LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 5: Clash of Consciousness
Drip, drip. Water droplets cascaded from the showerhead, splashing onto the bathroom floor.
"Mom, you go ahead and rest."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of her."
"Hey, she's just a normal friend, Mom. Don't overthink it."
Ren's voice drifted from the living room, through the wooden door, and into the bathroom, causing ripples to spread across the surface of the bathwater.
Kiana submerged herself completely, leaving only half her face exposed.
Tiny bubbles escaped her lips, popping on the surface and tickling her nose.
Tap, tap.
Footsteps approached, and Kiana suddenly felt a surge of nervousness. What was she thinking, taking a bath at a stranger's house?
"Miss Sirin, I've left some clean clothes outside the bathroom door. They're mine, but they've been washed many times. I couldn't find any women's undergarments, so you'll have to bear with it for now. I'll go to the store first thing tomorrow morning to buy some."
Ren's voice was close, just beyond the wooden door.
Kiana curled up in the bathtub, feeling as though she were standing naked before him.
She didn't dare respond. Thankfully, Ren left immediately after putting down the clothes. Only when his footsteps faded did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Sirin…
Sirin…
She still hadn't dared to tell him her real name.
Confirming that no one was around, Kiana's tense nerves gradually relaxed. During her two months of wandering, her spirit had been wound tight like a clock spring, threatening to snap at any moment.
The warm water soothed her body and soul. Kiana closed her eyes, enjoying this rare moment of peace.
Since the Herrscher of the Void's awakening, both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy had been hunting her. She couldn't stay in one place for long, nor could she reveal her true identity. Even now, this was the first time in a long time she'd had a proper meal and a hot bath.
Her long, white hair fanned out in the water, droplets clinging to the strands. Kiana leaned against the edge of the tub, eyes half-closed, Ren's voice echoing in her mind.
…
"I don't hate my father. When I was young, it was him who brought my mother and me here." The boy played with Taxue's tiny paws. Even with the redness and swelling still visible on his face, his gray eyes remained clear and bright. "Back then, ARC City wasn't a technological metropolis. Everyone's life was hard."
"My mother is deaf and mute. After my grandparents passed away, she lived alone. We had a small plot of land back home. Life was tough, but she was still young and could barely support herself. Then, someone took advantage of her inability to speak and tricked her into coming to ARC City."
"If my father hadn't saved her, I can't imagine what would have happened."
"After that, they got married, and I was born the following year. Everyone ostracized my mother, mocking her behind her back for being mute and unable to find a job. My father worked tirelessly to earn money and severed ties with our relatives."
"Those were the happiest times for my mother. Dad's career gradually stabilized, and he saved enough to buy this apartment. I was still babbling, and thankfully, I didn't inherit Mom's deafness. She smiled every day."
"Then… Schicksal? Anti-Entropy? I don't know who they are. All I know is that after that, ARC City became a technological city. A huge influx of new people arrived, and those who didn't understand technology were driven out. My father lost his job during that time."
"He tried hard to learn what they called 'electronic technology,' but every time he applied for a job, he didn't have the diplomas they wanted."
"A single piece of paper blocked everyone's path to advancement."
"Later, he started drinking. Learning electronic technology turned into online gambling. Everything changed."
"But I don't hate him. I know it's not his fault."
Kiana: "Then whose fault do you think it is?"
"I don't know." A flicker of confusion crossed Ren's eyes, quickly masked. "What about you? Protector of the world, Valkyrie… why are you here?"
…
Why?
Why did they pretend to care, even though she was just an experiment?
Why was she being hunted, being killed, even though she had done nothing wrong?
Turbulent thoughts swirled in Kiana's mind. What had Ren done to deserve his father's abuse, to suffer from a terminal illness?
You know very well, don't you?
Schicksal, that man named Otto, ruined everything.
A wave of dizziness washed over her. Kiana's vision turned white, a black and white maze inverted against the sky.
Confusion, anger, fear, guilt…
Intertwined into countless tangled riddles, they threatened to drown her completely.
"Herrscher of the Void!"
A burning sensation emanated from her golden right eye. Sirin's consciousness began to encroach upon her mind once more.
You are lost. You are in pain.
You are tired.
Give this body to me.
Sirin's voice grew clearer. Kiana's momentary lapse of control was all the opening Sirin needed.
"What… what are you doing?"
"Doing what? Killing this wretched insect, of course, for daring to humiliate me."
Kiana's consciousness weakened. Helplessly, she watched as Sirin took control, the golden Herrscher pupils blazing ever brighter.
"Stop! He's just an ordinary person. Even if it's revenge, you should…"
"How foolish. Still so naive." Sirin's voice held a strange anger, both at her previous blunder and Kiana's innocence. "That thing isn't even human. He must be eliminated immediately."
Bang!
The wooden door exploded into splinters. Ren, still in the living room, barely had time to react before the Lance of Longinus hurtled towards him. He managed to raise a hand, but in the next instant, it was pierced clean through.
Warm blood splattered across the wall, staining Kiana's white hair.
He'd avoided a fatal blow, but against an enraged Herrscher of the Void, a normal human had no chance of escape.
His throat seized in her grip, Ren was slammed to the ground. Sirin leaned over him, her hand tightening. But just as she was about to crush his windpipe, Kiana's consciousness finally broke free from the maze's grasp.
"You can't kill him."
Blue and gold clashed as the two souls wrestled for control.
"Cough… cough…" His throat constricted, Ren struggled to breathe, his eyes wide as he stared up at the girl pinning him down.
Wet strands of hair fell around his face, droplets tracing a path down her neck and pooling at her collarbone. The overflowing bathtub dripped steadily, forming miniature stalactites.
The mental shock, coupled with the blood loss from his hand, overwhelmed Ren. His vision blurred, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
...
..
.
.
.
.
Chirp, chirp. Warm sunlight streamed through the curtains, illuminating the youthful face of the boy. His short, gray hair was slightly tousled as he lay peacefully on the sofa, his bandaged right hand resting casually on his chest, giving him the appearance of a sleeping prince.
But the moment his eyes opened, the chirping of birds, the warm sunlight, even the faint sounds of arguments in the distance vanished completely, replaced by a golden glow that filled the room.
Kiana was nowhere to be seen.
"Taxue, do you think this counts as a successful kidnapping?" he murmured.
A ginger cat padded softly into the room, its fur subtly shifting colors with each step until, finally, it transformed completely into a small black cat walking on four miniature white clouds. "What's the point of asking me? I'm just a cute little kitty," Taxue quipped, hopping onto Ren's chest and languidly licking its paws. "And next time you wring someone's neck, could you be a little gentler? You have no idea how heavy that billboard was."
"You gotta risk it for the biscuit," Ren retorted. "Besides, you're just a puppet. You don't feel pain."
"...Hmph." Taxue, unimpressed, jumped onto the windowsill.
Whoosh. The curtains were pulled open, sunlight flooding the room. "Don't you think it's a bit silly talking to yourself like that?" The rising sun cast a long shadow from the black cat, obscuring Ren's face in darkness.
"..."
"Yeah, pretty silly." With Ren's sigh, silence descended upon the room. The puppet playing the role of his mother leaned back in a chair, its wooden jointed arm suddenly falling limp.