Chapter 15: 15th log – No Time to Mourn

The way back was pretty quiet. Zoe wanted to talk to Brad several times, but she didn't know how to start a conversation. Brad, who was always talkative, did not even utter a word. The loss of his longtime acquaintance and partner, Dan, undoubtedly shook Brad to the core.

 

Not knowing what to say to comfort him, Zoe thought about the short time she had spent with Dan. Although they had known each other for a short time, Zoe owed Dan her life. Zoe was walking thoughtfully, looking at her left hand, which was now four-fingered. Do we always have to sacrifice something, she thought to herself. She didn't want to sacrifice her friends no matter what.

 

I wonder if I had friends above? All I remember is Cain and I know he betrayed me. Was it true what Hadrian said? Would it be the better option if I didn't regain my memory? What if I erased my memory to escape my past? Wouldn't it be better to remember nothing and start from scratch?

 

Even if Zoe tried not to take what Hadrian had said seriously, it was clear that he knew her. Maybe there was a grain of truth in what he said. She concluded that she should now appreciate what she has, rather than think about the past. I will repay my debt to these people no matter what. I don't want to lose anyone ever again. These thoughts fired Zoe up. The loss of Dan was so unexpected and devastating. To make up for this, she thought of being stronger and protecting her loved ones. And she would start that right away.

 

“Brad, do you want to talk?” said Zoe. She was trying to hide the sadness in her voice. She would now be someone everyone could trust. She would strive for it. She wanted to prove to herself that she was not the person Hadrian had described.

 

Brad, who usually didn't keep quiet, didn't seem to have the energy to talk. It was as if he had shut his mind off so as not to think and focused only on the road ahead. He didn't want to believe he had lost Dan.

 

“When we go up…” Brad said in a very low, tearful tone, “we were going to have sushi with him.”

 

“I'm so sorry Brad…” Zoe said, trying to console him, “I really didn't want this to happen. I knew how close you two were. What you're going through must be really difficult."

 

They continued walking in silence for a while. Zoe genuinely didn't know what to say. She actually needed consolation herself, but she was trying to be the one to stay strong. After all, she hadn't spent as much time with Dan as Brad did. It was Brad who broke the silence as Zoe pondered about what to say.

 

"We wouldn't normally talk about what we were going to do when we went up in the Abyss." His voice was calm. “After all, we didn't even know if we could go up. And talking about such things only caused pain.” Brad swallowed as if what he was about to say was hurting him. “But when we rescued you, there was hope. Even Dan, who is usually secretive about his life above, was starting to make plans.” It was evident in his trembling voice that he felt very badly. He couldn't continue speaking.

 

With an abrupt movement, Zoe approached Brad and hugged him. “I'm so sorry Brad. It is okay to feel bad. But if I got to know Dan a little, he wouldn't want you to feel this way. You, Seth, and Dan were very close friends, weren't you? Their memory now lives in you. Even though I've never met Seth, I know your friends wouldn't want you to be this upset."

 

“I know, but I can't help it. I can't help but get upset." said Brad in a woeful tone. He was hugging Zoe with one arm. “I'm sad that he didn't even get a chance to fight. The cowardly Hadrian bastard was afraid of Dan and attacked him first."

 

“You're absolutely right,” Zoe said in a calm tone. “Dan didn't deserve to be killed so vile. But now we have to be strong for Dan. He would want us to stand up and continue on our way. As long as I knew him, I understood what a duty-conscious person he was.”

 

Brad had regained his composure a little. He knew he would feel the loss of his friend for many years to come. But he had to get up and move on. That's what Dan would want, too, he thought.

 

The return journey to Araf was still fairly quiet. Although Zoe and Brad tried to comfort each other by talking, their moods did not improve at all. The loss of a friend was not something that could be overcome so quickly. Zoe had something on her mind about what Hadrian had said, but now wasn't the time to ask that.

 

The two of them could easily climb the hills with the ease of their spider legs. Zoe had also gotten used to these new legs. There was no trace of her amateurism in the early days. In a place full of so many hills and pits, these spider legs really showed their worth.

 

Brad, who was walking ahead because he was familiar with the road, spoke as he stood on a hill waiting for Zoe. "What did Hadrian tell you about the Godfreys?"

 

Zoe, who wanted to bring this subject up from the beginning, eagerly got to the point. “I thought you came to the Abyss to find me or mess with the Godfreys, Hadrian had said. Who exactly are these Godfreys? I was going to ask you if you know anything else.”

 

Scratching his chin, Brad responded clearly. “The Godfreys are one of the oldest families above. They are the ones trying to run Rox City. But from what we've heard from the last fallens, there is chaos within the family, too.”

 

"Then…" Zoe said as she climbed the hill. "...Do you think he meant the Dungeon since Hadrian linked my falling in the Abyss with messing with the Godfreys?"

 

“I wouldn't be surprised at all if that's the case. As I said, the Godfreys are a deeply rooted family!” said Brad gloomily.

 

"Then I'll have to hold them accountable when I go up," said Zoe confidently.

 

“Zoe, don't be ridiculous!” Brad raised his voice suddenly. “You may not remember the past, but the past is still clear to me. You're talking about taking on a family trying to run a big city."

 

Zoe was still confident when she finally made it to the top of the hill next to Brad. “This family is probably the people who prisoned you in here for years, Brad! The only reason they let people be thrown in here is that every single person who dies will make them richer.”

 

Brad began to speak as if trying to calm Zoe. “I know, but still, these are not the kind of people you can confront. You can't imagine how powerful they are."

 

Zoe shrugged. The cave, which was the entrance to the Dungeon, was visible from the hill they had climbed. “Even if I don't confront them, they will,” Zoe pointed at the cave. “I'll have emptied their vaults when I clear this place. And they will come after me.”

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“I was thinking about that too, Zoe. I wonder if you should hand over the loot you took from the dungeon to the Godfreys when you go up?" Zoe tried to interrupt, but Brad stopped her and continued talking. “As I said, Zoe, you don't remember how things were up there. You don't want to be enemies with the Godfreys."

 

Zoe, who started walking and looked very confident, continued to speak. “Without them, none of you would be imprisoned here. You don't even know how many years you've been here, Brad! They won't forgive me for emptying their safes without their permission anyway. No matter what treasure I offer them.”

 

Brad understood that no matter what happened, he couldn't change Zoe's mind. Maybe she'll change her mind when she goes up and sees how things are… Or when she regains her memory… he thought. "Since we've arrived near the Dungeon entrance, we should be getting closer to Araf," he told Zoe to change the subject. The two continued to walk without slowing their pace.

 

Zoe still had Godfreys in mind. She had a wave of anger in her that she didn't know the cause of. It was as if she had instinctively wanted to lash out at them ever since hearing that name. She thought to herself that if they were really responsible for this situation, she would not forgive them. Yet, even Zoe was a little taken aback by the hatred rising inside her. Having an enemy seemed to do her good. At least it felt familiar, that was for sure. Was I such a hateful person before I fell here? Is that why I'm clinging to this anger?

 

The two continued on their way without speaking. Questions swirled in Zoe's mind about what kind of person she was in her past. Brad was thinking about his memories of Dan and the time they had spent together. Their journey was only interrupted by Zoe's growing pain. Zoe somehow managed to live with this pain, but when she forgot about it, the pain made itself felt again.

 

Araf was almost in their line of sight, according to Brad. Neither of them had ever talked about it, but they didn't know how to tell Lucy and Flo that Dan was dead. It was something they had a hard time saying even to themselves. Just as they were about to turn the corner and catch a glimpse of Araf, someone turning the corner stumbled and fell to the ground.

 

Brad and Zoe immediately rushed to this person's aid. Most of the man's body was covered with burns. There was a large hole between his right arm and chest. It was as if something had burned through there. He had the same burn between his hip and left leg. Brad seemed to recognize the man from Araf.

 

“What happened Roy? Who did this to you? Don't worry, we'll get help!” he shouted, as he thought about what they could do.

 

The light in Roy's eyes was about to go out now. He could only say one thing. “A SorCyber…” After saying that, the light in his eyes went out for good and his body went completely silent.

 

Zoe and Brad looked at each other with surprise and horror. They quickly turned the corner, leaving Roy where he was. And before them was a shocking sight.

 

Most of the ruined houses in Araf were burned or on fire. The black smoke rising from the city was noticeable even in this darkness. Buildings that were not ablaze were reduced to rubble. It looked like a hurricane had hit the city.

 

Calling Pinky right away, Zoe transformed her legs to human form and started running and shouting. “You stay here Brad! I'm going to go check on Lucy's!"

 

Brad tried to say, “No, I'm coming t...” A loud and clear shout came from Zoe.

 

“No, you stay here. I don't want to lose you too!"

 

As much as Brad wanted to go after Zoe, he thought he could be a burden in this one-armed state. Also, what Zoe said had an effect on him. Stuck where he stood, he watched Zoe run into the burning city and thought of Dan.

 

Running towards the city, Zoe knew what she was doing was very dangerous, but she was worried about Lucy and Flo's situation. There's no time to be cautious, she thought. She didn't want to go through more while she was still dealing with Dan's loss.

 

She plunged swiftly into the now devastated city. Most of the people of Araf lay around with similar wounds to Roy. Zoe examined every person she saw, but she had yet to see anyone showing signs of life. She was getting angrier and losing hope. She blamed herself, thinking, if I hadn't tried to get Hadrian to talk, we would have been back already.

 

She had come running into the town headfirst, but she hadn't spent enough time here to find Flo's house. Yet, looking at the destruction around her, she wasn't sure if she could find the house in this state, even if she knew where it was. As Zoe looked around helplessly, she heard voices ahead and headed toward them.

 

As she approached the sound, she encountered dozens of corpses on the ground. They were all killed the same way. Zoe was getting angrier and angrier. What if something had happened to Lucy and Flo? she wondered, but she quickly distanced herself from the thought. Whoever did this will answer to me, she thought as she tightened her grip on the katana with her right hand.

 

As she walked, she began to realize that the sound she heard was a conversation. The number of corpses around her was increasing. She tried to hear what was being said but couldn't understand anything. She walked a little further and saw three people amid the corpses and the fire. Flo was sitting on the floor holding her shoulder. Lucy seemed to be protecting Flo, who had come between her and someone else. Zoe couldn't see the third person, but she didn't need to. She had to sprint to save Lucy and Flo.

 

The person standing across from Lucy and Flo was red-haired, sharp-faced, well-dressed, and looked quite young. He noticed Zoe running toward them. His face suddenly became serious, and he turned to Lucy and spoke.

 

“Looks like there's someone excited here!” He formed an electric spear in the air.

 

“No, Zoe! Run away!" Lucy shouted, but it was too late.

 

The red-haired young man stretched and hurled the spear he had formed at Zoe. The spear was speeding toward Zoe, and she didn't even have a chance to react.

 

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