The House of Ash and Guilt のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 8

I followed my ruined corpse all the way to the mass grave.My limbs were twisted at unnatural angles, my body covered in crisscrossing bruises, my face drained of every drop of color—like a weed that had been stomped flat by a hundred boots.Soon, a pack of mangy stray dogs caught the scent of fresh meat. Their eyes glowed hungry and green in the darkness as they circled in. At first, they just tugged at the edges of my clothes. Then one bolder mutt sank its teeth into my calf and ripped off a chunk of flesh.The pain cut straight through to my soul. I screamed without thinking, trying to scare them off. "Get back! Don't touch me! Get away!"But no one could hear me. My hands passed through their bodies every time I tried to shove them. All I could do was watch as those animals turned my flesh into a feast—tearing, gnawing, reducing me to something unrecognizable.I remembered my father, after hearing of Matthew's death, pointing a finger at my face—every word a poison-tipped dagg

Just then, a commotion erupted at the front gate—followed by the butler's frantic, stumbling announcement.A lavish carriage had pulled up to the door, its polished walnut body inlaid with mother-of-pearl and gemstones that glittered in the lantern light. The curtain was pushed aside by a well-manicured hand, a gold signet ring gleaming on the finger. A young man stepped out, assisted by two servants, dressed in embroidered gold brocade and wearing a jeweled circlet.I'd recognize that face anywhere—even if it turned to ash.It was Matthew, my brother, who was supposed to be dead for over a year. The brother I'd given my life to atone for.He was back. Alive. Radiant. Dressed like a true prince of nobility.I hung there in the air, struck dumb as if by a bolt of lightning. My ghost trembled on the verge of unraveling.I was dead. I'd been sold to the brothel, tortured beyond measure, devoured by dogs until nothing was left of me. And all of it—every last shred of suffering, every

It was nothing more than a pile of gnawed, scattered bones, with a few scraps of ragged cloth still clinging to them—barely recognizable as a human form.George fainted on the spot.The servants carefully gathered my remains in a clean white sheet and carried them back to the manor.When that heavy bundle of bones was laid before my father, even his iron heart couldn't help but recoil. He stumbled back several steps, face drained of color, stomach churning.He'd never imagined—not in his worst nightmares—that his own flesh and blood would come back to him like this. Broken. Violated. Reduced to filth.There was no grief in him. Just the panic of something spinning out of his control—and revulsion at being confronted with such dirty, disgusting remains.When it came time to settle my affairs, my father had to go to the county clerk's office to officially close my records.The clerk on duty was a chatty sort. Glancing at the file, he remarked casually, "Mr. Duncan? Oh, right—you'r

Every word out of Matthew's mouth was a blade, slicing into my father's heart one cut at a time.I watched the color drain from his face—he looked paler than I'd been in death. He stumbled backward, crashing into the display cabinet behind him. Delicate porcelain plates and crystal ornaments shattered across the floor like his own broken heart.The son he'd tortured to death, the son he'd hated with every fiber of his being—had been innocent all along. That devastating truth broke him completely."Aaaagh—!"A guttural, inhuman howl tore from his throat. He ran like a madman to the family shrine, grabbed my memorial plaque, and began slapping himself across the face with both hands, as hard as he could.The sharp, wet sounds echoed through the empty hall. His face swelled and reddened, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. But he didn't stop. He couldn't feel it."Eli... my poor son, Eli... I've failed you... I was blind..."I was wrong... let me pay with my life... pleas