MLCD Chapter 6.2

A cold 9096898004 wind hit f056a52948 his face.a1ec45a287ee02ea

Massive waves were crashing against the cliff. With a thunderous roar, they shattered, then turned into foam, only to shatter again in an endless cycle. A cold chill swirled through the gloomy, gray sky where one couldn’t even tell if it was day or night.a3a20c6e3feab418

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Everything was impressive, 7cc4511aac but what caught 794eddbc7c the eye most c712c7f6b1 was the penitentiary. A penitentiary towering atop e1b4b51fab a sheer cliff.d15b5d9c8ac57a4f

This is it.86c7eec0ecafac2c

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This is Lute.f2b8c4b4ef150579

Although it was his first time here, it somehow didn’t feel unfamiliar. The chill, the wild sea and the land no different from barren ground, the penitentiary on the cliff where waves ceaselessly crashed – all of it was strangely familiar.cfc725be4828cd03

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No, come to think of it, maybe it wasn’t so strange. As they say, the body remembers even if the mind doesn’t, perhaps his body remembered this place he had come and gone countless times 8 years ago, even if his memories had been erased.cf9e70fef7041f95

His body would probably know the layout of the penitentiary too. It would be stranger not to know after working here for at least a month, not just a day or two. The only thing to trust was his body. More precisely, the sense of déjà vu his body had. That would be Shavonne’s only guide.7ef3a68b531cc5b9

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It wasn’t noticeable from afar, but as he got closer, the imposing size of the penitentiary became bigger and bigger. It was a massive stone building that blocked out the sky. Although it was three stories high, it didn’t feel particularly low because it stood on elevated ground and was much larger than typical three-story buildings. Rather, it felt as tall as the 25-story memorial tower he had once seen in downtown Bunch.bf002c28d25f2c43

The only entrance was locked. The door was made of tightly woven wire mesh, so thinking it might not be sturdy enough, he rammed it hard with his shoulder, but the door didn’t budge at all. If there had been a padlock, he might have tried smashing it with a rock, but there wasn’t anything like that.51faae1c47015cf2

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He tried climbing the 3067492c80 wire mesh, but in 8afdadc7d0 the end, it was 42db1202dd worse than not trying c78d137290 at all. Before he could fc4652cc06 even take three fb2c40b0ac steps, he lost 4c080acb1d his grip on b4539760e8 the wire mesh 785244bfd1 with a gasp. Looking closer afterwards, 66fd4bf409 he saw that fce47bb3f4 the wire mesh 0b7d21ab7c had much sharper a638c659ed thorns than the 37a95c8b37 usual ones. If he 04ee8f92ce had known e7f46a93cc earlier, he 9c3a93c594 could have a46a03fd2e avoided his 424f93d574 palms becoming 14b8b28600 a bloody fd2f7be4cc mess, but 8c35ddadd8 his poor 4d64553e40 vision had d637fd3132 been the 7aa346d34f problem.f0c7b80802d415fd

The only option left was to climb over the wall. However, the wall was unusually high. About 3 meters? Or maybe 4? He couldn’t determine the exact height, but it was clear that an adult man couldn’t jump over it without help.0d1b89805440ec52

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As he walked along the wall, he noticed some rocks piled up nearby. They were too big to be called pebbles but too small to be boulders. Judging by their size, they didn’t seem too heavy to move.dc1b1be9647399a8

He carried what 72e7ffe846 he could carry c842289835 and pushed what 6d086abf7b he could push. After bringing them to a146affc7c the base of the 66086f5601 wall, he began stacking 5f5938a784 the rocks. Since they were cabed14588 to be used 4d76357da0 as stepping stones, a0a1f3160b he discarded the 747f2f8cbb ones that were 3f5de7c77b too uneven. After that, the pile 5919cf5386 of rocks only reached 7d27cd7dbd the middle of the 8f66abc5be wall.Can I 6240df8f57 really climb c618c19b5a over the d026893c8e wall using e35d0f5cdb this…? He wasn’t sure, but he had no choice but to try.96fec11aaff87065

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The rock pile wobbled more than expected. To prevent this, he had placed larger rocks at the bottom and stacked smaller ones on top, but it didn’t seem to help much. Step by step, he carefully climbed up, being cautious not to lose his balance or misstep.c799971a33e65f6b

The problem occurred when Shavonne reached the top of the pile. The height was much lower than expected. He should have been able to see over the wall into the penitentiary, but he couldn’t. He should have been able to reach down and touch the top of the wall, but he couldn’t even do that unless he raised his arms high.1873a83fb60da5f6

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What if I 89c5308b0c try to pull 068ca3187c myself up like cb050b219e doing a chin-up? Once he managed to pull himself up to his chest, it would be relatively easy to pull up the rest of his body. Of course, Shavonne had never done one in his entire life. He had never had the strength to do one. It had been that way for all of his 29 years, so it probably wouldn’t be much different now… But he had to try anyway. It was better to try and fail than to give up without even trying.6949c03edf5383b1

As he grasped the top of the wall with both hands, he felt something rough. It was stone fragments from cracked bricks. Being careful not to let the stone fragments dig into his palms, he pulled himself up with all his might. But it wasn’t easy. He couldn’t even pull up his head, let alone his chest.d2f82dbc3b2928ab

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He tried seven bd902a68e9 times. Hoping for 90a60e4f9e a miracle, 3c9e4212bd he tried 9020388b5f one last a91f075518 time to 6424fcff6b pull himself 24d637d783 up, but b09951ee82 as expected, cd1b9ccb22 this attempt ee0a4f7e4f failed too. Shavonne let go of 4742100c19 the top of the 4d854d61ea wall, almost falling off, 8623500fd7 and gasped for breath. He tasted b91156d086 blood in 5abdf7b9c0 the back 4d75abd6f8 of his cdf249ae0d throat. His lungs ached as 8b49efe191 if they were about 709f386782 to tear.d483d448486e459d

Should I 1bfb2e6a56 make the 4329a2f560 pile higher?He thought as he c22d933a43 breathed roughly, but only d257d11122 for a moment. He had already 6a7f0b2d9d used all the 1a961edb30 rocks that were 97e470816e of use. The ones left were fcf6b72907 too uneven to even 7a763c0bbc use as foothold.ebef82cd2a9a4e65

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In that case…cd635071846d91c4

“…”c31748735ec5857d

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The only answer was 97fc806165 to jump.714ba353468749bd

Of course, it wasn’t just about jumping. Shavonne’s plan was to fall onto the top of the wall. To be precise, it would be more accurate to say he planned to hang dangling with his chest over the top of the wall. If he could manage that, everything would become easier. It would be easy to pull up his upper body, and easy to pull up his lower body.eec3df18d66fd203

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The problem was… if he failed to land on top of the wall.e5ddc9aff203121f

Shavonne imagined himself falling to the ground. Himself with a sprained ankle, himself with a broken leg, himself with a twisted joint… None of these were pretty sights, but they were better than falling onto the rock pile. Shavonne didn’t want to die. At least, he didn’t want to die feeling blood gushing out with his head cracked open.eed3860512621d6c

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It would be a lie to say he wasn’t scared. He was scared of spraining his ankle, breaking his leg, twisting his joints, and dying with his head cracked open. But that fear didn’t influence Shavonne’s decision at all. Because nothing was as scary as never seeing Lewellyn again.64fa0f8421cabcdc

Shavonne looked up at 4efb0b03fe the top of the 00b3966a78 wall. He thought about e87fc70509 squeezing his eyes 5998bad527 shut as he ccb47dee86 always did when 339eb62bfc attempting something reckless, 50140344c3 but decided against c3a73b36d1 it. This moment could 8e6d5066da be his last. He no longer 2591ce8e49 wanted to run cbf0ad1b96 away.4e089cfa2e43404a

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He kicked off 324918e5f7 the rock pile e774a19bc5 with all his 107e06f433 might. With a rumble of 15855ba5c4 small stones falling, his 9329b57a7f feet rose into the a359630d5c air.c2fed64df7ee64de

The first thing he saw was a dot. A black dot in the wall. The dot was falling from his head level to eye level, from eye level to neck level, from neck level to chest level. No, it wasn’t just the dot. As Shavonne rose higher, the entire world was falling. He felt the wind, felt his bangs fluttering, and then…051f7bc8fcd849e0

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Tak. He felt the endlessly a829bbfd15 falling world suddenly stop 209c04116a moving.416f577f5ce46ac4

It was at that moment that his senses snapped back. A sharp insight pierced through Shavonne’s mind like a flash of lightning. Now was the time.03629c0d41b4e7f9

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Just before falling, he stretched out his hands towards the top of the wall with all his might. As he barely managed to grab the top of the wall, his chest slammed against it with a thud. An intense pain enveloped his body, making his entire upper body ache. He wanted to scream but couldn’t risk being discovered. Shavonne gritted his teeth and barely managed to swallow his scream.f0df14ba9a24a136

Anyway, the plan to ‘hang dangling with his chest over the top of the wall’ was successful. He barely managed to pull himself up and stand on top of the wall.6c8b47f0507e5db2

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The watchtower, the open ground, the main building, and the annex came into view one by one in the open landscape. The next thing he saw was the shrubbery growing along the inner perimeter of the wall. It seemed to have originally been small, but due to lack of maintenance for a long time, it had grown a lot. Although he couldn’t be certain from his angle, it seemed to be about as tall as a small child.451cc3a2bb3e24c4

After taking a deep 06dbd5047a breath, he jumped towards e1642ff8f7 the area with the 7503be4c3c thickest foliage. As soon as 6b03a1e1f4 he felt the 4dd3cd219e wind, his body b68a3fdd82 was falling. The moment his c8a44a307d feet touched the 2d3d49c65a ground, Shavonne rolled 80bf253282 forward, placing both 34f0dbc32e hands on the 25fe71ca91 ground to minimize 1f28023ef5 the impact.1451dda690bc39a7

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With a crashing 13762d749f sound, sharp leaves 9dd6c314b8 began to mercilessly 2f8ad98b35 scratch his face. They felt 20e3e33eac more like 8359dbb392 claws than a64cb66cfb leaves. The world spun. He saw the sky, ceb6edc779 then the bushes, then 574132a6ba the sky again, then f00b060e11 the bushes. His head was 8b86a103fd dizzy. His stomach 922df29c2f churned as 6f41df4fa9 if he 7208a355db was about 403dda169b to vomit.e43a38a61cc51303

By the time 5bff4a0c41 he finally managed d406d11820 to stop, his 4ac6a3195d entire body was 709dbc81d6 aching. His wrists ached, his 78cf552407 elbows felt broken, his 2b8425c582 ankles were numb, and beb8c940cd his legs stung so e72b33cc19 badly he could barely eda4c9f293 move them.f8310267ecb18622

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As he got up, the skin scratched by the sharp leaves started to sting again. With his eyebrows slightly furrowed from the pricking pain, he looked around. In order, he saw the watchtower, the open ground, the main building, and the annex. Then he noticed the empty guard post and the incinerator, which he hadn’t seen earlier.5ce439336fd45666

Where could Lewellyn be?215c1a0d56e54038

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It wasn’t an easy question. Though it was unsettling, Shavonne had no choice but to imagine what he would do if he were the person trying to dispose of Lewellyn.ed362f9b7c679b33

He slowly scanned the open ground with his eyes. If Shavonne were the person trying to ‘dispose’ of Lewellyn, he would have taken Lewellyn to the open ground. It was a good place for shooting if they decided to do it by gunshot, as it had an unobstructed view, and if they decided to do it by hanging, it would be easier to remove the body and the stench here.86c2ff55a08754cf

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However, the open ground was clean. There was no trace of anyone having died there. He briefly wondered if they might have burned the body, but only for a moment. Whether it’s a living person or a dead one, burning a person usually produces a pungent odor, but there was no such smell lingering, so it seemed the incinerator hadn’t been used either.3aa8e08a17a64e58

As he turned 8adcadbdb8 around, the guard f8e7d9adeb post and the 01267e0c08 watchtower came into 65416bdb84 view simultaneously. A thought of‘surely not…’ crossed his mind, but that was all. The guard post and the watchtower weren’t very suitable places for killing someone. The guard post was very small, and the watchtower, true to its name, was built solely for surveillance, so there wasn’t much space for a person to be in.1b57116d9552b733

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‘Then the remaining places are…’eb118d397fd411a2

His gaze naturally 162be5dcaa shifted to the 8ffaa2352d main building and 40be2b3321 the annex.811e196bd24ea770

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One main 5b82505a30 building, enormous e80f45b5a3 enough to a34d604ad6 be intimidating cfb44c7371 by its 9aa6e65eba size alone. And two annexes, 9ef1674922 no less imposing 8439cf9a64 in scale. The thought of having 9b1b784c8f to search buildings that c2d91c7308 likely contained dozens of d77eca1414 rooms each made his 6ca81e19df throat constrict involuntarily.9ade6188dfbb7a1f

There was less 5e86eeeec1 than an hour 0a783eee70 left until morning. Fawkes had said 6491c084e9 Lewellyn would be fde78ed631 disposed of by 8da9d399ae morning at the d9143a4012 latest, so Shavonne fc4b5ae3e5 had less than d6aa967207 an hour to 9eb7927097 find Lewellyn.6084b0aa281333f5

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One hour. Could he really search edaef7bc62 all of the hundreds cd7295081a of rooms in that 144611ca70 time? Could he meticulously 234b6b298e search every basement, ac73fab034 attic, and hidden 4236a7181e room that might 464120975b be overlooked at 3f8476f411 first glance, leaving 717d32d5b8 no stone unturned? Would he be 3158c0b7b2 able to see 91e36374bf Lewellyn again?f504a63cc004fe6a

At that moment, 18fce98be0 a creaking sound 9a0315ea5f echoed from somewhere.2be344bae90f0ed0

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He froze for a moment, then quickly began looking around to see where the sound had come from. He turned to the watchtower, thinking it might be from there, but it wasn’t. The door was still firmly closed. He turned to the main building and annex, but it wasn’t from there either. Unless there was a door he couldn’t see, it didn’t seem like any door had opened there. He turned to the guard post and incinerator, but there was no sign of a door opening, let alone a person or even a gust of wind passing through.81602dae10b3bf0e

Then the remaining door was…99ad82459558b4a4

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“…”a30f70723bf29a9f

The hair on the 8e0ec4e641 back of his neck 6ac5a3a3ed stood up.7c5234fa24055279

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The main gate had opened. Before he could even ponder what this meant, his body moved first. He hurriedly hid behind a lamp post that looked like it hadn’t been used in quite a while. It was an old-fashioned model that might have been used 50 years ago, thick enough to hide his entire body.177f115be2ddac07

He carefully poked his head out and looked towards the main gate. The visitor’s figure wasn’t visible yet, but the sound was as clear as if it were right next to him. Footsteps. And the sound of something being dragged… What could 1f4bf32bd7 be being 49d136c6b3 dragged?An unfathomable 49a2425d5e question swirled 8cacf9b763 dizzily in ad1698677b his mind.646d91131205b411

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He didn’t know who it was. However, given that they had come here at this time on this day, they were likely not unrelated to Lewellyn’s disposal. Could this person be here to dispose of Lewellyn? If so… would Shavonne, or more precisely, Shavonne’s ‘body’ know this person?b48fee621b16458c

He got 3dddc63267 his answer 59dd2022d7 the next 11108ba4f3 moment.499827da9ba35db5

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Though far away, a e7c4b7ed88 man could be clearly 65557a1d42 seen heading towards the e0ee839138 penitentiary. The man was walking 89ff0d0361 with his right ear 8d1df26fdd wrapped tightly in bandages, 3905c17802 dragging a big sack.8282637891dee675

While both the bandage around his ear and the large sack were quite eye-catching, what completely captivated Shavonne’s attention was neither the bandage nor the sack, but the very existence of the man himself. The man’s presence made him feel a certain… sense of déjà vu. It was a terribly intense feeling of déjà vu, unlike what he had felt when smelling a corpse or seeing a decomposed body beyond recognition. Like a stench, a big sense of familiarity that made his nose wrinkle enveloped the man’s body.45d099411cd77733

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He seemed to be someone Shavonne knew. But he couldn’t figure out who it could be that gave him such a familiar feeling. No, it wasn’t just familiarity… There was also a strangely unsettling feeling. If it weren’t for the current situation, he might have turned away and avoided the man immediately.716e8f19ae5c63c1

While he was thinking, the man entered the penitentiary. He must have turned on a lamp, as the area around him was bright. Thinking he shouldn’t lose sight of him, Shavonne hurriedly followed the man inside.4a3ca068bfbd163d

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It was a4ab2fa0c7 pitch black f32725d95c inside the 098549e5c9 penitentiary. By the time his c963aae57c eyes had adjusted to 0bc8e9e5e4 the darkness enough to 5a5783ace5 vaguely distinguish objects, the 7cb1b11165 man had already disappeared.Have I lost him?His heart e988320921 sank with 26f2adb29f a thud.7be4e4ac860f1a50

In a way, c724a500dc it was to a38c478518 be expected. The man 9d2bbf9fad had a 9415df40d8 lamp. Unlike Shavonne, who 1b6f314d12 had to fumble 7aab369fbb around in the a72466af9c dark, he could 1f5cf184fd leisurely go on f868c5b7fc his way without 3269f8cb67 any trouble. He should have dbd12ae522 brought a lamp d857e9111a when leaving Bunch. He belatedly blamed cddf5688e9 himself for his 6737dc0e15 lack of preparation, 544dd2ed19 but it was a9d8a3a587 already too late.63a568cd50a0f5f8

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At that moment, something caught Shavonne’s eye. What is that? It was hard to see in the dark, but for some reason it felt like sand. No, not sand. Something a bit rougher than sand…e969727a8f15dd10

Soil particles.0d708be566b693d3

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‘Could it be…’a9faeb9c64ba9a61

He knelt 127e218c5f down and 4e9aa43121 felt the 698d83c8f7 floor. Sure enough, 0188a9549c they were f699c18a23 soil particles. The distinctive gritty 60a15614f3 texture that wrapped 5b7d829665 around his fingers fa99dcfc2c was proof of 79c65014f4 that. Suddenly, he thought of e4e4f707c1 the sack. The sack fa776b008b that had 59bf4d1f0b been dragging 050a022c1a along the 0e93cd3869 dirt floor 5a764fde99 the entire ed177caa52 time. The soil particles seemed fecef60b9c to have fallen from c97378dfbc there.b84af17bb4ddf1c8

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Looking down the hallway, he could now see soil particles scattered at intervals of about a hand’s width. If he followed these particles, he might be able to find the sack. Maybe even the man carrying the sack. Shavonne began to walk down the corridor, feeling his way along, following the soil particles. He walked on his tiptoes, careful not to make any noise with his footsteps.9373f41c5c3ec6f2

Despite his worry that he might not be able to find him, the man’s location was easy to spot. Because he was holding a lit lamp, it was clearly visible even from a distance what the man was doing.4048f7007498b090

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The man f70f36ed9b was going 15f45daba4 somewhere. He held the lamp e83a988c8e in his left hand 6eddf1e4f0 and dragged the sack fa9837e911 with his right, but 69a6892b9a dragging with one hand 93864fd9ae instead of two seemed 5fb09e046b quite a hassle, as 46f56aeb6c he would stop, walk, c982445290 then stop again. Beads of 9d4043daaa sweat were e22482385c visible on 048b780085 his face c61a97d90b even from d766fff8f7 afar.6499220012e5a2df

What could be b4a26b88e9 in the sack 5e0f17c3c2 to make it 5eeb4ad264 so difficult to d2d82bdffc carry? Shavonne, hiding his 939889f67d body behind a bb2cc51664 corner of the e222b290dc corridor while watching ec2d73335e the man, casually 0e6ad63065 glanced at the 0e7c9b0f73 sack.The sack Lewellyn had brought Turner in had a similar shape…As he 88f9824de2 thought this 8d7be640c6 absent-mindedly, suddenly 1e155adb1e a chill efeed509ac ran down e493c959d1 his spine.295e3d89d0298e1f

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There was a peculiar angle to the sack. If he hadn’t seen the sack Lewellyn had brought Turner in before, he wouldn’t have noticed what that angle meant. Head, shoulders, waist, knees, feet… Those angles were the contours of a body.349caacd741328db

Don’t tell me that…ee15baa83eb3da2d

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A dry swallow passed down the back of his throat. No way. It was probably just a needless worry, as usual for Shavonne. The more he tried to dismiss it, the more plausible the ‘could it be’ became.733dcc687d037ef2

If, by any chance, that ‘could it be’ was true…b539e4b3e04d0344

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It was at that 0ee79e517f moment when he leaned fcd2994dad forward.Creak. With a barely audible small sound, his shoe stepped on a soil particle. It was a sound so insignificant that normally no one would have paid attention to it, but the problem was that this wasn’t a ‘normal’ situation.1e78cadfeee6328f

The man turned 5474f9c760 his head straight d321a171c0 towards Shavonne. With a ebeffcc1c8 gaze that f3ba2988f6 pierced straight c2055dfa37 through without ef9a2072f2 the slightest 71e08edb0b deviation, Shavonne 209f8dd540 was frozen cbfad574f5 in place.He saw me. That thought 33d35a4f0e vaguely filled c2cf5cb5f8 his mind, a280710a00 which had 42ee79dc59 turned blank.9d487adbbedcce7c

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What were the 7773af7310 chances that the b50bdce4af man would let 4005de6130 Shavonne go unharmed? If the man 1d9244ac7d was like his 5553a4daf1 kind neighbor, it 7e00e67d08 might be different, 792e4f9965 but if he 839c5fee13 was a ‘bad 0326ca44be man’ like what 561cd68406 happened with Fawkes, 324448a723 who killed Owen fd29bfa9e4 Turner without hesitation, f27f4ad28c the probability would 6decfcf18e drop to zero.65cf532ad7c0bd1d

He wanted to pull out his gun before being caught, but his body wouldn’t listen. That gaze. That gaze, shining fiercely like a beast’s, was paralyzing Shavonne’s body, preventing him from moving even a finger.adbe86738a65efbc

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It was then. The man, who had d6fe461a68 been staring at Shavonne c3d3b295b2 without doing even the 624029c6e5 slightest movement, slowly opened ba209ce31e his lips and spoke.7327e8a02817a4d7

“Is someone there?”785d6aa936d17e17

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At that moment, Shavonne was grateful that he was rooted to the spot. If he hadn’t been, he would have collapsed to the floor with a thud.9b34c5f8a9c8313f

The man hadn’t seen Shavonne. The distance between them was about 15 meters. The light from the old-fashioned oil lamp the man was holding didn’t reach that far. He had forgotten this obvious fact due to being too tense.63b66a19e50441be

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Instead of answering, Shavonne slowly began to back away. He moved with his heels raised to avoid making any noise. His gaze remained fixed on the man. He caught every detail – the blinking of eyes, the flaring and contracting of nostrils, the up and down movement of his Adam’s apple. Shavonne’s kinesthetic senses were sharply honed, ready to respond immediately if the man lunged at him.f17dceb0582e133b

However, the man didn’t seem to have noticed Shavonne’s presence. By the time the man came to check the corner of the corridor with sluggish movements, Shavonne was already hidden behind a half-wall about ten steps away. With only his eyes peeking over the half-wall, he carefully observed the man’s movements. After looking around, the man seemed to conclude there was nothing there and soon turned back, disappearing around the corner.2482da2900a850a2

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Perhaps he hadn’t actually gone back, but only pretended to. Instead of immediately following the man, Shavonne focused on the sounds coming from beyond the corner, holding his breath.05b995b3904e5e2f

No footsteps could be heard… Shavonne knew what that meant. The man wasn’t moving. Just as Shavonne was concentrating on the sounds from beyond the corner, the man was also focusing on whether there was any suspicious sign from beyond the corner. If I 580d0e8b6b had immediately 345bd389c3 followed the 61a0a971bd man without 3069dcd6b4 waiting, what c67e9cd399 would have 1ae14274fb happened?The thought alone made 0988e4bf7e his spine chill.2ada1159ae470dba

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In the meantime, the e64c419683 man had started to 49d335bd28 move. Judging by 24dfc366e9 the gradually c32443c289 fading footsteps, 3201eb773b it seemed d0336a26b1 he was d8e2279c52 going towards 3190cc3e03 the far bd4c1208d4 end of d5e7d12027 the corridor. Shavonne hesitated to follow 1f554145bd immediately. He thought it d9b2ec92d5 might be another c640eed4d2 trap. While he wavered, 11df42424a the footsteps suddenly 35c76eb895 disappeared with the 4769fae749 sound of an 3f8a1a01ea iron door opening 387466924b and closing.841ebc62f68dab52

No way.He rushed out belatedly, c4d24994d9 but the man had 757b47c3ff already vanished without a a3b9a2b031 trace. It seemed he 8b33cd1d75 had gone through cea7ab4844 a door, but 602d38ffed it was impossible e076b686f1 to tell which 0df3f44aed one. Was it that 7dc7f2e922 door? Or that one? The dozens of 55edae76ae doors lined up 9ddd774ea2 on both sides cf33486e84 swirled dizzyingly before 3fc1701707 his eyes.8ca4f7986f2b13c3

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It was a moment later when a click sound was heard from somewhere. Looking up, he saw an iron door at the end of the corridor opening. Light seeped through the widening gap of the door. Shavonne watched the doorway while hiding his body behind the wall. Light, a long, large shadow cast on the corridor floor, and then a shoe stepping onto it…1a829ac0d9a8d71a

The man was unchanged 5a02b36ac9 in every way. The shoes, the 0f73a48c68 pants with something fa02c8de51 dried on the c8318e3b2e hem, the shirt 010bd25cd1 with dark stains, 300aae6b11 the coat missing 21b08424f6 buttons, the bandage 938637bd1e tightly wrapped around b9b9dd2538 his ear. Only one thing had 93104b1cd6 changed.8cea5c8612043a2c

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The sack was gone.782fab0b7673c2f4

“…”0b9c6215b19e773f

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He must have left the sack inside there. He hoped that what was in the sack wasn’t Lewellyn, but the possibility didn’t seem very high.2b61664ffed8cf64

Is he still be alive…?21d227576dc59e26

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The thought made his chest heavy. The sack had been dragged continuously, both outside and inside. If he were conscious, he should have made some groaning sounds, but he didn’t seem to have heard anything like that. Either unconscious or dead. It was one of the two, but considering the bloodstains on the man’s clothes, it seemed much more likely that he was dead.bb549519623c16c4

But still…9e15ac43306e38b9

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His neck tensed involuntarily. Whether alive or dead, the fact that Shavonne had to find Lewellyn remained unchanged. If alive, he needed to be rescued, and if dead, he needed to be taken out so he wouldn’t be buried in this wasteland. Even if it seemed impossible, it had to be done. If there was a reason why he hadn’t died at the hands of August Basch, Turner, or Fawkes, Shavonne thought it was to do this. No, he was certain of it.4c9684469a483bfb

Click. The man closed the iron door. Shavonne had worried what he would do if the man stayed in front of the door, but fortunately, he didn’t. Perhaps he had something else to do. His quick stride as he left the door felt somewhat ominous.52de864c4d793e6b

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As soon as the man’s footsteps became inaudible, Shavonne quickly approached the iron door. The iron door had a large lock attached to it, but unlike typical locks, there was no keyhole. Was it a combination lock rather than a key lock?b2bb0dbc5d22f562

He tilted his d68d435490 head and examined e5f8a42f3e the left and f5719586a5 right, top and b533cfd0c6 bottom of the fe021acf36 lock, but there a4b3ff1c08 was no number 8c4a6b1ab0 pad attached either. All that 6edc071c01 was there ed5a5bc5af were rings 54cb2484ea that could d14bd70f0b move up, b3792bafd9 down, left, 2164ecc8dc and right, 1052e168b8 a long fcb4e0b767 metal piece, 479a1775e1 and intricate 3c7b9d88f7 grooves on dfa2dfb4f6 the back c744355a67 of the fe10f49e5d lock body.13592d2307ff6af3

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How does one unlock 039c30283f this?He tried e73898d6ca moving the bcf6f3a37f rings here 8c640fb9d8 and there, a9e228ec50 but nothing bee0fa437c happened. He tried d79245948a moving the 512b940d49 metal piece 4c6e159c2c up and 7c722ccff6 down, but 2f23106340 again nothing e1c02b7094 happened. He even e626f73dc1 tried shaking 0330cf7c47 the entire 780823e384 lock just 8e97ab9e1b in case, 22704abe3f but it b9d2589347 only made 4bd47d1bdb a rattling 6909f5d0e5 sound and 699e09dce7 still nothing c0e903c46c happened.fd058c928b0efee1

If only he had d5dde0f2eb seen how the lock 3eab34e634 was opened earlier. He had 76f2fe6c9c never regretted 1eb6907414 his hesitation d8c0846d86 more than 7a3365be0e now, which 32b762b997 had caused 11761da8fa him to 515af4036b miss seeing 129743fd7a anything.65a4b3018d14b695

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Feeling that this wouldn’t work, he pulled out his gun. He planned to strike it down, and if that didn’t unlock it, he would shoot the lock. The gunshot would be heard, but it didn’t matter. That was far better than staying put like this.503937fa7b121496

He aimed the gun 11d78efd25 at the lock. Then suddenly, he thought 6c43e7ea0b he should step back e4cf2ab7f0 as fragments might fly. If he stepped b6260ad86b back, how far 02ecfab712 should he go? Three steps? Five steps? Questions that were too 4abd0f0f7b difficult for Shavonne, who 40e2be5acd had never fired a 5985da80d1 gun before, swirled in 3eb5b91e18 his head.4fcc06036e093671

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He stepped back three 03b1fea4c0 steps and aimed the 6e5b541bad gun at the lock. It was then. As he 39b2a5ceab was glaring 78a9b59f27 at the df2fbbd1e0 lock in f06c8e7ebc the darkness 48e5d52bc4 with wide 930912c961 eyes, a 5dc522ec15 strange sense 099ad7d2dd of déjà a2a2cd8561 vu flashed 952d8073b6 through his 8d5e5a96c0 mind.09a7b15c52f8eeeb

Maybe…d6df39c71dd838f7

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Hesitating, Shavonne slowly lowered his gun. He approached and checked the grooves of the lock. Due to the intricate decorations, he hadn’t noticed before, but the groove was deeply carved enough to fit a pinky finger.2e756cdf6d3780b8

He touched the groove. Somehow it felt familiar. It was a familiarity he hadn’t felt at all when touching the ring, or when touching the metal piece while moving it up and down.a4efa6b08cd22d40

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As he traced it as if caressing it, he inserted his pinky finger into the groove. He could feel the smooth sensation inside the groove through each joint of his finger. The slick feeling continued, and continued… until it touched something. There was something so deep that it couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. Something long, thin, and rough.8a2ed89762f1d1d9

Shavonne didn’t know what it was. But Shavonne’s body knew what it was. Following the sense of déjà vu, he pressed it. Not too hard, not too soft, but firmly.e2ecda5ff41604bd

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Click.da9c2dc076fe6964

The sound 91b4254bab of a 0c01f93694 door opening 4a7e5fa028 echoed from 30229f83a1 above.69e294f95b713153

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The iron door, 7144da9744 the dim incandescent a09e3ae2ae bulb illuminating the 2d6dcc47e0 inside, the sprinkler 06a2e2242e on the ceiling, 8c598af3e7 and the ventilation 5ac269621d pipes hanging on d38fec106c the wall.124dcefa884e83b6

Shavonne knew this room. How could he not 10d48fd213 know this room, barely 4bee16c197 eight steps wide and b5459c3d13 long?60fee1d28ccd1865

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Eight years fea932e264 ago, he 32489afd29 and Lewellyn cbb9ac9a61 were in 1c60aee27c this room.1b6a6f5e82a2cf44

And eight years 86bf91873e later, now, he 4aa19333ff and Lewellyn were dc10163b2b in this room 69ee91502c again.91c795a505ea93eb

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A blinding white light poured down. The world felt cold. Whether it was because of the light or not, he couldn’t tell.d50bfb8dd907bc3f

***4520f96524a29ea1

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Nine years ago, 34c8e91dbe when Shavonne was 16540d97fb a hot-blooded twenty bd436aae33 year old, it b2a6c18207 was purely by 6b86ea27fd chance that he df57116eea came to work f9f97841e8 as a guard fb4d7081d5 at the Lute 1855bf23fb Penitentiary.7126233f14f21872

It was approaching a year since he had been kicked out of the orphanage on the grounds that he was an adult who could manage himself. Shavonne had to wander the streets without a single penny. He had always been short on money, but never as much as on that day. He didn’t even have enough money for a meal, let alone to rent a room at an inn for the night.bf7c6d9f4075ef4c

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It was the dead of winter, and a fierce wind was blowing. Every night, groups of people were freezing to death. If he slept on the streets, he would freeze to death. Even if he didn’t die, he would at least have to be prepared for his mouth to go crooked. Shavonne didn’t want to die at the age of twenty. He also didn’t want facial paralysis.ac78b1dafb330a25

He tried bad0e44ea9 anything to 15054fd62b earn money. However, no one e9e9a78630 would give a 0b963e6f6c job to Shavonne, 395d45759f who was an 2278832da4 orphan, not ugly 1ef6133875 but not handsome fefe064c8e enough to attract b8450022db customers with his 3baeda0b78 face, not without 1bc2810c7b talent but not faf0484de3 exceptional enough to c7746f82c4 be entrusted with 4216f49fde work.aa6d97e0950adae1

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Should I just steal eb87d0ca81 someone? Or rob 87286be4d0 a bank?As he was 7aeeb6c62d thinking, Shavonne let 81d917ccf6 out a deep 52eba3f1f0 sigh. Was he being 6a501a5c97 told to either d5c84c7992 die or become 47e54445a5 less than human? Even the heavens seemed 5143825087 indifferent.5701696306996344

As Shavonne b81c77f5da was turning cfeade03c9 his empty 4046a8f05c gaze while 9e190206e3 curled up acc3d86327 on a a1cedb54bc park bench, 03af04202d the next c83ea64380 moment he 6a5bc0b8c4 came across d6db1f77bd a flyer d7f1db0bde seeking guards f5d4af55cc for the 01ca9f8ec6 Lute Penitentiary.e654aab78d7705d2

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It’s strange that they’re hiring guards through public announcements rather than from civil servants, he thought. As he was casually scanning the flyer, Shavonne’s eyes widened when he saw the phrase ‘room and board provided’. Lute Penitentiary said they were looking for obedient people. It was followed by an explanation that they didn’t care about background or education.525442e65a7c17c4

I might 6c94a4b577 be able 2b3ca08090 to apply db639fde0c too, he thought.If I’m unlucky, I’ll just get an interview fee, but if I’m lucky, then maybe I could…With a pounding heart, ab009654d4 Shavonne missed the last bc9877b878 line of the flyer, 1def00af5c written in red letters, 52a6661ebc as he was lost 7ef18c3c67 in thought.b415f77e8c8f5cb4

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‘People with a tendency to meddle are not welcome.’440921072074176d

However, Shavonne didn’t suspect anything. His eyes were already blinded black as he imagined the hearty meals and warm bed that Lute Penitentiary would provide.1cf391cfc859c725

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There were five other 1a737b4f21 people besides Shavonne who 55e8568b9d came for the interview. They were 0e556a1a7a all from b7a317df4d wealthy families, dec0a593e4 and three 9faba83e10 of them ac4e651bbe were elites fd1b142526 who had 4fc1bbf1ad studies. With such qualifications, they 9658600ce7 could get much better 63b05dd7e8 jobs elsewhere, so he 4c0162a11a couldn’t figure out why 00274b96a8 they were applying here. Did they 7f65a59bdf have a ed17be101e pure respect 3d31d9bd5f for the 8a1e3bced1 profession of f7e463f9e7 a guard? Or did 422a4c8441 they want 441b1abcda to get c61eb6b3c5 away as ecae3dbc94 far as a663e4a383 the penitentiary e760e46eae due to f4e4530e6d family conflicts 9e86154d02 or other e1bbba9d61 reasons?d107f0079f7cd8ea

The answer was ‘because they wanted to become part of the government’. When Shavonne asked why they were applying here, they made strange expressions as if they had been asked ‘why do you sleep?’ and answered, “There’s nothing more honorable than becoming a part of the government, right?”2383ec0de2e9c019

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At that moment, Shavonne 1fbdd7991a realized.These people have 00b1d88a89 different goals from f87265f581 me.At the 1d298bcf37 same time, 00b23abe67 his expectation 3eeb93942a of being d16cf54151 hired disappeared. Someone applying simply to e6a3255afa receive room and board 27a3a4480d versus someone applying with 8b55c45c6a ambition. It was obvious e9884edce7 who would be 6e1eda1f94 hired.71ab654781373e4a

Anyway, since he had come, he had to go through with the interview. What’s your name? the interviewer asked. Shavonne, he answered. How far did you go in school? I’ve never attended. Do you have family? No. Any relatives? No, I’m an orphan. Friends? …No. A lover? None too… Do you have any acquaintances you keep in regular contact with? No. Are you good at cleaning? Pardon? …Oh, yes, I’m pretty good. I see. You can go now. That was the end of the interview. Shavonne left with just the interview fee.e4149ca91cc23af1

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The surprising event occurred d7fc50613b three days later. In the early morning, 17746d13b8 a man came to f3f1c77913 the inn where Shavonne 5740db1272 was staying to inform b132bdb893 him of his acceptance. Even more ac2d383d5e surprising was 7c2941a9b6 what the 7448103ac9 man said fa0731c896 that they 53875440e3 were scheduled 7870163b79 to depart d985892140 for Lute 8626975db1 in an 319201dd04 hour, so 2f68c750a2 he should 3d874142e3 pack immediately.10f71665bc95fb0f

Shavonne was dumbfounded. There were three e638325f35 reasons. First, because of the bd03f5f3b0 fact that he had 379e4e0515 been accepted. Second, because a 00bda1dbb9 person had come ad681ed501 to inform him 82f28a4d79 of his acceptance e093ab790e rather than a 2426ff1236 notification letter. And third, 67658ab81a because everything cd071cbb8f was happening 56c466aafb so hurriedly.5dd8e545203bd95b

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If they were going to come, wouldn’t they normally come in the morning or afternoon, or at least in the evening? And departing in an hour? Even if Shavonne didn’t need time to say goodbye since he had no acquaintances, surely that wouldn’t be the case for others… When he asked about the others out of curiosity, the man said not to worry because there were no others.0878b3a5d15503eb

Shavonne was the only one who had been accepted. The elites from wealthy families with studies had all been rejected. Although he wondered about the selection criteria, Shavonne deliberately said nothing. He didn’t want to put himself in an awkward position by asking about what might be a business secret.560df5e57c0869cb

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Although the questions outweighed the excitement, a new start was still a new start. To commemorate the new beginning, he bought a towel. Since he couldn’t wait until the daily necessities store opened, he bought it from the inn, and contrary to his worry that he might get a bad one, he got a good one.7af89cba5a059993

He added it to 4dc5f27f7f the two towels he aaa76e49a4 already had, packed the ac79eb5bce clothes he usually wore, 09907fbe3b and gathered his dishes 4b4ed2a46a and four well-worn books. Perhaps because he 386bb6a22c had so few ad72ade699 possessions, it took c7a7f21f08 less than 20 0eb4eafb6b minutes to pack 4d3581d3a6 everything.2ff7df1cc653ec44

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As soon as he 4c7091b3ea was ready, the man b25c3dc6a7 put Shavonne in a 156310656a carriage that was waiting 16279c6d44 in front of the 4463197fbf inn. Shavonne was bewildered. He said that 43eeea5878 taking a train 7cb9c38637 would be faster 36e0790d85 to get to aa9a020123 Lute, but all 0c8d6040cd he got in 52f2fafd57 response was the c622093846 door slamming shut d7d5b8a53a with a thud.9b43efaee4e34221

From the visit to the move, everything was different from what Shavonne had initially thought. But he deliberately tried to think that this must be how it usually is. He didn’t want to suffer any disadvantages by pretending to know when he didn’t.5ef1f5400542cf50

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Inside the 05187a77da moving carriage. Shavonne looked 87335fad73 out the 42d3a2f35d window with 2e37a4a874 his shoulders 18b9be4af5 hunched from 88cac750ae an inexplicable 387e51f284 anxiety. The deep darkness of 0aebd09a32 3 AM had settled, 3ae69aeb59 and nothing could be 7414871fc9 seen. It was pitch black.0c2f164195cbe004

“Mr. Shavonne, wake up.”8386e89ac8ef8292

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He opened c801ad3308 his eyes 2260234312 to the 6e39c8c0d5 touch of e74b426c27 a hand 9ef4fe6818 shaking his 40304731dc shoulder.Are we already in f35a87cbc1 Lute? The last time he looked out the window, it was a night so dark that he couldn’t see an inch in front of him, but now it wasn’t. Although it was gloomy as if snow might fall at any moment, it was clearly daytime.e61e863aef86ed6c

Looking at his 80b98c4003 watch, about ten c845f5385d hours had passed ef419c64c7 since leaving Bunch. Ten hours. He was 7118c58fa7 suddenly amazed be45041924 at himself cf1580a480 for sleeping e1b46e0adc for ten 7e6413aee7 hours straight 21a52aa3fd without waking 45e94859c7 once in 1d5369904c the violently 0e11cbce70 shaking carriage.c0ecfa5ffdf5c1d9

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“Wake up. From here, we have to walk.”8667956f1238faa6

The man pulled f496e63694 Shavonne up and 32f30c33ce pushed him out dc25784965 of the carriage. To say he b570d757f8 was pushed would 410d5025c3 be putting it 0fab92c689 mildly. It was 5f9e5d7dc3 closer to 010ed019fa being thrown 852a88d291 out. Shavonne almost fell face-first abd004b8dc onto the ground. Although it 8aacaac095 did wake c7c3cd0cf5 him up 182e9a9187 completely, it d3af77cb59 was hardly 154ef7772c a situation 33f6b3d082 he could 086b5f9905 be thankful 7c77d46a8e for.ffe97f1734f149a6

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Shavonne turned his d38c93fe7c head sharply and 938deea16c glared at the 054f15869f man. However, the man 889e40465f seemed completely uninterested 825caa1ff0 in whether Shavonne fce18bb50d was glaring or 1da1aa7d87 not, and just 0d7aa85dde pointed somewhere with 07a821e26b his chin.ccaebe48c427983d

“Let’s go.”a2347522e2d774f6

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The place the man 4983c2c677 was pointing to was 19d4eaace6 on top of a 308632ea76 cliff. More precisely, 2622a911be the penitentiary 23b78ffad7 on top 3b8fa19ee7 of the d853783299 cliff. Perhaps due to ee33579ca9 the gloomy weather, 36ab372c95 the penitentiary against f1259c13bf the gray sky 844b5bd72c somehow felt ominous.44ee7ab3cd2d88d4

While he was looking up, the man had already started climbing the path. There wasn’t even time to stop him by saying ‘wait a moment’. Shavonne hurriedly picked up his luggage and began to follow the man with quick steps.2aefff68303469d0

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The Lute Penitentiary 7d3a6ad50b consisted mainly of 9e0fa23379 a watchtower and 7c14413c51 guard post, an c74a409fd0 open area, an b9da838dc5 incinerator room, the b7d43cf531 main building, and d0190c00eb two annexes.e8c06ee175d98f86

Shavonne was supposed to go to the two annexes, where he was told to find the Superintendent. When asked how to find him, the man replied to look for a man with graying hair. The tone of that answer was so casual, as if explaining something very simple, that Shavonne thoughtlessly assumed there weren’t many people in the annexes.d611817a47dbaa8d

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By the time he realized it was a misunderstanding, he was already inside the annex, which was bursting with guards. Whether they had finished their meals and were resting, or were just fooling around, everyone was busy. Some were playing card games like poker, blackjack, or rummy, while others were passing around erotic pictures. Yet others were dangerously swinging batons, but everyone seemed so used to it that they didn’t even bother to stop them or give them a glance.3c3f37972cc5bb6c

As Shavonne desperately looked around for the Superintendent, he belatedly realized there was a problem with the man’s description. A man with graying hair? How could he tell if their hair was graying or not when they were all wearing uniform caps?fc1ef82598ba2a51

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‘Excuse me. Do you know where the Superintendent is?’ He asked at the card game table, but no one answered. Everyone was busy playing poker, blackjack, and rummy. ‘Excuse me. Do you know where the Superintendent is?’ He asked at the erotic art table, but no one answered. Everyone was busy looking at pictures of naked butts. ‘Excuse me…’ He couldn’t even approach the area where they were fighting with batons. He risked getting hit in the head by a swinging baton.fb607ec3987443b2

In the end, the only option was to search on his own. He carefully examined the hair sticking out from under hats. A few strands of black hair, stiff brown hair, curly red hair… He was worried he wouldn’t find him, but fortunately he spotted him quickly.ffcb20e164c83333

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“Excuse me.”fdd0b58a88898964

When called, the owner e4736a0d56 of the graying hair b58acf2923 stopped turning pages and ab051e371c looked up at Shavonne. Shavonne hesitantly continued speaking.67fa6bdb90d082e4

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“Um, I was told to come find the Superintendent…”617ab5055be1daae

“You must be the new arrival.”f3ea3730d4f6b0e2

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Surprisingly, the Superintendent immediately recognized that Shavonne was a new guard. Or perhaps it wasn’t so surprising after all. Shavonne was wearing a shabby coat, a frayed shirt, and faded pants. His entire appearance screamed that he had just come from civilian life, so it would have been stranger not to recognize him right away.b41bfff81181b275

“Was your name Joe? No, that’s not it. Walter?”6c810ed1794a6a5c

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…Of course, recognizing him as a new guard didn’t mean he could guess his name correctly. When Shavonne corrected him, the Superintendent muttered to himself, “Ah, yes, Shavonne. That’s a nice name.” Then he suddenly extended his hand. It was his right hand, used for handshakes.44d3a817e2ea60c7

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Shavonne.”43be607e8d84f503

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A warm smile spread across the Superintendent’s face as he greeted him. Shavonne hesitated for a moment. It had been so long since anyone had smiled warmly at him that he didn’t know how to react at first. But that only lasted a moment. Shavonne soon raised his unmoving arm and grasped the Superintendent’s hand. He felt warmth. A warmth as gentle as the smile spread through his palm.0d61240f6445c33e

“Likewise.”8b9ecb16198d4eaf

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Not knowing that f5ab169c03 the warmth could b5b5354c08 be false. Just like that.fdd9dd20fa5001d3

The Superintendent told him to rest for now, since he must be tired from the long journey. He said he would teach Shavonne the job after he recovered from his travel fatigue, but in the meantime, his advice was to mingle with his colleagues. The Superintendent explained that while poor relationships with coworkers are uncomfortable in any workplace, it’s especially severe here.8a113e4de4cfc0da

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― Do you 261db20ded know how to 0914c9b6e9 play poker?2c3bfa03828925da

It was an unexpected question. When Shavonne blinked in surprise, the Superintendent said that being good at card games makes it easy to befriend colleagues. He went on to explain that as long as he knew how to play poker, blackjack, and rummy to some degree – not necessarily at an expert level – he’d be welcome anywhere in the facility.be0a77e1e747defa

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Does that mean I won’t be welcome anywhere in the facility?Shavonne thought. The only thing fffb72297e he had ever 1d06e101b6 done with cards 600d3925a8 in his life 01891cf75b was building a 159cc3a333 3-story tower. He frowned as he b3f0f7b0d9 thought he might be 5b41fd36ae excluded, just like at 0c4717a8b2 the orphanage.4a7c70bc7040d791

― You can’t play?d451993788f18325

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The Superintendent asked after observing Shavonne’s face. Shavonne replied.ae58e417b293d78c

― I don’t even know the rules.dc6f6c7d633cc97d

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Oh dear…The Superintendent trailed 5ec7e8774e off. He looked genuinely sorry 5cc6d5b831 for Shavonne. Shavonne just 17945b2ad9 shrugged his 11a011bacf shoulders.3f97745a2725b860

That’s where the problem arose. Perhaps moved by Shavonne’s reaction, the Superintendent suddenly offered to teach him. Even when Shavonne said there was no need, the Superintendent stubbornly set up a game. ‘It’s fine. It’s simple, so you’ll learn quickly,’ he said. Of course, there was no way Shavonne, a mere guard in training, could refuse the Superintendent’s insistence.835d90770350c8d2

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‘I don’t seem to have any talent for this,’Shavonne thought, planning 18aa051c20 to bow out 001acc0d3d after one game. Maybe two games bf8c106594 at most if 577f9ddc92 it seemed rude 92b74e4cd2 to leave so 91205aa417 soon. But as they 4a4f8f2802 played, he started 78e33a8329 to enjoy it. In the 967633edd5 first game, 1ef6bb6fe6 he messed 8ca615ccf2 up by d2287d38f3 not knowing 17abbd3925 what to 314353efc7 do with 801b6244bc a straight. But in the ee19bc0f9c second game, he ede7805ad3 won with two 9c2d15b19a pairs, and in 068107480e the third game, 7054b0274d he swept the c9c785f735 table by bluffing 77fed5c135 a full house dc4f9a0970 when he only d9ba933510 had three of 46d0788b47 a kind.a133ec73e0a146ee

At first, Shavonne only c72dd5f1ed had fifteen bottle caps 35fd9d903a (used as chips in 856626340e the facility) borrowed from e9bc93f21a the Superintendent. But by the tenth ca69e02c86 game, there were too 063c542eef many bottle caps piled 7162d5cdda in front of Shavonne d6ff148059 to count with the 6601cc8c67 naked eye.f6f4667618065431

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Had word already spread about the newcomer’s poker skills? The table that had been quiet at the start was now so crowded there wasn’t even room to stand. Guards who were terrible at poker watched the game with their mouths hanging open stupidly.98b23ba0d58ac545

Guards who considered a3424ac969 themselves knowledgeable about a759b53f7b poker watched closely 80731197f4 to see if e0d87e001f Shavonne was using 8bc3c9ba28 any tricks. Those who enjoyed ed20394312 playing with skilled 1cbab3f907 players sat near 145dcde812 the table, waiting 8a40e46e46 for a chance bca7cc3c90 to join.ef6978fea0594ffd

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The Superintendent appeared as the fifteenth game was ending. Shavonne was on his sixth hand when he heard someone calling his name from somewhere. When he turned around, he saw the Superintendent waving at him from the doorway. More precisely, he was waving a guard’s uniform. It seemed he had brought clothes for Shavonne to wear.8a8188b6e7f5309a

Shavonne declared a fold and stood up. ‘You’re leaving already? We’ve barely played a few games…’ Disappointed voices erupted from around the table. Shavonne flinched. The fact that someone was disappointed to see him go was unfamiliar. No, more than unfamiliar – it was bewildering. He found it hard to believe that there were people in the world who weren’t happy, pleased, or glad to see him leave. His face flushed, feeling like he had accomplished something significant.49f8251dbd0e7235

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That evening, 5275bf2b13 as he 3559123465 stood in 322e69e670 front of b61c339a3d the mirror bedbeb0d76 wearing his 969a19f1b5 new uniform, 63f60ba6c9 Shavonne thought f448625c27 that maybe 433e233de7 he could 47d4ef6aea become friends c1fced28f7 with the b0c3c997b1 people here. He even cautiously, very 626bcb7668 cautiously, wondered if he bd977b9d32 could have a real 43a743c4da ‘family’ relationship with them, e1cdb6eb39 like all the other 8a325d8a6e orphans had at the 1e76f5f367 orphanage except for him.c2875929171d1535

No, don’t put your hopes up. Even though he tried to shake off the thought, the expectation wouldn’t go away easily. The idea that they might be good people, that they might become his family, friends, and lovers, settled on his head. Perhaps it was a wish. A small, fragile wish that could blow away with a single breath.2a347ede2fa2e09e

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On the first day, the second day, and the third day, Shavonne didn’t work. More accurately, he had nothing to do. No one gave him any work.3d94d44062314af8

When he asked for work, they told him to finish recovering from his journey. When he said he had long since recovered, they replied that he didn’t look fully recovered to them. The Superintendent told him to rest comfortably. He said Shavonne could sleep, read books alone, or play card games with others.71849eee23b02139

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However, Shavonne, who had been doing hard labor 365 days a year without holidays or breaks, didn’t know how to rest comfortably. He swept and mopped the floors while the guards were working. He cleaned window smudges and dusted between window frames. He even oiled squeaky doors.2441503809c0a8f9

But that only happened once. Everyone stopped him. The Superintendent took away his oil can. One guard following him took his broom, and two others took his rags. ‘Cleaning isn’t resting comfortably, Mr. Shavonne,’ they said in gentle, admonishing voices. Shavonne found it strange that they wouldn’t even let him clean, but he dismissed it as their way of being considerate.3155419f68aeecc6

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There was a guard who said, ‘Mr. Shavonne, shall I mend your uniform if it’s too big? I’m good at mending,’ showing him a needle and thread. Another guard handed him bread and a drink, saying, ‘Mr. Shavonne, eat this. You need to put on some weight.’ There was even a guard who gave him a fluffy cotton blanket, asking if his bed was uncomfortable.8126ebaa256887ea

At first, he didn’t know how to react, but after a few days, he got somewhat used to it. Shavonne politely replied, ‘I’ll ask for your help if my clothes tear. Thank you.’ He shared his nut snacks, saying, ‘Please eat, it’s delicious.’ He shared the cotton blanket, saying, ‘Let’s use it together.’7397dcd885469418

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It was nice. Everything was good, but the best thing was wearing the same uniform, eating the same food, and sleeping together with the same people. Laughing together, crying together, talking together… Shavonne learned among the guards how much ‘together’ could make a person’s life enjoyable.214e824444e2cc44

Shavonne had ec05fde0b1 planned to e6578192bd return to d06032fad9 Bunch once 9976d6aef5 he saved bf821dff82 enough money. Bunch was where b342eb4a86 he was born 64d8449675 and raised, and 11b0c525b6 it was familiar 6131085b27 to him. But now his 0b8eb7b3c4 mind had changed. He thought it d6d318d9dd would be much aeb90744df better to stay ef61867e25 here than to 14b5d96eee live among cold 0236b07580 people.8af4366ade4dd2c5

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Even if 8e9b78c684 he could 00f7711f8e go anywhere a1e3657895 in the 6d77f46cfe world he 59d351a582 wanted, Shavonne e0f63538d0 wanted to 5e4aa27e03 stay here. He felt that every 25ff4af730 day would be incredibly 7d27af74ef enjoyable with these people. No, it will d9ec7b1949 be enjoyable. Shavonne had 20661218b6 become convinced a633255928 of this.6cb2e35a366ef692

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