"An alliance?" Roy almost laughed. Pierre must be joking.
Pierre lowered his tone and leaned closer. "We’re both Irregulars. You know how these things go with energy crystals. Thing is, I’m running low, and with the Entrance Exam coming up—"
"Let stop you right there." Roy’s voice was flat. "You want to give you energy crystals so you can what? Be my friend in the Academy? After what happened?"
"I’ve treated you badly, yes—"
"Badly? Heh. Let’s just focus on yesterday for now. Multiple students could have died. And it would’ve been all your fault."
Pierre’s face twisted. "How is it my fault? I wasn’t the one who turned him into a monster."
Roy pointed his index at him. "You triggered him, you prideful shit. You knew he hated being called ’Piggy,’ and you kept pushing. Why? What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I..." Pierre faltered. "I don’t know. I just... it was funny."
"Funny?" Roy took a step closer, and Pierre took a step back. "My abyss soul is dead because you thought bullying your classmate was funny."
Pierre clenched his jaw. "They told soone used their skill on Chris. Bla that person, not ."
"I don’t care."
Pierre saw reaching out for help, from Roy especially, as an act beneath him. However, he considered his future seriously and pressed on, swallowing his pride.
He voiced, "Roy, think rationally. You have people who are helping you, and maybe even sponsoring you. You have energy crystals to spare. Just help with those... please. We can work together in the Academy and watch each other’s backs."
"Pfft." Roy stifled a laugh. "You? Watch my back? With what? LOVE.exe? Love?!"
And then he burst out laughing. "You won’t even pass the entrance exams with that shit, and you’re gonna watch my back?"
Pierre’s expression, unreadable. He probably never felt so embarrassed and ashad.
"I... I can win," Pierre said in a lowered tone, as though he was trying harder to convince himself than countering Roy.
Roy laughed to his fill and finally straightened his back.
"Better stay away from , Pierre. At school, at the Entrance Exam, everywhere. I’m warning you."
Roy was about to walk into his room when Pierre grabbed his elbow.
"How dare you ignore ?" he asked through gritted teeth, seething with anger. Roy was the first person to know of his sign-in system, and the bastard laughed him in his face.
"I can make you beg to give everything you have. Yet I’m asking you politely. And you want to ignore ? Who do you think you are?"
’Roy-goddamn-Mclloyd, bitch.’ Roy answered in thought but simply uttered, "We’re done here."
Roy just shrugged Pierre’s grip off and shut the door on his face.
"Who was that?" Donald raised his head and asked, previously busy with his communicator.
"No one."
Roy finished signing the discharge docunt on the communicator at the nurse’s station. Donald and Nana stood beside him.
"All set," the nurse said with a practiced smile. "Take care of yourself."
"Thanks."
They walked through the hospital corridor in silence. The automatic doors slid open, and Roy stepped into the afternoon sun.
Pierre’s request was still fresh in Roy’s mind, making him shudder. He imagined them at Irregular Academy and this sort of thing with Chris happened there too. Pierre would bring out his apple or whatever healing item he would gain from signing in, and Roy would bring the sa out too.
There was no grander plan. He had to keep Pierre away from him at all costs to protect his secret.
’I’m already terrible at lying. I can’t afford to put myself in a situation where I have to do it,’ Roy told himself. This wasn’t just about his hate for Pierre, it was about his life.
The only thing stopping the hypothesis of God’s Abyss being a theory was the fact that System Creation Engine gave the systems four-character nas. Once Roy’s three-character system na got out, the ga would be over.
Donald’s new black cyber truck sat in the parking lot. They climbed in without a word, and Donald started the engine.
The drive ho was quiet. Roy stared out the window, watching the city pass by. Buildings, people, cars. Normal life continued here but sowhere, soplace an abyss gate will soon or has already appeared for today. This gradual, slow and steady increase was bound to swallow the entire world one day.
The black cyber truck pulled into the driveway of their ho twenty minutes later.
They ca down from the vehicle and Nana, who was quiet for the entirety of the journey, ignored the two brothers and went in without them.
Roy got out and headed straight for his room. He needed to pack.
But first...
Knock. Knock.
Roy rapped his knuckles on Nana’s room door.
"What?"
Roy heard Nana’s low growl and sighed. "Can I co in?"
"..."
Roy didn’t receive an answer but still pushed the door open.
Nana was sitting at the edge of her bed and just staring blankly ahead.
"What do you want?"
"It won’t be nice if I left when you’re still unhappy with ," Roy said. He walked over and sat down beside her.
"I’m not unhappy with you," Nana voiced, still facing ahead.
"You remind a lot about your granddad, always making frustrated with every decision he made.
"Just those three days you left for District 03 had staying awake through the night. I’m too old to be this troubled." She turned to Roy with pleading eyes. "Can’t you just... not go?"
Roy looked down at the floor and sighed.
"I know you’re scared," he said.
"Of course I’m scared." Nana’s voice cracked. "You boys are all I have left. And now you want to run straight into danger."
Roy shook his head. "I’m training."
"It’s the sa thing," Nana retorted.
"It’s not." Roy wanted to take her hand, but he wasn’t bold enough. Instead, he leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. "Master Abraham is one of the best. He’ll keep safe. I need this, Nana. I can’t stay here anymore. I can’t keep pretending school matters. I can’t keep being weak."
"You are not weak."
"I am," Roy solemnly admitted. "I lost to Chris. A kid who has never fought in his life killed my abyss soul and knocked out in seconds."
Nana’s shoulders fell. Her flowery top was wrinkled, and her square glasses sat crooked on her nose.
"How long is it going to last?" she asked.
Roy hesitated before answering. "Until the Entrance Exam. Maybe six weeks."
"Six weeks." She repeated, unable to mask the worry in her voice. "Outside the city?"
Roy nodded. "That’s the best place for to find an abundance of abyss creatures to kill. I can level up faster and learn how to survive."
"..."
Roy sentenced her unrest. "Nana, our forr district was safe too until that day we were attacked. The gate appeared and broke, didn’t even wait the usual twenty-four hours. That can happen anywhere, at anyti. I need to be ready. Not for alone. For you. For Donald."
Nana was quiet for a long ti. She quickly wiped her eyes with her free hand.
"You really believe this is the right thing to do?"
Roy didn’t hesitate to answer this ti. "Yes."
Nane nodded slowly. "Then I won’t stop you."
Roy let out a heavy breath. "Thank you."
Nana looked at Roy and voiced, "I will worry. But I won’t stop you."
"Donny will be here with you."
"I don’t want that asshole," she said, drawing a laugh from Roy.
"Why?"
"He also reminds of your granddad. The part that made divorce him, served that idiot right."
"And what part is that?"
"Their ability to disappear and appear for however long they want but still believe themselves to be in the right."
Roy continued laughing. "I guess it runs in the family."
Nana took Roy’s hand. "Just promise you will co back."
Roy’s gaze was steady, a blazing fla burning within. "I promise."
"And promise you’ll be careful."
"I will."
"And promise you’ll call. Every day. Even if it’s just for a minute."
Roy chuckled awkwardly. "I’m not sure it’ll get through though. Technology goes wonky around gates and..."
"Roy!"
"Okay, okay. I’ll try."
Nana smiled and pulled him into a hug.
"My dear grandson," she whispered.
Roy, not used to her displaying this much emotion, felt quite awkward. Too awkward he remained silent.
However, he let himself smile. ’Creepy old woman.’
Nana pulled back and stood up. Holding his hand, wiped her eyes again with the other. "Now, let’s go finish your packing."
An hour later, Roy stood by the front door with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. Donald was already in the truck, engine running.
Nana waved him goodbye and the vehicle drove out of the driveway.
Roy took out Mom’s necklace from inside his hoodie pocket and stared at it. Although the energy within the crystal was gone, he still kept it. He tightened his fists around it and wore it on his neck.
Donny watched him from the corner of his eye but didn’t say anything.
Knowing Abraham, these next few weeks would be hell for Roy.
Reviews
All reviews (0)