The Beta Dominates Alphas

Chapter 96: Have You Seen Him?

Kestrel had truly felt the enemy’s strength this time.

Once, she had been somewhat arrogant, thinking her psychic abilities were incredibly strong and unbeatable. She had never encountered a being with more psychic power than hers. But now, the enemy’s psychic energy was terrifying.

Deep down, Kestrel knew that the body on the bed couldn’t be Ren, yet the urgent situation caused her to move forward to check on him.

Above, a dim yellow light swung, and a cool, damp breeze came from outside. On a wooden couch lay someone whose hands were tightly bound and covered with broken black gloves. They seemed eerily familiar to Kestrel. Even the lines of the fingers and the way the muscles were tensed were the same as she remembered. Ren’s pale wrists were tied to the railing, his long fingers clenched tightly into fists, straining the ropes that bound them as he struggled.

Kestrel instinctively stepped forward and saw Ren’s face.

The only light in the room shone on Ren’s unprotected face. Ren saw her and, feeling ashamed, closed his eyes, turning his head away.

In the darkness, Kestrel sensed a pair of enormous eyes peering into her very soul, squeezing her heart. She reached out and turned Ren’s face, only to discover that Ren, who had once been so strong, was now crying.

Suddenly, Kestrel thought, if she hadn’t come across Ren on trial at the execution ground, would he have ended up here, in the Rose Camp...

Although she later explored Ren’s psychic sea and knew he had his own escape plan, something seemed to fog her mind at this moment, causing her to forget those scattered memories.

Kestrel only saw Ren crying in her hands. He had bitten his lip, and tears quietly fell from his eyes, landing on Kestrel’s hand, hot and real, as though she could feel Ren’s humiliation, pain, shame, and weakness.

"Don’t cry. I’ll take you away," Kestrel whispered.

Then she saw Ren’s lips, thin and trembling with tears, pathetic and helpless, form two words. Words he had said to her before at the open door of a bathroom, but now, from the same person, they had an entirely different meaning.

Though in tears, Ren now looked strangely captivating.

Even Kestrel felt charmed by this version of Ren, but her mind became clear at that moment.

On Kestrel’s wrist, the black and white bracelet shifted, and a cold, short blade appeared in her hand. She took hold of Ren’s hands, looked into his eyes, and slowly drove the knife he had given her into his forehead.

A moment later, ’Ren’ was gone, leaving only an empty room, a disheveled bed, and a swinging lamp overhead.

The odd sounds rang again, as if they had ensnared Kestrel, echoing in her mind:

"Oh no, we actually failed. There’s such a powerful little one now."

"What a surprise. So delightful."

"I want her. I really wish to have her right away."

"What went wrong, that allowed her to respond?"

"We did confuse her for a brief moment."

"Where did we go wrong?"

At this moment, Kestrel’s psychic tendrils started chattering:

"Little Fish is not like this."

"Little Fish is sweet."

"You’re an imposter."

"That fake sweetness can’t fool me, even though I kind of like it."

"Shut up."

"Shut up, you embarrassing creature."

"This is in front of an enemy."

The voices in Kestrel’s head from strangers disappeared. Perhaps even ancient, powerful beings had never encountered an entity like Kestrel’s.

Kestrel opened the room’s door, only to find another room instead of a corridor—the room she’d been in before, where the servants lived. In the room, there was a small window, beside which a lifeless body sat quietly.

Kestrel walked into the room and approached the body, recognizing a familiar girl with a pale face and lifeless eyes. She’d seen her death before—Vanessa had bravely protected her love by killing an intruder with a knife, sacrificing her young life.

Kestrel crouched in front of the corpse, touched her cold face, and softly called, "Vanessa."

The dead body suddenly opened its eyes and grabbed Kestrel’s wrist.

"Miss," Vanessa’s corpse said to Kestrel, her voice cold and hoarse, her eyes black and hollow.

Kestrel jerked her hand away, stepping back quickly.

Golden threads floated in Vanessa’s blank pupils, as if something was inhabiting this empty shell.

"Living is too lowly, the pain never ends," Vanessa coldly said, slowly standing up, her long hair flowing, a small knife aimed at Kestrel’s face.

Kestrel grabbed her knife-wielding hand tightly. Vanessa’s expression was emotionless, and her strength was terrifying.

They both fell to the ground. The small fruit knife, stained with blood, came dangerously close to Kestrel’s eye.

"Do you know how I died? They beat me again and again. Do you know what they did to Kaworu afterward?"

Vanessa, holding Kestrel down, moved the bloody knife closer, her hollow eyes fixed on Kestrel.

"This world has no hope; living is too painful. You are also pitiful. Let me help you end your suffering."

Many odd voices echoed from all around, chaotic and hard to understand, swirling and confusing Kestrel’s resistance.

"Living is so painful; let death take over."

"This is a dark world, without a glimmer of light."

"Even friends will hurt each other someday."

"Humanity’s destination is only death. Pitiful and lowly."

"Stop struggling; come into our embrace."

"Pain will be but a brief moment; you will find eternal happiness."

"Even though it’s tough, I still want to live." Kestrel lay on the ground, hands pushing against Vanessa’s blade, ignoring the whispers, her eyes fixed on her dead friend.

"You once wanted to live, fought for Kaworu to survive. You believed there was light in this world, and you still believe it. Don’t you remember?"

Vanessa’s dark face froze; the golden threads in her eyes began to waver.

Kestrel looked at her, touching her forehead gently.

Tendrils emerged, layer after layer, cutting off the outside world, protecting the two girls at their core.

Finally, the stubborn golden threads in Vanessa’s eyes retreated like a reluctant tide.

"Kestrel?" Vanessa seemed to wake from a long dream, her voice soft and gentle, just like before.

The bloody knife vanished, and she gently held Kestrel’s hands, as if understanding each other’s thoughts and plans in an instant.

Vanessa ran, leading Kestrel, knowing where she wanted to go and what to do. "I’m glad you came back to save us." Her hand was as cold as ice. She ran quickly, knowing all the paths, leading Kestrel in a sprint.

The surroundings were strange, the roads twisted and dim, sometimes like thin ice, sometimes like a thorny forest, but Vanessa held Kestrel’s hand, guiding her, so Kestrel’s feet found solid ground.

"Kestrel, can you help Kaworu?" Vanessa’s voice was gentle but sad, pleading with her friend, "Take him away or relieve him. He can’t bear it much longer."

Kestrel looked at Vanessa running beside her—her body that had endured so long, crumbling and disappearing with each stride, yet her face smiling. She’s not like the dead, but like a real girl running in the moonlight. freēwebnovel.com

Kestrel simply said, "Yes."

Vanessa smiled brightly, laughing as she sprinted, her legs and body disappearing. Lastly, she took off her stone pendant and put it around Kestrel’s neck.

"My time has come, Kestrel." Her arms around Kestrel’s shoulders, the rest of her body flying up like ashes from a burning fire. Finally, she touched Kestrel’s face with her forehead and gently said, "Don’t grieve for me; I hope you’re happy and live in the light."

Vanessa vanished, and her cheerful song echoed in the dark world—the lively song about a mouse.

Kestrel sprinted through the song; the pendant on her chest fluttered, guiding her, and she saw the crevice, the golden tree within. It looked almost like a nest, like an egg was in. Dark red veins intertwined, pulsing with a massive heartbeat.

A golden tree grew there, mingling with the dark red veins, extending in all directions. Its roots spread everywhere, its growths pulsating.

Kaworu’s arms were spread on the trunk, hanging from the treetop. Motionless, his features were blended with gold, leaving only half a pale human face visible.

"She’s here."

"Hee-hee, she’s here."

"It’s a beta, a new beta."

Many voices rang out from all around. Kestrel heard their joy and their intense longing.