Chapter 279 - 272. Reunion
"Bas, you really have to calm down!" Han Shin clutched Bassena’s dragon-leather coat and hissed, looking worriedly between his friend and the other people in that lobby.
"I can’t,"
The answer came through gritted teeth. This time, Bassena wasn’t throwing a tantrum and trashing the place. He was still sober enough to know he shouldn’t do that in someone else’s territory.
In fact, he was sitting still, fists clenching so hard on top of his lap. And Han Shin was touching his arm and shoulder, concentrating his mana on mental healing rather than physical ones.
But even then, waves and waves of harsh mana kept on emanating from the esper; a blast of energy that was filled with anxiety. And the heavy corrosion inside of him affected his mana, making it feel stifling and suffocating.
And that was being generous.
It was the lobby of the peak sanctuary, and while there were not as many people as in the other two lobbies, there were still clients and guides there. They knew the Serpent Lord, and at first, they did not question why he would be there. After all, it wasn’t rare for high-rank espers to get their cleansing in another Temple that wasn’t in their territory.
But the man--and the other espers that came with him--did not request for cleansing and only talked to the Temple Management. And then the Saintess came and talked to them for a little bit, definitely not enough for cleansing even though it was clear that Bassena Vaski needed it badly, with those thick dark circles beneath his eyes.
After that, they witnessed the Serpent Lord there, waiting for something or someone, for two days. And it was easy to see how the man cracked as the time passed. He didn’t sleep, he barely moved, just staring at the stairs that no one except the clients and the resident of the Temple could access. He was neither.
And then, finally, he cracked completely.
It started when he inquired, for the umpteenth time already, about something over and over again, desperation all over his face. They could even hear the word ’please’ thrown out repeatedly. But everyone who faced him all shook their head; the Saintess, the management, the templars. And with more of that shaking head, the esper’s mental fortitude broke further and further.