How To Survive A Calamity

"... Maybe your standards are just messed up." I said.

Then looked Ceres up and down.

I added.

"Rightfully though. You are crazy."

I realised this was the longest conversation I've ever held with Ceres. Who would have thought it'll be about something like this.

The mysterious aloof ice queen was really not as she seemed. Or maybe it was just that something about all this in particular that caused Ceres to lose her usual controlled composure made her seem more wilder and crazier than she usually was.

Was the topic of Garden such a trigger for her? Then i couldn't imagine what she really must have been through...

No. No, no.

None of that is my concern. It has nothing to do with me, and i wish to remain it like so.

Up until now, i had been evenly avoiding Ceres on instincts without a proper explanation, but now i had solid reason to do so.

Ceres stared at me. Longer this time.

"... You're lying." She said.

I was unfazed. I shrugged dryly without flinching.

"Prove it."

That came out deliberately.

I wasn't lying to Ceres, but i also wasn't entirely being honest. But there was no need for her know, and no way to.

It didn't seem like her Lie Detector skill was active anymore at the moment. Maybe it had a cool down period or some restriction on the number of lies or questions it could allow or something like that.

But even if that wasn't the case, i was going to rely on Meta to block it's influence since the System asked if i wanted to the last time.

"You can't." I added calmly.

Ceres' eyes narrowed further. I held her gaze, calm and steady.

It was quite a sight seeing Ceres this rattled, I'll be honest. She always gave the impression that nothing could shake her psyche to this extent.

And now i was the cool one, while she seemed like she was this close to running mad.

The question was, why though?

Why was this so important to her?

A quiet second passed.

Then i leaned my head backwards, closing my eyes for a second while exhaling.

"Look," i muttered, tired. "I don't know what kind of life you've lived. And you seem like you have your own issues."

I paused for a beat.

"But not everything has to have some big meaning to it, okay?"

Unless you're me, of course. Or you have a cunning, manipulative system weaving threads and strings throughout your life and building every action you take for an inevitable goal and conclusion you have no idea of and you're just a pawn in.

Of course i didn't say all that aloud.

I opened my eyes again and gazed at her.

"And not everyone is like you."

Ceres went still.

Just for a moment, something seemed to stir faintly in her red eyes, then vanished. Then she regained composure of herself and just stood there before me.

I also didn't press further.

Instead I glanced around at the half destroyed room sighed.

I pointed a finger at her.

"...Now if you're done interrogating me, are you going to fix my door or what?!"

Ceres remained quiet.

The usual calm had returned to her sullen gaze as she looked at me. Even her voice was leveled.

"I still don't entirely believe you," she said.

"But that's okay for now. The problem is i don't have enough proof or evidence at the moment, right?"

Ceres raised her chin and said indifferently.

"Then I just have to gather enough evidence."

There was a pause for a second.

Then i sighed exasperatedly —

And winced at a sharp pain in my ribs.

"You're crazy. I've said this already, but you're crazy."

Ceres shrugged indifferently, permeating her usual aloof and indifferent temperament that made her seem more than human.

"I'm not the one who shoved his entire left arm into the mouth of a giant sand worm."

My eye twitched. " It worked, didn't it?"

"I don't think I'm wrong about you, Victor Bright. My intuition has never failed me," Ceres said.

"I know that you're more than what you seem. You say not everyone is like me... But you, you're definitely unlike anyone anyone else."

Flattering. I thought dryly.

"So...what are you trying to say?" I asked.

"I don't trust who you are, Victor Bright. What you are," she said, gazing at me. " And i intend to figure that out myself. I'll be watching you more closely from now to gather enough evidence. And i won't be fooled like the others."

That's troubling.

I frowned. "I don't want to be dragged into any of your messes," i said. Then scoffed and folded my hands. " It may not look like it, but i make it a point not to get into troublesome situations."

I paused.

"And you've always smelled like trouble."

Ceres shook her head slowly.

"I'm not dragging you into anything. I'll just be watching."

"And then what?"

I quickly shook my head. " No, don't answer that."

I waved Ceres off while rubbing between my eyes.

" I don't care what you do..."

Then i slowly utterered. " Just don't get in my way."

Ceres didn't say anything after that. Whether agree or deny.

She just stood there in terse silently.

Then she lowered her head a little.

"...Defiance. What did you mean by that?"

"Hmm?"

" You said you got here through defiance. And you're still fighting. What did you mean?" She asked.

I gazed at her closely. " I thought you didn't believe me."

I don't."

Her reply was immediate. Blunt.

"I'm just curious. What you meant by it." She raised her gaze and met mine.

My nrows wrinkled. What was she getting at by asking me this after everything?

Ceres was hard read.

I shrugged my shoulders and looked away from her.

"It means i fought. I'm fighting."

Ceres tilted her head curiously.

" Against what?" She asked.

" Everything."

I looked back at her.

"Everything the world is pushing me into."

Ceres didn't respond.

...I didn't notice it back then...but something changed in the way Ceres' eyws looked at me.