"No need." Alaric said without a moment's hesitation, his smile unchanged as his gaze settled on Azik, his words bordering on cruel. "I've done all I can. If he can't pull through, that's the ending he chose."
The Death Consul seemed taken aback, opening his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately said, "I thought I'd gained a friend."
"We are friends." Alaric corrected, his smile unwavering. "As friends, I respect the ending he chooses for himself."
Was Azik a friend to Alaric?
He thought so, though perhaps not as deeply as Klein or Medici. Still, Alaric genuinely considered Azik a friend... otherwise, he wouldn't have asked if Azik wanted to stick to his original fate.
That said, even if Azik was a friend, it didn't stop Alaric from exploiting his emotional vulnerabilities.
That was just who Alaric was... gentle yet ruthless, never missing a chance to use any leverage, nor minding if his friends used him in return.
In a way, Alaric was profoundly inhuman. He didn't care about... or couldn't comprehend... the negative emotions that plagued others, like anger over being used or betrayed. He understood these reactions intellectually but couldn't empathize. His focus was on outcomes, not feelings. That didn't mean he was emotionless... he could feel sadness, anger, or embarrassment... but certain things seemed to separate him from ordinary people, like an invisible wall.
"You're a cruel friend." The Death Consul said softly, as if seeing through him.
"I thought you'd be used to it. Isn't high-sequence friendship always like this? Or does the esteemed Death Consul yearn for pure, untainted bonds?" Alaric asked, smiling with genuine curiosity in his eyes.
The Death Consul lowered his gaze, silent for a moment. "I read about it in books once. I suppose I did long for it."
This time, Alaric fell silent, studying the surprisingly relatable Death Consul before laughing. "Well, too bad. I've never been a pure friend."
The Death Consul stared at him for a few seconds. "That's not necessarily bad. I'm not a pure friend either."
"Are you comforting me, Mr. Death Consul?" Alaric asked, raising an eyebrow with enthusiasm.
"Is this comfort?" The Death Consul countered.
"I think it is." Alaric said, chuckling.
"Then I'm comforting you." The Death Consul said calmly.
"Hahahaha!" Alaric laughed again. "You remind me of someone."
"Another friend?" The Death Consul asked.
"Not quite. More of an ally." Alaric said, rubbing his chin for half a second before concluding. "You've probably heard of him... Ouroboros, the Angel of Fate. You're a bit like him."
The Death Consul paused, surprised. "I know of him. Are we alike?"
"In a way. You're both… naturally straightforward." Alaric said, glancing at Azik before continuing. "But your straightforwardness comes from emptiness, filled over time through reincarnation to build a self. His… well, that's just his personality. That's his self."
The Death Consul looked puzzled, likely unable to fathom someone being that naturally oblivious. Then he smiled faintly. "He must be doing alright, then."
"Well, most of his friends are dead, but yeah, he's doing okay, I guess." Alaric said, nodding as he recalled Ouroboros' lifestyle.
He turned to the Death Consul. "So, what kind of life do you want?"
Caught off guard by the sudden shift, the Death Consul paused before answering. "I've read many books describing all sorts of lives, but they all boil down to family, friendship, and love. If I could choose, I'd want to experience those emotions."
He glanced at Azik, his gaze softening. "Looking at it now, maybe I've already got what I wanted."
"You're easy to please." Alaric said with a chuckle.
"No." The Death Consul said, shaking his head and meeting Alaric's eyes. "I'm greedy. For an angel, for a child of Death, craving those emotions is the greediest thing of all."
Alaric raised an eyebrow, then grinned. "Want to be even greedier?"
"What are you planning?" The Death Consul asked calmly.
"Just an experiment." Alaric said, his face lighting up with surprise the next second. "Didn't expect that to work."
"What did you do to me?" The Death Consul asked, visibly confused.
"Just a mask... one representing the love you desire." Alaric replied, smiling. He'd acted on a whim, not expecting the emotional mask to work on a summoned Shadow of Time.
If the summoning ended, would the Shadow of Time take the mask back to the past? Alaric was curious. Smiling, he said, "If you can bring it back, hide it well. It might surprise you."
The Death Consul looked surprised, then uncertain. After a moment, he said, "You're not sure if I can take it back?"
"I'm not omniscient or omnipotent." Alaric said openly.
"…I'll keep it hidden." The Death Consul nodded.
"Then come on, let's take a walk and see this world a thousand years later." Alaric said, extending his hand again.
This time, the Death Consul didn't hesitate. He took Alaric's hand, stood, and let go as they walked out of the villa, strolling the streets like ordinary people.
"What do you think?" Alaric asked, glancing at the Death Consul with a smile.
The Death Consul looked back. "There's a lot I haven't seen before, but people themselves… they don't seem much different."
"True. It's only been a thousand years. You can't expect people to sprout wings." Alaric said, nodding. Their conversation meandered casually... Alaric sharing tidbits about the era, the Death Consul recounting snippets of his own daily life, nothing too serious, just everyday chatter.
***
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