Chương 399: Those you Can lean on

Korin stayed on one knee, breathing hard as he tried to understand what had just happened. The voices were already coming back. They filled his head and pushed away most of his thoughts. Yet one thing stayed clear. He could still see that man. He could still see his father.

"Hey, Korin! Answer me!" Vale's voice reached him from far away, but Korin could barely hear it.

"That's impossible..." he muttered. He stared ahead without really seeing anything.

"I would know if there were more planes linked to mine." His breathing grew faster as the voices grew louder. His thoughts began to mix together. He could no longer tell what was real and what was not.

"Is Dad alive?" he whispered. His eyes shook as he tried to make sense of it.

"No. That can't be right. I killed him. He can't still be alive." He sounded as if he were talking to himself. Vale gritted his teeth and punched Korin in the jaw. The hit barely moved him. His huge body stayed still as he stared into the distance.

"Speak, will you?!" The shout finally broke through the noise. Korin slowly turned toward him. For a moment, the voices faded. All he could see was Vale standing in front of him.

"Sorry..." Korin lowered his head. Shame showed on his face as he slowly stood.

"I don't know what happened to me." Vale watched him for a moment. His face then softened.

"You know we can help, right?" Korin gave a weak nod.

"I know. But I don't even understand what's happening myself." Before Vale could say more, Eskar spoke.

"How many planes do you think you're linked to?" There was worry in his voice now. Korin looked at him. He still remembered their fight. He remembered the harsh words they had thrown at each other. Even so, he answered.

"One." Eskar let out a long sigh.

"Well, I think I know what the problem is." Korin frowned.

"What?" Eskar pointed at him.

"You're linked to more than one. Like me, you're an heir of a Founder. I don't know which one you belong to, but your power seems to show the same thing." Korin frowned deeper.

"What do you mean?" If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Eskar took a breath before he spoke again.

"What I learned from my Founder is that heirs aren't linked to one plane. The first is usually the Founder's own Conceptual Plane. The others help control and support what is inside it. From what I've seen of your power, one of yours is likely the Plane of Madness." Korin gave a bitter laugh.

"Obviously." Vale looked between them.

"Do you know what the others could be?" Korin sighed and turned away.

"Let's not worry about that now. Let's build camp and get some sleep." He didn't want to think anymore. More than anything, he wanted to forget what he had seen. But the moment he closed his eyes, his father came back to him. That twisted body. That monster wearing the face of the man who had raised him. Korin clenched his fists. Is this going to stay with me too?

"Hey, don't push yourself if you can't handle it. And don't use your powers for a while. Maybe that will help." Korin stood still for a few seconds. His face had gone almost blank.

"I'll try." He walked away, but the voices followed him. Their whispers filled his head as he made his way to the lake. When he reached the shore, he sat down and took off his boots. He lowered his feet into the cold water. Small ripples moved around his ankles as he stared at the surface. Korin looked at his reflection, but he couldn't see himself. All he saw was a man covered in blood. His father's blood. A killer staring back at him.

"Was that really him?" Korin whispered.

"Or did my power make it to scare me?" He had no answer. He couldn't prove it was real, but he couldn't prove it was fake either. He simply didn't know. If Eskar was right, then Korin was linked to more than one Conceptual Plane. Maybe his own plane was where all of them came together. What kind of planes could make something like that? Madness was the easy answer. But what about the others? Maybe something tied to images. Gluttony. Perhaps Chimera her plane. Or maybe something much simpler, like Bloodlust.

Korin sighed. He couldn't figure it out. Not now. All he could do was stare into the dark water and feel that old weight return to his chest. It was the same hate he had carried for years. The same pain that always came back when he was alone. What have I really done? He had killed his father. He hadn't saved anyone. He couldn't even control himself. Maybe the voices were right. Maybe this was all he was. A killer who didn't deserve to live. Korin stared deeper into the lake. The water was still and calm.

It almost looked inviting. Maybe drowning wouldn't be so bad. It would be quick. No one would miss him. His mother was afraid of him, and his friends barely knew the real him. Maybe this was where everything should end. His fingers dug into the dirt. For several seconds, he truly thought about it. Then something touched his back. Korin flinched and turned around. Nym stood behind him. Her face was serious, and her voice was quiet.

"I don't know what happened, but don't do it." Korin stared at her. She knew. Maybe she had always known. He gave a weak laugh and looked back at the lake.

"Hey, Nym."

"Yeah?"

"Did I kill my father?" Nym's face tightened. There was no easy answer, but she refused to lie to him.

"Yes." Korin laughed again, but the sound broke halfway through. Tears filled his eyes.

"Huh? Then why am I still alive?" Nym stayed quiet.

"Why couldn't Dad kill me when he had the chance?" Korin asked. Tears rolled down his face as his voice grew weaker.

"Why couldn't he live instead of me?" His hands shook against the ground.

"All I know is how to kill. I can't even protect the people around me." He wiped his face, but more tears came.

"I'm a terrible son... and I killed him. I killed my hero." That was enough to break him. Korin began to cry. He didn't try to hide it anymore. He didn't try to stay strong. He simply broke down. Nym didn't try to stop him. She sat beside him and stayed quiet. For once, she didn't try to fix anything. She simply stayed with him until his breathing began to slow. After a while, she spoke.

"You know... you have us." Korin slowly looked at her. Nym gave him a small smile.

"If you ever need someone to lean on, you can lean on us. You don't have to carry it all by yourself."