Chapter 830: The Three Calamities [3]

"What do you think is the best way to keep a person from escaping?"

It was an abrupt question.

One that caught me off-guard for a moment, but the answer... I more or less already knew in my mind.

"...It’s to make sure they don’t have a reason to escape."

"Yes."

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he looked towards the distant crack.

"What need is there for a prison when the prisoner believes they’re free? Give them comfort, routine, even a shallow sense of purpose, and they’ll never question it. They’ll never seek the truth. And why would they?"

"...Because they don’t believe they are imprisoned."

"Right."

Emmet smiled once more, his hazy eyes turning a little bit clearer.

"They’ve learned from their mistakes. They understand what to do in the future, and that’s why it’s important that you don’t fail your mission."

"I know..."

He didn’t have to remind me.

I was well aware of the situation myself.

But that still didn’t change the fact that I was currently helpless.

’No, I’m not entirely helpless.’

There was still the Eye of Oracleus.

’If I use the eye, then I’m sure I can loop until I figure something out, but that will only delay the inevitable. That’s not what I want. I need to get an answer before I am sent back to the future.’

The third leaf had a time duration.

There was no specific reason for it, and as such, I knew that I couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

"...I know what you’re talking about."

I said while looking at my past self. Emmet.

Honestly, it felt both weird and right to refer to him like this. As if he were a completely different entity.

’He’... ’I’... just felt so distant.

"I’m at a point where I’m struggling to contain one of the calamities. I’m sure you’re aware of the fact that I’ve used the third leaf to come back to the past. I mainly came back to look for an answer, or something... in order to figure out how to handle the situation, but instead, I found myself here. I’m still lost, and I have no idea how to solve it."

Evelyn’s situation merely stemmed from her emotional instability.

But even though I had used my Emotive Magic on her, it seemed useless. Or at least, it didn’t have a great effect on her.

It wasn’t enough to curb the darkness that was building up inside her body and consuming her mind.

Or at least, this was how I thought of it.

But—

"You already have the answer."

Emmet pointed at his temple, his hazy eyes focused on me.

"...You may think it’s not enough, but it is enough. Your Emotive Magic. That’s the end of it all."

"But I tried."

I frowned upon hearing the answer.

"It didn’t work at all. It barely did anything to her."

"That’s because her mind is currently closed off. You won’t be able to get through her even if you wanted. Emotive Magic is the end to it all, but not the complete answer to your predicament."

"Then...?"

"You’ll figure it out soon enough. I’d much rather you feel it than I explain it to you."

"What?"

Baffled, I looked at my old self. I felt an immediate wave of something boiling in my chest when I saw the subtle smile on his lips, but soon gave up when I realized that I was no different.

’No, I am him.’

I sighed.

Was I really this detestable?

"There’s not much time left."

Emmet spoke, turning his attention towards the crack in the distance.

"I should wrap things up before things start to get messy."

Placing his hand over his neck, Emmet started to massage it. As he did, he turned his attention towards me for the last time.

"Remember this."

He spoke slowly, making sure that I understood his words.

"The moment ’they’ mark you, it’s almost impossible to escape their eyes and control. They can read your thoughts. Hear your words and even see your actions. The only way to prevent them from ’detecting’ you is by using the Source, or..."

Emmet paused, his eyes blinking slowly.

"...By embodying and becoming a completely different person."

A sudden flashback filtered across my mind.

’...I feel like we’re being watched.’

’You’re not wrong. They can read our thoughts. But only to those they’ve set their targets on.’

’Learn how to act.’

’...Immerse yourself in the role.’

’The world is now your theater. ’They’ are your spectators. Become someone you are not and hide your thoughts from ’them’. That’s the only way to slip past their gaze. But of course...’

’Don’t lose yourself in that role.’

Suddenly, several things began to click in my mind.

"By becoming someone else, you’ll be able to hide from their detection and move freely completely. Of course, that will also mean you won’t be able to use your powers fully. A lot of your movements will be limited, but this is the price one must pay for ’freedom’."

Moving away from the side of the roof, Emmet turned his wrist and checked the time.

"Hmm. There’s not much time left. I can feel that you’ll be brought away soon. Since that’s the case, let me give you a little gift."

"Huh...?"

I blinked.

Then, something hit me.

"No, wait—!"

Before I could react, he placed his hand against my chest and pushed. The instant he did, the world around me warped, twisting and stretching as though time itself had begun to unravel.

BANG!

By the time it all stopped, I smashed against something hard.

"Ukh!"

My mind throbbed, feeling as though I had been rammed by a truck, and when I came to, I found myself in a familiar place.

This is...?

’It’s the Evenus Mansion.’

There was no doubt about it. Everything about the place exuded refinement, from the meticulously polished garden paths lined with trimmed hedges to the towering mansion that stood at the center. Although a bit different, this was none other than the Evenus Mansion I was familiar with.

"Stand up."

A voice followed me a moment later.

Looking up, I saw Emmet standing next to me, his gaze murky white as he fixed his attention towards the distance.

I followed his gaze, and it was there that my eyes fell on two figures.

A young boy and a young girl.

"....."

Emmet didn’t need to say anything as I activated [Lament of Lies] and stood up from the spot, following from behind as we moved towards the two children in the distance.

"Hehehe."

The soft sound of giggling echoed in the air.

"I caught you!"

The two children smiled happily, playing alone in the courtyard as no other adult was present.

Standing in silence, I turned my attention towards Emmet.

He stared at the scene with indifference.

But eventually, he pointed at the young boy.

"Don’t get distracted. Look carefully at him."

Frowning, I did as he said, but when I looked at the young boy, nothing seemed out of place. He looked like any ordinary child, carefree and lost in his own little world.

Just what—

"You’re not looking."

"....?"

When I turned my head, Emmet pointed at his mind, and that was when I finally got an idea as I narrowed my eyes and used the fifth level of emotive magic.

The moment I did, my eyes shot wide open.

This...!

"It looks like you’re finally seeing it."

Emmet’s calm voice echoed from beside me as I took a moment to calm myself, focusing on the dark emotions that were slowly building up within the young boy. They weren’t very obvious, but it was ever-present.

But that wasn’t the part that shocked me.

What did was something else.

"The more he’s exposed to her, the more the darkness within him grows. It won’t be long before the darkness consumes him."

"...."

I didn’t say anything. What could I even say?

I had seen the darkness. Even absorbed that very darkness.

If this were true, then...

"She’s the source of his darkness."

Emmet’s words drifted slowly in my ears as he calmly looked at the two. But as he did, he soon turned his head in my direction.

"But the reason why she’s so close to him is because of me."

"...."

"I had asked Noel to keep her close."

"...."

"Don’t tell me you’re feeling bad for the situation, right?"

Emmet looked at me closely.

"What you’re seeing is something that must be done."

"...But there are other ways to keep her close."

The words flowed out on their own.

"Yes, there might be."

Emmet replied, his gaze unchanging.

"But this will just change the victim to another. There’s no other way around it. The darkness is not something that can be contained. It will corrupt everything and anything that is exposed to it for a very long time. It’s not much now, but it won’t be long until the changes start to show. Which is why..."

Emmet suddenly raised his hand, a soft glow enveloping it as his eyes grew even murkier and a thin film spread across the two bodies. In that very moment, the darkness that was spreading out of Evelyn’s body focused entirely on Julien.

The small child paused for a moment, his expression twisting.

"...It’s best to have the corruption contained within one person. This body is also the most ideal for containment. You may not be aware, but the talent that this body has in ’Emotive’ aspects is one of the best that exists. It’s also the reason why I chose it."

Emmet’s eyes continued to stare at the little boy, whose face was starting to twitch as the darkness started to take over.

"He may never be able to tell due to darkness within, but I’m sure you, of all people, are aware. Only someone like him will be able to contain the darkness inside the body."

Emmet’s voice paused as he lowered his hand.

The young boy stopped completely in that moment, his expression darkening as Evelyn turned to look in his direction.

"Julien...? What’s going on? Why did you stop?"

She looked worried as she moved towards him.

But just as her small hand was about to reach for him, Julien’s expression twisted.

Smack!

He smacked her hand away, glaring directly at her.

"Get away from me!"

"Hiek!"

Evelyn shrieked in fright.

At that moment, the girl’s expression changed as Julien continued to glare at her. At the same time, he raised his hand and was just about to smack her again when he stopped.

"....."

Staring at her in silence, he turned away a moment after.

Evelyn stared at his parting back, her eyes starting to water.

And soon—

Pita! Pita!

Tears started falling down her face.

As this happened, Emmet watched all of this coldly.

It was also in that moment that I realized what kind of person I had been in the past.

My lips pressed together tightly.