章節 74: Unforeseen Alliances (1)
'This is fucking ridiculous.'
Both of them stood awkwardly apart. Weapons half-raised. The tension to fight now gone.
Hope took in a deep breath, tried to recollect his thoughts—his calm mask slowly slipping back into place.
And then breathed out.
Many assumptions poured into his mind. Doubts and curiosities. But at the moment, the question for this main anomaly had to be put on hold for later. Or Hope could mentally pin it as a mere coincidence and not touch it again after they parted ways. At least, that would be an ideal plan.
'Since he's not attacking right now.'
Hope would have to make do with the situation.
"So. The hell's your problem?"
"...!"
The Awakened flinched as Hope pointed his shield at him.
"Yeah. You. Was me standing at the window that much of a threat to you?"
The Awakened's mouth twitched and pointed back with his sword.
"And who came out swinging first?"
The Awakened jerked at the question.
Then looked away as he rubbed the back of his neck as if in embarrassment.
'This guy…'
What the hell did he sense from afar to come after him?
The first chase they had back at Sector Two made more or less sense. Given the situation Hope created at the encampment, his sneaking away was suspicious.
But this? Hope couldn't figure out why the Awakened acted the way he did.
'It's not like I killed anyone on the spot this time.'
"I'd ask but it seems impossible." He murmured to himself.
Mute or whatever flaw this guy had.
"…"
"How inconvenient."
At that moment, the Awakened looked stunned. Hope could see a whole argument building behind those eyes to retort. But Hope was talking more to himself than to him so he didn't pay mind to the Awakened's expression.
'And is his name really Prince?'
If that was the case, all the more reason that he couldn't be the same person from his First Nightmare.
Hope didn't take interest in anyone's detailed appearance before.
But after becoming a Dreamer, it was now a way to ground himself to reality.
But recalling his First Nightmare, the knight also had blonde hair. Also seemingly near the same age as well—a couple years older than Hope.
Same height. Same exasperated expression. Similar stubbornness.
But this guy…
At first look, his hair looked like it was almost shining. With the sun gone, it didn't carry much shine anymore. Was it the result of the Spell?
Hope knew people's appearances changed after becoming a Dreamer. But rarely did it affect the hair or eye color. Such as his commanding officer with her pink hair. An odd choice from the Spell.
This Awakened's jaw was slightly more chiseled in comparison to the knight.
He had a slimmer build too.
And longer lashes.
'That's an Awakened for you.'
Upgraded.
But not as invincible as people believed them to be. Afterall, Awakened could die with the right weapon at hand.
Hope eyed over his shoulder at the shattered wall the Awakened, or Prince, created.
The vines beyond the broken ledge swayed with the quiet wind, tantalizingly within reach. Hope casually leaned back to calculate how far of a leap it would be and which ones were even safe to grab.
'I'd think I'd survive the fall anyway.'
He would like to survive.
If the Spell liked to play with his odds, then that possibility could be added for its morbid enjoyment.
Too bad this damn Awakened Prince guy was here though. Hope was just close enough to reach the other side himself—
!!!
Woosh–
Suddenly, a blur of faint gold crossed Hope's vision.
A hand shot out and seized the collar of Hope's vest with a startling force.
In an instant, Prince was in front of him.
"What are you—!" Hope instinctively grabbed onto his arm as his feet almost slipped off the edge.
'The hell is this guy's problem?'
"Tsk! Hey. I wasn't going to jump off..."
Hope grunted against the hold.
He adjusted his hands on Prince's tech gauntlet, his fingers randomly pressing a couple of buttons till one flashed green.
But Prince's dark eyes silently bore into Hope's as if he were analyzing him. Searching. Accusing. Questioning. As if he was trying to solve a riddle out of Hope. After staring for a little while, whatever he sought for an unspoken resolve flickered past.
But for Hope, his vision became dizzy as a swarm of memories screened across his eyes.
'Fucking dejavú.'
And Prince didn't pull him up just yet.
'Ah dammit.'
Was this necessary?
"Sigh…Can you just-"
Prince shook his head.
"Let-"
His grip tightened.
Hope's next words faltered as he saw a familiar cut wound across Prince's shoulder.
It was still there…Well, of course, it was still there. But it was healed compared to the other night: less torn, and cleaned up. An injury created from the time they both fought against the Awakened Demon.
And in that time, Hope had used his ability to induce sleep on him through—
!!!
Prince abruptly pulled Hope away from the ledge.
His brows then furrowed as he began searching the floor for something. The room was more of a wreck after their short fight, so Hope had no idea what Prince in his mind was trying to find.
Hope reluctantly was dragged along the search.
If he could slip away, he might've. But the thought of dealing with another possible chase was annoying to imagine.
Finally, after finding a crumpled paper on the ground, Prince picked it up and shoved it against Hope's chest.
Hope had a silent 'the fuck' expression on his face.
He straightened his collar as he looked back up.
Prince's eyes bounced between him and the paper.
"…"
Hope grabbed the paper with minimal effort.
He supposed he could play along for now. Whatever this was.
But unfolding the paper, Hope immediately recognized the content inside. How could he not?
'Huh. Did he bring it up here in a hurry?'
It was the letter the dead husband wrote with 'I'm sorry' written from top to bottom. Also the same letter Hope accidentally stained the edges from his blood. Fresh on paper.
Hope had left it at the bottom of the stairs without much thought.
He didn't think anyone else would pick it up after him.
'But what does that have to do with–'
Hope paused.
Then pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Let me get this straight." Hope began. "You came here… because of some crazy assumptions…I don't know which ones but I think I could guess…"
There was silence.
Crkrckmp.
Then crumpled paper before it was tossed aside.
"...!?"
"First things first. I'm not jumping to my death." Hope said flatly. "Second thing, I didn't kill anyone. The family here just happened to be dead. Unfortunate. Yeah. Because I'm trying to get to that Awakened hovelled up in his den. So stop reading into that."
Prince's mouth fell open slightly in a silent gasp.
He then gestured at the discarded paper, his hands comically juggling as if trying to make a point.
Hope didn't need words to imagine what he was saying.
"I didn't write it."
Prince narrowed his eyes.
"Right. I am suspicious. But also the guy sword-fighting strangers." Hope said pointing again. "Which still doesn't make sense but whatever. Also. Third thing. What of those kids you left behind? Aren't you supposed to be a hero?"
"..."
Prince froze.
Then his dark eyes widened.
'He…forgot. Seriously?'
"..."
'The hell did he see that made him rush over here instead?!'
Chnkchnk.
Before Hope could say anything else, a loud, deliberate click of a gun echoed from the doorway.
Hope and Prince snapped toward the sound in unison.
There at the door—or what was left of it—stood another man around Prince's age. Black bodysuit. Black faded bandana over his head. Similar tech gauntlet.
His rifle aimed squarely at Hope's chest.
Sharp eyes glared beneath his choppy black hair as they both made eye contact.
'I don't need to guess what he sees from my [Chimera] Attribute.'
[Chimera] Attribute Description: "...possession of both beauty and deformity, of promise and peril-"
"Look at this mess," he growled. "Oi, Prince! Wanna tell me why you're with a stray imitating a soldier?"
There was no mistake in it. This was the other member of Master Leda's cohort.
Finally, a face to the name.
Hope paused.
'Well, I am a soldier though.' Hope only stripped the uniform off of a Special Force corpse's body for himself. Which may look comical on him since it wasn't a precise fit. But he was a soldier.
Prince then shook his head vigorously and stepped in between.
His comrade frowned.
"So? Who the hell is he?"
Hope glanced at the pointed barrel as if it were a simple item rather than a lethal weapon that could blow his head off.
The more important question was… "Why are you here?"
"Wha— why am I…No. Who the hell are you?!"
Hope stared a bit longer in silence. Then lifted his arm and dismissed the [Ashen Shield].
Both Awakened stiffened at the sight.
"I'm just a simple soldier. In fact, a soldier from the ambushed convoy you guys briefly escorted."
'And before it all went to shit.'
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