Chapter 332 (2/2)

“You know,” Thea said, cutting off Simon’s thoughts. “You’ve really held a grudge, Simon, about his name. Why is it such a big deal? He didn’t do it to hurt you, he just had his own baggage. Give him the benefit of the doubt. I mean, I don’t know if he’s much like Neveah, but…”

Simon’s hands curled into fists, his nails digging into the soft skin of his palms. “They are nothing alike. Neveah is full of kindness and joy. The Ghosthound… the Ghosthound is someone who has learned to kill, and he is callous. He would rather remain silent and let people suffer around him, then-”

Ten’Malla’s laugh was small, but it echoed strangely, filling the air around them, carrying so that both Lily and Neveah looked up from their most recent plan, individually both turning and seeking the source of the noise. Even Toto emerged from his usual calm stoicism, tensing somewhat and moving to stand next to Simon. It was a strange gesture, one that made Simon feel out of his depth.

But his emotions were carrying him now, and he glared balefully at Ten’Malla, who continued to chuckle.

“You… you don’t understand them at all,” Ten’Malla informed him, her smile condescending. Simon’s expression twisted.

“Neveah,” Ten’Malla said, turning to the wurm, some 40 meters away. But even though she spoke in a low voice, the sound carried clear as day. “If Lily were to become Randidly’s enemy, what would you do?”

There was stillness for a second, and then Neveah moved, slowly uncoiling her body, rising to a height of about 8 meters. With the sun behind her, Neveah’s face was in shadow, but still Simon could see the spot on her face where her eyes were, visible by the deep blackness.

There was, however, a deeper blackness, stretching wider and wider as Neveah looked down at Lily. A mouth… no, a maw. A boulevard lined with teeth that would lead straight to hell. In front of that opening, Lily became nothing but a shadow, a memory, a shade, and then that too was gone, sucked into that blackness, leaving nothing remaining.

There was only a wild hunger, and those two sharp eyes.

“Eat.” Neveah said, her voice still gleeful, but now cruel and dark, her sincerity apparent. Thea slowly stiffened next to Simon, but Simon was just gaping.

How could she change so fast…? Was there two personalities? How could this icy mercilessness...

“Oh my god…” Lily said, looking up wide eyed, her breathing quickening. “That’s amazing! We should incorporate that into the trial! Perhaps if they pass the first test!”

“Fun, fun!” Neveah agreed, lowering herself to the ground so she could be eye level with Lily’s body, grinning in her strange, monstrous way. But even that smile was irrevocably changed in Simon’s eyes, twisted and broken. Simon shivered.

“You see…” Ten’Malla’s voice returned to its normal cadence. “You were thinking about this all wrong. To you, all is purposeful. But these two… they have a great weakness in the way they interact with people. That makes it difficult for them to understand your sensitivity. All they know is what needs to be done.

“Morality… to them, it has become meaningless. The System makes it unnecessary. What remains is utility.” Now though, her eyes once more deepened, fading to a glowing black abyss. “If you treat them like plotters and planners, you will be deeply mistaken. They are beasts, that hunt on instinct, and communicate with as much sophistication.

“You are perhaps correct… what he did was insensitive. But don’t you see… that was his own weakness. He does not speak well at the best of times, and his soul was sundered. For him to lie, when so many speak of him, seek him… can you not see how the enemies that chase him are far more deadly than you could understand? This was never about him, was it Simon? This was about yourself.”

Simon opened his mouth to respond, to yell, to tell her she’s wrong… but he couldn’t speak. There was no air in his lungs to speak words. But it wasn’t about him, not really, it was about… it was about how everyone near him turned away from him. How Simon always found himself ostracized, alone.

And in the wake of the System, he had thought he had found a friend, but even that…

Even though he knew that the Ghosthound could have died had he not hidden himself until he had recovered… still… Was this really selfish of him to think this way…?

But the spell of reflection was broken as a group of people appeared suddenly, the air around them heavy with anger. The Ghosthound led the way, flexing his fingers as he looked at Ten’Malla of all people.

“...The Wild Rider’s host was attacked. They were routed.” He said shortly, his eyes burning emerald. “The Wild Rider herself… appears to have been captured, along with her Regalia.”