31. Crucible #3
Violet ghosts shot back from their bodies and into Kim, who started to stand.
He spoke from the back of the room, but I felt like he was whispering in my ear.
“Look at how many people you have failed. Your parents would see you as a disgrace to their name. Your ignorance killed Tevon, twice now. Prideful or not in his claims, Keiro’s disappointment for you is more sincere than Naoma’s love, which we all know is a farce anyway. ”
She looked at me, the lust no longer compelling her as she stepped away from me. “Get away, you freak!”
Realty blurred with the illusion again. “Naoma, please–”
“How could I ever fathom loving something as sick and vile as you! Any love you ever felt from me was nothing more than a way to save my teeth from your hunger.”
“Please, Naoma!”
She shook her head and continued to pedal back to hide behind Kim.
“You really zegged up your one chance at happiness, didn’t you?” Boyband kicked his toe against the ground and shook his head.
“Piss off,” I said.
“Focus, bakuh.”
Boyband smirked. “You know, you could have let me go, right? You had a chance to free me before dragging me this deep into Deleon’s work.”
“No, you had to feed. You had a Bite that–”
He clicked his tongue. “Just another excuse. That’s all your life is, isn’t it?” A light line shot out from Kim and connected to Boyband’s back. “A series of failures that will end in one disappointing disaster.”
He punched me in the stomach. Violet ectoplasm coated his fist and exploded upon impact. I fell across the room.
I stood, spat out bloody phlegm and flew at him.
Our fists colluded in an explosion of black and violet light. He readied another strike.
I burned my mod, jumping in the air before it could land, then slamming down. I felt his spine break as I brought him to the ground.
He looked up at me, coughing blood and laughing. “You–”
I punched his face with a black light covered fist, stopping him from uttering more damning words.
My soul was already atrophying.
She might be the final nail in my coffin.
A light line shot out from Kim into Naoma’s back. She walked forward, stepping in front of Kim who disappeared from my view. We were no longer in the council room.
Naoma stood while I sat. We were back in the monastery. Both of us wore white robes and had wet hair. Untouched food sat on the table between us.
Naoma was crying.
“W-what did I say?”
“It was never about me, was it?” Her voice was quiet and broken.
“What do you mean?”
“All of this. All of this zegging guk was just a way for you to use me. You just wanted to manipulate the idol you worshipped and take advantage of her wealth and connections. Well, guess what, I’m not that zegging whore you saw whenever Reef paraded me around. Okay, Petya? Why can’t you see that?”
“Naoma, I–”
“Don’t you dare, Petya. You’re a vindictive lust-filled shac who thinks the world revolves around him. All you ever wanted was everything except the person I actually was. You sick bastard. You tried to kiss me the day we met and you never learned your lesson.”
Tears ran down my cheeks. My voice was as broken as hers. “Please, I never wanted–”
“That’s always the excuse from guys like you, isn’t it? I don’t need your petty excuses. I’m done Petya. Zeg you and everything you stand for.”
She stood and flipped the table over, tossing the tea onto me and burning my skin. I didn’t care. It was a mere scratch compared to the stab in my soul.
“Please wait! Naoma!”
She stopped in the doorway, her body set on leaving but her head lingering for a moment.
I received a neurospace notification. I glanced at it long enough for my eyes to flash, but didn’t read it.
She laughed in disgust as if she were ready to spit on me.
“Even in the end, you turn to your zegging addiction. Not getting the me you want to so you’re turning to the artificial version of me?
Or are you crawling back to those poor incels who follow your socials?
” Violet light ran down her face from the bleeding makeup.
“Look at it, bakuh! Do not trust her lies.”
I didn’t want to obey the voice, but its power compelled me
I looked. Despite my mind wanting to hold to what she said, I had to see it.
Ralia: Naoma knows that you fell in love with her, not the idea of her. Wake up.
Green light flashed everywhere. When I could see again, I saw a green light line stretching from me to the prism.
Naoma stood before me, blocking my view from the prism.
Kim was nowhere to be seen. It was only me and her.
Again.
“Please don’t,” she said.
Ralia: Dokkaebi is split in two. You need to drain her light before destroying whatever she is.
“You see her, too?” I shouted.
“Petya, please.” She held my hands to her chest. “Don’t do this!”
Ralia: Yes. It’s his game. She’s weakening you with each second. You need to drain her light. Pull her essence into you.”
“How?” I shouted.
Naoma started to slap my shoulder. “You promised you would never hurt me! You’re such a liar! I knew you would fail me!”
Ralia: Zhu needs to consume it. It is Dokkaebi, Petya.
I shook my head. I knew it was an illusion, but my heart still wanted to fix whatever I had done to her. My split minds battled between illusion and reality. It was not as simple as a cast image. This was Naoma. Part of me believed that beyond a doubt.
“Let me consume it,” Zhu said.
I started to cry. Real or not, it would result in the same pain.
Zhu was my Bite’s core. Eating teeth was the only thing that kept him thriving.
I grabbed her shoulders, weeping as I prepared to do the thing I promised her I would never would.
I threw her to the ground, reached inside her mouth, and pulled out her perfect teeth. I ate them, feeling bliss and hatred for myself cloud out every other feeling.
Until I started to feed, I hadn’t realized how much this thing was draining me. My reserve was depleting with each emotional impact. I was on the brink of succumbing, but the teeth saved me.
Eating a portion of Dokkaebi through Naoma’s teeth had preserved my atrophying mind.
She was delicious.
I wanted to vomit.
I put my lips to hers, gave her a kiss, then devoured the teeth from their source. We wept together, making each passing second more agonizing than the last.