Chapter 236

There was an old theater. In my hand, as I entered the screening room, there were popcorn and cola that I had somehow obtained.

The screening room was moderately filled. I walked to the middle row and sat in a suitable seat, which was also positioned exactly in the center.

‘…What movie was I going to watch?’

It was a somewhat strange question, even for me. What did I come to see, am I a fool or something?

However, no matter how much I thought about it, nothing came to mind. Was I really here to watch a movie in the first place?

“…Tsk.”

I don’t know. I’ll understand once I see it.

Leaning against the backrest, I made myself as comfortable as possible. As I devoured my favorite caramel popcorn, a video appeared on the large screen showing the emergency exit instructions.

It was an old video. The unusual thing was that when the screening started, there was a message stating that the emergency exits could not be used.

It was strange. What if there was a fire during the movie, what were they expecting?

But that question quickly faded away. It instead felt natural.

I poured the refreshing cola into my mouth, which didn’t feel particularly refreshing.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“Oh, sure.”

A stranger sat next to me. I closed my legs to allow her to pass.

Next to my empty right side, another stranger filled the seat. It was also a man with an unfamiliar face.

The screen darkened as the emergency exit instructions ended. In accordance, the lights inside the screening room gently dimmed, and the sound of changing film could be faintly heard.

Was it a film projected by a projector? It had a certain charm.

And then, the screening began.

On the large screen, a man lay dead-eyed as if asleep. I stared at it blankly.

A familiar face. His slightly tired eyes and slightly disheveled hair showed that he did not particularly care about his appearance. It wasn’t a shabby or dirty look, but it could still be described as somewhat untidy.

The man on the screen was wearing peculiar clothing. A black priest’s robe. It felt oddly familiar.

Then, the scene transitioned to show the man’s dream.

In the man’s dream, he stood holding a gun. Was he a soldier?

Next to him were other people standing. Their faces were so blurry that it was hard to confirm even the basic facial features. Was it because it was such an old memory?

But I could tell they were smiling. Soon, I noticed the attire of the people standing around the man.

Some wore an armband of a Red Cross unit, some were draped in military coats over their priestly robes, and others were clad in regular military uniforms with coats.

Although they were all slightly differently dressed, they uniformly wore military caps or helmets.

They were soldiers. I realized this a moment later.

They were smiling. Looking at each other, sometimes shedding tears, yet they stood firm, not losing their smiles.

The screen transitioned.

Once again, it was a scene like the previous one. The dreaming man stood in the middle, surrounded by others wearing military uniforms gathered together.

The difference from the previous scene was that the number of people had decreased slightly, and the corners of their mouths had drooped a bit. Still, they were smiling.

– Creak—.

An intrusive sound came from somewhere. Having been staring blankly at the screen, I glanced toward the direction of the sound with a hint of irritation at my disrupted concentration.

“I’m sorry.”

“Excuse me.”

Several people sitting at the back of the screening room whispered apologies as they exited. Above the exit they were using, the emergency exit sign flickered weakly.

‘…Didn’t they say not to use the emergency exits?’

Questions arose, but I quickly ignored them and turned my gaze back to the screen. By now, the scene had changed, and even fewer people were gathered on the screen than before.

It had decreased further. The people no longer smiled. They stood with hardened mouths, unable to lift the corners of their mouths, dressed in slightly dirty military uniforms. Their faces remained blurry, making it difficult to identify who was who.

“Just a moment.”

At the same time, once again, people stood up from the back of the screening room and exited through the emergency exit. Now only half of the audience remained.

Suddenly, a snap— and the film broke. Only the blank white screen hung lonely in the old theater.

– Drip-drip. Clunk.

With a sound signaling something continuing, the film began to roll again. This time too, it was similar to the previous scenes.

The only difference was that again, the number of people had decreased….

‘…Are they crying?’

The expressions of the few remaining people looked noticeably grim.

The man standing in the center didn’t catch my eye. Only the people standing beside him quietly captured my attention.

Now that I think of it, this movie had no sound. A silent film, how old could this movie be?

– Snap—.

The film cut off again. Simultaneously, a few people sitting at the back exited again through the emergency exit. I was on the verge of getting slightly irritated.

– Drip. Clunk. Crackle—.

With that familiar sound, the screen returned once more. I had forgotten my irritation and focused again on the screen.

There were even fewer now. The people were now few enough to count on ten fingers.

In the previous scenes, there were still some who hadn’t lost their smiles, but now, the people on the screen no longer smiled at all.

Another point I could note was that the faces of the people had become a bit clearer. I could finally identify their facial features somewhat. I stared at each of their faces blankly.

To the immediate left and right of the man in the center stood unknown male and female figures. The woman on the left was wearing the same priest’s robe as the man in the center, while the unknown man on the right was dressed in an old tattered military uniform.

I didn’t quite know what this meant. One thing was clear, though; they were unlucky.

The people on the screen were unlucky. Incredibly unlucky.

Again, the film broke and resumed.

“Excuse me.”

Again, more people left the screening room. Now fewer than five remained.

The remaining people on the screen were the same. The man standing in the middle still stood there. Was he the protagonist?

His face was somewhat distorted. It looked sad, and he seemed to be holding back something. My chest tightened.

The film paused briefly and then resumed. The pause was much shorter than before.

People left. Now only the two people sitting next to me remained in the theater.

The figures on the screen began to get closer. Even while slowly closing up, the three people on the screen kept their mouths tightly sealed with miserable expressions.

Soon, the screen was filled with their faces. In the center stood the ominous-looking priest.

To his left stood a woman in a priest’s robe, and on his right stood a man in a tattered military uniform.

They simply gazed into the distance, as if staring beyond the screen.

“……”

It was a prison. I stopped my hand, which was about to grab popcorn, trapped in this indescribable something.

I couldn’t tear my gaze away. I couldn’t inhale or exhale.

I felt as if I was confined in a prison. I couldn’t tell what it was. At least, in this moment, I felt completely isolated here.

The gaze of those two people, their expressions, the unyielding corners of their mouths gripped me strongly.

The woman on the screen began to say something. I couldn’t hear any sound. This was a silent film.

She was moving her lips, calmly conveying whatever she wanted to say. I didn’t know to whom she was speaking, but for some reason, it felt like she was addressing me.

As the nameless female priest fell silent, the scene shifted to the man in the military uniform. He began to move his lips slowly, just like the previous female priest.

[ It’s not your fault. ]

“…….”

I stared blankly at the screen. The man in the military uniform seemed to be looking directly at me.

This wasn’t a silent film.

[ So, don’t be sad anymore. ]

…It wasn’t a silent film.

[ And, I’m sorry. ]

What for? What are you apologizing for?

For having met that gloomy-faced priest? For having survived the battlefield alongside him? For having vowed revenge even after the war ended?

For having sought me out to realize that revenge?

Or for having melted away in that horrific flame with a glimmer of hope?

Or maybe…

[ I’m sorry for not being considerate of you, who will be left behind. ]

For the fact that you helplessly died before my eyes?

…It was strange. Why was I perceiving all these events as if they were all happening to me?

I, I….

[ Lucio. ]

With those final words, the sound was cut off again. The man in the military uniform continued to move his lips, but no sound came out.

And then, I understood the reason.

The memories I had with that man ended right there. After that, there wasn’t anything I could call a memory or a recollection.

The future, the path ahead was entirely erased.

– Drip….

The scene began to transition. The sound of the projector running felt muffled, as if it were soaked in water.

And the two people sitting beside me had already begun to stand up, trying to walk toward the emergency exit.

“Ah, no….”

I didn’t know what I meant by that. But I clearly knew that if I let those two go like this, I would definitely regret it. So, that’s why…

“Don’t go…. Please…!”

My vision blurred. My body felt heavy like water-soaked cotton. I couldn’t rise.

While I sat there quietly, the two of them walked out toward the emergency exit without looking back. This shouldn’t be happening. They said not to use the emergency exits while the movie was playing.

But, where were they going?

Leaving me like this, where on earth….

– Drip…. Click.

A sound that I no longer wanted to hear struck my ears. I blankly stared at the emergency exit before slowly turning my gaze back to the screen.

A familiar figure came into view.

The cute bobbed hair shone with a golden hue like melted wheat, and her flawlessly clear green eyes sparkled beautifully like emeralds.

And she was wearing a priest’s robe.

She was smiling. She was crying.

She wore a pained expression. She began to move farther and farther away from me.

She was, she was….

“So, Sofia….”

Sofia Sub-priest was.

Slipping away from me.

With a sad expression, she gazed at me until the very end.

Slowly, very slowly, she was drifting away.

[ I’m sorry, Head Priest. I don’t think I can remain as Sofia Sub-priest to you any longer… ]

Ah, no. I….

[ If only you had told me a little earlier…. ]

I couldn’t do anything.

And, I did nothing.

– Drip…. Click.

The sound of the projector shutting down. Shortly after, the screen went dark, and the lights in the old theater turned on. In a theater that had once been filled, I found myself alone.

Looking down at the floor, I saw a few damp caramel popcorn kernels rolling around.

“……”

I couldn’t get up from my seat for a long time.

For a long time—.

* * * * *

“…Huff—!”

With a gasp for breath, I opened my eyes. My forehead felt hot as if it were boiling.

I squinted to clear my blurry vision. Cold sweat was trickling down and was stinging.

Slowly wiping the back of my neck, I found my face was already drenched with cold sweat.

“Just a dream….”

It was a dream. Helena and Cesar leaving my side, Sofia Sub-priest drifting away from me…. All of it.

“It was just a dream….”

I bit my lip tightly. Relief washed over me like a tidal wave.

Quietly, I stifled my sobs.

– If only you had told me a little earlier….

Earlier. Just a bit earlier….

As I wiped away the sweat and tears for a moment, I quietly stood up.

I went into the bathroom to wash away the sweat and tears, trying to erase all traces.

After changing my clothes and stepping out of the room, I knocked on the door of the room beside mine.

“Ah? Head Priest….”

“…Sofia Sub-priest.”

“Yes?”

The moment Sofia Sub-priest’s clear eyes turned to me. Even in that fleeting moment, I had to contemplate a hundred times.

“…I want to talk for a moment.”

I finally took a difficult step forward.

A small step.