More Gentle Than Chains, Tougher Than Spider’s Silk

In the mechanic’s workshop, the cogwheels framing the walls continued to spin and click, resonating with the ticking grandfather clock. Theodore and Eloi continue to rest on the couches while Cherry, Eloi, and Solomon spend the time in idle chatter.

That was until Charlie kicked the door open with a scowl on his face.

Solomon stood up, widening his eyes in bewilderment. “Charlie? What’s the matter?”

Charlie squinted at the doctor as he set the towels aside. He gritted his teeth, stomped toward him, and yanked on his shirt. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked angrily. “Why the bloody hell didn’t you tell me that Ren is our father?! Why did you keep your mouth shut this whole time?!”

“What?” the other two asked.

Solomon widened his eyes. “You’ve... encountered Ren? Where?”

"...Eh? What? Ren’s our what?!” Cherry grasped her head. “Our dad actually exists?!”

“And your dad is on the bad guy’s side with Clover?! Holy shit!” said Eloi.

Charlie tugged harder on Solomon’s collar, his hands trembling. “Since when did you meet our dad? How much do you know about him? Why did you keep it a secret? That bastard went missing from our family for twenty bloody years!”

Solomon snatched his wrists, and the young man flinched. “Charlie, calm down,” he said. “I never wanted to keep things from you, but staying silent was the promise I made to your mother.”

Charlie loosened his grip, his lips trembling. “So Mom was in on this too?” he croaked. “What the hell have you all been hiding from us?”

The spectators could only turn to each other, utterly confused. The sudden tension in the room forbade them from saying a word.

Solomon lowered his head, his expression grim. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I... I promised her... to keep you all in the dark.”

The young man scowled and shoved him away. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Then let’s hurry up and fix those two. I’ve especially got a crap load of questions for you, Cherry.”

Cherry’s stomach curled up.

His cold tone struck Cherry harder than it should have. Even though she had no idea why he looked like she betrayed him, her chest ached as if she already knew it deep down. It was as if her old self somewhere inside her heard him too, sending these terrible feelings up to the surface.

Right, she couldn’t keep him or herself waiting anymore.

Cherry took a deep breath and gripped her fists. “Solomon,” she called out. “You said I can get my memories sooner, right?”

The doctor tossed a worried glance. “You can,” he said. “But if I unseal your memories right now with your injury, you may experience a headache too severe to endure. You may have to fall into a deep slumber for quite some time until you relieve enough pain to wake up.”

“How long will that be?”

“I would say... about one full day is the minimum amount, but I cannot guarantee you will wake up by then.”

“I’ll take it anyway,” Cherry said instantly. "It's about time that I remember the truth."

He nodded. “Then give me a few minutes to prepare. I’ll still work on saving Eloi as planned, but I will prepare for your operation as well.” He walked toward his first patient. “Charlie, will you help me check his body? We’ll start right away once we confirm that he’s in safe condition.”

Charlie sighed and approached him.

“In the meantime, I recommend drinking some blood before the operation begins, Cherry—It’ll help speed up your recovery.”

“Alright,” she said. “So where can I get some?”

“We have a barrel storing it in the kitchen,” said Eloi. “Do you know where it is?”

Cherry rubbed her chin. “Honestly? Theo’s tour was so long I practically forgot.”

“Oh, then I can lead you there if you’d like.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

✦☆✦

The two friends casually walked across the halls, their idle conversations frequently interrupted by the wall clocks’ chimes.

“By the way, where did you get all that blood from?” Cherry asked.

“Horace sent them over,” said Eloi. “I don’t exactly know what sources he got it from though…”

“I see… Also, how did you manage it? How did you manage to stay sane while trapped here after all these months?”

“By sneaking out to Solomon’s cabin and hanging out with them, that’s all. We’ve been discussing how to get us all free from these masks for weeks, too, so I didn’t feel all that hopeless.”

“Oh? You’re not worried about getting caught?”

Eloi shrugged. “My excuse was that I was lacking inspiration—or just needed plenty of fresh air. A lot of fresh air.”

“I see… Were there days that you couldn’t go out?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry about it. I’ve been mostly sleeping the past few months anyway. Normally, I’d be awake in Penny’s dreamscape, but ever since she wore that mask, I’ve been just… sleeping it through.

They rubbed their mask. “Back then, we used to choose whoever gets to be in control, but now, I could only do so every time she falls asleep and vice versa. So, whenever it was my turn, I’d just go back to sleep for her. That’s why you met her yesterday and met me today.”

“Ohh, that makes sense now. I’m still sorry you’ve been trapped in here for so long.”

Eloi deeply sighed and took off the boater hat, hugging it. “Definitely. I… really miss Penny a lot. I… couldn’t get to see her ever since this hellhole started.”

“‘Penny,’ huh? You guys shared nicknames too?”

“Actually, you were the one who gave us nicknames, Missy.”

“Eh?”

“Yeah, you gave nicknames to everyone: Theodore was Theo, Dorothy was Dory, Penelope was Penny, Clover was Clove, and it was Loid for me. Then Penny and I also started calling each other these nicknames since, well, we started going out.”

“Ohh… wow, I can’t believe I’d forgotten that.”

“Nah, no worries. You’re close to remembering us anyway.”

“Definitely! You’re almost free too!” She raised her fist. “Glad we get to see each other again after all that.”

“Haha, likewise!”

The two fist-bumped and continued their idle chatter, gradually lifting each other’s spirits until it was finally time.

✦☆✦

One moment, Eloi found himself lost in the pitch-black void, and the next, a thunder tore through the space.

In the next, he found himself floating in a bubble, shielding him away from the horrors beyond. He dropped his jaw, his eyes fixated on Penelope’s slumbering silhouette encased in another bubble far from his.

In fact, her entire dreamscape—modeled after a local park they used to visit—was entirely swallowed up by a sea of crimson bubbles. Each bench, tree, bush, path, and even the intricate fountain itself—all fragmented into such contaminants and simply… floated there, not going anywhere.

All in all, the entire dreamscape itself truly felt like it was sleeping as well.

Eloi hesitantly extended a quivering hand, and the moment his fingers touched, it popped him free.

“Woah!” Eloi fell onto the grass with a soft thud. He gazed down at his hands, opening and closing them, and as he surveyed the quiet space, his breath hitched.

God only knew how that doctor managed to wake him up here, but thank god it worked!

Eloi took a deep breath and stood up, clenching his fists.

For eight months, he waited for this day—the day he could finally see her once more.

It was time.

It was finally time!

“Bring it on!” Eloi roared and charged. He swung left and right, popping every bubble in his path. He roared and punched, fueling his stamina with every blow he landed.

He popped one to his left. He kicked two on his right. He spun around and slammed one by his knees. He spun back around and split three into perfect halves, the bubbles bursting and gradually restoring the dreamscape to life.

“Get! Out! Of! My! Bloody! Way!”

With one more swing, he popped three more, relishing the scene.

Eloi stopped and caught his breath, gazing at the last bubble standing in his path, one enclosing the owner of his heart.

He deeply inhaled and retracted his fist.

Eight months had passed since he last talked to her, and his last conversation with her was when he promised to rescue their friend in that amusement park. When he failed, when tragedy struck, and when he found himself losing consciousness, he hadn’t seen her since.

Oh, how much he missed her shy smiles, her soft voice, and her adorable laughter. He had enough waiting for far too long.

Eloi stomped his foot and swung. With a roar that could shake the heavens, he swung his sword toward the last barrier.

“Penny!”

He punched the barrier, and all faded to white.