After that, it was practice after practice. Vincent, who had initially been timid, began to walk confidently and steadily. As he continued walking, he seemed to become aware of his surroundings.
However, walking alone was still not easy. Despite his initial success, he couldn't reach the door alone afterward. He kept falling halfway.
The problem was that he lost his confidence when he fell. Sometimes he would cower in fear, and other times he would remain motionless, his hand on the floor.
Where was his gaze, stained with fear, fixed? When he was scared, he would crawl to the bed and cover himself with the sheets, as if trying to hide himself.
"…Is someone here?"
"There's no one here except me and you, sir."
"Don't lie. Someone was always there. They tried to kill me."
The past had left deep scars on him. Only then did I understand why he had been confined to his room. He wasn't afraid of walking; he was afraid of going outside. The fear that someone might attack him outside the room consumed him at every moment. Perhaps his constant attempts to hide under the sheets were his way of protecting himself.
"Sir, what if you think of it like this? You are on an adventure now, in the pitch-black darkness. You don't know what lies ahead or what will appear. It's really scary, but if you stay still, you'll be in that darkness forever."
"…"
"Adventures require courage. Now is the time to muster that courage. Don't worry. There's a voice that only you can hear by your side. It can be a companion, a friend, a family member, or anything you need. It's just that you can't see its form, but you're not alone."
"What if they kill me…"
"Please trust me. They won't. That's why I exist."
I took his trembling hand and held it. I embraced his huddled body. I wanted to help him gain the courage.
"It's not very reassuring…"
If only he wouldn't say such annoying things.
Still, fortunately, Vincent quickly regained his composure. He became quite confident in walking alone. He now reached the door without falling halfway. Although he walked unsteadily, swinging his arms in the air, I admired his perseverance.
"Just stay there and watch."
"Don't fall."
I patted his back as if to soothe him.
"I'm ready."
He untied the knots of the cloth around his body and gathered the cut hair in one place. Vincent stroked his shortened hair. It wasn't as bad as he thought. It looked neat. Of course, it would have been better if a professional barber had trimmed it, but given his condition, I had to take the liberty of doing it myself.
"Do we really have to do this?"
"It looks neat and tidy."
After cutting his hair, I realized even more how striking his appearance was. He must have been popular among women. It was worth the effort to groom him.
"Bring me some clothes."
"Ah, if you mean pajamas, they're here."
"Outfit for going out."
It was a sudden request, but he didn't retract his words. I opened a different drawer for the first time since I came here. Shirts, vests, coats, pants, ties, shoes… Where were the shoes?
I rummaged around the room, gathered the clothes, and handed them to him. Vincent took off his pajamas and put on the clothes one by one.
Dressed perfectly, he looked like Count Vincent Bellunita. His appearance had definitely changed, and the atmosphere around him was different. He looked a bit thin, but he looked quite presentable.
"Cane."
As I stared at him blankly, he extended his hand. Cane? I snapped out of it and looked around the room again, found the cane, and handed it to him. He stood still, holding it, probably trying to rely on it to walk. In any case, he was ready.
We went outside and closed the door. Soon, Eitan approached.
"Vincent?"
"He's waiting inside."
"Did you practice a lot?"
Eitan squinted his eyes mischievously. He seemed to know what kind of practice Vincent and I had done. What a nuisance.
"The weather is nice. It's perfect for going out."
"That's true."
"The branches are sprouting new buds."
"Huh?"
When I asked in confusion, he just smiled. His familiar smile, which I had seen countless times, seemed strangely out of place. As if something important was coming to mind.
Meanwhile, Eitan stood in front of the door but couldn't easily turn the doorknob. I could see his tense profile and the complex emotions in his eyes. I waited for him to open the door.
"I'm worried. What if nothing has changed?"
"Check it out."
"I have to."
With a firm resolve, he opened the door. The solemn expression on his face gradually turned to surprise. I also looked inside to see his reaction.
As planned, Vincent was standing in the middle of the room, leaning on his cane.
Eitan blinked.
"Vincent?"
At Eitan's call, Vincent lifted his head. His face was stiff. He looked fine on the surface, but I could see the tension hidden in his eyes.
Vincent started walking toward us with his cane. We had practiced this many times. I even helped him turn his body toward the door before leaving the room. So, he just needed to walk. I was worried he might fall due to tension, but fortunately, Vincent walked steadily.
Vincent quickly reached the door. And finally, he stepped out of the room. Eitan, who had been watching him without blinking, opened his arms in amazement.
"Vincent!"
A choked cry echoed.
I was thinking it was an unexpectedly intense reaction when Vincent suddenly raised his hand. He was holding the cane. Taking one more step, Vincent swung the cane at Eitan.
It happened in an instant.
Eitan ducked in shock, and I widened my eyes in surprise. The cane, missing its target, swung and shattered the corridor window.
Crash! The sound of breaking glass echoed. I stared in horror at the window. The glass where the cane had struck was shattered into pieces. Glass shards fell to the ground. Over this violent scene, a chilling voice emerged.
"If you threaten me one more time, you'll die."
Vincent's gaze was fixed straight ahead, but it was clearly directed at Eitan, who was crouching below. Eitan slowly lowered his arms, which had been covering his face, and looked up at him.
"…I'm your friend."
"So that's why you threatened me."
"…"
Caught off guard, Eitan was speechless. Vincent let go of the cane handle and turned his body. Eitan finally stood up and looked at the broken window. After a moment of shock, Eitan regained his composure and went after Vincent, who turned his body.
"Get out."
With that, the door slammed shut. I was amazed at Vincent's action of closing the door himself to drive Eitan away.
Eitan stared at the closed door.
"He must be very angry."
"Of course."
I pulled the cane out of the window. Was he planning to use the cane like this? I was wondering how to deal with the broken glass when I heard a laugh from somewhere. Looking at the source, I saw Eitan chuckling. He must have finally gone mad.
"Yeah. That's Vincent for you."
He's definitely gone mad.
I shook my head at his smiling face. Eitan then knocked on the closed door with a bright smile.
"Vincent, can I come in?"
There was no answer this time, but Eitan opened the door. Vincent, who was standing not far from the door with an expression that said, "Why didn't you come in?" was there.
"Don't look at me like that. I have something to tell you."
Eitan took something out of his coat pocket and handed it to Vincent. It was a letter. He placed it in Vincent's hand.
"It's a letter from Violet."
Violet! My gaze turned to the letter in Vincent's hand when I heard the familiar name. He also looked down at the letter in his hand.
"You never replied to Violet's letters. She's very worried. She insisted on coming to see you, but I managed to persuade her to let me deliver the letter instead."
"How is she?"
"She's doing well. Healthy."
"That's a relief."
Vincent didn't open the letter. He just held it in his hand and turned his body. After a bit of practice, he found his way back to the bed and sat down. Eitan followed him.
"I promised to bring back a reply, so please write one."
"No."
"I can't give up either. Ah, Miss, could you please bring me some paper and a pen?"
Eitan turned to me and said. I glanced at Vincent, who had a displeased expression. I was curious about who Violet was, but seeing Vincent's unhappy face, I couldn't bring myself to ask. I bowed slightly and left the room.
That day, Eitan managed to get a reply to the letter.
Late at night, I couldn't sleep. Wanting to get some fresh air, I left the room. At the end of the corridor, a light was approaching. It was Eitan with a lamp.
"Why aren't you sleeping?"
"Shouldn't I ask you the same, Mr. Christopher?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I was wandering around a bit."
"Me too."
I thought about going outside the annex but felt too lazy. Instead, I placed the lamp on the windowsill and opened the window. A cool breeze blew in, making the light flicker. As I stared at it blankly, Eitan came over and stood beside me.
"You're angry with me, aren't you?"
"Me?"
"I gave you advice, but you ignored it."
Did he know that and still do it? Well, it wasn't something he needed to apologize for. It was natural for a superior to ignore a subordinate's advice.
"You don't have to apologize. It's fine."
I replied, and Eitan scratched the back of his neck.
"Am I a bad guy?"
"I can't deny that."
Eitan laughed. I laughed along with him.
The short laughter soon faded. Silence lingered in the corridor. I shivered in the eerie atmosphere.