Proofreader: Me!
Her violet eyes pierced me.
“Nothing will, wait first, what are you doing up this late Serina?” I realised who it was without needing to think.
In her hands, was the item I asked for this morning. “This, it’s yours.”
My eyes widened, ‘Already?’
It was too quick. That quest usually took players three days at most to complete. With all the shortcuts and meta strategies, it would have taken me a day and a half.
“Thank you very much!” I bowed to show my gratitude.
“It’s nothing,” She looked at me blankly.
I couldn’t see through her, unlike Lisana. It scared me, but she has helped me greatly thus far. Considering her feelings as well, it’s possible that…
For now, I stuck with my go-to statement: “Is there anything I can do to repay this?”
“Hmmm…” She looked at the floor, pondering. “Party.”
“P- party?” I stammered, observing her indifferent expression.
"Party," She repeated.
"As in mine?"
Serina’s eyes seemed eager, “Yes, let me join.”
If she joined, it would be a guaranteed success, but part of my pride didn’t want such an easy way out. Especially when she could work separately from us, we could double the efficiency of acquiring hidden pieces.
‘And… her possible feelings for me as well, I couldn’t predict the dynamics between Uriel and Serina.’
“Is there a problem?” She asked, with a slight frown.
“It’s just that, well…” I wasn’t sure how to proceed.
Serina tilted her head, unsure of my actions.
“Can we clear something out of the way first?” I changed the topic, and deciding now was perfect.
“Okay,” She nodded, waiting for me to speak.
“Let me ask, do you have feelings with me?” I wanted to be as upfront as possible, just as I had been with Uriel just prior.
Serina’s expression shifted, her lips twitched, and her eyebrows slightly dropped.
“Can you… elaborate?” Serina hesitated in her words, for the first time.
A nervousness crept within my mind, “Well, as in, do you like me, romantically?”
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Serina’s face warped beyond repair, whether it was disgust, confusion, or fear, I couldn’t tell.
“Ah, was I wrong?” I asked, with a hidden relief coming out.
Hearing my words, she regained her poker face, “N- no.”
“Then…” I trailed off slowly, unable to finish my sentence due to the awkward atmosphere.
“Yes, Luke, I… like you,” Serina’s voice trembled, but she spoke it out regardless.
That solidified it, I used her. Man, I’m a fucked up guy, regardless of my intentions.
“I’m sorry,” I bowed before speaking my conscious, “You could say, that even if I was oblivious, I used you. For that, I apologise, and you don’t have to listen to anything from me.”
Serina’s body remained eerily still.
“The thing is, I’m unable to be in a relationship, due to an obligation I must fulfil even at the cost of my life,” With a steeled resolve, tempered with my talk with Uriel, I explained it clearly. “Until graduation, is when or not I would be able to give a proper answer to your feelings.”
I met her eyes, but… something inside them made me shiver.
“Hehe,” Serina giggled with a twisted look of joy. “I knew it.”
“Knew it?” I repeated her words.
“Luke, you are my everything,” She smiled vanishing out of sight.
From behind, I felt a pair of arms reach around my neck.
“Whether you have feelings or not, my life is yours,” Serina’s voice tickled my ear, as the arms around me disappeared. “The thing you wanted to me ask before, what was it?”
Despite the foreboding sense of danger that I felt, I replied nonetheless. “S- Something similar to what I asked you to do in the morning…”
“Understood,” She agreed turning me around.”What do you need?”
A smile filled with intentions I couldn’t figure out was apparent, different from the one I saw when she thanked me. Somehow, it was… distorted.
“Luke,” She called out my name.
“Y- yeah?” I stammered, facing her mere centimetres away from touching her lips.
“I think I understand this emotion fully now,” Serina’s eyes gleamed within the moonlight. “This, this is love.”
She gave me a peck on the cheek and vanished. “You can tell me the rest tomorrow.”
…
I walked away, turning around to see if she was still there.
“What… was that…?” I still felt it within my body, the shivers from facing something inhuman.
There was something massively wrong. It was as if Serina was broken. I would get to the bottom of it, but unfortunately, that time was not now.
I once again glanced at my status board, appraisal stone in hand.
[Luke]
[Age: 15] [Race: Human]
[Attributes]
Vitality: Tier 0 (29%)
Agility: Tier 0 (22%)
Strength: Tier 0 (27%)
Mana: Tier 0 (19%)
[Category: Protagonist - Uriel.]
[Route: Bad Ending #13 - An Eternity Between Us.]
[M - 1] [D - 7]
After the quest, my stats had once again improved in percentages. It was plenty satisfactory, although I needed to reach the average before Uriel’s ending took place. I could temporarily be at the same strength as anyone else, or even stronger through stacking, but it wouldn’t be enough to handle any future troubles.
While I wasn’t sure about the specifics, I could tell that the holy artefact of the Order of Unity had a part in it. The [Eternity’s Timer], is a supposed gift by the Goddess to one of their past saints. Its effects in the game were never fully revealed, but when players used it, time would slow during battle for a short time.
At the very minimum, not only would the Demon Uprising members be active again, but a third party will as well. There would be beastmen, whether or not they were under Krulia’s control, was something left for me to find out.