Chapter 97 – Hidden Confrontation

Who’s we? Tom screamed inside the safety of his own head. These sessions were supposed to be confidential between just the individual child and Dimitri. Under the rules, another person was not allowed.

For a few moments, he deliberately remained frozen in his seat, and he took the opportunity to study Dimitri. He was very aware of his precognition ability and he searched Danger Sense for any kind of warning, even a hint that something wasn’t as it seemed. There was a slight tickle from the skill, but nothing significantly stronger than the usual background noise. While he focused on that ethereal feeling from his precognition, he also physically examined him. Carefully, Tom inspected every detail and leant on his title to pierce illusions.

There were no tricks.

Everything about the other man was real. Including the increasing look of annoyance. Dimitri gestured him forward in frustration. “Tom, don’t just sit there. Hurry up!”

He stood, knowing he had no choice, and entered the room with a straight back. No matter what the other man had to say, he was an adult, and he wasn’t going to act like a child. He would not get defensive, Tom promised himself. Instead, he would clearly communicate that Briana was not to be touched. That was the best way to get the result he needed.

Once he was through the doorway, he glanced at the other person sitting in the room. Tom’s heart jumped and his feet refused to move forward. He remained frozen on the threshold of the room and he wanted nothing more than to run.

Everlyn older than he remembered from his previous life was there. She looked like she was in her low thirties and was currently flipping through a set of reports on her lap, radiating bored vibes. She didn’t even look up when he entered.

Dimitri’s broad hand was planted firmly on his back. It was a pressure that stopped him from running and could just as easily be used to thrust him more deeply into the room. Surprisingly, the large man chuckled. “No need to react like that Tom. Yes this is the famous Eden of the green. But she doesn’t bite, unless you’re a wador.” He chuckled again and began to push.

The larger man’s strength was too much, and helplessly Tom stumbled forward. Defeated, he sat on the chair placed for students in front of the desk. Then back straight and looking everywhere but at Everlyn he waited.

Everlyn still had not looked up, but he thought he could see a slight clenching of her jaw.

“Eden has kindly asked to sit in for all of these meetings. Because of the recent assassination attempts, she’s considering taking over the caretaker’s spot. She is uniquely positioned to stop any of those shenanigans.”

Tom swallowed. He didn’t know how to deal with this. Yes, there was their messy break up and history, but there were also the fifty years she had lived and experiences she had had since then. The idea of having to interact with her more frequently made his blood pound. He didn’t need or want that type of reminder of his previous life.

Dimitri continued acting like nothing unusual was happening. The doors shut with a click that made him jump. Then the large man’s hand on the wall made the privacy runes light up. “And we’re secure.” Dimitri declared.

Everlyn was suddenly right in front of him. She had moved so fast it was like she had teleported and quite possibly she had. Her hands gripping his and she was staring deep into his eyes. There was a manic gleam to them, but more heartbreaking was the hope that they contained. He feared the delusions she might have had while he waited in limbo to be reincarnated.

Why? He thought. Why was she here? What was that expression. His skin crawled and not because he was in danger, it was just that she was so intense it was scary.

“Is this him?” She asked and then her face lost all animation as she ducked into her system room. It was like she went from a vibrant living person to a robot. Then almost as fast as it happened life came flooding back into her with a vengeance. Both changes were familiar to Tom. This was the difference between the protection granted from his reincarnator title and what everyone else got. When he went into the system room, no one could tell. For everyone else, it was extremely obvious.

“Yes. This is Tom. Your Tom and he is reincarnated.”

Tom’s head snapped around and up to look at Dimitri in horror. That was not something he was meant to be able to say. The title was supposed to prevent Dimitri from outing his status to anyone.

The big man cleared his throat. “Don’t look at me like that, Tom. The title clearly binds her now. You can check if you don’t believe me. For goodness’ sakes, don’t give me that look. The fact I can even say the words is proof enough. It’s a GOD’s enforced contract.”

In a daze, he ducked into his system room and the title text was displayed for him to review.

An extra line had been added to cover her.

He looked back and had to resist the instinct to flinch. Everlyn was too close to him, her eyes examining him like he was a puzzle to be unlocked. “Tom, what did you do?” She sounded horrified. “How did you do it when you’re this weak?” She glanced up at the other person in the room. “Dimitri. You run this place. Tell me how.”

“I’ve already told you I don’t know.”

“You said you something but wouldn’t reveal it. Why?”

 The large man shrugged. “It’s Tom’s secret, not mine.”

Tom didn’t know how to react. What did he do? There was only one explanation. They had to know about Briana. They might not know the ins and outs of the situation, but they knew enough. “You haven’t killed her have you? Please. Because I don’t want that… I can’t.”

“Killed who?” Everlyn asked, sounding puzzled. Once more, she threw an accusing glare at Dimitri.

“She’s safe.” Dimitri assured.

“Who?” Everlyn demanded. “Who’s safe.”

“It doesn’t concern you, Eden. She’s only a child.”  

“Then why would we kill her? Oh, you didn’t.” She looked at Tom with a horrified expression. “Points aren’t worth that.”

“What?” Tom stammered in confusion.

“No, Tom’s not like that. He wouldn’t. Dimitri,” she demanded, “explain what’s happening?”

“And promise you’re not going to do anything to her.” Tom insisted.

“I wouldn’t do that.” Dimitri answered him in frustration.

“Ah. someone discovered he was reincarnated.” Everlyn concluded. “And she’s a loose end not covered by your title.”

Tom went white at the clinical way she was talking. “You can’t kill her.”

“I said I wouldn’t do it.” Dimitri said.

“Me? I’d never. I don’t kill humans.” Everlyn clarified at the same time.

Tom was glad Everlyn had said that, but from his previous life it was something he had expected. She was not one to cross ethical lines even when it was necessary. Dimitri was a different matter. He met the other man’s eyes and wished he was in his adult body because trying to look intimidating as a six-year-old was an exercise in futility. “Corrine said in the past that…” Tom paused what he was saying to observe the older man’s reactions. From context, it was clear what he was implying.

Dimitri hesitated and licked his lips before swallowing heavily. “You’re right. But I wouldn’t do it without permission and if there’s no…” Dimitri had been clenching his fists tighter and tighter as he spoke. He stopped talking with an anguished expression and banged his head against the wall. Then he took a single deep breath and focused back on Tom. They were the actions of a man who would hate himself for it but would still do his duty. Tom wasn’t sure he would be able to do the same. “It would be yours and Kang’s choice and there is no way I’m doing anything otherwise.”

“Whose choice?” Everlyn demanded. “Who’s Kang?”

“And if he wanted to kill her and I didn’t?” Tom asked, ignoring Everlyn.

 Dimitri hesitated. “I don’t know. Luckily, I don’t have to make that decision.”

“What happened?” Everlyn repeated.

“A friend of Tom’s discovered his and Kang’s status.”

She raised her eyebrows. “A six-year-old friend?”

“My new little sister,” Tom shot back. “Kang’s too I expect.”

“So this girl somehow uncovered that you were a reincarnator?”

“Yes. We were helping her get a spell. We both showed too much expertise.”

“And how is that related to all the points you earned?”

“My what? Contribution points?” he asked hesitantly, looking at Dimitri for confirmation.

He got a shake of his head in response.

Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? Why are you pretending dumb and asking what points?”

This was safer ground. “Because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I’m here because you reappeared on the ladder.”

 Tom’s mind went blank for a moment. “Wait. Are we talking about ranking points?”

“Yes, what else would I bother with?”

“I’m back on the ladder?”

Both Everlyn and Dimitri nodded.

His thoughts raced in response. “As in top sixty-four?”

They nodded agreement.

Tom tried to work out what it could mean. How many points did it take to breach the top sixty-four? Humanity as a whole only had two hundred million in total. So half a million would be enough, but that was a huge number by itself and more than he could have accumulated by accident. Dimly he recalled that he had recently read the current affairs folder, and that a large amount of point gains had been unexplained. He had even speculated on why the cause hadn’t been identified. “Um,” he swallowed heavily. “I don’t have three million points, do I?”

“No, it’s a little under one.” Everlyn answered. “But Tom, whatever you’ve done to earn that must have been incredibly dangerous. You don’t have to take those risks. You’ve fulfilled your duty. It’s okay to stop?”

His mind had frozen. Whether it was half a million, a million or three it didn’t matter. It was too much and he could think of only one action that could have earned that much. He glanced at Dimitri. “Is Everlyn saying that I’ve earned a million ranking points?”

“Yes, Eden is.”

“A million,” he started, and then stuttered to a halt. Maybe it wasn’t what he thought. There was a chance that timing could be in his favour. He licked his lips and prayed, but knew deep down that the answer would be yes. “Was this six weeks ago?”

Everlyn shrugged. “Could be. I only noticed five weeks ago, but I only check the ladder every few weeks.”

“It was.” Dimitri answered. “We keep records, and I double-checked when Eden raised it with me.”

He shut his eyes to stop the tears flooding out. The timing was too coincidental and the point tally too large to be anything else.

“Tom, you don’t have to be taking these risks,” Everlyn repeated. “What you set off in your first life was more contribution than you were required to give. You’ve done your bit. Leave the rest up to other people. Live so you can see Emily and your parents again.”

The words didn’t get through to him at all. The only thing he could think about was the trigger, the action, the disgrace that could lead to him receiving a million points. He remembered standing in that contender’s circle and the hippo like person who had pleaded her case. Then later the presenter asking him if he wanted to keep his spot. Swift Hope had begged him to let her have it and he had said no, and now it seemed that, that decision had been worth a million points.

Logically, at least with a pure human first attitude, he should be celebrating. Instead, he had felt like vomiting at the time and the emotions were even worse now. Those points were a tangible proof of the consequences of his actions.

“Tom, you don’t have to keep fighting.”

His eyes snapped up at her with simmering fury. Had she really just said that he didn’t have to keep fighting. He who had just doomed an entire species should surrender and give up. It was crazy and insulted the sacrifices he had already made. All of humanity was on the line. That was why he had been selfish and she was now asking him to do nothing. Worse, she was encouraging him to give up. “What happened to you, Everlyn? We’re in sixth place. Humans might lose everything. Why are you telling me to quit? What about your kids? Do you really want them to die?”

She looked hurt by his venom. “No, no. It’s not like that. You know me. You’ve seen how far I’m willing to go for humanity.”

“Maybe once, but right now I see someone making excuses and being a coward.”

She coughed, momentarily unable to talk. “Tom, do you trust me?” her voice was urgent. “Can you remember how much I cared. I still love my kids and will do anything for them?”

“You just told me to give up. To accept the doom of my species. That’s not doing everything for your kids. Are you unnerved?”

She cleared her throat once more and rubbed it in an irritated manner. “No, I can guarantee you that I’m not unnerved. I’m just…” she stopped talking. “In my opinion you’ve done enough. You don’t have to do anymore.”

“So you want me to give up?”

Everlyn said nothing. Her face was red, and her coughing had left tears in her eyes.

“Putting whatever that was aside,” Dimitri interrupted. “I want to know how you earned a million points. You’ve been in this orphanage the entire time and I have to understand how.”

He glanced at him and then back at her. It was safe to ignore Dimitri. “Be more direct. Why are you telling me to give up?”

She said nothing for a long time like she was struggling to come up with a lie that could justify such stupidity. Because nothing could excuse the idea, she struggled to find the words to defend herself. He remembered how passionate she had been and how dedicated she had been to the competition in order to save her kids. In the context of her history and prior actions, the advice she was now giving was beyond bizarre. He didn’t understand what was happening.

“I’m asking you to trust me. You don’t have to suffer and strain? There’s no need to sacrifice yourself.”

Tom stared at her. Something had changed, and this was not a suggestion he would follow. “I won’t let us finish below third. I’ll do everything I can to stop that.”

Everlyn went to talk but obviously decided that it wasn’t worth it because after starting she stopped. 

“It has to be the Divine’s Champions trial?” Dimitri concluded suddenly. “Somehow you got in and did something there to get the points.”

Tom wasn’t prepared for the sudden shift, and he knew his face gave everything away.

“I’m right. But how? I thought you needed that trait stone to make it.”

Everlyn clicked her fingers. “Yes, the trait stone. I’ve got something for you.” She held out her hand palm facing up, and on it was one of the most elaborate stones that he had ever seen.

“What does it do?” he asked in amazement.

Her fist closed over it. “Promise you won’t take unnecessary risks and I’ll give it to you. You can earn points, but don’t do anything stupid in your quest to get stronger.”

Tom stared at her and considered what she was asking. “No. I won’t allow myself to be bribed, and I’m not about to betray my species. I refuse to give up for anything.”

 A look of irritation crossed her face. “You’ve done enough… ahh … I can’t keep doing this. It’s too hard. Why won’t you listen? Why can’t you just trust me? You’re always so dogged, chewing on the bone and not letting go. For once, let others carry the load. The result of the competition is not on you.”

“Sorry Evie, I’m not that sort of person.”

“I know,” she threw her head up and looked at the sky. There were actual tears of frustration in her eyes. It was surreal. “Stubborn, thick-headed mule, who can’t…” she stopped talking once more and rubbed her throat. “I’m out. I’m not raising this again.”

“Eden,” Dimitri said forcefully. “You can’t give that trait stone to a kid. Not even a reincarnator. Use it yourself or give it to a proper proven powerhouse.”

Everlyn snorted. “No. This is almost trash level for an elite but for a child. Especially a reincarnator it’s powerful beyond and reason and Tom you can have it if you promise to.”

“I thought you said you had given up.” he interrupted before she could finish. “And no, I won’t accept it if it has that condition attached.”

“Fine, it’s yours, anyway.”

She tossed it to him. Dimitri went to snatch it out of the air, but Everlyn blurred and blocked his hand. They had both moved too fast for him to perceive. It was a firm reminder of how weak he was against a true enemy.

“No Dimitri, you can’t stop this. I’ve given it to him.”

“Don’t absorb it.” Dimitri snapped. “She’s being reckless and counterproductive. If you’re worried about humanity, give that trait stone to someone who can actually use it.”

“Stop being a wet wipe,” Everlyn shot back. “I’m not completely deranged. Did you manage to identify it when it was in the air.”

“No, I didn’t and my skill was blocked when you were holding it.”

“Then what the hell are you objecting about? You don’t even know what it is.”

“I saw how elaborate it was. It was too good for a child.”

“As I said I’m not deranged, and I helped put in the rules that you’re parroting. That trait makes the first ten mana cost of a spell free. I doubt it’ll give even a percent boost to the combat effectiveness of a powerhouse. Tom, use it.This is one of the trait stones that is better with a child.”

AG. Bonus chapter. It might stuff up next week but I'm hopeful not. I hope you enjoy.