A Knight Who Eternally Regresses

A boat drifted along the dark river.

A violet lamp burned quietly, standing still, its light barely reaching beyond itself.

It was just enough to see my own hands.

Even though I had seen this scenery countless times, today it felt even more ominous.

The Ferryman’s voice carried more weight than usual.

It shook my heart, rattled my skull.

One particular part of what he said caught my interest.

"A path?"

Didn’t he enjoy watching me suffer, trapped against this wall? Why was he offering guidance now?

"Step back and watch. If you avoid, a path will open."

Today always resets once it ends. Avoidance cannot be a method to move forward.

And yet he was telling me to retreat?

The Ferryman’s voice grew heavier.

"Avoid it."

His words buzzed through my body.

It was as if something was twisting my insides.

It wasn’t pain. It was sensory. No, this was the realm of the mind—sensation did not exist here.

It was psychological.

The real issue wasn’t the voice itself.

I didn’t doubt the Ferryman.

I didn’t doubt his purpose either.

The Ferryman’s role was to keep me within today.

Perhaps because I knew that, a scripture Audin recited every day surfaced in my mind:

"The devil always comes in the guise of an angel."

"Avoid it."

The Ferryman's words kept digging into my mind, twisting my thoughts.

And suddenly, the black river pulled away.

Even though my eyes were already open, it felt as if I was opening them again—an eerie sensation.

A new day began.

His words echoed more vividly in my mind than ever before.

Unlike my usual dreams, which faded into vague memories, this time, they lingered.@@novelbin@@

It was almost as if I had been brainwashed.

"Run away. Turn back. Just abandon the child, and you’ll pass this day with ease. That’s all it takes."