The Core: The Dark Enemy

49. Losing the Challenge

Calis was struggling. The more he pushed, the more he tried to force this human to obey his directives, the more the man resisted.

He had, reluctantly, begun to respect the human. He no longer dismissed him as a speck beneath consideration. Respect, earned through sustained resistance, through a will that refused to yield.

Yet, it changed nothing.

He was losing.

Only Refelen seemed able to influence the man with any consistency. Even Belioc's games had begun to fail, it seemed.

"Speak of the Fruit," Calis muttered as the too familiar motes of Belioc formed within his awareness.

"What do you want?"

His own motes vibrated in anticipation and irritation before his brother even spoke.

"I just came to propose a slight change to the game... the challenge." Belioc said. "Since we both are losing, I suggest we increase the risk. Expand our influence in this reality."

"You mean to control the denizens directly." Calis did not bother to hide his disdain. "That would alter and potentially damage this dimension."

His motes narrowed.

He would not harm the Tree. This came close to that line.

If they crossed it, where would it end?

Why stop at the denizens? Why not command the branch itself? Bend it away from the Tree's intended growth?

Until now, their contest had remained contained. Kevin was the only true point of contact. Yes, their manipulations had bled outward, but only through him just as normal denizen interactions would result. It was all direct and controlled.

That control mattered.

Their victory did not need to become a war. Three Fruits, wielding near divine force, tearing at the same branch.

What they had now was precise and limited. Only a battle over one human's will.

Anything beyond that might break the boundary.

And once broken, it would not be restored.

But then there was Refelen winning...

"I am listening."

"Well, you see, there are these three friends of Kevin's..." Belioc began, as Calis listened, while Refelen came over to get in on the proposed changes to the challenge. She could hear what her brothers were conspiring and considered that more influence would be more advantageous to herself as well. Messing with Kevin's internals wasn't the best way to attune to his will.

She needed to affect him from the outside as well.

A true connection to direct him with.

---

Hidden, I watched everything from a distance as the gigantic form of Ess slowly coasted around to meet up with the orbiting platforms. She was running dark, letting her CR armor simulate the stars she passed in front of, and only a couple of the occupants were paying close enough attention to notice a flicker in the darkness.

Ever since my problems began, I had gradually increased my reliance on and trust in those around me, namely Meditati and, ever so slightly, my parents back on Earth. Whenever I would have an episode, I would report to Meditati what kind I thought it was and how long it lasted, since only my violent movements and seizures were outwardly apparent.

She wasn't like the Meditati from before. I could feel the difference. Something had fundamentally changed, like she was a different person in some key ways. Since she couldn't see when my touch on reality was drifting away or when I would hear or see things that weren't there, she mainly acted as a minder for whenever my body would go off script.