155 Interlude I - 8. Breaking Of The Complex Part 2 (1/2)

One thing still remained though.

In those four months, I had obviously grown closer to the Glice family.

Kaylith had started to treat me like his own nephew. Esmeralda was the same, or maybe even more caring.

Jason and Kylie had grown fond of me and Irium, who had already known me for a while, had ended up becoming like a little brother to me.

Me being how I was though, I hadn't realized those things. I hadn't realized how much I cared about them all. I hadn't realized anything at all.

Grimma had though. She had realized – everything.

She had realized even the parts I didn't want anyone to.

And so, on the night I had told Kaylith and her that everything was set, she told me that she had something important to talk about, and she wanted to talk about it alone.

”Why are you helping us so much?” She had asked as soon as we were alone.

”Well, it had started-”

”I know how it started, Cartel. I know you came here thinking that all this was your fault.” She said, with a slightly agitated voice, ”But know that you know that wasn't the case, know that you know it was entirely my fault, why are you still helping us?”

”…”

The parts of me I didn't want to confront, I had no idea that she had a made a vow to herself to make me confront them that night.

”Well, can't I do something good? I mean, we kinda know each other for a while and … it is a fact that if I hadn't given you those books, this wouldn't have happened so soon but at a time when you were better prepared to handle it. So, it wasn't completely your fault.”

That was the best I could do in the name of an excuse. Looking back on it now, the sheer number of hypocrisies in it would make me laugh.

”Really?” And she, hearing the entire BS I spewed, just asked that with an unconvinced face.

And – that was enough. That was enough to make me bite my lips, make me realize that there was something amiss in all my excuses.

”What do you want me to say?!” I asked, hoping she would somehow back down. But, she wasn't about to.

”You seek someone who cares about you. Why is that so hard to accept?”

Maybe it was because while living in that orphanage, she too had sought someone who cared just like me, she was able to pick up on something that even adults like Kaylith and Esmeralda couldn't.

And maybe also because she had gone through a similar phase too, she could realize why I was not ready to accept it.

”You are just a simple human being. It doesn't matter what planet you come from, that still holds true.” She had said to me, ”So, it's obvious that basic desires like love and warmth will be things you desire.”

”No, that's not the case with me.” As you'd expect, I denied it. For someone who was always at the top, I just couldn't accept a statement like, 'you are just a simple human being'.

And then,

”My, my!” An unwanted visitor appeared before us. ”Isn't that a touching scene?”

Dues ex machina, someone who specialized in destroying people's lives, appeared out of nowhere, leaving the two of us surprised.

We had run away from that shrine, and then we had run away from the place we had hid in after the shrine. It was all so no one could find us. But, none of that worked on her. She could still find us pretty easily. The question was though – why did she show up?

”What do you want!?” Gritting her teeth, Grimma asked.

”What I want is someone who can change the past and make Roswaisa the weapon I need her to be. And I have a feeling this boy could be the one I need.” She had stated while pointing at me. Neither of us knew back then who Roswaisa was. Neither of us cared either.

”I don't care about your plans. Get out!” Grimma yelled at her.

”What she said!” I did so too.

But, it had no affect at all. ”Well, that isn't how you talk to your elders, is it?”