Faust searched the grand Town hall with a pounding heart. Each time he pushed open a door, his heart leapt with excitement.

Nirvana almost got me there with the Sedative.

Then died when he only found random people. The hall was huge. Sprawling corridors. Grand windows and chandelier pieces. The wooden floors never creaked, but the walls hummed with classical music.

She would have lied that the alcohol knocked me out and killed Amelia without my interference.

The building vibrated softly as Faust walked up to the first floor to continue his search. He already checked and Amelia left the party a while ago. They said she went voluntarily. Nirvana would go after her.

Did she plan this from the beginning? Did she know I would try to stop her? That Amelia was meant to make her angry?

Pushing open another door, Faust found a conference room filled with some rejects, people that couldn’t get into the main hall, drinking themselves away and laughing.

"Ohh, is that a top ranker?" One of them asked.

"Come entertain us, oh great one."

"I heard you shit golden eggs for Diego?"

Faust closed the door ignoring their jeers and insults to continue his search. The next doors he opened had people entangled with each other. Then a single man drinking on a table.

He rounded a corner and almost bumped into Zen. The window at the edge of the corridor was open, letting in cold winds and silver moonlight.

The shadows in the room cut an intimidating look on Zen’s round face. Faust was surprised to find such a strong glare on the lackadaisical young man.

"Haven’t found her yet?" Zen said calmly, despite the venom in his eyes.

Faust shook his head. "Well we can both proceed to the second floor, if you searched the doors on that side."

Zen glanced from Faust’s hand to his neck.

What is he looking for?

He kept a distance from Faust. The way he angled his body. The tension in his muscles and jaws. He was ready for a fight.

"I’ll check again in case you missed something." Zen said slowly, turning to walk away sharply.

Faust laid a hand on his shoulder. Zen snapped around, batting his hands away. Fury was in his dark eyes but Faust also saw fear.

"What did I do?" Faust asked carefully.

Zen glared for a while. He took a few steps back before he spoke.

"I know what you’re doing."

Faust’s heart kicked up. But his face remained impassive. He raised a confused eyebrow at the boy.

"And that is?"

Zen’s jaws tightened.

"Can you stop? Stop pretending, I mean. I’ve seen you do this. Seen you use your words and actions to start fights between different people. Seen you antagonize someone so well people sided with you."

Faust nodded. "Ok. I think you have a pretty negative view about me. Though I don’t know what I did to make you—"

Zen groaned, massaging his temple. "Cut the bullshit. You’re doing it right now, trying to win me over with your words.... I don’t know why you do this and I’m not saying it’s wrong. I’ve never minded being a bit abnormal. But you... you’re..."

He struggled to find the words, so Faust completed it. "Dangerous?"

Zen didn’t answer. His fists just tightened. He was glancing back slightly; using his hearing to make sure no one’s coming, Faust guessed.

Faust got ready to explain how he might be a bit competitive and goal-driven. He got ready to use the same song and dance he used against therapists over the years.

But Zen wouldn’t believe him. He had been watching Faust. And he wasn’t an adult.

So maybe it was time for a different approach.

"What do you want?" Faust asked with a dramatic sigh. Not refuting or agreeing with Zen.

The Asian boy pursed his lips. Mind turning behind those dark eyes as he considered his words.

"You do this with everyone. You find what can bring out their anger and you push. You’re doing it to Diego, Jason, Juliette... and now Nirvana. But why do you do it?"

Faust leaned against the wall and shrugged.

"Why not? Why is everyone so okay with sitting around and playing friends with people that obviously hate them? Why does no one fight with everything they have if their emotions aren’t involved? Why are you alive if you aren’t reaching for somewhere higher? I ask myself these things everyday. What about you? Or are you also pretending?"

Zen looked increasingly lost with every question. He stepped back, eyes narrowing. But the final question made him freeze.

"I see," he murmured. "But you don’t have to do this with us. Nirvana is your friend. She lo—"

He bit his lip, stopping himself. Then covering his eyes, he muttered, "Just get back to finding her. And please, don’t kill her, no matter what you find."

Faust walked a bit closer and looked into his eyes. "Is there a reason you say that?"

"No." Zen lied as easily as he breathed. Then he stalked off quickly, checking the rooms Faust said were already checked. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Faust stood in the dark for a moment, thinking. He had an idea why Zen lied already. But his words stuck with him.

Nirvana is your friend.

Maybe there was a time he would have considered that. But Liora reminded him of something he had forgotten.

Words are meaningless.

Friend, lover, father. All those were just things conjured by people to make sense of the world. He participated because he enjoyed it. He liked having friends. He liked Liora.

He would chase the apex of life and seek out struggle. No matter what happened to the people around him.

***

A/N: Just a reminder in case you skipped the author’s note from last Chapter. It’s really important I make this decision soon and I’d like to know what you guys want.

Also reminder to support with GT and PS. Our goals are still active.