Chapter 855: The Best Reward
“Shasha sha…”
After a burst of static, an image appeared on the old black-and-white television screen.
Old P could be certain that it was Mary, because her face was identical to Maria’s, only her clothes and hairstyle were more traditional and conservative.
“Are you recording again? Oh dear…”
Mary smiled at the camera, waved her hand, and then sat down on a chair by the bed.
“I don’t know why, but I really like it here.”
“It’s very quiet.”
“I always said this place was once a holy land…”
“Now I understand why.”
“It’s a pity we have to leave…”
“Promise me you’ll bring me back here again, okay? Ahem, ahem…”
Mary came eagerly toward the camera, but suddenly couldn’t stop coughing.
Then, the images on the TV became chaotic, with fragmented scenes flashing by rapidly. It was unclear whether this was the recording or memories inside the protagonist’s mind.
Or perhaps the recording and the protagonist’s memories were mixed together, intertwined, impossible to distinguish…
Among the disordered fragments, there were scenes of Mary gazing out the window in contemplation, and scenes of Mary lying in bed while the protagonist cared for her attentively…
But there was also one very terrifying scene.
In front of Mary’s hospital bed, the protagonist suddenly stood up, blocking the camera.
Amid the chaotic images, a blurry figure seemed to reach for something by the bedside, then pressed down hard on it…
The TV screen was now nothing but static.
And the protagonist, as if all the strength had been drained from his body, sat in front of the television, his head hanging weakly as he stared at the floor.
Old P couldn’t move or shift his perspective. He could only sit like the protagonist, motionless, staring blankly at the floor, listening to the shasha sound of the black-and-white TV, like… a dead man.
The little girl Laura ran in and asked the protagonist if he had found Mary. Seeing him motionless, she gently pushed his shoulder.
Old P’s view wobbled slightly, but he still stared blankly at the ground, unmoving, deaf to everything.
After a long time, the protagonist lifted his head.
“Laura, Mary is gone… she’s dead.”
Laura shouted loudly, “No, you’re lying! She… she’s dead? Died of illness?”
The protagonist shook his head.
“No… I killed her.”
…
…
At the end of the game, everything became even more chaotic.
But Old P had gradually come to understand a little of the truth.
Mary hadn’t died of illness; the protagonist had killed her with his own hands.
Because Mary had an incurable disease, bedridden for three years, suffering endlessly, merely waiting for death.
This hopeless life made Mary furious at everyone around her, especially the protagonist, James.
And James was also tormented by this life, so much so that he wanted to escape, afraid to even see Mary.
Until one day, Mary told James that she had had enough of this pain. She wanted to die.
James ended Mary’s suffering with his own hands, but this memory was too painful for him, so it was sealed deep within his psyche. He only remembered that Mary had died of illness.
And Silent Hill was a terrifying place that could manifest all the negative emotions within a person’s heart. So when James came to Silent Hill, the bizarre scenes he saw, the terrifying monsters, the experiences he went through…
All of it was actually the embodiment of his own inner darkness.
At the end of the game, Old P ultimately defeated the terrifying Pyramid Head and killed the monster that Maria had transformed into.
Finally, James seemed to travel through time, returning to Mary’s sickbed, having one last conversation with the already-dead Mary.
Mary lay on the bed, her face haggard, ravaged by illness beyond recognition.
James: “I’m sorry…”
Mary coughed twice: “I told you, I wanted to die, James. I wanted to end this pain.”
“That’s why I did it. I couldn’t bear to watch you suffer…”
James paused, then shook his head: “No, that’s not the whole truth. You also said you didn’t want to die… The truth is, part of me hated you, hated you for taking away my life…”
Mary interrupted him: “You killed me, and you’ve been tormented by it. Enough, James…”
James carried the dead Mary and left the room.
In the darkness, James’s voice echoed in Old P’s ears.
“Now I know the real reason I came to this town.”
“What do I have to fear?”
“Mary, without you, I have nothing…”
A sharp screech of tires, growing from far to near…
“Now, we can finally be together forever…”
James’s profile appeared in Old P’s view, his eyes closed, his expression peaceful. In the silent depths of the water, Mary’s voice calmly read the letter she had written to James.
“In my endless dreams, I saw that town, Silent Hill.”
…
“When I first learned I was dying, I refused to accept it.”
“I lashed out at everyone around me, especially you, James.”
“So if you truly hate me, I understand.”
“But I want you to know…”
“I will always love you, James.”
…
“You gave so much, and I could never repay you.”
“So I hope you live for yourself.”
“Think of yourself, James.”
…
“James…”
“You made me feel… so happy…”
In the final scene, there was only darkness. The background music, “Promise,” still echoed in Old P’s ears, but this guitar piece now seemed to carry an entirely different meaning.
When he first heard the song, it felt hair-raising and chilling. Though it was a somewhat cheerful tune, it held an indescribable eeriness.
But hearing it now… it seemed to carry a heavy sense of sorrow and melancholy.
This time, in the darkness, Old P didn’t immediately exit the game. Instead, he quietly watched the entire credits roll, listening to the full version of “Promise.”
And the viewers in the live chat were also immersed in the game’s story. The entire barrage was surprisingly unanimous.
“Ahhhhhhh! This story!”
“QAQ, tears in my eyes!”
“What the hell? Isn’t this a horror game? Why am I crying!”
“Thank you, Old P, for bringing us such an amazing game. If I had to play it myself, I definitely wouldn’t dare. Thanks, Old P, for taking us through to the end!”
“Tears streaming down. Is the last song called ‘Promise’? It’s so beautiful…”
…
After completing the entire game, Old P returned to the login space of the VR gaming pod.
At that moment, a window popped up in front of him. As one of the first ten thousand players to clear Silent Hill, he would receive a reward of six games of his choice across all platforms.
But Old P suddenly felt that this reward wasn’t so important anymore.
Being able to finish a game like Silent Hill—the experience itself already seemed like the best reward, didn’t it?