Chapter 61: The Devil Within

[ SURPRISE BONUS CHAPTER!!!]

Hathaway let out a small, imperceptible breath, then smiled.

"That's good."

The unexpected response garnered strange gazes from Huey and Tyla. Even Lyra only shifted her head slightly to look at him.

Hathaway embraced the various looks while still maintaining his smile.

"It's not the worst-case scenario after all," he said all of a sudden.

But the confusion was still heavy.

The professor in a lab coat didn't seem to mind; he continued to smile but let out a small sigh.

"The voices... whispers you heard are a common reaction in those with an organic core. We believe it is the last remnant will of the Elder God."

"The will?" Huey repeated meaningfully.

He... had a few prior experiences with voices of his own, actually.

"Yes," Hathaway nodded.

"In the end, the essence of the Elder God still resides in the core. What matters is what the Knight or host in person decides to do with it," Hathaway explained deeply.

Lyra listened keenly to the explanation, and a faint, complicated expression appeared on her face. She found the strength and motivation to speak.

So Lyra asked, "What do you mean?"

Hathaway responded promptly. "Whatever you do, do not listen for the meaning of the whispers, and do not be swayed by the vestiges and essence of the abomination within," he paused, letting his words sink in.

"From this moment on, Lyra, it would be wise to believe that you now have a devil residing in the deepest parts of your soul—in the most literal sense." He held her gaze and added once more, "One waiting to get out."

Lyra met his gaze and held her breath stiffly. Those ominous words resonated deeply in her mind.

'A devil in my heart waiting to escape...' She gulped, and Huey glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

But his thoughts wandered further. "...kind of like N*r*to." He controlled his facial muscles and barely restrained himself from looking at Lyra with shimmering eyes.

"And in your case, a particularly abominable 'devil,'" Hathaway added, and Lyra wanted to dig a hole and scream inside it.

But the next second, the professor in a lab coat smiled brightly, dispelling the dark and heavy atmosphere, and casually continued. "On the other hand, this is also why knights with Organic Cores have more potential and are more powerful than those without. If you can manage to fully harness the remnant essence of the abomination now residing inside you..."

*Why put it that way...?* everyone thought as they listened.

Hathaway, oblivious to their looks and thoughts, continued. His gaze shifted from Lyra to Huey instead. "You'll become a formidable entity."

Not a man. Not a knight. An entity.

Those words were like the devil's temptation to Lyra. Her dark eyes glittered brightly as her expression shifted.

'If I use the Elder God inside of me...' She looked up at the man - Huey - before her. 'I can become even more powerful.'

Then he would have no reason to abandon her. Huey was oblivious to the type of gaze Lyra cast at him at this moment. He met Hathaway's eyes unfalteringly instead.

Professor Hathaway drew his gaze back and continued. "As I said, high risk and high return. The only thing you need to be careful of is succumbing to the influence of the Core. Just like you, the essence will try to dominate you and consume your mind. You know how feral Elder Gods can be; you might end up just like one and go mad."

An Organic Core was a double-edged sword, which in most cases, wasn't worth it. Many end up succumbing to the whispers and losing control, even after a successful transplant. Their minds are corrupted by the remnant essence, and these victims become Elder Gods themselves.

In the end, it all depended on the host's will and fortitude. To possess an Organic Core is to walk a thin line between succumbing to madness or possessing immense power. In the end, only one side prevails: the knight, or the Elder God.

Perhaps, just as Hathaway had said earlier, this was probably the safest result. But it was also the most torturous and brought the most misery. Every moment of the victim's life is spent struggling to retain their humanity and control. They are seen as walking time bombs, and in today's society, they are hunted down when discovered.

"That's why they're banned and illegal," Lyra thought, realizing it.

She could easily understand the dangers and risks of having an Organic Core, but for her, who had always wanted power since her parents died, the strength outweighed the risks enough to make it appealing.

Hathaway noticed the pondering gaze in Lyra's eyes and let his words sink in. There were still many things he needed to explain about having an Organic Core, but it was likely they would be there all day— or night, whatever time it was out there. Instead, he decided to focus on the most important aspects she should be aware of.

From there, he could only hope that Lyra would discover the other sides of her journey through life. Yet, there were still many things Hathaway didn't know about knights with Organic Cores. Each one had a different and contrasting development, after all.

Thinking about how arduous the young lady's life would be in the coming future, Hathaway felt deep pity and sighed while shaking his head.

"The remnant essence will also have a certain level of influence on your daily life," Hathaway added, as if it wasn't already enough.

Lyra couldn't frown, so Huey did it in her stead.

"What is it?" he asked.

Hathaway revealed a helpless smile as he responded, "The most common issues are inconsistency in behavior and personality shifts." He then added, "Mood swings are just the tip of the iceberg in that department."

His smile was odd, and Hathaway turned to look at Lyra. "I believe it already happened before? 'Exhilarating,' was it?"

Faced with this comment, Lyra sheepishly averted her gaze, looking away.

Hathaway didn't mind; he laughed a little and then turned to Tyla in the corner. "Isn't that right?" he said.

Tyla blinked. "So that's what you mean. Her character did suddenly change towards the end," Tyla said in realization.

She recalled how wild and crazy Lyra had suddenly become, enough to bring down an entire building. It was as if she had become a different person. In retrospect, the signs were there during the fight. As it progressed, Lyra had been growing bolder and more savage.

Tyla only missed it because she was involved in the fight herself. And in retrospect, she hadn't known what Lyra's initial personality was like before then.

Lyra buried her face deeper into Huey's chest from embarrassment when she heard those words. But it was also beginning to make sense. She found her behavior odd; she had never been a battle junkie.

Professor Hathaway found her reaction amusing and laughed again, leaving Huey as the only one feeling lost and left out. But, of course, he wouldn't let it show on his face!

Huey pretended to stand in understanding throughout the whole exchange. All he knew was that from now on, Lyra would be spewing hormones like a pregnant lady.

******

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

An unexpected Bonus Chapter today! This one is devoted to @Morztyn for the unexpected influx of golden tickets at once for RED!!

Morztyn, thank you so much for the massive vote. It came as a truly heart warming and pleasant surprise. This truly shows that my work really is appreciated, and like this, I feel motivated to do even better for you!

It's not much, but an extra bonus chapter os incoming after this, just as soon as I get it edited.

Thank you so much, Morztyn, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter l, as much as I did when writing it for you.

Stone goals below.