《Incompetent Second Son》Chapter 19 - Subconscious
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Nothing. This world is nothing. I feel nothing.
What’s happening? Why is it so dark? Actually, I take that back, I quite like the darkness.
I want to sleep. Just let me rest, please.
A lot happened this past couple of days. Things are getting bothersome recently. I don’t want to deal with it anymore. Thinking about it made my head hurt really badly. Leave me alone already.
I guess it’s all over now? Nothing seems to be out of place.
Yes. Just like this. Sleeping in a dark room, no one is going to bother me anymore.
I can sleep all day. No one will wake me up. No one will make me run those stupid missions anymore. There will be no classes, annoying classmates and teachers. There will be no bystanders trying to whisper some gossips around me. Some alone time with myself, just like how it used to be.
‘Master, wait!’
Was that Bel? I see. Maybe it’s time for me to have breakfast already. Wait for me Bel, I’ll get up after a while, I’m still a bit sleepy.
‘You’re not Master Kane, what have you done to him?’
What do you mean Bel? Who are you talking to? It’s me. The usual lazy Kane, right? I’m sleeping and laying around like usual. Nothing’s new right? You probably saw me in this state countless times already.
‘Master, wake up! Don’t… energy… you!’
A sharp pain was suddenly transmitted to my whole body. The area around me also shooked a bit. What was that?
I can’t quite understand what you’re talking about, Bel. If you want to say something to me, speak clearly! What was that about energy? Are you saying that I’ve been sleeping for so long that I already have enough energy? I get it, I’m gonna get up now. Where’s my breakfast?
I opened my eyes. I was in my room, laying in my bed. Huh? Why did it strike me as weird? Should I not be somewhere?
I turn around and I saw Bel, standing in her usual spot, giving of her usual gentleness and warm smile towards me. Why does this make me feel like I’m doing something wrong?
What’s wrong with me today? I’m feeling something odd is happening. However, looking at the current situation, nothing seems out of place. Was my gut feeling wrong?
“Master, what’s wrong?”
Maybe she noticed something is wrong with my expressions, Bel voiced out her worries while looking at me with a worried face. My breakfast was neatly placed on the table at my room. She picked up the nearby kettle and poured some coffee to my cup, she then handed it to me. She did all this while keeping a worried look over her face and glancing towards my direction from time to time.
I sighed. She really is a good person. Too good for me, to be honest. I lightly shook my head.
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“Nothing, I’m fine. Thank you for this as always.” I lightly smiled at her to show my appreciation. I then started eating the food on the table. As always, Bel’s coffee and food are suited very well to my taste. I enjoyed everything served on the table while Bel stood quietly on the side.
I sometimes feel kinda bad when Bel just stood there on the side watching me eat. I remember one time I asked her to eat with me and she rejected the idea as her mother taught her that a great maid shouldn’t share a meal with her master on the same table.
When I told her that I’m worried that she may be hungry while watching me eat, she told me that all maids on the mansion eat at the same time at a separate room. So I shouldn’t worry about her and focus on enjoying the meal. Really, aren’t servants good-natured?
Right after I finished my meal, Bel quickly went to work, cleaning the plates and cups on the table. She also handed a cup of water to me. I heavily rely on Bel. It’s been on my mind whether that is good or bad. To be honest, with or without Bel, I think that my lifestyle will be the same as ever. However, having Bel around is handy as ever. She makes my life way easier. That is why I’m deeply thankful for her.
Huh? The feeling of uneasiness came back. I didn’t notice while I am having a meal earlier. Actually, it went off my mind, I just noticed it by the time after the meal. What’s this? Why is every single thing in this room makes me so uneasy?
Something may be wrong here. I rely on my gut feeling most of the time. It was never wrong. However, this kind of feeling, I can’t actually tell what it was. I don’t know whether it is something good or bad. That is why I feel so uneasy.
I decided to roam around the house, to see if there is something unusual going on. I can’t sleep like this.
“Bel, I’m going to go around the house for a while. You can do anything, for now, I’ll call you back once I’m back here at my room.” I ordered Bel to leave, for now, I can’t put off this feeling that I’m having. I’ll go around observing anything suspicious on the pretext that I’m going for a walk.
As I stood up from my chair, Bel suddenly held the bottom sleeve of my shirt.
“Master. I believe I cannot let you pass this door.” She stood there, blocking the way out of my room. I grew suspicious. Is there a reason that Bel cannot let me outside?
“No, I’m just going around for a walk.” I retorted.
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“I’m sorry, Master. However, you absolutely must not go out this door. It is for your own safety.” I furrowed my brows. This is definitely suspicious.
For my own safety? My gut feeling is right, something is happening outside. So that’s the reason why the windows are all closed and the curtains are down. The weird thing is, I don’t hear something happening outside. My keen senses should be able to pick even the slightest of the noise of vibrations on the air, even if it is something outside of this room.
“Was going for a walk consider dangerous nowadays?” I persisted on going outside. I want to see this myself. Also, Bel is acting kinda weird. She never opposed anything I did before. In actuality, she did anything I want. Whatever it is, she always stood by my side, supporting whatever I choose to do.
Bel acting this way added to my suspicions. What is this place? I want to get out of here.
When I was about to open my mouth to ask something to confirm my suspicions, a bright light suddenly burst out of the window. The window covers were shattered and the blinding light entered the room, illuminating the darkness around us.
Bel, who was behind me, immediately vaporized as soon as the light entered the room. I was shocked, I didn’t expect it to happen. My gut feeling is right, something is happening outside. However, what confused me the most is that Bel was the only one vaporized, how about me? Why didn’t I experience something similar? Especially since Bel is stronger than me.
I looked towards the window, the light was warm but it contains a dense amount of magic. It was absolute and tyrannical. Despite me not burning, I can now understand why Bel was burned earlier. Wait, is that even Bel? I don’t know anymore, I can’t understand what is happening anymore.
The answer lies across this door. Since no one is blocking the door anymore, I’m free to open it anytime. However, I hesitated. Bel tried so hard to keep me away from this door. It was my first time seeing her oppose me like that, I can’t shake off the feeling that maybe there really is something life-threatening behind this door, and I shouldn't open it. I trust Bel to that extent.
After a good while of thinking, I decided that I will open the door. It wasn’t confirmed that Bel really did evaporate earlier. There is also the possibility that she is a fake since Bel was acting weird anyway and there’s also the odd feeling that I’m having. With that said, I ignored the risks and turned the doorknob.
Outside was… nothing. The outside is pure black, nothing to see or observe. The sense of emptiness is so strong that I had this feeling that it will swallow me whole. The feeling of uneasiness from earlier is stronger here. As I stepped outside, I was surprised that I have something solid to step on, I had this feeling that I’ll fall or float around.
I kept walking towards the endless darkness ahead of me. I don’t know where would this lead me but staying inside that room isn’t something I wanted. Thus, this is relatively better for my current situation.
“Where am I?” This world is strangely similar to the vision world. Maybe it is somewhat related, I cannot confirm it, however. Even walking for quite a while, nothing seems to be changing around the place.
I’m not sure how many minutes had passed, but I started to feel something around me. It was a faint aura. One may not notice it at first but because I’m at a place where darkness reigns around me, I heightened my senses which made me pick up the slightest change in the surroundings.
I noticed the aura that is slowly building up on the surroundings. The aura was familiar. It was something I saw before, but I don’t quite recognize it to that extent.
The aura kept building up more and more. The aura was slowly transforming to a blinding light, similar to the one I saw at the room before. It was eating the darkness around the vicinity. It was oddly weird.
The aura felt warm. When a stroke of the aura passed in front of me, I touched it out of curiosity. I was expecting to be attacked like the darkness around, but contrary to my expectations, it just flowed around my hand before moving on.
When the darkness around was completely consumed, I felt a huge wave of exhaustion on my body. It was so sudden that I collapsed on the ground. I cannot move my limbs anymore.
Then I heard voices.
‘Master!!’
My head throbbed like crazy. I feel like my head is going to burst anytime soon. It was a hellish experience. I cannot endure the pain any longer.
‘Master, where is Master? What have you done to him?’
Dark energy started oozing out of my body once more, the surrounding blinding light immediately went to action to suppress the dark energy from my body. At first, the blinding light was winning in terms of density and strength of the aura. However, after a couple of minutes, it was instantly overtaken by the dark aura, it cannot be stopped anymore.
Darkness filled the vicinity once more. It was at this moment, the jet black wolf that haunted my dreams for a couple of nights, emerged out of my body.
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