Chapter 28 Chapter 27

"We have to go faster." Tristan looked back at the woman, grimacing, then up at the dim sky.It took them so long to cross the mud flats that even though it was already dark, they still had a whole canyon to traverse.But it wasn't her fault, wading through the sticky muck and weaving around tall weeds was too much for her.She needs help, but Tristan doesn't want to touch her. But he regrets it now.The air was filled with howling, and although they could not be seen now, they must be nearby.The light had changed, too, and a thick layer of dark clouds was hanging over them, so that the days would be shorter than usual, he thought it was inevitable.

It was unrealistic to expect this woman to remain calm and content, which had been impossible since she had learned of her death. She didn't say much about her own death.She had tears in her eyes too, but she just wept silently, as if she didn't want to bother Tristan.Another thing to be thankful for, this soul did make his job very easy.He has been treating her coldly and keeping her away, and he himself feels bad, but this is the only way for him to continue, otherwise, they would not be able to go so far now. "Please, Mary." Tristan was a little embarrassed, he really didn't want to call her by her name, "We have to go."

"I'm sorry." She apologized with a low brow. "I'm sorry, Tristan." Tristan smiled wryly.In a trance, he still told Mary his name in the last mission.He was so devastated that he couldn't think of a new name that would fit his current image, but he hated it.Every time she said the name, he heard Dylan's voice. She began to walk forward, her steps firmer this time.But right in front of them, more and more long black shadows were gathering, and the visitors were not good.Tristan took one look and knew that firmness wasn't enough. He sighed, gritted his teeth, "Follow me." As he spoke, he grabbed her arm and walked forward, leading her to walk faster and faster, until he almost jogged .He was also jogging. In order to save effort, he simply put down her arm, grabbed her hand, and dragged her forward.The howls became louder and louder, and the demons began to fly downward, stirring up the air.

The woman heard the changes, and she tightened her grip on Tristan.He could feel her fear and her 100% trust in him.Every breath she took was accompanied by a soft sob that pierced his shoulder blades and pierced his chest.The feeling was so painful that he wanted to let go of her hand and run away from her—though not to leave her to the devil—he had to fight the urge. "It's not far, Mary." He encouraged her. "The safe house is between the two mountains. We're almost there." She didn't answer.But he heard her steps quicken, the effort he had had to hold her loose just now, and she had gone from a jog to a full-on sprint.His heart relaxed, and he hurried forward.

"Tristan!" The voice was nearly blown away by the wind before it reached his ears, but he heard the echo and raised his head, "Tristan!" Is it a hallucination in my mind?Or were the demons devising new tormenting tricks to distract him from where to look?Otherwise, it would be impossible for this voice to appear in the wasteland.It's all over, she's gone. "Tristan!" "It's not her, it's not her!" he murmured, pulling the woman even tighter.Dylan is gone, he still has his mission to complete, he must send this woman to the safe house.It's almost there, it's almost there.

He raised his head and stared intently at the hut.The door is open. "Tristan!" A figure stood at the door waving at him.Just a vague outline, but he knew who it was.It couldn't be her, there was no such possibility, but that was her. Startled, Tristan let go of the woman's hand. Dylan covered his mouth with his hand, and instantly realized that he had caused a catastrophe just now, but it was too late.She saw him cross the valley.An extraordinarily dazzling ball of light attracted Dylan's attention like a flame attracts moths.When she took a closer look, something strange happened.

The extremely gorgeous red of this wasteland, together with the deep burgundy purple of the evening, became flickering, flickering, changing colors frequently, like a TV with a poor signal.Blood red turns to soft greens, browns and lavenders, the hues of her Scottish moors. Dylan jumped up from his chair and leaned towards the door, his toes already on the threshold.The demons screamed in anticipation, but she stopped abruptly and just looked out. Tristan, she could see him.It was him, not a flashing ball of light, but a living person with a body and a face.Dylan laughed, gasping for air, as if he hadn't breathed since he left.He was running, and as the picture became clearer, she finally saw something in his hand.The flickering and flickering of the landscape ceased, and it settled into the heather-covered wilderness she had known before.The other souls vanished, and the demons blurred into shadows.If it hadn't been for the hissing and whining they were making, she would have run out to meet him.

She watched and realized that he was pulling another soul.I can't see who it is, the image looks distorted and deformed, not as transparent as the souls I've seen before, but it's still not real, it seems to be there.It's a woman, and she's also running.Dylan felt a twinge of jealousy when he saw them holding hands. That's when she started yelling Tristan's name.She had to yell over and over again to make sure he heard her.Finally he did look up at the safe house, and she waved wildly with ecstasy, and he saw her too.Dylan saw his expression—surprise, fear, and joy, three expressions intertwined.So he let go of the woman's hand.

At that moment, the black shadows hovering around them, and the black shadows hovering above their heads like thunderclouds rushed towards the woman with lightning speed.Panicked, she stretched out her hands in the air, grasping and struggling.Dylan covered his mouth and watched the demons succeed.The scene in front of me was more horrifying, more real, and more real than what I experienced personally—this soul was caught in the depths of the lake in this way. It's all her fault. They grabbed the woman's hair and arms and attacked her body, all in the blink of an eye.Tristan turned around immediately, just in time to see this scene.He stretched out his hand and tried to pull her back, but it was in vain.The demons continued to attack the woman.Tristan looked stunned, but a second later it was replaced by a determined scowl.He fought back, pulling the demons off her one by one, but they would turn around again in the other direction.Dylan stood at the door and watched as the woman's soul was dragged into the lake.

A strong sense of guilt surged in her heart, and this heavy guilt almost overwhelmed her.She killed that woman, whoever she was, Dylan killed her.Does she have a husband?Do you have children?Did she still count on reuniting with them?A picture of Eliza flashed through her mind, and Dylan seemed to see her endlessly waiting for the husband who would never come.All this was because of her yelling just now, and she covered her mouth with her hand to prevent herself from calling him again. But the big mistake was made, it was too late to do anything now, the woman was dead. Tristan didn't look back at her, but looked down at the place where the soul disappeared -- a piece of tall grass.The rest of the demons hovered over his head like sharks, baring their teeth, ready to pounce and tear their prey apart, and he seemed oblivious to it.

He didn't respond when one of them swooped down and tore at his shoulder, and when the other slammed straight into his face.Dylan stared dumbfounded. Was that blood running down his cheek?Why is he motionless?Why doesn't he defend himself?Why didn't he run towards the safe house?Why don't you run towards yourself? One by one, the demons rushed towards him.Seeing him standing there indifferently like this, they seemed extremely happy.Dylan didn't even have time to think, so he rushed out of the room and onto the road.It was very dark now, and the fire in the cabin behind seemed much brighter than it had been during the day.If he remained motionless, if she couldn't reach him... "Tristan!?" She rushed to him, panting, "Tristan, what are you doing?" Demons flew around her face, but this time she completely ignored the rampage. "Tristan!" He seemed to have finally come to his senses.He turned his head, still shrouded in black shadows everywhere, his initially dull face seemed to have just woken up from a deep thought.Dylan strode towards him, and he followed suit. He called her name softly, calmed down and immediately shouted: "Run!" Whatever was holding him back just now was gone now.He held her forearm tightly with one hand, causing her pain, and ran all the way in the direction where she had just come. The demons screamed and howled harshly, but he was running too fast for them to catch him, and they had no choice but to grab Dylan's claws and follow them all the way.Sometimes they were only a meter away, and Tristan had to deal with the claws and fangs of the demons as he went.With his head down, his jaw tensed, his hand clutching Dylan's wrist, he ran all the way to the safe house. "What the hell are you doing here?" Tristan demanded angrily as soon as they entered the house.The clamor of the demons faded away, and the room seemed peaceful and peaceful, but Tristan seemed to be on fire from every pore. "What's wrong?" Dylan looked at him confused.Did he see himself unhappy? His seemingly cold but fiery eyes told her that was definitely not the case.Those eyes shone brightly as they looked at her.That kind of light is not an illusion caused by light, and it looks a little scary. "What are you doing here, Dylan?" "I..." Dylan opened and closed his mouth, but no words came out. Such a conversation scene was something she hadn't expected before.There were too few hugs and the vibe was too cold. "You shouldn't be here," Tristan went on.He paced around the room restlessly, running his hands through his hair, and then grabbed a handful of hair, "I took you through the wilderness to the dividing line, and you shouldn't come back." Dylan felt a strange feeling in his heart.Her cheeks were burning, her stomach was cramping, and her heart was beating violently in her chest, making her throbbing with pain. She lowered her eyes, and the next thing Tristan could see were big tears running down her cheeks and dripping down her chin. "Sorry," she whispered to the flagstone, "I was wrong." Now she understands.What he said back then were just lies fabricated to coax her to pass the dividing line safely, he didn't think so at all in his heart.She thought of the soul he was leading just now, of her own stupidity that had inadvertently cost her life, and of the way they held hands when they escaped danger just now.Did that woman believe his lies as easily as herself?She looked at the ground angrily, burning with anger, and suddenly felt that she was so childish. "Dylan." Tristan called her name a lot more gently, and the change in his tone gave her the courage to look up.He stopped pacing and was examining her with softer eyes.Dylan wiped his cheeks embarrassingly, and sniffed hard to hold back the remaining tears.She tried to look away as he approached.But he walked right up to her, until finally his forehead was pressed against Dylan's. "What are you doing here?" he murmured. Same thing, but this time instead of accusing, ask.The question would be easier to answer if she didn't close her eyes, if she didn't have to look him face to face. "I am back." He sighed, "You shouldn't have come back." After a pause, he asked, "Why are you back, Dylan?" Dylan swallowed, confused.His anger was gone now, and their foreheads were touching.If she had the courage to lift her eyes now, his face was right in front of her eyes.She was full of doubts and confusion.There was only one way to find out the truth now, and she took a deep breath. "For you." She waited for his response, but there was no response, at least she didn't hear it.She still didn't have the courage to open her eyes, "Are you serious? Every word you said last time." Another sigh.The meaning could be frustration, embarrassment, or regret. Dylan trembled and waited.Something warm touched her face, could it be his hand? "I didn't lie to you, Dylan. I didn't lie to you when I said that." She savored his words carefully, and her breathing gradually became short.He was sincere, and he was as genuinely moved as he was.A shy smile played on Dylan's lips, but she tried to control the rising enthusiasm in her chest, and she wasn't sure if she should believe the confession. "Open your eyes." Dylan suddenly became very shy, hesitated for a moment, then raised his eyelids.She took a deep breath and raised her head until she met his gaze.The distance between them was closer than she expected, so close that they even breathed together.Still holding her cheek, he slowly brought her face forward until their lips met, his blue eyes still looking into hers.After a moment, he pulled Dylan tightly into his arms. "I'm not lying to you, Dylan," he whispered in her ear, "but you shouldn't be here." Dylan's body stiffened and she tried to wriggle out of his arms, but he held her tight and would not let her go. "But everything has to be the same. I still can't go with you, and you can't stay here. You also saw what happened to that woman just now, and it will happen to you sooner or later. It's too dangerous here." Dylan held his breath, musing over every word he said, a strong sense of guilt welling up in his heart. "I killed that woman." She leaned on his shoulder and whispered. Her voice was faint, but Tristan heard it somehow. "No!" He shook his head, this action made his lips rub against her neck, itching, "I hurt her, I let go of her hand." "It's all because of me..." "No, Dylan." Tristan interrupted her, his tone more firm, "It's my fault, I killed her." He took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her even tighter, almost Made her feel a little uncomfortable, "Her death is all my fault. This place is what it is, like hell. You can't stay here." "I want to be with you," Dylan pleaded.Tristan shook his head slightly at her. "Not here." "Then go back with me." She begged bitterly. "I'm telling you, I can't get there, I never could get there. I..." He clenched his teeth together and made a frustrated sound. "So how about going to the other side of the world?" Dylan stepped back again, trying to break free, but he still tried to hold her tightly. "Go to my world and travel back from the wasteland with me. Back to that On the train, we'll be able to..." Tristan watched her, his brows furrowed even tighter.He shook his head slightly and put his finger on her lips. "That's impossible for me, too," he said. "Have you tried?" "No, but..." "So actually you don't know if it's okay, the soul I talked to said..." "Who did you talk to?" Tristan asked, narrowing his eyes. "An old lady, her name is Eliza, and she told me how I got back here. She said we might make it if-" "Maybe," Tristan repeated the word suspiciously, "Dylan, there's no turning back for us." "Do you really know?" she pursued.Tristan hesitated.She understood, but in fact he didn't know either, he just believed in the impossibility, the two were not the same thing. "Isn't it worth our while?" Dylan asked.She bit her lip restlessly. If he really loved her as much as he said before, wouldn't he want to try?Tristan tossed his head from side to side, looking sullen and desperate, "It's all or nothing, the stakes are too high," he said, "You trust this woman because she said what you wanted to hear Dylan. All I know is that we're not safe here, and if you stay in the moor, your soul won't survive, and I'll send you across the lake tomorrow." Dylan was shaking, and not just at the thought of crossing the Great Lake again.She took a step back, crossed her arms on her chest, with a determined expression on her face. "I don't want to go back there anymore, at least not by myself. I want to go back to that train, come with me, okay?" The last word is full of pleading tone.Indeed, she never wanted to go back to that car alone again.Going back would be pointless without him by his side.She had gone through all kinds of hardships and dangers, had been through it all, just to get back to him. She didn't know what was going to happen at the time, she knew the future was uncertain, but she did it anyway.Is he willing to take the risk too?Are you willing to take risks for her? She saw Tristan lick his lips, sighed, saw the indecision on his face.He couldn't make up his mind now, what should he say to impress him and make him change his mind? "Please, Tristan. Shall we just try? If not..." If not, the demon might catch her.She's not going to cross that dividing line back alone, but it's best not to mention it now, "If it doesn't work, you can bring me back. But can we try it first?" The look on his face was serious and pained. "I don't know if I can do this," he said. "I don't have a choice... I mean, I don't have a free choice, Dylan. My legs, they don't Not mine. Sometimes they take me somewhere I have to go, like…" He looked up and said, "Like when they made me leave you." Dylan watched him. "You are still my ferryman! If I run away from you, if you can't let me go with you, if I run away, do you have to follow?" "Yes," he said, not yet noticing which direction she was going. Dylan smiled at him and said, "Then I'll lead the way." Dylan knew he couldn't quite convince Tristan, but he didn't try to talk himself out of it, either.They had sat together on the single bed, and he had listened to her describe what had happened to her the last time they had separated at the dividing line.Every little detail fascinated him because he had never seen what she had experienced.He couldn't help laughing when she told about her visit to Jonas.But she later admitted that it was the ex-Nazi soldier who led her to Eliza, who helped her open the door back to the Badlands.Hearing this, his eyes were a little gloomy, and the things about Sally also attracted him very much.His eyes widened in surprise as Dylan explained the rosters in the recording room to him. "Have you seen my ferry roster?" Dylan nodded, "That's why I was able to find Jonas." Tristan thought for a moment, then asked, "Are there many blank pages left on the roster?" Dylan looked at him, confused by the question. "I don't know," she said evasively. "It's about two-thirds full." Tristan nodded.Seeing her puzzled look, he explained to her, "I'm just wondering if... I filled the roster and my job is coming to an end." Dylan didn't know what to say.There was pain and sadness in his eyes as he said this, and Dylan didn't know how to answer him. "Strange," he said after a long silence, "I can't even make up my mind whether I want to see that roster. I mean, if I had the chance, I don't know how it would be to see the names of all the people I've ferried. What kind of feeling." "Proud," Dylan said, "you should be proud. All these souls, all these people are alive because of you. You know what I mean." Looking at her, she put her arm lightly against his ribs.If they still have thoughts and feelings, then they are alive, presumably so? "I suppose so. If I do the math, I've ferried more souls than I've lost." Dylan was suddenly a little breathless, and she suddenly thought of those deleted records. "I saw some names crossed out," she said quietly. He nodded, "They are the lost souls, those who were caught by the demons halfway. But I am relieved that they are still recorded, and their names and the names of the people responsible for their deaths It's fair to put the names together." Dylan's lips trembled as he tried to sob softly, but held back immediately.Tristan turned to look at her, intent and curious.She had to confess her thoughts. "Then there should be another booklet for me," she murmured. "Why?" Tristan looked at her in bewilderment, completely unable to understand why there was a look of pain on her face. "Today," she said in a husky voice, "it's all my fault. That woman's spirit should be written next to my name." "No." Tristan turned and cupped her face in his hands, "No, I told you, it was my fault." Big hot tears rolled down Dylan's cheeks and dripped onto his fingers.She shook her head, not accepting his statement, "It's my fault." She murmured. He wiped the tears away from Dylan's face with his thumb, and gently pulled her toward him, their faces pressed together, forehead to forehead, chin to chin.Dylan was still churning with guilt, but suddenly it wasn't so strong.She could barely breathe, his hand stroked her, her skin was numb, and the blood was boiling all over her body. "Shh," Tristan said softly, mistaking her rapid breathing for a sob. He smiled and approached her, and the last millimeter of distance between them disappeared. He gently kissed her lips, and his lips slipped gently between hers.To her surprise, he stepped back first, watching her with cobalt fiery eyes, then pushed her back against the wall for a deeper, hungrier kiss. As dawn breaks, the sky turns clear and blue.Dylan stood on the threshold of the cottage, looking up happily.The wasteland in front of her was ten thousand times better than the stove-like desert that made her suffer so much.Tristan approached her and smiled slightly after seeing the sky. "The sun," he said, looking up at the sunny sky. Dylan smiled mischievously at him, her eyes sparkled. Compared with the colors of the wilderness, the blue waves in her eyes were more vivid and beautiful.Tristan couldn't help laughing at her too, even though his heart felt like lead at the moment.Her approach was definitely not going to work, but Dylan just didn't want to believe it.He was afraid of making her sad and disappointed, he couldn't bear it.He had a vague feeling that she would be disappointed soon, but he could only try not to think about it at the moment.She is here, safe at this moment.He should try to enjoy this extra time with her, which he never dared to expect before. He just hoped it wouldn't end with a dash of the quill pen and wipe her name off his roll. "Let's go," Dylan said, striding up the road.The valley looked wide and inviting in the morning light, but Tristan just stood at the door, watching her go away. After walking about a hundred meters, she realized that there was no creaking sound on the gravel road or her own footsteps behind her.Tristan saw her stop, head half tilted, listening to him.A second later she turned her head completely, her eyes widened in alarm, and then she saw that he was still standing where she had just started. "Come on," she shouted, with an encouraging smile on her face. He pursed his lips together, "I don't know if I can do it..." He shouted at her, "This is so counterintuitive." "Try it." Dylan encouraged him. Tristan sighed, feeling even heavier.He had promised Dylan he would try it himself.He closed his eyes for a moment, put all his attention on his feet, and thought "go" in his heart.He had thought that nothing would happen, that he would be firmly fixed on the ground, that there would be a very strong pressure to keep him where he was.However, he hit the road easily. Tristan stopped quickly.He hardly dared to breathe, waiting for a bolt of lightning to fly in the sky, waiting for the pain of the blow, the punishment for daring to defy the wordless destiny.However nothing happened.He felt incredible, and continued to walk towards Dylan amidst his suspicions. "It feels so weird," he whispered as he got close to Dylan. "I've been waiting for something to stop me." "But nothing has happened so far, has it?" "Yeah, nothing happened yet." "Great." Feeling brave now, Dylan hooked her fingers around his and started on her way.Tristan was followed by her tender hand. The valley didn't cause them any trouble.It was actually quite a view, and they looked like any young couple walking hand in hand through the countryside.At this time, neither the demons could be seen nor their cries could be heard.Those guys were there, hovering over her shoulders.They hoped that she would relax and not look at her ferryman.Thinking about it made Dylan restless.She wanted to ask Tristan what he saw, whether it was the lush weeds she saw, the heather-covered mountains, or the wasteland as it was.But for some reason she still couldn't open her mouth, she was very nervous, afraid that once she said those things, once she shifted her attention to this, all the wonderful illusions at the moment would collapse, and they would go back to the scorching sun middle.She knew it was much more difficult to cross that wilderness.Forget it—ignorance is bliss. Beyond the valley is an open swampy wetland.The balmy weather did nothing to dry out the wetlands or dry out the creaking mud.Dylan looked at the quagmire in disgust.It stinks, and Dylan thought of how her ankles had been sucked in here before, and she couldn't move.After walking through the quiet valley, this place reminded her of a harsh truth - she was still in the wilderness, and she was in danger of dying at any time. Beside her, Tristan let out a long, exaggerated sigh.She looked at him, first confused by the voice, and then noticed a sly look in his eyes.He smiled silly at her, with an air of accommodating and conniving. "Do you want me to carry you?" "You are so kind." He gave her a blank look, but turned around so she could climb onto his back. "Thanks." When he carried her back, she whispered in his ear. He snorted what seemed sullen, but Dylan could see the smile on his face. Staying in one position, it didn't take long for his arms to get sore.She was heavy on her back, but he didn't complain, and chose his way in a pool of mud.Even with the extra weight on his back, he didn't look like he'd be bogged down in the mud at all.It didn't take long for the wetland to be far behind them, and Dylan's attention had already been attracted by the steep slope of a towering mountain in front of him.She wrinkled her nose and exhaled bitterly.She felt that she probably wouldn't be able to convince Tristan to carry her up the mountain. "What are you thinking?" he asked. Unwilling to admit what was on her mind, Dylan asked a question that had been silently tormenting her instead. "I was wondering... where did you go? After you left me." She told all of her experiences last night, but she deliberately avoided the question.She didn't want to bring up what he had done—how he had lied to and betrayed him.Tristan picked up on her overtones. "I'm sorry," he said, "I'm sorry, that was all I could do at the time." Dylan took a soft breath, determined not to feel bad.She didn't want him to feel guilty about how much it hurt her.At least he didn't see his own breakdown, she thought. "It's okay," she whispered, grabbing his shoulders. "No," he said, "I lied to you at the time, and I'm sorry for you. But at the time I thought... I thought it was a good thing for you." He said the last sentence harshly, and Dylan couldn't help but Feeling chills in his heart, "When I saw you crying bitterly, when I saw you crying and looking for me..." His voice began to tremble when he said this, "The pain in my heart exceeds that of the devils for all the harm it caused me." Dylan's voice was very weak, "Did you still see me then?" He nodded, "It's only about a minute," he said with a wry smile, "I used to like this time the most. For a full minute, I don't have to be responsible to anyone but myself. At that moment, I And a glimpse into the distance, the place the soul calls home." Dylan stiffened on his back.She remembered that Jonas had said the same thing, and he was home in an instant, back in Stuttgart. "But nothing like this happened to me," she said slowly. "I still haven't left the wasteland." "I know." He sighed. "Why not?" she asked curiously, "Why can't I go wherever I want?" She mentally counted his steps, and Tristan took three firmly, before replying, "I don't know." He said it so vaguely that it didn't sound like the truth. The ground under my feet began to harden.Tristan put her down right away.Dylan was a little sullen at first—resentful of the warmth of snuggling against him, the luxury of being carried on his back.Tristan took her hand again and smiled down at her.She smiled back at him, but the smile disappeared as soon as she saw the steep hill ahead. "You know, I really hate climbing mountains," she said bluntly. Tristan squeezed her fingers as if to comfort her, but the expression on his face was mischievous, "We can always turn around and go back." He meant walking back into the swamp again. "No way," Dylan replied.The dazzling sun in the clear sky had now descended below the zenith of the sky. "Yeah," Tristan echoed softly, "There's no way we can go back in." "And that doesn't mean anything to me," she said. "If I don't go with you, I won't go back." Tristan made a grimace, but he didn't want to argue, "Then come with me." He started to take her hand as he spoke. Trek, trek, trek; up, up, up.Dylan's calves soon became sore and he was struggling to breathe.The higher they climbed, the stronger the wind became.As the afternoon wore on, thick clusters of dark clouds began to gather in the sky. Despite the changing weather and the chill, Dylan was sweating and his palms were damp.Embarrassed, she takes her hand away from Tristan.Although it had been warm and sunny all morning, the dew was still trickling down the weeds and heather all over the hills.The cold water soaked through her jeans, and the ever-familiar feeling of growing discomfort returned. "Can you slow down?" she gasped, "or take a break?" "No." Tristan replied bluntly.But when Dylan looked at him, he was surprised to see that his eyes were not looking at her, but at the sky. Due to anxiety, his face was twisted tightly, and his mouth curled down unhappily, "It's almost evening, I don't want you to stop in such a conspicuous place." "Just a minute," Dylan begged, "I haven't heard them yet." But as soon as these words came out, the rustling sound came, and other voices were mixed in, and the voice was sharper and harsher.The wailing and screaming are demons. Tristan heard the voice too, "Come on, Dylan," he said commandingly.他不顾迪伦的反抗与挣脱，紧紧抓住了她的手，开始继续向山顶大步走去。