Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] Chapter 159: Book 3: Chapter 15: Requiem

Read chapter 159 of Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] by TTReynolds on NovelPedia.

Book 3: Chapter 15: Requiem Book 3: Chapter 15: Requiem The fire had burned down low, only embers glowing red in the dark. The Worldstriders were gathered in a loose circle, blankets thrown over shoulders to fight the chill of the wind, and weapons propped against logs, thoughts of fighting and bloodshed out of mind for the time being. For once, no one was talking. Alex sat with his elbows on his knees, staring at the flames, but from the flickering light he couldn’t see anything except the looming presence of yellow reptilian eyes piercing in from the dark. The basilisk’s gaze lingered in his mind like a phantom camera flash. He chewed his lip, debating whether to stay silent, or break the quiet. Everyone seemed content enough not to talk about it. But he knew everyone was also thinking the same thing. It was a the kind of topic that sat in the corner of the living room, starring you down until you finally acknowledged it, like a dog silently begging for table scraps at family dinner time. Finally, the weight pressed too hard for Alex to bear. “We need to talk about the fight,” he said suddenly, it came out sharper than he intended. The others stirred, looking toward him. “About… the basilisk’s gaze. Holly. Devon. Garret. Cole. You all got caught by it.” A second silence fell heavier than the first. No one wanted to look at each other, as though eye contact had suddenly become a social taboo from the sheer trauma of it. Or looking back into someone’s eye’s might force them to confirm it, that something had been stolen from them. “The bestiary said it outright,” Alex went on, “that her gaze petrifies something other than flesh. That it can take things from you. Memories, pieces of who you are. So it’s important… that we talk about what that might look like for each of you.” Garret gave a lopsided grin, raising a hand like he was a grade schooler in the middle of a class. “Well, if she took anything from me, it must’ve been the part that worried about shit like that. I feel great. Lighter than ever.” Alex turned to his right, to the woman sitting directly next to him. The person he was perhaps worried about most. Holly’s arms were wrapped around herself, eyes lowered. “I… I don’t know,” she said. She sighed heavily, and looked up, seemingly trying to focus on anything but the people around her. “I keep wondering if... I lost something important. Not a memory I can name obviously, just… the shape, the outline of it, missing in my mind somewhere. Like what if there’s a hollow space I can’t reach anymore? A ghost of me, severed from my physical self.” Alex couldn’t help but raise a brow at that, a wave of varying emotions splashing over him. It didn’t seem like either Garret or Holly knew what was gone, which made sense. But, that might also make things even a bit scarier for them, even if Garret would refuse to admit it. He reached out and took Holly’s hand, holding it gently in his own. He gave her fingers a squeeze, forcing her to finally look his way. Moisture had begun to collect in the corners of her eyes, and Alex quickly gave her a reassuring smile. There weren’t any words he could offer to help her feel better, none that came to mind off the top of his head, so he remained silent and present instead. “You’re our girl, not matter what.” Allie said from across the campfire. Alex looked up to see she was giving Holly a reassuring smile as well. “Our girl?” Holly chuckled, and Allie gave her an exaggerated wink. “Hey,” Alex put on his best faux-offended face, making both the girls laugh softly. Cole frowned, staring into the fire. “I don’t know what to think. If I don’t remember what I lost, does it matter? Or does it matter even more? Because how would I even know if I’m still me?” It looked like Cole was taking the pragmatic approach, a solution to the worry that Alex understood. If he couldn’t do anything about it, then why ruminate on something outside your control? Maybe that was the best perspective to have, but it stil