Chapter 307
That statement was an attempt at salvation, both for himself and for Aldraya.
By returning their focus to observation, Theo tried to pull them both back into the roles they had agreed upon, namely, as observers.
"Does it still hurt? Don't blame me—you're the one who started it."
"Ah… you really don't hold back. But fine, that one's on me."
Amid the colorful clamor of the carnival, the small chase between Ilux and Erietta finally reached its conclusion.
The chase did not end with a hug or reconciliatory laughter, but with an immediate physical consequence.
Erietta, after successfully catching up to and reaching Ilux, delivered five consecutive punches to her friend's stomach.
The blows were not hard enough to injure, but strong enough to convey a message and vent the remaining irritation held over from the balloon-shooting incident and the mockery that followed.
Ilux, receiving those punches with dramatic complaints, finally gave in, and the ritualistic adolescent violence came to an end.
After the physical tension subsided, the atmosphere between them shifted naturally.
Ilux stood slightly hunched over, occasionally patting or holding the part of his stomach that had just received its "lesson," his expression exaggerated in pain.
Erietta, on the other hand, stood more upright, her breathing slightly ragged, yet a small satisfaction was visible on her face for having delivered her protest in the most direct way.
Without the need for many words, a tacit understanding formed that this chapter of conflict was over.
The two then, through a wordless agreement, decided to continue on their way.
They moved on, leaving behind the spot where the chase and punches had taken place, and returned to the main carnival road.
Their steps were now calmer, more coordinated, as if recovering from a brief explosion of energy.
What was interesting was the change in their pattern of observation of the surroundings.
The focus of their eyes was no longer fixed solely on each other or on internal conflict, but shifted into a broader, shared awareness.
Ilux and Erietta alternated their gazes to the right and left in a continuous rhythm, observing their surroundings with eyes full of curiosity.
They watched other stalls selling strange foods, small street performances, or groups of people laughing together.
"Utterly captivating."
The midday sunlight poured down white-golden hues from above, illuminating the carnival crowd with a firm and honest brightness, as if the entire world were being displayed without any secret shadows.
Within the swirl of flickering lights and lengthening shadows, two young figures walked side by side.
Their conversation was fragmented, broken like a signal struggling through atmospheric interference.
A comment about the tempting aroma of roasted sugar would rise, only to die halfway when one of their eyes caught the gleam of silver trinkets at a nearby stall.
Then, a rhetorical question about their next destination would hang unanswered in the air, as their attention was seized by a street magician pulling handkerchiefs from empty hands.
The rhythm of their conversation was staccato, a symphony that never reached its coda, constantly interrupted by the visual and sonic extravagance of the world around them.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Those five punches still don't make up for my mistake."
Fhhhh!
"By the way, look over there—there's a fishing game stall. We always went home empty-handed back then, didn't we?"
Hhhh!
"How about we try one more time? Maybe this time we can take home a little goldfish. Come with me, okay?"
In the ever-intensifying sea of light, they had taken a hundred steps since the punching incident.
The air began to creep in with a thin chill, mixed with the scent of buttery popcorn and clumped caramel sugar.
Ilux suddenly stopped.
His short, deep inhale was clearly audible amid the clamor, as if clearing away the remnants of energy spent during their chase and silly debate.
His gaze, which had been wandering aimlessly, suddenly locked onto a colorful silhouette across the open area.
A fishing game stall with a bright blue plastic pool and vivid red magnetic hooks stood there, an oasis of childish nostalgia amid the bustle of an adult carnival.
With a deliberate motion and a clear shift in mood, his entire body slowly turned.
His torso, shoulders, and head rotated smoothly, forming a perfect axis until he was fully facing Erietta.
The light from the stall reflected in his eyes, creating a new sparkle that was no longer mere jest, but a sincere invitation veiled by the surrounding noise.
All the remaining sarcasm and mockery from their fragmented conversation seemed to evaporate, replaced by a light yet genuine seriousness.
His expression changed, from the mischievous face he usually wore into a softer, clearer smile, as if he had just remembered a sweet promise from the past.
Then, the words flowed out.
His voice, usually filled with a provocative tone, now flattened and grew calmer, yet carried an allure that was difficult to resist.
He voiced a memory that had just surfaced, a desire to invite Erietta to a certain place.
Not the carnival they always failed to enjoy, nor the balloon-shooting stall full of bad memories, but a new destination that was simple and innocent.
His question hung in the air between them, wrapped in the cheerful sounds of carnival music.
Would Erietta join him in this good intention this time?
'Her eyes were fixed squarely on the claw machine.'
The silence that enveloped Erietta was no ordinary silence.
It was a dense, focused stillness, as if the noisy carnival world had suddenly been turned up so loud that it became mute, leaving only a single point of focus.
Ilux, waiting for a response with held breath, saw only Erietta's frozen profile, her lips slightly parted and her brows barely lifted.
The silence lasted long enough for curiosity to swell in Ilux's chest, pushing him to act.
With careful steps, he shifted his position.
He slowly circled Erietta, like a wild animal observing something unfamiliar.
He moved from the front to the side, then lowered himself slightly, trying to catch Erietta's gaze from a different angle.
When he finally aligned himself with his friend's line of sight, everything became clear.
All of Erietta's attention, body and soul, was firmly tethered to a machine across the street.
It was not the fishing game stall he had just offered, but a large claw machine with a shimmering glass front.
The machine stood like a small altar in a temple of futility and hope, glowing beneath bright neon lights.
Inside its glass enclosure lay a neatly piled miniature world that was soft and adorable.
Plush dolls in pastel colors, with big button-black eyes and perfectly stitched fabric smiles, were stacked like unreachable treasures.
One teddy bear with a red ribbon around its neck appeared wedged at the edge of a metallic abyss, as if waiting only for the right touch to fall into the hole of victory.
The light from within the machine embraced every strand of the plush fur, making it look so perfect, so desirable, and tragically, so difficult to obtain.
"That doll… do you want it?"
"Yes. I've never had a doll like that."
Hhhh!
"There was once a simple hope—that one day, someone would give it to me without asking for anything in return."
A small, almost imperceptible smile formed at the corner of Ilux's lips.
He had found the key to unlocking Erietta's sudden stillness.
To be continued…