“Of course you’re here.” I sigh.

“What? Are you unhappy to see me?” Dundee swiftly responds.

“So? What business could you possibly have here?” I ignore that question.

“Well, you seem mighty unhappy with the current outcome. Aren’t you?” He tilts his head.

“Aren’t I?” I snort before trying to smash the ice again.

However, my arm doesn’t budge.

Confused, I try to glance to the side, but my neck was stuck in as well.

I couldn’t hear anything either, the ambient background noise was completely gone, leaving just the voice of Dundee.

Wait… I squint at the sky to see the clouds frozen in place, unmoving across the sky.

And then I realize something even more alarming.

I’m not breathing.

“What have you done?” I ask. Only just realizing that my lips were not syncing with my voice.

“I don’t want to waste the precious little time I have in this world, so I hit the pause button. Don’t worry, no one else is conscious right now except for you.” Dundee explains.

So it’s just me and him.

“Yes, if you want to think about it that way.” Dundee responds.

I glare at him accusingly. “Don’t read my thoughts.”

Dundee shrugs. “What’s the worry? It’s not like your head is filled with anything particularly novel.”

“Don’t do it.” I repeat, unphased by his insult.

“If you say so.” Dundee smiles, his tone dripping with heavy sarcasm.

I sigh. No use talking to this fool.

…

I peek at him.

“What?” He looks at me inquisitively.

Nothing.

…

“Nothing.” I finally say. “Besides the point, what the hell are you going to do to fix all of this?”

“Fix what? In my perspective, this was the best possible outcome.”

“In what way?” I growl. “Look around you, how could any of this possibly be good?”

“That’s the issue, for you. You can only look around. In my opinion, you’ve actually done a pretty good job.”

“What do you mean?”

Dundee raises his fist, opening up his fingers one at a time until he opens up his entire hand. “Five victims, that is the current count, and it will stay that way if you choose to walk away now."

“You’re counting your little apprentice as one of them?”

“Yes. He won’t technically die from this, but… The two of us will never be able to step foot on this world ever again, and your curse will be lifted without my presence.”

My breath immediately catches in my throat upon hearing this. Although no air actually travels through my throat. Isn’t that… Perfect?

I shake my head. “No wait. Why can’t I simply save everyone except you and Yeluh?”

“You can do that too, but are you sure we’re the most dangerous ones here?”

“Stop with the shiftiness and tell me directly.”

“Okay then. ███ ███ █ ████ ███████ ██████ ████ ███ if you do that.”

A sudden strike of vertigo dazes me. The world swirls, breaking apart and shifting together back and forth in various ways before my vision returns back to normal.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

“What about if I just kill Yeluh.” My head was still spinning.

”Then only he will die. However, you'll still be stuck with your curse.” Dundee says.

“That’s an okay trade, I’ll find some other way to deal with you afterwards.” I nod my head. “Just send me back and kill him.”

“Don’t be too hasty now.” Dundee smiles. “I’ll let you in on another option.” He leans in uncomfortably close. “How about this if you choose to save Avery and only Avery then ███ █████ ███████ ██ ████ █ ███ ████ ██ ███████ ████████ ███ ████ ███████ ██ ██████ █████, but in return the ███ ███ █ ████ ███████ ██████ ████ ███ as well.”

My head begins splitting again, somehow I understood exactly what he just said but couldn’t remember.

“What… You’re lying, there’s no way that’s possible.”

“I am not lying. You don’t know the extent of Torika and Yeluh’s knowledge about Anku.”

Torika?

“How is she involved in this? She should be nowhere near Oliviand right now.”

I remember when we split up, what she told me.

I’m heading off to right some wrongs. You’re going to be staying in Oliviand, correct?

“Yes, how long will you be gone for?”

Maybe years, who knows. It’s not totally certain if we’ll ever meet again.

“Dunno, all I know is that she’s traveling back right now.”

“Then…” If Torika’s coming… And she can ██████ █████ somehow.

I don’t know what exactly happened after that, but the next thing I knew I was sitting down next to Avery in a lucid daze.

“Come on. Avery, let’s get out of here.” I say in a trance as I stand up and walk away.

The rain begins pouring down in sheets, soaking my hair until it flops downward.

“What are you talking abou—“ Everyone flops down like a dead fish, same as usual, but this time was different in an extraordinary way.

“Who are you?” Yeluh steps out.

My hand twitches towards my blades but I restrain myself.

Who are you? It’s been so long since I’ve heard that question that it almost felt comforting.

I raise an arm to him, pointing my finger. “My name is Polly Reshidra. I will kill you one day, never forget that. You piece of scum.” I assert calmly.

Yeluh stares blankly at me before flooding my body with toxins.

I stare blankly back, completely unaffected.

It’s not working anymore. The poisons are disappearing immediately as they enter.

Yeluh frowns as his poisons are nulled one after the other. “How are you doing that?”

“Who knows.” I reach down to haul Avery off the ground, Yeluh eyes follow my movements cautiously.

“You know I can kill her whenever I want.” Yeluh threatens.

“Will you?” I glare at him sharply. “You’re not good enough in a fight against me, especially when you can’t read my Anku.”

“Well, you’re not attacking me right now. So in some way, you must need me alive.”

“Then call my bluff. I dare you.” I leave zero room for argument, simply had no patience for that right now.

Yeluh raises his hand. I watch with bated breath as he points it directly at us. One of my hands directly over my Sek.

…

“Maybe not.” Yeluh lowers his arm.

I eye him carefully before hauling her over my shoulder and turning away.

“Are you not going to help your other friends?” Yeluh resigns himself to watching me as I carry her off.

“Don’t say anything else to me.” In more ways than one, Yeluh’s way and tone of speaking reminded me eerily of Dundee, but in an even more uncanny manner.

”I must apologize, the situation is a little too strange for me not to question some things.” Yeluh responds. “However if this is the way it has to be, then so it must. I will always uncover the truth one way or another.”

“Yea, good luck with that.” I turn around and take one last good long final look at Shaz and Taiga, and the old man Shaz looked up to.

I’m just pathetic.

I look up to the sky as the rain clears up, just as fast as it came down. I lay Avery gently down on the ferry, untie the rope from the tree and push it off into the canal.

Soon I reach an interchannel between the two currents and paddle the ferry to the other side, joining the canal going to Oliviand.

I stare at the sky for the next couple hours as we drift eastward, dusk eventually setting and bringing out the full moon.

“P-Polly? What’s happening?” Avery’s faint voice appears from down below.

I glance back as she struggles to get back on her seat.

“Where’s Shaz… And Taiga?” She says looking around, still dazed from the deep sleep she fell under.

“We were attacked by a high ranking member from the red division, fortunately I had the knowledge to resist them for a short while, but I was only able to grab you since you were right next to me.” I lie.

“Which means…” Avery’s eyes widen before she shoots off the bench. “We have to go back for them! They’re going to be killed!” She grabs my shoulders and shakes them crudely before panicking and shrinking back. “Sorry, that was rude of me.”

“They’ll both be fine for now. More importantly I have to get you to safety before I begin my search.” And also wait for Torika who’s apparently coming. I don't know if this toxin resistance is going to wear off and I’d rather not have to find out.

“I’m not that important…” Avery’s eyes turn downcast. “You should have gotten Shaz, or Taiga. Me, I’m going to be useless.”

“But I didn’t and that’s that, there’s nothing more to discuss.”

“But I’m going to be use–” Avery stops before she repeats herself. “Sorry, I’m just scared. I mean, this has never happened before and I don’t know what to do. I just want to know—“

“Avery.” I interrupt her before she finishes. “Please… Just let me steer this boat. I'm tired, okay? It’s been a long day. A very long day. If I ask for nothing else, just… Be quiet.”

Avery promptly shuts up, talking no longer about any more unpleasant things.

I’m shameless aren’t I?