MLCD Chapter 6.2

A cold wind 8e0b0dd79d hit his face.dec3275d755c4215

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.fb658109f65156b4

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Everything was impressive, 8eb2405f65 but what caught b942338460 the eye most d780c2e015 was the penitentiary. A penitentiary 60af1de814 towering atop 214e1e300f a sheer e1d0b8ad25 cliff.e5c41347f7075e45

This is it.f962614da4a35fa8

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This is Lute.f90bfa8a27cd2a3e

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.a47f14d2cdae7022

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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.d2212d267ce19c1a

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.5d9d289d2377ff04

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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.77f7dfe3447c3628

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.02b4e8e5018226c1

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He tried fd44694563 climbing the 18ddad631d wire mesh, 8609500a63 but in 41a1483487 the end, 3bc7a4ab5b it was 835c0a00b7 worse than dbdb81a7c3 not trying 6315211f49 at all. Before he cc518d499f could even aaff396111 take three 694066ef33 steps, he 7172a1af5f lost his 8ec1ebec0e grip on 0f776b4a3d the wire 5696367365 mesh with 8920439143 a gasp. Looking closer 551c0348fb afterwards, he d789179bb5 saw that a1863f7f28 the wire c13da6c64c mesh had c6cb3fa914 much sharper 23b66b578f thorns than f097a22f68 the usual c72025c5d4 ones. If he had known 2d914e7e8b earlier, he could have 18b99a60cc avoided his palms becoming 9db7958d11 a bloody mess, but b69c20fed9 his poor vision had a96acf8028 been the problem.6ef0e53323e8c7d4

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.ffc2f31f0068d769

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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.44c57541b36ea274

He carried what 2306882bd4 he could carry 5cb4435697 and pushed what 3c3509b0e9 he could push. After bringing them to f1f83db327 the base of the d279d9870f wall, he began stacking 76a55715e5 the rocks. Since they 9553f86882 were to 0b20e4f950 be used 54f9ba1a07 as stepping 3f0ddf2c09 stones, he f63482971c discarded the db99a967a7 ones that 6a5e8a3085 were too 0920a304f4 uneven. After that, 0219baa915 the pile f25117b9df of rocks 3367158ff6 only reached 7affd363ad the middle f85776f2fe of the 4a611698bc wall.Can I really climb aeb0ef0439 over the wall using faae53e4fb this…? He wasn’t sure, but he had no choice but to try.879220024a6f3495

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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.016493acff0f16ca

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.aad3669cc9b7fc5d

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What if da218dffad I try 78886732fb to pull 1b4900fab0 myself up affab53820 like doing a054069f9f 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.2828b37db5b223f1

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.31a53015dc4edf80

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He tried 9289fdd8a3 seven times. Hoping for a miracle, c25ebc4ac5 he tried one last a32bc78ea0 time to pull himself 6313bfe4d2 up, but as expected, 6c633d9cb7 this attempt failed too. Shavonne let go of 20001fa41c the top of the 5011a3e051 wall, almost falling off, 9a2f9a241b and gasped for breath. He tasted blood df5664347c in the back 0f317e793d of his throat. His lungs 5e6c186258 ached as 0833255dac if they 484ddd6a31 were about 1951853a15 to tear.3b5bad0fc6f4d1c7

Should I make the f188896e27 pile higher?He thought as 140b0cd946 he breathed roughly, 39546c203b but only for c5777b546e a moment. He had d405588a6c already used 00d1ab7952 all the f9c5384a1b rocks that 8ba6e8a61b were of f68a6c37dc use. The ones 1d0c9ccf9c left were 78ea0a95f2 too uneven 81f5bdb59c to even 6c90030496 use as 8f50153adb foothold.f1cd055d7eefdfb8

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In that case…49934a07e4c9939a

“…”5d178195d6ebb9e6

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The only answer was 5d98d51524 to jump.67c64ef3122d1504

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.4f6694de3da111cd

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The problem was… if he failed to land on top of the wall.14c4c70ca2b232d8

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.8808dd3b94b6e014

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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.974831c84d3b0563

Shavonne looked up at b551d675ca the top of the 4b21e1f768 wall. He thought about squeezing 6baf875193 his eyes shut as a8fa7c383c he always did when c748083509 attempting something reckless, but 5a35233aa8 decided against it. This moment cb7620bcd0 could be 49f14de78d his last. He no b8b0a63fd0 longer wanted ef47a8ae21 to run f2338f6651 away.26dd7115d47a50f2

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He kicked 49e8c3ccb3 off the fd9de3966b rock pile 9169e618b0 with all e16f7a8bf3 his might. With a rumble e1412b9674 of small stones 9430a808b2 falling, his feet 4c40de92eb rose into the c34702e3ee air.3521a022f7afd678

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…4287bdfd49749433

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Tak. He felt the d41f41bb1e endlessly falling world faf20378d9 suddenly stop moving.463bd673632ecbea

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.16d6cc1db8e81fc6

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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.cdf98241d04c29f0

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.769e1185c899b7ee

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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.605ec68c87fb594f

After taking f2bc8364e2 a deep 3680d9e630 breath, he 5b439953da jumped towards a55c9cb22b the area eb995e3dca with the 2057b3614a thickest foliage. As soon as he d7ad594e48 felt the wind, his cc8b952494 body was falling. The moment his feet dc0c994398 touched the ground, Shavonne ede50dba66 rolled forward, placing both 711da60d27 hands on the ground 22acdbd491 to minimize the impact.2080eb11d049641f

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With a crashing a1d5bb324b sound, sharp leaves 0109b10cd2 began to mercilessly a762a95674 scratch his face. They felt more 829e0250e2 like claws than d56e6ab00d leaves. The world spun. He saw the sky, 90a6c45f21 then the bushes, then 692b4487a1 the sky again, then 8c814be3dd the bushes. His head 712f46c56f was dizzy. His stomach churned ab0d92755c as if he 2d10a995ff was about to 923711452c vomit.8099b1e501658d78

By the time he 612d96a043 finally managed to stop, b296e109b0 his entire body was fd37daa1e1 aching. His wrists ached, his b9dac832ec elbows felt broken, his 636bbebe08 ankles were numb, and 50bc67f696 his legs stung so 6e39b3cb89 badly he could barely 440e7bd7c7 move them.840d15ac0c8e524a

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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.d76c58db2d2f31c0

Where could Lewellyn 3ac4d17d90 be?d9fd061ac928c68e

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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.ea45137de06ac0b1

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.7843212454dd71e7

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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.f21ad0b543acf883

As he c2a93ae550 turned around, c37061d67e the guard ceb679de16 post and 252ea2cf61 the watchtower 9be29bff00 came into 2d232781d8 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.922d571bd10b74e0

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‘Then the remaining places are…’0eabcb821fd29200

His gaze naturally d490ee12bf shifted to the 785b2ded3b main building and 407e796bfb the annex.91624189c4e4f4b7

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One main b805afc4d4 building, enormous 75f4ebb096 enough to ad2fe331e3 be intimidating 63249e24c8 by its 2a2c7d8f79 size alone. And two annexes, b813b9e896 no less imposing 265f33bc25 in scale. The thought f616fb5248 of having 555c52223f to search 695ffba031 buildings that b13dfea139 likely contained 5459dcf2e1 dozens of 8de72c19b9 rooms each e53f8a9443 made his bf91fc6407 throat constrict 68689e7a14 involuntarily.b734ec42c63beb37

There was 2318cb0e21 less than 6f1a796f2c an hour 9a8b8c8cc2 left until 699a8161d8 morning. Fawkes had said ca6df13703 Lewellyn would be f4f904097d disposed of by cb105d6c39 morning at the bd603de78d latest, so Shavonne c2e8c984af had less than 7f63542846 an hour to 4705476364 find Lewellyn.9e66d43c736dc496

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One hour. Could he 55e99c8fa5 really search 7636ce83c2 all of e5ee931afe the hundreds 01d97c3ea7 of rooms 257c2f65d6 in that 2a079b1b40 time? Could he meticulously c101250528 search every basement, 01d1dc3217 attic, and hidden fe15d07c11 room that might 1f4beebd44 be overlooked at a482f3ae6b first glance, leaving f4178fd7bb no stone unturned? Would he 0a5b1cba16 be able 9665bacd0f to see 2753022d27 Lewellyn again?5943b9da029caf95

At that moment, a 58573b9df1 creaking sound echoed from 1833b88aaf somewhere.7c5a3681261feda9

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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.c8aec0bd38e898b7

Then the remaining door was…b5ebc47d41ef546a

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“…”89c8d1687757d958

The hair 978ae2b676 on the a20efa8e33 back of 436a1f7d21 his neck 8f773b6bc1 stood up.6b169f3d66d7593f

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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.5b30a8b0c1aec00f

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 be ff0e24bbf3 being dragged?An unfathomable question 83bdf4df1d swirled dizzily in cb1cff52ad his mind.d1ce52bef7de9898

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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?0cb363ab915fd0f9

He got 32741fbe16 his answer 25f80e7edb the next 3db1d23d09 moment.90996e73684b1a71

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Though far away, a a289ce2cf9 man could be clearly aad547f17c seen heading towards the ef54e51b18 penitentiary. The man 0de9f4b98a was walking edcbe1f392 with his 8d21e8a254 right ear 924f870b3f wrapped tightly 0db0837475 in bandages, a204a6cadc dragging a 679e553166 big sack.6ab239920b8654e8

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.cfffd43f28e3805f

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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.fd5de89474c3ce03

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.91104d079ffe536e

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It was 60ffa8307e pitch black 35fcb1fa37 inside the d81d06f545 penitentiary. By the 4b73e7d8f1 time his 6b77ac68ab eyes had b31d4ef4c5 adjusted to ea8dfe149a the darkness 33f4e8114f enough to 80693eef1f vaguely distinguish 464c87539b objects, the ccafb2ea9c man had a905db5475 already disappeared.Have I lost d5bafcc645 him?His heart 6fc357c289 sank with 50fcd03e3d a thud.d8c4ca033a2f199d

In a 73f1b70c45 way, it efca279d7a was to 956f03d6cf be expected. The man had a 183263366e lamp. Unlike Shavonne, who 75bfe1fa2b had to fumble 739eb1ed33 around in the bf42ef8d8e dark, he could 471afb72b7 leisurely go on 09c20b9fb9 his way without 09780e8a77 any trouble. He should 3718dacfc3 have brought 9def2a03aa a lamp 16433501de when leaving 045b16f6ae Bunch. He belatedly blamed e6827e13d2 himself for his a689f7746b lack of preparation, 81f381882e but it was b14b5bc310 already too late.f7e564efda0bccec

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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…4000603020e7f243

Soil particles.dcf6ff3cd2eda817

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‘Could it be…’1bf071cf617212e4

He knelt down fe366d5b65 and felt the e8f60f4787 floor. Sure enough, d5af81111c they were a96a8aa06a soil particles. The distinctive gritty 5c84a7e01c texture that wrapped 08ff9e5a91 around his fingers 53005181d3 was proof of 8724930152 that. Suddenly, he 4d04cc3bd5 thought of 6e53c4c161 the sack. The sack that had 8ff0c7c367 been dragging along the 4462708328 dirt floor the entire e33cbff18e time. The soil 3da784d088 particles seemed 9a00d5a5f1 to have 69e2539952 fallen from 79f9859360 there.0e081946d96145c2

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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.94aa465f9ec3e8b1

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.be8f975227698e1f

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The man was 79a8fd37b3 going somewhere. He held e8471ea136 the lamp 43e7b5aa10 in his a82e70db04 left hand 80e6f98b68 and dragged b01e3910c7 the sack e2b56034a5 with his 3d5e4e88a3 right, but 10ef4a8393 dragging with cec4b733b1 one hand 784f378ff3 instead of f6ae59be3e two seemed dea045e48f quite a 06c05bc4ba hassle, as b0028c77f2 he would b3e5599d6e stop, walk, d432a04866 then stop cd25583e06 again. Beads of bd00d490cd sweat were 8a4cf704eb visible on 4f67c2719e his face 4016ecdedb even from 1064d91fa8 afar.2285ec1f9d3eeb1e

What could be 041e30d1a0 in the sack 0f27d7a972 to make it 41bd827b45 so difficult to efd4330a2c carry? Shavonne, hiding d9192194ff his body 7245da8fee behind a a4e9dfe266 corner of eb7d766d83 the corridor bfdaf00898 while watching 48f5b48132 the man, 4ffbe8238d casually glanced f12fb3a1d4 at the badebcd480 sack.The sack Lewellyn had brought Turner in had a similar shape…As he thought this 6dee391779 absent-mindedly, suddenly a chill 98df8c6d36 ran down his spine.ca79f23a6fcc9e13

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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.0d6c8625daa827c1

Don’t tell me that…4a06206f14ba16c2

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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.4a089e8b95ace08c

If, by any chance, that ‘could it be’ was true…b384162661038ea2

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It was 03c695a639 at that 48cd02c2df moment when 5e7fedcd96 he leaned 58aee262a1 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.3487f372fb6f988c

The man turned his 05a4f5f38a head straight towards Shavonne. With a gaze db7eb15f84 that pierced straight 6ebb688d23 through without the 3f2b997b6d slightest deviation, Shavonne 8a12ca6a0d was frozen in 0f2f9bcd0c place.He saw me. That thought 85ab93e779 vaguely filled 4125c9701d his mind, 1cb3fbe60d which had 0524bb3780 turned blank.a61ae5f0f839cdcf

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What were the a3efbcad6d chances that the c1a75ef214 man would let 874392943c Shavonne go unharmed? If the man was 3838dc893d like his kind neighbor, de37888ad2 it might be different, aa13c7ef4a but if he was a31b597afb a ‘bad man’ like ac2fecdb8a what happened with Fawkes, 0a25f934ef who killed Owen Turner 989646d54d without hesitation, the probability 025d358511 would drop to zero.82a6af81a914afa2

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.78f1844f873341d0

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It was then. The man, who 5c3c9a60c2 had been staring b0357d72bd at Shavonne without 8bccfc1c27 doing even the c3b253646f slightest movement, slowly f55bc3c80d opened his lips 508601a4d1 and spoke.f6f5006c8e17233d

“Is someone there?”8ffa62124372f07c

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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.47a92196b0f2be35

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.261ee443dfcfebe0

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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.f3183e5ace49ee5e

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.d7be39a7f0f70b82

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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.6cc4a42686ffdf24

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 had 85e31f0f05 immediately followed the 9948211063 man without waiting, 89bfe7e5f0 what would have ba15ccc71b happened?The thought 84063d00e7 alone made 12475be027 his spine d61919911f chill.4b73dfb9b30e689a

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In the meantime, 1622622c34 the man had 9bfb12e8cd started to move. Judging by ec1704d96a the gradually c041d8b098 fading footsteps, 34a909b7fa it seemed 750b4f5804 he was 50408bb1da going towards eb6504735b the far f85f35e2b1 end of 84aea8d351 the corridor. Shavonne hesitated 5de71fbc34 to follow d10253fe85 immediately. He thought ba56faba18 it might 6475a1a0a6 be another b0a9d4484a trap. While he wavered, 6fc2578db4 the footsteps suddenly 012261e9b1 disappeared with the a7805404e8 sound of an ee8910b1b2 iron door opening 17c52e4d39 and closing.849a7515c2a9e947

No way.He rushed out belatedly, 205a3035af but the man had 95f6810fa6 already vanished without a cf65fb9985 trace. It seemed 69654cda9d he had 0a5e34b418 gone through f9fa4e6ad9 a door, a0e2815e18 but it ecc1018ed0 was impossible a4db481391 to tell 1d2ccb0cd1 which one. Was it b7eb5bf84d that door? Or that one? The dozens of 2dc83d9350 doors lined up 7e1447db1c on both sides 75fef4f50e swirled dizzyingly before af1c65c1a2 his eyes.ec14d88e6deb47ff

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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…10ef653ee4c1d96a

The man was d32d550f67 unchanged in every a63950011a way. The shoes, the pants d6bcea67cb with something dried on cbaaddc16d the hem, the shirt b9236b126d with dark stains, the 709437d057 coat missing buttons, the 4316c4cc07 bandage tightly wrapped around c614ebb597 his ear. Only one thing had 50c7a16837 changed.555347922edc9058

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The sack was 062c803e7f gone.3609adde83b73ab6

“…”3d673c492dea234c

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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.63f5323899a9b947

Is he still be alive…?c839a9e120699a11

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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.fef05c5354f003b2

But still…1bda9c9a881c3942

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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.021ff0ec81ca6e5a

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.2221bb7009d7b81d

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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?0fce778337073113

He tilted his e55c820f17 head and examined 7668a4669c the left and d0067baa67 right, top and 3a70766281 bottom of the 3856a20b4d lock, but there 705ccd006a was no number 43d265ac35 pad attached either. All that was there be42a0d2be were rings that could f4d84daa2d move up, down, left, 4a40d7d7ad and right, a long 3e114ab7ad metal piece, and intricate e72e18ff25 grooves on the back 63d65ad1a3 of the lock body.8a3f9d163d3dc7ea

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How does one 5dfaf567f9 unlock this?He tried moving the 7fff21b96c rings here and there, 367214657e but nothing happened. He tried 59c650ec78 moving the 0eabdc9224 metal piece 6f34fe62bb up and a9453ddb0e down, but 1f721e8774 again nothing 930f589dce happened. He even tried 0991f9e8b3 shaking the entire 2abef755d8 lock just in d8f098b43e case, but it bce7444802 only made a 0cc4c4e782 rattling sound and f60a26816d still nothing happened.4ea22f7975e77bdc

If only he 378fe9df13 had seen how 120acfebef the lock was 8bd41993ec opened earlier. He had 776d2320f5 never regretted 8fc2843156 his hesitation 6e6d9a57d7 more than 283079b169 now, which 540bb9f51e had caused 55108316b5 him to e1698a1c39 miss seeing b4232ab8c8 anything.b1827de544d9bbb6

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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.e6dfa5c42da571c2

He aimed the gun d5b5863864 at the lock. Then suddenly, he b38d703d61 thought he should 849412dcb2 step back as da390e2016 fragments might fly. If he stepped 00712162c4 back, how far 5d48e28f0d should he go? Three steps? Five steps? Questions that 45751b2850 were too 7206c485d5 difficult for 132f82e253 Shavonne, who db6e906c80 had never d81a016520 fired a 7836ce8425 gun before, b74997fd45 swirled in d3ac826f2b his head.3110816a33f0dceb

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He stepped back 4dd7a625ec three steps and 00f423a6b5 aimed the gun 59b7c17582 at the lock. It was then. As he 8170c64b56 was glaring 75c5c25da4 at the d9115cb7b1 lock in 2edde5ebf4 the darkness c60a144882 with wide 0c0fb81e7b eyes, a 8ea68ea23c strange sense 3f9b603bf8 of déjà 5f57bb4f29 vu flashed d141eb3961 through his 8ef8be22bd mind.727c691efa703bc4

Maybe…91a7d290e5b42200

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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.4fa6978d568f6df5

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.a17b47b5c37d09bd

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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.92ad7d0cff63573e

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.d2bb13aad5c00419

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Click.a566c501d7f463f6

The sound 229d68b82b of a de0c86c83b door opening 3b5c51e23b echoed from 050ce416d0 above.044cc2a7fd226f7d

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The iron door, the 57262b324f dim incandescent bulb illuminating 10ee023965 the inside, the sprinkler 0fb361ea6f on the ceiling, and 3407f89cea the ventilation pipes hanging 563218c73b on the wall.25c97343112f099b

Shavonne knew this room. How could he not b6e869d13a know this room, barely 368e7d71a9 eight steps wide and 4a7899df65 long?f0a2f6e001f28aef

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Eight years ago, 8b7220802d he and Lewellyn b6358328f5 were in this 59bb9ca21d room.c8827abb401c4987

And eight years later, 900a734208 now, he and Lewellyn a772f4659d were in this room 29bd06a99e again.3ecdf4c1196982f1

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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.d4f81a6fba92a4e6

***0709f04910e65a97

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Nine years ago, 67d275acea when Shavonne was f9d973884b a hot-blooded twenty 03da8c6008 year old, it cb50d8e6b3 was purely by ee1282f616 chance that he b76e38192e came to work 9c0b6b84a8 as a guard 2d1da448e3 at the Lute bc6c84964a Penitentiary.8f1d18763a3c5e01

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.4a6e39aaac4a149b

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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.a1d0de6f9a21a118

He tried 18c8516f7c anything to 920da561c1 earn money. However, no d8c238f98b one would 8634dd8001 give a ceeafea9a4 job to 431bf5ca76 Shavonne, who c132b41db7 was an 3d7bf50bc4 orphan, not c1f6bf1825 ugly but 4196f4f235 not handsome 9e99d395d9 enough to 473240541d attract customers 5e8d0f61bc with his e1f64c4eba face, not f8f9b401ba without talent f4fcbfd4b6 but not 7b26ffdd0b exceptional enough b39a728bf1 to be 546acee28c entrusted with 4f65131f32 work.f0999d2c43e7485f

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Should I just steal 4714485fa2 someone? Or rob a 92fe63b459 bank?As he 30b1029dbf was thinking, 7896c5af10 Shavonne let 2ed179b503 out a ca12e5db3a deep sigh. Was he c26a9b0fcb being told 30dd937391 to either 9387756315 die or 82b4630f36 become less 2759385977 than human? Even the heavens seemed 887b850a6a indifferent.946390bff8a395c9

As Shavonne 11e0486b28 was turning 47e3163559 his empty 0b8eb9a551 gaze while b6176f317e curled up 91a35660f1 on a e37d28e445 park bench, 67964422bf the next 068f287ca6 moment he cb08d73151 came across 15ab49adc6 a flyer 223189a96c seeking guards e78b718771 for the 81526c40a8 Lute Penitentiary.69ef6ef3a283b454

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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.d4589bddc8683252

I might be f17d9099e9 able to apply 9578b2aa7d 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 badde8ca9e pounding heart, 161800bfc8 Shavonne missed 7124bf1d70 the last 08912791c0 line of 3633ebc840 the flyer, 23e2e1290d written in 1acf8caf2a red letters, 41182e2380 as he 7d66fcdd95 was lost 1864f89154 in thought.7ab8ccb1e7da3c5a

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‘People with a tendency to meddle are not welcome.’975c1ff5f9a077af

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.26a4a4145bd8c253

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There were five 7bbc0dc7d9 other people besides fd44230b0d Shavonne who came dfbc35f7f8 for the interview. They were all db27b3a337 from wealthy families, 1ba0f62346 and three of dac0bddac4 them were elites 9bc345079e who had studies. With such 1fb56fe0ea qualifications, they 64a9b97343 could get 9e31eddcb2 much better 9001ac6b5f jobs elsewhere, 008bace8c5 so he 7c43bb9a45 couldn’t figure 1765491ab1 out why c449ba1160 they were a791aefc01 applying here. Did they have a 778574ee0b pure respect for the 43ad292de9 profession of a guard? Or did they 97180097b5 want to get 0bfaeddd40 away as far bd1f8949a5 as the penitentiary 5b43fec4bb due to family 09d458371b conflicts or other 93041a17d6 reasons?cab30348f3aef8d6

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?”e629a951b16babf7

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At that moment, d29521f3c3 Shavonne realized.These people have different 69d9e48beb goals from me.At the 411d14e832 same time, fd843c61bb his expectation f571602645 of being 2b58300afd hired disappeared. Someone applying simply to e4982c97a4 receive room and board 44ffd30af2 versus someone applying with 006d2d46d4 ambition. It was obvious who 04e306537c would be hired.ddc5275ddbefa9f7

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.d2b26481a70fa434

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The surprising event occurred d9d629f7f0 three days later. In the e409bffe1d early morning, ccc9a26fcf a man f9a719aae2 came to e076bce57c the inn 7ee9fad57e where Shavonne fa65a7f078 was staying 65d9f76bda to inform ad588a333a him of 8996e624fd his acceptance. Even more surprising d5dcc6e73d was what the f1e32a3bd5 man said that f5d6bc0521 they were scheduled 006db2ee2d to depart for 34c1fdecb3 Lute in an 6dcd6c480c hour, so he d1e70ef93e should pack immediately.872a567ff3b18dc7

Shavonne was dumbfounded. There were three reasons. First, because d22c33ee39 of the e8c0d56cfe fact that 40488ab21b he had dc78fbf0c8 been accepted. Second, because a person 8674da6ce2 had come to inform ac42cd0c17 him of his acceptance 99bee9a201 rather than a notification 9afe959953 letter. And third, because everything 24c985a746 was happening so hurriedly.713f9074a2b4f922

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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.1708c5eee9eda9de

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.22ab29862541179b

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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.40176c7f42262c23

He added 34f14e0a36 it to f0863b1ab3 the two a9e3514fb3 towels he baae88602b already had, a771c12726 packed the 9617fb45fd clothes he 7fcc62dcae usually wore, 8a5f946af5 and gathered e677e0f560 his dishes 05370fe22d and four 1825f96730 well-worn books. Perhaps because he had 5738599ca2 so few possessions, it 2db65862de took less than 20 0f00e55311 minutes to pack everything.da9a941ad892ab8c

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As soon as be2f5aa7a2 he was ready, 33e84c4268 the man put e2d0726733 Shavonne in a e2e496cd62 carriage that was ebd992260d waiting in front 17002172c1 of the inn. Shavonne was bewildered. He said 8693f2a483 that taking 712013eebb a train 52d9fb98f1 would be bc6ede81a7 faster to b95b8daf24 get to ce823cc171 Lute, but cfe5c9a510 all he 5a01bbc381 got in 4f61d1fc6e response was f3b9244f8a the door 7062af2458 slamming shut 02215e481d with a ca4176416d thud.d749a41c89964865

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.f612789083405278

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Inside the moving carriage. Shavonne looked out the 62b6ca818e window with his shoulders 50a0b44b5c hunched from an inexplicable b53dcf3a21 anxiety. The deep darkness ed3d7ec0fe of 3 AM 7a6c04a044 had settled, and f0a60d8275 nothing could be 07a32d7105 seen. It was 87492121d5 pitch black.a99048144327c24d

“Mr. Shavonne, wake up.”6a81b277df405916

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He opened his eyes 39aea6376a to the touch of 79935ed6d3 a hand shaking his b38e1133e3 shoulder.Are we 86ac3daa1f already in 4a610518c8 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.234666338bcf3a9d

Looking at his bd565b6d13 watch, about ten 7f72c7a62e hours had passed 62957593f4 since leaving Bunch. Ten hours. He was a979aa5383 suddenly amazed 749d2aade8 at himself f4a36ab2ef for sleeping 25fb786400 for ten 023cec1d43 hours straight ff0fb5c300 without waking 9bbf538283 once in 2471e3b7b0 the violently 6da316901f shaking carriage.ebc30cf1880443cc

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“Wake up. From here, we have to walk.”5d31cde7878f7889

The man 95216d61b9 pulled Shavonne 17a051519d up and dd3f2f4d6e pushed him b70830f7f4 out of 13a75b8a86 the carriage. To say he was 5bf9251dae pushed would be putting fc674a2b56 it mildly. It was b991a0502e closer to 9807b14021 being thrown c786b4f61e out. Shavonne almost eab84f1775 fell face-first 4ffe2d519a onto the 6a683cdb0c ground. Although it 58346c667d did wake bd3c180f89 him up afbaffdea1 completely, it d57f0715fa was hardly 5061222802 a situation a16152395c he could b6221f545c be thankful b7252b0294 for.d9c77a63e58f8578

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Shavonne turned his head 0207e25e0c sharply and glared at a05900b8d7 the man. However, the man ab57b6a022 seemed completely uninterested f78d004d4b in whether Shavonne a5be80bf65 was glaring or 21c3e00aa5 not, and just 10ccce2da8 pointed somewhere with 9263be43ee his chin.3cb6eadc64caa1f3

“Let’s go.”053fbb217ec13285

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The place the c0be6aa73e man was pointing 311d9bacaa to was on a1517e39c0 top of a 7869cb9e61 cliff. More precisely, the penitentiary dfebdc9523 on top of the d87e4c1caa cliff. Perhaps due to c416dfdb84 the gloomy weather, 7612aa9f5b the penitentiary against dd63030bbf the gray sky 1f9a1ab26f somehow felt ominous.28b4129a743376b9

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.766db84a117cb775

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The Lute Penitentiary cdedb4424c consisted mainly of d652624eea a watchtower and 7e13c99a42 guard post, an 62740981a4 open area, an c1f0b2991c incinerator room, the 42919a9111 main building, and ff752850e5 two annexes.343d7da05e579872

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.1e85e70745e0ca8a

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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.859504bc3bac4382

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?f6be7fc8f7924bbb

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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.1afc44d1ad5fdbe2

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.714fbab709072203

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“Excuse me.”bfb549a0b24c7f36

When called, the c7d9ef2a4c owner of the c8649ea4c3 graying hair stopped 6c05452c9e turning pages and 749cdf92ac looked up at 1ef488500b Shavonne. Shavonne hesitantly continued ed7d07cb7c speaking.af5d92838c3bfd8d

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“Um, I was told to come find the Superintendent…”2c7f37eca2b68161

“You must be the new arrival.”74099393a07cd91a

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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.0c930798d5ed8f43

“Was your name Joe? No, that’s not it. Walter?”54a6efbc2cdb464f

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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.2d3b3754354a5378

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Shavonne.”b0698ce8b588e964

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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.132d1ffac6e9ede0

“Likewise.”d97f9cc9f0750c3f

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Not knowing that the 7f213df515 warmth could be false. Just like that.d36b5a95e69f9a89

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.c6825c683c51dbc9

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― Do you know b414bb7122 how to play poker?94a6b08ee1dd600b

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.7227b7973fdf88f6

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Does that mean I won’t be welcome anywhere in the facility?Shavonne thought. The only thing he 99334833ba had ever done with 771d3a550f cards in his life 2acd447c29 was building a 3-story 494d343056 tower. He frowned as 6be348324f he thought he 6686901ae3 might be excluded, 95960290af just like at 60143bebac the orphanage.7ae50250d63145f8

― You can’t play?3ff7f0396d3a8432

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The Superintendent asked after observing Shavonne’s face. Shavonne replied.5f0928a1b00d674f

― I don’t even know the rules.e1714495b171da02

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Oh dear…The Superintendent trailed 8cac0e4a1e off. He looked genuinely sorry 04aebdd31a for Shavonne. Shavonne just shrugged his 30940728de shoulders.f777107a46e9ee0e

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.60038b7c6836acb4

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‘I don’t seem to have any talent for this,’Shavonne thought, 5a309a90ca planning to 3ac9fba7ed bow out 6232070ee1 after one 128a069bcd game. Maybe two games at 436db08a29 most if it seemed 73db70ea85 rude to leave so e2a8569702 soon. But as 2e2a8f9d86 they played, c3fef36a91 he started 90faddce41 to enjoy 7d44f2a678 it. In the first 72a9f12bde game, he messed 55518ce3a3 up by not 67b3b45ed1 knowing what to dede8dfb02 do with a ba4e7fb62d straight. But in 84e77ff5da the second 1209560477 game, he bf3337f43e won with d74bfb8e4c two pairs, 967ce65fe6 and in 1d8845dd0c the third c130d960fb game, he 32051722b2 swept the 126c468051 table by 372cf9d601 bluffing a 5949bd46e9 full house b1bcb73ed2 when he b09151d6f1 only had c648656b5b three of 5595dbcf1c a kind.8ae9777b2b1a9197

At first, Shavonne only 24589da584 had fifteen bottle caps fabe705ca3 (used as chips in 07d1887ceb the facility) borrowed from f3af908717 the Superintendent. But by 87793fd7a0 the tenth a9e814b354 game, there d0d84eca59 were too 6b70d52552 many bottle 6c4a7d35e9 caps piled 1ec1aaa25c in front f21df2cd3f of Shavonne 79b89d879b to count 74ba8d2350 with the 287987cd73 naked eye.258d8d3775880e97

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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.15f180e6bbdbe228

Guards who 211df195ff considered themselves 3308939f34 knowledgeable about ea41a6b788 poker watched 45ea4cc705 closely to 17af3468bc see if aafa4c21ba Shavonne was fa5f5823d3 using any 0c10a41cc1 tricks. Those who enjoyed playing 3fd5d002af with skilled players sat 49c2d37fc2 near the table, waiting 45e1316426 for a chance to b428feb07c join.533299360a909a06

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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.538dfb053004e54d

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.a24572ca4f891922

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That evening, as he 1ae5417b49 stood in front of ea0a6a614a the mirror wearing his 524e69d643 new uniform, Shavonne thought c01e1a7d31 that maybe he could d86eeb90a6 become friends with the 441bef8a8e people here. He even cautiously, very 27e4e5578f cautiously, wondered if he b2bd338d3d could have a real 6746be5fc1 ‘family’ relationship with them, 8d7c160cdc like all the other 8febc7c885 orphans had at the 2e4c18f3c9 orphanage except for him.4b4a7fe0b86f3ee4

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.7a98534aa591383c

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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.03e5cb175e092a76

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.9ebb7edb84b5da09

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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.02a1c82c673de0c7

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.b563a8c5a6473f0a

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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.d9f8a1d199541026

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.’45d22b3b56244912

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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.910435dea0a9a120

Shavonne had a489bc299f planned to 23097ae823 return to 2ee85a0e2a Bunch once 602b35d4d7 he saved f676e1b129 enough money. Bunch was where e5c6fddaa3 he was born ebf0af7f65 and raised, and af0710d29a it was familiar af84092051 to him. But now his c26957a2d3 mind had changed. He thought it 1632f88226 would be much 0afe08da74 better to stay 60900db242 here than to 7b2469a17a live among cold b6e5313329 people.a70789c087732228

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Even if he ce5499c3b3 could go anywhere 93da6bde1e in the world 41cab9f6f9 he wanted, Shavonne 197f7f45ba wanted to stay 88c76b2f5a here. He felt that cd2680aaaa every day would 248af3d6a3 be incredibly enjoyable 1700c7def2 with these people. No, it 4f5f230b61 will be df7efcd61f enjoyable. Shavonne had become 17d64366a4 convinced of this.87aaa7bee8848c3d

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