Chapter 680 — Things That Have Passed
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
Homunculus No. 36.
Silence settled over the room. Amber gazed quietly at the line of letters sketched in the diary, and for two full minutes she did not utter a single word.
But just as Gao Yang could no longer hold back the urge to say something, Amber's fingers began to move again. Biting her lip, she turned the diary to the next page, very, very slowly.
Sarylandrov's story continued:
"...My mechanical watch has broken. After recording the date twice by pulse and intuition, I was forced to abandon my pursuit of 'time.' I no longer know what day it is, but I suspect I have been in this ancient fortress for at least half a month.
"During this time, only 'Amber' has kept me company.
"The little one sleeps very quietly in her 'bed,' making not a sound. These past few days I have begun trying to talk to her, and of course she gives no response whatsoever, but I keep doing it every day—talking keeps my will and my mind intact, and a sleeping little girl is at least a better listener than a stone in the corner.
"...Over such a long stretch, the shadow dwellers have appeared only twice. To be honest, the emergence of those 'ghosts' actually brought me a flicker of delight—they are indeed eerie, and their appearance somewhat frightening, but at least they are some kind of 'living thing.' Sometimes I even entertain mad ideas, wanting to try communicating with those 'ghosts,' but that would be far too dangerous...
"I finally put my mad idea into practice once, yet those shadow dwellers paid me no attention at all. They merely wandered about the room for a moment, then gradually faded away.
"In the end, it is still only Amber who keeps me company.
"...My health is deteriorating—that is inevitable. The only sustenance I can find here is moss and water; in truth, surviving on them until today is already a miracle. That moss growing in the Shadow Realm can sustain a person's life—that in itself is a blessing, is it not?
"I was terrified. I ran a low fever—perhaps because the floor was too cold, perhaps because I was too weak. That trivial little illness nearly made me plan out all my last affairs on the spot. But what use are last affairs? Today I cursed the King for the first time. Honor has left me far behind.
"...How much time has passed outside? I long ago gave up recording dates; estimating time has become impossible for me. I can only judge by instinct—perhaps I have been here for several years already. The royal capital has most likely listed me as a missing person, or, according to the rules of the Royal Shadow Guard, as 'suspected of desertion.'
"I have been reducing the frequency of my diary entries lately, trying to abbreviate the letters and shrink the handwriting, because my ink is nearly exhausted. Though I have diluted it with water several times, it is still not enough. Tomorrow I will try burning that moss into ash and mixing it with water to see whether I can make some ink. If not... then if I wish to write anything in the future, I fear I shall have to use my own blood.
"I made some crude ink. The color is a bit strange, and so is the smell, but clearly it can be used for writing!
"...Today something happened that absolutely deserves to be recorded! Absolutely deserves to be recorded!!
"Amber moved—it is absolutely true, I am certain of it. She moved her little hand—she was sucking her fingers!!
"She is alive! She really is alive!"
After this came many scattered accounts Sarylandrov had written in a state of excitement, including some of his experiences sustaining himself within the Shadow Fortress. Amber seemed to grow impatient; her page-turning quickened, until she stopped before a diary page whose handwriting was slightly shaky, the writer seemingly beyond himself with agitation.