Free Web NovelChapter 77: Guest at Home (1)
In truth, only Nicole and Serge were invited to Kestrel’s home.
Serge brought a box of floral tea as a gift when he arrived. Nicole arrived with a large fresh bouquet and a small girl, about two or three years old, trailing behind her.
Kestrel had encountered this little girl earlier in the day and had given her some candy. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
"Her name is Vasilisa. I brought her along to have fun," Nicole explained, nudging the child who had been clutching her leg. "When I saw them today, they talked about a young lady who gave out candies, and I figured it was you."
Vasilisa, now dressed in tidy old clothes, peeked out from behind Nicole’s legs and giggled at Kestrel. She wasn’t shy at all.
Their late brother was named Orion Reed, and the younger siblings were Harry, Mona, and Vasilisa...
Kestrel opened several windows facing the courtyard on the first floor. The trio sat by the window, drinking tea, nibbling on snacks, and watching Vasilisa play with insects in the barren courtyard.
"Your yard is quite rustic, very natural. Quite fascinating," Serge courteously remarked on Kestrel’s yard. "Is it just you and a housemaid who live here?"
Nicole quickly added, "Yeah, I’m quite jealous, you know. Living alone in such a big yard must feel so freeing. Unlike at my home, where my parents are incredibly overbearing and I have zero freedom."
"Jealous," Kestrel repeated the word, trying to understand the feeling tied to it. She stored it in her memory but didn’t quite grasp it. She had never thought someone could be jealous of her.
Serge subtly nudged Nicole who was beside him.
Kestrel sat opposite them, her elbow resting on the table, leaning casually against the window. Her lonely figure was set against the backdrop of the courtyard, the setting sun casting a warm orange light on her doll-like profile, failing to lighten her expression.
Previously, Serge viewed Kestrel as a lone, proud, and frighteningly powerful individual, like a frosty wanderer in the world, which made her seem out of place with everyone else. Now, he saw her perhaps as a very lonely person. Growing up without parents or relatives and being ostracized by everyone, she had become inexpressive and seemed a little different from others.
In truth, Kestrel was quite gentle. She would help strangers in trouble, give candies to unknown kids on the street, and even invited him to her house.
Serge reflected, Kestrel’s loneliness, living alone in such a vast courtyard, might be incomparable to their small inconveniences of being nagged by parents who had protected them since childhood.
He felt guilty about his past wrong words and thoughts.
"With such a big yard, wouldn’t it be fine to let the psychic incarnation out?" Serge proposed.
A huge, snow-white Chinchilla cat appeared in the quiet, desolate courtyard. The creature, larger than a fully-grown lion, rustled in the wild shrubs and shook its fluffy fur. Under the evening glow, it lazily stretched and began to lick its paw.
Vasilisa cheered and ran over, scrambling up the back of the gigantic fluffy cat. The large cat indulged her and let her ride on its back.
A massive silver python appeared amidst the green sunset, its powerful body squirming between the wild plants. The cold sparkle off its sleek scales flickered as it moved.
This was Nicole’s psychic incarnation, a silver python, stunning and powerful.
As Vasilisa rode past on the enormous fluffy cat, she spotted the beautiful snake, let out a loud cheer, joyfully tumbled down from the cat’s neck, and extended her tiny hand to touch the cold scales of the white snake.
The large snake coiled around her, lifted her onto its own head, and swiftly slithered around the yard with her. The snake moved along a twisted path, leaving the sound of the little girl’s laughter in the air.
When it passed by the window, the silver snake hissed and stuck out its long tongue, seemingly taunting Serge with a glance.
Serge chuckled softly, sensing that Kestrel was also laughing.
Kestrel rested her arms on the windowsill, peering out slightly, watching the vibrant yard where two energetic psychic incarnations and a cheerful little girl were playing.
Her face, usually as expressionless as if she were wearing a mask, seemed more alive. In her dark eyes, there was a glimmer of life.
Serge, the top-performing beta at the academy, was very good at noticing subtle changes in other people’s emotions.
He felt that Kestrel, like him, was experiencing a sweet feeling at this moment; she just didn’t show it clearly.
A large, sturdy pink tendril appeared, coiling around Kestrel’s body, adhering to her skin, observing the scenery outside the window with her, as if the lively courtyard was a novelty to them.
One by one, two, three tendrils showed their curved bodies in the shadows of the yard, lifting their pointed tips, curiously watching everything. Then, with a bit of hesitation and a little excitement, they slowly swam over.
Nicole and Serge exchanged glances, both laughing — Kestrel might not have realized yet, but they knew that the spontaneous interaction between psychic incarnations was a natural sign of connection. Even for betas, only when they were with their closest friends would they let their psychic incarnations out to play without any reservations.
Many people said that the closest relationship in the world was the bond between an alpha and a beta. Everyone praised the profound spiritual connection between the two as the greatest emotion in the world. But these young betas felt that the feelings between friends, if they were willing, could be just as steady, pure, and enjoyable, such as what was happening in this courtyard.
They started discussing their respective experiences at different outposts since their departure.
"There are some really annoying people among the alphas," Nicole said, "He was very rude to me, so I let my psychic incarnation take its biggest form and scared him into wetting his pants on the spot."
This was a girl with very clear likes and dislikes.
"But most alphas are very sweet," she laughed immediately, "They expressed gratitude for the help I offered, very sincerely and interestingly. Going there, I realized how much the alphas at the outpost needed betas, and such a brutal battlefield needed betas. I was actually quite willing to stay there longer."
"Yes, I also met some good alphas. Actually, alphas are like betas, of course there are good ones and bad ones," Serge said, "Going out to see, you realize how big the world is, how many things are happening outside, how dangerous the environment is, and how many different kinds of people there are."
His expression darkened slightly: "I didn’t know before, the outpost people, living such a hard life. Compared to here at the Tower, it’s practically a different world. And the majority of humans live out there in the outposts."
Nicole rested her chin on her hand and shared her worries, "I think we should go out more. Things are really bad out there; alphas and regular folks are dying like crazy. And yet, we hide in the Tower, going to parties and dances, and only send a few people out once a year like it’s just for show. I don’t get it."
She couldn’t figure out why everyone chose to ignore this obviously unfair system, accepting their twisted lives as if it was normal.
