Confusing
Chapter - 47
Ahh. My heart feels so empty... Is it because of what happened back then? Then why do I keep thinking about it, and why does it feel as if it’s taken root inside my head?
Zavi straightened his gaze, turned his body around, looked at them, and spoke in a low voice, “Thank you for waiting for me all this time.” A faint smile formed on his face, hiding the darkness beneath it.
Those were the only words he could say for now. For some reason, ever since his consciousness returned to his body, he could clearly feel that his soul was being held back by something.
His body felt heavy, as if something rested on his shoulders, and every time he drew a breath, unclear images always flashed through his mind for a fraction of a second.
The two of them ignored his previous statement, letting it dissipate like smoke hanging in the air. Realizing that both of them were hiding something they could not tell him, Zavi took the initiative to move first, intending to leave the street where the apartment was located.
A few seconds after taking several steps forward, he glanced back to make sure that neither of them had moved an inch from where they had been standing before.
Hahh... Just as I thought, they’re hiding something. And... why is Moreira more cautious than before? Could that woman be the reason behind all of this? No, I don’t want to assume things about her. And besides, that woman has already shown her true form.
Zavi kept walking, as if refusing to add more burdens to his own thoughts. His head was now filled with questions about himself and the evil spirit whose behavior resembled that of a human.
Esvalen, huh. Maybe what Moreira said back then was true? About an evil spirit that feeds on humans. And there’s one more thing that bothers me. The unclear deaths, and the deaths of the five survivors after leaving that building. What actually happened? Even I can’t solve that mystery.
Lost in those thoughts, Zavi failed to notice that he had picked up his pace. His head collided with an iron pole standing beside the main road and the narrow alley leading to the apartment.
“Tch. Annoying,” Zavi hissed quietly.
He straightened his gaze. Only then did he realize that a thin mist was creeping out from the gaps of the alley, hanging low over the stone-paved road.
The air suddenly pierced his skin. The cold did not arrive gradually, but struck straight into his bones. Zavi let out a short breath. Only now did he truly realize that it was already December. In just a few days, the year would come to an end.
He stood still in the silent alley, watching the people passing by on the main road.
Then the sound came.
Heavy footsteps from behind. Steady. Not rushed, yet not careless either, as if each step was weighed down by vigilance equal to the owner’s own body.
Zavi did not turn around. He merely tilted his head slightly, enough to catch the figure in the corner of his eye.
“So you’ve arrived,” he said softly. The corner of his lips lifted faintly. “Then… about that matter. Do you still want to continue?”
“Of course,” Moreira replied.
He stopped a few steps behind Zavi. His gaze swept over the alley, now slowly being swallowed by mist. “This fog… it wasn’t here earlier.”
Zavi fell silent for a moment. His gaze sank into the mist that drifted slowly, almost as if it were alive. The earlier events continued to spin in his mind, blending with the cold sensation that refused to fade.
Only then did he realize that something was missing.
His brows knitted slightly.
“Oh.” Zavi glanced briefly around. “Where is she now?”
“I don’t know,” Moreira answered shortly, as if he himself had no idea about the sudden disappearance.
Zavi continued walking, turning the corner and following the quiet sidewalk without any desire to question Esvalen’s absence.
Just as I thought. They’re definitely planning something. What is it? I don’t know, of course.
He remained alert, occasionally touching the silver revolver inside his coat pocket.
From behind, Moreira followed him at a relaxed pace. His thoughts were filled with Esvalen’s strange words, making him glance at even the smallest movement Zavi made, as if he feared him.
After some time on the outskirts of Greysia, searching for a faster alternative route toward Moran, their steps suddenly halted on a road near the wide Viela River, as if something pressed down on their legs when their gazes locked onto the calm surface of the water.
The cold air seeped through their pores and crawled across their bodies, freezing them near the long iron railing.
“What is that?” they muttered at the same time, trying to move but unable to.
A few seconds after the words left their mouths, something unseen released its grip.
The strange pressure that had been restraining Zavi’s body vanished instantly. Fast. Hot. Like a sheet of paper thrown into burning embers, consumed without leaving any ash.
Almost simultaneously, the river below them changed.
The once calm flow suddenly turned violent, crashing against the rocks with a loud roar. The current surged fiercely, as if an invisible obstruction had just been removed. Water splashed high into the air, nearly soaking the both of them.
Zavi reflexively stepped half a pace back.
He wanted to say something, anything, but his jaw stiffened. The words caught in his throat, restrained by a sudden premonition pressing against his chest.
This isn’t normal.
Zavi’s gaze was fixed on the raging river. An unfamiliar sensation crawled across his skin, cold and deeply unsettling. His instincts screamed a single warning: do not interfere.
Without saying much, they eventually continued their journey.
Their footsteps carried them across the large bridge ahead, leaving the roaring water behind. After that, the road narrowed, entering the outskirts. A result of a decision made after weighing too long which route would be the fastest toward Moran.
The journey felt far longer than expected.
They boarded a train from one of the stations in Luand District, the northeastern region, heading toward Forgenate. The route was direct, yet it still took nearly two hours.
The afternoon was slipping away when they arrived.
At around four sixteen in the afternoon, the two of them got off at a station different from the one they had visited before. It was located in the southwest of Forgenate. As Zavi’s feet touched the platform, the hiss of steam still echoed in his ears, as if the sound refused to leave even after the train had moved on.
The smells from inside the carriage lingered in his head.
Overpowering tobacco. Cheap perfume that stung his nose. An unfamiliar scent he couldn’t quite describe. And a faint metallic stench that made his stomach churn.
“Sir…” Moreira glanced at him while holding his breath. His face was pale, his jaw tight. “You don’t look well.”
Zavi gave a small nod.
The smell still clung to him, as if sticking to the roof of his mouth. Spreading slowly, disturbing, like tiny insects crawling endlessly, impossible to shake off. He swallowed, turned his face away, and tried to draw a deep breath.
They moved away from the station and stopped briefly to regain their composure.
Strangely, once they were inside the city, in an area that felt more familiar, something inside Zavi eased as well. The tension pressing on his chest gradually dissipated. The wariness, nervousness, anxiety, and fear vanished just like that, like a coin thrown into the vast sea without ever hearing it sink.
A few minutes later, they sat on a wooden bench by the roadside.
Behind the bench, well-maintained plants were neatly arranged. Small pots filled with green foliage, and roadside trees with branches curving downward, shading them like natural umbrellas from the afternoon light.
After resting enough, the two of them stood up.
Zavi stretched his shoulders, while Moreira slowly rolled his neck. Without much conversation, they agreed to look for a passing horse carriage.
They stood by the roadside, glancing left and right. Zavi raised his hand, signaling to every carriage that passed. But time continued to pass, and one by one, the carriages went by without stopping. The afternoon operating hours were nearly over.
That was when they encountered a man who had just returned from the market.
He pushed a simple cart without a cover. On it were several wooden crates filled with wheat, rice, and other goods stacked haphazardly. The man slowed down as he passed them, then lowered his gaze slightly. His hand pressed down on his merchant’s hat before he asked in a friendly voice, “Where are you two headed?”
Zavi was about to speak, but Moreira answered first, his tone flat, almost indifferent.
“Take us to the border.”
The man halted.
His eyes widened, then he let out a soft laugh for a few seconds, as if he had just heard something unusual yet amusing.
“Heh… in that case, hop on,” he said at last, hooking his thumb toward the cart. “But this trip might take a while.”
They responded with nods, then walked over, climbed onto the cart, and sat down. The journey to the border took roughly an hour, and they arrived right at six in the evening.
“Thank you, sir, for the free ride,” Moreira said, raising his hand slightly.
Free, huh. It reminds me of him. Is he doing well over there?
Thinking about the time he spent with Albert made Zavi feel a hint of nostalgia, and an indescribable emotion surfaced. About Forn, who had been unconscious back then, and whether he was still alright even now.
The man gave a faint smile. Then the crack of a whip echoed, followed by the sound of hooves striking the road. It shattered the quiet tension of the afternoon, bringing life to the surroundings as the horse’s steps clattered against the stone pavement before gradually fading into the distance.
“Well then, let’s hurry and head there. The sky is getting dark, and I don’t know what’s waiting out there,” Zavi finally said, unable to wait for the sight that lay ahead.
Both of them turned their heads slightly, gazing at the road now illuminated by lit lamps. Far ahead, several districts awaited them. Districts said to have been destroyed in a single night, like candles burning in the darkness only to be extinguished by a passing gust of wind.
Moreira’s eyes were fixed on that road, feeling that all the strange thoughts he had would finally find answers once he reached that place.
Without hesitation, Zavi stepped forward first, with Moreira following behind him.
After walking along a slightly sloped road and crossing a bridge with a fast-flowing river beneath it, they arrived. The first strange sight greeted them, making their eyes widen.
“What the hell is this?” Zavi said in confusion.
“No way,” Moreira muttered, his face filled with disbelief.
