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LOS 54
8.
Happy Ending
I was powerless. My entire body felt numb, and cold sweat poured down me. The moment I realized I was trapped in a sealed space, hallucinations rushed in, making it feel as though the walls were closing in on me, suffocating me.
I couldn't let this happen again. I simply couldn't. What was even more distressing was the fact that I had broken down, unable to endure it. Things had been far worse when I was at the mansion. Even then, I had managed to hold on, whether beneath the floorboards or inside a closet where I had to curl my body as small as possible.
Compared to that, this luxurious room with its bed and bookshelf was practically an emperor's bedroom. And yet, I had shattered. I couldn't accept the fact that I had become so weak.
I lay flat on the floor, curling up and squeezing my eyes shut. Only then could I breathe properly. I tried my best to think of nothing. Not the fact that I was trapped, nor the layout of this room where every exit was blocked. Once I shut out all thoughts, it became bearable.
Someone will come to save me.
They definitely will.
How many hours had passed while I lay there motionless like a dead person, clinging to a sliver of hope? I endured steadfastly, even as I writhed in a numbing pain, as if being crushed by a giant's foot. After all, I couldn't just pass out and die like this.
They must be coming. They'll know I'm gone and be looking for me.
It was then. I clearly heard the sound of someone inserting and turning a key. The moment I bolted upright, drenched in sweat, the door opened and a man appeared.
It was Giles. Unlike usual, he wasn't wearing his uniform, but that didn't matter. Despite the dizziness, I called his name in joy.
“Giles!”
He closed the door. Well, it didn't matter. He would take me out of here. I tried to move toward him, but I stumbled and collapsed. Giles barely managed to catch me before I hit the floor.
“Anna, are you alright?”
He asked with a worried expression. I hesitated for a moment. Should I say yes, or no? Of course, my condition wasn't alright at all, but the mere fact that he had come to save me made everything feel okay.
“I knew you’d come.”
“How is the pain?”
“What? I’m fine. Look, I’m perfectly okay.”
“I gave you a painkiller. I'm glad it seems to be working.”
I didn't even understand what he was talking about.
Regardless, there was something more important.
“Let’s go.”
I said, pulling at his hand.
“Let’s get out of this damn place. What time is it? I’m dying to see the sky.”
“You can’t.”
“What?”
“I said you can’t.”
Loss for words, I simply stared at his face. Giles looked back at me with a firmness that suggested he wouldn't budge an inch. Why was he looking at me with those eyes? I thought he simply hadn't understood me.
“What do you mean? I mean let’s go outside. Did you see? Some lunatic nailed boards over the windows.”
“You have to stay here.”
“Stop it. I’m in no mood for jokes.”
“I’m sorry. But for the time being, you cannot leave this place.”
“I said stop joking!”
I screamed, but Giles didn't react much, as if he had already anticipated such a response. Refusing to accept reality, I pushed him away and bolted toward the door. But before I could even grab the handle, he seized me.
“Let go!”
“Anna, calm down.”
“Let go! You crazy bastard, get your hands off me!”
No matter how much I struggled or tried to pry his arms away, it was useless against the overwhelming strength of a trained soldier. It was unbelievable, but I had to believe it. The lunatic who had imprisoned me was Giles. He wanted me to stay in this horrific room.
“...Was it you? Did you kidnap me?”
“I didn't kidnap you.”
“If this isn't kidnapping, then what is it! How do you explain those boards? This place is completely sealed off! Why did you bring me to a place like this?”
“It was unavoidable for the sake of your safety.”
“Don't make me laugh.”
I spat the words out and used all my strength to break away from him. He was still blocking the door. Looking at him, I felt as if something inside me was crumbling.
Was I destined for this from the start?
“Tell me the truth. Did they tell you to execute me? If that was the case, why didn't you just kill me from the beginning? Have you just been playing with me all this time?”
“That will not happen.”
“I trusted you, Giles. I trusted you.”
I spoke with a flushed face, tears streaming down. I wasn't sad; I was furious. I couldn't stand the fact that he, of all people, had done this.
“You told me you loved me. You said you didn't want me to die. I believed every word. I didn't care if you were a heinous murderer. I thought we were the only two people who could understand each other. But look at what you've done to me! Look at the state I'm in!”
Giles said nothing. Perhaps he felt I wasn't even worth a response. I realized it now. The string that had connected us had finally snapped.
“I was a fool to believe that good things would happen to me. I should have known. I shouldn't have trusted you.”
“You may hate me. But for now, you must listen to me. You need to know what is happening to you.”
“And what exactly do you want me to listen to now?”
“Anna, please.”
I didn't want to deal with him for another second, but in the end, I took a step back. Was I clinging to the faint hope that he might not have betrayed me? Or did I still have lingering feelings for Giles?
“Fine, speak. Recite whatever grand script you've memorized. Of course, I'll be the one to decide whether to accept your words or not.”
“There are people who want to harm you. I haven't uncovered the details yet, but it is certain that you are in danger. Please stay here for a while until I find out who they are. I can guarantee that you will be safe here.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You almost died at the concert hall. Don't you remember?”
I tried to recall, but there was almost nothing I could remember clearly. I remembered entering the stage for the performance. The problem was that I had no memory of what happened after that.
“...Are you saying someone shot me?”
“A lighting fixture fell. You were hit by the debris. The bleeding was so severe that if the hemorrhage hadn't been stopped immediately, you might have actually died.”
Suddenly, I felt around my body. There was a bandage wrapped around my abdomen, which I had thought was fine. Was that what he meant by the painkillers?
“Then where is the doctor now?”
“There is no doctor. I treated you myself.”
“You played the role of the doctor yourself?”
“All soldiers are trained in field medicine. Especially the techniques for stitching wounds and stopping bleeding. Because a moment will eventually come on the battlefield where you must save a comrade without a medic.”
I felt as if I could hear sobbing voices in my ear. The voice pleading with me not to die. Only now did I understand why Giles had said those things.
But I still couldn't forgive him.
“A lighting fixture fell?”
“It happened just as you were about to begin your performance.”
“That could have just been an accident.”
“It wasn't an accident. It's clear that someone tampered with it intentionally. They were targeting you, Anna. The timing and location were too precise for it to be an accident.”
“You just said you don't know anything for sure yet!”
“You were on the verge of death! No one meets death by mere coincidence! Especially not in your case! It was not an accident! You know it too, Anna. You know you could be threatened at any time!”
“And that's why you brought me here?”
He had locked me in a prison, using my safety as a pretext. He didn't seem to realize that this damn room, which he believed to be safe, might be the first thing to kill me.
“Could it not have been anywhere else?”
“This is the only place where you can stay in peace.”
“In peace?”
Anger surged within me again at his words. I pointed toward the thick curtains and screamed.
“There isn't even a window here!”
“It was unavoidable.”
“What was? Is this also for my safety? Nailing boards over the windows and locking the door from the outside? Even though you know exactly what I'm afraid of, you...”
No matter the reason, I couldn't understand Giles. I wanted to, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. If he wanted to protect me, it shouldn't have been like this.
“I told you. I told you everything about the life I've lived. If you hadn't known, it would be one thing, but you know me inside and out! In the end, you're just like those people. You're killing me!”
Giles said nothing. Perhaps he was trying to ignore me. I wished he would at least feel some guilt. And I wished he would let me out of here.
“Let me out. I don't want to be trapped ever again.”
“I will come to check on you every day.”
“What good is that!”
“Anna! Don't you understand? I told you there are people out there who want to harm you! No matter where you are, you could be attacked again at any moment. You could die! I simply don't want to lose you! You told me you wanted to live too!”
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