Chapter 7

How much time had passed?

Drip.

At the exact moment the last drop of IV fluid fell, Zechart opened his eyes. Between his lashes, his dark pupils shimmered with moisture. Wiping away the tears, Zechart sat up.

He never understood why, but every time he received Heinrich’s IV treatment, he ended up crying. It wasn’t just him—Rachel and Markus, who also received Heinrich’s therapy, experienced the same thing.

Maybe it was a kind of bleeding. Bleeding from memories that had been severed.

‘I’ll—‘

Once again, his memories stayed fixed on that point. It felt as if something had come to him, but…

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, then reached to pull out the needle from his arm.

“Oh, you’re at it again.”

Just then, Heinrich came in, reaching out to stop him.

“Let me do it. Leave it.”

Pressing a cotton swab soaked in alcohol firmly to the site, Heinrich removed the needle. As the effects of the drug gradually faded, Zechart finally noticed the acrid scent of the medicine filling his lungs.

“You’ll probably feel a bit dazed for a day or two. Try not to overexert yourself for a while… though, well, there’s no point saying it since you never listen.”

Knowing Zechart never rested as long as a target was out there, Heinrich’s tone sounded long resigned.

In truth, Zechart was already tracking the whereabouts of the women listed in the documents Markus had given him, hunting down Perel, who had vanished from Berg.

Zechart climbed down from the bed and gave Heinrich a brief nod.

“I’ll be going now.”

“I’ll see you in another two weeks,”

Zechart said, turning away.

***

At last, Edith and Perel arrived at their destination: the house of the resistance member Sasha, located on the outskirts of Belen.

“Sasha!”

With a bright smile, Edith opened her arms. A woman with deep golden-brown hair buried her face in Edith’s embrace. After exchanging gentle cheek kisses, the two finally drew apart.

“How have you been?”

“Of course, well. And you, Sasha?”

“I’m doing well, too.”

Edith’s gaze, still lingering on Sasha’s face, slowly drifted down and came to a stop at her noticeably rounded belly.

“Oh my! Your belly’s really grown since last time. When are you due?”

“Hehe. February, next year.”

“Karon must be thrilled to be a dad.”

“He is. He’ll be home soon, actually—he just went out for groceries. Perel, it’s good to see you, too. You look like you’ve lost a bit of weight?”

Sasha, still visibly excited, greeted Perel as well.

“By the way, I was surprised to hear you were coming to Hasmal. I thought you’d head to Glyssen instead.”

At that, the smile on Edith’s face slowly faded away. It was Perel beside her who picked up the conversation, sensing the heavy mood.

“Martin… that’s what happened.”

“I’m sorry to bring such news.”

Their calm, sorrowful voices floated up and faded quietly into the air.

“For now, let’s not talk out here. Come inside, put your bags down, and get some rest from the journey. We can talk more in the morning.”

“Thank you, Sasha.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Please, come in.”

Sasha made a show of swinging the door wide open behind her.

As they stepped inside, the gentle scent unique to a family home softly filled Edith’s lungs.

“Once again, welcome to Hasmal, Edith.”

At Sasha’s kind words, Edith offered a faint smile.

***

The next day.

After breakfast, Sasha, her husband Karon, Perel, and Edith gathered around a large table. A weighty silence and a sense of determination filled the air between them.

It was Karon who finally broke the long stillness.

“The next official public event for Herman Miller, Chief of Stifts, is at the end of this month. The following one isn’t for another two months, so I think it’s best to act then, even if the timing is tight. Once Martin’s documents are decrypted, the opportunity may disappear forever.”

Unlike the combative Karon, Perel was more cautious.

“At the end of this month… are you talking about the commendation ceremony?”

“Yes.”

“That’s too high-profile. And since it’s indoors, the escape routes would be extremely limited.”

Edith agreed with Perel’s view. The ceremony, recognizing those in Stifts who had contributed to capturing resistance members, would draw nearly all the Stifts personnel in Belen.

Security would be tight, and even if the operation succeeded, escaping from a limited indoor venue would be almost impossible.

As Edith weighed her options, Perel’s voice, now firmer, broke the silence again.

“Perhaps it would be better to take our time and prepare a covert method.”

“Hm.”

“Something like poison, or another less risky approach.”

Once again, silence fell over the room.

It was then that Edith, who had been staring down, finally lifted her head. In that moment, she caught sight of Sasha’s trembling hand, which made her hesitate.

Sasha tried not to show it, but after hearing about Martin, her anxiety was obvious. She was afraid she might lose her husband because of all this. Even someone as devoted to the resistance as Sasha, once she became a mother, desperately needed the presence of her child’s protector. Edith understood that feeling all too well, and it hurt her.

But—

“No, Perel. That’s not an option.”

All eyes—each pair a different color—turned to Edith.

“This operation has to take place on an official stage. The whole world needs to see it. We promised Glyssen we would do it that way when we accepted their support.”

Hasmal had invaded its neighboring countries, and, in response, those nations had formed a coalition against it. Glyssen was the only country sharing a border with Hasmal that officially remained neutral—at least on paper.

As Hasmal’s power spread, Glyssen, feeling the threat, maintained its public neutrality while secretly funneling money to the resistance. That’s what made this mission so important: if the resistance could display their strength and expose Hasmal’s atrocities to the world, it would give Glyssen the perfect pretext to join the anti-Hasmal alliance rather than side with Hasmal.

“We can’t risk a shadowy assassination that no one can trace. That’s out of the question for this operation.”

“But, Edith… that’s far too dangerous…”

It was Sasha, her voice trembling. She couldn’t even finish, perhaps feeling guilty for objecting. Silly, sweet Sasha.

Edith offered her a tender smile and continued.

“Karon, Sasha, I just need you to help with the basics this time—securing a boat to Glyssen after the job, arranging supplies, things like that. The mission itself will be carried out by Perel, me, and the other comrades who’ll join soon.”

“What?”

Karon asked, clearly confused, while Sasha simply lowered her head. Edith gently reached out and stroked Sasha’s shoulder.

“But Edith, my husband and I know Hasmal better than anyone. Shouldn’t we be the ones—?”

“Karon, I understand. But this time, please listen to me.”

Karon looked ready to protest further, but Edith cut him off by standing up.

“First, we need to get a look inside the auditorium where the ceremony will be held. We can figure out the details after that.”

[I hope this journey to Hasmal won’t be dangerous, that I’ll return to Leon safe and sound…]

“Karon, find out if there’s an opening for a cleaning staff position at the auditorium.”

[But a part of me also wishes it will be dangerous,…]

“I’ll do the first reconnaissance myself.”

[…so that maybe, somehow, I might reach you.]

A white hand gripped the hem of her skirt, trembling ever so slightly.

**

Edith boarded the train around noon, arriving at Kaprang in the late afternoon. The winter shoreline was almost deserted, the vast stretch of white sand quiet beneath the pale sun.

She walked slowly, gazing at the view through her black veil. Sunlight scattered white across the sand.

Honestly, she’d thought she wouldn’t make it here. The plan was tight, her life was on the line—lingering in the past seemed a luxury she couldn’t afford.

But—

“Karon secured a job as a cleaner. You’ll start next week. The others hiding out in Berg will join around then, too.”

At the same time, Perel had handed her a pistol and quietly suggested she visit Kaprang. Edith had almost declined, but she accepted it in silence.

A few days of calm before the coming storm—a little romance wouldn’t hurt.

After walking for a while, Edith sat down on the well-dried sand and wrapped her arms around her knees. The sea breeze from beyond the horizon fluttered the fabric of her skirt.

By the time her cheeks had gone a little pale, she took out a sheet of paper and a pen from inside her coat. The neatly lined paper was a page torn from her diary.

[To my Maximilian.]

Edith set the brief letter on the ground instead of putting it back into her coat. Then she placed a handful of sand on top of it.

Swish, swish.

The wind began to slowly sweep the sand away. Knowing the letter would soon be carried off, Edith dusted herself off and stood up.

[Hoping this letter reaches you, from Edith.]