Chapter 93
Listening to Michelle’s question, the creature clad in black narrowed its eyes slowly, its smile remaining in place. Basically, his face was a mix of cold amusement and overwhelming distance.
Floating over to Michelle, the creature bent at its waist to put its head at the same height as Michelle’s head when she sat in the grass. "You are clever, so do you believe that knowing will grant you control over what is to come?" It chuckled, low and quiet, like an echo of something long forgotten. "Tell me..." its gaze locked on Michelle, cold and endless, daring her to understand what’s beyond her grasp. "Would knowing why I gave you these opportunities change anything?" His smile widened coldly.
The silence stretched, Michelle staring at the creature, its humanoid face just in front of her. She could feel its breath on her skin, and surprisingly, it was extremely cold; so cold that even she felt a bit chilly and uncomfortable, when she was usually drawn to cool things.
Almost lazily, the creature spoke again: "Since you oh-so-dislike unanswered questions, I’ll tell you something." Its cold eyes gleamed with something deep and unfathomable. "You have to walk the path I paved for you, but whether it leads you to ruin or glory depends solely on you..." It finally leaned back, the cold amusement never leaving its face.
"So?" It tilted its head. "Will you walk the path willingly, knowing every step will bring you closer to knowing something you have never wished to find out?"
With unfazed composure, Michelle stared at the creature, a smile tugging at her lips. That was one thing she and the creature were similar in. Most of the time, they smiled, even though the smiles were mostly calculating and cold, not even meant to fool anyone. They were more like lazy smiles, which showed amusement and also their calculativeness, but only to some extent. "So, you enjoy playing games," she spoke after a while of silence. "You are lucky I do, too..." she added.
But then, she paused, letting her words settle in the creature’s mind. "You laid out a path with opportunities for me, but your help is more like a web of schemes, carefully prepared for me to get trapped in." She put her elbow on her knee, resting her head on the palm of her hand. "Still, it has an undeniable allure."
Her expression shifted a bit, showing some intrigue. "I’m not really a good person, so I won’t act like I’m grateful, even though the odds seem to be in my favor now. Also, if there’s a game to be played, I’ll play it, and I’ll also play it by the rules you set, but still, I can always use your rules to drive you crazy."
Listeing to Michelle, the creature wasn’t the least bit surprised. "Since you want to play, plan carefully every step you take..." he smiled. "Also... About why I called you here." He waved his hand a bit, and the space behind him tore open. "I wanted to see how you would be able to pass through the barrier with your blood." With that, he took a step back, about to enter the passage in space he created.