Boo!
Did that scare you? Well, it should! For I am the Slayer of The Non-Existent!
So did it?
No? Well, that's too bad.
I wanted to take a moment to talk about My Master, Simon, for a while. You see, during this time, he was only in the Dissonant Fragmented stage.
While normally, this would not be a problem, it was for someone his age. Leo currently had higher refinement than him, being at the Dissonant Reformed stage.
This was partially because Leo's Signature was used more often. With the need for him to constantly engage in combat, it was natural for him to get strong.
The main cause for this was that he had rejected refinement for the time being. Simon hadn't expected these sudden changes in events. He was getting far too cocky.
This made him subconsciously humble himself, as he knew this was not methodical in the slightest.
So, he planned to at least achieve one sub-stage breakthrough. With the Reformed sub-stage, he would be able to use his Signature more frequently.
Not only this, but it would become increasingly more reliable. At Reformed, it would start being able to change the fates of lower-ranking entities, too.
Of course, they would not work on me, especially not at this stage.
A baby with a sword cannot win against an adult with a knife. Power means everything in this world, not just including physical power.
Although the physical prowess is taken into account, so is the mind. The mind is the most vital part of a human. Your consciousness, next moves, thoughts, and cognition are all born here.
And with a dimension built on cognition, it's extremely important for entities. There are some exceptions to this, but they will eventually have to feast too.
No matter if they want to or not, it is necessary for survival, and survival means everything.
My mind is wandering again, isn't it? Sorry, it tends to happen every now and then. Back to our story.
The journey out of the Hollow World was peaceful as expected. Simon didn't know why, but he had a lingering feeling this was because of the lion he saw earlier.
But what was this Lion a sign of? Project Icarus had made themselves known to Simon with their signature of bird skulls. But this was different, and on top of this — it was fresh.
There was no doubt in his mind that this was caused by someone else. No matter how Simon betrayed Project Icarus in his mind, this was worse than them.
While Project Icarus had a sense of who Simon was and what he wanted due to Elliot, he did not know this mysterious figure.
(A man without knowledge is like a cat without claws.)
Simon frowned as he thought about this. This replica world seemed to be more discoverable than he had originally thought.
Then, he suddenly recalled the first time he had seen the eagle's skull. There was no telling when Project Icarus had discovered the replica world.
(Does this mean another organization is fighting for territory?)
This could've been possible, but he was more concerned about Bedeviled blocking his path.
This path was one toward greatness, freedom, and shattering fate.
As Simon stepped out of the Hollow World, he followed the usual precautions.
Ding!
His phone began to buzz like crazy. He tried to ignore it, but with how frequently it was going off, he had no choice but to check. It could've been important information to him.
However, as he checked his phone, he saw a number he did not recognize. Simon raised an eyebrow before opening the messages.
"Simon."
"Come to the infirmary."
"Now."
"I'm waiting."
Simon did not need to guess that this was Alina, but what he did need to guess was how she got his number. He paused for a moment, but he knew it was for the best of his health.
The only problem was that he would have to find a way to hide the cut on his forearm. If, for some reason, whatever he got from the Hollow World had transferred there, he had no way to explain himself.
"I'll be there in five minutes."
"I said now. Hurry."
When he got to the infirmary, Alina was already in the chair patiently waiting for him to arrive. Apparently, she had refused to treat anyone else the entire day.
This included Ezra, who almost got an infection from a nosebleed. Simon got this information from Leo, who was walking down the hall before he went into the room.
No matter what she did, what choice did he have but to sit? As he sat down, Alina began to examine him and flashed a light into his eyes.
"Hm..."
She pulled back after a while and looked deep in thought. Her eyes narrowed, and Alina pulled his sleeve up. Surely enough, there was a cut there.
"You're lucky. Don't let the others see it. Scars are always noticeable."
She did not say anything more, just putting her hand over it.
[Stabilization]
Within a second, the cut had quickly healed, the scar completely gone. Simon was not shocked at this, but rather at her words.
This was clear evidence that he had done something without reporting it.
Alina sensed his confusion, just shaking her head. She did not say a word for a while, only typing a report of no injuries for him.
"I'm on your side."
Her vague answer only threw Simon off even more. A grimace painted his face. For the first time, he had seen her smile.
It was horrifying, not because of how it looked; in fact, her smile was quite cute. However — seeing someone as serious as her smile only made Simon sick to his stomach.
This only made Simon begin to see her in a new light. How did she get Elliot's unchanged file? How did she get Simon's phone number? What was her depiction of Simon's side?
It was an odd feeling, one he could not describe. A shiver ran down his spine, and it felt as if ants were crawling against his skin.
"Be more careful next time, Simon. I don't want to see you being hurt."
"...Yeah."
Simon rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He did not know what else to say; he couldn't find the solution to her at all. Just like Evelyn, he now felt powerless against both of them.
Evelyn held power over him because of how chaotic she turned out to be. This left him unable to determine her next actions or thoughts in any way.
Alina was the exact opposite. She was dangerous, controlled, and most importantly — she knew far too much for comfort.
Being trapped in the room with her made him feel as if the air was pushing against him, so he quickly left. Even still, it felt pointless. It was like she was watching him everywhere he went.
No matter where, no matter when, no matter how.