Chapter 8: Shelter 2

  —WHO DID IT!? —roared a voice that shook the city to its foundations.

  The Rank 6 was floating in the air. A small trick that most at his level could do, as if walking on the sky were part of the uniform.

  He scanned the crowd with a twisted smile. He looked ridiculous with that hippopotamus face… Yeah. A damn übermensch with a hippopotamus face.

  His tiny eyes gleamed with a mix of sadism and impunity. A stare that seemed to enjoy terror more than it did delivering justice.

  The other guards watched him tensely, like dogs hoping they wouldn’t be the one to get the stick. They knew he could point at anyone.

  —Come out… let’s go —he said, dragging out the words with a fake sweetness that made me nauseous—. I know it was one of you. That kind of attack doesn’t happen without leaving traces. One of you murdered two of my men.

  The silence became unbearable.

  Then he raised his hand.

  A casual gesture. Elegant. Empty.

  —Then everyone will die until the culprit steps forward.

  And the slaughter began.

  One. Two. Five. Ten.

  Screams filled the air. Some tried to run, others begged, others simply dropped to their knees. I watched it all from the shadow of an alley, the girl in my arms. I could feel my teeth grinding. The fire I’d lit earlier in my veins threatened to return.

  The concepts of terror and despair only grew before my eyes.

  “I can’t let her see this.”

  She’d probably already seen more than enough to scar her, but for some inexplicable reason I wanted to let her see there was more than misery in this world.

  I couldn’t stand still while injustice unfolded right in front of me. Yeah, a lot of the people here deserved this and worse. Still, it was wrong for the innocent to pay for the guilty.

  And it was also my fault it had come to this.

  —I’m going to kill them all —I muttered, more to myself than to her.

  It wasn’t a threat. It was certainty. A sentence handed down by that rotten instinct that kept me alive.

  It was always the same. I’d enter a city, “save” the day, people would resent me or fear me, and I’d end up running.

  I was used to it by now. That’s why I didn’t like going into cities… that, and the smoke. Why did people like using that damn blue fungus?

  I was about to step forward. To set this city on fire.

  When someone emerged from the crowd.

  He walked with a calm that clashed with everything.

  He didn’t look hurried. He didn’t look worried. Just… present.

  As if every step belonged to the earth.

  He was barefoot, wearing a wide cloak that fell to the ground, finished with a thick, pale fur collar—like he carried the weight of the wind on his shoulders. His torso was bare, not because he wanted to show off, but because he simply had nothing to hide. Muscular without exaggeration, defined like someone who’d survived more battles than he cared to count.

  His skin had that warm tone typical of sunny regions, weathered by harsh climates and open landscapes. It wasn’t a trendy fake tan—it was the color of someone who’d really lived under the sky.

  He wore simple clothes: a heavy cloth skirt tied at the waist, torn at the ends but clean. There was a quiet dignity in him, even in what was torn.

  His hair fell long and dark, tied into two braids framing his face.

  And that face… calm. Unmoving.

  He was missing an eye, but he didn’t try to hide it. Where others would wear a patch or a mask, he had a serene hollow—one that spoke of everything he’d lost without saying a word.

  And yeah… I recognized him.

  I’d never seen him in person, but I could never forget his name.

  “Hakotane, the Drifter.”

  Though in the underworld, or in the murkiest channels, he’s known by another nickname:

  The Liar.

  “What is that monster doing here?”

  I was confused. I knew he liked to travel, but why here?

  There was nothing interesting in this abandoned city. In this lost kingdom. In this tundra.

  “But above all… how the hell did he slip past my senses?”

  I didn’t usually brag, but I was very proud of my ability to perceive living beings—especially if they were a threat. This was already the second time it happened to me that day.

  That a latent threat slipped under my guard, though this one was different.

  Only one question remained:

  “How the hell did he get past them?!”

  —I did —his voice extinguished all sound.

  Confidence.

  His voice carried the assurance that everything was under his control.

  I could feel his gaze.

  I froze. As we stared at each other, I knew it.

  He knew who I was!

  He saw through my disguise.

  The widening of his smile assured me he noticed it too.

  —You’re a shameless bastard, aren’t you? Why don’t you come with me and we’ll chat in my mansion? Or do you prefer we do it right here?

  The Rank 6 looked truly repulsive with that perverse smile. He hadn’t even recognized the monster standing in front of him.

  —Is it too noisy here? Want me to turn it off? —Hakotane asked me, with that confidence that defined him.

  Reality stopped.

  Everything went still: the noise, the wind, the light… time.

  It was as if the whole world had frozen into a photograph.

  One of the most powerful auras I had ever felt spread over everything.

  I activated my aura and pushed it to the limit. I couldn’t hold back. Not against this monster.

  With the girl in one arm and my sword in the other, I did everything I could to ignore the intense pain in my “soul” as I used my aura to cover us both.

  “Is this the end?”

  —Hehe, good reaction. I like it!

  Hakotane took a few steps toward me.

  Every other thought was purged from my mind. Only he existed.

  All my focus was devoted to thinking of one thing: how to escape.

  Yeah—escape.

  I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

  Even less in my current state.

  Meanwhile, he approached calmly. Every now and then he joked with some of the “frozen” spectators, changing the color of their clothes or their hairstyle, like he was playing with paper statues.

  His aura still dominated the whole area.

  But curiously, he never tried to break mine.

  He only brushed its edges, like a cat testing the temperature of water.

  For some reason, the way he treated me with such… delicacy irritated me.

  —What is “Your Excellency” doing here? Admiring the cold weather? Or does poverty seem so exotic to you that you decided to visit a city in ruins?

  I needed to buy time.

  If I could keep him talking, that would be a good start.

  —Eh, it is certainly cold —he replied, with a carefree gesture.

  Suddenly, it got warm. As if summer had arrived all at once.

  —And this city could use a bit of color.

  Reality bent to his whims. Flowers and soft lights began to sprout from filthy walls.

  —And to finish… a little abundance.

  The ground spat out gleaming metals and fresh fruit, which floated for a second before falling harmlessly.

  —But… why do you care? You won’t even be here to see it.

  I knew my time to think was over. It was time to act.

  So, for my first move… I relaxed.

  Not completely, but enough for him to notice I was serious.

  —If we’re going to do this… could you at least leave this girl somewhere safe? Give her a happy life, if possible? In exchange, I won’t run. I’ll fight you until my last breath.

  If I was going to die, at least I could give my life as a sacrifice so the little one would have a future. I don’t know why, but the thought was comforting.

  The girl clung tighter to my chest, though I ignored it. I couldn’t get distracted.

  Silence took over the already silent place.

  We stared at each other. I didn’t back down.

  Then his laughter rang out.

  Not mocking. Almost… warm.

  —Ha… haha, hahahaha, ha, ha… how funny.

  I really like you, Child of Perdition. I mean it. You’re my type.

  —I’d rather you didn’t call me that. I don’t like it.

  It was annoying that my potential killer joked with that stupid nickname, but worse would be if he got obsessed with repeating it just to piss me off…

  —Oh… I had no idea~ ?

  Child of Perdition~

  I’ll keep it in mind for the future…

  Chi-iiild of Per-di-tion! ?

  …He sang it like a nursery rhyme. He swayed his shoulders to the rhythm, as if he were laughing at a secret I didn’t understand.

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  “Ah… how annoying.”

  What an irritating bastard.

  —But tell me… aren’t you jumping to a pretty hasty conclusion, Child of Perdition?

  I mean, even though I originally came to kill you…

  I’ve grown rather fond of you. Feel honored—not many manage that.

  He paused, tilting his head with an expression that, for an instant, almost looked sincere.

  —So? A deal?

  —A deal?

  What the hell was going through that bastard’s head?

  I couldn’t understand his intentions. Was he insane?

  Even now it was hard for me to see him conceptually.

  It was like there was a pane of glass clouding my view.

  —Yes, a deal. You know… like those things humans do when they still have hope.

  Was that how the saying goes? I have no idea, I’m not human. Hahahaha.

  He kept giving me that damn smile.

  “Why do I have to deal with these annoying types?”

  —Yeah!? What damn deal are you talking about?

  —Hehe, more relaxed now, I see… right, little Arturo?

  I just snorted, annoyed, in reply. I was getting tired of this useless talk. Though the fact he used my name certainly felt strange.

  —Huh? Impatient? Don’t worry, what I want from you is simple —the wretch took a long pause, way too dramatic—. What I want is… is… It’s your soul!

  The gentle probing of his aura against mine suddenly turned violent. I barely reacted in time.

  I tightened my grip on my sword’s hilt, ready for the fight to begin.

  “Gentle…? What the hell…?”

  My sword was a damn balloon.

  “When did that happen?”

  —Hahahahahaha! Hahaha, ha! You should see your face—it’s priceless. Haha. Luckily I took a picture.

  The son of a bitch was shaking on the floor as he laughed. In his hand, a photo—who knows when he took it—of me with a stunned expression.

  I clenched down.

  Teeth locked, I stared with fury at the bastard gloating. Still holding the photo, he tried to calm his laughter.

  At least the wretch had given me my sword back. I didn’t feel like buying another one.

  I have to admit it was impressive… the subtlety with which he manipulated reality was, frankly, mind-blowing.

  —Heh. That was good. I haven’t had that much fun since yesterday.

  Hakotane stood up and brushed off imaginary dust—of course. I mean, those rags he wore as clothes.

  Once he was “ready,” he stared at me with that nasty smile on his face.

  —Sooo sorryyy~ ? Couldn’t be helped.

  As an apology… I’ll tell you what the deal is about.

  Hakotane took full control of the conversation.

  —It’s simple.

  I want you to go on a trip, Child of Perdition. A special one.

  —You’re going to visit twelve capitals.

  Yeah, twelve. Including this one we’re in right now.

  One by one, until you reach the final little jewel: the capital of New Sovareth, the kingdom ruled by my dear little brother.

  —It’s not perfect… but believe me, in this world of countless hardships, it’s the best place to live.

  Certified, of course, by your humble servant.

  —What kind of deal is that?

  The bastard just smiled and kept on with his nonsense, ignoring me completely.

  —From here, you have less than a month to go through all of them.

  Each one has something you need to see. Or live. Or endure.

  —And so you don’t cry, relax—I’ll give you a few days to rest.

  You’re a wreck.

  I’m not a monster, after all… well, not one without manners.

  —What makes you think I’m going to play along with this stupid game?

  —That’s what I was getting to, kid. —The bastard shook his head like he were scolding a spoiled child.

  I clenched my teeth harder.

  —Listen well, Arturo: if you don’t fulfill this deal—if you don’t reach the capital of New Sovareth within the agreed time…

  I’m going to hunt you down.

  —Personally.

  Slowly.

  The way you do with interesting prey.

  —So… do you take a little vacation through the southern kingdoms?

  Or would you rather the last show of your life be in this abandoned dumpster?

  Hakotane wouldn’t stop looking at me with that smug smile. He was convinced I couldn’t refuse.

  —I still don’t see why I couldn’t just run from you. Do you seriously think you can stop me?

  —Hehe, that’s the spirit. But tell me… are you planning to live the rest of your life like a rat? Well, you already do. And what about that little one? Do you want her to have the same future as you?

  He was right. Even if I managed to escape today, they’d chase me for the rest of my life.

  More than they already did.

  I didn’t want that fate for her.

  That was wrong. For some reason I didn’t understand.

  During my moment of contemplation, Hakotane spoke again:

  —How about this? On top of that reward, I’ll give you what you’re looking for. What do you say?

  —You…! How do you know that?

  The teleporters were supposed to be classified information. Only humans should have access to it.

  —I have my ways —he said, looking down on me.

  —But why should you care? So—do we have a deal or not? Time’s running, and I’m already bored of waiting.

  I had too many questions. And too much confusion. So I went straight to the point.

  I knew this “Liar” couldn’t be trusted. That’s why I asked the most urgent question.

  —Answer just one thing, and I’ll play your stupid game.

  —Hey! That was rude.

  Hakotane made an exaggerated pout, like it genuinely hurt.

  Meanwhile, apparently, he’d been entertaining himself.

  Out of boredom, he’d made even more vegetation grow around us, and now he was creating little animals that scampered among the flowers.

  Useless to my eyes.

  They wouldn’t last long with so much blue fungus nearby.

  —Ask —he said, crossing his arms.

  —What’s going to happen to the little one? Depending on your answer, I’ll consider the deal.

  The girl hadn’t made a single sound since the guards’ attack.

  It’s not like she talked much before, but since then she hadn’t dared to even breathe loudly. She clung to me in panic.

  —Ah… her? I don’t know. Do whatever you want. I don’t care. —He dismissed the words with a wave of his hand.

  —And here I was expecting something more…

  I sighed, resigned to his indifference.

  —Whatever. I accept.

  There was no turning back. I only had one choice.

  —Perfect! —Hakotane said, spreading his arms as if celebrating a victory everyone saw coming.

  Hakotane stepped closer.

  Too fast.

  It wasn’t a step or a leap. It was like the space between us had vanished. I barely had time to react.

  I drew my sword by instinct.

  But then pain ripped through me. Sharp. Brutal. Like my “soul” splitting in two. My knees almost gave out.

  I almost lost my grip on the girl. My strength left me for a moment.

  —Don’t overdo it —Hakotane said, gently resting a hand on my head, like calming an injured dog.

  I didn’t know if it was mockery, compassion, or simple condescension. But I didn’t like it.

  Even so, I couldn’t move.

  I felt something slide into my hand. A small metallic object. Cold.

  —This is yours now —he murmured.

  I tried to say something. Ask. Curse him.

  He didn’t give me time.

  The world distorted.

  —Oh…? Are you still there reading?

  Hakotane smiled, tilting his head slightly, as if he could see through the paper.

  —I think you should follow the boy.

  With a slight movement of his hand, the distortion intensified.

  And a blink later… I was back.

  Surrounded by damp stone, the smell of earth and dust, and the heavy silence of the crypt formed after the mountain’s collapse. The cold was there too.

  We were back. As if everything had been a bad dream.

  Only the memory of that smiling monster was enough to scream that the encounter had been real.

  There was even a dead copy of the Imitator.

  How did I know it was a copy?

  Because I still had the corpse of the one I killed this afternoon.

  I clenched my fist, confirming reality. Then I slammed it violently into the floor.

  I almost caused the small cavern to collapse.

  I was angry. Truly angry.

  It had been a long time since anyone had humiliated me like this.

  “I hate being weak.”

  My condition was no excuse for my weakness.

  I stared at the ground, drowning in self-loathing, remembering the last time someone humiliated me like this.

  I still remember his voice.

  —Ho, you did it. Congratulations, kid! Ah, they grow up so fast…

  I punched the floor again.

  That was my first and only encounter with Elric, Dinamo’s Avatar.

  To survive his “test,” I did the same thing I did against the Imitator: I amplified my ability, then amplified another concept.

  The concept I amplified?

  I will live.

  I punched the floor again.

  That’s all. For more than an hour I endured with that single concept.

  I couldn’t fight, I couldn’t escape… only live.

  It was the first time I’d ever done something like that. It was instinct. Nothing more.

  In the end, the bastard just encouraged my efforts and left, leaving me shattered.

  Keeping such a powerful boost ability running for so long came at an enormous cost.

  When I stopped feeling his presence, I dug a hole as deep as possible and fell into a coma for… two damn years!

  All because the bastard was bored.

  Later I found out he usually gives this test to Rank 7 prospects who are about to ascend to Rank 8.

  What he did to me was just killing time.

  Before I could land another blow on the poor floor, small little hands gave my chest a gentle pat.

  Fear. Worry… comfort?

  Those were the concepts dominating the girl.

  Apparently, she was pushing past her fear to try to… comfort me?

  I hadn’t seen that concept in a long time. I almost didn’t know how to respond.

  —Don’t worry. I was just venting. I… I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.

  A little calmer, the girl gave me a small nod.

  I took a minute to breathe. Just one. Not because it helped, but because I had to. Because if I didn’t, I was going to break the floor again. And I already had enough guilt weighing on me without adding more.

  “This shelter won’t work.”

  The thought crossed like a sentence. Cold. Logical. Real.

  It was just a pile of useless stone stacked into a dome. Narrow, suffocating, with no exit. Barely a half-collapsed cave.

  We’d have to move to another shelter. The closest one was… a hundred kilometers? Great. Just what I needed. Another walk across this tundra. With my battered body, as usual.

  At least there weren’t any of those damn blue fungi.

  They didn’t tolerate the cold—or extreme heat—very well.

  That’s why I preferred tundras or deserts.

  —Ahhh —I sighed, exhausted—. You could’ve at least left me the tunnel…

  I spoke to the air. I hoped he wasn’t listening.

  The echo of distant laughter answered me.

  “I hope it’s just my paranoia.”

  I sighed in resignation. I wasn’t going to stay there waiting for another “lesson” disguised as a joke.

  With the girl in my arms, I walked up to the cavern wall.

  My power spilled out, vast as always. Ignoring the pain, I fixed my gaze on the rock in front of me.

  In an instant, a tunnel kilometers long formed. Perfectly smooth, without a single imperfection.

  Showing off definitely made my injuries worse. But… what did it matter at this point?

  —I’m still strong —I murmured, admiring the road I’d created.

  I could feel that guy’s amused smile in the back of my mind.

  “Great, now I’m going crazy… could this get any worse?”

  I hoped not.

  I’d carved the tunnel passing near the copied corpse of the Imitator so I could take it with me along the way.

  It was still useful, after all.

  I stopped for a second to look at its inert form.

  Hakotane had imitated its ability, its presence, its power… and discarded it like nothing. That alone was enough to remind me what kind of world I was standing in.

  The perfection of that copy was impressive.

  —Can you do this and not just a simple tunnel? —I said with a hint of admiration… and rage.

  My paranoia was the only answer, in the form of childish complaints from the distance.

  We left. Because staying was worse.

  The trip was direct, efficient… and exhausting.

  Less than an hour, but with every step my body made me pay for it. I hadn’t rested. Not really. And carrying the girl in my arms the whole way wasn’t good for her.

  Both Imitator corpses were stored in my spatial necklace. I never really understood those things: a bundle of layered concepts. Very confusing to my sight.

  But they were useful.

  Mine had the equivalent of a mountain of space. And the best part was that it weighed nothing.

  A marvel, no doubt—but I needed to focus.

  The shelter was close. I knew because of the subtle marks I’d left on the area’s cold rock. I’d been here before. I knew exactly how to find it.

  I would’ve come to this one instead of the other, but the storm hadn’t given me much time to think.

  I sighed. Everything hurt, and on top of that, I realized another problem.

  —I have to feed you soon… —I murmured, looking at the little girl asleep in my arm—. You’re going to wake up hungry, huh?

  And then I remembered.

  The object Hakotane gave me.

  With great care, I pulled it from the inner pocket of my coat. It was a small metal capsule, still cold to the touch. I opened it, expecting some kind of nonsense.

  But no.

  Inside were several sealed bottles of liquid nutrients, clean baby bottles, wipes, even a medical-grade thermal blanket. Everything miniaturized and perfectly organized for a growing baby.

  I froze.

  —What the hell…?

  It wasn’t just functional. It was precise. As if he’d known exactly what I was going to need.

  I put everything away again carefully, not sure whether to feel relief… or discomfort.

  —When did you prepare this? Before the fight… or during?

  Silence was the only answer. I didn’t feel completely reassured.

  In the distance, through the thick snow, the entrance to the new shelter appeared: a low, rusted door, almost invisible against the stone.

  Finally.

  Nothing happened on the way. No creature, no trap, no “joke.”

  And that, honestly, was more worrying than comforting.

  —Thanks… I guess —I muttered, without conviction.

  Because if I’d learned anything today, it was that silence is part of the trick too.

  Obviously, the calm had to end. It always did.

  Near the entrance drifted the concept of… alarm.

  Someone had placed one, in case intruders came.

  I sharpened my sight. I came out of my calm state and made myself more alert.

  Looking past the door, I could see the concepts of the intruders. There were many.

  A patrol of guards?

  No. It couldn’t be. The Kingdom of Azup doesn’t patrol its borders.

  “That’s why I liked it,” I thought sarcastically.

  Who in their right mind wouldn’t control their borders?

  But there were many kingdoms like that. It had bases, camps, and shelters scattered across all of them.

  “There are too many for a patrol anyway… an invasion?”

  That was more likely. Especially because of the high Ranks among the crowd.

  There were five thousand: one Rank 7, twenty-one Rank 6s, ninety-eight Rank 5s, and the rest Rank 4 or lower.

  “But… why invade Litnee? That shitty city is worth nothing.”

  They’d take the city easily, but a group that weak couldn’t withstand Azup’s retaliation.

  If there even was one.

  Like I said, it’s an abandoned city. They might decide it isn’t worth reclaiming.

  Although Hakotane was there now. They’d be unlucky if they chose to invade while he was inside.

  “Are they betting Azup won’t do anything?”

  They had a lot of faith, if that was the case.

  As I focused more on the group to understand what they were after, one concept caught my attention.

  Defeat.

  Every single one of them—more or less—felt a deep sense of defeat.

  “Ha. I know who they are.”

  I’d heard the neighboring kingdom was going through some kind of civil war. Nothing new.

  The Victoria tribe had rebelled—who knows why—against the powerful Mondo tribe, which ruled the whole nation.

  After a fierce battle, they lost. These had to be some of the remnants. It was faint, but most of them still carried their tribe’s distinctive concept—though it was very weak.

  “I don’t have time for this.”

  I was tired, the girl needed shelter, and I wasn’t going to look for another one.

  I walked forward confidently, triggering every alarm on purpose. I wanted them to know I was coming.

  I watched them get ready: all the fighters on alert, the civilians behind them.

  I didn’t care.

  Without slowing down, the door warped to let me through.

  I advanced unhurriedly down the narrow tunnel, straight toward my unwanted “tenants.”

  Fear and conviction spilled everywhere.

  Right before entering, I extended my aura.

  An unmatched power flooded the space.

  The Rank 7 tried to push back against me, but couldn’t.

  Everyone trembled in fear. Some even passed out.

  Those who didn’t… one by one, recognition reached them.

  Standing in the entrance, dressed as “The Child of Perdition,” I looked at each of the intruders and pointed to the cave’s other exit.

  —Get out!

  I didn’t give a damn if they were sad or wounded.

  This was my shelter. I wasn’t going to share it with possible enemies.

  “And it’s the neighboring kingdom… and my next target. Well, after I visit this capital’s first.”

  Murmurs of my title rippled through the crowd.

  I ignored them. I just wanted them gone.

  At the front stood the group’s only Rank 7—probably the leader.

  She walked forward decisively, swallowing all her fear, and spoke:

  —We’re sorry, great lord.

  Her tone was unusually polite—despite the terrible English her nation had, in general.

  I didn’t care.

  —Please! I beg you! Help my people. —At that, she fell to her knees—. I, as the daughter of the great leader Akenu Victoria, Mirae Victoria… offer you everything.

  “Why does this always happen to me?”

  I couldn’t believe my damn luck as I looked at the young woman kneeling.

  —And if that isn’t enough… I’ll even give you my body. Please, help us.

  Not believing what I was hearing, a thought stabbed through my mind like a spike to the temple:

  “I’m too tired for this shit. I just wanted a shelter, for the love of Dinamo… is that too much to ask?”