CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55 – SCAR

Chapter 55 – Scar

Jack blinked slowly before giving the faintest nod. His mind was caught somewhere between confusion and paralysis, his body unsure how to respond. Normally, Jack could mimic the "appropriate" reaction in such moments. He had learned long ago that people lived according to patterns—when they laughed, when they cried, when they smiled or scowled. All he had to do was watch, memorize, and imitate. That was how he moved through life: a performance, a mirror of the behavior of others.

But now, confronted by his mother’s trembling frame and her tear-filled eyes, he was utterly lost. He didn’t know what to do, didn’t know what expression to wear. His mind, sharp and calculating in battle, faltered here. Somewhere deep in his chest, he felt something unfamiliar—something raw and heavy. A sting that lingered, gnawing at him. A bitter taste on his tongue he couldn’t swallow away. It unsettled him more than any battlefield.

Slowly, his mother lifted her hand and cupped his face as if confirming he was real. Her touch was gentle but desperate, trembling as though she feared he might vanish if she let go.

"You’re alive, Jack," she whispered, her voice breaking. "You survived and came back to me. Thank you... Thank you so much. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything, Jack."

She pulled him into her arms again, holding him tighter than before, as if trying to keep the world itself from tearing him away.

’Sorry?’ Jack blinked, dazed. ’Why is she apologizing?’

His mind searched for answers. Was she apologizing because she failed to protect him after his father’s death? Because she hadn’t found him quickly enough? His reasoning leapt to practical conclusions. Never once did it occur to him that her apology reached back into the past—the past Jack had dismissed as normal, inevitable.

Around them, the others stood in silence. Their faces were heavy with sorrow. Some turned away, unable to bear the raw intimacy of the reunion. A few wiped at their own tears. Evelyn’s expression darkened; she looked away quickly, then walked off to give them space.

But not everyone could turn away.

Lune’s eyes never left Jack. Her expression was lined with pain, her fists clenching tightly. ’He’s confused. Of course, he’s confused. Jack doesn’t understand pain the way others do. When he feels it, he can’t name it, can’t describe it.’

She bit her lip, frustration surging within her. ’I’m sorry, my love. I’m sorry I’m so useless now.’

Though she once carried immense power, here in Aevum she was shackled. Her essence, the very source of her strength, had been drained to heal Jack and to destroy the writhing vines that threatened them. What little remained was unstable. Using it recklessly could trigger a backlash so catastrophic even she might not survive.

Yes, the city was beginning to circulate essence once more, and her body greedily absorbed what it could. But her pool was too vast—like trying to fill an ocean with drops of rain. To recover even a fraction of her strength would take eons. And every ability she possessed demanded an incomprehensible amount of power.

’If I could use it... if I had even a sliver of my full strength,’ she thought bitterly, ’Jack’s father would still be alive. He would be here.’

The guilt clawed at her chest. She had come from the future for this very reason—to find her husband, to help him survive. She had promised him that his future wouldn’t end in tragedy. Yet here she stood, powerless, forced to watch fate claim him anyway.

Meanwhile, Jack, still dazed and unsure of what to do, lifted a hand and gave the lightest tap to his mother’s shoulder. His movements were stiff, almost mechanical, yet it was the only gesture he could muster.

"We’ll talk about this when I get you to safety," Jack said quietly. His tone was flat but determined. "This isn’t the right place."

His mother gazed at him, her tears softening into weary acceptance. She wiped her eyes and nodded faintly.

"W-Where are we going?" she asked.

"To the bunkers," Jack replied, guiding her gently toward the exit of the gymnasium. The others quickly followed, silent and subdued, unwilling to intrude further.

The return journey should have been perilous. With so many survivors in tow, any ambush would have been a massacre. Jack knew he wouldn’t have been able to protect them all if monsters had swarmed.

But fortune—or rather, Sommeil’s earlier rampage—had cleared their path. The city streets, once crawling with nightmares, were eerily still. The monsters had either been destroyed or scattered far from here. And so, what could have been hours of terror passed smoothly. In only half an hour, they reached the fortified entrance of the bunker.

The soldiers stationed there gaped as the crowd of survivors emerged from the shadows. They exchanged startled glances, disbelief clear on their faces. But after Jack’s brief explanation, no questions remained. The gates opened.

Inside, the bunker’s atmosphere shifted instantly. Families reunited in tearful embraces. Shouts of joy and sobs of relief filled the dim halls.

"I can’t believe it! You’re alive!"

"Mom!"

"Baby!"

"I’m so happy! I can’t stop crying!"

For the first time in days, hope flickered through the bunker like a flame. Fear and tension had ruled these halls, but now, survivors looked at one another with renewed faith—faith that perhaps they too might see their loved ones again.

Amid the joy, Jack turned to Evelyn. His voice was calm but distant.

"I’ll take my mother to a room to rest. We’ll talk later."

Evelyn’s face twisted, emotions warring across it. "...I understand. Take your time."

Jack gave a short nod. "Yeah."

He turned to leave, but Evelyn’s lips parted.

"Hey... Jack..." she called, almost without thinking.

He glanced over his shoulder. "Hm?"

"...No... i-it’s nothing." She shook her head quickly and walked away.

Jack lingered for a second, staring at her retreating back, before silently carrying his mother to a small empty room at the far corner of the bunker. He laid her gently upon a bed.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I’ve been feeling so weak..."

"Don’t worry about it. Probably exhaustion," Jack replied, settling onto the chair beside her. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his thighs, eyes fixed on the ground. The silence between them stretched long, filled only by the faint hum of the bunker’s lights.

At last, Jack spoke.

"Did you see it?" His voice was low, almost detached.

His mother froze. "...Yeah. I saw it all."

Jack’s gaze darkened. "The monsters... they ate him?"

Her lips quivered. She nodded. Tears welled again as she forced herself to speak.

"We were going to meet someone. Then it happened—the invasion. Creatures pouring into the city from every direction. We tried to run, to make it to the college—it was the nearest shelter. But we were surrounded. Your dad..." Her voice broke, and she pressed her hands over her mouth before continuing. "Your dad told me he would lure them away, to give me a chance to escape."

Jack said nothing. His eyes lowered, his face unreadable.

"I tried to stop him. I begged him," she went on, sobs shaking her body. "But he pushed me away. He refused to let me follow. He ran in the other direction... and they swarmed him."

The memory tore her apart. Her body shook violently, as though the pain itself were shredding her from within. It was a scar no time could heal—a wound carved into her very soul.

And Jack, sitting silently beside her, said nothing. His expression was unreadable, but his silence was heavier than words. No one could know what he was thinking in that moment.