, a.s.sam.』
They were words asking for help. He spoke my name. His tear-stained face made my chest tighten. I thought I was the only one watching him. But it appears we were watching each other.
This was the first time I heard my language in the dream. If only I was aware that you could speak my words even earlier. It’s most regrettable. To start with, I would have immediately sent for you.
“I’ll always help. So, live and wait for me.”
I wished for the boy to be watching, so he could hear what I said.