DS Chapter 32- End

“Kylie, try to wake up for a moment.”

“……”

“How long are you going to sleep?”

“……”

“Today, I really want to see you smile.”

He recalled an article from long ago about a patient who had been in a vegetative state for ten years and then miraculously woke up. They said that through devoted and exceptional care, the patient regained consciousness and health.

That was why Logan simply couldn’t give up.

As long as there was even a chance she could wake up—so long as Kylie hadn’t stopped breathing—he couldn’t leave her side.

After washing Kylie with a damp towel, he rose from his seat.

It was time to fix up the failing air-raid shelter. The rusting, corroding, and eventually broken machines sometimes made him feel like they were part of him.

Like slowly sinking into the swamp of time, he realized that if he wasn’t careful, darkness would rise all the way up to his chest.

He felt deeply weighed down. Soon, the darkness might consume him entirely, and hope would vanish. In a world with no light, he would quietly close his eyes for good.

Even so, he oiled, tightened bolts, and painstakingly repaired parts with relentless determination.

All for the dream that one day Kylie would open her eyes again, for the hope of greeting her joyfully, and so he wouldn’t have to leave her alone in this world.

“If you wake up, I want to take you to that luxury store we never managed to visit before,” Logan murmured to himself as he turned the driver’s wheel. He had grown quite accustomed to talking to himself.

“I found a store in a nearby city that hasn’t been looted. The goods inside are in pretty good condition.”

He imagined it: a delighted Kylie strolling through a luxury store. Unbidden, a smile crept across his face.

“I was going to pick up a few things, but I left them there. I thought it’d be nicer for us to look around together later.”

Walking alone through a deserted city, amid ruined apartments and nature reclaimed by wild animals, he often imagined that one day he’d return there with Kylie.

Sometimes he even fooled himself into thinking that he wasn’t alone but that Kylie was with him. Countless times, he’d started talking to the empty passenger seat only to suddenly realize she was still fast asleep, leaving him with an embarrassed silence.

That habit was something he hadn’t been able to break; whenever he had a free moment, he’d search for Kylie. Only then would he remember that she was still in deep sleep, and he’d sheepishly stop talking.

Vroom—

After a long while of grumbling, the halted air purifier finally started up again.

“Finally fixed it.”

It had taken him a month to find the broken parts, get replacements, and laboriously reassemble everything. He had considered scrapping it altogether, but then he’d have to leave the shelter before the rainy season came.

When it rained, the humidity underground would quickly rise, causing mold and poor air quality—and that wouldn’t be good for Kylie, who stayed in the shelter all day.

It was a haphazard repair, and he wasn’t sure when it might break down again, but he hoped it would hold until the end of summer.

He was glad he hadn’t given up.

* * *

It was a quiet morning with not even birdsong to be heard.

The air-raid shelter was fine, except for one drawback: no morning sunlight and no birdsong.
Even after waking up, without checking the clock, it was impossible to tell whether it was early morning or late morning.

I couldn’t help but think that Kylie must be feeling just as cramped. When was the last time I took her for a walk?

Ever since we encountered that dangerous group outside a few months ago, we had to keep Kylie inside the shelter, too cautious to venture out among people.

“Sometimes, you really need a walk.”

It felt like spring had finally arrived—at least, it seemed so. I wanted her to feel the warmth of a spring day.

I went outside first to check if there were any suspicious signs of life.
Once I was sure it was safe, I went back into the shelter, picked Kylie up onto my back, and secured her tightly so she wouldn’t fall. Then I climbed the ladder back up.

After seating her in the wheelchair I’d prepared beforehand, I slowly strolled along the forest path.

“You’re smiling again today. Does being out make you feel good?”

It looked like Kylie was smiling today too. People might call it crazy, but that’s exactly how it appeared to me.

Her hair fluttered in the spring breeze, and with the cool wind and warm air, she broke into a radiant smile—a clear, vivid smile that stayed etched in my memory. I missed that smile so dearly.

“……”

My heart pounded. At that moment, I couldn’t tell if what I was seeing was a hallucination or reality.

Sometimes, I couldn’t help but be plagued by such doubts.

What if Kylie had died long ago and I was merely tending to her corpse? What if I’d already lost my mind and could no longer distinguish delusion from reality?

On days when her breathing seemed unusually faint, my heart would sink and an overwhelming terror would wash over me.

“You’re still alive, right, Kylie? You haven’t left me, have you?”

I gently touched the area near her nose. Strangely, I couldn’t quite feel her breath—perhaps because the wind was blowing.
Kylie’s breathing is so faint that the wind easily drowns it out.

Yes, that must be it.

After slowly walking around with Kylie, I returned to the air-raid shelter.

I took care of my meal, made sure Kylie had something to eat too, and finally gave her another injection.

Then, summoning my courage, I touched the area near her nose again. This time, I felt an even, steady exhale.

Relieved, I murmured that everything was all right. The momentary absence of her breath had just been my imagination.

Today, I decided not to go out. I’d been leaving the shelter often to fetch medicine, and that had unintentionally left Kylie feeling so alone.

Lying on the bed, I held Kylie’s hand. I could feel its warmth.

It felt so warm—I couldn’t possibly be mistaken. I wasn’t crazy. Kylie was still alive.

Every day, as she fought the virus, I kept reminding myself that she was still with me.

Thank you for holding on. You did well today. Believing in her, I would live tomorrow, and the day after, too. I would continue to walk this lonely, desolate road with all my might.

All the while, I clung to the hope that I’d meet Kylie again one day, firmly believing that we could be happy once more.

I dozed off for a moment.

A tingling sensation on my palm woke me up. Had an insect gotten in? Logan furrowed his brow and sat up.

I could see the dim interior of the shelter. It looked like one of the lights had gone out again.

That tingling sensation on my palm came back. Logan raised his itchy hand and glanced to the side.

Kylie’s slender arm had come along as well. There was nothing in her palm.

Then who had tickled it? Logan looked up in puzzled disbelief.

“…Kylie?”

It seemed as though Kylie’s eyes were open. Was I hallucinating again? The shelter was so dark that I might have mistaken it.

I had often mistaken her sleep—imagining her crying, laughing, or even getting angry.

This time, the hallucination was even more intense. Kylie’s face was split into a faint smile.

My condition was rather severe, I murmured, reaching out toward her face.

Even if it were a hallucination, I wanted to touch the face that seemed to be looking right at me. But then…

“Ah…”

A faint moan reached my ears. The shelter, save for the low hum of the air purifier, was a place where no other sound could intrude.

“Kylie?”

I called her name in disbelief. Was it that I was now also hearing things? A hallucination, perhaps.

Through the barely visible gap of her parted lips, a dry and faint voice murmured.

“Logan, why…”

“Ah.”

“Ugh, huh?”

At this point, even if it was all a hallucination, I didn’t care. I had longed for her to wake up just once.

Now that my desperate wish had been fulfilled, nothing else mattered. I simply trembled with ecstasy as my body swayed with delight.

“Kylie… did you sleep well?”

I’d been so worried after you slept for so long. But now that you’re awake again, it’s all forgiven.

Logan managed a crooked smile as thick tears fell down his face.

“Yeah. Logan, suddenly… I feel like I’ve grown old…”

“Is that so? So, you don’t like it?”

She laughed painfully in response, then shook her head slightly.

“No, I like it.”

It felt as if I had just been dreaming a long, long dream—running for what seemed like ages in a dream until I barely caught hold of that brilliant light.

My heart felt incredibly at ease. There was no trace of painful conflict or emptiness, and my mind was clear.

My body was heavy and I lacked strength, but aside from that, everything was alright. So perfect, in fact, that I almost doubted if I’d come to heaven after dying.

I was about to return soon, but—was it too late? I hadn’t waited too long, had I?

Inside the shelter, there was a sweet scent of flowers. In the past, I would have been too distracted by your scent to notice it.

“Flowers.”

“Yeah, spring has come outside. Do you want to go out?”

Thinking that the cool evening would be perfect for a walk, I took Kylie’s hand.

Spring, huh. So you slept for that long? She looked at me with a slightly surprised face.

I was too busy gazing at Kylie to even have time to wipe away my tears. My handsome face was a mess from crying. If I had been able to move, I would have wiped them away for her.

Could it really be spring while I was lost in sleep? I could hardly believe it, but I could feel her heart beginning to beat softly.

I carefully supported her body. Kylie pressed her face against my chest.

Now that I think about it, it was as if my body smelled of a spring breeze. There was the scent of flowers, and even a hint of bitter green grass.

My goodness, it really seems that spring has come.

< Destructive Salvation> fin.

TL/N: Thank you for reading Destructive Salvation With Prizma we hope we can bring more stories like these to light thank you for the wait and support!