Arc 5 | Chapter 157: Death is Inevitable

Emilia wasn’t sure how she became the most sensible person in their strange group of visitors and locals, of Risen Guards and Enclave members—not that she’d seen the Stringer family, who accounted for most of her Enclave friends, in a while, but she kinda assumed at least Key and Rin would back her, if they happened to run into one another again—but somehow, despite even her veritable panic attack, that’s what she was: the most sensible person involved in this fiasco.

V? Well, he had been a bit crazy since the beginning. The man just screamed chaos a bit too loudly, and Emilia wasn’t sure how much she could trust him to have not grabbed the kids and fucked off to stars knew where, just assuming that eventually they’d all run into each other again.

Astra? Emilia still had no idea what to think about that kid. The way Conrad told it, the girl had basically ordered him to go get her.

⸂Emilia is the most important,⸃

the kid had said, and according to Conrad, he’d had the distinct impression that if he hadn’t gone along with her plan she just would have tried to kill him, then made another plan without him.

The local kids themselves? Stupid. While she appreciated that they wanted to help her and V and their world as a whole, considering they had no idea if the heartcores’ mind manipulation was permanent or not, risking their lives for her and V was stupid. Had they also been threatened by Astra? Possibly, but the smarter thing to do definitely would have been to let her go off and try to rescue V on her own, if she was so insistent.

And Conrad? Her repeat saviour and current travel companion? Absolutely bonkers. The man had no fear—which was kinda fair, given the whole raid thing—but it seemed more… inherent to his personality. As they moved through the Ingogia compound, searching for clues as to what had happened to V and the kids, the man just sort of… forged ahead. He wasn’t afraid of anyone or their skills, trusting his membrane of energy, as Emilia had begun to think of it, to keep them safe.

And in the event something got through? Well, she and her {Blood Ball} were there to defend them—not that anything got through the man’s defences. Seriously, it was impressive, especially because unlike when they had been working their way through the Risen Guard compound, Conrad didn’t care who found them. Where previously his power had been contained, winding through the aether with subtle strength and beauty, now it was a brutal thing that was definitely attracting the attention of everyone on the level—maybe even the one under them.

And oh, how the residents of the level found them. Member after member of the Ingogia family came from them, confident that their gifts and magics would be the ones to make it through the man’s barrier. They didn’t. The moment the person stepped too close to Conrad, his energy would press down on them, wiping out their own magic and energy. Then, she’d surge forward and knock them out—perhaps even more frightening than Conrad’s ability to suppress seemingly anything anyone threw at him was his ability to leave her energy untouched.

Seriously terrifying, and as they wandered, Emilia was making sure to chat with him. Previously, she’d been nervous about his being a little obsessed with her, but you know what!? Slightly creepy, horrifyingly powerful, kinda-stalker, kinda-older brother figure was okay with her! Not only would he be a totally useful ally—for what, she had no idea—but she definitely didn’t want him as an enemy or even just vague person she knew who wouldn’t blink at killing her!

⸂Y’know I’m not this powerful in real life?⸃ Conrad eventually asked—his accent more subdued than before her panic attack—after questioning another Enclave member about where the bodies of the Clarity members they had killed and captured had ended up. He seemed amused at her sudden attempts to become friendlier with him, although she certainly hadn’t been hiding the reason why. ⸂My abilities are bein’ augmented by both a heartcore gift and th’Risen Guard system. It’s quite handy.⸃

Emilia waved him off. “Sure, sure. I get that. This skill is definitely based on something real-world side, though. It’s pretty sweet, and if I want you to tell me more about, I gotta become your friend!”

Conrad gave her one of the soft, melodic laughs that didn’t match his appearance at all. Not for the first time, she wondered what he looked like in real life. She’d find out soon, their agreed upon meeting date far sooner than the one she and V had agreed on, and something told her that she wouldn’t recognize him, at all. Emilia had no idea what that

something

was, maybe just a million little things about the man, the way he moved and talked, adding up to say,

“This isn’t anything like my real body, but I have also spent many years using it within raids. My second skin.”

⸂Most people hide when they’re trying to become m’friend for selfish reasons,⸃ he mused, energy striking down the Enclave members who were guarding the building they’d been led to—the one that allegedly contained the bodies and hostages the group had taken.

Shrugging, Emilia told him she

was

selfish, shooting him a smile so he’d know that wasn’t the

only

reason she was befriending him. She was pretty sure he understood that—understood that she was making a show of befriending him for a silly, selfish reason simply to lessen the tension of what they were doing—but she made a note to make nice-nice with him in more sane ways once they were out of this place.

He stepped up beside her as she stared into the building, so close his arm brushed hers. ⸂Did y’decide what we’re gonna do?⸃

She swallowed, breathed out. “No.”

⸂D’ya want me t’decide for us?⸃

Her mouth twisted into a wry grin. “Based on what your big brother would do?”

Conrad was quiet for a long while before he finally admitted that no, he probably wouldn’t do what his brother would think correct under these circumstances.

⸂M’brother… he does not do well in situations where there are many groups with many different needs, all of which are bein’ manipulated by somethin’. If he had his way, he would help everyone. Sometimes that isn’t possible.⸃

“Like now?”

⸂Like now,⸃ the other visitor agreed. ⸂We can try to help th’people here, or your friends. We could leave these people, an’ hope to help them later, but their fate may be worse for it, an’ searchin’ for answers—⸃

“Would lose us time in finding a way to help this world,” Emilia finished, pulling at the hem of her sweater. It was borrowed from Boundary and absolutely huge on her. She’d also ended up with no pants, again—her own clothing had been covered with mud during her brief captivity with the Ingogia family and having been confined to a bed, she’d seen no reason to put the offered pair on. “Gale’s… someone who was once important to Gale was affected by the heartcores. Faster than everyone else was, but…”

⸂You would like t’help them, if possible?⸃ Conrad asked when Emilia was silent for too long, the two of them still staring into the building. Once they stepped through, they would have decisions to make—decisions neither of them had a right or responsibility to make, but needed to make, either way.

Emilia thought back to meeting Carne, to learning more about what had happened to them, and wondered if there even was anything left within them to help—some former part of them to

save.

“I don’t know if he—if any of them—can be saved,” she breathed out, concern for the visitors who had been affected by the heartcores flooding through her. “I don’t—” Emilia cut off, looking away to a copse of trees next to a nearby house. Something was there, hiding in the bushes.

⸂I will go,⸃ Conrad said, hearing the

I don’t know if it’s worth it to try helping the captured Clarity members and risk the potential consequences

in her words.

“I should—”

⸂No. You don’t need to.⸃

Their eyes met, purple to purple. What did her eyes look like, she wondered. Probably like someone who had killed before and would rather not do so again, even if the people had already been destroyed in their search for power. It would be one thing if they knew those people—the handful of Clarity members still alive in the building she didn’t want to set foot inside—could be returned to themselves. If they couldn’t—

“You should kill them,” she breathed out, resisting the urge to shut her eyes against the world. “If I was like them, I would rather be dead. I know that’s just my opinion, but—”

Too long fingers, as black as the night that didn’t naturally exist in this world, pressed to her lips. ⸂I agree. I think m’brother would agree as well… eventually. No one would wish to be repeatedly pulled under by a personality that did not belong to them, not so often, anyways.⸃ His lips quirked as he added, ⸂As long as they weren’t raised by a cult, anyways. I can’t say I trust that any Clarity or Enclave member we ask wouldn’t try to argue it was their choice. I’m not sure that sort of consent counts.⸃

Emilia watched as the man’s eyes glazed over. He did that quite often, and she’d come to realize it was when he remembered his brother, or was thinking through what a conversation with him on some topic would be like. She… wasn’t sure she’d ever met someone who idolized

anyone

to that extent before. It almost reminded her of a cult member, but was simultaneously more and less fanatical. Where the religious zealots—and occasional Free Colonier who worshipped their leader like they were a god—always held a touch of insanity in their praise, Conrad didn’t. The way he talked, it was like he naturally believed his brother could do almost no wrong.

Clearly, he didn’t think his brother completely infallible, though. Not if he was complaining that his brother wanted to help

too much.

That was good. People needed a flaw or two, although, maybe that was actually a good way to get yourself more followers? Make yourself a little human, rather than all idolize god?

Contemplating what made a good cult leader—annoying, when she couldn’t have her Censor search up research on the cults and extremist governments that existed on the continent—Emilia wandered over to the bush she’d been staring at earlier. Conrad’s energy still suffused the air, keeping her safe ever as he went to go investigate the building—went to go see who was alive, who was dead, and what everyone knew.

Not having actually seen any animals in this world—outside of the monsters that had occasionally popped up in the labyrinths—Emilia was amazed when she pulled a fluffy orange creature from the bush. It was cute, and very afraid and… and was that blood on it?

“How’d you get so dirty, little one?” she asked, wondering if she could focus enough to activate her water magic gem and clean the poor thing up. “Why isn’t the blood going anywhere?” The blood that had been drawn during their initial fight with the Ingogia family had acted normal—normal within the raid, anyways—so why wasn’t this blood?

Pulling a hand away from the shivering creature, she smelled her hand, and yup. That wasn’t actually blood. It was worse. It was the terrible food that Boundary kept trying to feed her. Gross. Had this thing gotten into someone’s dinner?

[

Emilia:

why did you keep trying to feed me those nasty red cubes?

]

[

Boundary:

Because your attempts to hide your dislike amused me.

]

[

Boundary:

And it is one of my favourite foods.

]

[

Emilia:

it’s a terrible food

]

[

Boundary

:

Villy is not a fan either. I have yet to feed it to Emile. Hopefully, he will like it.

]

Emilia sent a message off the Villy about his terrible, bullying husband before asking each of them if they knew what the thing she was holding was.

[

Boundary:

Sounds like a yurken. Some people keep them as pets. They are very expensive. Where did you find one?

]

[

Boundary:

And stop tattling on me to my husband!

]

Emilia sent him back an explanation of what they were doing. She debated the merits of telling him that they had decided that killing the Clarity members who had been caught was the best thing to do, but figured he’d find out eventually. There was no point in hiding it from him. To her relief, he agreed with their decision.

[

Boundary:

The Risen Guard have been searching for a way to fix what the heartcores break within us for hundreds of years. They have found nothing, although they continue to look. There comes a point where we become too dangerous, and are put down. I have no doubt that, if those Clarity members come into our custody, they will be killed for all our sakes.

]

That… helped. It helped that they were just killing these people before they could be sacrificed or captured by someone else.

It still hurt, and as Emilia felt life after life flickering out under Conrad’s precise attacks, she pulled the yurken close and let herself cry, just for a moment.

It was for the best.

It still hurt.

It was still terrible that someone—whether the programmers at Hail or the platform maintainers—had allowed these things to happen, either purposefully or through negligence. It didn’t matter. This was terrible and inexcusable.

Once again, her mind flickered back to the visitors who had suffered the effects of the heartcores, and she worried for them, for herself, Conrad, Astra and V and the consequences none of them would know until they continued their lives in the real world.

Mostly, she worried for Astra and V because they weren’t there, and she had no idea what had happened to them, or how many more heartcores they’d been forced to touch.