Why it never ends

Chapter 1205 Betrayal
At that moment, Hershta said nothing, but the image of Gahodore suddenly flashed into her mind. She frowned, then quickly relaxed.

“…Okay, see you in a bit,” she whispered.

Boheng watched her disappear behind the door, his feelings a mix of emotions. He suddenly realized he had been far too talkative tonight, forgetting the adage that too much talk leads to mistakes—would Hershta understand his good intentions?
Whatever the outcome, he has to make a decision tonight.

……

Hersta's return went almost unnoticed. She moved lightly and carefully enough, but Gahodorei still sensed her return.

Almost at the same moment Gahodore looked at Hersta, Hersta also looked in her direction. Gahodore almost immediately sensed some inexplicable concern in Hersta's gaze. She frowned, glared back, and Hersta chuckled and looked away.

As soon as she sat down, Stella immediately moved to Hester's side.

How did your talk with him go?

“They didn’t talk about anything,” Hester said softly. “He just complained about Packart’s impractical teaching methods and then said he needed to see me tonight.”

"what's up?"

"I haven't said it yet."

“I think things might get a little complicated,” Stella said softly. “He’s never been as irritating as he is tonight—he’s starting to drop the pretense, and he might just lay his cards on you later. Are you prepared?”

“What’s there to prepare for?” Hesta said. “Whatever he plans to do, my plan remains unchanged. Let him have his way.”

In the darkness, Stella glanced in Hershta's direction.

"Are you saying this because you're confident, or because you want to avoid this issue for the time being?"

Hesta turned his head and chuckled, "Guess."

"Hmph." Stella looked away. "I'm not going to guess."

Not far away, children were telling their stories of "betrayal." At first, everything was just as Boheng described: the children eagerly raised their hands, discussing their shared memories—which guerrilla fighter had secretly accepted what benefits, what kind of coercion and inducement had led them to betray the community and reveal highly confidential mission details to the enemy. Most stories featured a character who turned the tide, but a few ended with tragic casualties, or even total annihilation.

The children recounted every detail with great care. If one child made a mistake, the others would immediately step in to correct them. Every story belonged to everyone, so it had to be accurate and flawless.

The translators translated the children's language into the third-zone language, and the adults in the audience listened attentively, often letting out sighs or clicks of their tongues at the thrilling, touching, or infuriating parts.

Every story is so moving—even those filled with sacrifice, because there are always those who come after to make those despicable traitors pay a bloody price, and in any case, the dead will be comforted.

Qiqi was speechless with astonishment.

Upon seeing the word "betrayal," she almost immediately thought of the shattered photos and picture frames she had found in the trash can. She was somewhat afraid of being singled out for a talk, because apart from this incident, she couldn't think of any other experience related to betrayal, and Eleven was right there; she didn't want to say these things in front of Eleven.

However, when the Kasyapas from the mountains spoke of the "betrayals" that had happened around them, Kiki suddenly felt a pang of guilt for her earlier thoughts. She had never known—or rather, never considered—that these girls, who ate and played with her every day, had lived lives of constant fear and uncertainty for so long. "So, is there anyone else who would like to share?" Packart sat among them, waited a moment, and, making sure no more children raised their hands, continued, "Everyone has told many stories about 'betrayal,' so, what does 'betrayal' feel like?"

After a moment of silence, another girl raised her hand. Qiqi recognized her as the second-in-command of the "Stinky Socks Gang."

“Luz,” Packart called her name softly, “you say it.”

"Like chewing a clump of dandelion leaves, teacher."

When the translators relayed the words, Qiqi noticed that Eleven's expression was slightly affected, and many people seemed to have a touch of sadness in their eyes. Somewhat puzzled, she moved closer to the translator beside her and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Teacher, why dandelion leaves?"

"I think it's because dandelion leaves have a bitter taste that goes straight to the throat," the teacher said in a low voice. "Have you ever eaten them?"

Qiqi paused for a moment, then shook her head.

Since she could remember, she had lived in several welfare organizations in Orange Town. She had indeed heard many people say that dandelions were edible, but the canteen had never cooked them, and no one had ever taken her to eat them.

Packart looked calmly at the girl: "What made you feel this way?"

Lutz frowned, her gaze drifting unfocused, as if she were in a meeting. She hesitated for a moment, about to speak, but then suddenly clenched her teeth—her expression became somewhat confused, as if she didn't understand her own reaction, and she lowered her head.

Then tears fell to the ground.

The two girls sitting next to her immediately hugged her shoulders tightly.

Kiki instinctively stood up, rushed to the round table under the skylight, grabbed a few sheets of paper, and handed them to Lutz.

“Kiki, go back to your seat,” Pakat reminded her.

“But—” Kiki pointed at Lutz’s face, “But Lutz—”

“Do you remember our rules?” Packart said. “If anyone needs tissues, she can get them herself. If Lutz needs them, she will get them herself.”

Kiki awkwardly withdrew her hand, but Luz was still crying and didn't look up.

Qiqi blushed, but could only return to her seat. The translator gently put her arm around her shoulder and comforted her, "It's okay."

Everyone waited in silence. After a few minutes, Lutz took a deep breath and began to tell her own story. The story was short, and her tone was calm—Lutz's best friend had died. Before she died, the girl had promised Lutz that she would come back to see her often, but after she left, she never appeared in Lutz's dreams again.

“She betrayed our vow,” Luz said, looking at Packart. “I can’t forgive her, I can’t hate her, and I still miss her often, but she doesn’t come to see me… Why doesn’t she come?”

Kiki clenched the tissue in her hand; the tissue she had just given to Lutz was now being used to wipe away her own tears.