World Awakening: The Legendary Player
Chapter 57: Admit it?

Chapter 57: Admit it?

Nox knew being rude to them was not going to work. He looked at their faces and saw nothing but stubborn resolve. ’This isn’t working,’ he thought, ’yelling at them is like yelling at a brick wall.’ Kendra was still talking, her hands on her hips as her voice got louder.

"So you’re just gonna walk off? After everything we did? What about the party, huh?"

He needed a new plan. He had to get them to stay put without another big fight. He couldn’t just tell them they were weak, because that would just make Kendra want to prove him wrong.

’Okay, think. What do they want to hear?’ He remembered what Auraelia’s message had said about them trusting him. He had to use that.

He held up a hand. Kendra actually stopped talking, surprised by the gesture. "It’s not that I’m ditching you," he started, his voice was different now, more serious. "It’s the opposite, actually."

Kendra squinted at him. "The opposite? What’s that supposed to mean?"

"This mission... it’s going to take me out of the city," he explained, looking from one to the other. "I don’t know for how long. While I’m gone, someone needs to be here, holding things down." He paused for a moment. "Someone needs to build something. And I can’t do both at once."

Yeda tilted her head, looking confused. "Building something? You mean like, with hammers and stuff?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I’m talking about a base. An organization. A place where we can all gather information and get stronger." He leaned in a little, his voice dropping. "This world is a mess, and it’s only going to get worse. We need a headquarters, a place that’s ours."

Vasa’s expression shifted just a little. "A forward operating base," she stated, her voice even. "That is a logical and strategically sound objective."

"Exactly," he said, pointing at Vasa. "But I can’t be the one to build it. I have to go deal with this other thing." He made sure to look at each of them. "So I need you guys to do it for me. For us."

Kendra crossed her arms, still looking skeptical. "And why us? Why can’t you just find some other people to build your little clubhouse?"

This was the part that mattered. He looked her right in the eye. "Because I can’t trust anyone else," he said, his voice completely serious. "I trust you three. You’ve been there, you’ve fought with me. You know what’s really at stake here." He then turned to Yeda. "You’re smart, you know how to keep people calm." He then faced Vasa. "You’re organized, you can figure out all the logistics." He finally looked back at Kendra. "And you... you’re the muscle. You’re the one who can make sure no one messes with what we’re building."

Kendra’s skeptical look faltered. The corner of her mouth twitched. ’He thinks I’m the muscle? Well, he’s not wrong.’

Yeda was already nodding, a hopeful look on her face now. "We could do that, right? We could find a place to set up, maybe an old warehouse or something..."

"But we’d be here, and you’d be out there alone," Kendra argued, though her voice had lost some of its angry edge. "That still sounds like a stupid plan to me."

"I have to go alone," he insisted. "But I need to know there’s something here to come back to. I’m putting you all in charge of that." He leaned in again. "It’s the most important part of the whole plan."

Just as Kendra opened her mouth to argue again, Serian stepped forward from where she had been watching quietly. "It is a sound plan," she said, her calm voice cutting through their argument. "A warrior cannot be in two places at once. He has given you a mission of great importance, a foundation upon which you can build your future strength." She looked directly at Kendra. "To refuse such a trust would be... unwise."

Kendra looked from Serian to Nox, then back to Yeda and Vasa. She let out a long, frustrated sigh and kicked at a crack in the pavement. "Fine," she grumbled. "we’ll do it. We’ll build your stupid base." She looked up at him, a determined fire in her eyes now. "But it better be the best damn base this city has ever seen."

"I know it will be," he said, almost sounding like he meant it. He could see the relief wash over Yeda’s face, and Vasa just gave a single, sharp nod.

He had done it. He had gotten them to stay without a huge fight. It was a lie, a trick to keep them safe and out of his way, but it had worked.

---

The girls were talking excitedly now, already brainstorming ideas. Kendra was suggesting they find a building with a good roof for a lookout, and Yeda was talking about finding a place with running water.

"We will require a defensible location with limited entry points," Vasa added, ever the pragmatist.

Nox just nodded. "Alright, you guys figure it out. We’re leaving." He gestured to Serian.

"Wait, now?" Yeda asked, looking a little panicked.

"Yeah, now," he said. "No point wasting time." He gave them one last look. "Don’t mess it up."

Kendra just waved a dismissive hand at him. "Yeah, yeah, we got it. Just don’t you get yourself killed out there, boss."

He turned and started walking away, not looking back. He heard Serian’s light footsteps fall into place beside him. They walked in silence for a few minutes, leaving the sound of his party’s excited planning behind them.

’Man,’ he thought, a small, humorless smirk on his face. ’This soul mate thing is no joke.’

Serian was looking at him, he could feel it, but he didn’t turn his head. He knew a question was coming.

"Nox," she said finally, her voice even. "May I ask you something?"

He grunted, which she seemed to take as a yes.

"You expended considerable effort to locate your allies," she began, choosing her words carefully. "It was your primary objective upon entering this district. Yet, the moment you found them, you created a convincing fabrication to ensure they would remain behind." She paused, then looked at him directly. "Why?"

He kept walking. "I told you. I need them to build a base."

"No," she said, her voice firm but not accusatory. "You needed them to be safe. You gave them a purpose so they would not follow you into greater danger." She tilted her head. "You searched for them only to leave them. It is a contradiction."

He stopped and turned to face her, his expression unreadable. ’So now she’s analyzing me.’ He hated it when people tried to figure him out. "It’s not a contradiction. It’s just logic."

"Explain this logic to me," she prompted, her gaze unwavering.

He let out an annoyed breath. "Look," he said, his voice flat and cold. "They have people. Families, homes, all that crap." He gestured vaguely back towards the city center. "That stuff makes you weak. It makes you hesitate."

He saw a twitch on her face, disagreement in her eyes, but he kept going. "Out there, where we’re going, you can’t hesitate. Not for a second. They’d get themselves killed over something stupid, or they’d get me killed." He shrugged, as if it was that easy. "They’re a liability. They have something to lose. I don’t."

’She doesn’t get it,’ he thought. ’Attachments are just anchors. They’ll pull you down and drown you when things get rough.’

Serian looked at him for a long moment, her own thoughts unreadable. ’He speaks of them as a weakness,’ she considered, ’yet his actions were designed to protect that very weakness he scorns. He separated himself from them not because he sees them as useless, but because he values what they have, what he lacks.’

"They’re better off here," he said, breaking the silence. "Playing with their little clubhouse plan. And I’m better off not having to babysit them." He turned and started walking again, his pace brisk. "End of story."

She watched his back for a second. He was pushing people away again, building his walls higher. But this time, she thought she could see the reason behind the stones. She fell into step beside him without another word. She understood.

He would never admit it, but he had left them behind because he cared.