Omega Manual chapter 58
Pandora’s Box
Pandora’s box has been opened.
During the half-month journey, untouched truths, unspoken agreements, and probing tensions, all unfolded quietly in a remote and peaceful village, on an ordinary afternoon, lifting the lid quietly.
All disguises became jokes, all comforts turned into lies, all the beauty born from lies became illusions in the bubble, with a gentle wave, dispersing completely.
It couldn’t even be called a collapse.
Because there was no foundation for anything.
Irey felt a fire burning in his throat, as if he had swallowed a handful of sand, every slight movement was accompanied by a rough pain.
At the same time, he was as calm as being able to accurately grip someone’s neck.
Shelley, on the other hand, had the same calmness, his pupils reflecting an inorganic light. Perhaps from the beginning of their journey until now, they had never faced each other with such calmness.
It made everything feel so unfamiliar.
The cold wind, the birds, the dry branches, the snow-covered ground, and the person in front of him.
After a long time, Shelley finally spoke, his voice, tone, and intonation no different from usual.
“Yes,” Shelley said, “I am going to commit suicide on Mount Yinbu.”
This was not an answer Irey hadn’t expected; rather, he might have guessed today’s response even earlier than Shelley himself imagined.
But what he hadn’t anticipated was the heaviness in his heart upon hearing this familiar voice saying the expected answer in a familiar tone, like a heavy piece of iron slowly sinking to the bottom of the sea.
“You said you would return to Nantes,” Irey said, “Only in Nantes could you buy a new suit for me.”
Shelley smiled briefly, “Of course, I was lying to you. I thought you could tell.”
At that moment, this expression finally completely enraged Irey.
He crumpled the map in his hand and slammed it forcefully onto the ground. The poor piece of paper made a crisp sound and got stuck in the snow, unmoving.
“Shelley Manta, are you fucking insane? Crossing several cities from so far away, rushing all the way to the wilderness just to die? Do you have some unbearable pain that you can’t even live through? Just because you became an Omega? Just because your high-tech invention turned into waste?”
Shelley looked at him without speaking.
“Do you know how many people in this world are starving to death because they can’t eat enough? Do you know how much money you’ve squandered on this journey?” Irey raised his voice, “A total of thirteen million one hundred thousand! I’ve been keeping track of every penny for you! Do you know how many people could survive with that money? What do you have to be so despairing about?”
Shelley didn’t respond to him. Strands of golden hair at his temples fluttered in the wind, and beneath his long eyelashes, his sapphire-like eyes stared straight at Irey’s face, expressionless. In that moment, his delicate face resembled that of a soulless doll.
“You didn’t just find out today, did you?” Shelley asked, avoiding the question. “When did you suspect?”
“Very early,” Irey gasped. “I felt something was wrong when I found out your sports car only had one-way fuel.”
“Why didn’t you ask me then?” Shelley asked calmly. “Why didn’t you mention it for so long, but suddenly come to question me now?”
Irey’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, unable to speak.
Why didn’t he speak?
Why did he deliberately avoid it when he sensed it so early on, pretending it was just an ordinary trip?
Because this was Pandora’s box.
Because this was the switch that could end everything good, the big red button that could detonate everything.
Because a part of him deep down still held onto hopeful fantasies, hoping it was all in his imagination, hoping Shelley would give up on the idea during the journey, hoping that after the journey, they could return to square one together, laughing and talking, with a place for each other in their futures.
He might be the dumbest person in the world.
Clearly, no one knew better than him that people couldn’t be changed by others’ words.
From the time he met Shelley Manta until now, it had been less than a month, not even enough to call them acquaintances.
It was just the effect of pheromones and hormones bringing them closer, creating an illusion of excessive intimacy.
And Shelley, in order to reach the end of this journey, didn’t hesitate to let a stranger mark him as an Alpha, didn’t hesitate to sacrifice his comfortable life and healthy body, didn’t hesitate to endure the insults and mockery of the scum in the downtown area.
He should have known, it was so obvious. How could such a decisive and firm choice waver because of half a month of interaction with a stranger?
He already knew Shelley’s character very well.
Seemingly delicate and slender, but more stubborn than anyone inside, once he decided on something, no one could change it.
Even if it was a dead end, he would use his frail body to break through it step by step.
Irey Halton rarely regretted things.
In his twenty-six years of life, there were only two times.
The first time was the day the meteor shower fell. He regretted leaving home to work at that time, regretted not staying home to accompany Jenny well, regretted not seeing her for the last time.
The second time was when Caroline disappeared. He regretted agreeing to continue selling goods after she left, regretted not being by her side that day to protect her, regretted underestimating the filthiness and ugliness of this new world.
Now, he had the third regret in his life.
He regretted letting Shelley Manta appear in his life, leaving a deep and indelible mark.
In the factory in Lansai, he shouldn’t have accepted the letter from Nantes, shouldn’t have followed the address to find it, shouldn’t have greedily accepted this job.
He should have torn up the letter, turned around and left, and returned to his own rat’s nest.
Then he wouldn’t have foolishly tried to retain what was destined to be lost, futilely deceiving himself in front of things destined to dissipate.
“I didn’t mean for you to accompany me to my death,” Shelley spoke softly. “I’m very grateful that you’ve come this far with me. Originally, I wanted you to accompany me to Fuba Port. After that, I could take the boat to the high radiation zone in the north by myself. I just didn’t expect this to happen.”
As he spoke, he lifted his head to look into Irey’s eyes, his gaze unwavering. “Further ahead are all high radiation areas, very dangerous. You don’t need to accompany me anymore. I’ll settle all the unpaid wages for you at once, including the travel expenses and living expenses back to Lansai. Don’t worry about money, you can choose the most expensive transportation.”
Irey looked at him steadily, without saying a word.
In a secluded corner of the countryside, under decades-old trees, sunlight reflected on the earth, and the snow slowly melted.
The sun would always rise.
And snowmen would definitely die.
Shelley waited for Irey to say something.
He didn’t know what he hoped Irey would say.
Was it disappointment? Pain? Anger? Or did he think this young master from Nantes didn’t understand the hardships of life, because of some trivial matter he was shouting about dying?
Would he sneer disdainfully, or angrily argue with him?
He thought he was mentally prepared for whatever reaction the other party would have.
But he hadn’t expected that Irey wouldn’t say anything, wouldn’t show any expression, not even a nod or shake of the head.
He simply put his hands back into his coat pockets, then turned and left.
Without warning, without a sound, he left Shelley with a dark silhouette, then disappeared from his sight without looking back.
He didn’t know how long it had passed. The sun shifted from direct to slanted, his knees grew weak, finally unable to support himself, leaning against the wall and sliding down, his pants wet from the cold snow.
Irey Halton didn’t come back.
He didn’t even take anything, his luggage remained untouched in the old lady’s house.
When Shelley was found by the lady, sitting silently against the wall in the snow, they thought he had a fever again, and they dragged him back to bed, asking with concern where Irey had gone.
Shelley neither had the mood nor the energy to answer these questions, allowing the lady to take care of him like a patient, drifting off to sleep in a daze for the rest of the afternoon.
For some unknown reason, he stayed in Kachigist village for two full days.
As the sun set and the moon rose, Irey Halton never appeared.
On the morning of the third day, Shelley finally gave up.
He felt his behavior was utterly illogical, utterly ridiculous. It was he who had sent Irey away, yet foolishly stayed put for two days after he left, as if hoping he would return.
Why would he come back?
To accompany him in death?
Irey wasn’t a fool, and he didn’t want to die. He had his money, everything was clear, so what reason did he have to return?
The sun rose again slowly from the eastern horizon, casting a red dawn that gradually illuminated the sky, its dazzling light spreading across every corner of the world.
The last time he saw this scene was in the desolate wilderness.
Irey Halton rode on a white horse, lazy and casual, his features coated with a golden hue, making his facial contours more prominent than usual.
This was a miracle that everyone witnessed every day.
But his share of it would never happen again.
Shelley opened the drawer beside the small bed, placed ten thousand yuan in it, then struggled to lift the heavy suitcase and walked out of the old lady’s cottage.
[Author’s Note]Trigger warning: The next chapter’s description and content may contain depressive emotions or trigger suicidal trauma. Please subscribe cautiously if you suffer from depression or have related experiences or emotions.