Odayaka

Chapter 46: Spilling Everything

Chapter 46: Spilling Everything


"Is ... When?"


"...stable..."


"So soon?"


The words blended into his mind like a distant dream he could feel slipping from his grasp. The voices were distant and muffled, but they were enough to stir Jinn from his unconscious state.


His eyelids twitched before they slowly lifted up. A dim light pressed against his vision, and once again the world was a blur, even though just for a moment.


And this time, Pain greeted him. He felt deep searing pain across his chest, so deep that Jinn felt like he was breathing glass in his lungs.


He tried to shift, but the pain only felt worse; the strain forced him to grit his teeth and sink back in the thin mattress under him with a light thud.


The faint smell of herbs lingered in the air—bitter roots and dried leaves steeped too long in boiling water. The air was damp, heavy with the residue of rain.


He blinked several times; his sight cleared up little by little. The ceiling beams of the infirmary came into focus, dark wood cracked with age. Faded curtains swayed faintly in the corner, stirred by the breath of wind that crept through a narrow window.


’They brought me here.’ Jinn whispered to himself as he turned his head to see other empty beds and shadows moving on the other side of the infirmary.


"How long has it been?" Jinn looked down and saw the bandages covering his bare chest and torso. He was still wearing the same pants under the thin sheet covering his legs.


The orange light coming from the opened window to his right made it clear that the clouds had dispersed and the sun was about to go down.


’I hope it worked.’ Jinn raised his head and shifted the pillow a little until it felt right.


Then... the voices came back—closer this time.


"...don’t push him. He needs time."


"We don’t have time. The longer we wait, the higher the chance of the killer slipping away."


Footsteps approached the door and swung it open with a crack, revealing a sharp-looking female investigator dressed in brown pants, a white frill shirt, and a vest that tightly accentuated her slender waist and pushed up her chest, emphasizing her curves.


Her hair, which was previously tied in a bun, was now flowing around her shoulders freely, giving her a wild appearance.


The woman had just raised her foot to take a step when a blur shot past her and rushed towards Jinn before her.


"Jinn! Don’t die!"


Jinn’s face darkened upon hearing those words. He did not even have to look to realize who it was. But when he saw that Sally had no intentions of stopping, what was about to happen only grew worse.


"Stop—" He wanted to yell at her, but only a grunt came from his throat before the pain flared.


Hugging him, she sobbed while pressing her head tightly against his chest.


’What is happening?’ Jinn hissed in pain while not understanding why Sally was acting like that.


Sally never allowed herself to cry in front of others because of her tough past, let alone be clingy, especially to him.


"Enough, kid." Fortunately for Jinn, Angelia stepped forward to save him from more pain.


She grabbed Sally by the back of her collar and pulled her off of Jinn like a leech.


"Hiss! Let me go! I want to see Jinn!" Sally flailed her arms, but the woman paid no heed to her and looked over her shoulder to signal someone to take her away.


Jinn followed her gaze and saw Mrs. Walker walking in along with a nurse.


"Sally." Mrs. Walker did not use many words, but a single look from her was enough to silence the girl. "If you want him to recover quickly, let him rest."


Sally’s tantrum deflated, and she silently looked at Jinn with teary eyes and said, "I will come later."


Mrs. Walker also looked at Jinn, her eyes softened a little, "Take care of yourself, Jinn. I will be right outside. If you need anything, just call out to me."


Jinn was surprised to hear so many words from a woman as cold as her. But if there was any teacher he liked besides Sister Agnes, it was her.


"I will." Jinn replied in a worn-out voice. He also noticed the marks under Mrs. Walker’s eyes. He knew how much the truth would have devastated a devout woman like her.


With a nod, Mrs. Walker took Sally to leave the room, but she did not forget to shoot a threatening glare at the woman who remained in the room.


And Angelia clearly got the warning from her, but she said nothing.


Once the teacher left, officer Chen walked into the room; his usual carefree smile was no longer there.


"How are you, Jinn?" he asked, taking a seat on the stool beside his bed.


Angelia did not sit and kept standing at the foot of his bed with her hands crossed under her chest and her eyes locked on Jinn.


"Alive, fortunately." Jinn kept his voice low and lacking in energy.


"What happened in that room?" As if losing her patience, the woman stepped in and asked coldly.


"Miss Anglia, we talked about it. You have to let me ask the questions." Officer Chen reminded the woman wryly.


Angelia clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Then hurry up and don’t waste any more time. It has already been three hours."


Jinn’s eyes gleamed slightly before returning to normal. ’So, only three hours have passed. There is still time.’


"Forgive her; she is on the edge from what we all saw in that secret room." Officer Chen offered Jinn a polite smile. "We will start from the beginning, okay. If you are not feeling—"


"You know me, officer Chen." Jinn suddenly interrupted the man and took control of the conversation subtly. "I do not like wasting time."


His voice was very light, but it made the young officer pause.


Jinn looked him in the eyes and spoke each word clearly, saying, "It was the matron who killed Torus, the janitor, and teacher Clark."


Angelia’s eyes narrowed, and her hand clenched around her arms tightly. Seeing the look on Officer Chen’s face, she knew there was no falsehood in Jinn’s words.