He seemed to hear the Feather Pen sobbing in anguish. He seemed to see Sir Awen finally go mad, his eyes bloodshot and nearly bursting as he tried desperately to get through that wall, to bring that girl inside.
But the crushing drowsiness kept washing over him, leaving him so, so tired, as though he were dreaming.
Yet he could feel, could hear, could touch...
She was right beside him.
But it hurt so much.
It hurt like death.
"I'll stay with you."
"Have you forgotten? In that dream before, you stayed with me for such a long, long time... Although I know I can't hope to have you all to myself, because everyone holds an important place in your heart, and I can only ever occupy a small part of it."
The girl leaned against that wall. She seemed to have her head raised, sitting back-to-back with him.
"But I know this too... Everyone loves you so much... Because you always pretend to be so bad, yet you're willing to risk your life for anyone..."
"So even at the very last moment, no one had any regrets."
He listened in a dreamlike daze, yet that voice felt so distant. He wanted to speak, but when the words reached his lips, only a hazy helplessness remained.
But that wall.
It was so far away.
He suddenly thought again of the Dark Night City Calamity. Back then, she had also been the last girl to remain by his side, drifting lightly toward him with the Black Umbrella in her hand.
He was fickle and indiscriminate with his affections. He had no idea how many people he would ultimately let down.
But he didn't want to.
He had made so many promises. He didn't want to die without fulfilling even one.
"You...