Arknights' Lock of Heaven

Elena lowered her head, sighed, and advised, "I'm telling you this not for any other reason than to dissuade you from this idea."

“Mr. Patriot, we all know what kind of person he is. If there is a way to cure our infected compatriots, he certainly won’t hesitate to do so.”

“But even the shield guards around him haven’t received such treatment,” Elena said, feigning tact. “This shows that it’s not a technology that can be widely adopted.”

"Maybe only the Sarkaz or even the Wendigo can use it."

At this point, she turned to look at Charles.

"I don't know where you heard that, but I can only tell you that for us, Oripathy is an incurable disease. Even if the emperor contracted Oripathy, he couldn't cure himself."

“As a doctor, I’m really sorry there’s not much I can do to help Martha, but you have to live, Charles.”

"Martha gave her life for yours. Don't let her sacrifice be in vain. Just listen to those rumors and don't try to do anything about them."

"And don't even try to find anything that can cure Oripathy. As a university professor, you know how precious that is... enough to drive a person mad."

"Don't waste the life that Martha gave you with her own life here."

At this point, Elena sighed and advised, "Think about it carefully, Charles."

Then he turned and left without hesitation.

Charles was left standing alone outside the ward, stunned.

Inside the big tent.

"Is this woman... trying to use this person to stir up public opinion?" Lukashenko frowned as he looked at the scene in the crystal ball.

"They keep saying it's for his own good, and on the surface they're advising him, but in reality, every word they say is stirring up trouble?"

“Using the Emperor of Ursus as an analogy, the captain is made into a privileged class, separating him from the ordinary infected in their hearts, and using the claim that even we Shield Guards have not been treated to sow discord among them.”

"He kept telling him to calm down, but every word he said was about his wife who had never abandoned Charles, constantly reminding him that his wife's days were numbered and what she had done for him."

“I’ve also heard about the couple’s situation,” Lukashenko said, hesitating slightly.

He had indeed heard about the couple and was amazed by Martha's unwavering devotion to her husband.

Now it seemed Charles was about to get caught up in the spy's instigation and become obsessed... He desperately wanted to stop it and catch that damned woman.

This couple... their lives were already tragic enough, and now they were being taken advantage of like this... he just couldn't stand it.

Seeing the thoughtful expression on Merlin's face after she found Charles and his wife's documents, Lukashenko lowered his head.

As one of the few highly educated talents in the base, their identities are naturally recorded here. It's just a pity that one of them doesn't have much time left, and the other is gradually becoming depressed.

Now, Lukashenko somewhat understands the captain's actions; there's a reason why the captain is so wary of these people.

Merlin's intention to keep the spy around was clear.

Even the captain had to listen to him in this regard, since he controlled the base's food supply.

But Lukashenko still wanted to try and communicate.

At least... don't let this already miserable couple...

"What's with that expression?" Merlin asked, noticing Lukashenko's constantly changing expression.

“Um… Mr. Merlin,” the latter organized his thoughts, then asked, “Do you know the story of Charles and his wife? Their story is known to everyone in the base. The image of her dragging her husband on a stretcher made of branches and scraps of cloth to the base gate that morning is deeply etched in my heart.”

“I don’t know,” Merlin blinked upon hearing this, “but they seem to be a talented couple.”

“Young and promising, with a bright future,” Lukashenko sighed upon hearing this, and said, “It’s just a pity that Ursus cannot accommodate this couple.”

Then they stopped, waiting for Merlin to continue asking questions.

“Oh, then let’s go,” Merlin said with a wicked smile. “Let’s go meet this couple you’ve been talking about, the ones with such promising futures.”

"Uh... what did you say?" Lukashenko nearly snapped his back from the sudden turn of events. "We want to see them? But..."

"Aren't you telling me all this because you're afraid I'll just stand by and watch that man named Charles become a pawn in the hands of a spy?" Merlin turned around in surprise and asked, "What? Did I guess wrong?"

“No, of course not,” Lukashenko replied immediately upon hearing this, “You really want to…”

“There’s no question of whether I want to or not,” Merlin said with a sigh. “Many times, when people are on the edge of a cliff, it’s just that someone pulls them back. Once they’re about to make a mistake, they can only go further and further down the path that is destined to be wrong.”

"Until there is no turning back."

"I don't want to test human nature, because I know that so-called human nature is the most vulnerable to testing. I won't wait here for him to make a decision and then reach out to punish or reward him."

"If the tragedy could be averted by simply pulling him back before it happens, why wouldn't I?"

At this point, Merlin turned to Lukashenko and said meaningfully, "Your captain has been beaten up by this cannibalistic world so much that he can't believe that someone would extend a helping hand to someone in distress without expecting anything in return."

"But he didn't see that he was that kind of person; he had already reached out to the infected in Ursus countless times without expecting anything in return."

"Since he is that kind of person, why are you so sure I can't be?"

“Captain…” Lukashenko wanted to defend Patriot when he heard this, but Merlin waved his hand to interrupt him.

“I know what you’re trying to say, and I understand Patriot’s thoughts. Like I said before, he’s been beaten down by this world far too many times.”

“I didn’t expect to change his mind all at once. How could the mind of someone whose daughter calls him an old stubborn man be so easily changed?”

Let time prove it.

"Now, take me to that ward. Merlin, the kind-hearted older brother, is about to lend a helping hand to lost souls."

"Oh, and while you're at it, tell me all about that couple's story on the way."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Charles had no idea how long he had been outside. He slumped down on the bench by the door, his eyes vacant, and leaned against the wooden wall, utterly exhausted.

With his emaciated body, if it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest, he would have looked like a corpse.

A long, long time later, he no longer knew what time it was, when a snowflake was blown by the cold wind and landed on his stiff palm.

It's snowing. He stared blankly at the snowstorm that was gradually intensifying in the yard, and then subconsciously wanted to wrap his coat tighter around himself.

It should be very cold at this time.

But... it's amazing, even though it was snowing heavily right in front of him, he didn't feel cold at all while he was under the eaves.

At this moment, his mind was a complete mess, but that didn't stop him from realizing that something was wrong.

Then he turned and walked into the ward.

Martha...

When he turned around, he was stunned.

A cluster of flickering candlelight illuminated the room.

But even though I don't know what time it is, no one should be awake, so what's with this candlelight?

He pushed open the door in a daze and saw two silent figures sitting in front of his wife's hospital bed.

The flickering candlelight was lit right beside them.

At that moment, Charles, who hadn't felt the cold outside despite the wind and snow, felt as if his blood vessels had frozen.

Several images flashed through his mind like lightning.

Dr. Elena's warning... How could someone have come knocking on our door in such a short time?

He didn't know when, but his mind was still blank, yet his body had already instinctively rushed forward.

Martha... Martha must not be harmed!

However, he was too weak. Ever since Martha brought him to this base, he had lost his appetite and couldn't eat or drink anything as he watched Martha get sicker day by day. Even after he recovered from his illness, he was still as weak as ever.

He had only taken two steps when physical weakness overwhelmed him; his body simply couldn't withstand such strenuous exercise.

Forcing your way forward resulted in your legs giving way and you falling straight to the ground.

Just then, the person in front of him reached out and gently lifted him up, as if an invisible current was supporting Charles.

To prevent him from falling.

Charles didn't have time to think, gritted his teeth and continued to rush forward, about to speak when he reached the man.

"..."

But when he opened his mouth, he found that he couldn't say anything, as if his throat didn't exist.

The pale-haired man, barely able to contain himself, looked at Charles, smiled, put his left hand to his lips in a shushing gesture, and then pointed to his wife on the hospital bed.

Charles looked in the direction of his gesture and saw Martha sleeping peacefully in her hospital bed.

Ah, it's been so long since I've seen her with such a relieved expression. I remember the last time we weren't infected yet...

No...no, no!

Martha…she slept so soundly, even though she had been suffering from Oripathy and couldn't sleep for nights on end just moments before…

Every moment, he could feel the Originium crystals on his body gnawing at his flesh, an excruciating pain...

And at that moment... she slept so peacefully, so relaxed.

It was as if Oripathy was just a dream.

“Martha…” he murmured his wife’s name unconsciously from his throat, and then he realized he could speak again.

Looking at the two people in front of him, Charles took a deep breath.

He knew that perhaps what Dr. Elena had warned him about was about to happen.