Chapter 31: Chapter 30: Not everything is as simple as it seems

As I took a step forward, the sound of my bare feet splashing in the water echoed; the resulting coldness clarified my thoughts. This entity's silence was judging, and I realized my response would be the end of the test, or at least a part of it. 'As if there was any other answer.'

"I... I want to always be by his side." I lowered my gaze to look at the liquid ground beneath me. With my eyesight, I could barely see the water below me, but as if following my thoughts, I could suddenly see more clearly. I could finally see my expression after the ripples caused by my previous movement stopped. I still had the appearance of my former life; I was beautiful and mature. I bared my teeth in a maniacal grin. My green eyes flashed intermittently red, as if trying to reveal my true thoughts. "No, he will always be by my side." I declared. I lifted my head and looked around, my smile still stretched. "Whether or not he wants it." Yeah, like I'm going to abandon him because he doesn't love me. I have the rest of my life to make him mine.

Cold rage and carrion jealousy had previously caused me to hesitate. Would my older brother love others more than me? When the voice said it, I felt like killing someone, no, killing everyone. Slit their throats and listen to their pitiful cries. It felt great to think about how their expressions writhed in pain and anguish, their superb features deformed by my own hand. But I wasn't thinking clearly; envy would get me nowhere.

"Your mind is twisted more than I thought." The voice admitted, interrupting my train of thought, which was already planning to pounce on my big brother when I got out of here.

The perpetually dark place cracked, and reality itself was shattered into countless fragments. Many colors appeared, swirling downward like a kaleidoscope, illuminating everything like neon lights. At that precise moment, the floor on which I was leaning gave way, and I experienced a brief sensation of floating. Despite my best efforts, a scream escaped my lips when the instinctive panic of humans when falling from great heights manifested itself.

Even though I was falling at breakneck speed, there was no wind, just the unusual but constant sensation of falling. My high-pitched scream was cut short by the impact of something hard on my back. The journey ended with me lying on a rocky surface, the previous color kaleidoscope replaced by a greyish stony ceiling illuminated by green moss.

"Let's start here."

I was still feeling dizzy from the fall, but I jumped in my place. It was the voice of the being in the darkness, but it wasn't a disembodied voice that came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It felt more substantial this time. It was a low but seductive tone coming from the left side of my body.

When I quickly turned my head, a tall figure with blond hair and red eyes stood majestically with a confident smile. As an ornament, a golden chain crossed from his shoulder to the other side of his waist on his black vest. His appearance was given a mysterious touch by the fluorescent green light. He was good looking, but I was not attracted to him.

"Are you the voice?" I inquired cautiously.

"Superb deductive skills." He chuckled. "My name is Geneviève Dieudonné, little girl."

After rising from the floor, I frowned. "Don't call me like that."

"Don't you like it, little girl?" He smiled, his canine teeth protruding proudly to show off his breed.

"Primordial Vampire." I whispered.

I frowned as I found myself in this situation. I hadn't considered it before because I was baffled, but didn't Charlotte from the game awaken her bloodline quite late in the game? Why was I awakening a bloodline at the age of ten? Did that make sense?

The vampire's voice jolted me out of my reverie. "More like the spirit of a primordial vampire." He sighed deeply.

Then he shook his head, his blond hair slicked back and swaying slightly. I kept an eye on him; despite his somewhat playful demeanor and smile, he exuded a seductive yet magnified aura, but now that he was physically present, I was a little uneasy, but I hid it behind a wall of curiosity.

'Like an open book.' I thought, but there was nothing; I even tried spamming, but it didn't work.

His attack was lightning fast. A firm hand wrapped around my neck, lifting me off the ground and applying pressure before I could react. The vampire's perfectly sculpted face was just inches away from mine. "I don't like having my thoughts read."

My eyes widened like saucers, and I struggled with my hands in his firm grip, the discomfort inside me growing. Following a period of struggle to get the words out of my choked throat. "How?!" I finally managed to say something, but when I saw a smile spread across his face, it hit me. "My memories."

He claimed to have observed inside my mind and that of my big brother. He obviously knew about my skill; I grimaced at my stupidity. I could only hope he wasn't too upset; what would happen if I failed the test?

The man moved his face close to my ear in response to my pained and terrified expression. "I'm not upset." I flinched as he whispered. "But I'm the only one who can read minds here." He declared. He stroked my hair with his pale hand after that. I shivered and squirmed at his touch.

I wanted to form magic in my hand, putting what I had learned in the lessons into practice. I only had to direct the energy I felt within myself, shape it, and expel it. I thought I could do it, but nothing appeared in my palm or in my surroundings. The hellfire that was supposed to scorch and melt this man's face did not appear. I felt more disgusted and weak as he stroked my hair. I realized I was vulnerable until now; my terror and anger manifested as uncontrollable trembling.

"What makes you so afraid?" He inquired, a smirk on his face. "So vulnerable and weak. Is it possible for someone so pathetic to have such twisted thoughts? What good is power if you don't have the courage to use it?"

For some reason, feeling helpless in front of this man made me terrified. He squeezed my neck once more before releasing me. I collapsed to the ground, coughing and gasping, my trembling legs doing little to stop me. I looked up and gave the man a sour expresión.

He paused with a laugh, giving me some space. "Attack me." He said this while opening his arms as if to welcome me.

I rose but did not attack. I just stood there watching, wanting to summon magic and pound him until he was pulverized, but for some reason I couldn't. I had no way of attacking him. Every second I spent near this man, I felt the discomfort of being helpless.

"Attack me!" he urged.

"I can't!" I shouted in frustration.

"Hit me with your fists." He gave the order, but the mere thought of touching him repulsed me. "Don't hide behind magic to conceal your flaws." The vampire reprimanded. "You can't touch me, and you have no idea why."

Was I really that vulnerable? I just wanted to get out of here now that I realized how helpless I was. It was ironic how my thoughts shifted from killing people to fleeing like a coward, but all I wanted was to see my big brother again. I wanted to feel safe; after all, my big brother and I had only been separated for a few minutes in the two years we had been in this world. If I didn't get out of here...the thought of not seeing him again terrified me.

As if disappointed, the vampire shook his head. "Maybe this will jog your memory, little girl."

My world was turned upside down when he snapped his fingers. I felt a force pulling at me, and I closed my eyes due to vertigo. Even though I knew it was a test, I couldn't help but feel terrified. That man's grip on my neck had made me realize how vulnerable I was, and without big brother by my side, I felt as if all my strength and will had been taken from me. I couldn't play hard to get any longer. The only thing keeping me from collapsing into a ball of tears and trembling was the prospect of meeting him again and feeling his warm touch, but still...

'I'm scared, big brother.'

(***)

Nathaniel's point of view:

I felt a gentle nudge on my side. My consciousness was once again clouded by pain, and fatigue was becoming more apparent. From the depths of my unconsciousness, a distorted voice approached. I was too tired to think; all I wanted to do was sleep, but the voice calling my name got closer. I just wanted it to go away so I could sleep.

"Young master." A familiar voice, tinged with urgency, whispered.

My eyelids fluttered open as I recognized the voice. It was still dark, but there was a glint of white light from the entrance to the room, sending its uneven rays across the room. A figure in front of me was also slightly illuminated by the light. My entire being was filled with relief.

The dried blood-stained armour on Novem's abdomen drew my attention, but after a brief glance, I smiled and resisted the urge to hug her. "Novem, you'll be fine." I was overjoyed because the wound was no longer bleeding.

"Young master, I appreciate your concern, but now is not the time." She said this as her figure approached me. "Enemies are approaching." Novem alerted.

My relief was replaced by a frown. We were still in enemy territory, after all. I didn’t remember much other than collapsing after a fight. I wanted to pause and search for my dimensional ring, but it was most likely broken or lost, and there was no time for that. It was a shame, because I had my actual year’s savings inside.

“It’s about six people; we can’t fight.” Novem reported.

My gaze remained fixed on the floor as I noticed the light from the room’s entrance becoming brighter. I quickly came up with the only viable option, though I wasn’t thrilled with it. “Should we use the shadow dimension?” I inquired, my voice coming out lower than I intended.

“It appears that the shadow dimension is the only viable option.” She admitted it. “However, young master, that is not a long-term solution. We must maintain contact in order to keep you from being expelled, and even then, the shadows will reject you after a little time.” Novem explained.

"I understand; we need to find a secure place." I pondered. At the same time, I let my gaze dart around the room, but there was no sign of the bandits I had killed; Novem had probably taken care of it. It was strange how the shadow dimension ejected the living while swallowing the dead.

I felt a hand on my head, attempting to comfort me, but it had the opposite effect. "Is everything okay, young master?"

"Yes." I sighed, my gaze shifting from the ground to the entrance, where I could already hear at least a battalion of people running this way." (Charlotte)." I tried my luck, but there was no response. It was obvious because the maximum distance of the skill was around 300 meters, but it didn't hurt to try.

"Are you ready, young master?" Novem inquired. I could feel her concerned gaze on me. I nodded, and she dragged her body in front of me, a slight grunt of pain in her throat; she wasn't completely healed, but I knew she'd be fine. Novem wrapped her arms around me and drew me into her body. The hug was pleasant, but it did nothing to lift my spirits. She gave me one last warning as I returned the hug, being careful not to touch her wound. "Try not to breathe too heavily; oxygen is scarce in the shadow dimension."

I nodded only slightly. The shadows began to meet in the corner of the room, and I felt discomfort I hadn't felt before as I watched Novem emerge from the shadows, probably because I was now part of the effect of her bloodline.

The shadows dragged the broken lamp. The light that flooded the room was swallowed. The shadows grew thicker as they approached us, and my first encounter with them was unpleasant. It was as thick as tar, but it suffocated me. I felt the shadows tugging at me as our torsos sank, as if trying to separate the intruder from Novem. Although I knew from the novel that the shadow dimension was safe — at least if I was accompanied by a shadow servant — a slight nervousness overcame me.

The shadows finally reached out their tentacles to completely envelop us. The ties that held us down were cold and hazy. It was as if I had touched a barely discernible substance. I instinctively closed my eyes as I felt a sinking sensation. Novem had pressed me against her body despite her pain to reassure me. I had no idea why she went out of her way for me. I was moved, but also perplexed.

We quickly finished immersing ourselves in the barely tangible substance. The pressure around me increased, as if I were underwater, and footsteps were muffled. For a few seconds, my body seemed to float, and I kicked as if trying to swim, but there was no resistance. When I felt something solid crash against the soles of my feet, I opened my eyes.

'Stranger'

The room was the same, but faded and lifeless. It was as if we had simply flipped to another page where reality appeared colorless. A reflection would be an apt description; a reflection of reality. In this dimension, everything seemed to ripple slightly like a mirage, and there was the strange sensation of being watched by something.

When I felt Novem hold me tighter against her body, I let out the air I was holding in. But it wasn't until I tried to breathe that I realized she had downplayed the oxygen situation.

My lungs sucked in every available oxygen particle, but it wasn't enough. My body began to breathe faster and faster in an attempt to catch as much air as possible, but I felt a strange pressure in my chest and my breath was wheezing. "N-Novem." With great difficulty, I managed to articulate.

It was a terrifying sensation to inhale while not feeling the refreshing sensation of oxygen in your lungs. I began to panic, but then a thin, warm hand caressed my cheek from behind.

"Breathe slowly, Young Master." Slender arms moved from my cheek to my neck, eventually wrapping around my chest. "I'm here."

Instead of taking short breaths, I tried to take longer ones, as if Novem's warm hands were all the courage I needed. It was a little better, but I was already dizzy from the lack of oxygen, and the uncomfortable feeling was growing stronger in this dark dimension. Someone seemed to be watching me and disliking my presence; the only thing keeping me from being spit out was Novem's firm grip on me.

Novem patted my head affectionately after my breathing returned to normal. "Well done, young master."

I heard distorted voices that reflected agitation after Novem caressed me for a few seconds.

Novem and I stood there watching as a battalion of men in cheap brown leather armour marched in, carrying various weapons ranging from swords to daggers. When I saw them all running in our direction, I tensed for a split second. I assumed they had noticed us because we were standing in the middle of the room. However, when the first man was about to touch us, we ran right through him. No, we did not pass through. It was as if we were going around him in an unusual way. As if we had moved through the shadow that surrounded his body, rejecting the reality that had no shadows.

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Novem stepped forward, sliding his hands from my arms to my hands, as I was absorbed in how the men cursed and lit up the entire room trying to trace the blood traces of their comrades.

"Young master." Novem said as she took my hand in hers. The way her chest moved, she was breathing normally, which I was beginning to miss; the lack of oxygen was a stumbling block. "Don't say anything; we'll find a way out quickly." She must have noticed.

I nodded, my gaze fixed on the shadow dimension's dark floor. Novem began walking slowly, but I lost my balance when I took a step. Novem gripped me tightly to keep me from falling. I was taken aback. The floor was a viscous but firm fluid, similar to walking on a non-Newtonian fluid. It caught me off guard at first, but I quickly adjusted when I took another step.

I admired Novem's slender back as she moved through this dark world with ease. As we exited the room, the enemies who had been searching the entire space were left behind. We accelerated our pace as we heard people in the background. With me in tow, Novem gripped my hand tightly. The discomfort of the shadow dimension's rejection of my presence, combined with the lack of oxygen, was excruciating, but I persevered.

We were greeted by three corridors leading in different directions. Novem surprised me by walking straight into a wall, even though there was no visible way to pass. Novem came to a halt and closed her eyes. She took a long step forward after that, and it was like seeing the world in fast motion; before I knew it, we were on the other side. What exactly did she do? I considered asking, but when I noticed a small window with bars on top of the wall, everything made sense. We'd just gotten through it.  This confirmed it once again; the Novem bloodline was overpowered.

Novem was not satisfied with just passing through one wall. She would go through a every wall as if it were nothing She took advantage of every window, hole or crack for us to pass through like shadows. However, every time I passed through a new wall, my body felt heavier, as if the dimension refused to let me take advantage of it.

We were greeted by a large room lit by some lamps with luminous stones, many more wooden boxes covered in cloth, and some tables on the other side of a new wall; it appeared to be a wine cellar. However, I didn't have much time to admire the passage because I quickly realized that spending more time here would be detrimental to my health. I put my free hand to my mouth in an attempt to keep my dinner inside my body.

"Novem, I..."

"Understood, Young Master."

We sank back to the ground like tar from the shadow dimension, but this time I didn’t close my eyes. When my face finally sank, I noticed a dark place that appeared to be space because there appeared to be no gravity. My body twisted and stood on its head. I was concerned, but Novem was still holding my hand, so all was well. However, just as I was about to pass through viscous liquid again, a pair of glowing red spheres appeared in the darkness, and a black vertical pupil swiveled to see me. I opened my eyes like saucers, but before I could say anything, I was out the other side, back into the colorful and familiar reality.

When we finally got outside, I took a deep breath. Along with Novem’s grip, I placed a hand against my chest, clutching my worn white shirt for support. I couldn’t tell if my labored breathing was caused by a lack of oxygen or by what I had witnessed. I had no idea what it was, but I knew it was a monster. I felt like an insect as its eyes seemed to pierce through me. I shivered in discomfort.

I stared at the ground, comforted by Novem’s hand on my back. I couldn’t help but inquire. “Do you see that every time you use your bloodline?”

“What, young master?”

“Those eyes watching you.”

After a brief moment of silence, “I’m sorry, Young Master, it seems the shadow dimension is rejecting you more strongly than it should.” She expressed regret.

After catching my breath, I waved my hand. The way Novem sounded, it sounded like a hallucination. “It was required.” After that, I looked around the entire warehouse. My attention was drawn to a table with some papers. “Let’s look at the tables. There will, hopefully, be a map.”

I heard a slightly concerned voice behind me as I took a somewhat unsteady step toward my goal. “Are you okay, young master?”

“Yes,” I said flatly.

After that, I didn’t hear anything else, so I reached across the table and propped myself up on my elbows due to exhaustion. Before going through the pile of documents, I opened the drawers under the table first, saving the most tedious for last. There was an old book and a pen inside the dusty, cracked drawer. I grabbed it just in case, but it didn’t seem important. According to what I could see on the first few pages, it looked like a notebook. I couldn’t help but find it amusing that someone was keeping a journal in this miserable place.

Novem quickly joined me in the search, now on the surface of the table, slightly illuminated by the lamps on the walls. Her hands, filthy with dirt and blood, combed through the stack of documents, looking for anything that could help us.

My findings made me frown. “These documents are odd.” Going to the next page. “They’re registering food.” I couldn’t figure out why. “Apples, potatoes, and legumes.” I moved my gaze to another pile and saw the same thing. “Wasn’t this part of the black market? I overheard the first bandits I killed discussing Belora.” I remarked absentmindedly.

“It’s the same around here.” According to Novem, they appeared to be warehouse records.

I knew it was unlikely that someone would leave a map on a table in a dark room, but we needed to keep looking.

After a while, the sound of crumpling the paper was drowned out by my tired and somewhat hoarse voice. “Nothing.”

“Nothing.” Novem repeated.

In frustration, I clenched my fist. I needed to get out of this bunker or whatever it was as soon as possible. I needed to be with Charlotte because she was alone. I didn’t want to abandon her for too long. I couldn’t tell if it was day or night, and the unknown terrified me.

A comforting hand rested on my clenched fist. “Young master, is everything okay?”

“Yes” I sighed. I glanced through the documents again, maybe we had missed something.

“You don’t look like it.” Novem’s question surprised me, but I let her continue speaking. “Young master, you can trust me with anything.”

“Don’t I look it?” I snorted. “Why do you say that?”

“Young master, you haven’t looked me in the face once in all this time.” She reasoned. 

I turned away from the documents. I hadn’t seen her face before? With difficulty, I looked up. Two pairs of black eyes that reflected white light and deep concern returned my gaze. I felt guilty because of her slightly dirt-stained nose, dirty face, and messy, slightly burned hair, as well as a pair of slightly cracked lips. Maybe I was actually avoiding her gaze.

Again I sank my face into the documents. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Two cold fingers touched my chin and lifted my face. As Novem’s face approached, my eyes widened like saucers. “Young master.” She began with a slightly reprimanding tone. Her hand moved from my chin to my cheek, where she stroked me comfortingly with a trusting smile on her dirty face. “You can have confidence in me.”

I held Novem’s gaze, but her unwaveringly stubborn gleam caused me to sigh. “I’m sorry; this was entirely my fault. I miscalculated, and now everything sucks.” With a grimace, I finally blurted it out. “You were hurt, Charlotte was hurt, and many people died. I’m sorry.”

Novem’s pupils dilated slightly. “You didn’t hurt anyone, young master.” Her black eyes bore into mine as she assured me. Novem moved her hand from my cheek to my hair, where she caressed it as she always did. Her touch made me feel a little better, but her next words quickly changed my mood. “You are not to blame, young master.”

I quickly separated myself from her and gave her an incredulous look. “What?” Even though I knew it wasn’t a good idea, I smacked the table hard. “I literally fucked everything up! Your teammates died as a result of my blunder.” Angrily, I looked her in the eyes. “And you claim it isn’t my blame?”

Despite my outburst, Novem bowed her head slightly, as if she didn’t understand what I was saying. “We, the shadow servants, are expendable. Your life is what counts, young master.” Her words brought me to a halt. Her eyes were genuine; she truly believed that. “Nothing else matters as long as you’re safe.”

‘She shouldn’t think like that, she should hate me.’

I looked at her more closely, my fury fading fast. “Novem you… Why do you think like that?”

The devotion of the shadow servants was out of the ordinary. Because the Novem clan had an exclusive contract with house Edevane, I knew they were trained to be loyal to the house. I’m not sure if that also applied to eroge, but her affection was almost non-existent when I first met her. Despite this, why is she so devoted?

“Thinking like that?” She tilted her head to one side.

I shook my head, refusing to respond to her question. Instead, I asked a new question. “Don’t you care about your friends’ deaths?”

Novem appeared to pause for a moment. “I suppose I’ll miss them, but as long as you’re safe, it’s a small price to pay, young master.”

I was filled with rage and sadness. “Did they tell you that your master was more important than your life in your clan, or was it someone else?”

“My clan” She replied instantly.

I sank back in my seat with a sigh under Novem’s curious gaze. I couldn’t believe it, so I asked a few more questions. “Do you have any favorite foods, Novem?”

The abrupt change in question clearly perplexed her, but she responded anyway. “Not in particular.”

“Favorite color?”

“No.”

“Any hobbies?”

“No.”

“What do you do with the money we pay you?”

“I send one part to our Umbra clan’s head mother and keep the other.”

“If I ordered you to commit suicide right now, would you do it?”

“No.” Her response relieved me, but only until she spoke again. “Young master, I still have to get you out of here. If you still want me dead after that, you’ll have to talk to Lady Lilia and the head mother about it.”

The Umbra clan… I sensed my rage shifting elsewhere. That was nothing more than a place where people were brainwashed. It doesn’t say much in the novel, but I should have figured it out. I couldn’t care less if they hurt or even killed people in that place before. Having ridiculously loyal subordinates was convenient, but Novem meant something to me now.

I rose from the table before Novem’s puzzled expression, and when I was close enough, I drew her into a hug. “Novem. “ I stated unequivocally. Novem is still not completely loyal to me. She has a slight preference for me, but my mother is her true master. But, nonetheless. “You are not permitted to die, make a sacrifice, or injure yourself.” I gave the order while pressing her against me. “I’ll kill myself if you die. So, if you don’t want to fail your mission, let’s do this together.”

Though clearly confused by my words she Nodded. “Understood, young master.”

That’s all I can say for the time being. With a little more time, I might be able to make Novem choose to be loyal to me. Aside from that, I decided to demonstrate Novem’s worth. She has never been and will never be a disposable object. Maybe I should pay her a visit to the Umbra clan someday. They harmed Novem in the end, and I will make them pay after I leave here. But first, I enjoyed the feel of Novem’s body against mine.

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