Marcel and I walked down the black grass plain in silence. I couldn’t tell why, for one, I wasn’t one to have conversations with people, and I don’t assu that he was either.
One thing was certain though, both of us had equally enjoyed this battle. At the mont I thought about it, my left eye throbbed, as if to remind of the horrible incapacity.
’Ah right...’
There was sothing else that bothered too.
As we continued to walk, now climbing over the rock, I turned to Marcel and spoke.
"Hey... Marcel..."
Without stopping, he turned his head to .
"I’m curious... why didn’t you take advantage of my blindspot?"
He offered an inscrutable look.
"Blindspot? Where?"
My brows creased together.
"Is that supposed to be a joke?"
Marcel backed off quickly, shaking his head.
"Oh, no no, it wasn’t. I’m just honestly asking... where?"
I stared at him for a few seconds, searching for any trace of humor on his face, but to my surprise there was none. Marcel’s eyes on were completely blank.
"Uh? You really don’t know where the blindspot is...?"
I reluctantly tried not to consider him dumb. He was a very smart one after all. In fact, Marcel might be a genius, given the way he adapts and the little he knows about everything. And when you consider that soone like that had been protecting this settlent alone for the past five years, with only himself to rely on...
I heaved a sigh and pointed towards my left eye.
Marcel frowned.
"Why would I consider that a blindspot? It’s an unfair advantage to use that against you."
My mouth fell open, but only slightly. It closed back and I breathed for a mont, almost laughing. Instead I shook my head.
’This guy...’
"Marcel, the world is already very unfair... that kind of thinking will only get you killed."
Marcel scoffed and glanced at .
"You’re wrong... if I get killed it’s not because of my reasoning, it was because I was weak. And weakness is a sin that deserves death. I am not weak, so I can’t be killed."
He shrugged, spreading his arms out slightly.
"Besides, why do I need to use a blindspot when the goal is to overpower an opponent? I want them to tremble in fear and shake at the terrible might that I wield. Using a blindspot still leaves them with an excuse... I’m not trying to win at all cost... I’m trying to win at absolutely no cost."
I let those words settle between us as we walked closer to the settlent. There was sothing almost childlike in the way he said it, and yet nothing about the intent behind it was childish. Marcel genuinely believed he could crush anyone so thoroughly that exploiting a weakness would be beneath him.
Part of wanted to call it arrogance. The rest of couldn’t, because he’d spent most of our sparring session backing up every word.
The silence that followed was comfortable, which surprised . I wasn’t used to comfortable silences with people.
Dawn had poured over the top of the valley rocks, and golden light was seeping into the space between, bathing it all in a warm radiance.
Marcel stared at the sky where the sun was slowly erging and smiled towards it. His skin caught the light like polished tal as the glow trailed down his body, his eyes ghostly and subtle, his smile warm.
"I am trying to survive though... but I am not going to barely do it. That’s quite pitiful..."
He turned to , that warm smile still on his face.
"Don’t you think?"
I stared blankly at him, my eyes frozen wide for a mont.
There was a light in Marcel’s eyes that made want to hope for the best. But the darkness in my own heart was too deep, too vast to accept it. I could see that light clearly. I just couldn’t reach it.
If there was going to be soone to believe in a better world, it certainly wouldn’t be .
This was an unfair, spoiled world. Not just one world either. Not ten. Hundreds of dinsions, and every single one of them no better than the other. When sothing is rotten to its core, the only way to make sure of a better future is to completely eradicate it.
Did I want to burden myself with sothing as insane as the destruction of every dinsion in existence? That was a dream too big for , I think. I had never even t a Sovereign before, let alone whatever stood above a Sovereign... whatever it was that got my father so scared he had to abandon his family and run. Sothing so terrifying that a man would leave behind everything just to survive it.
But it didn’t matter. Whatever the ceiling was, I would reach it. I would kill my father, and I would find my mother. Then maybe, just maybe, I could consider destroying earth too.
The warmth on my skin felt distant now, like the sunlight had decided it wasn’t for .
Marcel’s voice cut through my thoughts.
"Hey..."
I blinked. His pale green eyes were wary, his posture shifted half a step back from , one hand raised slightly near his waist as though he was ready for sothing.
’How long was I...’
"What?" I said, straightening.
He gave a strange look.
"The air around you felt dangerous for a mont. I’m sorry, I thought you wanted to attack ."
I looked at him with mild surprise, and then I laughed. He blinked as he watched laugh. Then he muttered under his breath.
"What’s... funny?"
I tapped his shoulder and gripped it like he was my own son.
"Would you believe? Just now I was thinking about destroying the world and creating a better one for people like you." I laughed at myself again.
I think I’ve been getting too cocky recently, actually. A few good sparring sessions and suddenly I was drafting plans for interdinsional genocide. Truly pathetic.
Marcel, however, was not smiling. His expression was blank at first. Then he scratched a corner of his ear.
"I’m sorry... I don’t know whether to be grateful or careful..."
I released my hand from his shoulder and stretched. "Well... you should do the latter. I wouldn’t bla you... I can be quite sinister after all."
Marcel watched for a second, like he was trying to decide if I was joking or confessing. He seed to settle on sothing in between, and let it go.
I stood straight. We had been standing on a particular rock for a while now, the tallest one around this part of the valley, and from here one could see the entire settlent laid out below. People were already getting out of their hos and putting things in place. A few won walked a path amidst the rocks, heading to where we had dinner yesterday.
I caught Ayesha among them.
’Ysor must be awake then...’
Marcel’s voice ca, drawing my attention away from the won disappearing behind the wall of rocks.
"So... have you decided... are you and your princess going to stay?"
I was silent for a mont. Then with a dour expression I said:
"Her na is Ysoriel... you should stop calling her my princess. I can’t help but feel like it’s slightly insulting to her."
Marcel was expressionless for a mont, then he nodded.
"Alright, I’ll do that... I didn’t an to—"
I raised my hand, stopping him.
"You don’t need to explain yourself."
I exhaled and slipped my hands into my pockets, feeling the loose fabric of my trousers settle against my legs. My gaze drifted across the settlent below us for a mont before I spoke again.
"Ysoriel needs your help, that’s for sure... and I want her to get it. As for ... I have more to do than just survive."
I shifted my gaze towards him.
"What you’ve built here... my presence will jeopardize it. So I don’t think I’ll be staying."
Sothing in Marcel’s expression dimd. He didn’t argue, but his eyes dropped to the rock beneath our feet for a breath before lifting again. I got the feeling he’d known this answer was coming. Maybe that was why he’d asked the question in the first place, to get it over with.
A man ca along before either of us could say more, climbing up to et us on the rock.
"Marcel, you were not around... I searched for you for a bit."
The man had rough brown hair that almost ford a halo around his face, stubble across his chin and cheeks, and light brown eyes set in an almond shape.
Marcel turned to him, raising his head and smiling towards the man’s face.
"Is everything ready?"
The man nodded.
"Yes, we’re all just waiting for your command."
Marcel turned to and opened his mouth, but I spoke before he could.
"I’m going to go see Ysor..."
I nodded at him with a polite smile.
"Thank you for this morning."
I stepped away from them, and as I did, I caught a subtle but dark look from the man who had co to find Marcel. It was brief, just a flicker of sothing directed my way before his attention returned to Marcel.
I tilted my head slightly, thinking about it as I descended the rocks to go et Ysor.
’Maybe it’s just .’
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