Meaning of Existence (2)

Kali briefly closed her eyes before she broke the silence.

"Some of Kaleena's memories were mixed in mine. It was hard to tell if it was hers or mine."

They looked at her with wide eyes.

"Did Kaleena perhaps get taken?" Kali looks at their expressions. Konrad and Theo's expression is unreadable like they are looking at a blank wall without any thought but Gio looked pale.

"Di-Did you see something?" Konrad put his hands together trying to contain his shaky voice. He didn't answer with words but his actions clearly tells Kali was right.

"In the middle of the night I was awakened by screams. The door forcefully opened and a female body dropped to the floor. She was wearing the same uniform the servants wear back in the mansion but the room I am in was unfamiliar. From then, there were at least 3 men who barged inside and forcibly dragged me. I tried resisting and screaming but I was eventually knocked out."

Their pained expressions are unpaintable.

'Is it really Kaleena's Memories? The only clue is the servant's clothes which are a generic design. Even the room layout is different. The bed is facing the door and the bed is huge with dark colored curtains.

"These men, did you see their faces?"

"No, They . ." She answered and pulled out something from her inventory.

"They were wearing masks similar to these." She handed the broken white mask to Konrad who shakingly received it.

"Where did you get this?"

"It's the mask of the keeper. After I removed his mask his head exploded."

"..?!"

"Kaleena and I might be more connected than you thought."

Kaleena not only possesses black hair but she is also a descendant of the saviors. The Countess' blood flows in her and Kali is questionably a descendant according to her physical appearance.

Kali is now sure, she was saved multiple times because of this connection.

"Describe it. The lab." Theo voice sounded hard and controlled.

"It was confined space. A small white room with a single door and no windows. There is nothing there except a bed, unfamiliar equipment attached with tubes and unusually large two way mirrors. Somebody is watching from the other side, that's what it felt. . ."

"How did you get out?"

"I found an escape rune in my subspace. It was black uneven stone with red characters glowing. When I crushed it, it sent me to the middle of the Forest Monster. " They already had this conversation with Count before. Seems like the count didn't tell them the details.

"Escape Rune, Grade A natural mana resource.Rare and unpredictable when it comes to teleported destinations." Gio muttered.

Konrad is intensely glaring at the mask.

"I will find them." Her eyes changed. It was calm and empty like she lost her reason.

While her body heals deep in the lake, some of her memories begin to take clear form. Unlike her usual memory surge accompanied by head splitting headache, that time in the lake, her memory plays like she was shown a jumping video at a rapid pace.

The memory was vivid but the torturous pain inflicted on her was agonizing. The frightening sounds of the tools used on her. The begging and cries to make it stop, the continuous cutting, opening and stitching of her flesh were engraved down to her bones.

She was not sure if these are her memories or Kaleena's, but one thing is for sure she felt every pain and agony until it numbed her mind and body.

'It doesn't matter if it was mine or hers. I decided not to spare them either way.'

****

The following day, Kali ran to the other side of the lake and nobody could follow. Gio tried stopping her but she refused to listen and she took off at full speed.

"Didn't she just die a few days ago?" Gio frowned.

"Well, brother. Maybe she wants to die more." Theo pat Gio's shoulder before turning away.

After a few hours, Kali returned dragging a dead monster body just like yesterday but this time she is dragging three of them. The knights began to talk about it.

"Isn't that the Mountain Black Boar?"

"Wasn't it a High Rank C monster?"

"Hahahaha. The young masters are the real monsters."

They laugh among themselves. It was great that they found her alive and well. The 'Retrieval Mission' became 'Resource Gathering.' They find it odd that nobody is allowed to get close to the lake except Kali. They were informed that something is hiding under those waters but it never attacks Kali who is passing by, leisurely.

She casually pushes one dead mountain boar to the lake like yesterday and walks away.

"Are you feeding it?" Gio frowningly questioned after Kali reached their side.

"Yeah. "

"Why?"

"Courtesy"

"Huh?!"

Kali looks at Gio with conflicted expression. She opened her mouth then closed it.

"Why do you keep bringing Mountain Boars too?" Gio asked Kali, who is pulling the boar's body with a rope.

Kali frowned hard and looked at Gio's unending questions.

"You know it's poisonous to eat monsters right?"

"Its fine, as long as I drink from the lake." She said it as if it's no big deal but her face is crumpled.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I was able to resist the poisonous air in this forest because I was drinking that water everyday."

"You know it doesn't work that way for everyone right? "

' . . . using or consuming Unnatural Mana Resources is a big gamble to life. Effects may vary, it can be good such as healing and enhancement or it can be worse than death. . .'

"I am fine though."

" . . . I told you it varies *sigh* Are you seriously going to eat that?"

". . ." Kali hurriedly dragged the boars towards the lake and threw them. She frowns as she watches her meat submerge in water.

'Answering too many questions is annoying.'

****

Konrad watches from afar, with an unreadable expression. Gio approached him and said.

"Father, you look tired."

". . ." Konrad remained silent as he continued to watch Kali coming back from the lake. There are dark bags under his eyes. One sleepless night was not a problem but last night was different.

"Kali said she had no idea what happened after she had been attacked."

"You watch the lake for two days right?"

"Yes. Nothing happened out of ordinary for two days"

"I see, then what about the beast?"

"She didn't say anything about it."

"I see."

"You seem not surprised by all of these? I can swear on my mana, there was no pulse. Her body was crushed and her bones are stic---"

"It's in her blood. A power that is beyond human's comprehension. Your mother was like that too."

"Why didn't you tell us about your mother?" Gio asked. The yesterday talk weighs on Gio's mind. He is full of questions but decided to put it off.

"It was her wish. She wants all of you to live freely."

"Why tell us now?"

"Theo and you mostly inherited my powers but Kaleena is different. Me and Ellena tried to conceal it as best as we could but I failed to protect her in the end. I did everything I could to find and bring back your sister. After they sent her code back I took it as a warning and drove myself into the brink of madness."

They didn't discuss Kaleena's disappearance for a very long time, even the servants don't casually bring it up. They all silently assume Kaleena is dead. They didn't look for her in fear that more parts of her will be sent back to them.

"Then this child came, I gave her the code to use her and bait those who are responsible but after last night- no, I knew about it from the start how much she suffered. Her lineage and the marks on her body are enough for me to put pieces together. But last night when her eyes went numb and emotionless as she talked, it hit me. She looked like she dettach her mind to her body. Her look says she will swallow the whole world if she could. . . "

". . ."

"If it is true. . . Kali's abductors are the same with Kaleena then your sister might have suffered like that child?. . . I, I cannot imagine, my poor daughter." Konrad covered his eyes as he clenched his fist controlling the overwhelming anger and frustration.

"Father."

"I am fine being used." Kali appeared in front of them. They look at her direction. They didn't sense her presence until she spoke.

"..." Both were distracted with the heavy atmosphere of their talk.

"I will live by Kaleena's name and live her life until I find everyone responsible."

"Child, You--"

". . . but I do not desire affection nor familial ties. I don't want to play house with your family. "

"H,how can you say that?" Gio raised his voice.

"I expect nothing from you and so don't expect anything from me. "

". . ."

"I will look for my past and see my connection to your daughter as repayment for saving me. If your daughter is still alive, I will bring her back to you. That is all I can promise."

Konrad didn't say anything because deep inside he wanted this too. He planned on using this child. He wants to get his daughter back no matter the cost. Even if he was hated and condemned.

". . . but your grace, don't get your hopes up. You wouldn't want to know the things I went through in that place. The things they did will surely change a person."

Kali had her straight face but something was pricking her chest. She walked away from the count and his son.

Konrad also wears an indifferent expression. The words Kali left them with had him thinking.

Kali wouldn't admit it but those images from her past is something her body cannot forget. She begins to have nightmares about it and the only way to relieve it, is by facing it head on.

'I will make everyone pay.'

Kali and Konrad wanted the same thing and for this common goal they harden themselves and brace for the consequence of their plotted revenge.