This night once more I lay awake, as this burning sensation threatens to consume me. By my side are the twins, the daughters of my mother’s dearest friend. Their naked, quivering bodies lay pressed against my own; their breathing still ragged, eyes still unfocused— exhausted from all the passions that we just shared. I think that I… am starting to like them. They are ambitious, strong-willed... To even dare to try and tempt me someone like me… they are either very brave or very stupid, though I’m inclined to think that they are former, since I honestly believe them to be smarter than myself.

“Liar.” It called out to me… Something that only I could hear. Perhaps… It is but a figment of my own imagination, birthed from the depths of my ever-decreasing sanity.

I try to ignore it. Right now is not a good time for me to bother with such nonsensical hallucinations. Yes… Not now… Not while those two remain yet awake. They snuggle against my chest, their small, delicate faces still flushed from the pleasures we shared. They rub their cheeks against my skin, purring like a pair of needy kittens. It feels… somewhat strange… We haven’t known each other for long, and yet… their warmth feels so strangely familiar, yet at the same time… so scarily ephemeral, like it could vanish with the first light of dawn.

A sudden thought crosses my mind, and I can’t help but wonder how things will change once we actually get married. Heh… Now that I stop to think about it… marriage, huh? I never actually gave it much thought before, but… My older brother already has a bunch of wives, and even my foolish younger brother already has someone that he wants to marry… I guess that my turn has finally come? They will all be surprised once they learn of my marriage, won’t they? They might even end up feeling a bit jealous. I mean… the twins are kind of scrawny, sure, but it’s an undeniable fact that they are extremely beautiful women, the likes of which could make even heavenly maidens turn green with envy. They may be lacking some curves here and there, however… their hips have a nice shape, their legs are long and beautiful, and their faces are truly to die for. If am to be completely honest, they may look a bit immature at first glance, but once you actually pay attention… I don’t think I have ever seen a woman with a face as beautiful as theirs, not even close. Besides, let’s be real here, they are twins— gorgeous, identical twins. What man, in his right mind, wouldn’t want to marry the two of them if given the opportunity?

My hands carefully reach for the twins’ heads, my fingers combing through their golden mane; each lock of hair I touch feels so soft and smooth that I can’t help but fully immerse myself in caressing the two of them. I try to be as delicate as I possibly can, for even though I’m enjoying myself, my intention is to lull them into sleep. It shouldn’t be much longer now… Iris is already dozing off, half passed out as her spent body slowly descends into slumber. Alice too was starting to fall asleep, even though she hadn’t seen much action that night. She told me that she wanted her first time to be special, or something like that, so we have yet to go all the way. Though… she certainly has found many alternatives for us to enjoy our intimate time together. I can’t help but think that this ‘first time’ talk is just her preparing some kind of spicy fantasy or something… She tends to be rather extreme when it comes to her sexual preferences— even though she has no actual experience.

“Liar.” It called out for me again. Hey… I’m not deaf, you know? Even though you’re not actually here, I can still hear you. It’s just… that I chose not to answer, since nothing would change even if I did. Do you really have to keep disturbing me? But then again... it happens so often lately that I should’ve gotten used to it already… Huh? Used to… what? What am I even thinking about? Who is it…? Who could be calling out for me here, in the middle of nowhere?

It seems like the twins finally fell asleep, so I take the opportunity to sneak out of our improvised bed— a simple mattress on the ground, inside of our standard-issue camping tent. This kind of tent is nothing much, really, just something adventurers usually carry around when they have to travel for long distances. I bought the tent myself, but the mattress was something that Bruna gave to me; a present for her big brother, carrying her scent so that I wouldn’t miss her too much, or so she emphatically told me. It actually stills faintly smells like her… even after everything the twins and I did on top of it. Seriously… Even though she’s older than me, she still keeps acting like a spoiled little girl… Not that I will complain, though. It may feel kinda weird when she goes around calling me big brother, but she’s just so damn cute that I just end up letting her do whatever she wants. Besides… she deserves it. Many years ago, when I was still being confined by the elders, Bruna was the only one who dared to oppose them and come visit me. She might look like a pipsqueak, but she’s the bravest and most dependable woman I know. I’m… really glad that she joined me… that I… didn’t have to fight her… to kill her…

I put on my trousers and head outside the tent, making absolutely no noise at all. Even if the girls had properly trained their senses, which they haven’t, they would still not have been able to detect my presence— that’s just how different our skills and experience are. I’m trying to make them exercise and train their bodies to become a little stronger and more aware of their surroundings, after all, even if they are witches, martial arts and sharper senses always come in handy. What if they are ever in a situation where they can’t conjure any spells? Since they are to be my wives, I feel that is my duty to see to it that they are able to protect themselves in any given situation— though I intend to protect them myself. Well... Maybe a part of me also wants them to get a little more muscle, so that I can be rougher when we have sex. What can I say? I have a severe domination fetish.

Once I left the tent, what I found out there was exactly what I had expected— a wolf, or at least something that resembled one. It was... bigger, about the size of a cow. Its fur was all mangled up, its body covered in wounds, ethereal dark tendrils sprouting from its exposed insides. It also had no eyes, just two empty sockets that somehow still felt like they were staring at me— at my soul. But wait… why did I expect to find such a monstrosity here? I have never seen this thing before in my life! I’m…. I’m feeling kind of weird… My head is throbbing, violently, as if my skull were being caved in and my brain squished like some juicy fruit.

“Liar.” The weird creature said once more. Its maw wasn’t actually moving, yet it was unmistakably ‘it’ that spoke to me. Somehow, its voice resonated without the need for actual speech… Telepathy, perhaps? But why even question if that is the case? It’s just a fucking illusion, something made up by my delirious mind... Or is it?

“You’re annoying.” I chastise it, though I can’t tell if it is even capable of hearing me. Fuck… Just when I had finally calmed down after having some good sex with the twins… This damn bastard just had to show up and get me all riled up again… The stench of gore exuding from its body reminds me greatly of the many battlefields in which I have fought. Reminiscing about that is bad… really, really bad… it fans the fire withing me… it Increases my ‘hunger’…

“Why bother me right now? Are you not satisfied by feeding of their mana?” I ask, though I know this thing will likely not answer. But… why? Why do I know it…? How do I know it…? I just… can’t seem to remember… And… what was that about ‘feeding of their mana’? That sounds dangerous… Whose mana is it? Is it the twins’ mana? Those two are my women, you fucking piece of shit! Stay away from them!

“Liar.”

Yeah... just as I thought… Same shit as always. Same obnoxious little fucker as alwa—

Wait… what did I just— as always? Have I met it before? Ugh… My head just hurts so much… I can usually take pain well, my tolerance is extremely high; hells, I didn’t even blink when I got a bolt shot right through my shoulder…! So... how is it that a ‘simple’ headache is causing me so much pain?

“Yes, I’m a liar.” I move closer to the creature, close enough to touch it— if I wanted to. “So what?” I question it, fully aware that it will not answer. “What am I supposed to do if I do not lie?” Should I… should I just tell them the truth, even though it will not do them any good? But… what is even the truth? I don’t know… I… I don’t… I can’t… Once more I feel the heat of a raging inferno surging from withing me, threatening to break free and consume my surroundings in a sea of blazes.

I… probably don’t have much time left…

“Liar”

Seriously… Even now… this annoying bastard still...

I grit my teeth as the urge to tear it apart with my bare hands overtakes me. Though I know, from personal experience, that it will not work. It’s not real, so it cannot be destroyed, not unless I also destroy myself. But... I’m not yet at the point of insanity where I would consider something as ridiculous as ending my own life; ‘where there’s life, there’s still hope’, or so the saying goes… Who knows, I might still find a way to get myself fixed, if it’s at all possible…

My bloodline’s curse… I’m going crazy because of it, or rather, I’m turning into the beast of madness; the Vánagandr, also known as Garm and Fenrir. It is said that an ancestor of mine slew the beast and got cursed by it in the process, though I know it to not be true. The Vánagandr never did actually exist, at least not in the way that people think it did— not in the way that stories tell it did; the Vánagandr, Garm or Fenrir, whatever it is that you want to call it, it’s… not a creature, but a curse, a curse placed upon my ancestors and inherited by me. A curse that will eventually consume me…

“Liar.” Yes, yes… I’m a liar, I know… You really don’t have to keep telling me that. I’m lying to everyone around me, to everyone I know… I lied to Leila and to Annie when I first met them; I felt nothing towards them back then, and I still feel nothing towards them now. The only reason I helped them— the only reason that I try to help women in situations like the one they were in— is because someone once told me that it was the right thing to do. I feel nothing, so I hold on to those words, I hold on desperately, trying to remain a human for as long as I can. It’s not as if I hate them or anything… I honestly feel nothing for those two, though I’m able to recognize their merits; Annie, in special, is showing astonishing results and proving herself extremely useful to me. Not only is she getting stronger, but also her personality is becoming warped, wicked— just the way I like it. Leila, on the other hand, disappoints me. It seems she misunderstands sex for feelings of love, even when the only things I asked of her were loyalty and servitude… No matter, she is free to love me, if she truly wants to. Though I will never be able to return those feelings of hers.

“Liar” Indeed, I’m a liar. I told my sister that I loved her, when in reality… I don’t even know what love is. My emotions are… numb. At best they can be called artificial, something that exists mostly out of common sense; she is my sister, my family, therefore I should love her— I should protect her. I wish for her happiness, for her to be healthy and live and long life, but that too is becoming faint. When I considered the possibility of she trying to take the twins back to the clan, I… Was ready to kill her, and I wouldn’t hesitate to do so.

Gods… I’m so glad that she sided with me… If I had to kill Bruna, I… I don’t think I would make it. I would probably become the beast right then and there, despite of how hard I’m fighting to remain human...

I don’t remember clearly when it was that I started losing my humanity, but… at some point I realized that I had become something else, something vile. The elders often told me that the purpose of my life was to become a weapon to slay witches, a tool to serve the clan— to protect the Ashwall. I confess… At some points I did feel like that… Like a tool… Like a weapon… An objected to be used by others, and then… Thrown away.

“Liar.”

I told Bruna that I would find us a place to start over, a new place for us to call home— to build our families… It’s the truth, I intend to keep that promise… no matter how long it takes. It’s just… I don’t think that I’m gonna be able to stay and be with her when that time comes. There’s… not much left. Not much of me remains… Before we left on this trip, when I looked at Bruna’s face… my sister’s face… I… all I saw was a witch; a target for me to slay. Lately, everyone I see, I just… Want to kill… to destroy… to butcher… These murderous urges keep getting stronger and stronger, just as they did for my ancestors.

I’ll… Probably end up like them.

“Liar.”

But… There’s still hope. I don’t know how or why, but those twins… Iris and Alice… Even though the madness inside me screams that they are witches, that they are the enemy, that I must kill them… There’s… There’s something else… Bruna seems to think that it’s the effect of their brands, of their overabundant mana of the darkness attribute, that is somehow supressing my bloodline by feeding it with negative energy, but the truth is… Since before that, since the time I’ve first laid eyes upon them, I already felt something different— something new, like a sensation of relief after finding something important that you once thought lost.

I think… That for the first time, since the day the elders took me away from my family with the pretext of properly training me… I’ve felt warmth that was truly able to reach me.

The weird creature looked at me, even though it only had empty eye-sockets. This time it did not call me a liar, it just… sat there, staring, as if waiting for something. Then, before I could even notice, it just vanished as if it had never been there.

Wait… What was I doing again? I think… that I was talking to someone…? But… who?

Unsure of what had just happened, and the reason as to why I had come outside, I can’t help but heave a sigh— even though that is not something I usually do. Before I notice it, I find my gaze drawn towards the night sky, lightened by countless stars and big, round full moon.

“The moon looks beautiful tonight.” Words that I don’t usually say leave my mouth, and for a second I’m left surprised. Is the moon… Truly that beautiful…? I wonder… When was the last time that I found beauty in anything besides the female body…? Actually… When was the last time I even gazed into the sky without having a purpose? I can’t really remember… Gods… Has it really been that long?

In any case… It’s cold. Even though my body is strong and well-trained enough that I could just ignore the cold weather, I would still prefer to stay warm, specially in a bed with two beautiful women. At the mere thought of their bodies, I can already feel blood gushing into my member as it hardens under my trousers. It seems like, as always, my lust is bottomless. Should I go for a few more rounds with Iris…? Or perhaps I could have Alice service me with her mouth again… Nah, I want to have the both of them at the same time; doing it with twins is a treat I will never get tired of.

With my member already fully erect, I head back inside the tent. Tomorrow afternoon we should be arriving at a small village located at the edge of the Sunless Swamp. Things are about to get hectic… I just hope that everything works out in the end.

End of Intermission: Liar.