Chương 36: [LD-1] 35. Just Two Monsters

XXXV Just Two Monsters I'd questioned before if Kiba could see in the dark. From the way he led me down the tunnels, he must be able to. He stopped only a few times to sniff the air and pick a direction whenever we reached a split.

"Why are there no enemies here?" I asked. Goblins of all kinds should be swarming these pathways.

"Whenever goblins feel like they're in danger, they run back to whoever leads the pack. There's a Matron a few tunnels away from here." Matron? Some kind of goblin mother or something? Inside me, Cull stirred. A matron would be a wonderful source of experience and souls…I pushed the feeling to the side and looked up. A second level appeared in the tunnel.

"There it is," Kiba said.

"It's a straight shot from here."

'Straight shot…' He'd not let a single thing slip about where he was taking me. Char's cloth ruffled. The summon offered to lift me onto the platform, but I jumped instead. Kil, for once, didn't float behind us but hid in Char's cloth. He did his best to scour our rear for any sign of anything untoward. My ghoul had crumbled into dust along the way.

'I'm surprised it survived this long.' Eating all those corpses had extended its timer by a lot—it must've stuck around for at least twenty minutes. Kiba's voice pulled my attention back.

"Do you remember what I told you about my condition?" I considered.

"About your curse?" He hummed.

"Though I called it a curse, it's more of a contract." He stepped over a pool I'd rather not know the source of, then held his hand out for me.

"My legs work, you know," I rolled my eyes.

"And my arm can scratch my back. Doesn't mean I don't enjoy it when another offers." That…was smooth, I was forced to admit. I took his hand and let him guide me across the puddle.

"Contract?" He overtook me and walked in front.

"Beast Patrons, the powerful ones, don't live in our realm. They need a vessel on this plane to act through. Most shapeshifter clans cannot choose their vessels themselves because the spirits often have peculiar tastes. Our Elder isn't like that. They allow the clan leaders to decide who accepts their mark." I carefully digested his words.

"So, you chose to…become like that? Also, I thought your whole family were shapeshifters?" That wouldn't be possible if he was the sole marked individual.

"As long as someone carries the brand, the others can continue receiving and growing into their class. Only when the previous holder dies does another have to be chosen to take on the curse." Who…I let the question die in my throat. That was a pretty invasive question—he was already choosing to give me way more than he should be able to.

'But why?' I couldn't help but think. Why would he tell me this much?

"Originally," he whispered, "the curse should've passed on to my little sister." I stopped and stared at his back. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. He continued walking.

"She was still in my mother's womb when my family chose her for the mark."

"That's…"

"Horrible right? However, they had a good reason. The soul of a newborn is untouched, so it has an easier time adapting to the curse. The brand is almost guaranteed to kill someone of age." I jogged to close the distance.

"How did you convince them to give the curse to you?"

"I didn't." My brow rose. He rubbed the back of his skull.

"I sneaked into our sacred chamber and told the patron he'd better give me the pact or I was going to kill him." Our footfalls produced the only sound in the tunnel. The image of a young Kiba standing in front of a giant wolf beast and repeating what he said shot into my head. I burst out laughing.

"Are—are you serious?"

"Deadly so," he chuckled.

"Our patron thought I was cheeky enough, so he gave me this." Here, he pulled up his shirt. Two giant claws stretched around his back and wrapped around to the front. He turned to give me a view of that side, too. The nails of the claws travelled along his six-pack and surrounded his navel, where a sphere rested. It looked as if the nails were cradling the sphere and holding it aloft.

"A manifestation of the curse," he said.

"And what causes me to lose control whenever I get hurt too badly." He lowered his shirt again. I collected my thoughts.

"Why…are you telling me this? Isn't this all a family secret?"

"I'm just trading one secret for another." A half-smile pulled onto his lips.

"Also, because we're alike."

"…alike?" He nodded, but instead of answering, he pointed forward.

"We're here." I stared ahead. There was an exit in the tunnel, but strangely enough, no area connecting to it. Kiba stopped right beside the edge and waited for me to catch up. Meanwhile, Kil gave Char a silent command, and the two of summons remained behind to keep watch. My forehead scrunched up harder with each step bringing me closer. The moment I arrived, the tension in my forehead muscles released all at once. A vast body of colours stretched before us like an ocean.

Swirling, symmetrical patterns swam through the water and jumped sporadically like playing dolphins. Where these patterns exited and entered the water, the world rippled like waves, which crashed into each other and merged to create even bigger ripples.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"It's lovely," I wheezed. Breath had trouble getting into my airways.

"I feel like I'm standing in the centre of a kaleidoscope. What is this place?" He sat down against the wall.

"The edge of the universe. This dungeon is a compact realm—it doesn't stretch on forever. What you're looking at are the frayed edges of the dimensions making up this place."

'Ah, that's why.' Every time I looked somewhere, I'd recognise a shape I thought I'd seen before, but when I looked away and back, the figure had vanished and turned into something else entirely. I was seeing images. Parts of our realm beyond the current reality that shouldn't be visible. The sight had me so enthralled that Kiba had to tap the ground for me to realise I should sit down. I let my legs dangle over the edge and stared out into space. Warm and cool rays struck my cheeks. This place was beautiful.

However…

"Why bring me here?" The others could still be in danger…though I didn't have the right to worry about them now.

"Because it's metaphorical."

"Metaphorical?" His eyes were closed. One of his legs hung over the ledge while the other propped up his arm.

"To find beauty hiding in a monstrous place like this—that must mean there's hope for us, don't you agree?" The world around us hummed. His words penetrated my mind and settled between my temples. I smirked and hugged my knees.

"I understand what you're trying to say. But we're different, Kiba. You chose to become like this. I was born like it. There's good in you, I'm sure of it, but in me—""It's in you, too," he whispered. I bit my lip and shook my head. He huffed. Some heartbeats passed, then he reached over and grabbed my hand.

"Why did you hold my hand while I slept?" he asked. I inhaled sharply, but paused before answering. The stretch to his lips grew.

"Did you ask me to carry you back then because you thought it was fun?"

"No," I mumbled. He let go of my hand and leaned back against the wall.

"We're alike," he repeated.

"We're not saints—just two monsters trying to survive in an inhuman society. That's all. If the world begrudges us that, then it can go to hell. Your father included." A deep quiet followed his words. One broken only when a drop glistened and broke on the back of my hand.

'Huh?' My hand went up to my face and tried in vain to catch the rivulet of tears.

"Sorry," my voice broke.

"I didn't mean to—""Don't mind," he looked away and out into space.

"Monsters don't need to apologise to each other." At the same time his sentence ended, a wave coursed through the separation between realms, which cast out the stubborn shadows clinging to his face. His hair basked in the radiance and it turned from a soft blank to a purer white. Despite seeming relaxed, the expansion of his chest wasn't smooth.

'He's still in pain.' He'd brought me here while injured just because of a few words Kil had said to him… My chin turned to the floor.

"Kiba, you're no monster." I no longer tried to fight the tears.

"You're too kind to ever be one; no matter what you do or anyone says."

"You think so?" he said.

"Yes."

"I'm…glad." His head sagged onto his shoulder, and he leaned slightly into the tunnel.

"Kiba?" I blinked. Laboured breathing was my response.

'He's asleep…the damn guy fell asleep.' The sight of him completely knocked out after what he'd said made me want to burst out laughing, but I controlled myself in case I woke him up. With a huff, I scooted closer to his side, grabbed his hand, and let his head rest on my shoulder. Then I continued to adore the shifting reaches of space.