Eat Well

Luther heard someone humming a song.

The firewood in the fireplace crackled and popped, bringing warmth and a sense of security to the room. The girl hummed a cheerful tune, as if she were sitting not far away. Her clothes rustled and rustled, accompanied by a constant "swish" sound.

Luther opened his eyes and saw Cecilia sitting by his bedside pasting matchboxes together.

The black-haired, blue-eyed girl turned to the side, using the firelight from the fireplace to complete her work. Her expression was serious, her movements practiced. Holding a matchbox in her left hand, she used a small brush in her right to apply paste to the edges of a square piece of paper, then folded it to shape it. In no time, the matchbox was finished and tossed into a nearby basket.

The room was cramped and dimly lit, with only the fireplace in front of Cecilia emitting a warm glow. There was a bit of paste on her nose, and her delicate face looked pale. Her thin body was encased in ill-fitting, patched old clothes.

Cecilia, why are you dressed like that?

Didn't I already tell you to throw the brush away? Don't we have money now?

Seeing his sister like this, Luther felt both heartache and surprise. He tried to speak, but his mouth wouldn't move and he couldn't make a sound.

"Luther, you're awake?"

Cecilia looked up and met his eyes, immediately breaking into a delighted and radiant smile. Her azure eyes shone brightly in the dark room, reflecting the firelight from the fireplace.

Where is this?

I am not

No, where was I before I went to sleep?

Luther felt his mind was a complete blank, as if a stick was stirring up a pool of memories, causing sediment to rise to the surface, making it impossible for him to recall anything. He tried to get up, but his body felt as if it were tightly bound by something, unable to move.

He rolled his eyes and, from the edge of his field of vision, discovered that he was wearing a straitjacket with many black leather straps tightly binding him.

"Alright, you just woke up, so don't move."

Cecilia came over, reached for a glass of water on the bedside table, and fed it to him. Then, she gently wiped Luther's face with a faded towel, removing the sweat from his forehead.

Luther stared at her blankly.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you staring at me like that? Don't you recognize your sister?"

Cecilia seemed amused by him. After wiping her sweat, she straightened up, turned around, and draped the towel over the rope by the stove. "Are you hungry? I'll go make you something to eat."

After saying that, she turned to walk out of the house.

Don't go!

Cecilia, don't leave me!

Watching the girl's retreating figure, Luther suddenly felt an immense sense of panic. He wanted to get up and stop her, but he couldn't open his mouth. The straps binding him tightened, pulling him downwards into the endless darkness.

Cecilia!

The warm little house was gone from him, and the girl's beautiful figure gradually faded into the distance, as darkness filled his vision. Luther struggled desperately, but he couldn't move and could only watch as she Door Opening.

"By the way, Luther,"

Cecilia gripped the doorknob, turned around, and said in a distant voice, "You seem to be eating very little lately, you really need to eat properly."

"Cecilia!"

Luther shouted, suddenly sitting up in bed.

What came into view was his bedroom in Backlund.

Yes, I'm here.

He was panting as he gradually recalled the familiar scenery. Yesterday, he had escaped the battle in the Cherwood Borough and returned feeling exhausted. He lay down to sleep for a while but unexpectedly had a dream.

In his dream, he saw Cecilia again after a long time.

"."

Luther caught his breath for a while and then calmed down.

He made no further move, but sat on the bed in silence, his face bearing a look of remembrance and sorrow.

The scene he saw in his dream was probably the room the brother and sister rented together after their parents died. By the time he transmigrated, the two had already been tricked into coming to Sirius's house, so theoretically he had never actually seen that room.

But that fireplace is the same style as his current room in Backlund. Perhaps it's a fusion of his past life's memories and his own, creating a dreamlike Dream.

In her dream, Cecilia and he were so close.

Luther slightly curled the corners of his mouth, but quickly sank into a deeper sorrow.

The winter mornings are cold and quiet. Now, when he wakes up, there will be no one to greet him or offer him comfort.

"Meow."

Suddenly, a cat meowed outside the room. Then, the doorknob was pressed down from the outside, and the door opened. A black shadow slipped into the room with a "thud." Luther immediately felt his legs sink.

Meow~

Luna the black cat meowed at him.

Its size had increased, and its fur was glossy and smooth, giving it a considerable weight when it pressed against Luther's legs.

Are you hungry?

Luther, who was immersed in a gloomy mood, was forcibly pulled out of it and asked in an annoyed tone.

"Meow."

The black cat stared straight into his eyes, its paws pawing back and forth on the blanket.

"Okay, okay, let me get up first."

Luther lifted the blanket, and the black cat nimbly dodged, avoiding being crushed. It raised its tail and followed Luther at his feet, keeping him company as he washed up, changed clothes, and watched him prepare his breakfast.

But when Luther put the raw meat and bones on a plate and placed it in front of Luna, it didn't eat it immediately; instead, it tilted its head and looked at him.

"Why are you looking at me? I don't need to eat."

Luther waved his hand and said.

He also thought that while the black cat was eating and wouldn't bother him, and while the memory of the dream was still vivid, he should go and remember Cecilia.

It was rare for my younger sister to speak a few words to me in my dream.

At that moment, he suddenly froze.

In my dream, my younger sister's last words to me were, "Eat well."

Indeed, since killing Mr. A, he has barely eaten anything. Because he has already reached Sequence 5, his body has undergone a fundamental change, so not eating will not have any impact. At most, he will buy a few kilograms of fresh raw meat to replenish his Flesh and flesh when his body is lacking.

He hadn't had a proper "meal" in a long time.

". All right."

Luther didn't know why he had this dream, but he didn't intend to find out.

He turned and went into the kitchen. The empty kitchen contained nothing but raw meat for the cat. He rummaged around for a while and finally found a box of cookies in a corner—it was in a metal jar and was barely still within its expiration date.

It was probably left behind by the original homeowner, Ciel.

He opened the jar with one hand, then stuffed the dry salted biscuits into his mouth and chewed them expressionlessly.

He thought to himself, "I'll go buy some groceries later."