Chapter 426

Silas quickly moved closer and, upon touching Old Garcia's forehead, exclaimed in alarm, "Oh no, you're burning up! Old Garcia, you've got a fever! This is bad—we don't have any medicine here. What are we going to do?" Garcia's eyes fluttered open weakly, and he rasped, "Old Forrest, this isn't your fault. It's me... I wanted to come into this forest. I remember Eva once painted the Crimson Woods. I thought... maybe if I came here, I could find her... Old Forrest, how could she be so heartless? She left over twenty years ago and never came back... If I had known it would turn out like this, I never would have pushed her away..." Silas was momentarily stunned, then sighed deeply. "Ah, you... It's been over twenty years. Even if Eva painted these woods, how could you possibly find her here? I... I had no idea this was your reason for coming. If I'd known, I wouldn't have encouraged you to come... And that child, Eva, it's been twenty years, and she hasn't even come back to visit..." As S