The man’s face was very pale, unlike the first time. The man seemed to have no appetite, so he forked and dried.
“Delicious?”
Nodded.
The child was not next to the man, but was eating from Peter, who had led them to the restaurant. The
other children looked at Peter with envious faces. The children
’s fear and reluctance toward the man were still the same, but most of the feelings for the child had changed to liking. The man’s blank eyes turned to
the
child
.
In contrast to the man, the child who was washed clean here by the pouring water was cute and pretty like an angel. It
felt like this place was not an apocalyptic world full of zombies.
After mealtime, the children slipped away like the ebb tide. The child was
led by Peter and another boy by the hand and went out together.
Only the priest and the man remained in the restaurant.
The priest took a sip of coffee and asked,
“Are you sure you are leaving tomorrow?”
“I see.”
“It seems that your mental illness is much deeper than I thought.”
The priest sighed pitifully and made the sign of the cross.
The man said,
“This is not my place. I have business to clear.”
“If you really want to leave, I won’t hold you anymore. But I have one request. Will you leave the child you brought here?”
The man was silent.
“The world outside is too harsh for a child like that. You’ve been lucky enough to survive so far, but you’ll eventually starve to death or be eaten by zombies. But it’s different here. There’s enough food and water here to last for decades, and the teachings of the Lord.
Away from the bowing bride, the man stood up.
“Children are the hope to open a new world in this hopeless world! We have a duty to keep it!”
the priest exclaimed to the man walking away.
The man returned to his room and was getting ready to leave.
The child was carried by Peter’s hand several hours after supper before he returned to the room. A
pretty red ribbon was tied around the child’s hair.
The man asked Peter,
“Who gave you this?”
Peter blushed slightly.
“I made it. Eve seemed to like it too, so she held my hand.”
“Eve? Who is Eve?”
Peter pointed to the child.
“This is the name we call each other. Do you have another name?”
“…No.”
To a man, a child was just a child.
Because he thought he had no right to name a child after killing his parents.
Peter looked the man in the eye.
“Then can I keep calling you Eve?”
“Yes.”
Peter smiled brightly. He lightly kissed the child’s cheek.
“Then good night, let’s play again tomorrow.”
Peter and the other child do not know that the man and the child are leaving tomorrow. Peter left the room. He
picked up the backpack the man was organizing and knelt down at the child. Their eyes met.
“Do you like this place?”
The child faintly nodded.
“Do you like Peter?”
Nodded.
The man asked a few trivial questions, such as whether the food here is good or if you want to brush your teeth before going to bed. The child did not respond to questions about
washing
.
The child stared into the man’s eyes for a moment.
nod
A mischievous smile crept across the man’s face.
* * *
Early morning.
A man crawled out of a sewer hole.
It was still dark around and the air was cold.
The man struggled for a moment to get his backpack out of the narrow sewer hole.
Unlike the first time, the man was alone.
Oh no, now Eve was asleep in the air-raid shelter he left.
The man decided to leave alone for the sake of Eve.
He might regret this decision.
A night without Eve, who took over the dog’s role, would be much longer and more dangerous.
There will be a lot more encounters with zombies.
But why?
Now the man’s face looked perfectly refreshed, as if an old burden had been laid down.
I quietly followed him as if to see him off.
“Hey heck!”
Maybe it was the food brought from the shelter or it had been a long time, the man’s breathing was heavy. After walking some distance, the man reached the hill
outside
the city.
The surroundings were surprisingly bright.
The man glanced toward
the east where the sun was
rising
. The miracle bell that saved them from the zombie horde that day.
A miracle I couldn’t cause.
The man, who had been caressing the bullet hanging around his neck for a moment, moved to the watchtower.
He lost his faith a long time ago, but I don’t know if he wanted to see the site of a miracle. I also followed him.
‘There might be something worth referring to.’
Because I had to create a miracle for my resurrection quest.
However, instead of a miracle, we
saw a grim reality.
“What is this?”
The man’s voice trembled.
What happened that day was nothing short of a miracle. The
bell was branded with blood-soaked handprints, presumably belonging to a child.
And underneath.
There was the corpse of a boy who had been horribly eaten by zombies and left behind. Even
without God’s eyes, he could tell what terrible things had happened
here
.
The man and I hurriedly headed for an air-raid shelter named Eden.
extroversion. Although it is complete, it is serialized for personal reasons (5)
“Heo Eok! The
man gasped for breath and ran. I couldn’t see the backpack he was carrying on his back. I thought as I chased after him. The priest
saved
them
that day by sacrificing a child named Juda.
But
why
?
Eden A cradle made by a god who is said to be the origin of mankind. Eve was the first woman born in that Eden. And
out of the 11 children the bride took care of, there was not a single girl. The
man arrived in Eden.
He turned the handle on the iron door, but the door was locked. The
man’s eyes were bloodshot. He raised his ax vigorously. Knock! Sparks flew brightly. The
entrance
to
Eden finally opened.
A priest stood in the hallway as if waiting for a man.
“Why did you come back when you said you were leaving?
”
The cross on the priest’s neck glowed golden in the light of the electric lamp.
Eve, wearing a dog collar, stood blankly in front of the bride. The chain around the neck was clutched in the hands of the bride.
The exhausted man shouted in a breathless voice.
“omg! Huh! Give her up!”
“Didn’t we entrust Eve to you?”
Instead of answering, the man threw something at the old man’s feet. It was the arm of a half-eaten child.
“Huh, you found Judas. You have done a useless thing.”
The priest sighed and shook his head.
“Give me that child!”
“If you listen to me, the misunderstanding will clear up. Judas is a child of deep faith, and he sacrificed himself for you and Eve, and furthermore, for the revival of mankind. Please do not ruin Judas’ martyrdom with your immature actions.”
The man gritted his teeth.
He was ringing the bell he had heard that day.
It was no miracle. It was the gruesome scream of a child spitting out while being eaten by zombies.
The man pointed an ax at the bride.
“I won’t say much more. Give her right now!”
The priest shook his head.
“Eve cannot be returned. Eve will be the hope of opening a new world for mankind. As the name suggests, she will become the mother of mankind. I will definitely make it with my own hands. Here in Eden!”
“Crazy inspiration! I’m going to kill you!”
The man approached the priest with a sharp ax clutched. The blade was
crushed a lot from breaking down the door, but it’s not difficult to smash a crazy old man’s head like that.
But the man couldn’t go any further.
The priest pointed a knife at Eve’s neck.
”
What… are you doing? ”
The priest gave strength to his hand.
Drops of red blood flowed from the torn skin at the tip of the knife and ran down the white nape of Eve.
“Are you talking about New Hope and are you going to kill me?”
“Do you think Eve and the other children can survive in this world without the fence called me? Even if I’m not a child now, I’ll be able to save a girl someday. But! I am different! I am a pioneer who must protect the continuity of mankind through the noble mission of the Lord!
“You’re crazy.”
“Think what you like. How can a murderer like you know the will of the Lord? Hurry up and lay down your weapon.”
The man gritted his teeth and set the ax down on the floor.
thud!
“Even the pistol at his waist.”
The man did as he commanded. Behind the priest were the children who had heard the commotion.
“Father Poetry?
The priest gestured toward Peter.
“You came just fine. Peter, get rid of those wicked things.”
“Yes yes?”
“Come on!”
“Ha, but…”
“Are you not going to listen to me, Peter? Do you want to be locked up in the punishment room again?”
Peter shuddered. He hesitantly approached the man.
“I’m sorry.”
Peter grabbed the man’s axe.
But no matter how hard he tried, the ax wouldn’t budge.
said the priest, clicking his tongue.
“The ax is done. Just bring me the pistol.”
“Yes, yes. Father.”
Peter picked up the pistol and brought it to the priest. The priest took the pistol Peter had handed him and inspected the magazine. A low smile appeared on the priest’s smile as he saw the full magazine. “Take Eve with you.
”
The priest hands Peter the chain that was attached to Eve and then points a gun at the man.
“I don’t want to kill life with a body that serves the Lord. Go on your way even now.”
The bride’s face had the smile of a victor.
In the meantime, the bride’s face, which had been wary of the man’s gun, passed behind the caring smile. So I persuaded him by flattering words.
But now the gun was in the hands of the priest.
“……!”
Then the man’s expression changed. The man bent over violently and coughed.
“COOL COOL COOL! Cuckoo!”
Hoodeduk! Crack!
The blood flowing from the man’s mouth soaked the floor black.
“Haha, the poison seems to be working now. I was careful not to show symptoms at once.”
Seeing the man collapsed in a cold sweat like rain, the priest took a step closer to him with a more elated face.
“You choose. Would you like to die right here? Or would you like to live outside for a few more days?”
