Chapter 402 Doubting Reality

Chapter 402 Doubting Reality

?Her long dark dress cushioned her knees as they kissed the ground.

'Looks weird...'

Her left arm, covered by the sheer sleeve of her dress, was extended forward.

'Wonder if he can talk...?'

The instant her fingertip came into contact with the Monster's body, she pulled back.

"Ugh... So weird..." She passed that same fingertip over the back of her hand. "Scales feel so weird..." She whispered. "But also kind of... Nostalgic-"

The white-scaled Monster's eye opened.

She froze.

Both moved at the same time.

She jumped back and it extended its claws.

The Monster's expression made its confusion known. Still, its gaze didn't leave the one standing before it.

She remained unmoving, her hands tightly grasping the dark dress.

Can it talk? Why is it here? Where did it come from? How? Why now, when I've been alone for so long? A Guest. Or a Visitor? Can it talk? It's wearing pants, so that says something... Does it say enough though?

In the midst of the silence, her mind was racing.

The white-scaled Monster looked away, and she sighed internally.

"Who-"

"Fuck..." Mark interrupted before she could get a word out.

His gaze quickly went back to her.

Mark took three steps back, before rubbing his face with his left hand.

"So it was a nightmare..." He whispered.

"What was?" She asked suddenly, glad that it could talk.

Flames suddenly rose from the white-scaled Monster's left arm.

Her eyes widened, her gaze rapidly moved from right to left. She jumped back and raised her arms.

An open field plunged in darkness. Nowhere to take cover and nothing to hide behind.

She was different than the rest.

Different from Elisa, from the Commander, from Yarnha...

The look in her eyes and the shaking of her legs proved it.

Different from Lin, Raven, Zephyr... nove(l)bi(n.)com

Different from all of them.

"Can uh... Can we..."

Mark clicked his tongue internally.

"Can we talk? Instead of..."

The white-scaled Monster didn't bother listening to the rest.

Mark scratched his head.

She wasn't like them.

She wasn't like him.

Her stance, her shaking voice, the trembling of her body, the fearful look in her eyes she was trying to hide... She was incredibly...

"There's nothing to talk about." Mark answered coldly before turning away.

"Away."

"Where to?" She ran to catch up to the Monster.

"Outside." Mark answered, disturbed by her unnoticeable movements. "Stay away from me." He added, his right palm extended towards her.

She stopped moving right away.

Her lips parted.

Gulp-

"Why?" She shouted.

He didn't answer.

She pressed her lips together.

"They'll come for you again without me!"

The white-scaled Monster stopped.

"Who will?" He asked as he turned around, doubting the meaning behind her words.

"Those that came for you before!"

"Who... What are you talking about?"

"Those Spirits! Or Ghosts, or whatever!"

"How... Do you know about them?"

"Huh? Well, they live here so..."

For thirty full seconds, Mark stared without saying a word.

"So they were real?"

"Huh? Of course, they are. As real as I am. As real as you are!"

Mark turned away once more.

The open field was large.

The forest surrounding it had been lost to the horizon. Not like the darkness that ruled over the place allowed for the horizon to be seen anyway.

"I'll help you!"

"Mm?"

"I'll help you go back."

"How?"

"They won't leave you alone."

"So? How can you help?"

"They always run away from me. If I'm there... They won't come for you."

Mark wondered for a bit, before letting out a heavy sigh.

Spirits, Ghosts, Devils, strange entities...

He cursed his Nightmares, his Dreams, and his Visions.

'Doubting what's real and what isn't...'

"I'll help you go back!" She shouted again.

With doubtful eyes, Mark shrugged.

"What's in it for you?"

"Let's talk on the way, okay?" She ran to catch up to him.

"Tell me what you want now. I don't have time to negotiate. I need to go back."

"Huh? I just told you what I want." Mark stared into the bottomless abyss that resided within her eyes. "I want to talk."