“Shhh, shhh.”
In Kessler’s room, Snake Rim was packing Kessler’s clothes into a suitcase.
“Little fox, Daddy is packing. Kessler didn’t pack anything.”
Having turned back into a fox, I looked at him, twitching my ears, and then stood upright on the closed suitcase.
“Even someone as great as me has to do these chores. Why are you up there? Are you coming too?”
Nod.
“Good, little fox.”
Sitting on the suitcase Snake Rim pulled, I boarded the night train.
[System]: Snake Rim sings a song filled with affection for you.
“Dingiri dingding dongdong. With the little fox, I can go anywhere, even across the sea, meow meow♬”
Meow meow♬
[System]: The little fox resonates with Snake Rim’s song.
As if buffering, I slowly tapped my front paws up and down, unconsciously dancing a tap dance.
As the night deepened and I began to drift off to sleep, he kept talking to me.
“Do you see that mountain? That’s where I was born.”
Meow.
“There’s a swamp created by rainwater. And beneath it, there are countless skull fragments.”
Meow…
“Beyond those skull fragments lies the underground world… Are you sleepy?”
This was a hint map for future winners of the horror survival game [Last Shadow], where each round’s winners would head to the next tier once the server’s expansion limit was lifted.
But for now, sleep was more important. Nodding off, I tumbled towards the lizard’s tail.
“You’re asleep. Sleep well.”
I felt his hand continuously stroking my fur.
– Doggy, doggy
“Fox.”
– Fox, fox, little fox
Every little skeleton boarding the train showed curiosity towards me. With Snake Rim’s permission, they touched me.
[System]: You received a massage. Your tense belly fat is loosening.
The touch actually felt good, but being kneaded every time I tried to sleep was annoying.
The snake-like creature gently touched my belly as I yawned and whispered softly.
“You did well playing with the children, little fox.”
Meow…
“They wander every day looking for their lost parents. Your presence must have been a brief respite in their lonely journey.”
…Meow.
I slowly nodded.
Looking again, the train was indeed filled with young skeletons.
‘They’re looking for their lost parents…’
None of them will truly find their parents. Because… that’s the game’s concept. Some will grow weary of searching and dream of eternal rest, some will darken like Kessler and build their own castles.
And some… will continue this long, tedious journey. I don’t know.
“We’ve arrived.”
By the time we arrived at our destination, the Shadow Atonement Prison was so tall that its shape was visible from afar, and indeed, up close, it seemed to reach the sky.
– Bye, take care
– Bye bye
I waved my front paw at the little skeletons saying goodbye and got off the train.
Then, pausing for a moment, I looked up at the pitch-black shadow tower. The place with the longest shadow in the world, and the place that governs all shadows in this world.
“You’ve had a tough journey, little fox.”
Held by Snake Rim, I entered the interior of the shadow tower. Despite its terrifying exterior, the inside resembled a luxurious hotel. A pitch-black skeleton greeted us with a clatter of teeth, and Snake Rim proudly approached it.
– Name.
This skeleton, covered in shadows and appearing completely black, unlike the other skeletons I had seen, spoke with precise pronunciation.
“I’ve come to see the master of the Shadow Castle, Kessler.”
– Please take the elevator.
“Alright.”
– Wait. What about that fox?
“He’s my son. Is that a problem?”
– I asked because he’s too cute.
The shadow skeleton waved at me, so I lifted my front paw in response.
As we boarded the elevator, the labor skeleton inside began turning the lever. With a creaking sound of the labor skeleton’s bones moving, the elevator ascended for a while before finally stopping. When the door opened, a corridor adorned with vibrant colors stretched out before us, with only one door visible, suggesting that the entire floor was used as a single unit.
“We’re here to see Kessler.”
“Come in.”
With an indifferent response, Snake Rim opened the door and entered.
‘It’s nicer than the Oasis Hotel.’
Contrary to my expectations of a prison cell like the underground solitary confinement where Jung Da-hoon had been, the facilities were quite luxurious. The large wooden-toned room was neatly furnished with antique furniture.
If they told me to reflect here, would I really reflect?… I understand why the recidivism rate is so high.
“The little fox came too.”
“What?”
Kessler, who had been leaning against the bed without even looking this way, immediately shifted his gaze. As our eyes met, I rushed towards him.
But the bed was too high.
Jump, jump! I tried jumping a couple more times, but instead of getting up, I kept falling face-first into the mattress. Kessler picked me up as I struggled.
He held me and looked at me as if examining me, wondering why I was here.
“Why did you bring him?”
“I didn’t bring him. The smart little fox wanted to come with me and got into the carrier.”
Kessler held me tightly, making it difficult to close the distance. Frustrated, I kicked my legs, but he stopped me by holding my front paw with his other hand. I stared at him, trying to convey that I wanted to be let go.
“What are you looking at?”
At his blunt question, I unconsciously stopped wagging my tail.
“What are you looking at like you’ve done something great?”
“The little fox seems excited to see Kessler.”
While Snake Rim organized the clothes he had brought in the carrier for Kessler, I silently rubbed my fur against his hand.
“Oh dear, the amenities are all out. These ill-mannered folks, why didn’t they refill the shampoo?”
“You have to request it.”
“Should I make a request?”
“Yeah.”
After Snake Rim left the room, it was just the two of us.
Meow.
I drooped my ears and tail as much as I could. It was an apology, expressing that I was sorry for making him come here because of me.
But the apology was not easily accepted.
“Forget it, just go. I don’t want to see you right now.”
Eventually, he took me out of the room and into the hallway, then closed the door.
Meow meow.
I scratched at the closed door, but my claws didn’t come out properly, making only a small tapping sound.
“Little fox, why are you out here? Did you lose your way?”
Snake Rim picked me up, and as he opened the door again, Kessler’s irritation flared up.
“I told you not to come in.”
“Oh dear, I didn’t hear. Then I’ll just leave the shampoo…”
Snake Rim seemed both wronged and flustered. Taking the opportunity while he was hurriedly organizing the shampoo, I approached Kessler’s bed again.
“Don’t pretend not to hear and perk up your ears.”
“…I put this here hoping it would improve Kessler’s mood a little.”
Snake Rim took a peach-scented perfume from his bosom and placed it on the windowsill.
“He made it on the way here to give to Kessler.”
“I told you I don’t need it? And take this white furball-“
As he tried to pick me up and throw me out again, I climbed onto the low table and, with a struggle, curled up into the empty mug next to the perfume.
“Why are you getting in there when I told you to get out?”
He grabbed the handle of the mug and tried to pour me out. But because I resisted with all my might, every time he tilted the mug, only my bottom would flop out.
After doing that a few times, I felt dizzy. Stars and the moon spun around above my head.
“Little fox, no! Don’t handle the little fox like that. Where is the fox tranquilizer? I need to ask for it!”
Even as the startled Snake Rim went to find the fox tranquilizer, I was still dizzy. As soon as I came to my senses, I quickly transformed my body into a human.
And, lifting my face, which had fallen onto his lap, I said,
“Why are you so cruel? If you disliked me that much, you shouldn’t have helped me. If you had just knocked them out, it wouldn’t have been a 40-day sentence.”
It was too much for someone who even brought the hour hand to come back quickly.
Honestly, I was a bit upset. I came to see his face under the pretext of apologizing, but he turned me away at the door.
“To be honest, it was your choice, wasn’t it? Why are you doing this to me?”
“Did you think I’d keep falling for it forever?”
“Fall for what?”
“You sold the tail I gave you and handed it over to that jerk. Why are you pretending otherwise now? I know you two are as thick as thieves.”
Ah, wait. What?
The circuit that had been connected along a single path came to an abrupt halt.
It seemed I had misunderstood the point from the beginning. I was so taken aback by that absurd story that I couldn’t speak hastily. Only then did his expression begin to make sense.
He wasn’t disillusioned. He was angry with me.
So… his complaint wasn’t about killing someone because of me and getting a 40-day sentence. It was about me selling the tail to make Jung Da-hoon a noble, right?
“I did that with Jung Da-hoon because we were simply on the same side.”
“Is emptying your fortune to make that guy successful something you do just because you’re on the same side?”
As I stammered out an excuse I couldn’t believe, Kessler got angry but answered sincerely.
‘Jealousy?’
I was momentarily speechless at the unexpected reason for his sulking.
“He’s a guy who sells your photos to save his own life. How can you be so smart in other things but not see that?”
“As I said, that was an agreed-upon part.”
As I defended Jung Da-hoon, his face hardened even more.
“You’re misunderstanding now. Jung Da-hoon is helping me become the final survivor.”
Kessler let out a scoff. He had been quietly looking aside as if to calm his anger, but suddenly he grabbed me by the collar.
“I’m the one who put the collar around your neck.”
“…”
“No one else has the right to decide your life and death.”
