"...But the dragon couldn't have been the only one responsible, could it?" Tania asked.
"No," Amara said, shaking her head. "I think the dragon was merely a delivery point—it had to be working for someone else."
"Now that you mention it," Pyra said thoughtfully, turning to look at me, "I remember Mark once said the dragon wanted him to relay a message."
We had finished basking in the moment, relishing the calm seconds spent in each other's embrace. But even then, it was important to me that our relationship wasn't solely centered on me. As much as I appreciated their affection, I didn't intend to act as their only bridge of communication. I wanted us to be part of a family, not a coven bound by self-interest.
We sat around the bed, legs folded and in comfortable postures. The topic had come up in idle conversation, and since it was something I had intended to bring up in the first place, I was all the more glad.
"His exact words were, 'Tell her that I regret my mistakes,'" I said with a shrug. "No idea what that was supposed to mean."
"But he also told you that you'd meet her eventually?" Amara asked.
"No." I shook my head. "He implied I'd know who to deliver the message to—and I quote—'when the time comes.'"
"So, same thing?" Pyra suggested.
"But how could he have been so sure?" Amara asked.
"What?" I frowned, confused.
She glanced at the three of us and said, "The way he gave you the message, he sounded pretty confident. But how can you predict the future with certainty?"
I blinked, startled. Her words made absolute sense. If the dragon expected me to meet someone to deliver the message, then he must have known the future. But that just wasn't possible—or at least it shouldn't be.
"Could the dragon have, I don't know, looked into the future?" Tania asked.
"No, that's ridiculous," Pyra said with a snort. "It's more likely he knew something you'd inevitably end up doing that would lead you to this person. Like how you can predict that if a person stays alive for a while, they're bound to drink water."
It was a bland analogy, but it summed things up well enough. The idea of someone—or something—capable of predicting the future sounded absurd. If that were possible, wouldn't they be able to rule the entire world? I shook my head, firmly believing the dragon must've simply predicted my actions.
"I feel like we're focusing too much on the dragon," Amara said. "Sure, it was the prime suspect, but since it's dead, we have to look elsewhere for leads."
"Look where?" Pyra asked.
"Alright, let's take a step back," the vampire said, glancing at me. "Before meeting the dragon, what were you doing?"
"Trying to stay alive while being surrounded by monsters," I answered.
"Before that?"
"Hunting in the Event. It was a Yellow Event, meant for D-Rank hunters."
"Between the Event and your arrival at that place, what exactly happened?"
I repeated the story to Amara, Tania, and Pyra, who listened with focused attention. There wasn't much to say, and by the end of it, Tania was seething and grumbling about offering those bastards a quick death. I ignored the dwarf and focused on the vampire.
"It's weird," she finally said, eliciting a frown from me.
"I don't see anything wrong with it," Pyra said with a shrug.
"Objectively speaking, there's nothing strange about teammates killing each other over money," Amara said, then paused as if deliberately holding the tension. "But think about it—why would they throw him into the Event at that exact moment?"
I shook my head, leaning back. "Because I was supposed to receive my share of the profit, and they clearly didn't want to share."
"While that's true," Amara said, "why not try to kill you before then? Or after? Why that precise moment?"
"I think you're pulling the wrong strings here, Amara," Pyra said. "They needed Markus to provide his last bit of usefulness. And they didn't kill him afterward because the Event Rupture provided a perfect opportunity."
"Unless it didn't," Amara countered.
I sighed, struggling to follow her reasoning. "What exactly are you suggesting, Amara?" I asked. "That we killed four people because they didn't try to kill me? That doesn't make any sense, because they clearly did try. And even if we entertain your theory for a moment, then tell me—why did Theodore kick me back into the Event?"
Amara offered a grin in response and said, "Markus, do you remember what I told you on that rooftop?"
I paused, thinking for a moment, then hesitantly suggested, "That the Moon is your mother...?"
"What? No!" Amara shook her head, clearly irritated. "About Soul, idiot."
Her sudden annoyance caught me off guard until I noticed the flush on her cheeks. It dawned on me that she was embarrassed. Amara was as socially inept as a cat trying to swim.
A faint smile crept onto my lips as I answered, "You mean about how Soul is immutable and cannot be changed?"
"Yes, that," Amara said, nodding. "Anyway, the point is that emotions, at a deeper level, are connected to the Soul. You can't create a new emotion—that would be like trying to change the nature of the Soul itself, which is impossible. But you can influence the emotions already present, like inflaming anger or hatred."
It took me a moment to catch on to the implications. By the time I did, I was left speechless. I hadn't thought of it that way—I hadn't even considered the possibility that other ways existed.
"That's a solid theory," I muttered, impressed. "But it's just a theory, nonetheless." Then, as something occurred to me, I added, "Wait. Does that mean we killed those four despite them not being guilty?"
I didn't exactly feel guilty about it, but that probably said more about my skewed moral convictions than anything else.
"I don't think so," Amara said, shaking her head. "They probably deserved it, considering they did intend to kill you afterward."
Ah, yes. Not creating something from nothing. They would've eventually tried to kill me anyway.
"So, what are you suggesting?" Pyra chimed in from the side. "That someone influenced those idiots to attack Mark? Why?"
"Dragon," Amara replied. "And now you know why."
"It's plausible," Tania nodded.
"But why me?" I asked. "If the dragon was really actively seeking me below, why choose me specifically? Why not anyone among those four? I didn't even have an Uncommon rarity Origin."
"That's another thing you keep insisting on," Amara said pointedly. "You say the dragon gave you your Origin. I'm telling you, it's just not possible to give someone a brand-new Origin. Upgrade it, maybe. But change it? Impossible."
"Then how do you explain the Scout Origin I used to have?" I challenged.
Amara shrugged, closing her eyes. "That I don't know—"
"See? You can't deny something without proof," I cut her off.
"—yet," she added, opening one eye to glare at me. "I was going to say yet."
"Alright, this has gone on long enough," Pyra interjected. "And we're no closer to solving the problem than we were at the beginning. Let's table this for now. Markus, why don't you tell us exactly what happened at the gate? Why were you ready to jump someone's throat?"
Pyra's words brought back the memory of the earlier incident—or near incident. I could still recall that distinct feeling of blood rushing to my ears, my heart pounding so fast I thought it might burst out of my chest. And then, the ecstasy. That overpowering sense of euphoria as I nearly ripped out someone's heart.
No! I thought. Not just someone, but someone rude. Weak. Inferior.
My blood had demanded retribution for the insolence. My heart had urged me to take the man's head. I managed to restrain myself, but the control hadn't lasted as long as I would've liked. Thankfully, I was pulled out of the fog before I could've torn his heart out.
"Amara warned me about it," I said. "That the Dragon Heart was nothing compared to the actual thing. The way it inflames your emotions, inflates your pride and ego—I can feel the change with every breath I take."
"This is because of the Dragon Heart?" Pyra raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I don't suppose there's a cure for it?"
Amara shook her head. "Markus will have to learn to rein in his impulses. That's the only solution."
Hearing her words, I couldn't help but let out a sigh. "It's not like I'm not already trying..." I shook my head at the thought.
"Clearly, whatever you're doing isn't enough to keep you from nearly tearing through a man," Pyra said dryly.
"You know," I replied, "it's hard to juggle multiple things at once. I can't keep my feelings in check while also managing everything else."
"Like what?"
"Like suppressing my anger so I didn't become enraged enough to nearly kill a man."
"Wait, I thought that was the emotional part. What other issues are you dealing with?"
I gave her a sidelong glance and answered, "More emotions."
"What does that—"
Pyra didn't get to finish before Amara cut her off.
"It's not a minor effect. You're constantly feeling heightened emotions," the vampire said, her tone certain.
"Yup," I answered with a nod.
"What kind of emotions, though?" Tania asked, her gaze narrowing. "Are you thinking about killing us too?"
"No," I said, and I saw relief wash over her face. Then, with a grin, I added, "I'm imagining doing something rather... prurient."
"Oh, cursed-moon above," Amara groaned, visibly repulsed.
Tania's face flushed bright red, while Pyra's grin widened, a playful gleam in her eyes.
"Hey, I don't mind that at all," Pyra said, the flames in her eyes burning with amusement.
"Good for you," I replied. "But I do, so we're going to call it a night and get some rest. We've got a whole lot to do tomorrow."
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