Hesitant, I did as she asked and took the seat at the far end of the table. She remained standing for a moment, simply watching, then smiled. When I finally rested my hand on the table, she sat. My mind came up blank, unsure of my situation.
I don't know what to say.
Then it came out of my mouth, abruptly. "Um… what is this place?"
Yet I was met with silence.
"I believe it is improper to forgo introductions," She said at last, "We should commence with a proper introduction. Would you not agree?"
"Ah—yes. Yes, of course." I gulped, nervously. "My apologies. My name is Claude."
"Claude?"
"Yes."
"Claude Belmont."
"Hm." She lifted a finger, touching it lightly to her lips, her eyes never leaving mine. "I do not think so."
The words landed softly on me.
"Excuse me?"
A faint smile curved her mouth as she repeated it. "That is not the name you bear, I am certain of it."
"Uh…" My brain's circuits shorted out. "Come again?"
"Tell me," She said, tilting her head. "What is your true real name?"
"My... Real name? That is my name..." The coldness slowly crept up my neck. "I'm Claude Belmont. That's what my parents named me. I am the second son of the Belmont Family."
"No," She said gently, almost kindly, but with something beneath. "Your real name." Her gaze sharpened, for a fraction. "What is the name by which you are called?"
My heart skipped a beat. I locked gaze with her, unable to look way. Then my heart pounded so loudly I was sure she could hear it. It wasn't anger or hostility that I felt from her. It was worse than that—uncertainty.
She knew something. It's reflected in her eyes, like looking into a puddle and realizing it was deeper than you thought to be. The feeling of not knowing her intentions made my stomach churned painfully. This scene, everything, like I'm watching a recollection of the wolf from last time. The wolf's gaze flashed through my mind. She had the same look, the recognition.
Is this going to be like last time?
"I…" My throat locked up completely, tongue swollen. "I can't." I shook my head, barely. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry."
Silence settled again.
"And why is that?" She asked.
"I—I simply don't want to." The lie tasted wrong the moment it left my mouth. My hands trembled against the table.
That wasn't it.
I knew it wasn't the case at all.
It was strange. The refusal hadn't come from my thoughts. It rose from somewhere deeper, visceral, like a hand closing around my spine and pulling me back; and screamed don't.
Don't say it.
Not like it was forbidden or anything, but saying it felt—wrong. It felt less like hiding something from her, and more like protecting what little was left of me. Or maybe protecting something that no longer wanted to be dragged back.
I don't know.
"Hm…" She began tapping her finger against the stone. "Are you of divine nature?"
A deity?
A god?
"Uh—uhm…" My heart pounded against my ribs, begging me to calm down, "What do you mean by deity? A spirit?"
"A divine being."
"Before I answer that question, I would like to ask something..." I paused, taking my time "Are you a demon?"
Then with a smile, she replied. "A demon? That seems a rude assumption. Tell me—what do you perceive when you see me?"
"Well..." I shook my head, then look straight into her eyes. "No."
*Devils, on the other hand, they—Well, according to some books I've read before, a devil always have the power to assume a pleasing form.
She laughed, a light delighted sound. She shook her head. "They are long extinct, having vanished long eons ago."
Demons? Extinct? No. They still exist. Alive and well. They were literally the main reason of the world's destruction. In the game, Shin and the others spent half their lives cutting through hordes of them just to prevent the Demon God's resurrection. Her answers raised more question than before, but they pointed me somewhere at least. I didn't probe any further. It was still more than what I had moments ago.
She then tap her finger in the table, "Shall we then return to our matter at hand? You have yet to answer—so, are you?"
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
She was seated at the far end, yet each sound traveled cleanly through the table, up my arm, into my chest, and to my head. Not like any noise, but more like a pressure gradually clogging up my own thoughts.
Am I spiraling?
The table stretched before me, pulling away from me. I glanced down and saw my hand still on the table.
Tap.
The sound landed inside my skull this time. My vision didn't blur, but I did. Usually, I feel like I am sitting right behind my eyes. But suddenly, my sense of being "me" was standing a step to the left, watching myself from the outside. I watched my chest move up and down, yet it didn't felt like I was the one doing the breathing.
Tap.
Why am I like this?
It's a simple yes and no.
What is going on?
Was it her?
Just tell her the truth. Say it plainly. Let it end there. That should be enough. Had to be. There's no way I can circle around it. But that feeling didn't sit with me. There was something deeper, like something wrapped around my chest, refusing to let the idea rest. A quiet insistence that this wasn't just a question, that she wouldn't ask something like that unless she already knew part of the answer. Or all of it.
Unless—
Unless, she didn't.
That possibility... What if this was the opposite? What if she already knew? Then again, why was she probing. Was it a way to test me? Like if someone taps on glass to see where it cracks? Testing how I would respond?
But why?
What would she gain for that? Information? Confirmation? Or was this something else entirely? A game, maybe. Could be probably for amusement, or simply for measurement to see what kind of thing I really was.
My fingers curled against the table, nails biting into the stone.
*Wait...
No.
Whatever answer I gave, it wouldn't just be heard.
It would be judgement.
My thoughts spiraled out of control. Everything started becoming disorienting.
The wolf's voice surfaced uninvited—a taboo. Something that shouldn't exist.A vermin. Was that what he meant? Was it because I had no mana? Because I summoned something I had no right to? Or because my soul didn't belong here at all?
You reek of death.
What if death wasn't literal? What if it was absence? Manaless. Hollow. A void where something should have been. That would explain the agitation. The way he got agitated. Wait, what if the death was simply a metaphor for manaless? That could be it. Should I risk it?
Why am I thinking of this again? I already had these thoughts before.
Unlike the spirit, my own guts told me there's more about her than what my eyes believe.
She knows I'm not of this world... Of this world... this world... world.
Why am I even in here in the first place?
My breathing turned shallow. If I stayed silent, she would act. I could feel it. Whatever patience she had was thin.
I need to say something.
Anything.
"Answer?" She said, snapping me out of my state.
*Something's wrong with me.
Maybe just the pressure getting into me?
Or.
It must be her doing.
I blinked once, the room snapped back into focus. "C-Can I establish something first," I said, calmly, and to my surprise, my voice came out.
"Go on."
"Whether what I say..." I paused, choosing my words carefully, "It won't matter. Right?"
Her fingers froze against the stone.
"L-Like I said, whether I say the truth or lie. It doesn't matter. In the end, you wouldn't believe it..." I paused, "...even if I said, yes. Would you believe it? If I said no, unlikely. Because you already knew the answer."
Then silence stretched between us. Her expression stayed soft, relaxed. There was no tension nor a sliver of impatience behind her eyes. It unsettled me more than anger would have.
I can't read her.
And the silence shifted.
She lifted a finger. Her eyes sharpened—and the air broke.
Pressured slammed into me from every direction at once, invisible yet absolute, like my chest was being pressed from both inside and outside. I bit down hard, teeth cutting into my lip.
She stood.
The weight multiplied.
My consciousness started slipping away, my vision blurred, dark spots crept in the corners. It felt like my thoughts were being pushed flat, compressed into something smaller and smaller. The table beneath my hands trembled. My head fell flat on the table's surface.
She brushed her hand along the table as she stepped closer.
The pressure spiked again.
"I..." I grunted in pain, "I... Guh!"
I squeezed my eyes shut, muscles locking as I fought back to it.
I forced my eyes open.
She was right there, right before me, inches away to my face. Her face filled my vision. Under different circumstances, I might've loved to see more of that face, but right now, all I could think was that I was seconds away from blacking out.
My mouth trembled open. "S... Stop it."
She smiled.
And just like that, she let go.
The pressure immediately vanished. My body sagged forward, lungs finally pulling in air. I coughed, gasped, clutched my throat, forcing myself to breath.
She turned away.
I watched her retreat, as she returned to her seat and sat with infuriating ease. One leg lifted, foot settling on top of the table.
What the fuck were with these women in this world?
"I am unsure whether this reflects a lack of insight or simply stubbornness masquerading as resolve" She said, "Compared to the other, you are… underwhelming."
For a name... seriously?
While I'm having the worst time of my life, catching my breathe—I remembered a specific lore from the game. Spirits are nameless by nature; the user and the spirit must exchange names, forging a bonded contract. The game never really explored the depths of this, but... Although, it's not really connected with my current situation, but the importance of that might be of use.
But in reality, before I could even—
She aimed two fingers at me, "I think it might be better to—"
"Hold on!" I screamed, raising a hand in panic.
She paused, confusion across her face.
"I have a proposal," I choked out, leaning forward, "From how things have turned out, your mind was made up the moment I walked in. I have no mana to give you. I have no secrets you don't already suspect. So, I am offering the only thing I truly own."
Now, the question remains: does she value it enough?
"Myself."
Her eyebrows twitched, piquing her interest.
"I know I cannot provide something useful since I don't have mana, but I'm willing give a piece of myself."
Her heavy gaze landed on mine.
"I'm a man willing to offer everything to change the script." I said softly,
I was sinking into deep waters and might as well shoot myself in the foot.
We exchanged heavy glances as silence settled between us.
She took a glance and reached her hand out. "Then I accept. However—"