novelraw Chapter 77: The Darkest Star and Just a Cat
Chapter 77: The Darkest Star and Just a Cat
For a few minutes, they stood side by side in silence, listening to the sound of the water.
The cat’s deep blue eyes and his own pale blue ones watched the sun rise slowly.
"You know... I’m a bad person A really bad one."
"..."
"A long, long time ago, I killed a lot of people. So many that it’s impossible to count them now."
"..." The cat looked up at his face.
"And you know... All this time, I’ve been living, trying to atone for that guilt. One guy said that by saving even more lives than I took, I’d come out ahead... Something like that."
"..."
"He said that by killing one bad person, I potentially save dozens... But, honestly, it’s pretty hard to believe that when you don’t see the results with your own eyes."
"..."
"But even if that’s true, I’ve probably only made up for a couple of percent of the people I’ve killed."
He sighed and met the cat’s gaze.
For a while, they stood there quietly as he gazed at his own face reflected in her eyes.
"But there is one way I can help a far greater number of people. Something only I can do."
"..." The cat tilted her head slightly.
"...You know what’s funny?. By still turning away from this path, I’m potentially destroying far more lives. Dozens of times more than in the past."
Mr. Nobody sighed deeply and looked into the water. No matter where he looked, his own reflection always caught his eye.
"For instance... This guy told me that if the Champions’ Games don’t return in the coming years... the Peak of Havoc won’t be able to hold back any longer and will send its comet much earlier than the announced date. It’s sort of a universal evil for the sake of balance, so the whole world has to band together and fight against it. But without the Champions’ Games this is impossible"
"..." The cat remained silent.
"On top of that... If the Champions’ Games don’t start, there will be another War of the Peaks. Just like the one Big Brother started, only this time on a much larger scale."
"..."
"If I don’t manage to reach the Third Step of the Dream by then, kitty..." He smiled bleakly, looking at his face reflected on the water’s surface. "I’ll be the cause of a complete fucking disaster."
"..." The cat lowered her head and looked at his reflection too.
"...Complete nonsense, isn’t it? I prayed for it all to end, prayed that I’d be sent to hell because of my own fault. But in the end, they placed such a responsibility in my hands—a failure that would mean a punishment far worse than the hottest hell."
"..."
"And I guess, I’m... I’m afraid. Afraid of destroying everything again. I’m not the one they need, after all; I’m the damn vi..."
"Meow..." The cat suddenly meowed, catching his mask with a claw.
"I’m... Nobody."
He brushed away the tears welling up in his eyes.
"I never thought about what that name really means... I am Nobody."
"Meow."
"Which means I can... be whoever I want. Which means..."
"..."
"Which means I can dream of anything I want." he whispered, gazing at the stars in the sky.
He smiled, placing his hand on the fluffy head.
"To become the brightest star in the night sky? Pfft... To become the Darkest Star in every sky! How does that sound, kitty?"
"Meow..."
"Just as I thought." He smiled again.
...
They stood there together for a long time.
He smoked a cigarette, and she quietly sniffed the smoke.
’To become the Darkest Star in every sky...’ He kept repeating to himself, gazing at the stars.
"...Since you’re here, I guess everything’s okay with the girl?"
"Meow."
"I see..."
He fell silent for a moment, then continued very casually.
"You know, even cats sometimes need someone to take care of them."
"..."
"Listen, I know you’re a pretty special cat and probably self-sufficient... But sometimes everyone needs someone to be there for them."
"..." She looked him in the eyes.
"Even me," he added, stubbing out his cigarette.
"Meow..."
"And I was thinking. If I’m not very good at letting people get close to me, and you’re... just a cat. Someone who needs taking care of."
"..."
"Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if we stayed together for a while?"
"..."
"...What do you think?"
The black cat remained silent. Instead, she stepped over his arms and walked along the embankment’s railing.
She turned her back on him... that is, her tail.
’Looks like that means... no.’
A couple of seconds passed, and she had already moved a couple of meters away when...
"Meow..." she meowed softly and looked back at him.
As if waiting for him to stand beside her so they could walk together.
Mr. Nobody smiled.
"I guess that means ’yes’."
They walked side by side toward the blossoming dawn.
A couple of minutes later.
"Listen, I know it’s premature, but let’s discuss the details... Twenty pats a day?"
"..."
"Ten...?"
"..."
"Six... No, seven, and constant feeding."
"Meow."
"Well, at least that’s something."
And so, this is where the story of the Darkest Star... and his Cat truly begins.
...
Hundreds of thousands of screens stretching into endless darkness.
Only darkness and fear...
And no one else. Now.
The small televisions, which had previously been broadcasting the final battle of the Selection, were now showing something else.
No, it was still the same still image of a motionless figure in a cloak. But now there was one detail.
Above the figure in the cloak, different words were written on each screen.
They were written in calligraphic script, in black with a red outline.
There were only four words. They kept repeating on every screen, forming... interesting phrases.
"For" "My" "Dear" "Champion"
"For" "My" "Dear" "Champion"
"For" "My" "Dear" "Champion"
"For" "My" "Dear" "Champion"
"For" "My" "Dear" "Champion"
"For" "My" "Dear" "Champion"
"For" "My" "Dear" "Champion"
"For" "My" "Dear" "Champion"
"For" "My" "Dear" "Champion"
"For" "My" "Dear" "Champion"
"For" "My" "Dear" "Champion"
"For" "My" "Dear" "Champion"
The inscription was wrapped around the figure in black, like a gift ribbon.
As if he were nothing more than a gift for someone.
End of Volume One: Mr. Nobody