Chapter 05 [arc three]

"I want to talk." Karilyn pulled at the man's arm with a timid look on her face. In her arm, she was carrying some spelling books. "You've been ignoring me and I feel like I deserve answers."

The king looked down at her and sighed. He moved her hand off of his arm as he spoke. "I have been avoiding you and I apologize. I will give you any answers you want if you're willing to listen."

Once he realized he had her full attention, he beckoned her to follow. The two walked through the palace's living hallway and observed the surrounding emptiness. Throughout her stay, Karilyn hadn't seen one maid or butler. She hadn't seen a single person besides the king and Lilibet. At first, it relieved her not to have to deal with many strangers. Her captivity had turned her into a mess of anxiety and fear. But now that time had passed, and she was settled, it disturbed her. She wondered if he ordered them all to stay away or if they worked while she slept.

"Do you know what trans-humanism is?" The ogre king echoed off of the walls and into her brain.

Her eyebrows scrunched together as she tried to recall if she had ever had that word. She felt some recognition when hearing it, but was still lost in what its meaning was. "I don't know what it is."

They entered what looked to be the pool room and turned, the air cooling as they passed. "I figured you didn't. It's the movement that inspired our society in its infantile state. Your ancestors wanted humanity to reach its full potential within the limits of technology."

"In a trans-humanist society, a physical body would hold no one back. We would transcend the need for them and become one with cyberspace." With his back to her, the man sounded cold. He spoke as if he had been alive when it all started.

The redhead frowned as she struggled to see what was troubling him so dearly. The majority of the human race gave up and became cyborgs. Those who didn't go through generations of genetic engineering to become their ideal selves. From the way she saw it, the movement succeeded. People didn't depend on technology like in her world. They developed a symbiotic relationship with it and she was pretty sure that the world could never be undone. The king himself was an example of the enhancements succeeding depending on how you decided to look at the situation.

"So, we live in a society that is heavily inspired by trans-humanism then? Okay, what does that have to do with you ignoring me?" Karilyn asked as he moved to look her in the eyes. A chill went down her spine as his scarred hand touched her chin.

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His gaze was eerily calm, like always, but his touch was gentle and almost reluctant. His body was trembling so softly she swore her mind was making the whole thing up. "I have been ignoring you because your words have made me feel guilty. They've led me to tell you today about the truth about your incoming sacrifice."

Instantly, she slapped the man. She didn't bother to think of the consequences of her action. All she could think about was what he had just said. This bastard, he swore he wouldn't. And she had stupidly started to believe that they would lock her in a cage. That he wanted to keep as some perverted trophy. But no, this was the truth his emotionless gaze had been guarding. She tried to move away, but his gentle touch became strong. His hand held her chin as she protested, glaring. The two stood for a while with the redhead cursing loudly without giving a damn.

"I won't kill you. Stop saying that." He loosened his grip when she winced, only to earn himself a spit in the face. She really didn't care anymore. "I'm not even finished explaining, and you are acting like a child."

His calm tone drove her mad. He didn't even bother to wipe the spit off of his face and instead just stared at her with boredom. "I know what a sacrifice is! You're going to give me to your demon buddies and they're going to eat me! You're sick!"

"No, I'm not. You are not THE sacrifice. You will be doing the sacrifice. If I wanted to eat you, I would have done so ages ago." At this point he couldn't help but roll his eyes in annoyance.

She stopped struggling and tried to understand. Was he going to have her kill someone? No, Lilibet and the game had been very clear about how the ritual was meant to work. But she didn't know what else he could mean. She had nothing she could give him. The slave girl had no family who wanted her in this life. She owned no material possessions like jewels, money, and clothes. Hell, she didn't even own a name in this hellhole. Nobody bothered to ask or give her one. There was nothing she could give up. The man made it very clear that he owned her already.

Defeated, she managed to push the man away and fell to her knees. The painful ache in her chest was returning as she planted her hand on the floor. In her eyes, tears gathered and threatened to spill. Her face burned and her chin ached from how hard she had been jerking herself around. Karilyn felt utterly defeated. The anxiety about what the man's words meant destroyed her. She didn't want to give anything else up. In this world, she had no actual sense of a person. They took her legs, took her name. If her thoughts didn't constantly torment her, she'd be sure she was dead. She brought her hands to her face and sniffled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I swear that I do not intend to kill you. I could never kill a maiden. God would strike me down if I dared." The ogre king reached down but pulled back once he saw the look she gave. It was full of terror.

He looked guilty briefly before his calm exterior returned in full. "I wanted to explain everything to you. I swear I did, but I can see that you aren't ready. I'm sorry for bringing you here. I assumed you'd be happy. I was wrong, I suppose."

With that, he vanished. She gasped as he just turned and was gone. She sat, unsure of what to do. The man wasn't apologizing for the conversation only, but for her captivity. And to know he thought she'd be thrilled about it was sickening. Karilyn didn't know what to think.