170: Truth

Truth

A few minutes later, Daneel sat in front of Selene, her silky black hair draped over her shoulders, her legs twitching repeatedly as she sat demurely on the high-backed chair in the previous master's meeting area.2

His words in the Pit had not been met by loud cheers or proclamations of faith or trust. Instead, he had seen them rekindle the fire within the Graitonians that had come to life after they had obtained freedom. It had almost been snuffed away by the Garbonors, but fuel had been fed to it now, letting it burn unhindered once more. He had left in the silence, feeling their eyes on his back as he made his way to the teleportation matrix.

He had come here after talking to the prominent individuals of the revolution that had occurred before. The succubus had apparently been in the mines, luckily, when the family had arrived. Otherwise, she would have been the first target as someone with middling power in this place that should normally be completely powerless. After they had left, she had also emerged and helped a lot of people escape from the ruins of the mansions that had been destroyed, aiding the dwarves who were already very well versed in such activities courtesy of the deceased dwarf king's vigorous emphasis on the teaching of such skills that might save lives in the future.

The rest of them had also helped in every way possible, with the orphans from the second layer having been instrumental in identifying the places where people were trapped. As they were kids who could get through all sorts of nooks and crannies to reach locations that would normally be unreachable by others, they had saved many people by ensuring that help reached them in time.

He had asked Seline to come here of his own accord, and he hadn't spoken a word since. He knew exactly what she must be thinking-- anyone who had witnessed all that she had must surely be puzzled as to why the elf seemed completely carefree despite everything that had happened.

Letting out of breath, Daneel decided to tackle the matter head-on. Ideally, he would have loved to cast a spell to ensure that no one was listening, but because this would lead to a signal fire being lit for the elf who would wonder why he was taking such measures, he had simply settled with requesting the system to tell him if anyone appeared within earshot.

"I erased his memories. He only thinks that I went on a completely normal rampage, like someone who couldn't control their anger. The Will spilled over, and that's why the others fainted. I was only able to meddle in this manner because he made the mistake of thinking he could find out who I was by venturing into my mind. You will not make such a mistake. And I do not have the power, right now, to enter your consciousness and do the same. So...I can only come clean."

Seline opened her mouth and froze as she heard him speak freely about what he had done, without an ounce of visible shame or regret. It was a despicable thing, but Daneel had set his eyes firmly on what needed to be done, so he was able to ignore the look that flashed across her face. After all, he felt the same about what had happened, but long back, itself, he had understood that sometimes, tough decisions needed to be taken if a goal had to be reached.

She seemed to be struggling to say something, and finally, her face went blank for a moment while the other person in her mind took over.

"You said it so easily! He saved your life, and the lives of all those here, yet you repay him by cheating him in this manner? I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that! I—"

Suddenly, she choked, the words that had been about to come out of her mouth next falling away as she struggled to breathe. Daneel had caused her reaction unwittingly, but he let it stay after seeing what had happened.

It was only after a few seconds that he allowed the pressure he had called upon without even meaning to disappear from her shoulders. She flopped in her chair as this happened, physically exhausted due to the exertion of holding up a mountain, but after that, with her head tilted, she looked at Daneel with red eyes that betrayed her inner feelings.

No matter what he did, she wasn't going to back down. So, leaning back and taking support from the chair as he suddenly felt that he needed it, he closed his eyes and spoke openly about the secret he had been holding deep within him for all this while.

"If ten million men, women, and children were waiting for you to come back with enough power to save them from a fate you had to thrust them into to obtain a chance, just a chance, mind you to preserve their lives…would you hesitate from cheating someone who will surely report you to the men and women of power on the Mainland if he found out who you truly were?"

His anguished voice washed over Selene, and for quite some time, she said nothing, her eyes having gone blank due to the sheer emotion she had detected in his tone and in the set of his face. The pain had been unmistakable, and because he had made no effort to conceal what he was feeling, he knew that his features showed more agony and sorrow than anything she must have ever seen in her life.

Just thinking about all of them, waiting in the form of scraps of their consciousnesses while he gallivanted over the islands was something he couldn't bear unless he threw himself into each of the tasks he set for himself. Apart from that, his family was strewn over the Mainland somewhere, possibly alone and even unaware of who they were, so no matter how anyone looked at it, the burdens on his shoulders were strong enough to crush him with impunity if he gave them even the slightest chance.

A minute later, he was the one to break the silence again. With his eyes still closed, he said, "I cannot tell you more. It would only put you in danger. All I can say is that I was a king, a ruler, a husband, a son, and the closest thing to a God to my people. Just like they came to kill all the people of Larefa, the Mainlanders came to our land. I was able to carry out a risky plan that gave me this chance. I cannot lose it. I will not! All I ask is that you keep what happened a secret. In return...I will fulfill your deepest wish, something that you haven't even told Selene. I will ensure that you get your revenge. I feel it from within you, sometimes. You hide it well, but it must have been hard, right, to pretend that everything is alright when the anger that you feel against those that killed everybody you knew still simmers, waiting to be unleashed on this world that you now walk in freely? Well, all you need to do is wait. And trust me. Think about what you have seen, and speak if you think I am making lofty claims. If not… please leave me. I have an island to think of, a place where the sun shone brighter than everywhere else I've been. A place I call home."

Lost in the tide of memory, Daneel didn't even hear Selene's footsteps as she walked away, leaving him to a solitude that was his, and his alone.

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