Chapter 6:

Jack: Intriguing or Annoying?

Heartless


This time, it took longer for the five to find a village. Apparently, they drifted farther than they should’ve. It’s been 6 months, but they still found nothing. Bored Pablo hanging upside-down in a tree stated an opinion without thinking. “At this rate, I’ll just build a village here by the river myself with y’all, just like those people from early civilizations did,” currently, they weren’t right beside the river. They were on the forest near the river, hunting for food. They thought that if they followed the river, they’ll find another village. “Maybe following the mountains was a better choice…” another airhead stated an opinion. This time, it was an idiot trying to grow her hair to match Xadulo’s. that airheaded idiot stood up from her ‘died-in-the-road-after-being-attacked’ looking lying-pose and shouted, “Let’s just stop this bullshit!” took a knife and cut her hair a few inches below the shoulder, just like how it used to. “Let’s do this properly this time, guys!”

Several hours after, the same airhead was back with her weird pose like before. “It was Kyshanne,” Pablo said after Seril, who was leaning by a tree like he was shot and died, asked who was the most ironic person of the day. “Hell, it might even be a century award,” Pablo tailed. “Ugh… I’m tired of eating spinach, malnourished birds, rats, and bananas,” Seril said, feeling exaggerated. “How long has it been since a tasted flesh the same as mine? Thinking back, it was half a year ago. It was so easy to get it back in the days. How did it ended up feeling like having just one bite is the rarest thing to ever happen? Here I am, on my death bed having only one wish: to taste human flesh…”, “Shut up!” Pablo shouted at Kyshanne as he threw a banana that hit her head. Yet she continued at her speech. Pablo just ignored her and sighed.

‘And here, I thought my life would never be boring again…” it took him a moment to think things thoroughly. ‘Boring? Why? They were the same description of my life before and my current life… but why does it feel different from before…?’ he remembered all they have been through these past three, or roughly four years together. During those times, he wasn’t alone. He wasn’t hollow. “I… wasn’t empty,” He spoke, which caught the two’s attention that made them get too close to each other to hear each other’s whispers as they talked about Pablo. “He has lost his mind”, “He probably did, yeah,” Pablo took two bananas and threw hit their head. “Look who’s talking!” Seril complained, but it was an obvious lie, because Pablo barely put force (Seril was bad at acting). “First, let’s find Carnelia and Xadu…” he suddenly stopped. “Did your head actually broke this time?” Kyshanne asked. “No, airhead!” he just realized something. Something important, yet something mysterious… “Anyway, let’s just look for the two!”

They were readying to go, but then, suddenly, a huge fire suddenly burst out of nowhere. The three rushed to its root. There they found Xadulo tied in a tree with a calm, but unpleased face, and Carnelia was weakened when she was locked in a circle of salt. “Xadulo, Carnelia!” Pablo screamed.

“This a real monster…” said a mysterious boy observing the two, holding a notebook and an inked feather, with a bag of salt hung in his pants, and a necklace out of garlic in his neck. “…Alright!” he jumped in joy. “No one ever believed me… now I’ve got two of them the at same time!” he said, writing something on the book. Pablo rushed to him and grabbed him by the collar. “What have you done?!”, “Just so you know, it wasn’t me. It was this tied monster over there. It was crazy, when that short-haired one got stuck in the circle, those flames just started appearing!” he said in excitement. “Idiot!” Pablo let go and helped the closest person, Carnelia, by disregarding the salt. “Xadulo freed herself by burning the rope. “Still, these monsters look just like humans! Both of them has albinism, and one has heterochromia!” Xadulo started walking to him. “Human, you made a mistake,” the boy paid attention, then there was sparkle in his eyes. Suddenly, fire raised around him. Pablo carried Carnelia on his back out of the circle and evacuated. “Xadulo, come on! His village might be just close! People might start to come!” he shouted. Xadulo came out of the fire dragging the dude tied in rope, but Pablo didn’t have time to complain.

Xadulo kidnapped the boy, but mysteriously, he hasn’t said a single word of complaint. There was even a sight of masochism in his eyes. Xadulo pointed a knife at his neck and asked calmly mad. “Boy, what a disgusting human you are,” Xadulo said. “Y-You’re amazing! If you had that much magic—”, the knife touched his skin. “No way I’ll call that magic,” Xadulo said. “T-That sorcery…? …if you had that much p-power, how come I still caught you? M-maybe it’s because you guys barely met humans, and still haven’t s-seen human’s technology yet?!” it was obvious he was trying to keep his cool. “The better question is: Why did Xadulo still kept you alive?” Seril said as he clenched his fist. “You’re lucky, dude. Many of ‘em, the likes of ya, had died the moment they faced Xadulo, y’know?!” Kyshanne said, “Why, were you like that?”, he asked. “Yeah, I was!” Kyshanne walked to punch him, but Xadulo signaled her a no.

What are your intentions?” Xadulo asked him. “I was just trying to prove I was not crazy! Everyone thinks I’ve lost my mind because of chasing after creatures like you…!” the boy felt the cold dagger slice through his skin. “You have lost your mind, you know? From the moment you believed in us,” Xadulo said in a cold, cold tone it was nerve chilling. Pablo remembered Carnelia saying Xadulo was way, way colder. “I-if I can’t contribute something to my family, I’ll be thrown out! I’d be as good as dead!” he said tearing, both in fear and loss. He was sweating a lot, and has pissed his pants. “So, if you could just cooperate with me, even just letting me borrow that red eyed, and pretend I’ve captured her—” the boy’s speech was cut when Pablo kicked him in the face. “‘Borrow Carnelia?’ fuck off, kid,” Xadulo signaled him and everyone to back off and control their anger. “Pablo, watched over Carnelia”, “Just let me live…!” the boy pleaded. Xadulo got closer to him and asked, “What’s your name?”, “…? …Jack”, “Jackie, I’ll let you live. But know that you are not the one who’s above between the two of us,” she stood up and headed to Pablo, who’s carrying exhausted Carnelia. “Sleep for now,” she said in a soft voice, as Carnelia slowly disappeared. It pained Pablo to see both of them struggling with these. As Carnelia’s weight disappeared from Pablo’s arms, he wore a sour face.

“You’ve come to interest me, that’s why you’re still alive. That was also why I let you catch me, to confirm if you’re actually intriguing,” because of her white hair and skin, plus the ray of sunlight, Xadulo seemed like an angel to Jack. “I’m… intriguing?” he asked. “You live by continuing to be one,” and that very moment Jack knew, he fell in love. “I won’t forgive you for what you have done until you prove you’re worthy. I’ll give a chance to be qualified as my trusted friend,” Xadulo proclaimed. “What…?!”, “Huh”, “Ah—are you for real?!” the three shouted as they say reasons why Jack should just be executed, all at the same time, that they couldn’t be understood. Xadulo smiled to everyone as projection of calmness.

Yuuki
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Elukard
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