Unmade Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Late Night Talk(4)

Read chapter 43 of Unmade by churro on NovelPedia.

Vale lifted his eyes toward the towering figure beside him. Korin’s black coat draped over his frame like a night sky trying and failing to hide a mountain. The thick scarf wrapped around his neck gave him an oddly gentle look, but it didn’t shrink his sheer presence. If anything, it emphasized it. Curious, Vale narrowed his focus and reached out quietly with his senses. Korin’s energy washed over him almost immediately. It wasn’t smooth like Evelyn’s or sharp like Rose’s. No, Korin’s energy churned. Chaotic yet strangely aligned. Like a river that had lost its path and, in its stubbornness, swollen into an eternal, restless lake. He lingered on it perhaps a moment too long, because Korin shifted, looking at him with mild confusion. “…What are you doing?” the giant asked, brows lifting. Vale blinked and straightened with a small smile. “Oh, nothing. Don’t worry about it.” He paused, then nodded toward the hallway. “Shall we go?” Korin followed his gaze down to his side, where Maelis was already waving him off with exaggerated enthusiasm. His expression soured the way exhausted older brothers often look when life gives them siblings far too energetic for their own good. “Yeah, sure,” he sighed at last, shoulders sinking, and followed Vale through the enormous library doors. As they stepped into the corridor, Korin turned back and closed the doors behind him, slowly and carefully, every movement deliberate. Vale watched with interest. Even the way Korin’s fingertips brushed the wood seemed measured, like he feared one misplaced ounce of force might crush the hinges or splinter the frame. Korin glanced over when he felt Vale’s gaze. “What’s wrong?” “It’s nothing,” Vale said quickly, though he kept watching. “Your movements are just incredibly precise. I wasn’t expecting that. It’s… impressive.” For a moment Korin held his gaze, then released a quiet, resigned breath. “I have to be careful.” He didn’t elaborate, and Vale didn’t pry. Something about the tone felt fragile, like tapping it might make it spill into something Korin wasn’t ready to share. They walked in silence for a stretch before Vale’s curiosity nudged him again. “Oh, right,” he said, looking up. “Earlier you mentioned the… price of my plane? Could you explain what you meant?” Korin’s strides slowed. He rubbed his chin in thought, lips pressing into a thin line as he considered how to answer. After a full minute, he finally lowered his hand. “Well,” Korin began, “the ‘price’ or ‘curse,’ as most people call it once it manifests is basically a toll you pay for using power from your plane.” His voice echoed lightly in the long hallway. “Some curses are small. Barely noticeable. Others…” He hesitated. “Others can be really bad.” Vale tilted his head. “Really bad how?” Korin’s eyes softened with something like pity. “Usually, when someone loses their memories, they keep some instinctive skills. Deep muscle memory. But the truth is… that’s just a leftover, a shadow. Without your memories, every technique you learned during your trial is gone. Only the faintest residue remains.” Vale’s chest tightened. It explained the gaps. The inconsistencies. Evelyn and Rose’s concerned glances. And Ember… the armor… the bone-like implant. Why none of it appeared in his memories before he awoke. 'Did all of them come with me somehow?' He turned back to Korin. “Hey, Korin… sorry for bombarding you, but… is it possible to bring physical objects from your trial into the real world?” This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Korin blinked, surprised. “Yeah. It’s pretty common, actually. Relics, specters, artifacts, they’re usually dormant, though. You need certain conditions to activate them.” His gaze flicked toward Vale meaningfully. “Same goes for curses. They have conditions to remove them too.” Vale’s eyes widened. “Wait, you can remove a curse?” Korin nodded once. “Yeah. But the conditions are personal and… secret. No one tells you. No on