Erin helped James stop the bleeding from the wound, she untied the cross around his neck, put it in James's hand, held his wrinkled hand and whispered some Bible words, James closed his eyes in silence, I watched his face grow paler in the dim light, as if all his life force was quietly frozen little by little. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

I stood beside Erin and watched as she kissed on the cross with her head down, slowly lowered James's hand, and raised her eyes to look at the old gentleman's tired expression.

"The Lord will forgive your sins."

James moved his eyelids and bowed slightly.

"Thank you."

The composure and gentleness in his English accent was as gentle as before, and for a moment I remembered the James who handed me a handkerchief when I woke up from my nightmare, and it was also so calm and calm, as if the coldness of death had nothing to do with him for a moment, he leaned back against the wall, breathing calmly, not knowing whether to wait for the abyss or for redemption.

Erin lowered her head, sniffed, stood up, and brushed her head over my shoulder.

She's a doctor.

Many times they have to face the loss of their lives......

“…… Lad. James closed his eyes and called to Colin in a slightly hoarse voice.

Colin, who had been squatting in front of him, raised his head and looked at the old gentleman in front of him.

"I suddenly want to drink rum, can you help me get some wine back?" The old gentleman spoke sincerely.

Rum ......

Colin hesitated, then looked up at me hesitantly.

But I nodded.

Colin retracted his gaze to James, "Okay, but it may take some time......"

"Thank you, you're a good boy, I'm a little tired now, I want to wait until I wake up to drink......"

"Okay."

The boy's voice was a little sour, and he got up and left.

I stood in front of James with my eyes downcast, silent.

Everyone else walked away, as if I couldn't bear to see the old gentleman leaving, I breathed calmly, the heavy atmosphere, for a while only me and the old gentleman were left in the small space, and the atmosphere was quiet and sad all at once.

"Ahem."

The old gentleman coughed a few times, and his wound seemed to crack open, and I saw that the tissue on his neck was gradually stained red with blood.

I leaned over, sat on the cold tiles, and looked at him with my knees crossed.

I hesitated for a while, but I didn't know what to say.

The old gentleman listened to my breathing and pursed the corners of his mouth slightly.

"Miss Vera, you're actually a sacrifice, aren't you?" He said this sentence calmly, but it sent a chill down my spine.

I turned around alertly, but luckily everyone else was on the other side of the room, and I could vaguely hear their slightly quarrelsome conversation, as if Joanna had Erin, and Andrew was too lazy to meet them.

Breathing carefully, I slowly withdrew my gaze and looked at James warily.

"Why do you say that?"

James calmly opened his eyes, and his gaze fell on me.

"I've tested you before, and when I mentioned the input, your expression was a little stiff, your gaze became erratic, and the wariness you showed the moment you saw them, I guessed it."

I know who he means by them.

I was silent for a few seconds, calmly meeting his gaze.

“…… Do you want to kill me? ”

"Not really."

"Killing the sacrifice can end the heavenly punishment, and you can live."

I stared into his eyes, trying to capture the fleeting emotions. But James's eyes were like a calm lake, without any waves, as if my words had been weighed in his heart countless times.

James shook his head slowly.

"We're all going to die, and it's only a matter of time before we atone for our sins."

I frowned in confusion.

"The judges chose us as participants because we have all committed unpardonable sins. His so-called atonement is nothing but death, and he wants to see us kill each other in order to survive before accepting death...... He wants us to die a miserable death after paying for all our suffering. James said word for word, his voice pausing from time to time, as if his strength was running out at any moment.

It's just a matter of time......

I looked at James in silence.

This is just the beginning, but he has already seen the end.

Those who seek salvation.

People who are trying to be forgiven.

A person who tries to kill everyone and keep himself alive.

In the end, they can't escape the fate of death......

Desolation, slowly creeping up to the atrium, I lowered my eyes slightly and bit my lower lip.

"James, are you going to stand trial?" I kept my voice in my composure.

The old gentleman did not answer for a long time, and I looked up and saw that he was leaning against the wall, looking at the gray ceiling, and his eyes were swirling with waves that I could not understand.

"Accept."

I was silent and waited for his next step.

"I've lived with sin for a long time, and now, I'm finally going to pay for it."

The cost, is it......

James looked at the ceiling, as if to see through the ceiling his past self, to see the yellowed images.

"Can you believe it, I've killed people."

“…… Believe. ”

"I once, in a struggle for power, killed a man who stood in my way, my pistol pierced his heart, I sealed his body in cement and sank to the bottom of the sea, and I ended up replacing him and got everything I dreamed of." James spoke slowly, his voice like an old-fashioned gramophone, retelling the events of years ago.

I rested my chin on my arm and listened to his recollections, a chill down my spine.

"I kept this secret for many years, and I thought I would take it to the coffin. Unexpectedly, he still came after all......"

"Him?"

I saw James looking at the ceiling, as if he was finally waiting for relief.

"The old friend came to pick me up, and he told me that the bottom of the sea was very cold, and it was hard to huddle in a small cement tank......"

I couldn't help but tighten my sleeve and subconsciously glanced back in the direction James was looking.

Empty ceilings.

I hesitated for a few seconds: "...... The Lord will forgive you. ”

That's what Erin said.

I don't know what the dying man is like, I don't know if forgiveness is important to him, I just hope that this old gentleman can walk quietly through the last part of his life, a very dark, long way.

James shook his head.

"Probably not......"

As soon as he finished speaking, James coughed a few more times, coughing more violently, and I saw some dark blood oozing from his hand covering his mouth, and I knew that time was running out.

James was silent for a few seconds, then his gaze fell on me.

"I'm sorry to have been rude to you, you're a good boy, and I hope you'll be forgiven."

My forgiveness......

I pondered in silence.

In his ears, James's hoarse voice was a little sad.

"Anyone has the right to choose, and many times, it's just making what they think is the right choice."

I raised my eyes and saw him leaning back against the wall, slowly closing his eyes, and letting out a long sigh, as if he had finally ended his life's hardships, and was finally able to leave the chaotic world and gain peace, or ......

"James?" I called to him tentatively.

He didn't answer again.

I sat up slightly, leaned forward, and reached out to test his breath.

He closed his eyes tightly, and little by little, the blood from the wound seeped out of his fingertips, slashed his neck, and stained his neckline red.

Didn't breathe anymore......

I slowly lowered my hand, was silent for a moment, and stood up.

……

[It's just a dream......]

……

One morning when I woke up from a nightmare, he used to hand me a handkerchief with his wrinkled hands.

I bowed my head and bowed to the old gentleman.

Leaders are also martyrs.

May your soul rest in peace.

"Bang dong-"

A loud thud interrupted my thoughts.

I saw the cabinet that had been against the door fall, and the next moment the door was slammed open by three or four zombies, who roared and pounced on me in the room!