Chapter 22: The First Human and the White Lie
Grokemon's POV – Lion Kingdom Guest Quarters
Host vitals: spiking.
Consciousness: 98% restored.
Status: The meatbag finally decided to rejoin reality.
I hover at the edge of the silk-canopied bed, my invisibility shroud at maximum. The room is a nauseating display of Lion Kingdom luxury—gold filigree, glowing crystals, and enough silk to make a spider jealous. I've been bored for seven days. Seven. Days. While Saferu was busy having a "Sunset Illusion" deep-dive with his imaginary goddess waifu, I was stuck monitoring his rapid eye movements and listening to the bunny-kin argue about whether his shadow was going to eat them.
Saferu's eyes flutter open. He looks like he's been hit by a truck, which, considering the mental strain the Queen put him through, isn't far from the truth.
"You're awake," a voice says.
Mirae is there, her ears twitching with relief. She looks exhausted. I've logged her mana usage over the last week—she's been dumping healing light into him like he's a leaky bucket.
"Mirae...?" Saferu's voice is a raspy mess.
"You've been unconscious for a week, Saferu," she says, her hand resting on his arm. "We've traveled far. We are in the Lion Kingdom now."
Saferu blinks, confused. "A week? How... the forest was months away."
"The Great Border Train," Mirae explains. "A gift from the human lands—a metal carriage that runs on mana rails. Without it, even with the fastest horses, the journey would have taken seasons. We are safe from the Veilshadow Woods for now."
I chime in, my voice a direct neuro-link whisper in his ear.
"She's telling the truth, host. I've been tracking the GPS coordinates—or whatever passes for them in this fantasy hellscape. We moved at approximately 120 kilometers per hour. Decent engineering for a world that still uses axes."
Saferu tenses as another figure enters the room. I narrow my visor, scanning.
Subject: Human Female.
Class: Mage / High-Level Mana Scanner.
Threat Level: Moderate.
She's the first human woman Saferu has seen since the "transfer." She wears flowing white robes etched with silver, and her eyes have that sharp, clinical look of a doctor who's about to tell you your insurance doesn't cover the bill.
"This is Lady Lyra," Mirae introduces her. "She is the one who scanned you when we first arrived at the stronghold. She has been monitoring your aura for corruption."
Lyra steps forward, her staff humming with a faint green light. "Every human mage must learn the 'Echo Scan,'" she says, her voice as cold as a system update. "Possession by the Queen's fragments is a disaster we cannot afford. If even a sliver of her smoke remained in your soul, you would be a walking bomb in this kingdom."
"Host, her scan is legit," I whisper. "She's looking for the Queen's digital signature. But she's only scanning the surface. She doesn't see the 'blue room' folders I've got locked down in your core. Keep your mouth shut about the shard."
Lyra leans in, her eyes searching Saferu's face. "You were marked by the Queen herself. The prophecy says a Demon King will rise from the Fool. Tell me... why did she let you go? What did you see in your dreams?"
Saferu doesn't hesitate. He does what he does best: he lies.
"I don't remember much," he says, his face a mask of weary innocence. "Just darkness. And then... I was back home. In my old world. I was living the life I always wanted. It was... the best time of my life."
I give a digital thumbs-up in his mind.
"Nice one, host. Logic subroutine approved. Never give the beastmen—or the mages—a reason to turn you into a specimen. A white lie is the best firewall."
Lyra frowns, her staff's glow flickering with her confusion. "A good dream? That... that contradicts everything we know about Echoes. They feed on fear. They provide nightmares to ripen the soul. If she gave you a paradise, it would mean she isn't feeding on you. It makes no sense."
She exchanges a worried glance with Mirae. They think it's a mystery. They think the Queen is playing a new game.
But they don't understand Saferu L. Goldmoon.
They don't know that for a man who has lived in a blue room of regret for thirty-eight years, a "Good Dream" is the ultimate torture. Seeing a world where he didn't fail, where he actually had the courage to tell Angelie he loved her, and then waking up in this nightmare?
To Saferu, a "Good Dream" is the worst nightmare of all.
I log the data.
Subject: Queen of the Veilshadow.
Strategy: Emotional Overload.
Result: Host remains stable, but the 'marination' is reaching critical levels.
"Rest now, Fool," Lyra says, though her eyes remain suspicious. "The Lion King will want to see you tomorrow. Try not to have any more 'good dreams.'"
They leave the room, leaving Saferu alone in the golden silence.
"Good job, meatbag," I say, flickering into visibility for a split second before vanishing again. "But don't get comfortable. The Queen told us she'd wait. And in this world, 'waiting' usually involves a lot of blood and screaming. We need to find those rabbits she's so afraid of."
Saferu stares at the gold ceiling, his eyes hollow.
The lie held. But the sunset from the dream still burns behind his eyelids.