Chương 81: Chapter 78-A Chosen Night Stroll

Fire. So much fire. It burns at the edge of my skin. The smoke chokes my lungs. Every breath I take is harder than the last. My heart hammers away like a Dwarf in a forge. The screams echo through my head. Never leaving. They're filled with fear. No, with desperation. They call for help. From the Gods. From the Spirits. From anyone. They plead and plead, but no one answers. All have lost hope. All despair. Except one." Carlito, run! RUN!" My eyes open to the now familiar ceiling of my room. That dream again.

Rolling over, I find that Hopper is not in his bed. Best guess is that he's over at Luna's. I should probably go back to sleep, but the cold sweat that I broke into has made that basically impossible. That and the adrenaline pumping through my body, right now. Along with a whole swath of other things and emotions. With a sigh, I sit up and start to get changed. Guess I'll go for a walk. As I'm about to leave, I spot The Chosen Blade at the base of my bed. It's just sitting there on the ground.

I would have placed it somewhere else, but… No, I really don't have an excuse for just leaving it on the ground. It was just the most convenient place to put it. The moment I pick it up, I regret it.

"Ah, you're awake," Yellow says.

"I thought you would be asleep," I say as I sheath the blade and head out.

"I'm an Elf. We rarely, if ever, have to spend much time resting. Although everyone else is probably going to be out for quite some time. The only ones up at this time are probably just… as you call them, Blue, Brown, and me," he explains.

"Wait, aren't you guys dead? Why do you need to sleep?" I ask.

"Yes. We are, in fact, very much dead, but I think you misunderstood what I said. We aren't exactly sleeping. A soul still needs to find respite when it can. Especially when you technically no longer have a physical body, and most do it out of routine. Even after so many years and centuries. It's hard to break what your soul is used to," he explains.

"Odd. So, you're actually just a spirit in… I assume the Heavens?" I ask as the cold winter air greets me.

"I'm sorry, Vashrin. I can't do what you're thinking," he says with a hint of sadness.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I [Lie]. The beautiful night sky sprawls out before me. The blue moon and shining stars illuminate my night walk. I've always liked the night sky. It's comforting in a sense. No matter how many times I see it, it never changes. The stars will always be there, and so will the moon. Sometimes something stable like that can make a world of difference. At least that's how I feel.

"Not to interrupt your walk, but you said you would answer some of our questions. Would now be a good time?" Yellow asks.

"Technically, you already interrupted my walk, but before we do that, I need to ask you some questions," I say as I breathe in the cold.

"Fine, but make it quick. Every second we spend not in The Chosen One's hands is another second where they are vulnerable," Yellow explains.

"Yeah, yeah. I know only Blue, Brown, and you are awake, but are any of you knowledgeable about [System Contracts]?" I ask, being careful with my words.

"Ah, I see. Yes, we all have knowledge about [System Contracts], but if you're looking for an expert, I'm the closest that you will find," Yellow says with a hint of smugness.

"You overheard my conversation with Penelope, correct?"

"We did. You are wondering if answering our questions would trigger the consequence of the [System Contract]?" he asks.

"If I was?"

"You need not worry. Even the strictest [System Contract] will warn you before you're about to break the terms and conditions. It's a safety measure put in place to stop accidental deaths," Yellow explains. That makes sense, but I don't know if I can trust Yellow yet. He seems smug. Probably because he's an Elf. I hear the longer they live, the smugger they get. Oh, Gods. The idea of a village of about a hundred smug Elves sounds terrifying. Maybe this is why the Elves lost the war.

They annoyed each other to death. Anyway, I know very little about [System Contracts] other than the consequences for breaking one. Which is your life. Which is also why I've been very careful not to break mine. It would be nice if Yellow were telling the truth, but… What if he isn't? My thoughts go back to earlier when Heath almost punched my head out.

"Blue, is what he's saying true?" I ask. A long silence follows before the Blue gem alights.

"Yes. It is."

"Wow, when did you get all chummy with Blue?" Yellow asks.

"Didn't you notice? We're best friends now. So, what's your questions?" I ask as I come up to a bench and sit on it.

"Where is The Chosen One?" Yellow asks. I go to answer and don't get a warning from the [System].

"I have no fucking idea. Gods, it feels good to say that."

"What do you mean you have no idea? You're impersonating The Chosen One, and you don't even know where they are?" Yellow asks in shock.

"None. Zilch. Nope. They could be dead on the side of the road for all I know," I say as snow starts to fall. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"By the Gods. We're doomed. How is this even possible? Why are you even impersonating The Chosen One?" he asks.

"Well-" Danger! Contract Violation!

"Hmm. Let's just say that it was a matter of life or death. Based on your reaction, you don't have a way of finding The Chosen One, do you?" I ask.

"Usually, they find us. The Chosen Dungeon only appears for The Chosen One when they are ready. It's actually only supposed to be seen by The Chosen One. How did-" Yellow asks.

"It's because he's a Vashrin," Black says.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I ask.

"Of course. He's a Vashrin," Yellow says, completely ignoring my question.

"Anybody care to explain? Also, I thought you were resting," I ask again.

"I was, but someone was talking, a lot. Made it hard to rest. Anyway, Vashrins, as we all know, were cursed by the Gods. The fundamental rule behind curses is simple. You can only be under the effects of one curse at any given time. If you are cursed more than once, the stronger of the two curses devours the other one. In this case, the combined might of the Gods created a very strong curse. I'm sure you've noticed this phenomenon before?" she asks. I think back on the numerous curses that I've somehow survived.

"No, not at all," I [Lie].

"Odd, anyway. The Chosen Dungeon is cloaked with a passive Curse of Obfuscation. It's supposed to hide the Dungeon from anyone other than The Chosen One. Although I am surprised you found it at all. It's usually very hard to find even if you are The Chosen One," Black explains.

"Huh. Must have been a stroke of good luck. So, is that also why I was able to wield this thing?" I ask as I lift The Chosen Blade up to the moon.

"That would make the most sense," Yellow says.

"Yes. The blade probably tried to curse you, but quickly gave up when it realised it couldn't do anything to you. Although you can't [Equip] it," Black says.

"So, this is just a really sharp blade with a bunch of people constantly bickering inside of it. Maybe I should leave it in the closet. Not like anybody is going to pick it up," I half-joke.

"The blade is still useful without [Equipping] it," Blue suddenly says.

"What do-""Blue, that is not something we should talk about. That is only for The Chosen One. You know that," Black suddenly cuts me off. The conversation suddenly ends with that. No more questions or even a remark of any sort. I think they can talk to each other without me hearing. I have no reason to believe this, but I have a good vibe about it. Plus, they must be in… one of the Heavens? Gods, I really should refresh my memory on that stuff. Never was super religious. They must be near each other at least.

I think all The Chosen Ones go to the same place, maybe? It hurts to think.

"Having a night stroll?" Professor Stargazer asks. Peeling my eyes away from the stars, I see my Elf Professor.

"I am. How about you, Professor?"

"Us Elves rarely sleep, and tonight's a good night to see the stars. May I?" she gestures to the bench.

"Go ahead. Not my bench, after all." The Professor and I sit on that bench for quite some time watching the stars and the moon. All the while, the snow around us starts to build.

"Do you like the stars?" I ask.

"What a funny question," Professor Stargazer says with a smile.

"Names are just names."

"True. I do. They feel so big. Much bigger than us and all our small problems," she says with a hint of relief.

"They do feel small when you look at them. For some people that would be imposing," I say.

"But not for people like us," she says, her eyes glued to the stars.

"People like us?"

"Broken souls. Those of us who should have died, but didn't. We've already realised how small we really are. The world made sure of that," she says with a hint of sorrow. For a moment, I think of [Lying] or making a joke. Maybe even derailing the conversation to stop myself from talking, but then the shaking in my hands stops me.

"How'd you know?"

"I can recognize the signs. Live long as I and you might start picking up on them too," she says.

"Might catch up to you in a couple of years then."

"How charming. How long has it been?" she asks.

"Ten years. How about you?" I ask as I let the cold wash over me.

"Three hundred, but it feels like just yesterday," she absentmindedly says.

"Do you ever wonder? Why me?"

"Yes. All the time. It's a question that gnaws at the back of my mind. Along with 'How could this happen?' and 'Why didn't anybody stop this?'" she answers. Those same questions swim in my mind. An ever-present shadow over my memories. One that grows and shrinks, but never truly goes away. I gently trace the bite scar on my wrist, and my hands stop shaking. The darkness shrinks, but only by a bit. A manageable amount. A livable amount.

"Have a cookie," I say to Professor Stargazer as I pass her a cookie. She hesitates for a second before grabbing it. She looks down from the stars, and I can see conflict riddling her eyes. Maybe I can recognize the signs. She takes a bite and looks down at the snow.

"You should really leave."

"Leave? I know my handwriting is pretty bad, but it's not expulsion-levels of bad," I joke.

"We both know that the powers that be don't want you here. I'm sure you've noticed," she says in a serious tone.

"I have, but that's par for the course. I'm a Vashrin. Nobody wants me anywhere."

"Then you should leave. Befo-" She stops midsentence and finishes up her cookie.

"It's getting late, and you have class today. Consider getting some sleep, Chosen One," she suddenly says and walks away. I take a long breath and get up.

"I should probably get back. Hopper is most likely coming back anyway," I say to myself. The snow covers up our footsteps. As if we were never there to begin with.