章 111: Uncovering the truth. Deterioration

"Wha…!?" I think I heard something just now. It was a disembodied voice whispering into my ear. That caught me by surprise, I was alone after all, so I immediately turned around to see if someone was standing behind me without thinking for a second where I was.

This was my mind. An isolated place filled with nothing but my own thoughts. Even if someone was indeed there, I wouldn't see a thing. However, no one can come here, and even if there is someone out there who can do the unthinkable and step foot inside here, they would have been corrupted by the surrounding energy, which will eat their soul until they become one with it.

Maybe I have been standing here for far too long looking at that questionable-looking window that now my mind is filling the lack of human interactions and silence by imitating and playing their voices.

"Hold on! How do I know all that?" That's not possible. The dark aura of this place is eating other souls and things like that no one told me, and I know for a fact that Raphael didn't mention anything about it either. Furthermore, am I also a lost soul around here? Although this is my resting place, it is not completely my body, so after a certain time has passed, I would be eaten as well!?

"Hehehe~! Now that's indeed smart, but not quite… accurate. They wouldn't dare harm their master, considering you have control over them. I would advise you to use them once in a while, though. They can get really… agitated if there is nothing for them to Feed On."

That same voice from before, "So, I was right. How did you get in here? Who are you?", There is no use. I can't see anything aside from myself and that window. This can't be good. I'm scared to know what is happening outside that made them appear at this time.

"Ah, my apologies! Where are my manners? I should have introduced myself first. I'm One."

"One like the number?"

"Hahaha, pretty much, dear!"

D-dear!? Don't give me those honeyed words before explaining yourself. The way they talk almost sounded like, "This is not funny. You better not think that pulling a trick on me now is going to make me go easy on you. Show yourself. I know you are here. Raphael?"

["You…call…how…dare…to"]

Hm!? Pfft...was he having a stroke or something? I don't know what he was saying, it doesn't make any sense, but I don't think that was stuttering. That wasn't caused by fear of being caught or uneasiness, it sounded more like it was annoyed and he was holding his tongue.

"It is just me, or is it getting too hot in here?", If I wasn't inside my mind, I would really have thought that I was burning, and for a while, it kept getting worse. The whole thing fell into complete silence.

I decided to wait a little bit longer since there was nothing better to do anyways. It was not like I could go back to where I came from just by sheer will, and the memories had stopped playing in that little tiny window a while ago. As time went by, in a blink of an eye, something kept bugging me the more I thought about it.

And aside from feeling like I was thrown into the depth of hell from how burning hot the ambient had got, the thought of something being alive inside me all this time was surprisingly disgusting. Who was that person referring to as 'They'? I am the master of whom here? And I have to use them or feed them, which means something in here is alive and has the ability to think on its own. To a certain degree, but still…

"I'm back! Sorry for the delay there, my dear, but I am…in a little tricky situation here, you see."

Damn it, they surprised me again. How do they do it? The voice was so close I thought someone was breathing down my neck, but it was just my imagination. No one was there, which upset me even more since they were practically playing with me.

"…*huff*…*huff* Un-unfortunately for you, I don't. So, keep it short…and stop calling me like that!"

"Hahaha…right, right. It is weird to show yourself some affection, isn't it? I suppose that should be put into action first. Are you have some discomfort? Should I fix this for you?"

With the sound of a finger-snapping in the distance, the temperature went back to normal. At first, it felt like I was freezing and couldn't stop shivering. How was that possible? Everything was not real, and it was a creation of my imagination. However, I never once tried to use it. So how can someone other than me or Raphael can play with it?

"You don't know? Well, I am satisfied to hear that, since this means we have to spend more time walking on this earth. We laid low until now, and you did a good job lowering their expectations for disaster to zero, but from now on, despair would befall humankind before they even see it coming, hahaha." they are close. I can feel a strong aura approaching from the right. The sound of something metallic being dragged on the ground, footsteps, dripping, and crackling sounds. "They will soon perish, but you don't have to worry about anything. I will do it! This world will become pure once again, and true balance will enlighten our path toward what is rightfully ours." It was not long after that they stopped, and from the shadows, two pair of shining yellow lights emerged from the dark and were focused on me. My heart drops, "What are you?", it can hear my thoughts, but it can not be him. Raphael's eyes are red, not like this.

"You will find the answer to that soon enough. When the gates of heaven open once again, and the clock of life says still, the soul that was unfairly cut in two by the hands of the creator will emerge together and bring equality. The story will rewrite itself once the one who was parted with their physical body arrives and the other who will brake the chains of purgatory reunite. They will become one and take down that being along with that man whom the name you desperately call. The eternal fight between life and death will be over, and they will become timeless and atemporal. Without the restrainings of the human world, we will be free in the true paradise."

They are indeed not human. So many negative emotions are accumulated in just one body. Loathe for humankind, satisfaction coming from inflicting pain on the living, everything has to do with hate, and there is when it all ends.

"I don't have any idea about all the things you just said. And who is this 'we' you are refereeing to?" for a moment there, I thought that I saw a full set of white teeth appearing on that nonexistent face below those shining yellow eyes. It sent shivers down my spine, but once I closed my eyes and looked again, it was not there anymore, yet the lights were closer than before.

"Sigh! That information is proprietary, and I don't need to explain anything since you are going to see it with your own two eyes. All in due time, dear! But first, don't you think that fear is quite the stimulant?"

"What?"

"Let me be clear. You believe that fear is the only thing that can bring balance from your point of view. That fear is the definition of creating unanimity by force and manipulation. And I agree with that. After all, aristocrats and those who, in general, are in a better position than normal people used those methods to secure that position. Although I wasn't talking about that."

"…!?" oh god, no, it is getting closer. They change positions so fast and without making any sound that if it wasn't for the metallic sound and voice giving their location away, I would have no idea if they were next to me or not.

"The thought of being trapped inside a place with a strange person where everything in your field of view is gone makes your heart race. The amygdala starts sending signals which alert your nerve system, and therefore the body enters panic mode."

My heartbeat is in sync with the sound of their steps. Clomp! Clomp! I can hear it but can not see them. First, it appeared from the right, and now I hear it from the left side. With each step coming closer, I make a step back. Each time it was like my heart was going to stop at any moment, and I felt relief once I created that safe distance between them and me, but I knew it wouldn't take long after I ran out of space.

"Now, where was I? Right…we were talking about that little friend of yours. The one who played a big part on brainwashed you to believe that this was a story you reincarnated to when actually it was a game between him and the woman all along."

My heart dropped, "W-what?!" I can't believe it. What did I just hear? A game!? No… no, no, no way this is real. I don't have to trust this person or whatever it is. They are not trustworthy. I don't even know who they are, and they can't give me a reason to believe them, so everything is just a lie. Yes! They are spouting nonsense to mess up with me. They are definitely…

"Are you sure about what you just said in that brain of yours? Are you sure you won't regret those words?"

…in front of me!?

***

'Rai…how did it turn out like this?' it is all my fault. I don't know what come into me, but I should have been more careful. Although I thought that my eyes didn't have any effect on her since she was protected by her own, her body shut down completely and collapsed in a brief second just by glaring at them. I was lucky the chains she tied me with were long enough to reach her before she lost consciousness, but now it is starting to become uncomfortable. I can't easily move with this on and that man…how long does he intend to stand there?

I have seen that person before in the same situation as this one. I would have eliminated him immediately as he laid foot inside the room, but they didn't show any sign of uneasiness, and especially, they didn't want to intervene. This is strange. He is strange. They are not saying anything and just sitting behind the table, waiting in silence, in a pose like he is meditating. 'He is so lucky' One wrong move and his eyes will meet mine, but he is keeping them close even though he is right in front of us.

'Perhaps he is being careful because he knows I won't hesitate to attack him if I sense hostile intentions or butting in my business in general.' Although his presence was a nuisance, I couldn't care less for the likes of him. After all, that is not important at the moment.

It hasn't been long since then, and there is not much movement going on with her right now, but she is safe and sound, so I just have to wait. She is breathing, she has a pulse, and her heart is beating normally now. Still, some sudden changes would make my heart jump to my throat. At times she would stop breathing. Her heartbeat gets faster and sometimes slower until I can't even feel it beating anymore.

'If I leave her like this, there is no telling what is going to happen next. What if her heart stops completely one day? Situations like this have been more frequent and nearly deadly, so even if she wakes up from it, next time, she may or may not make it.' I shook off that thought. Rai was strong enough mentally and physically, so if someone fought or even tried to brainwash her, the thought of losing won't leave her until the situation ended up in her favor. 'But this is beyond her power to control. And from what I have seen inside that realm, she can't do much, and everything is up to that creepy thing.' the silhouette of a gigantic human in the form of dark mist with bright red eyes and a mouth wide open as a black whole still gives me nightmares. 'I always imagine the worse scenario where they are both there, and with that size of his, he could eat her in one bite and take control of her body when she at least expected it. So, if it is possible to find a way to get it out or destroy it before that happens, now is the best time for it.'

I have something in mind, but to see it in moderation, I have to put my pride aside and let this one go for the time being, "Your name is Spencer, am I correct?" not to mention that Raeliana would probably resent me for a good long time if something happens to this one. It irritates me into madness!

"Yes, your highness, that is my name. What can I do for you?"

Straight to the point, huh? I'm in a situation where complaining is foolish and unreasonable, but they still choose to look down rather than not in my direction, which is starting to get on my nerves. "I want you to send words to the temple in the east." However, this is not time to think about me, "There are some people fairly interested in nature, which can also include the most peculiar things from flora to fauna to finding their story or adding to it. So there are quite knowledgeable, and that can provide us with a thorough examination as well as a solution to the problem in hand without demanding a payback." since a friendly rapha living among civilians is out of everyone's understanding and basically a tabu, they will find it quite intriguing her whole personality and lifestyle as part of their community. I am giving them a one-of-a-lifetime opportunity to examine a one-of-a-kind being in exchange for their knowledge. It is a win-win for both parties, "I'm not asking much of you. You will just have to send a letter with my signature to one of my representatives there. Easy enough, right?"

No one in this kingdom can give a clear explanation for raphas, let alone their sicknesses or how to cure them, and even if we call a doctor and use my position to threaten him or her for a proper examination, they won't do it for a rapha, and I am sure everyone here secretly wants her out of the picture. So, I won't take that risk and make her condition worse by asking them, however… 'I can still provide a temporary solution to relieve your pain, even a little bit.' So, this man might come in handy and become my errand boy for a day. It's only fair for me to ask something in return after what they went through to put these chains on me, right?

"Pardon my insolence, your highness, but I can not discuss anything regarding the lady's health with an outsider as well as take actions without her order. That being said, while the lady is unconscious, no one inside this mansion has a saying on this matter."

'So why are you standing here? To make sure she is not breathing any longer?' I tried so hard not to say it. Vent my anger is not going to lead me anywhere but aggression. I already imagine how satisfying it would be to break his neck and every bone in his body like a toothpick, hearing them screaming in agony, begging so hard to stay alive… haha haha…that would be only the beginning, and after him, it would be the chimeras turn.

'Hmm! That might make her mad, but what if that is not meant for him? I need that person to come as soon as possible to check on Raeliana. And I suppose since I stand in the middle of being reasonable to a certain degree, which would be classified as "normal behavior," and arrogance leading to loss of control or craziness, I can easily maneuver on both sides. Therefore, since there is no right and wrong, and time is also ticking... reasonable insanity is my cup of tea.'

I don't want to hurt her when these things that keep the styloid process of my forearms altogether break, so I have to put Raeliana down for a little. "Now, now, Mr. Butler or whatever…your distance, tone of your responses, and adverted eyes give me the impression that this situation favorises you, so I would like to ask you a friendly question. Do you really feel safe right now?"

"…!? If I were to answer your question honestly, your highness, there wouldn't be a reason for me to go to such a length of avoiding physical and eye contact if I felt comfortable in the presence of an unconscious but reasonable murderer and unpredictable one. No offense, but I have known Miss Raeliana for a very long time, and I have grown immune to her ways of intimidation, so yes… my answer is shockingly positive."

I don't get it. Does he feel safe or not? Perhaps a mixture of both, but his response sounds weirdly familiar. Somehow both uninterested and friendly. However, what actually concerns me is that not only I have influenced her personality to become more cautious of her surrounding, but also, this man has affected her style, which is formal and offensive at the same time.

Anyhow, I'm not trying to analyze this man or anything. Still, the time spent doing it was quite fun. It distracted me a little from the pain beyond human understanding, which would have made seconds feel like hours of torture and made me achieve something new. "So, you're convinced that there is nothing here to be done, as everything it's all right the way it is as long as you stand there sitting far away in your safe space. What a shame! I really thought we would come to an agreement and hopefully save two lives, but I guess this is goodbye."

A new level of envy, that's it, and I don't like his overall confidence. It makes my blood boil when they flex how much time they spend with Raeliana, which I could not, and it pisses me off even more, how easy it will it be for her to replace me for that reason.

I 'corrected' too many of those cockroaches, and I won't hesitate to do it again. Those pests keep reappearing in front of me, hogging around her even after receiving great humiliation, publicly or emotionally, who won't miss the opportunity to shave their relationship down my throat.

However, this one is lucky enough to still be breathing the same air as her, and I will be 'nice' since there are no feelings between the two, but although it could be a simple friendship, it is still a nuisance. The thread from both ends has grown thicker and stronger, and what better way to cut it than…

"How admirable! You predicted the unpredictable yet failed to see the disaster slowly approaching. Nonetheless, you are confident in your position since I can't hold or touch anything for the time being, so why don't you rethink your last statement again and say it to my face as a brave civilized person."

…to pull it all by the roots before it sprouts and flourishes. And if words go to the temple, not only will I be able to save my life and Raeliana's, but there will definitely be a chance to kill two birds with one stone by the end of this whole thing.

'Their dreams will be crushed into pieces again and again until they get their lesson. And this time, she will be left alone with me for good!'

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