Rage.
That's all I can see or feel as I enter the cave. The rippling force of hatred crashes against me like waves during a thunderstorm. It gnaws at the edges of sanity and binds one to a fate riddled with tragic outcomes.
In this case, this fate follows Elga's 'death.'
Blood soaked the floor we stood on; every fiber and muscle in my body tensed at the sight. Elga lay face down, her neck lined with a slit oozing blood, while the boy, with his icy blade merging with blood, backed into a corner, confusion and fright filling his eyes as he clung to the last strands of sanity.
His emotions flickered between rage and confusion, each pulse breaking or repairing the fraying chains of his fury. We are all shackled to our emotions; as humans, we follow them without realizing it. Nobody can escape that; it will always be a part of us.
Another thing I utterly despise about humans.
Something I need to abandon…or else I might lose my way.
"Who the fuck are you!" he screams, waving his dagger as he pushes fallen strands of hair from his face, leaving blood trails on his forehead.
"Wow, you know cuss words," Avidia says, covering her mouth as she realizes the words that escaped her.
I guess it happens to everyone, not just me.
I didn't have to worry about Elga since she might wake up at any moment. The only thing I should focus on is him. Waking up in an unfamiliar place after being told everything at once is a lot to take in.
His teeth bared, his eyes glowed with a blue radiance.
"What power does he have?" Avidia whispers in my ear, getting on guard.
Right, his power doesn't reveal itself to those beneath him, meaning she can't see his ice, and his mana must be fully replenished by now. Just as I bend to tell her, the floor around him freezes, trails creeping up the walls behind him as blue patterns appear on his skin.
He's becoming stronger.
Gluttony forms in my hands as we stand before him. What do I do? I can't hurt him; he's part of my ring, but he isn't giving me a choice. That's right—he's part of my ring. I hold power over him; he doesn't have it over me.
"System, what perks do I have as a ring leader?" I murmur quietly.
[System]
Perks over ring monsters >
—Unlocked—
Suppress [Basic] - Able to suppress your monster of choice for one minute.
Borrow [Basic] - Able to borrow one of your monster of choice senses.
"I am Cipher." I step forward, dropping my arm as Gluttony disappears. "You are part of my ring; you will follow me because you don't have a choice." The perk activates, and he crashes to the floor, as if gravity were against him. "You follow me now, or I will see to it that you die," I say sternly, looking down at him.
The only thing I can see on his face now is—
Despair.
It overrides his rage, seeping into every fiber of his being, twisting his face in agony. His eyes bulge, on the verge of bursting from their sockets, and for some reason... I love it. The deep creases in his furrowed brows, the way his lips sink into a frown, and how his arms hang lifelessly at his sides—it's despair in its rawest form, and I'm captivated by it.
"Your life is gone; nothing remains other than fragments of your world."
"H-How..." he struggles to articulate.
"Because of the gods." I bend down to his level, my eyes locked onto him as pleasure floods my body like a drink I didn't know I needed. "They ruined your utopia and turned it into their planet to rule."
"Where…where is my family? My pack?"
"Gone." I restrain the smile, forcing it to spread across my face.
"No…" He grips his head, repeating it. "No, no, no."
"Yes. All of them are gone, turned to dust, their legacy buried under intricate lies woven to stabilize this current world." I straighten back up as he spirals further into despair.
He claws at his face and hair; his voice trembles under the weight of the truth, begging for release. Everything about it excites me; my heart races, my breath quickens. Is this glory? Is this what it feels like to witness someone break before you?
I wonder if this is how my father felt? How the gods feel? If so, I want it all. I want to see them crumble before me while I stand at the peak of pleasure.
"What do I do?" His words cut through my thoughts, and I stretch out a hand.
"There's only one path to follow."
"What?" He looks up at me as tears stream down his face.
"Join me on the path of revenge. We'll take down the gods and change this world." I smile, trying to make it seem as innocent as possible.
"I." His gaze flickers between my hands and my eyes as he cautiously extends his own. "Accept." He places his hands in mine, and I pull him up.
"Elga, you can get up now." I say without looking, knowing she's already up.
"Keen eye." She stands, dusting off her cloak as the boy looks petrified.
"I'll name you Ricka."