Chapter 70: Pinball of Emotion [Bonus]

Ruby flinched.

"Ack—! He noticed... I mean... uh... Bro? What? W-who said—?"

"You did."

"Ah."

"Is Lucas your brother?"

"Gyeah! How did you— wait. Uhh, no, uh... what makes you say that?"

Zayn stared blankly at the fumbling girl.

"..."

Ruby rose onto the tips of her toes and cheered:

"Fine! You caught me! We’re siblings, but shush! Nobody is supposed to know!"

’You just screamed it...’

Zayn tilted his head to the side.

"But why?"

"I, uh... don’t know. It was his idea! Back on the very first day, he said to keep quiet!"

Upon hearing that, the puzzle pieces instantly clicked into place for Zayn.

Lucas had put himself in a leadership position. If someone fervently opposed him, they might go after Ruby to get at him.

But...

’Wait... you can’t be serious.’

’From the first day?!’

How could anyone be so cautious? So level-headed?

Zayn had already noticed Lucas’s immediate composure and willingness to explore the Obsidian Forest and prepare for survival after being summoned — that was already odd enough — but thinking that far ahead in the heat of the moment was a bit... well... clinically insane.

No normal human would think about that after being kidnapped en masse.

Before Zayn could dwell on it any longer, Ruby jumped slightly, then began firing off questions.

"Anyway, how was the library? Oh, and why did Jade run off? She looked a little sad. I guess we’re all sad right now. And I think I saw Amaya heading this way earlier. Did you see her? And Maks! Wait... you finally got shoes! I got some too. Do you like them? And what do you think of this tacky robe Lulu is making me wear?"

’Lulu...’

’I’ve never heard a more unfitting nickname.’

Besides that...

"Ruby, you’re usually pretty quiet. Is there a reason you’ve suddenly become so..."

Zayn decided to keep the last part of what he’d meant to say to himself.

Ruby didn’t seem to care that Zayn was about to insulted her, or perhaps didn’t notice. She shouted back:

"Yeah! He makes me stay quiet! What a controlling asshole, right?!"

Ruby struck a defiant pose, then added:

"He still treats me like a child. I’m nineteen, for crying out loud — nineteen! I can take care of myself! Anyway..."

’No wonder he told her to be quiet...’

Her overbearing cheerfulness would sour just as many moods as it lifted. Acting so openly cheerful in a situation where joy seemed like a foreign concept was a good way to make petty enemies.

Nobody wanted to entrust their life to someone who treated horrible situations callously.

Ruby stretched out her hand toward Zayn, then unfurled her pinky. Quieting for once, she whispered:

"Now that you know the secret, promise you won’t tell anyone."

’Tell that to yourself...’

Slowly, Zayn wrapped his pinky around hers.

"Alright."

"Yay! Now I finally have someone to complain to about him! Honestly, I’m terrible at keeping secrets, so you knowing actually helps me a lot. I can vent to you and complain about him alllllll I want. heh. If someone didn’t know we were siblings and saw him watching over me, they might think we were lovers, which is disgusting. If I had to hold in all my frustrations about him, I think I would implode! I have so much to complain about after the past month, but no one to listen to me. Oh, woe is me! Where are you off to now?! Can I come with?"

’Wow... she sure loves to talk.’

Oddly, Zayn was a little thankful, as her chatter briefly drowned out the troubles of the day.

Still, it was a bit much.

"I don’t really have a destination in mind... I was just going to explore. You’re welcome to come along."

’I should probably start scouting for Disasters.’

No matter how bad a day he had, it was no excuse to stagnate in his path of destruction.

Ruby grabbed Zayn by the wrist, pulled him down the steps, and cheered:

"Yay! Thanks so much, Zay!"

Smiling awkwardly, Zayn freed his wrist and began wandering aimlessly, knowing that when night came, he’d have quite the mountain of existential crises and regular crises to mull over, along with the Relics to learn about.

Not to mention that he still had to figure out what Maks had been up to, as well as face his inevitable discussion with Amaya.

***

Ruby eventually quieted down. The moment they entered a dense crowd, she’d pull the hood over her eyes. Perhaps she was hiding from Lucas specifically — or from everyone around her — though surely it had to be the latter, as Lucas knew what she was wearing.

Then again, Ruby seemed the type to adhere to the ’if I can’t see them, they can’t see me’ logic.

’Though I wonder where Lucas went.’

It didn’t seem like him to disappear and wander off on his own at such a critical juncture.

For the rest of the day, until the sun had fallen, Zayn walked around bumping arms and brushing hands with anyone he could. He hadn’t discovered any more Disasters, but he tried to remember everyone he’d checked so he could whittle down the pool little by little.

As he’d feared, he was starting to get a weird reputation. After only one day, there were already people who walked in weird paths to avoid his ’clumsiness.’ It didn’t exactly help that Ruby fed into the notion and started apologizing for him as if he were some dog who couldn’t help itself.

Anyway, the two eventually made it back to the inn, where they ate dinner and finally went their separate ways.

Ruby went to her room to check on Leora, whom she shared it with, while Zayn retreated to the room he shared with Maks.

While waiting for either Amaya or Maks to return, Zayn sat on his bed and summoned [Twist of Fate].

It was time to decipher a little more about the Mythic Relic the man in the suit had left him. Sadly, it wasn’t an item he could particularly test...

’Or maybe it is. Actually, perhaps tonight would be a perfect time to test it out.’

Once he was finished, he’d turn his attention to the more enigmatic of the two: [Adsagsona’s Diary].