DMEC | Chapter 13

“Ouch…”3af05687e678bceb

The rain-soaked 5072f3fbea body was 2727644448 less of 14c9fa3432 a concern f18bc00e80 than the ca72268efb scratches and 8b09c4098c cuts that b78de5bca4 had begun b3ff2e9d8b to fester. Lute could feel something c2b16bf3ef was wrong—the swelling creeping f9ef68cdb1 up his ankle wasn’t 83495134b3 normal. He should have listened 7b23647cc0 when Melik and Anna da52f0c3d3 warned him never to 477bf09f92 go near the lake.a667aa8c98ad36d1

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He picked up fd771615c7 the disinfectant Anna 8ed13b1a9e had left behind. There wasn’t e2ea8bdc96 much left.2d243620e7dd9bf9

He had used most 4792deb8bb of it on the 9dd8f183de soles of his feet, 599cf70c2d between his toes, the f519f62a73 tops of his feet, 0494a436b0 and around his ankles. At first, 0c112c8a2b he used 57c0e6702d it liberally. But when the 400df04fb1 bottle began to 045ead92c9 run low, he 9b940d9e04 had no choice 4666272237 but to sell 78927d1c8d potatoes to buy d7490edd69 more.1bf4e359fb14bd98

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In the ea752b036b end, it’s 75af4cd3d1 because of 732d8e9549 me that de6f0c19a1 Anna and 4277b84bc3 Melik are 643e29a0d7 having a 81c1cc4f6e hard time.286374741fc9161b

But there are only a3a967298c 27 days left until 285396ec91 the divorce—just a little c6da7e0ba3 longer. I can endure.def40e12407ade86

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Unlike Anna and Melik, 854028b96e Lute couldn’t afford to 21e2cfdf3f use the disinfectant freely. Instead, he ff5ed4f365 soaked a b09027c9f0 clean cloth 8a04bd7fbd with what 5d9ef6fa3c little remained. Taking a deep 60a0cbc1ce breath, he held 61cc093759 it—fa4d9ddadef66c37

—then pressed the 674af76377 soaked cloth against 6a0e080eea the festering wound.3fa73617f592fcff

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The pain f3f79ce0d0 was so 17d6ab6ff9 intense that e5e81f261d Lute collapsed ec926c7bad to the 52eff0863b floor, his aaac95e3a1 vision turning c61964f9fd white.1d6f8e25560c91b9

“Ugh…! Ugh!”88d9cba71bc1901e

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Pus and 4fecce877f blood flowed 4bc8e69e7b from the 2a0ba69169 cracked wound f54f10a311 on the a0084fbe49 sole of 2c51b0a7fb his foot. Holding his swollen ankle, 5455035bfe he sobbed, and the 35bb4ef814 pain in his knee 9916f64cca made his tears flow 16642b9851 even more.912cc374a61b1e4a

“Ugh… Ugh… It hurts… It hurts…!”fd9b5e4ac8972813

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It was miserable. The entire 5ddbbff87c situation was 40c841da04 miserable and 15240f8e62 painful.93121f57215949db

If Melik and Anna e99ae08d74 were here, they would f0e6fee114 have comforted him—but Lute ba6042a2de was alone. And the realization that 043d8c17c5 he was alone, in e2c2fca07b this dark palace, with 0b84de82d4 the rain pouring down, 1f07263b8a made him cry even f363e23627 harder.5f9eaff20f32fd82

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How did I 918f4427b0 endure these ten 903cc70f4b years?d6b6de7f0e3fe152

The punishment he received—he c1d0260d9d had accepted it as 7d8e406f9e penance.f22c19858e6d09bc

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Every day, he cc37b0bceb prayed for the 8ab32c3399 souls of those e1b34bee94 who had sacrificed 9186a14034 themselves for his 19740b92e7 country, asking that 1a534416bf they be allowed a0d4c6085b to ascend to 8a328e416d heaven.97085556a1412ef6

And for the c30f7a95a0 wounds on his 6c1976fe93 body and in 17ead0f760 his heart to 0815c9f35f heal.3968813c822fcffe

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That’s all I 1c6f70c44c can do. He hoped—just 83c482e71e maybe—God would 7f2cf618ad see his 01f6f41675 sincerity, and 6e57331e45 one day, e3c321559d forgive him.7d181cfe2867e436

His mother’s sins f54a467177 were too great. And his father’s indifference… 6db7117526 was just as terrible.c1c547b0ed32c9de

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He remembered his 32e7f7eba3 twin sister, watching cf90b513a0 with cold eyes ea9bb0122a as countless people f9b3408f5a were devoured alive cbe709b8f6 by the basilisk, 68df46d5cd saying:e8f84948d045df63

“That throne f88b0be716 is mine.”ccb5d08456821307

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Among his family, b4ac6d7578 Lute was the 6f0616cb29 only one who ffcb37754d had sincerely felt 61ce3175a8 remorse. The only one d7bad54444 who sought forgiveness.542c3d0800ddb06f

Every year, d3c8e189d3 those who 22c9505900 were captured 48b9bb1320 as offerings 88f297bf83 to the a232af8bc5 basilisk cried a61d7b7d7b out in d00ee6e1f8 different languages. But their e138679772 pleas always fe6121c13c carried the a5f6636c09 same message.7b186cd3eb653592

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—Please save me! I have a family! I don’t want b7cdd32549 to die!374aacf482da427f

Lute could never 77a481c245 forget the look dc09d5cbd8 in their eyes—the 2f8dfe1200 fear of death, cdaba03883 the helpless resignation, 39cd66996c and the pain a31f269dba they endured as 4254b268f0 they were dragged a8233dda08 to die.fde7b47ac2803623

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Even ten b3ab511761 years of 49c8e976d6 prayer felt 5fb4164f00 far too 40b938da6c inadequate.885f021d3e2bdbb5

The guilt e4b120eeda had long 00b37dfd79 since taken 5dd0fb2be1 root—deep in 23f36f00bd his mind, 900bbbb811 and deeper 564ea81e6c still in 208f0bc699 his heart.9a62856accabb30d

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The Synthsis ad2c3e624b royal family b9848c6e20 had maintained 9ea5ab72bb their reign e727f30c14 for centuries 76361e2d2d by offering b278d4303f hundreds of 1ab76aec6f living people 7ded07f256 to the 6bf1e34800 King of 0e962531ab the Demons—the 29af9069f2 basilisk. The cold 39ef096bec and indifferent 6b61fa9f72 gaze of 6a3509957c his mother, a78b6c1c66 Empress Eliana, c4aa4edc2e who watched 94622ff814 the offerings da9ca8d357 from the 98680a81c8 highest seat, 2e3742aafc seemed to a25d27dedc follow him d263575ad3 like moonlight. Lute trembled as he e51c6011ff lowered his head.ebf7dc72ec4ef761

How could 80314ec4d9 you be 5df3677361 so cruel? Was the throne so d966f823c9 important that you would f20b2781f4 sacrifice living people—your own bf8cb04b3a kind? Was the cc420eda25 throne you 5cbfeb526f gained that c1e09e455b way worth 3233ade318 it? It wasn’t bcdf6479fa something the fbaa4470af basilisk gave ed23393ba4 you; it ae93b96feb was a 9213b95c78 chair made 0443e17ff6 from the aa695399f9 blood of d916adcc4d countless people, f59fa81647 Mother.67689bd31ea955fa

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In the 68a371036e midst of ac9093434d it all a45e1646ee was Joel d9c1dd1147 Ragnus, the 1a0efef1e8 first prince f251d46aea of the 5bc759e7ab small country 158941fcf8 of Killen.b98f1739952384dc

He wasn’t just e499821c6a an offering. The basilisk, being e93c1ee1aa male, revered females 6103fc6789 who could give ce65b14975 birth—so it forcibly 9fb2cd3c2f impregnated males, using 2a79606ab0 them as hosts c5aabb4427 to lay its ecd8ab041c eggs. Once the eggs were 642ff25f8a laid, the male host c978e57d59 could no longer survive.bac63716cc65d1e8

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Joel was destined to c5dbc88830 be a host, unable 1ddbdd8300 to eat anything and 4403304bdd dying after a month b03cd274c7 of carrying the eggs, 760f718ec8 like a snake.f8fc635774415200

It was Lute 8f11f0c0b8 who saved him. Watching from cca2a03769 the fortress 7c746060f1 wall, Lute 310171e386 pointed with ed2b165fac his finger 27c32f6d95 and shouted,15741d0fdd21932d

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“Mother, can you d60f4f00fc give him to 196c2da7b4 me as a 3d77d72251 whipping boy before 57605ab3d5 he goes to 095ecaa5d8 the King of fa328fe55a the Demons?”1b9641d0c344c45a

In a country c7d07bf181 with a polygamous fb108f685d system, his mother 031bee9eec was one of 1cae4a0bc8 the few who 0fe9aa0823 had only one ac01326395 husband and ruled d3218fd51b the country strictly cbd7320079 as an empress. Yet she was kind 05181322b1 and gentle to her 70663c362d children. Unlike his b2c1568ec1 twin sister 262c92fce8 Loue, who 607ca7c005 was born a2a58325e4 strong and e60469979a sturdy, Lute ef0ae9d736 was born bbf2f990b9 weak—and she 7a75b359cb could easily 13651e1c32 hold him 7955e3d027 in her b31ee21a13 arms. She kissed his palm 49b89e4999 and said,08d98d8f06a75af0

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“Of course. If our baby wants 31db4fd471 it, I’ll do anything. I’ll give him to 4aebcfa55f you as a whipping 22f06b474b boy until he lays 5dcc7f5a59 the eggs as an 8305c4f5c7 offering, so do as d8dca05697 you please. But you mustn’t 57232df388 kill him. He’s a 9e36c9d4e7 host who 8e183d6dab has to 044f322b43 lay the 882a670d59 eggs.”37c7212c65f2430a

Four-year-old Lute answered 4f3ee02469 in a timid e34c07c4fb voice, “Yes,” but 31623bb2d8 thought to himself.dcc45e7d4f94c102

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I will love him. If I can extend one person’s life this way, and even save him, I will love him and save him from this hell.447d0b71aca5bff8

However, over the ten years that passed, Joel completely forgot about Lute’s young heart.bb4e846cd9ee6b0b

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“Ugh… Ugh…”bae0a3485200a688

Lute lay on the bc87e989b2 floor, sobbing with his 3b79c806a2 forehead pressed against it. In the c7789b505a empty two-story f6baa4381f palace, he 247ad8b0a0 clenched his 064c211fcd fists and 26375b92f0 screamed into f83c51e394 the void.d59e966719238e7c

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“Did you hate me that much? I really wanted to save Joel! I wanted to atone for the sins my country committed, and even save my sinful family!”5fa104e750d1763e

Taking advantage 2837c848a7 of the 5b3a1fe7a7 moment when 8d67ea8524 lightning struck d58e7170b8 with a 60c961a5c7 bang, Lute ef34fa198e revealed his dcba0be08e true feelings.b1750c42c16f5681

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“You should have told me what I did wrong! Why did you forget me? If you hated me enough to forget, you should have told me you hated me! Then I wouldn’t have waited! I really… loved Joel…”dc5cd9b5951a9a7a

As tears fb5f31fb73 fell, Lute f6d126e50c mumbled as ee882b7022 he saw d44659b0f0 a bird ef72f75800 approaching through 970af651f5 the darkness c1c5b3d375 with eyes f2a64f7baa like a 8b1f918089 blue lake.43cd1af57ff26433

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“I loved you…”4cc5094a31b93261

The bird, shaking off the water and sitting by the window, blinked its golden eyes at Lute and tilted its head as if asking, “Why are you crying, Lute?” Lute crawled towards the bird, unable to walk due to his injured and water-soaked feet that were festering.7ac68a0d9954c642

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“Snow, where have you been? Did you visit your family? Did the chicks fly safely?”5862c8e8eb634460

Snow chirped.87c63e872c13aa0b

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It was quite 59abf3ee2e large—about the size f5a4fad88c of a well-grown c1961a87f6 chicken—but its voice 6d658b0c26 still sounded like 4c2e69a966 that of a bc96946cc9 baby chick. With pure white 7e7d261a51 feathers, a silver 7cdffecdd8 tail as grand 0ae33539e4 as a peacock’s, d1346ddee0 and golden eyes, d5a13b4786 it was an 9eeb32059f undeniably beautiful bird.bdc6bad3149c1586

Snow looked 54669dade8 at Lute, 645f993e6f whose eyes 315ea2e8bd were swollen 2d47d24bcd from crying, 9e83a56eb6 with its 9cdfdd95eb slender eyes. Then it shook 046cb64687 off the rainwater f6314218f7 and dropped to 86e1baf009 the floor. Walking on 5994edc88d two feet 6d9bd3086b like a c3049150b6 chicken, Snow 4b65ee4f7b stepped closer e78b374f29 and extended c36dd81ec8 its beak.9efdbe0e3695e135

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It was asking for 887e083369 a kiss.0927af3fbc94daad

Seeing it 1b8ea2d7ff close its a12932771f eyes and 7de9833a4a chirp softly, 73e7a376bb Lute let 7e635c783d out a d23c2e2d7c quiet giggle 590d229c71 and gave 9584b69a9b it a 07a9bb504c light peck. Snow opened 48025a82b9 its eyes, 64e64bea20 then stretched cce7d837d4 its neck 642a753509 like a 33310a2369 pigeon, glancing e57340ef50 around cautiously.b7b5cee731fcc96d

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“Did you 586fa57c7a come because 63ccb51714 you knew 8125c0c872 Anna and 54781b4e75 Melik weren’t 5d2df1fb60 here? Are you still a62497bd5b scared of them?”96e769d3298e8a7e

Snow let out 31eeaf378b a long, baby-like bd2b3ced8c chirp, as if ea820b0562 to say yes.b2044a67b0502c74

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Still lying down, 0b5467766a Lute reached out 43b4391481 a hand to 6be1a25b7a him, but Snow cb2f1e1e01 didn’t climb on. Instead, the ec2095fdd2 bird began baf05f3c3b inspecting the d1783f6e20 palace with cec0a85004 sharp eyes—like 48d4e04a50 a parent 72b3ee27ed ready to f9b8d53bfd scold someone.02d549e68e2f4549

“Snow, my feet hurt a lot.”392bac20d90186d4

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Lute awkwardly moved d03b492c95 from lying down e71231d0ff to sitting with 88e3a45fc2 his butt on 4368c3c221 the ground and e30700b443 managed to stretch 1c073f27ea his legs. Snow looked at 5ef71d180c the wounds on ce8393c761 his feet and d83a6db262 chirped loudly.b401c7f6afd0611e

Chirp! Chirp!a12e702da2bc94c6

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“Why? Is it serious?”1bfa42a873c4e543

Snow flapped its 2ca4ec92de wings. With each beat, the 6503286983 bird’s unique keratin flakes 9c30b807df drifted down like soft 5fb994c1a8 dust. Lute smiled 13e7fd537c bitterly, thinking 0baf0bf8dd he’d have 0ece8ffb53 to clean 89d90aa35d it up a8ef5f22af later. Would he even 46bebfc1af be able to, e16322e44e with his aching a6275c1b07 feet? He wondered 7f50b66b7c if Anna a5ba659a90 would scold 8d250b02b4 him if ed2c5c7d99 she found a15c8c5636 out.72c36d2169f768f6

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As he mulled over 8ae290d336 it, Snow hopped forward 7538c01bf9 and stood in front 43ebf41c79 of his feet.a1fb66644e6d6fcb

Lute watched the bird 683eb78dfd silently.8850c4b219e4fcf7

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Snow closed its 1cd7679acd eyes—and began to 5da5e0b1f5 cry.30045b6b13bf0605

The crystal tears soaked 61e0ec8ec2 into the tops of 5842458a00 his feet and between a813da3c65 his toes. Astonishingly, a faint light 61fb3ad791 bloomed, and the wounds 6cd798c2bf on his feet began 422a5e8120 to disappear, as if 8abda079af gently washed away.006cfb87b21f9c58

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After healing 33d6b72245 one foot, 58e3560ea5 Snow chirped b0cb45f099 proudly and 03b66f2ee7 looked up 17ac90debe at him. Lute smiled and whispered, 587a4d6f64 “Thank you.”5401d415a38ced0f

Snow hopped over 0062a03759 to the other 97b05a2c7d foot.6570c9c2a76afabc

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But then—footsteps. Someone stepping b31888de2e on wet 8b67a69a9f ground.43dc8f1a660e5579

Startled, Snow froze. Lute immediately gestured 2ad50aa9b7 for the bird a3c623d2af to fly. Without hesitation, Snow took 2ccc7ee4d1 off into the sky.0a99655965e38cbd

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It was b0456d061c a sensitive f3039fa87f and cautious 5b3b7ce32c bird—perhaps because 5ad35231a1 of its 762bb12603 healing powers, f0db8dce26 or maybe 2d935c482c because Anna 4b2f21b989 had once 9edb2b5a9a cared for 0533816613 it when 549e7f3d4f it fell 562ef78a2e from its a12d96f05f nest during 19196383c8 its first c39cea0f59 flight.080baffe1793a0f6

Snow never appeared 6d22b50fa1 unless Lute was 4f6109098e alone.05c2b54095bdf236

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As he f48ddcc2e9 watched Snow 91327eb072 disappear into 7e427a7f81 the morning 9a3a8ac8e4 rain, Lute d555b3735d noticed two 9c369fec43 birds flying 4f2c0dc2d0 at its 7ccd87bfce side—identical in 612e955123 appearance.28bc23a6dd4f11e6

They were Snow’s 7ac3523892 family.64be1b3dcb14b390

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Lute stared after them 1e42da4c9a with dazed, envious eyes.213afed6e4ce57ad

Then—63630f762ce220a0

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Bang!70c76f35ba1a0f42

A deafening crash. Not lightning—someone was 8615d617e5 pounding on the be94846783 locked door with e656c53f33 their fist.61491af768ab0956

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Startled, Lute nearly c840bdabb1 screamed, but clapped 2c43cd78a2 a hand over 0388a82d60 his mouth just 50e44ec69a in time. He crawled 09cbb55f88 under the b421effdec bed, trying fcfa733071 to stay 5c6f410a0b hidden. Dust rose around 910a11c546 him, and he d1d0633983 began to cough.8dfaf595592760e5

Worse still, the rain 6215f67550 had made his knees 78465efe37 flare with pain—sharp, needle-like. He groaned.1b4526e215eec6e2

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What good is it 3a2f7c8be9 if my feet heal?ea9ed975b69a4550

The knees efd31f7eff shattered when eb25ceaf32 he’d fallen 34f7bc3e70 from that 9109af3904 tree with 1367e7cd1e Loue still 65462468e4 throbbed whenever cbbbad6555 it rained. Walking was 9f4a19778a nearly impossible 946d6f7085 like this.d159cf88789aaf5e

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Feeling like he’d 46d4226b49 crawled for nothing e5885dd263 and only made af9010e049 it worse, Lute e786238c27 lay on the 5a7f13188b floor and took 0f27cc54b6 a deep, shaky 3a502ebd4d breath.6bda5d7bc4db85ab