"What's wrong? Are you one of those who can't talk?" she said, walking alongside Nova. "Don't be shy. You can trust me here. Let me hear your voice."
Nova frowned in irritation, keeping his face hidden the entire time.
'I can understand her, as strange as that sounds. How is that even possible? I have no idea. All I know is that I need to get away right now, but…'
This woman knew exactly what she was doing. Her grip was far too strong—so strong that Nova couldn't move his arm.
She smiled mischievously. Her amber eyes began to glow faintly with a yellow light. That sent a chill through Nova—it felt as if someone were pushing their fingers straight through his skull.
The woman, having sensed Nova's nervousness for a moment, laughed. With a soft, delicate chuckle, she said:
"You don't seem well. I can feel how nervous you are." She slowly traced her index finger across Nova's chest and whispered, "That sensation runs through your body and spreads to your fingertips. It's like a painful shiver that digs into your bones, pierces your muscles, and brushes your mind with an uncomfortable feeling—but I can turn all of that into pleasure. You just have to listen to me and follow me. I'm very good at what I do, and for the right price, I can make all your fantasies come true."
Nova hesitated. He slowly lifted his gaze, searching for a way out of this situation.
'I'd love to tell you I'm not interested—but I don't know how to speak your language!'
Even though this woman seemed able to communicate, Nova wasn't sure what he was actually hearing. Two voices came from her: the first was an unknown language, while the second was Terra's language, but distorted in a strange, unnatural way.
And besides—what would the consequences be if he responded?
'Damn it! I don't have any other choice.'
He was too nervous to act immediately. Cornered, he clenched his fist tightly, and his golden aura enveloped him. His muscles hardened, his senses sharpened, and his Spectrums overflowed with power.
This, however, left the woman visibly confused.
"What is this? Are you…?"
Nova looked her straight in the eyes. The coldness of his Serenity was etched into his face, like a strange sculpture carved from frozen stone. Slowly, with care and effort, he reached for her arm and made her release him.
Noticing her confusion, he let out a tired sigh.
'I guess this was bound to happen anyway.'
"You're a human…" she said, bringing a hand to her mouth. The playful look she'd worn before vanished. Uncertainty and fear flooded her expression. "You're…"
Nova adjusted his hood, hiding his face once more. In a cold, nearly emotionless tone, he replied:
"I'm not interested in whatever you're offering. Goodbye."
He turned around, and before the woman could grab his shoulder, Nova leapt high into the air and landed on one of the metal rooftops. From above, he looked down at her—but he didn't just see her. He saw that everyone in the area was staring at him.
Dissonant murmurs immediately spread.
'Damn it. I didn't want to draw attention.'
If he had moved through the alleys, he would've been found by any Aberration down here. If he traveled across the rooftops, everyone would point at him. Ironically, the best way to stay hidden in this world was to pretend to be just another Aberration walking down the street.
Like every other option, there were risks. Now that he'd been exposed, he couldn't hide anymore. But he understood something at that moment—the moment the woman's voice exploded into screams.
"A human! He's a human!"
The other creatures turned to look at Nova. They examined him, and their voices rose above the noise. Disgust was written across every face.
He clicked his tongue in frustration. Then, without hesitation, he sprinted across the rooftops at full speed. As he fled, he heard the Aberrations' voices erupt into cries of uncertainty and confusion.
He jumped from roof to roof, dodging flying vehicles and passing through tangled alleys. As he moved, he felt something unsettling tear at his composure—the disgusted looks, the judging voices, the confused expressions… All of it was painful to witness.
It brought back bad memories.
Years had passed since the last time people had looked at him like that. Back then, he hadn't felt rejection or disappointment. After all, he hadn't been able to feel anything.
'I'm human—so what?!' he screamed inwardly. 'What's wrong with being human? Are all Aberrations this racist?! Is that why they invade our world to kill us?!'
His aura of Serenity flickered, flashing with shades of red and orange. He didn't know why, but he felt incredibly irritated. It was ridiculous that Aberrations feared him. Many of them were absurdly powerful! They invaded his world every day with the intent to slaughter people! So why all this outrage over seeing a calm human walking down the street?!
They were always the ones who attacked first. Humanity only defended itself. And besides—how did they even know about humans, when almost no human had ever left their world to cross a portal? Everyone knew that was suicide.
If he'd had many questions before, now he had even more.
'It doesn't make sense. None of this makes sense.'
He frowned, keeping his eyes fixed on the path ahead.
'And these stupid emotions. When am I going to go back to normal?! Just how powerful was that damn serpent's poison?!'
Anger… Was this what Nova was feeling? Anger itself? It didn't make sense. He was always calm. He never lost his composure, never let emotions take control. But now, ever since that desert, something inside his mind had changed.
Maybe this would keep escalating without stopping—maybe these emotions would help him find his way back, or maybe they would doom him.
A few seconds later, his Serenity reclaimed its color within his aura. His heart calmed, and his exasperation dissolved into the haze of his thoughts. He sighed, taking the chance to think more clearly.
'If that woman with the robotic legs hadn't appeared, none of this would be happening.'
Of course—Nova would still be on the surface, hiding and moving toward the city's energy source. On the other hand… maybe things up there would've been even worse.