Chapter 47: White Horse
Lakad takbo ako para lang makalabas sa madilim na lagusang iyon. Hindi ko na nagawang hintayin pa ang liwanag mula sa lumulutang na buhangin ni Kreios dahil nilampasan ko na iyon.
All I thought was Father and Danna purposely lost their game because the Holy Land was here, and they were searching for it. But here I was, discovering that they had created a realm where all the victims could escape.
When I left the first tunnel, I entered another one. Kreios was just silent as he followed my pursuit, yet his floating grains of sand guided me as I trailed my path. When I reached another dead end, I ran my finger through it, feeling the carved letters of more women.
I should get frustrated with the constant end of this path, giving me unanswered questions, yet my heart couldn't deny this overwhelming feeling—the pain and hope that I could have done something for the victims when I discovered this tradition. And yet, here I was with the realization that it had been fulfilled years ago.
It wasn't just the first tunnel, the second, and the third— every dead end of these tunnels had carved names of the women who had endured the sacrifice of the Entertainment District. Feeling their names beneath my fingertips, I closed my eyes as if those letters would bring me back to the past— until images started to flash inside my mind, voices of the women in a whisper, the metallic smell of their blood, and the silver glimpse of their tears on their cheeks in the darkness as the sound of the rough friction of the stone against another in their bruised hands echoed inside the tunnel.
When I opened my eyes again, a shiver ran down my spine as I embraced myself, and the images felt so real.
"Cassopeia was here."
"I was saved."
"I am free.
"Thank you."
"You will be saved."
Iba't ibang boses ng mga babae. Iba't ibang imahe, haba ng buhok, kulay ng kanilang kutis at maging ang hugis at kislap ng kanilang mga mata
Nagpatuloy sa paglandas ang mga daliri ko sa mga pangalan nila. This was the clue I had been looking for—the traces of blood were here—the drops of blood from their bruised hands as they left their names and memories for the next victims. Father and Danna might have started this, but the women continued to help each other and became each other's guides.
I looked over my shoulder as I met his eyes. "Kreios, those women before me... they were saved. I am so happy."
He gave me a soft smile.
"I know that you will soon abolish it though, but I am glad to know the story behind this place," Kreios said calmly.
"There must be a message in each dead end. It will be difficult to find since the women were extra careful not to lead the path to unwanted creatures." Dalawang kamay na ang inihawak ko sa hangganan habang naghahanap ng maaaring mensahe ng mga babae.
"Let me."
Tumigil ako at ilang beses humakbang paatras.
Kung kanina ay nanatili lang nasa likuran ko si Kreios, ngayon ay lumapit na rin siya sa akin at marahan niyang inihawak ang kamay niya sa hangganan.
"If not through words maybe we could find something..."
Pinanuod ko si Kreios habang kinakapa niya iyong hangganan kung saan naroon ang mga pangalan. Each woman reached the dead end and left their names carved on the stone, but after reaching the dead end where did they go?
