After witnessing the memories the man had shown him, Edward let out a long sigh, holding back tears.
Those recollections reminded him of his mother—the one for whom he would give everything.
The one for whom he'd work sleepless nights, denying himself even a moment's rest or indulgence, lest it disrupt the meager budget he'd scraped together to keep her alive.
The one for whom he'd take a life if it meant saving hers.
The one for whom he'd sacrifice his own existence just to keep her by his side for one more second.
The teenage boy's helplessness, unable to save his sister, mirrored Edward's own shadow.
Despite his tireless efforts, Edward had never truly been able to save his mother.
He gave everything—shattered his body, his mind, his soul, without fail. His entire life. And yet, his mother remained lying on that cold bed. Unable to hear the voice that once soothed his soul. Unable to taste the soup she loved. Unable to even say goodbye one last time.
He stood powerless before his own futility, wearing a hollow smile while inside, he wept like a child—just like that boy.
Though he stood right in front of the teenager, his gaze was distant, lost in his own thoughts.
Cain noticed. In an attempt to console Edward—and perhaps to apologize—he spoke:
"Hey… I'm sorry. I know I called it hypocritical to forget the people you pity, but… I never really considered how you or anyone else would feel in a situation like this. I just assumed everyone was like me—cold, detached, able to tuck it away in some corner of their mind."
Something seemed to click in Edward, snapping him out of his trance as he turned to face the man.
"No. You were right. I've always run from the truth—from my failures to save the people I care about. I've forgotten them out of fear that remembering would force me to face what I really am: garbage." His voice was melancholic.
"I'm not innocent. I've stolen, killed, swindled. I hide behind the excuse of protecting those I love, but no matter how I spin it, my hands are stained with blood. Hah… And yet, I'm still afraid of death. Pathetic, isn't it?"
Cain studied him seriously before replying:
"Edward, don't back down now. Don't you dare regret it."
"…What?" The young man was stunned. He'd expected empty comfort—It wasn't your fault or some other hollow reassurance. That's how most people would've reacted.
"You thought I'd say you weren't to blame? No. I'd never say that, because you were. But you've already done it. You can't undo those things just because you regret them. You can't bring back the dead with an apology."
"No one in this world is innocent. Didn't you say corporations exploit people's weaknesses? Do you think their victims just sit and wait to die? No. In a world this broken, they kill and steal to survive too. So why is your survival any different? Just because you lie to yourself about it?"
"…" Edward was taken aback by Cain's bluntness. Yet he was also confused—this harsh lecture clashed with the man's earlier attempt at consolation.
"Be realistic, Edward. In this world, the choices you make don't vanish just because you repent and wallow in guilt. The only thing left is to move forward. Otherwise, you're spitting on everyone you trampled to get here."
"I'm not saying those acts are right. But pretending remorse makes you noble? That's just another lie."
Just as Edward opened his mouth to reply—
Screeches.
The sound of squealing pigs erupted around them, mingling with the shrill ringing of telephones.
Hordes of bipedal swine came into view, stampeding through the streets.
Cain grabbed Edward's arm, urgency sharp in his voice:
"Hold onto my shirt—now!"
Edward didn't understand, but he obeyed without hesitation.
Cain recited a fragment of a tale in a rushed whisper:
"A man walked through the lands unseen,
Only the watchers know what he's been.
Those who pry shall be erased,
In the hour's shred, the old rewrote his fate."
As the last word left his lips, the two began fading slowly, a thread of light unraveling behind them.
The pigs surged forward—but finding their prey gone, they scattered.
One knelt beside a charred corpse… and began devouring it ravenously.