“So it's true that Edward is actually a great carrier? Just like the vague feeling I have...”

“Fuck… Isn't that a bit too much? I think of him too much as a fellow god... But doesn't he still count as my boss?!” I shouted a question that I should be asking myself.

“No! Not that much! It was completely fine! I’ve never really liked that guy's personality eiter!”

“Yes, but it's because you've known him longer. While earlier I was carried away by the emotions of his words which were actually quite logical! And to begin with, he also doesn't know about the counter-curse that I actually have. But...”

“I don't have any problem with him either... But to me, he's just someone who deserves to be hated. Maybe this has something to do with the relationship of every god and goddess you said at that time?”

Hmm. Ellie's thoughts just now also sounded quite reasonable. Elis, can you explain?

A voice of children suddenly appeared from somewhere.

“Me and Dion... I mean Daniel from my world, doesn't really like the god of illusion either. But we really like the goddess of reality... she's such a nice person, ya know? We have to find that girl sometime! Awh… I really really want to meet her right now...”

So your feelings for the gods with each other can also be reincarnated along with the physical body that you are in, huh? What a unique fact you guys have there...

~~~~~

Back to reality, while still walking in the empty corridor with no clear purpose, I remembered something so I asked this world’s Ellie about it. “How are the rest of our team doing?”

“Oh, about them? The fighting arena is temporarily closed, because somehow everyone always felt uncomfortable after being inside for a while. So we all did The team fight training in the usual hall. And I think everything is going pretty well… Some teams are finally starting to win while playing the role of capturers. Everyone was inspired after that time watching you fight alone against four people including Sion Frans and Jogi! You know about that?!”

“Oh no... I just remembered that back then I beat them up a little too hard.”

“Ah, you don't have to worry about that. They actually complimented you after that match.” Ellie looks excited.

“I also have to go back to training…”

“I refuse.”

“What?”

“Good effort not to look in pain, but you don't seem to have noticed yourself that your face still looks really pale from enduring it. So as your leader, that day I informed everyone that you won't be joining the training for five days. That means you still have two more days to rest. And that’s why for now...” Holding my shoulder, I suddenly got dizzy with the sudden change in the atmosphere.

This empty alley again…

“Please remember to tell me first every time later, before you want to do any of that teleportation magic... I haven't even prepared myself yet!”

“Take some rest... Tell your friends, make them not worry about you. I'll be picking you up in two days… You hear me?”

“Yes mother…”

I slowly walked away from her while hearing all the supportive words that were actually quite annoying but also sound cute. “Don't think about anything! Niel! Remember, relax… And have fun! Also, send my regards to them! Lov… Oh shit!” Canceling her words, she then just disappeared when I tried to turn around.

~~~~~

“I'm home.” A message I sent to two people, while I was relaxing in front of my bedroom window.

The first customer came knocking on the door, he came in after I opened it, we talked after he closed the door from inside. “So, you okay?” This guy asked.

“Actually... I'm fine. I'm just afraid you'll both get mad if I don't tell you guys.”

“Well, it's your own fault for not telling us where you went.” Deo exhaled while leaning his shoulder against one of the walls of the room.

“Oh yeah… You were also rarely in your room the week before I left. Where have you been?”

“That... Maybe I just happened to be on campus. Don't worry, I'm always in a safe place there. The problem is you, buddy... Recently, the city of Guinaian has begun to be filled with news about murders... About clashes between groups. About... The point is, you're the one I'm supposed to be asking, Daniel…”

“I'm fine, I swear. I'm also in such a safe place.”

“Where?”

I fell silent, while wondering whether it was appropriate for me to say that I was currently a member of the sins taker. That means I also have to explain that I'm actually a carrier.

There are too many questions for me to answer later, like since when did I gain my power? And whether it has anything to do with the death of the gang of thugs who were responsible for the fire in my compound back there or not. It'll sound like too much of a coincidence if I explain only half of it all, right?

It's obvious that Fanya will be worried, and Deo doesn't seem too fond of any carrier either… So the only option left is…

“You damn Daniel! Idiot! Stupid!” A scolding of a girl echoed from the outside and without giving us any hint, she flung the poor door wide open.

“Daniel! Oh… Deo?” The second customer meets the eye of the first.

“Everything is fine... Nothing to worry about. Right, Daniel?” That man chose to keep the problem away from Fanya... But I admit it was indeed a good decision.

“Yes I know. I just wanted to kick him in the back.”

“Oh... If that's the case then kick him one more time from me…”

“With pleasure… Deo? Don’t you have any class for today?”

“Oh that's right. Looks like I have to go now. See you both tonight.” Deo slowly closed the door to my room from the outside.

“Does Deo really have a class for today?”

“I don't know, that's why I asked. Now give me your back!” Fanya seemed to care more about kicking my spine out of its place.

“Sure. But let me rest for a bit, okay?”

A little bit not taking the girl's words seriously, I walked past her, prone on the blanket on the bed… I'm not exhausted, but it looks like I'm starting to not be able to bear to put on a fake expression for anyone’s sake. So I covered all parts of my body from this girl.

“You just want to escape my punishment, don't you?!”

“Uh? Yeah…”

She chooses to remain silent after that short answer of mine.

“You want to eat?” A girl’s tone of guilt.

“Nah. I’m good.”

“Am I bothering you?”

“No! I'm the one who always bothers you, remember? But now I just want to rest a bit…” What the heck did I just say to this girl?

Instead of trying to be seen as a good person, wouldn't it be better if I just diverted the conversation? “Oh! Where will we eat tonight? I forgot to tell Deo about it. You ask him to come, okay? I'll be up in a few minutes…”

Speaking quietly as if muttering, suddenly someone pulled the blanket that was currently covering me.

“Are you sick?”

“Take your hands off my beloved blanket!”

“You hurt… Right?”

“No.”

“Did you clean the wound? How are your clothes? Dirty?”

“I'm getting a little fed up with your motherly nature, young lady…”

“Yeah, whatever. So where's the wound?”

“There are no wounds! Okay, that's enough!” I pulled back the blanket from her hands, I put on a serious face to keep her away from me.

But now we both looked at each other with serious expressions, as if we were angry.

“You're a carrier.”

Shit…

Idiot… I'm such an idiot…

I was so shocked that I couldn't fake my response to that.

“So it’s true.”

“Please just leave me alone.” I moved myself to sleep with my back to Fanya, I begged her to leave in such a low voice.

“It's okay... I've had that thought for quite a while now… And I think Deo is also aware of this, but he chose not to speak. It's okay Daniel…” That forced kind voice echoed throughout this empty and lonely room. “You don't want to talk?”

“You wouldn't want to, would you?” I started to hear the fragile and disappointed vibe from Fanya's words just now. “Is that why you often disappear and get hurt when you return home?”

See?

I could easily tell if she was holding back tears for some reason, even I understand the worry and panic that she had.

“You told me not to meddle with the mess outside, didn't you? So… Why are you…”

Fanya stood only to be silent for a few seconds, then slowly walked towards the door. Before it closed, she warned me about something. “Well… Do whatever you really want to do. If you don't want to stay here with me… Us… Away from any danger, then just go! Just go... But if you die... Daniel, you know you're going to die out there, don’t you?! And if you die, then I... You know what will happen to me? You don't know, do you?! You don't know… you don't even care to know.”

The door then closed, locking the pain in this room with a man alone lying down, smoothing a warm blanket to fully cover himself.

“I will not die... Take my word, I will not let myself die…”

~~~~~

Murmuring a spiritual song…

I relaxed, gazing out the window at this giant corridor. The corridor that I had passed many times already, was lined with thick walls created from pure earth magic. The base where I've trained for a whole month, even though I haven't been with the others this past week.

And suddenly the day of the inauguration has arrived...

Soon, I will become an official member of Sins Taker. I don’t really know if Edward hated me by now, or if all the higher-ups knew that I wouldn't use my magic for their sake, but there was no way I could just be thrown away from this place... Sounds like a spoiled child, but in reality every great carrier is indeed a very valuable asset to the world. So I admit that right now I do feel a little calmer than ever... The problem lies with Fanya, far away in that Guinaian City.

Damn… I suddenly remembered about her.

“So here you are all this time.”

“Sion?”

“Bro.” The man in the same black army uniform as me, but with that edgy black robe he was shamelessly wearing, walked over from a distance.

“Everyone is looking for you all over the place.” Fiddling with his cell phone, Sion informs the other team members that he has found me.

“I'm always in front of the window though. Is it really that hard just to find me?”

“Well…” Sion spun thirty-sixty degrees, looking around. “Do you know how many windows in this base of ours that were created by a window fanatic great carrier who is just as fanatical as you?”

“Five.”

“What the… Okay, that’s enough. Let’s go Daniel… The inauguration will start soon.” Watching Sion slowly walk away, I followed him from behind.

“Where’s your cloak?” He asked.

“Ellie.”

“Oh… I'm actually a little curious. Are you two dating?”

“No... Or not yet…”

“Damn… You're pretty confident about her, eh?”

“Not really.”

“You even dare to call her with just Ellie.”

“Because I've forgotten what her full name is.”

“I will tell Evelin about this.”

“Bro?”

“Bro…”

But in the end he dared not say that.

~~~~~