Paige ran forward recklessly.
The light of the setting sun scattered across the Lunatic Forest, and the leaves fell lightly.
The old woman had not eaten sugar for so long that she had probably already forgotten what sweetness tasted like.
She always remembered to carry some with her, but this time, she forgot.
Paige ran through the Lunatic Forest, the light flickering. Her vision was a little blurry, and many images flashed before her eyes.
The old lady liked to scold people, but not for no reason. Most of the time, she scolded them when she was alone.
As she was scolded, she forgot her loneliness.
Dr. Clinton said that the old lady was just hanging on.
She understood better than anyone that this breath was waiting for her, waiting to see her one last time…
The procession was still slowly moving forward when suddenly Paige ran past everyone, causing them to freeze in their tracks.
“Do you have any candy? Do you have any candy?” Paige asked people as she ran.
The answers she got were all no.
No one had brought two candy bars with them to the island when they came here for serious business.
Paige didn’t dare to stop, and continued running, getting more and more out of breath, and her speed gradually slowed down as her physical strength ran out.
She couldn’t slow down.
Her teacher was still waiting for her.
Still waiting for her…
Paige ran as fast as she could, not even looking at her feet. There were no paved roads on the island, and she tripped several times, almost falling over.
The people in the large group looked at her in astonishment.
Suddenly, her body froze, and she took a few steps back.
In front of her, on a branch about her height, was tied a thin rope. The rope was swaying in the wind, and at the end of it was tied a piece of candy.
The candy wrapper was a glassy green color, and in the setting sun it reflected a brilliant light.
Paige stared rigidly, and this candy, she had eaten when she studied at Jasper’s, was a specialty of River Town.
She looked around, but did not see a trace of that figure.
Blanca made herself invisible.
“…” Paige looked at the candy in the tree and her eyes narrowed. Her eyes were red as if they were full of blood.
After a while, she raised her hand and ripped off the candy, turning around and running back.
Not far away, behind a tree, Blanca slowly walked out, holding an identical candy in her hand.
She knew from the old man that her daughter liked candy.
Looking at Paige running away, her eyes trembled and a trace of moisture overflowed.
Fortunately.
She was still able to help a little.
…
By the time Paige reached the beach, everything had come to a standstill.
Her panting became the only sound in her ears, infinitely amplified and shaking her entire world.
She took a sharp step back, almost falling.
Bastion, Artie, Alfredo, and Kevin stood behind her, looking at her with sad faces.
When she returned, Enrico, who was expressionless, leaned over, almost stepping into the sea with his feet, so that she could see more clearly.
A thousand suns fell, and the sea sparkled, beautiful and strange.
The old woman’s silver hair fluttered in the wind, lying quietly as if she had just fallen asleep.
Paige walked over to her step by step, holding the candy in her hand. Her legs felt heavy as stone. She walked up to the rocking chair and slowly crouched down, softly calling out, “Teacher, I’m back.”
“…” Master Chris never opened his eyes again.
“I brought you the candy, try it,” said Paige, reaching out to peel the candy in her hand.
Her pale, slender fingers trembled severely. It was just a layer of candy paper, but she couldn’t peel it off no matter what.
Enrico looked down at her, his brows knitted, and reached out to help her.
“Enrico, help me,” Paige didn’t get up, only looked at him for help, “peel it, I can’t.”
Suddenly, even her voice seemed to have been swallowed by the sea and gone silent.
Looking at her pale face, Enrico paused before taking her hand, leaning down to embrace her from behind, his large palm covering hers as he peeled the wrapper open little by little for her.
Inside was a small candy.
Paige squatted on the ground, trying her best to steady her nerves. She squeezed the candy in her hand and fed it to master Chris’s bloodied lips, pushing it into her mouth. “Teacher, eat the candy, it’s sweet.”
If she ate it, it wouldn’t be bitter anymore.
It would never be bitter again.
“…”
master Chris took the candy in her mouth, her lips pursed, and her eyes never opened again.
Paige squatted on the ground and looked at her, as if she could hear the old woman’s scolding again in a daze.
“She didn’t want to travel, she just wanted her ashes to go back with her.” Enrico hugged her from behind, his voice low.
“I came too late,” Paige whispered.
If only I’d come earlier.
If only I’d come earlier, the teacher would have gone back with me.
“Remember what the old lady told you, and let yourself go,” Enrico said.
…
Several trees had been cut down and split into planks and sticks, which had been stacked high on the beach.
The old lady was very thin and light, so light that Paige could easily lift her up and place her on the blanket on the wooden frame.
The old lady lay there quietly, her face cleanly made up and dressed in a neat and graceful manner. Her eyebrows were kind, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, as if she had really tasted the sweetness of candy.
Paige stood by the old lady’s side and wouldn’t leave, so Enrico came over and pulled her away.
Night fell.
Alfredo and Kevin lit a torch, the light of which shone brightly in the night.
The two men glanced at each other, both reluctant to hand it over to Paige.
Enrico went over to have a look, took hold of Paige with one hand, and took the torch with the other, lighting the flammable branches in the middle.
The moment the fire was lit, Paige struggled unconsciously, but Enrico held her down.
“She doesn’t want to stay on this island more than anyone else, she wants to go back to you as soon as possible,”
Enrico said quietly, and when he saw that the fire had caught around them, he threw the torch he was holding at the feet of the old woman.
Paige didn’t struggle anymore, and let him hold her hand.
The fire quickly caught, and soon the old woman’s remains were no longer visible, and even the air became scorching hot.
Everything in front of her was bright, reflecting the sea and the night sky.
Paige stared at the fire that had risen from the ground, silent, except for the astringent taste on her lips.
When she arrived, she thought that everyone who had a relative pass away and wanted to take the ashes back home had prepared some urns.
Unexpectedly, she also used one.
At 1 a. m., Paige left the beach with the urn in her arms.
Along the way, someone carried a small, simple lamp to illuminate the way.
Paige held the urn tightly in her arms as she walked step by step. The old lady was thin, so even the ashes were light to hold.
Enrico hugged her and rubbed her head.
When they returned to the cruise ship, everyone on the island had already heard the news. They were all standing on the deck, standing closely together, their faces solemn.
When they saw Paige return with the urn in her arms, the crowd knelt down one after the other, prostrinating themselves on the ground.
Someone cried, “The old lady had a short life. Otherwise, if she had returned with you, she would have definitely had a blessed life. How could she not have made it?”
The crowd followed suit, wiping their tears.
“…”
Paige stood there, watching the crowd without saying a word. After standing there for a while, she walked inside with the urn in her arms.