Shattering Humanity-Chapter 365: Trepidation To Trust

"The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation.

Please pardon the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of your faithful love, just as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now.

The Lord responded, ’I have pardoned them as you requested. Yet as I live and as the whole earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, none of the men who have seen my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested me these ten times and did not obey me, will ever see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have despised me will see it.

But since my servant Caleb has a different spirit and has remained loyal to me, I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it." -Numbers 14:18-24

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[Nephilim’s Home]

After dinner, Silpheed is washing the dishes in the kitchen while Maniae helps his new ’older sister ’ dry them off.

After dinner, Silpheed is washing the dishes in the kitchen while Maniae helps his new ’older sister ’ dry them off.

The red eyed young man looks over to the table.

All that remains on the family table is the decorative vase in the middle, and a ceramic plate full of spaghetti enwrapped in plastic.

The fresh meal leaving condensation inside the protective film.

Maniae: "Should I put Maniae’s in the fridge to save for him later?"

Before Silpheed can answer him...

Nephilim: "Nonsense..."

Both the pair of appreciative followers turn to see their leader walking into the kitchen after a shower and changing to his night clothes.

He finishes drying his large poofy black hair and swings the towel on the nape of his neck.

I’m sure he is hungry right now.

I’ll bring this up to him while it’s still warm."

He grabs the plate, along with a fork, and exits, leaving Silpheed and Maniae.

Maniae: "Big Sis, do you think Mr. Nephilim will be able to convince Arai to trust him?"

Silpheed’s glistening eye stares through the doorway at their caring leader at the bottom of the staircase. Admiring him as he walks upstairs to serve warm food to the young man with no trust in anyone.

Silpheed(nods): "Mmhmm."

Maniae accepts the answer from his respected foster sibling.

He thinks for a moment.

Maniae: "Ummm...Big Sis..."

A confused Silpheed turns to face him and she notices him slightly blushing.

Maniae: "I...I don’t think it’s the best idea for me to sleep in the same room with Arai tonight.

Do you think I can sleep on your floor or something for the night?"

Silpheed chuckles through the nose, underneath their face covering.

Silpheed(nods): "Mhmmm!"

Once at the top of the stairs, Nephilim stops while looking at the spaghetti mixed with tomato sauce and ground beef.

He remembers the words of aggression from the ’winning’ combatant while he was throwing haymakers.

A half smile forms on the additionally reminiscing man’s lips.

Nephilim(to himself): "Life sure does perplex itself at times like this. Word for word. Punch for punch. Verbatim...

I wonder if she felt no physical pain either, the same way I wasn’t..."

His socked feet softly step across the hardwood floor while approaching the closed bedroom door.

Nephilim(to himself): "Why was I so ignorant back then?"

Stopping at the door, the man of the house takes a deep breath of preparation, then knocks three times on the wooden door.

...no answer...

Grabbing the knob, Nephilim slowly opens the door to the room with the lights on.

Nephilim: "Arai?

Are you hungry after all that wasted energy?"

Laying on the bed, his back to the door, facing the wall, is Arai.

The intelligent cynical young man is reading a book while on his side.

Arai: "Go away."

The man with a red eye walks in a shuts the door behind him softly.

Walking over to the dresser the ’food server’ puts the plastic wrapped food and fork on top.

Nephilim: "I brought up your dinner.

As someone who is a fanatic of Silpheed’s cooking, I’m obviously biased but this is probably her best job yet.

Just, try not to leave the plate in your room for too long please."

Arai doesn’t turn around, he keeps his post crying eyes on the page in front of him while he is talking.

Arai: "I know the scent of freaking spaghetti, Old Man. The stench of your unnecessarily happy attitude overpowers it though."

Nephilim(thinking): *Jeesh, but I definitely wasn’t as quippy, that’s for sure...*

The educated man notices the book and starts to concoct an idea.

Nephilim: "So, what are you reading?"

Arai: "The room.

And apparently, better than you."

Comedically, Nephilim is struck hard by the response.

Nephilim(thinking): *Wow, this kid is good...

Okay, I just need to focus and not let him believe his hatred is affecting my care over him.*

After a moment of realization, Nephilim knows exactly what to say. He goes and sits down on Maniae’s bed from across the small room. There is a slight creak that makes Arai’s eyes look away from the book, but not turn his body.

Nephilim: "Can I ask you a quick question, young Arai?"

Arai: "I’m going to say ’no’, but I’m sure you’re going to ask me it anyway because I’m dumb enough to respond."

Nephilim looks up at the ceiling fan spinning at moderate speed, making the dangling pendant slightly rotate.

Nephilim: "What do you believe is the most important thing in life for any human man to posses?"

There is a moment before...

Arai: "Well that’s a dumb question.

It’s obviously his courage to fight back against a world that wants everything from him."

Nephilim: "Hm...I see...I see."

Arai: "Is that all you wanted to ask me?

Some falsely profound question you probably believed I didn’t know the answer too?"

Nephilim(thinking): *He’s smart, but no intelligence can’t help you hide your teenage insecurities...*

There is a war shooter video game on the entertainment center, next to the console and TV.

Nephilim: "Now I ask you this, what happens if a man has so much courage, he charges into an attacking army all alone?"

Arai: "Then it’s not courage, it’s foolishness.

You can quit trying to pick my brain for information on how you can trick me like you’ve done with Maniae. I’m not going to let you, just so you can feel good about yourself."

Nephilim ignores the advice from the agitated teenager and continues.

Nephilim: "Now I ask you this, what happens if a man has so much courage, he charges into an attacking army all alone?"

Arai: "Then it’s not courage, it’s foolishness.

You can quit trying to pick my brain for information on how you can trick me like you’ve done with Maniae. I’m not going to let you, just so you can feel good about yourself."

The off duty General ignores the advice from the agitated teenager and continues.

Nephilim: "Now, what if a man walked in the back and claimed their courage was as the last line of defense?"

Arai: "Then I would call him a liar and a coward.

Are you done? I know what you’re trying to get at, Old Man.

There’s a reasonable happy medium when it comes to decisions and it’s usually with the crowd."

Nephilim gets up from the bed and stretches out his limbs, his hand hits the spinning fan, and he flinches in surprise.

Arai looks confused and wierded out, but doesn’t turn over.

Nephilim: "Well, since you are a well thought out, precocious young man, I’ll leave you be.

I really hope you manage to get over your trepidation towards trusting others.

Everyone gets in trouble now and then. It’s trusted friends who can help you through those tribulations."

The man with long black hair walks to the door and opens it. Before stepping through the doorway...

Nephilim: "Oh yea!

Please, don’t try to run away again. There are cameras all over the place, and no unauthorized exits out of the mountain for people your age.

But more importantly, you doing that really put Silpheed in a anxious funk.

For the sake of everyone but myself, don’t do that anymore."

Arai’s scowl relaxes from the selfless request.

Nephilim: "I won’t force you to stay inside these mountains either.

Next time we travel out, and you disappear, just know...

Just know you’ll always have a place here, Bud.

...

Goodnight, ’Arai, the Great’."

Knowing a majority of the covers to the books in his small library, the golden cover blushing Arai grips is to an account to the life of Alexander the Great.

While walks out and softly shuts the bedroom. Satisfied of his discussion with the rebellious runaway, he closes his eyes and takes a deep inhale.

Keeping his eyes closed...

Nephilim: "If I had to guess...

Those are your divine womanly pheromones, Queen MamMon?"

Standing at the bend of the 2nd floor hallway, in front of the window, is the transporting DæMon. It is however, MaMmon DæMon and her golden painted nails.

MaMmon DæMon: "I don’t know whether or not to feel flattered, or..."

Her blue eyes widen and once again from the quick thought, the conniving witch’s smile curls.

MaMmon DæMon: "...or very, verrryy, interesting..."