Chapter 15: Zerith—A Dual-Ability User?

Xhaelyn's expression faltered for the briefest moment before quickly returning to her usual indifferent mask. She didn't say anything, simply turning away to tie her hair into a tight bun. The fleeting vulnerability she had shown didn't last long.

Zeritheus watched her, his thoughts swirling. He wasn't used to seeing anyone like Xhaelyn. Most kids, especially at her age, would be panicking, crying, or at least showing some sign of weakness. But she? She just moved on with everything as though it were part of her daily routine.

The way she handled this strange situation—it didn't feel like the actions of a normal child. Not even close.

"Are you always like this?" he asked suddenly, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

Xhaelyn paused her movements and glanced over her shoulder. "Like what?"

"Like... a grown-up stuck in a kid's body."

For a moment, she didn't answer. Then, in the softest of tones, she spoke. "I've had no choice."

Zeritheus didn't know how to respond to that. The air between them shifted, the weight of her words hanging in the room.

After a long silence, he spoke again, his voice quieter than before. "I don't think I could ever do what you're doing. All this... I'd break."

Xhaelyn finished tying her hair and stood up straight, adjusting her cloak. "Then don't."

Zeritheus furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not doing it for you," she replied, her tone chillingly calm. "Survival isn't about being the strongest or the fastest. It's about doing what you need to, even when you don't want to."

Zeritheus blinked, taken aback. "You're really something else, Xhaelyn. You know that?"

She shrugged nonchalantly, her face unreadable. "I've heard it before."

Zeritheus stared at her for a moment, then stood and stretched his arms. "Well, we're both stuck here. Might as well make the most of it."

Xhaelyn didn't respond, but a barely perceptible twitch in her lips suggested she was at least slightly amused by his words.

For once, there was a brief moment of understanding between them. They might be stuck in the same mess, but Xhaelyn had made it clear—she was someone to be reckoned with, no matter her age. And in that moment, Zeritheus couldn't help but feel a strange sort of respect for her.

As he looked at her, her composed demeanor only added to the mystery surrounding her. She wasn't like anyone he'd ever met.

The tension in the room shifted, and Zeritheus found himself quiet for the first time in their conversation. Xhaelyn's cold, practical demeanor stood in stark contrast to his impulsive nature. It was clear she wasn't someone who could be easily understood, let alone controlled. There was something undeniably intriguing about her, something that kept pulling him in despite his annoyance.

His usual bravado faltered, but he quickly covered it with a shrug. "Guess I'll have to get used to it. And maybe learn a thing or two along the way."

Xhaelyn didn't answer right away, but the smallest nod from her head signaled her acknowledgment of his words. She moved across the room, her every step measured and controlled.

Zeritheus studied her for a moment longer, then sighed, stretching his arms. "You know, for someone who keeps talking about survival, you sure act like you've been through a lot."

Xhaelyn stopped, glancing over her shoulder. "I have. But that doesn't matter now. It's the present that counts."

The bluntness of her words hung in the air, and Zeritheus couldn't help but feel their weight. It was a harsh truth—survival wasn't about what you had endured, but what you were doing in the moment.

"Right," he said softly, the realization settling in. "So, what's next?"

Xhaelyn turned fully toward him, her face unreadable. "Next?" she echoed, her tone cool. "We wait. For now."

Zeritheus didn't argue. He could see that she wasn't the type to rush into anything without a plan. Despite his earlier irritation with her, he found himself respecting that caution, even if it didn't come with the warmth he might have expected from someone his age.

As they fell into a quiet rhythm of waiting, Zeritheus couldn't help but think that maybe this situation wasn't as hopeless as he first believed. Having Xhaelyn beside him—someone so steady and focused—might just be the key to surviving this mess.

And maybe, just maybe, it wasn't all about brute strength or grand plans after all.

Xhaelyn's senses suddenly tingled. Someone was approaching the door.

"Someone's coming..." she murmured.

She immediately went on guard, her attention sharp as she stared at the door. It creaked open, revealing a burly man carrying a tray of food. He glanced at Zeritheus, and Xhaelyn followed his gaze.

For a brief moment, she was struck by how pitiful Zeritheus looked—his earlier bravado had vanished completely. She swore this kid was putting on an act.

The man set the tray down with a sneer. "Weakling." Then, without a word, he locked the door behind him as he left.

Xhaelyn observed as Zeritheus shifted back into his usual demeanor. It was almost as if he had changed outfits—his pitiful act had been a carefully constructed mask.

What's this kid up to? Xhaelyn's eyes twitched.

Zeritheus noticed her stare and grinned. "Ely, are you captivated by my handsomeness again?"

Damn. He changed his demeanor again. This time, Xhaelyn's eyes twitched thrice. "Narcissist. What's with that 'Ely'?"

Zeritheus raised an eyebrow, amused. "Oh? You don't like 'Ely'? Maybe it suits you better than Xhaelyn."

"Zerith." With that, she completely ignored him.

When he heard what kind of nickname she made up, his mouth twitched. Seeing Xhaelyn had no intention of continuing the conversation, he just ate with her.

Xhaelyn leaned back against the wall, her thoughts drifting as the food settled in her stomach. She didn't mind the silence between her and Zeritheus; it gave her time to think. The way he shifted from one persona to another intrigued her. It was almost like watching someone wear a mask, not just in front of others but in front of themselves as well. She had seen similar behavior in her past life—people who pretended to be something they weren't, perhaps out of necessity or fear.

Zeritheus, for all his bravado, wasn't as tough as he liked to make himself seem. She had seen the vulnerability in his eyes when the burly man had called him weak. But then again, maybe that's what he needed to do to survive in this environment—pretend to be something he wasn't. It was a method Xhaelyn had used herself before, though in her case, it was more of a necessity than a game.

"Zerith," she finally broke the silence, her voice low. "You're not fooling anyone with that act, you know."

Zeritheus didn't look up from his food, but the slight shift in his posture told her he was listening.

"You're not as tough as you want everyone to think you are. But that's fine." She paused, watching the way he ignored her comment. "We all have our ways of coping, don't we?"

Zeritheus swallowed his bite and then met her eyes, a mischievous glint in his gaze. "Coping, huh? And how do you cope, then? Just… shutting everything out and pretending nothing affects you?"

Xhaelyn's eyes flickered with a momentary flash of something—a flicker of emotion, perhaps—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. "I don't have time for weakness," she said simply. "Not when survival's on the line."

Her words hung in the air between them, thick with unspoken meaning. Zeritheus seemed to ponder that for a moment, his expression shifting.

"So you've just… built this wall around yourself?" he asked, quieter now, his usual arrogance absent.

Xhaelyn glanced down at her hands for a moment before answering. "It's not about building walls. It's about being ready to face whatever comes, without flinching. People like us don't have the luxury of feeling sorry for ourselves."

There was a finality in her voice that left little room for further argument. Zeritheus seemed to accept that, returning his attention to the tray in front of him, though a flicker of curiosity still lingered in his eyes.

The silence stretched on again, but it wasn't uncomfortable this time. They had both said what they needed to say, and now, it was a matter of seeing how the situation would unfold.

Xhaelyn's mind, however, wasn't fully focused on their conversation. She had tried earlier to sense any fluctuations around her but had come up empty.

Why did it fail earlier? she thought to herself. If I could sense energies before, why can't I now?

After mulling over everything, Xhaelyn finally realized the truth: her ability to sense unique energies wasn't a byproduct of her heightened senses as an assassin in her first life. Thinking back on what she'd learned about unique abilities, she came to a conclusion. These abilities were not limitless—each user's unique energy was finite, drained as it manifested into abilities, and it took time to replenish before they could be used again.

Her conclusion was clear: her unique ability was Unique Energy Sense.

Assuming her energy was fully replenished, she decided to test it. She glanced over at Zeritheus, who had just finished eating and caught her movement. His brow raised slightly, but he said nothing, his gaze lingering on her.

Ignoring him, Xhaelyn focused. Her almond-shaped eyes locked on him as she extended her senses toward his unique energy.

Her eyes widened. Zeritheus has unique abilities!

The energy she sensed around him was strange—peculiar even. His unique energy had manifested into two distinct abilities. A dual-ability user?

Zeritheus noticed her gaze, raising a brow. "What?"

Xhaelyn didn't respond immediately, her intense stare still fixed on him as she processed what she had just sensed.

Finally, her voice broke the silence, calm but direct. "Zerith. What is your unique ability?"

Zeritheus blinked, his usual confidence faltering for just a moment. He hadn't expected her to ask, much less so bluntly. Still, his smirk never quite faded.

"My ability?" He leaned back, a subtle smirk forming. "That's quite the question. Are you sure you want to know?"

Xhaelyn's eyes narrowed slightly, her expression unreadable. She wasn't here for games.

She responded coolly, her voice steady, but with an edge. "If you're going to play games, then don't answer. But I'm not asking for fun."

Zeritheus studied her for a moment, unsure of whether she was bluffing. Her stillness made it difficult to read her, but there was something in the intensity of her gaze that made him pause. She seemed to be able to see right through him.

After a long pause, he leaned back again, more relaxed this time. "Alright," he said, his tone shifting to something more serious. "I've got two abilities. Not exactly something I go around announcing, but..."

Xhaelyn's brow arched, but she didn't interrupt. The confirmation she needed was already in her grasp.

Zeritheus continued, his voice more at ease now. "One's a defensive ability—keeps me from getting hurt too easily. The other... well, it's a bit more offensive. Lets me control my surroundings, manipulate them however I want."