Evolving Classes In The Apocalypse-Chapter 43: Two Sides of a Coin

Marcel and I walked down the black grass plain in silence. I couldn’t tell why, for one, I wasn’t one to have conversations with people, and I don’t assume that he was either.

One thing was certain though, both of us had equally enjoyed this battle. At the moment I thought about it, my left eye throbbed, as if to remind me of the horrible incapacity.

’Ah right...’

There was something else that bothered me too.

As we continued to walk, now climbing over the rock, I turned to Marcel and spoke.

"Hey... Marcel..."

Without stopping, he turned his head to me.

"I’m curious... why didn’t you take advantage of my blindspot?"

He offered me an inscrutable look.

"Blindspot? Where?"

My brows creased together.

"Is that supposed to be a joke?"

Marcel backed off quickly, shaking his head.

"Oh, no no, it wasn’t. I’m just honestly asking... where?"

I stared at him for a few seconds, searching for any trace of humor on his face, but to my surprise there was none. Marcel’s eyes on me were completely blank.

"Uh? You really don’t know where the blindspot is...?"

I reluctantly tried not to consider him dumb. He was a very smart one after all. In fact, Marcel might be a genius, given the way he adapts and the little he knows about everything. And when you consider that someone like that had been protecting this settlement alone for the past five years, with only himself to rely on...

I heaved a sigh and pointed towards my left eye.

Marcel frowned.

"Why would I consider that a blindspot? It’s an unfair advantage to use that against you."

My mouth fell open, but only slightly. It closed back and I breathed for a moment, almost laughing. Instead I shook my head.

’This guy...’

"Marcel, the world is already very unfair... that kind of thinking will only get you killed."

Marcel scoffed and glanced at me.

"You’re wrong... if I get killed it’s not because of my reasoning, it was because I was weak. And weakness is a sin that deserves death. I am not weak, so I can’t be killed."

He shrugged, spreading his arms out slightly.

"Besides, why do I need to use a blindspot when the goal is to overpower an opponent? I want them to tremble in fear and shake at the terrible might that I wield. Using a blindspot still leaves them with an excuse... I’m not trying to win at all cost... I’m trying to win at absolutely no cost."

I let those words settle between us as we walked closer to the settlement. There was something almost childlike in the way he said it, and yet nothing about the intent behind it was childish. Marcel genuinely believed he could crush anyone so thoroughly that exploiting a weakness would be beneath him.

Part of me wanted to call it arrogance. The rest of me couldn’t, because he’d spent most of our sparring session backing up every word.

The silence that followed was comfortable, which surprised me. I wasn’t used to comfortable silences with people.

Dawn had poured over the top of the valley rocks, and golden light was seeping into the space between, bathing it all in a warm radiance.

Marcel stared at the sky where the sun was slowly emerging and smiled towards it. His skin caught the light like polished metal as the glow trailed down his body, his eyes ghostly and subtle, his smile warm.

"I am trying to survive though... but I am not going to barely do it. That’s quite pitiful..."

He turned to me, that warm smile still on his face.

"Don’t you think?"

I stared blankly at him, my eyes frozen wide for a moment.

There was a light in Marcel’s eyes that made me want to hope for the best. But the darkness in my own heart was too deep, too vast to accept it. I could see that light clearly. I just couldn’t reach it.

If there was going to be someone to believe in a better world, it certainly wouldn’t be me.

This was an unfair, spoiled world. Not just one world either. Not ten. Hundreds of dimensions, and every single one of them no better than the other. When something is rotten to its core, the only way to make sure of a better future is to completely eradicate it.

Did I want to burden myself with something as insane as the destruction of every dimension in existence? That was a dream too big for me, I think. I had never even met a Sovereign before, let alone whatever stood above a Sovereign... whatever it was that got my father so scared he had to abandon his family and run. Something so terrifying that a man would leave behind everything just to survive it.

But it didn’t matter. Whatever the ceiling was, I would reach it. I would kill my father, and I would find my mother. Then maybe, just maybe, I could consider destroying earth too.

The warmth on my skin felt distant now, like the sunlight had decided it wasn’t for me.

Marcel’s voice cut through my thoughts.

"Hey..." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

I blinked. His pale green eyes were wary, his posture shifted half a step back from me, one hand raised slightly near his waist as though he was ready for something.

’How long was I...’

"What?" I said, straightening.

He gave me a strange look.

"The air around you felt dangerous for a moment. I’m sorry, I thought you wanted to attack me."

I looked at him with mild surprise, and then I laughed. He blinked as he watched me laugh. Then he muttered under his breath.

"What’s... funny?"

I tapped his shoulder and gripped it like he was my own son.

"Would you believe? Just now I was thinking about destroying the world and creating a better one for people like you." I laughed at myself again.

I think I’ve been getting too cocky recently, actually. A few good sparring sessions and suddenly I was drafting plans for interdimensional genocide. Truly pathetic.

Marcel, however, was not smiling. His expression was blank at first. Then he scratched a corner of his ear.

"I’m sorry... I don’t know whether to be grateful or careful..."

I released my hand from his shoulder and stretched. "Well... you should do the latter. I wouldn’t blame you... I can be quite sinister after all."

Marcel watched me for a second, like he was trying to decide if I was joking or confessing. He seemed to settle on something in between, and let it go.

I stood straight. We had been standing on a particular rock for a while now, the tallest one around this part of the valley, and from here one could see the entire settlement laid out below. People were already getting out of their homes and putting things in place. A few women walked a path amidst the rocks, heading to where we had dinner yesterday.

I caught Ayesha among them.

’Ysor must be awake then...’

Marcel’s voice came, drawing my attention away from the women disappearing behind the wall of rocks.

"So... have you decided... are you and your princess going to stay?"

I was silent for a moment. Then with a dour expression I said:

"Her name is Ysoriel... you should stop calling her my princess. I can’t help but feel like it’s slightly insulting to her."

Marcel was expressionless for a moment, then he nodded.

"Alright, I’ll do that... I didn’t mean to—"

I raised my hand, stopping him.

"You don’t need to explain yourself."

I exhaled and slipped my hands into my pockets, feeling the loose fabric of my trousers settle against my legs. My gaze drifted across the settlement below us for a moment before I spoke again.

"Ysoriel needs your help, that’s for sure... and I want her to get it. As for me... I have more to do than just survive."

I shifted my gaze towards him.

"What you’ve built here... my presence will jeopardize it. So I don’t think I’ll be staying."

Something in Marcel’s expression dimmed. He didn’t argue, but his eyes dropped to the rock beneath our feet for a breath before lifting again. I got the feeling he’d known this answer was coming. Maybe that was why he’d asked the question in the first place, to get it over with.

A man came along before either of us could say more, climbing up to meet us on the rock.

"Marcel, you were not around... I searched for you for a bit."

The man had rough brown hair that almost formed a halo around his face, stubble across his chin and cheeks, and light brown eyes set in an almond shape.

Marcel turned to him, raising his head and smiling towards the man’s face.

"Is everything ready?"

The man nodded.

"Yes, we’re all just waiting for your command."

Marcel turned to me and opened his mouth, but I spoke before he could.

"I’m going to go see Ysor..."

I nodded at him with a polite smile.

"Thank you for this morning."

I stepped away from them, and as I did, I caught a subtle but dark look from the man who had come to find Marcel. It was brief, just a flicker of something directed my way before his attention returned to Marcel.

I tilted my head slightly, thinking about it as I descended the rocks to go meet Ysor.

’Maybe it’s just me.’