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墨書 Inktalez
"…Did you not go back to arrange for the ferry?" I asked, slightly taken aback.
"Mm." He sat there with his usual calm smile.
"Why not?"
"Well…" He scratched his face, looking a bit embarrassed. "To be honest, during the time you were busy, I thought a lot and considered many things..."
I stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
He took a deep breath and said calmly, "You once mentioned that as long as one stays here for a hundred years, they can earn a free ferry ride. However, this place is a realm of separation; the longer one stays, the more memories they lose..." His gaze turned serious as he looked at me. "In other words, waiting a hundred years is equivalent to exchanging all your memories for a chance to board the ferry, right?"
"That's why I said no one has been able to do it so far," I sighed with a hint of melancholy.
It wasn't just because this place was unbearably dull; it was also because everyone held onto memories they cherished dearly and connections they were unwilling to sever. No one had ever managed to endure staying for a hundred years.
After all, asking them to completely abandon those precious memories and relationships would be more painful than facing death again.
He smiled bitterly.
"I suppose that's true. Even someone like me still has memories that are hard to let go of... I clearly wish to sever all ties, yet I only want to preserve that beautiful feeling in my heart. Is that thought too selfish?"
"No, it's only human nature."
Hearing my response, he couldn't help but smile shyly.
"Later, I thought about what you said—that you possess the memories of this space... that you will remember everything that has happened here." He gazed at me intently. "If that's the case, I wonder if I could entrust this memory to this space, to remain here?"
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. This was a request I had never heard before.
"What do you want to do?"
He smiled slightly and began to recount that memory—
It was a story about a certain two-dimensional character who redeemed his crumbling spirit, and how he had fallen deeply in love with that character, only to be mocked and scorned by others...
To be honest, it felt like a common tale of an obsessed anime fan.
Yet, his description of the details was meticulous, as if he wanted to etch it into some part of himself through narration, leaving behind some trace...
When he finished speaking, he sighed sadly. "Whether her existence is fictional or not, to me, she is the only reality. Even knowing that there is no fate between us, I don't care if I'm asked to forget someone or something; the only thing I hope is not to forget her..."
He looked at me with a sorrowful expression.
"So, if during this century I accidentally forget her existence, I hope you can remind me at any time. Regardless of whether I can successfully recall her, I want you to tirelessly tell me that I once loved someone so deeply..."
I quietly watched him.
"Even if you do this, you still won't be able to take away this memory." Forgetting means forgetting; it's impossible to regain lost memories.
"I have no connection with her; I'm not trying to cling to this memory. I simply want her to remain here in this way, accompanying me until my last moment..." He smiled sadly. "I hope she can witness my life until the very end."
"Then why don't you choose to keep this precious memory and return to the world to gather the fare for the ferry?" I couldn't understand.
His gaze turned once again to the misty surface of the River of Hades.
"I've told you, I'm not good at interacting with people," he said softly. "And you are the only person I've met so far who is truly willing to listen to me."
I found myself at a loss for words.
"Of course, perhaps in your heart, you don't feel the same way and might even find me a bit annoying, but..." He turned his head and looked at me with determination. "I genuinely feel that if I must take a boat across the river, I would prefer it to be yours."
"...Don't you think such insistence is meaningless?" I stammered, feeling flattered. "Maybe when you return to the world and come back, you'll meet a Ferryman who suits you better?"
He shook his head calmly.
"If I go back and then return, the purpose will simply be to take the boat; it won't matter whether we are compatible or not."
That made some sense... I fell silent.
Finally, he revealed his usual calm and polite smile and said, "It's rare for us to have met. Although it's destined to be fleeting, I want to hold on to this hard-earned connection until the very last moment..."
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