NOVEL NEXT Chapter 85: You killed me
"What… what was that?" Liria whispered, her voice trembling as she clutched the blanket like it was her only lifeline.
The system hesitated a pause that felt far too long for something that was supposed to have all the answers. Finally, it spoke, its tone unusually serious.
[...I don't know.]
Liria's stomach dropped. "You're supposed to be my guide, my all-knowing, snarky sidekick! How do you not know?"
[First of all, I'm more than just a sidekick, thank you very much. Secondly, I am checking, but this is… unusual. Whatever it is, it didn't come from you.]
"Didn't come from me? It sure as hell sounded like my brain going rogue," Liria snapped, trying to mask her growing panic with irritation.
[Relax. Panicking won't help—]
"I'm not panicking!"
[Oh, really? Because your heart rate says otherwise, and I know you're gripping that blanket like it owes you money.]
Liria scowled, loosening her hold on the blanket out of sheer spite. "Fine. Then what do we do about this 'unusual' thing?"
[I'll run a deep system diagnostic. It might take a bit, so you'll be without my delightful commentary for a while.]
"Wait, you're leaving?!"
[Calm down, drama queen. It's not forever. Just long enough to figure out what's going on.]
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Liria wanted to argue, but the system's tone left no room for negotiation. Before she could say anything else, the familiar voice went silent, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
"Great. Just perfect," she muttered, flopping back onto the bed.
Her room was quiet now, the kind of quiet that felt oppressive. The shadows in the corners seemed darker than usual, but Liria chalked it up to her overactive imagination.
"It's fine," she told herself. "Just sleep. You'll deal with all this weirdness tomorrow."
Pulling the blanket over her head, she forced her eyes shut. Exhaustion eventually dragged her into sleep but rest was far from what awaited her.
Liria opened her eyes to a world of swirling darkness, thick and suffocating. Her feet squelched in something wet, and when she looked down, her stomach twisted.
Blood.
It coated the ground beneath her, warm and sticky. Her hands trembled as she raised them, only to find them drenched in crimson, the metallic scent filling her nose.
"No, no, no," she whispered, wiping her hands on her clothes to no avail.
"Liria," a voice called, soft but filled with something unnervingly familiar.
Her head snapped up, and her breath hitched. Enara stood before her, pale and silent, with wide, unblinking eyes. Blood dripped from a gash across her chest, pooling at her feet.
"Enara?" Liria's voice cracked. She took a shaky step forward. "What… what happened? Are you okay?"
Enara didn't respond. Instead, she tilted her head, her expression unreadable.
Liria felt an icy chill crawl down her spine. Something was wrong terribly, horribly wrong.
"You did this."
The accusation hit her like a physical blow.
"What?" Liria's voice was barely a whisper. "No. No, I didn't—"
"You killed me," Enara said, her tone eerily calm. "Look at your hands."
Liria glanced down again, her breath catching in her throat. The blood wasn't just on her hands it was pouring from them, dripping onto the already-slick ground.
"No! This isn't real. It's not real!" she screamed, clutching her head as the world around her twisted and darkened further.
Enara took a step closer, her expression cold. "Isn't it? You're dangerous, Liria. You've always been dangerous. How long before you hurt me for real?"
"I would never—!"
"Wouldn't you?"
Enara's voice morphed, growing deeper, darker, as her form shifted into the woman from Liria's earlier vision. The crimson-skinned demoness stood before her now, chains clinking ominously as her golden eyes burned with malice.
"My little Liria," the woman cooed, her voice dripping with mockery. "You can't escape what you are. No matter how hard you try, the blood on your hands will always be there."
"Shut up!" Liria yelled, stumbling backward. "You're not real! None of this is real!"
The demoness laughed, a cruel, echoing sound that made Liria's skin crawl. "Oh, it's very real, my dear. And sooner or later, you'll see that there's no point in fighting it."
"Liria!"
The voice wasn't the demoness's. It was sharp and clear, cutting through the haze like a lifeline.
Liria blinked, and suddenly the void shattered around her. She shot upright in bed, gasping for air. Her heart was pounding, her skin slick with sweat.
"Enara," she whispered, her voice trembling.
But Enara wasn't there. It was just her, alone in her room. The only sound was her ragged breathing and the faint rustle of leaves as Ananara shifted beside her.
"Rough night?" the pineapple asked, his tone unusually soft, his leafy top drooping slightly as if in sympathy.
Liria let out a shaky breath, wiping her sweat-drenched face. "You could say that," she muttered.
Ananara tilted himself forward, his way of leaning in closer. "Well, you look like death warmed over. Not that it's a high bar for you most mornings."
"Gee, thanks," Liria grumbled, her voice lacking its usual bite. She curled her knees to her chest, staring at the wall like it might have answers.
The pineapple sighed, an odd sound coming from a fruit. "Look, I'm not great at this whole 'comforting' thing, but… you're not alone, okay? You've got me. And I'm basically the best sidekick-slash-mentor-slash-houseplant you could ask for."
"Houseplant?"
"Don't ruin the moment." Ananara's tone was sharp, but his concern was evident. "The point is, you're stronger than this nightmare nonsense. Whatever's going on in that freaky little brain of yours, we'll handle it."
"Easy for you to say," Liria muttered. "You're not the one covered in blood in your dreams, being accused of—" She stopped herself, biting her lip.
Ananara's leafy top rustled, his version of a nod. "No, I'm not. But you're the only one who decides who you are, Liria. Not some creepy dream, not some evil voice in your head."
Liria blinked, surprised by his uncharacteristic sincerity. "That's… almost wise."
"Don't get used to it," he quipped, but his voice remained gentle. "Now, stop sulking and try to rest. Or at least fake it until your snark levels are back to normal. You're unbearable when you're mopey."
A small smile tugged at Liria's lips. "Thanks, Ananara. You're not the worst sentient pineapple in the world, I guess."
"High praise," Ananara replied dryly. "Now shut up and get some sleep. You look like a kicked puppy, and it's starting to make me uncomfortable."
Liria chuckled weakly, lying back down. The lingering fear from her nightmare hadn't disappeared, but with Ananara's snarky reassurance, the crushing weight in her chest felt just a little lighter.