CHAPTER 248: QUIET NIGHTS, SMALL TALKS [2]

The sun was high above.

Kyle leaned back on the hammock, wearing a loose tropical shirt with plain white shorts. A pair of sunglasses rested on his nose, and in his hand was a coconut with a straw poking out.

Sip—

He took a slow sip, savoring the sweetness before letting out a long breath.

Before him stretched paradise. Tall coconut trees swayed in the breeze. The waves crashed against the shore in a steady rhythm, the endless blue of the ocean reaching all the way to the horizon.

"This is life."

He muttered, sinking deeper into the hammock. For a moment, it felt like he could melt into the peace of it all.

But the peace didn’t last.

"Ukh!"

A sharp pain hit his stomach, and before he knew it, the hammock twisted violently. He yelped as he tumbled out, crashing straight onto the ground.

"Ahhh—damn, that hurts."

Groaning, Kyle rubbed his back. The world spun for a second before finally settling down. When he opened his eyes fully, the paradise was gone.

No ocean. No trees. Nothing.

Instead, he was lying on the floor of the living room, right beside the sofa. The faint glow of the television flickered across the room.

Kyle blinked, still groggy, his brain slowly piecing reality together from the haze of sleep.

’Oh right... we fell asleep watching that show.’

Turning his head, he spotted the culprit.

Aurelia was sprawled across the sofa, clutching the blanket like it was her last lifeline. One leg was sticking out, completely careless.

Judging from the angle... yeah, she must’ve kicked him in her sleep.

Kyle’s lips pressed into a thin line as he rubbed his stomach, glaring at her peaceful face.

But his irritation didn’t last long.

Almost instantly, the memory of last night came back. The heavy conversation they’d shared.

He had told her the truth.

About Zalrielle.

About the spirit bound to his soul core.

Aurelia’s reaction had been priceless. At first, pure shock, her eyes wide as saucers, her mouth opening slightly as if the words didn’t make sense.

To her, Mocchi, the spoiled little furball she had grown attached to, wasn’t a cat at all.

But a spirit.

She had stared between Kyle and Zalrielle for a long while, trying to make sense of it. The weight of the truth had settled heavily on her shoulders.

And then came the questions.

— "What is a spirit? How do you even have something like that?"

Kyle could only give her the truth.

"I don’t know."

Because he really didn’t. Zalrielle herself had no clear memories. No past she could recall. Nothing to explain why she was there.

What he did know was simple. Inside him, alongside his mana core, there was another small core.

A spirit core.

That was what Zalrielle called it.

And from that core came the strange energy he used during the exam.

Spirit mana.

That had been the source of the attack.

As for how he found her... he lied.

He told Aurelia he stumbled across Zalrielle inside some ruins before the academy’s entrance exam.

Not the whole truth, but close enough to keep things safe.

Her shock had lasted for a while. But slowly... it changed.

— "Haa..."

She let out a long sigh before leaning closer, pinching his cheek hard enough to make him wince.

— "See? It’s not so hard to share your secrets."

That smile that followed, it wasn’t fake. It was soft. Warm, even.

He remembered staring at her for a moment longer than he should’ve, because... she hadn’t pressed for more. She just accepted it. Accepted him.

And then, like nothing heavy had happened, she turned back toward the television.

From there, the night had carried on quietly.

The two of them started watching a show together, ’Dark’.

At first, it seemed like some simple mystery about missing kids. But episode after episode, it twisted into something else, conspiracies, broken timelines, endless loops.

Confusing as hell, but addicting.

The two of them had sat side by side, caught up in it until sleep eventually pulled them under.

"Ukh..."

Kyle rubbed his stomach, wincing again as the dull ache in his stomach reminded him of her kick. He glanced at Aurelia once more. She was still sound asleep, lips parted, blanket held in a death grip.

Looking at her face like that, he couldn’t stay annoyed.

With a grunt, he pushed himself up from the floor. His hand brushed against something hard.

Click—

The television screen flickered, switching channels.

Kyle froze.

Across the screen, a bold red banner stretched wide, the words flashing in sharp white.

—— [Breaking News]

A woman’s calm and professional voice came through the speakers... but with that tight edge of urgency that always came when something big had happened.

—— "We have disturbing news from the capital. Just two days ago, Osborn Industries, one of the largest corporations in the Noctius empire, was abruptly shut down. Authorities entered the Imperia branch office only to find... every single employee dead."

The camera cut to shaky footage.

The tall glass towers loomed on screen, their windows dark and lifeless.

Police lines were wrapped around the buildings, soldiers moving in and out, their silhouettes carrying stretchers draped in white sheets. The air itself seemed heavy, even through the broadcast.

Kyle’s jaw tensed.

—— "Even more shocking, the CEO and founder, Rael Osborn, is still missing. Officials refuse to share the details, but reports confirm that all of the deceased employees were registered contractors... bound to demons. Yes, you heard correctly. Every worker in that office had signed a demonic pact. The question being raised tonight is simple, what was Noctis empire doing, allowing such a company to operate under their noses?"

The screen flashed again.

But Kyle didn’t hear the rest. His mind had already stopped at the name.

Rael Osborn.

He remembered.

The weight of the name pressed on his chest, dragging memories he thought he had buried.

Rael wasn’t just a man. He wasn’t even human. Behind the mask of a powerful CEO hid a demon.

Draxxil.

A Count-rank demon, equal to a Diamond rank human.

Kyle had almost forgotten about him. Or maybe he’d buried him, shoved the thought so deep it had vanished from his priorities.

His memory of the novel wasn’t perfect, it had been too long since he read it, but there was one thing he was sure of.

Draxxil was a monster. Someone far beyond anything he could handle right now.

So who found him?

Kyle’s thoughts spun. Someone had discovered his nest. Someone had wiped out all of his contractors.

But Draxxil’s body wasn’t there. No corpse was found. No proof.

Did he run? Did he slip away before they got him? Or was he hiding, waiting for the right time?

His chest tightened, countless theories running through his head, none of them making any real sense.

And then—

The anchor’s voice cut through again,

—— "Authorities suspect the massacre was carried out by a high-ranking darkness affinity user. No other details have been confirmed at this time."

Kyle’s eyes widened. His breath caught.

A memory struck him like lightning.

That masked figure.

The one who had saved him. The one who shattered Vesper’s domain as if it were nothing more than fragile glass.

That figure...

’Could it be... ?’

His heartbeat pounded against his ears, loud enough that it almost drowned out the broadcast.

The image replayed in his head over and over again, a shadowed figure, face hidden, blade wrapped with darkness mana.

’Who was he?’

Kyle dug into his memory of the novel, searching, pulling apart every corner of the story he once knew.

Nothing.

There wasn’t anyone like that. No darkness user of such level. No character that fit.

And then—

The quite unwelcomed thought slipped in.

’....Could he be another transmigrator?’

Kyle’s fists tightened. No. That was impossible. Wasn’t it? But then again... he wasn’t supposed to be here either.

The thought lingered, circling, refusing to leave. Maybe... he wasn’t the only one.

"Kyle. Can you turn down the volume? It’s loud."

The sudden voice cut through his thoughts.

His head snapped to the side.

Aurelia had pushed herself up from the sofa. Her eyes were half-closed, her hair messy and falling into her face. She rubbed at them lazily, still groggy, her tone low as she spoke.

Her gaze landed on him.

And she caught the look on his face.

"What’s wrong?"

She asked softly, worry slipping into her voice.

Kyle blinked.

He forced himself to ease the tension in his face, slowly shaking his head.

"Ah... nothing. Just... thinking about something."

Reaching for the remote, he clicked the television off. The screen went black, his own faint reflection staring back at him.

"....."

He rose from the floor, brushing the dust off his pants.

Then, glancing at Aurelia, he spoke.

"Get up already. It’s 8 a.m."

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Imperia: Capital of Noctis Empire

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