Chapter 30
Chapter 30
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Chapter 4 - Alraune
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The woman, whose name I didn't even know, looked down at me.
Her gaze was gentle, like that of a mother soothing a newborn.
Despite her benevolent expression, a faint blush colored her cheeks, giving her a strangely erotic air.
Her pale body, entwined with vines,
Her soft, warm skin.
“No, what… what is this…”
I felt comforted by her warmth, yet I struggled to push her away, my mind reeling with confusion.
“Ah…”
A soft sigh escaped her lips, as if she were reluctant to let me go.
She smiled gently, then,
“Goodbye.”
She spoke for the first time.
Until now, she had remained silent. I had assumed she was mute, but I was clearly mistaken.
“Farewell.”
Her words were simple.
Her tone unremarkable.
Yet, I felt as if she had uttered the most beautiful poetry. Her voice was soft and soothing.
“Come again.”
But I,
Wrenching myself free, yelled at her, my voice sharp with denial.
“S-stop it! I won’t come back. I don’t need your honey!”
My face, my entire body, was covered in her honey, but I didn't back down. I drew my knife.
The black blade trembled in my hand.
If she had threatened me, I could have easily swung it.
“Is that so?”
She smiled sadly, her beautiful face flushed.
She didn't try to stop me,
Or hold me back.
“But if you change your mind…”
She waved goodbye.
“You’re always welcome.”
I couldn't attack her,
Or even yell at her.
Her calm acceptance rendered my aggression meaningless.
***
“Analysis complete. The necklace emits an unknown type of particle radiation. This radiation appears to be having a significant effect on your physiology…”
Back in the cave,
I listened to Amy’s report.
But the honey, still coursing through my veins, made it difficult to focus.
My mind was calm,
The world serene.
I considered vomiting,
But I couldn't bring myself to break this peaceful state.
“Doctor?”
“Huh? Yes?”
Amy observed me intently.
Her eyes, glowing blue, scanned my body.
“…Doctor, consuming the honey is dangerous. You must exercise restraint.”
Amy’s expression hardened.
She understood the powerful effects of morphine-like substances on the human body.
So did I.
I already knew.
But…
“Yes, I-I know. It’s fine. Don’t worry.”
Even though I knew I was being foolish,
Even though I was worried about my future,
The honey’s soothing effects calmed my anxieties.
There was nothing to fear,
Nothing to worry about.
The sweet honey filled my mouth, and as I swallowed, a sense of peace washed over me.
I felt free.
If I could just have the honey,
Perhaps all my pain would simply-
“…”
No. What was I thinking?
Alarmed by my own thoughts, I sat up. Something was wrong.
My body trembled.
This was fear.
Fear of the changes occurring within my mind and body.
Terror of something I couldn't control.
The honey filled my stomach, a comforting warmth spreading through me.
And that comfort, that sense of well-being,
Was the most terrifying thing I had experienced on this planet.
***
“Mmm…”
Night fell.
I had forced myself to sleep,
But I awoke with a throbbing headache and tremors.
“Ugh, fucking…”
I cursed involuntarily.
Something was wrong.
Despite the seemingly normal circumstances, I felt a profound sense of emptiness.
As if I had lost something precious.
The air was cold,
My body ached,
And the darkness seemed to pulsate.
Withdrawal symptoms.
Once you were addicted,
You couldn't tolerate normalcy.
You couldn't function without the drug’s effects.
“Doctor?”
“Heeek… gasp…”
Even breathing hurt.
My overstimulated nerves, overwhelmed by the influx of sensory information, screamed in protest.
“Sob… ugh…”
I knew the solution.
And Amy seemed to have deduced it as well.
“Doctor, you must resist. Doctor!”
Despite Amy’s desperate pleas,
I couldn't endure this agonizing reality.
My body moved on its own.
Driven by the fear that I might die if I stayed, I fled the cave, as if pursued by unseen monsters.
The monsters of my childhood nightmares,
And the new horrors I had encountered here…
“Sob… heeek…!”
And,
Familiar faces.
Their eyes and mouths swarmed with maggots,
But their voices, somehow, still reached me.
–Why are you alive?
–You left us to die.
–We’ll never forgive you.
–You’ll end up like us soon.
–Or perhaps, your death will be even more agonizing.
“Shut up! Shut up…!”
I covered my ears, but their voices echoed within my skull. Curses and accusations, swirling around me, hastening the birth of a new ghost.
I knew.
I knew they wouldn't have said such cruel things if they were alive.
But I couldn't bear the overwhelming grief.
Dan smiled, his arm slung around my shoulders.
There was a hole in his stomach,
And his lower body, like a butchered pig, dangled grotesquely.
The image of Dan, dead and consumed by Jenny, wouldn’t leave me.
I had wanted to see him again,
But not like this.
He whispered in my ear,
His voice soft,
Yet clear…
[Why did you survive? It would have been better if someone else had lived. Reyes, or the captain… or even me.]
[All you can do is stand there and watch, arms crossed. You’re weak, you’re useless, and you’re a burden…]
[Hey, let’s be honest.]
[What difference does it make if you survive? Wouldn’t it be better to just-]
“Cough, hack-!”
I choked on the honey I had swallowed earlier.
I coughed violently, pounding my chest, gasping for air.
And then, the curses and the grief subsided. My mind cleared.
“Are you alright?”
A hand rested on my head. It felt like being comforted in a mother’s embrace.
“Don’t cry.”
The nameless woman gently helped me up and guided me into her petals.
It was warm and comforting here.
Safe. Filled with the sweet honey.
“Rest for a while.”
Her vines, which had seemed like clothing, shifted and moved, forming a soft, supportive embrace.
“Sob… sniff…”
Tears streamed down my face.
Not tears of fear,
But tears of relief.
Relief from the pain, the fear, the constant struggle.
A sense of calm, a healing embrace.
“It’s okay to cry.”
No, I shouldn't cry.
I couldn't show weakness.
To survive on this planet, I had to be strong, ruthless.
“I-I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
But I couldn't stop crying.
A mixture of my native language and the alien tongues I had learned poured from my lips. I didn't even understand what I was saying.
But I knew who I was apologizing to.
To Dan, to Reyes,
To the captain,
To everyone on the Paradise,
To [him], who had saved me,
To [him], whose name I didn't even know…
To the green alien I had left to die in the spider cave, to all the creatures who had perished in the mermaids’ lake…
And to their families.
To the loved ones waiting for their return, somewhere in the vastness of space.
“It’s okay.”
Only she offered me comfort.
Even I was harsh and unforgiving towards myself,
But she was kind.
“It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to stay here. My honey is yours, whenever you need it.”
The petals closed around me.
Impenetrable from the outside.
But soft and yielding from within.
I could leave whenever I wanted.
But I couldn't bring myself to leave her embrace.
“I am…”
She held me close, stroking my hair,
A creature born with an innate kindness and compassion.
“We are called… Alraune.”
We held each other close.
Our breaths, our heartbeats, synchronized.
“Drink some more.”
Alraune gathered honey in her mouth and offered it to me.
I couldn't resist the sweet temptation of her soft, sticky lips.
Our lips met,
And as I tasted the sweet honey,
The world faded away, leaving only the two of us.
Within the warm, moist petals…
There was only peace.