Chapter 9:

Before Dorothy arrived, Judas asked Noah a question, “Do you only have a mother? What about a father?”

Without a second thought, Noah tremblingly said, “I only have a mother, I was adopted out of convenience.”

"Oh?" said Herod, interrupting their conversation. “Great…! It’ll be easier for you to become mine. But when it comes, the agony you'll feel will be far worse than any pain you've ever known... But I hope you don’t bear any grudges.” He pointed his finger at Judas and continued, “Cause it’s not my fault, I just don’t want to lose the bet.”

Noah questioned his words once again, wondering – What does he mean by ‘mine'? This whole time he kept saying, I’ll be his, but how…? W-wait don’t tell me…

“You must be wondering what I meant by what I said, aren’t you?” Herod added.

Noah stood there in silence, only now realizing what Herod was thinking. It left him in a state of panic, just now concluding – I’ll become his…

Herod glared at Noah like a ferocious beast anticipating its next prey. “I’ll take your silence as yes. It’s already going to happen anyway, so I might as well tell you. It means… you’re going to become my slave.”

SLAVE!

"Enough Herod, his mother will be here soon," Judas remarked, putting an end to Herod's words.

Dread was the emotion Noah felt at that moment, and when he heard what Judas remarked, his gaze turned to the door. There she was, his mother, carefully being carried in by a guard.

Although it seemed as if he tracked the entire events afterward with his eyes, he was fully spaced out. On the inside, his entire body was basically having a mental breakdown from stress and anxiety on having just understanding that he would become a slave and the realization his mother had gotten involved.

Only returning to reality once Herod muttered the words, “You know… I really hate liars.”

However, what he saw upon his return was Dorothy gripped by the neck, dangling in the air while struggling to push herself away from him.

"But don't worry, the punishment you so desire for your kid, I'll give it to him," Herod added with a wicked sneer.

Even in that state, Dorothy still questioned his comments rather than being concerned about her predicament. Why is he still giving him a punishment, will it be a dangerous one?

With a weak voice, Dorothy managed to utter one syllable, “D-don’t…”

Her words caught Judas and even Herod by great surprise. However, Noah wasn't, since he assumed she just wanted Herod to weaken his grip.

Dorothy thought of trying to say her thoughts – I can’t… if I’m going to die, I need to know what punishment he’ll have. But she couldn’t, and the only thing she managed to say in her state was, “W-what?”  

In her honor, Herod whispered into her ears, "I’ll make him have the position of sweeper in my mansion."

Dorothy smiled a sigh of relief, thinking – At least when I'm gone, he'll have a place to stay... looks like I won't have to worry... or have any regrets...

Dorothy’s neck started to turn into a funnel, with the parts below her neck starting to feel numb. Her sight slowly began to be clouded in darkness as she thought – No… wait… I still have one regret in life… and that’s that I couldn’t say sorry to you, my son. I know it might to greedy, but I also wanted to be there with you, showing you the gift that I prepared… but still… I’m glad… I’m glad I didn’t run away anymore, I’m glad I could be with you in these fleeting moments… Thank you, my son…

As Dorothy was about to die, she reflected on all the happy occasions in her life. I guess, even after all those hardships, it’s been quite a fulfilling life.

But Noah, on the other hand, smiled widely, thinking – This is such a joyous moment... this is amazing... so why? Why am I crying? Drip. Drip. Tears began to fall down his cheeks, which formed into droplets that dripped to the ground.

Drip! Drop! Dorothy recalled something as soon as she heard that sound. It was a recollection of her childhood memories with her mother.

She was sobbing in a wide-open green field, and her mother consoled her, wiping away her tears, saying, “It’s okay, I love you, my child.”

Amazingly, Dorothy managed to open her eyes one last time and saw Noah crying. However, in her vision, Noah was in front of her. Slowly and tremblingly, she raised her hands and wiped his tears. Even in anguish and in the face of death, she managed to say the same words her mother did in her final breaths, “It’s okay, I love you, my child…”

As that weak voice reached Noah’s ears, he cried out, "Let her go!" without thinking. He continued by sprinting towards Herod and yelling, "Let her go! Let her go! You bastard! "

He was stopped by John, who stepped in front of him, pitifully staring downwards. "If you go any further... you'll die..." he said.

Noah struggled to past him, shouting, “Shut up! Get away from me!” But John didn’t budge an inch.

After a while, John could see a lifeless and dreadful gaze within Noah. When he saw that, he couldn’t help but look away and wonder what would’ve happened if he had not followed Herod’s order.

Noah mused as he questioned ‘death’, recalling a book he had once read, titled ‘What happens after death?’ – What happens after you die? Will you pass on to the so-called afterlife? Will you stay fast asleep forever? Will you be reincarnated back into this world?

If so… what’s wrong with death? Why am I so sad? This is just a natural process of life…so why…?

The options aren’t so bad, living another life in another perfect world, meeting everyone you ever met in your life who died. Being absorbed in a dream-like state, where everything you wish for will come true. Or even being reincarnated into another life, where you can start over anew.

They don’t sound sad at all… so why? Why does my chest hurt so much… isn’t death a good thing…? You also won’t worry about money, about respect, and about the fear of something chasing after you, the so-called thing known as ‘death’? Then why…?

I wonder, if I’m on my deathbed, would someone cry for me… now that I have nothing… nobody? Would someone feel the feeling I’m having right now? If not, then I might as well die. With so many perks, it should be a good thing…? So why do I fear it?

Why do I feel sad for someone who just died and is able to live with those advantages…? Why? Why!?

Back in the real world, something protruded from Dorothy's fingertips. It was a single bolt of lightning in the color blue. It moved slowly forward, it phased past John and then hit Noah. The shock was powerful enough to break him out of his immersed thoughts.

Zap!