A Story of Evil

"Good you're awake now."

Sol knew it was King Jubilee who was speaking. He thought that, if he saw the king again or if the king even dares come close, he would inevitably give him a good beating. Yet there was something strange in that instance.

"Let me guess. You're wondering why you don't feel like punching me right now correct?" The king furthered as Sol rose from his bed.

"Is this the effect of [Cold Blooded]?" The boy asked with a stoic expression.

"That's right. You've finally unlocked it which may feel a bit weird right now."

"It does. You don't know how much I wanted to beat you to a pulp…my liege. Yet I'm calm right now and, although a part of me wants to get angry, the emotion just doesn't come out."

"Do you hate me then?" The king asked, holding back his laughter from Sol's comment of wanting to beat him up.

"No my liege."

"Oh? Aren't you angry that the family you tried to protect is dead?"

"I would be…if they really were dead."

With Sol's mind cleared up, he looked back at all that happened. The corpses of the Bloodbournes didn't feel right to him. It was like there was something essential missing. He could not mistake the bond he created with them and, although Arthur felt very much real and alive, everyone else in that instance wasn't.

"The pregnant woman was real and, she was used to cloud my reasoning. That's why you even went with the flashy display of squashing her flat. The phone call to the prison was also real and, the suddenness of it all didn't give me time to think of everything thoroughly since, my focus was with saving the Bloodbournes."

"So where did things begin to get fake exactly?" The king was sitting comfortably on a chair, with two fingers on his temple while his thumb was near his chin.

"It's right when that door opened. I only realized it now but, the door where I entered and, the door I used to exit are on opposite sides of the room."

King Jubilee had a wide grin on his face at that moment. He never lost faith in Sol. Not even for a single second. He simply had to act his part and be the cruelest he could look like. All to corner Sol and to leave him with no options.

"You made me enter a Pandora's Box and, Arthur was somehow transported to the same area. Probably through teleportation and, since he has no experience of it, he wouldn't know of anything related to a simulated scenario. He also has no love for his family so there would've been no way for him to distinguish between fakes and reality." Sol looked at his hands, with the memories of how he killed Arthur all rushing back to him.

"My passive probably wouldn't activate if I just killed a simulated human being. That's why I needed a real target. And who better to use than the man I resented the most placed in a situation where murder is the only option."

"Hahahaha! Impressive as always Solomon!" The King's cheerful side was back once again. He clapped at the boy who still had a stoic face at that moment.

"Oh by the way. You'd have a harder time expressing yourself for a while. When the level of your [Cold Blooded] goes up, all your emotions will work normally while retaining the function of your passive." With the response of Jubilee, there was one thing off Sol's mind. But there was still something he was worrying about.

"My liege, if I may ask…"

"Where are the Bloodbournes?" King Jubilee finished for Sol, making the boy nod as he explained.

"I actually transferred them here in the Inner Walls. To me your victory is as good as secured now that your passive is unlocked. So I figured I should give a bit of reward to you. I would've done the same for Alice but, she has no proper benefactor and I can't just give a house to the thieves of the slums. They'd simply stir trouble within the inner walls."

"But the reason why you're keeping them here." Sol knew that there was an ulterior motive.

"They're hostages of course. Solomon, I am not a good and benevolent king. I am just. And being just doesn't mean that I can show mercy nor kindness whenever I please. Our agreement is still in effect and as soon as you lose in the Culling, that family is as good as dead. Are we clear?"

"I understand my liege."

"I know you do. After all, you now run within the same world as me." The King said, referring to both him and the boy being wielders of [S.W.].

"Carve your fight against Arthur in that head of yours. Carve the scenario which could've really happened and remember that, fate can only be held by those who are truly strong. The only reason I find favor with you is because you are capable. Always bear that in mind." Sol made another while thinking how complex King Jubilee's emotions and mind worked.

"Anyway, this is the last day of the preparation. The day isn't done yet but, you won't have any training anymore. Just rest for now and, Lilia will show you the choices on equipment that you'd bring in the evening."

"Thank you my liege."

"No need for that. We're both just doing our jobs." The king said, finally standing up.

"Oh and, somebody else has been eager to talk to you ever since I entered this place. You should thank her, she's the one who stopped your little rage-drunk state." The door of the room opened, revealing Alice who stepped in as soon as she bowed to the leaving king.

"Hey retard." Alice didn't start with anything soft. She began with an assault as soon as the door closed.

"What the…why did my nickname change all of a sudden?"

"Because you're a retard. Can't you even kill a single person? Geez, you even turned that man's face into a mush of meat."

"You don't even seem scared."

"Of course I don't! What kind of environment did you think I grew up in?"

"That's not something a child should normally be proud of you know. Although, you do have a point." Sol was able to make a carefree smile at that moment.

"But I'm glad you're okay."

"You had no idea how scared I was when he was beating you up. I wanted to go there and rescue you but, King Jubilee didn't allow me." Suddenly Alice didn't sound so tough. In fact her voice was shaking and although she tried hiding it, Sol knew that she was about to cry.

"It's fine." He said, patting her head as she sat on the chair.

"It's not fine retard!" Alice wiped away the tears that were forming, going back to her normal tone of voice.

"The next time you do that I won't be as gentle! I'll smack some sense back to you!" Alice's words gave Sol an idea.

"Well if you're that worried why don't we make a deal then?"

"A deal?"

"Yup. As the king said, my passive is already activated but I actually don't like the second part of it. How my morals will be wiped out entirely in some situations." Sol held Alice's hand and placed it on his chest.

"When that time comes, I want you to be there. I want you to be my moral compass and stop me from whatever evil I would do."

"But what if I can't?"

"It's not a question of "if" Alice. If my power grows and I reach the same level as King Jubilee, I doubt any of the other domains would be able to stop me. But you…you'd be capable of that Alice. I know you would."

"You're gonna owe me bigtime. You may not even be able to pay me back."

"That's okay, I like being with you anyway." Sol said, making Alice blush.

"F-Fine! But don't blame me if I go too far okay?"

"Of course. I'm the one who asked after all."

With this the two made their agreement. It may be because Sol knew what kind of person he was. It might be because he was seeing how secretive and mysterious King Jubilee turned out to be. But, for whatever reason, he was genuinely frightened. Both of himself and of whatever creature was starting to consume his soul.