Chapter 687

Herzog wanted to look out the window to see what was happening outside, what that massive commotion was, what kind of thing had invaded the harbor, and what the soldiers were fighting against. There was indeed a window in Ward Zero, but it was set far too high. Herzog couldn't even reach the sill if he jumped, and the entire window was boarded up with thick planks, making it difficult to catch more than a fleeting glimpse of the outside world through the narrow gaps. Ironically, Ward Zero had been designed entirely by Herzog himself. Back then, he had said with immense pride that this would be the most tormenting room, the one most capable of instilling utter despair: a window that could never be reached no matter what, with grills that afforded only the tiniest sliver of a view of the outside world... Often, what brought people despair was not endless, boundless pitch darkness, but that single speck of light they could never touch, no matter how hard they tried or how much they struggled.