"That is insane!" Subaru burst out, disbelief thick in his voice. "Killing seven people just to bring her family back from the dead? That's madness, right?" He sounded less like he was trying to convince Nathan and more like he was desperately trying to convince himself.
"Not really," Nathan replied calmly.
Subaru blinked.
"At our core," Nathan continued, "we're primal beings, selfish by nature. When faced with loss or desperation, people will cast aside morality in pursuit of what they want most."
He wasn't saying it to sound wise or detached. Nathan knew it. Deep down, he understood that every human harbours darkness. Some restrain it. Others embrace it and allow it to roam freely.
That's just life.
But the world they came from kept such urges buried. Between clocking in at uninspiring jobs, dealing with overbearing managers, and racing against bills stacked like monsters, there was hardly room to think of ancient instincts, much less act on them.
Except, maybe, for those poor souls doomed to work under a truly miserable boss.
Which is exactly what made Origin Expanse such a terrifying place.
Here, there were no corporate chains, no monthly rents, no soul-sapping routines. Awakening meant freedom. Freedom of choice, of will, of action. And when no one's watching, when there are no rules, who's to stop someone from doing the unthinkable?
It was this truth that made Nathan wary. He couldn't afford blind trust, not in a world like this.
"Worry not," Tullus said, his voice roaming through the heavy thoughts. "Though her crimes were monstrous, her seventh kill was her last. She was caught by a companion of the final victim and executed on the spot, beheaded without delay."
Nathan blinked, pulling himself from his thoughts. "So, she died..."
Fifteen years had passed since the incident. And now four years ago the whispering wake began plaguing the land. The timeline didn't align. Why now? If the ritualist was dead, why were the echoes of her actions resurfacing?
It didn't fit. The puzzle pieces refused to lock into place. Something was off, deeply so, and Nathan could feel it gnawing at the back of his mind.
"The house where she lived, can you direct me there?" Nathan asked, breaking the silence.
Brandon flinched, caught off guard by the sudden request. "You think this is connected—?"
"I don't know what to think," Nathan cut in. "Not yet. That's why I'm looking."
He couldn't understand why everyone was so quick to jump to conclusions without facts. Everything he had so far was speculative fragments, not answers. He didn't expect them to see it the way he did, but the least they could do was not interfere.
"If it's not related, why bother going to the house?" Brandon asked.
"Because I might find something. Because maybe I'll catch a thread I missed. There are plenty of reasons, but none of them would make sense to you." Nathan's voice dropped to a steady, clipped tone. "Because nothing about this situation makes sense in the first place. Now, can you show me where it is, or not?"
He had to reel himself in. Agitation was creeping up, and that was dangerous. Clear thought required calmness. He needed to walk the razor-thin line between logic and instinct to keep making progress.
"R-Right," Brandon stammered. "Sorry for questioning. I can take you there."
Nathan raised a hand. "That won't be necessary. Just give me directions. I'll find it myself."
He planned to make several stops along the way, speak to locals, gather more information. Having Brandon tag along would slow him down and deprive Tullus of his aide.
"I don't mind escorting you. It's nearby," Brandon insisted.
"That only makes it easier for you to explain the way. I'll manage."
Nathan wasn't going alone anyway. Subaru, useless as his insights might be, would accompany him. At the very least, his presence served as a buffer. Not much, but enough.
"I insist, Hero. Truly, it's no trouble," Brandon said again, stepping forward.
"And I insist as well," Nathan replied firmly. "Directions are all I need."
"Bu—
"It's alright, Brandon." Tullus stepped in with a smile. "The young Hero has made his decision."
Brandon sighed, finally relenting. His persistence bordered on overbearing. Nathan wondered if there was a reason behind it. Still, there were other things to focus on.
"Oh, and before I leave, I'll need your help getting a particular material," Nathan spoke plainly, then left shortly afterwards, concealing the received material beneath his cloak.
The directions given were precise. The route to the house was clear, and the distance short enough not to pose any difficulty.
Daylight bathed the streets as Nathan and Subaru moved through the village. People turned to watch them pass, whispers trailing in their wake. Of course, they drew attention to themselves. They were the chosen heroes, the ones foretold to save the village from the nightmare of the whispering wake.
But with those stares came more than curiosity. There were hopes in their eyes, expectations too heavy for anyone to carry comfortably.
The pressure was suffocating. Nathan could feel it pressing down on his shoulders.
"Can I ask you something?" Subaru said, keeping pace, eyes flicking across the faces they passed.
"Go ahead," Nathan answered, mind juggling thoughts, one part scanning their surroundings, the other turning over every detail they'd gathered so far.
"How are you like this?" Subaru asked. "No, wait, how do you always know what to ask, where to look, what to say? You walk into a room, and it's like you already know what everyone's hiding."
Nathan stopped for a moment, tilting his head slightly.
"To you, does it really look like I know what I'm doing?" he asked, eyes narrowing slightly.