Chapter 25: Trust

"You have some explaining to do Mister." Theresa intimidated

It was the next morning, the news of Glynne waking up has spread. Currently, the people who he is living with, namely Kiana, Mei, Bronya, Fu Hua, Himeko, and Theresa, are all gathered beside the boy's bed.

Glynne smiled wryly. All of them are glaring down on him, he seems to have pissed them quite a lot.

"S-should we all calm down for now?" the boy suggested as cold sweat continuously flowing like a river on his back. He felt like he was a prey who got cornered by his predator.

"I don't know, should we?" Theresa glance over her shoulder to ask the girls.

"No way"

"Request denied"

"No"

"I think it's impossible."

"As if"

Kiana, Bronya, Mei, Fu Hua, and Himeko respectively replied. At this, Glynne cannot help but let out a dry laugh. Oh boy, he is definitely in danger.

"So, are you gonna tell us or not?" Kiana threatened as her face got closer to the boy.

She was at least a few inches away from his face. Because of the dream last night, he still can't seem to look her in the eyes. An audible gulp can be heard as Glynne's eyes wanders to the side.

"I-I'm telling you! So please get off me!" he flusteredly said as he pushed Kiana away.

The girls became confused for a moment. It was their first time seeing him act like this. Did something happen while he was kidnapped?

He antics right now are far from his cold and distant attitude he shows in their initial meeting.

"Bronya!?" Glynne was startled. It was Bronya this time to get near him as she put her hands on his forehead.

"Temperature is normal. Bronya concluded you are not sick." she remarked.

"Of course not!" Glynne exclaimed. However it wasn't as convincing since he is sitting down on a hospital bed.

Bronya stared into Glynne's face. Despite her neutral face, he can feel that she is worried about him. Especially now that he is aware the Bronya might already about his past, he just felt awkward as he scratched his chin.

"Oh my, you in your popular phase aren't you?" Himeko commented as she put a hand on her mouth.

"N-n-no, It wasn't like that!" Glynne said as he desperately waves is hands in denial. However he stop for a moment as he felt something amiss. He look and stared at Himeko and to his surprised she seems to be letting out a motherly aura. Now, It was his time to get confuse.

Just what happened while I was knocked out? — he asked himself.

Glynne's mind was in chaos. He honestly don't know what to do anymore.

"Kuhum!" The atmosphere froze when someone cleared their throat.

"Everyone, please don't pressure him too much. He just woke up last night." Fu Hua said, pulling Kiana and Bronya away from Glynne.

"Thanks" Glynne bows his head a little, feeling grateful for the help.

"Don't worry about it." Fu Hua said while raising her glasses. "Besides, you won't be able to explain well if there are distractions."

"Ah," Glynne recalled the topic. He scratched his head as he wasn't sure where to start. "Uhm, what do you like to know first?" he asked.

"What's your relationship with Anti-Entropy?" Mei immediately asked the big question. For some reason, her glare was sharper than everyone else.

"That... Huh... " Glynne was still feeling reluctant. He was feeling grateful to them but it wasn't enough to talk about his past. It was simply something that bring back bad memories. "Sorry, I can't tell you much... Let's just say, there was an argument between me and them in the past."

It wasn't as light as that at all — half of the people in the room thought. Theresa, Himeko, and Bronya have a general idea of the boy's past. However they didn't bother correcting him as it was something to be told by the person himself.

The others also don't seem to agree with him. An argument doesn't usually get to the point of kidnapping or destroying an organization. It was much heavier than Glynne made it to be, but the look on his face made them reluctant to pressure him in confessing the truth.

"Its my turn then," Fu Hua said to break the current atmosphere. However what she would do would make it even heavier.

"Can you please explain to me what it this?" she said as she operated her phone to show a video of him using some sort of black smoke that coming out of his body to absorbed a honkai beast.

Everyone in the room gasped in surprise. "Fu Hua, where did you get it this?" Himeko asked.

"Don't worry Ms. Himeko, it was captured on this phone itself. It was a coincidence I was there when I saw Glynne running towards the invasion. I followed him so I was able to take his video." Fu Hua explained, making the adult in the room relieved as the information about their student isn't leaked.

"So Glynne, can you tell me?" it was more of a request that a question. Glynne bitterly smiled at her consideration. In all honesty, he was bad at this kind of situations.

It was much more easier to silence an enemy who knows your secret rather than someone you trust. Glynne knows the implications that comes with his power. He can't afford to drag them into his problems. However for some reason, he felt that they would still drag themselves in whether he would tell it or not.

They are like those idiots all over again. — he thought as he recalled the face of original owner of the name Glynne. It was like he was given a second chance, this time he will not mess it up.

Tightening the grip of his fist, he look at them with a smile on his face. He summoned every ounce of his courage as he decided to tell them all about his stigmata.

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The room went silent as everyone walk out one by one. In just two questions, they lost their will to further interrogate the boy.

"You know, I didn't think he was that strong." Kiana said pertaining not to the powers he hold, but the mental strength of carrying that monstrosity inside of him.

"Yeah, Bronya didn't expect it that much." Bronya replied in a low tone.

No matter how much a person is compatible with a stigmata, he still has the rights to choose what he like. Being force to hold such dangerous thing, it wasn't a mistake to say that he is balancing his life on a thin rope. One wrong move, he might be the one who get devoured instead.

Shadows was casted on their eyes, as they are still digesting all the boy said. They didn't noticed one of them is missing.

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"Do you have something left to say." Glynne asked as he look at the black-haired girl who is standing by his bedside.

"I'm sorry!" he was flustered when Mei suddenly bow down to apologize. "It was sensitive of me and doubting you!"

"D-don't worry about it!" Glynne quickly tried to reach his hand to her to make her stand up. However he stopped midway as he sense something inside of Mei. As someone who is well-versed in dealing with honkai energy, he felt a strong one being sealed inside. "Y-you—"

"It's ugly, isn't?" Mei interjected. Based from the boy's reaction, she know that he discovered the Herrscher she is housing. She let a dry laugh as if mocking herself.

Glynne hang his head down. That was right, he wasn't the only one in the world who is holding big secrets. "Hey, will you give me your hand?" he asked as he offer his own.

Mei looked up, confused at the boy's action. However she still followed as she held Glynne's hand.

"This is?!" Mei gasped as she felt something leaving her. "Wait, isn't this dangerous?"

"Don't worry, I'm only absorbing a little so it won't go rampage so easily. Besides I've done this many times before so it's alright." Glynne flashed a smile.

Mei felt her heart skipped a beat. Was it because the strong honkai energy inside of her is being absorb? Or isn't because they are very similar to each other? Or isn't because she was holding hands with a man other than her father? Or isn't because his smile felt so dependable?

Whatever it may be, she is apologizing to Kiana in her heart.

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Phew finally, the groundworks has been laid down... With this, I will be able to build what I was intending to do since I first start writing this.

Anyway, with this the First act has been finished. It was been a confusing journey but well you just gonna learn from my mistakes. Btw, what do you think of it? I'm free for suggestions on what I need to improve on.

That said, I'm so grateful from the bottom of my heart for your support!!! 🎉