Chapter 15: TEVL
"Task."
[Tasks]
[Slay the Goblin King in the Castle] - (Time remaining: 711:05:20 hours)
It seemed like around eight hours had passed since they arrived. From that, Axel guessed they had been summoned around noon, judging by when the sun dipped below the horizon.
But that detail didn’t matter much at the moment.
What did matter was that, once the timer reached 710:00:00, he’d be allowed to sleep.
Outside, they positioned themselves with two people on either side of the entrance. Axel chose the side with Zayn because he wanted to talk to him.
Once they were seated and situated, Axel spoke.
"Hey."
Axel was, as usual, graced with silence.
He had no idea if Zayn was ignoring him on purpose or if he was just one of those people who weren’t good at talking. Axel had met plenty of people like that — awkward at first, but good company and fun once you got to know them.
’You’re probably one of them... hopefully.’
Axel just needed to find the right topic.
"You’re good at fighting. What did you do before this?"
Silence.
’Seriously, man, please don’t make this awkward. Talk.’
Axel sighed to himself but pressed on.
"Even though it may seem strange, I worked in IT. I know I told you this before, but I thought I’d say it again in case you forgot. It’s not that important, but I think it’s good if we learn more about each other and become friends. I don’t play any recreational sports, but I do go to the gym regularly to stay in shape. Though I don’t know why I’m so good at fighting goblins. I guess I’m a natural. What about you?"
"Stop," Zayn said sternly.
Axel blinked.
"Uhh?"
’At least he spoke, but what was with the rude "stop"?’
Zayn said flatly:
"I’d rather not become friends with the people around me. I want to keep my mind clear and not have my thoughts tainted by guilt after they die."
’What the hell, man? So cynical and pessimistic.’
Axel felt irritation bubble inside him but forced himself to stay calm. Losing control wouldn’t help. He smiled, even if it felt forced, then flexed his arm and joked.
"At least become friends with me. Look, I’m strong. I promise I won’t die on you."
Zayn looked off into the distance for a moment before replying curtly.
"You will die."
’Case in point? What the hell? Don’t write me off just yet!’
Axel gritted his teeth and maintained his smile through sheer willpower.
"Of course. We all die eventually... from old age."
"No," Zayn said, still refusing to meet Axel’s eyes. "You will die with a sword through your chest."
’What in the absolute hell is wrong with this man?!’
Axel patted Zayn on the back and let out a blatantly forced laugh.
"Haha, very funny."
"I wasn’t joking."
He finally whipped his head toward Axel and pinned him with a dead stare.
’That does it...’
Axel clenched his fist, anger swelling in his chest.
’I really need to punch this guy!’
But after that, they both went silent.
Neither moved away.
Eventually, Axel tried again, determined to find neutral ground.
"I see you looking at your tattoo a lot. Why are you so obsessed with it? Is it that meaningful to you?"
He meant to sound curious, but his tone came out more passive-aggressive than intended.
"Uh..."
Zayn looked momentarily confused, then glanced at the tattoo.
"It’s a vine of some sort with sixteen thorns, representing the people I have to kill... Probably?"
"Um, okay..."
Axel had no idea how to respond.
’This guy is weird. At least be certain of yourself when you’re spouting nonsense.’
Zayn added without inflection:
"That was a joke."
That was a joke?
Axel couldn’t tell if he should laugh or worry.
’Wait... was that his attempt to make friends?’
’Progress!’
’Maybe...’
’Probably not.’
But Axel decided to trick himself into thinking it was. Though, honestly, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to be friends with someone this strange. Then again, being close to the weird guy might be the best way to avoid getting caught up in whatever happened when he finally snapped and...
’Never mind.’
Now that he had Zayn actually speaking, Axel tried again.
"Will you answer now? How are you so good at fighting goblins?"
"I read a lot of comics."
Zayn was completely serious, as if that explained everything.
’That explains... nothing.’
’Claire had been right when she described this guy!’
’Fine. Remain the mysterious anti-hero who pretends not to care but secretly does — guiding the hero from the shadows.’
Axel settled into his delusion about Zayn. It was the only way he could stay sane.
Feeling like his mental state might completely unravel if the conversation went on any longer, Axel decided to end it.
"Ah, makes sense," Axel said, waving dismissively and turning his head away as he struggled to find a proper closing line.
"Yeah..."
Zayn stared at him briefly before returning his gaze to the dark forest ahead.
Axel sighed inwardly. He had thought Zayn was just a quiet guy. Maybe a little misunderstood.
But now?
No...
’Zayn is someone with a few screws loose! Probably more than Lucas!’
Axel walked away feeling much more irritated than when he’d first tried to start the conversation.
When the two awkward hours finally passed, the group headed back inside to wake their successors. Axel gently shook Huang Gao awake, then retrieved a blanket he’d hidden away and laid it out beneath him.
Lying on his back, Axel stared up at the night sky, glimpsing it through the thick canopy as the leaves swayed. It was strangely filled with stars, yet those stars were unfamiliar. There were no constellations he recognized. He’d never been big on astronomy, but even he could tell this wasn’t his sky.
For reasons he couldn’t explain, he raised his left arm toward the sky and studied the bloodstained jacket tied around it.
Silence settled over him as images of his savior flashed through his mind.
After a moment, he lowered his arm and untied the jacket to check his wound.
"Huh!"
He gasped, sitting up with a small cry that startled those nearby.
"Sorry..."
What was this wound?
How had he gotten it?
It was crude, messy, and yet unmistakable. Even under the weak moonlight, he could make out the word ’KILL’ etched into his arm.
Below it were more markings — letters, or maybe names.
’T’, ’E’, ’V’, ’L...’ a jagged, poorly carved ’&’... ’Z’, and ’N’.
Axel’s mind raced, but he came up with nothing.
Was that really an ampersand? Or just a coincidental slash? Were those letters meant to represent names? If so, were they human? Something else?
All his life, Axel had cursed his perfect memory.
But now, when it might be useful, it failed him.
How could he not remember someone carving this into him?
Maybe it was a random injury, something that happened while he was asleep?
No.
He wasn’t that stupid.
The letters were too deliberate. Too clean, in their own messy way.
He remembered the moment he was summoned clearly. He had been biking home when a blue light consumed him, followed by pain. He had woken up writhing on the forest floor.
Maybe that strange angelic being had done this during the summoning process.
But if so... why only him?
A new, more disturbing possibility hit him.
Had he lost not just the memories of a possible future self, but parts of his current life as well?
Had something else done this to him?
’What the hell is going on?’
He couldn’t even trust his own mind anymore.
Axel exhaled sharply and shook his head. If he kept obsessing, he knew he’d never fall asleep.
He tied the bloodied jacket back around his arm and forced himself not to think about it.
Eventually, he drifted off beside strangers, shoulder to shoulder, with the cold air brushing across his face.