THE TRUTH SEEKERS
CHAPTER 4: The Price of Freedom

~That cold and painful sentence became a double-edged blade that saved my life~

THE SEEKERS 4: The Price of Freedom

I sat stiffly with an ice-cold nape. The thought was momentarily empty after hearing what the man had just said.

"...why...?" One spoken word represents all the shock that hits the mind.

This man-why does he want to kill me? Was he assigned to execute me because my sentencing schedule was accelerated? Or was he assigned someone with a grudge to kill me?

In a helpless position with my hands cuffed and eyes closed, I would obviously die very easily. Without being able to survive or evade. My feelings were gripping and the shadows of death were painful. It was possible that he had prepared a sharp weapon or even a gun to kill me directly here. My ears are becoming more sensitive to the sounds around me. My skin bristled when I heard the creaking of the chair rubbing against the floor, then a cold metal touched my ear.

I shudder.

"Are you still able to live with all this disgrace?"

The sound of slices rang out, the cloth covering my vision fell dramatically. I opened my eyes slowly, silent when I met a pair of black marbles that panned cold and cruel.

"Say. Why do you still want to live."

The man bowed before me. Her long hair looked messy from being unattached. His voice was so low, hoarse and heavy, it carried vibrations all the way to the chest. It caused an uncomfortable feeling of being intimidated by his presence.

I feel like I'm strangled back.

Something was put on my lap. A newspaper featuring news of the fire on its front. The sickening Gelanyar is coming. Makes my stomach nauseous due to tightness in the chest.

"A 19-year-old child has committed arson resulting in the deaths of dozens of people. Killing the hostess and lying to the public. The court has determined that you are the perpetrator and sentenced him to death. Do you think criminals like you will be accepted by society?"

"But I'm not the one! I'm even one of the victims of that fire!"

"I don't really remember why-but I was tied up by someone and left in my room. When I realized everything was burning. I could have survived jumping from the third floor."

He seemed indifferent and instead sat on the wooden chair that was in front of me. Take out a branded cigarette from his pocket. Pin it on the cleft lip and ignite it with a match. Sipping on that nicotine taste then exhaled it brazenly at me.

"Do you think anyone will believe you?"

I coughed as cigarette smoke spread across my face, "But that's the truth! And that time-ah! There was a little boy with me. I jumped with him. He was also one of the survivors! You can ask him."

"Little boy? Survivors? You're bragging?"

I grit my teeth. Feeling annoyed and wanting to hit the face that just kept staring at me with such triviality, "Who is boasting?! He was with me when we jumped! He could be a witness-"

Plucci

A cat doll the size of two adult jengkal had just been thrown at me. I blinked twice, not understanding why the man threw the doll, before frowning.

This doll... Why does it look foreign?

"I thought you knew, but it wasn't huh?" He looked at me seriously, "All the residents of that place are dead, except for you."

My eyes are breaking.

"Don't joke! I was with him at the time! Two-painted girls hugging a stuffed cat! A doll that looks like-" My chest is pounding unpleasantly. Doll cat... This cat-doll

".... What have you done with him?"

He raised an eyebrow, my jaw hardened. "My jaw! What are you doing with that kid?! Did you kill him?!"

"Hey, isn't it switched? Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

I was eager to yell and hit him, but he hunted me down, "Are you sure that it's his figure that's alive?"

My view is empty, ".eh...?"

"Why are the accusations given to you so strong? One reason is because you're the only one who survived the fire. At that time all the residents of the boarding room were in his place. A total of 17 people, including you and the owner of the room. But 16 people died including the boy. Only you made it out of that building after jumping off the third floor hugging the stuffed cat."

"What...?"

He threw something back. This time some photos. The pictures were scattered around my feet and I had to duck down to see them. Photos of the burning boarding house and several victims whose bodies had blackened entirely from being burned to death. In one of his pictures, I saw the body of a little boy half of whom was crushed by rubble. Then the other photo-

My face paled.

Fotou. In an oversized gray suit half of which was charred and was hugging a worn-out cat doll.

I raised my head. Staring in shock at the man with a great bristling nape, "What does this mean...?"

"The girl was grilled with her mother in the room. The figure you saw at that time was just delusion. He's 'not alive'."

"HUH?!"

I screamed in disbelief. Staring at the nyalang man before me who looked so nauseating.

"He's there! Do you think I'm crazy for having a discussion about that kid?!"

"Don't you still have trouble distinguishing between the living and the dead?"

"DOLUCH!!!!!"

I'm yelling. Screaming frustrated like crazy. Stare at the floor blankly and shed tears to wet the photos and newspapers. I really can't believe everything I've heard. Can't believe this cruel reality that's playing me so much. I want to hit my head that has been distracted like an idiot.

So I jumped alone at the time? I'm not with that little girl? Then the one who was with me-then

"He may not have died... He was even there when the black creature attacked! He was there when we both jumped from the third floor! He's really there!"

"Why do you think the media lied about the death of a four-year-old boy?"

My mind was empty for a moment.

"The girl is dead and you are the criminal who caused her tragic death."

Maddened. All this reality is crazy!

"Thinking that you can be free out there, do you think the public will just shut up? Are they still going to ignore you when you appear before them? Do you remember what kind of face they put on when they came out of the trial place?"

My heart suddenly thumped painfully. Recollecting the events I really wanted to erase from memory. Drown the faces that stare at me with disdain and anger. Hiding as far and as deep as possible in the darkness that no one can see me.

I fear.

I'm afraid of humans.

"What can you do with your polluted name? No one will believe your words."

I could feel something breaking into pieces inside me.

Silent. I can't avoid more questions than statements of reality befalling me. So sickening, so painful.

Head lowered, staring at the empty floor below.

There is no justice in this world for me.

Now I understand what that means.

"Are you able to free me from this painful life?"

The words were spoken without emotion. The madness had disappeared and I felt like an empty glass. It was as if my whole feeling had died from a crack at the bottom of my heart. I'm too tired of all these things and the flow of my life. Too tired with various trials that continue to make me fall until now can not rise again.

I'm so sick of my life.

"You're right. It's no use for me to live in this world-ah, even from the beginning I shouldn't have lived. Without a clear purpose and just keep hiding until it ends this way. No one will care about me."

"Yes. Miris right?"

I bite my lips.

"So what's your answer?" Ask. I raised my head, realizing that his figure had loomed before me, then answered without hesitation with a drop of tears down my cheek,

"Please kill me."

At that moment, he vaguely smirked happily. I bit my trembling lips, then closed my eyes when a gun was pointed at my forehead. Feeling it seemed to understand my tired desire to be in this world.

When the sound of a metal object sounds loud in silence. When the sound of the trigger is released it sounds so dramatic.

I'm certain. I will be free from this cruel life.

Eventually, I will die.

"I'll give it to you."

DOORM!!

......

.................

"......."

"......?"

"...yes, he's dead. Make a statement like that. Hm? Just take the change, I don't need a dime."

I'm still quiet. A little wondering in my mind. But it was all so shocking when I opened my eyes.

I'm still at my place. Sitting on a hard wooden chair is painful. The man was still there, talking to someone on a cell phone. I saw that his hand was inserting a metallic pistol into the belt pocket.

"You didn't kill me?"

"It." The answer was short after turning off the phone. "Your old self. I killed him."

Is this guy playing me?!

"You said you'd kill me, but I'm not dead. And what do you really mean? Please don't play me." I tried to stay calm and hold back my anger. But he didn't listen to me at all and walked over. Putting a laptop on my lap and saying,

"Read slowly. Respond, and don't miss a single point."

Glanced at him fiercely but ended up choosing to follow his words. Read a row of writing as much as three pages that are plastered on the laptop screen well. Handcuffed hands are still difficult to press the cursor down.

Every sentence, every word, even to the point number I didn't miss a bit. My annoyed face slowly softened, and now I was confused and wondering. Just when the last sentence was spelled out, I immediately looked at the man with an inexplicable face.

"It-it's... Whatdoes thatmean? Why it-"

"I bought you."

"HUH?"

He was facing me with an arrogant face. "I bought you. So now you're tied to me."

"Ta-but--how can..? Why bought..? Then what about the kill-"

"I'm not interested in killing a kid who's even 'dead' like you."

At that moment, all my anger seemed to explode in the head. I yelled angrily at him and vented all my frustration piling up on him,

"DON'T KIDDING!"

I got up from my seat, dropped the laptop on my lap just like that. A moment forgot that my legs were still tied together and ended up falling over with a face kissing the black ceramic floor.

"Ughhh!!" I bite my lips. Ignoring the pain in the face and body then lifting the head. Staring fiercely at the mad man who had just said crazy things that could make my blood boil.

"You said you'd kill me! You said downstairs I can't live with all this stuff anymore! My life has no price! Quickly kill me!"

He just kept quiet while sipping his cigarette which was half. I continued to speak in a louder voice until it was almost hoarse, "What exactly do you want?! Do you just want to play me?! Stop fooling around and kill me goddamn it!"

She laughs.

Yep. Laugh! Laughing as if I had just heard a laugh. Laughing without burden as if my words were a joke!

He's really playing me!

I just wanted to cuss when the guy dropped a cigarette and stepped on it. Forward a step then crouch arrogantly before me. He then said, "Aren't you supposed to thank me for setting you free?"

Fucking psycho!

"Fuck that! I just want to die! So I'm gonna die like I want! You have no right to ban me! Give me your gun or knife or whatever! I'll kill myself if you can't do it!"

BRAAKK!!

Suddenly, my body was pulled and thrown back into the chair. The pain in my back is getting worse. All the insults I wanted to throw, but my protest was silenced when the man had approached. Locking my movements by holding both arms of a wooden chair. Caught me with a pair of arms. There was a pressure so terrifying, so threatening that it made me have trouble breathing. When that pair of cold, silent marbles nailed me, shutting all my focus to him.

"Listen to me, stupid boy."

My heart almost jumped out of place.

"Did you still not understand it? I said I'm 'buying you' instead of 'playing you'. And I also said that you who used to be 'dead'. Why are you so stubborn?"

"Ap-"

"I'll help you." He cut firmly. My lips were shut. "You just have to live with your new self. I killed your old self, but I also gave life to you now. So start from zero. The course of life is even though it is painful. Stop giving up. Isn't there something you'd like to look for? Your aim?"

My lips trembled, then wept away, "Nothing. My goal is worthless."

"It's still valuable. "

I looked back as he brought the cat doll closer to me.

"The little girl thanked you. He said he was happy that someone would take care of him, even if he was dead. He also thanked me for saving you. He left this doll for you."

The striped cat doll was pressed into my lap, and instantly my chest felt tight.

"You saved him. But are you satisfied with just this? Don't you want to clear your name and help the girl by uncovering the truth?"

"But-"

"Stay alive."

My eyes vibrate. Two words. With just those two words, all the chaos in my heart seemed to collapse instantly.

"Your life is precious, son. Only you know the truth. Only you can reveal everything. Live for you and for your part."

Tears flow without me holding back. Berlinang very fast until as much as you like.

I wept.

So suffocating. So frustrating. My feelings are chaotic because of the various emotions that I have been enduring all this time. Everything was so complicated, so difficult, it left me in doubt and almost lost my mind. Madness seemed to accompany me, death was so tempting for me to go through.

Damnit... It's very painful... 

He took off the handcuffs that bound me and I then covered my face with my palms. I feel so embarrassed and embarrassed at the same time.

Why did I almost forget it? Even if all this time I lived without a definite purpose, at least now don't I already have it?

I'm still alive. I want to stay alive. And I have to stay alive.

Not only for me, but also for those 16 who died without knowing the truth. For that little girl who doesn't know anything and left me her precious things. And to myself who has to bear the burdens they shouldn't have.

Even if you don't really know them, there has to be someone who reveals this truth. Someone who was directly involved with the incident. To give justice to those who died in vain and knew nothing. For a little girl who doesn't even know she's gone.

And to myself who has 'died' because of those false accusations.

I have to do something.

"I want to live..."

My voice was soft, raspy, and sounded like the whining of a child. Begging the man with all unbearable regret. I raised my head and with an embarrassing face went back to pleading with her,

"Please... Don't kill me..."

A palm touched my head. He looked at me with cold eyes but reflected confidence,

"Your answer will be my decision as well. So, do you still want to live?"

I lowered my head, and nodded slowly.

"My jawab. You're not mute, are you?"

"I-i want to..."

"Hmm? You want to die?"

"Tell me I want to live, goddamn it!" My yelling. To hell with ethics, this guy really sucks! He sniggered after hearing. Smirked arrogantly then said,

"Smart kid."

I was completely embarrassed when the big hand moved to shuffle my hair for a moment before being pulled back. I have thought about my choice well.

I choose to live with all these responsibilities

"Thank you for letting me live. I promise to repay your kindness. "

"Oh, of course it has to be answered. You think my kindness is free?"

I raised my head in confusion. The man sneered cunningly, "You must return all the price of your second life."

"Eh?"

He took out a paper from his pocket. Paper folded a few times. I opened it, and immediately glared as I read what was written in it. Especially in the nominal part that zero is too much.

Raising my head with a stutter, I asked him in prayer so that what I thought was not right.

"A-anu, don't tell-"

"Yes. That's the cost of 'your resurrection'. You owe me as much as********* to me."

My jaw sagged. Shock of course.

I pulled my words earlier. This guy is really a JERK!

...................

[CONNECTED]