Chương 360: Subjugation of the Mindless

(Nym POV) Nym's eyes flew wide open as every instinct she possessed screamed the same warning. Danger. The man standing before her was no longer the Vale she knew. Whatever had happened to him, whatever trance or fractured state he had fallen into, had transformed him into something terrifying. His posture had changed, his gaze had emptied, and the familiar warmth that had always lingered behind his eyes had vanished completely, replaced by something cold enough to send a chill crawling down her spine.

Even so, retreating wasn't an option. The only reason she could perceive him as clearly as she did now was that his foot remained pressed firmly against hers. Physical contact was one of the conditions required to awaken even a fragment of her Enigma's power. Through that connection, she could glimpse the Words composing another person's existence, their intentions, emotions, actions, and the paths those actions were most likely to follow. Against most opponents, that made combat almost effortless. Against Vale...

It barely worked at all. He was the only person she had ever encountered whose existence she couldn't properly read. His Words twisted together into something incomprehensible, written in a language her Enigma simply refused to interpret. She couldn't predict him. Couldn't perceive his intentions. Every glimpse dissolved into meaningless fragments before she could understand them. And because of that... He was also the only person who had ever made her feel normal.

Not a girl cursed to witness everyone else's hearts while never truly understanding her own. Just... Herself. Gritting her teeth, Nym swung her blade upward, intercepting Vale's descending blade with a violent clash of steel that echoed across the clearing. Sparks burst between them as the force traveled through both weapons, but Vale didn't hesitate. His sword immediately came down again with another crushing strike.

She tilted her head, allowing the black blade to whistle harmlessly past her cheek before catching his wrist with her free hand. Stepping inside his guard in one fluid motion, she yanked him forward and drove her knee into his stomach hard enough to force the air from his lungs.

"Sorry..." she hissed through clenched teeth.

"... But I can't afford to hold back anymore." Before he could recover, her foot slammed squarely into his chest. The impact launched him backward several meters, his boots carving long trails through the grass before he finally came to a stop. The instant the distance between them widened, the strange Words composing Vale's existence dissolved from her perception once more. Everyone else became readable again. Vale... Returned to being an unreadable void. She stared silently as he climbed back to his feet.

His breathing was uneven, his shoulders trembled ever so slightly, and his eyes drifted in and out of focus as though he were struggling simply to remain conscious. Something inside him had fractured. Whatever control he normally possessed seemed to be slipping further away with every passing second. Nym bit down hard enough on her lip to draw blood.

'I can't leave him like this.'

'I have to stop him.' Tightening her grip around the blade, she began advancing. She refused to rush him. She refused to repeat another mistake. Then, without warning, she exploded forward. Her blade crashed against his, knocking the Onyx Sword wide before she released her weapon entirely. Vale reacted a fraction too slowly. She threw herself into him. Wrapping both arms tightly around his torso, she tackled him to the ground with enough force to send them both tumbling across the grass.

Her leg hooked behind his ankle while she shifted her weight forward, pinning him beneath her before he could recover. Both of his wrists were forced into the earth as she poured every ounce of strength she possessed into keeping him restrained. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"I've got you now!" Her voice rang across the clearing. For several long, agonizing seconds... Nothing happened. Vale didn't struggle. He didn't shout. He didn't even attempt to escape. Instead, he simply stared up at her. Gradually, his breathing slowed. The emptiness clouding his ivory eyes receded little by little until confusion slowly replaced it.

"W-What, what just happened?" Nym blinked.

"You... don't remember?" He slowly shook his head without looking away from her.

"I think... I blacked out." Concern immediately crossed her face.

"Did anything feel strange before it happened?" she asked carefully, continuing to observe the unreadable Words drifting around him. They had returned to their usual state, utterly impossible to decipher, as though reality itself refused to translate them. Vale frowned, searching for an answer. Several moments passed before Nym finally released his wrists and climbed to her feet. She hesitated briefly before extending a hand toward him. After only a moment's pause... Vale accepted it.

When their hands touched, Nym felt her heartbeat skip. He pulled himself upright before looking her over from head to toe.

"Are you alright?" She stepped back, creating a little distance between them before forcing a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine." She raised both hands slightly.

"Don't worry so much." Vale narrowed his eyes.

"Are you sure?" She nodded.

"Yeah." Silence settled briefly between them before she spoke again.

"... Thank you." Vale looked away.

"You shouldn't thank me." His voice softened.

"I'm the one who almost hurt you." Another quiet silence passed before he finally answered her earlier question.

"I don't remember anything unusual." His brow furrowed.

"It was just... black and white." He frowned.

"Like all the colors were melting together." Nym stiffened almost imperceptibly. Lowering her gaze, she found herself smiling sadly. Talking with Vale had always felt different. Comfortable. He was the only person whose future she couldn't already see. Every conversation with him unfolded naturally. Every surprise was genuine. Every smile was unexpected. Around him, she wasn't burdened by knowledge of what someone would say before they spoke or what they truly felt behind carefully crafted words.

She could simply exist. As herself. Or perhaps... As close to herself as she had ever managed. But none of that mattered anymore. The moment Illu died... So had whatever future she might have shared with him. She had killed his closest companion. She had nearly killed him as well. No matter how kind he continued to be... She didn't deserve that kindness. Without another word, she turned away.

"Hey, Nym." She stopped. Slowly looking back over her shoulder, she found Vale still standing exactly where she had left him. A small smile rested upon his face.

"... Thanks." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"For the match." Nym's eyes widened.

'Why...?'

'Why are you still smiling at me?' Her throat tightened. Unable to answer, she simply turned around once more and quietly walked away. Night settled over the camp not long afterward. The sounds of the forest gradually faded until only the occasional chirping of insects disturbed the silence. Nym sat with her back resting against the massive body of the injured forest drake, whose thick bandages had long since been stained crimson by the blood slowly seeping through them.

Heavy footsteps approached through the darkness. Korin stopped beside her.

"Night's almost here," he said quietly.

"You alright taking first watch?" For several long moments, she didn't answer. Eventually, she gave a faint nod.

"Yeah, I can." Korin studied her for a moment. Even without looking directly at him, she perceived the Words composing his existence. Pity. She frowned. She didn't want the pity he felt towards her. Least of all from him. Yet beneath that surface Word, she sensed something deeper. His true nature. His Enigma. It remained buried beneath another Word so overwhelming that it eclipsed everything else. Madness. Every time his power awakened, madness consumed it before it could fully bloom.

Whatever his true ability had once been, it no longer mattered. Only destruction remained. Only violence. Eventually, Korin rested a gentle hand upon her shoulder before quietly walking away. The silence returned. Nym released a weary sigh. The drakes surrounding her were comforting in their simplicity. Their Words were uncomplicated. Hunger. Protection. Curiosity. Pain. Animals never burdened her with the impossible torrent of emotions humans carried within them. Humans... Were exhausting.

Every person she passed was weighed down by something different. Grief. Hatred. Regret. Disgust. Jealousy. Love. She felt all of it. Every hour. Every day. Every year. At some point, she had stopped knowing which emotions truly belonged to her. The cheerful girl everyone knew... Was that really Nym? Or had she simply become a personality stitched together from fragments borrowed from everyone around her? She honestly didn't know anymore. Perhaps... She never had.

Drawing her knees against her chest, she buried her chin atop them as her vision slowly blurred. Maybe that was why Vale had become so precious. Around him... She could simply exist. Because, for once... She didn't understand someone else. A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

"I've ruined everything..." Her voice cracked beneath her own guilt.

"Why... why did I have to be so stubborn?" The tears she had fought back all evening finally spilled over.

"I killed Illu..." She whispered.

"He was my friend too..." She buried her face against her knees, allowing the grief to consume her. A moment later, another presence approached. Its Words differed completely from everyone else's. Conviction. She slowly lifted her head. Eskar stood before her beneath the pale moonlight, his lone icy-blue eye watching her without judgment as he folded his remaining arm across his chest.

"Stop crying," he said evenly.

"If all you plan to do is sit here weeping, you'll never win a man's heart."