A Man for Himself (Norton X Eli) [Identity V] *UNEDITED*

Chapter 7 - No Secrets

Eli slowly opened his eyes with a soft groan. He knew for a fact that he wasn't hurt by Hastur since he didn't find any scratch or cut on him; but he felt so exhausted that he couldn't even lift his head. It was his first time experiencing the curse, so he wasn't expecting the effect to be that bad. On top of that, it wasn't easy to accept that he got rejected by a god.

His god.

Had they done anything wrong? Did they offend him?

It might not be a big deal to others; but to him and Fiona, it's quite devastating. Being rejected by a god was mentally and emotionally overwhelming. He still couldn't believe that Hastur had finally decided to cut ties with them. Following the Yellow God was one of the best decisions that he had made in his mortal life. It gave him a purpose. Now that Hastur had drawn the line, Eli would miss the god's wise words and vast knowledge about the world. It was fun while it lasted.

"You're finally awake. How are you?" asked a familiar voice.

Eli let his eyes wander around the infirmary until he found Naib sitting on a chair next to his bed. The mercenary wore a worried expression that he never showed to anyone else. It's adorable. Out of all the people in the manor, Naib was the one he was closest with; and it's for a few good reasons.

"I'm..." Eli cleared his throat. "I'm tired."

Between them, there was no need to pretend.

"Then rest," Naib demanded, his face serious. "Like me, you suffered from..." He drew air quotes with his fingers. "...your lord's curse, so you need to take a long break."

"But we have mat-" Eli tried to protest, but a finger to his lips shut him up.

The mercenary smirked. "I pushed my luck and talked with Miss Nightingale. She allowed us to take a break for the rest of the week until we're fully recovered."

Eli let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "That's great to hear. Thank you. Your charms must have worked on her."

The administrator rarely let anyone take a break from the game, so Eli was delighted to hear that Miss Nightingale actually let them have it. He thought it's for the better since he wasn't ready to face Hastur yet again. It's not going to turn out well.

"Everyone falls for my charm except you," Naib huffed and clicked his tongue. "Anyway, I want you to rest for as long as you need to. Don't force yourself. You're not built to endure pain like me."

Eli bit his lip and averted his eyes from the male's face, readying himself for a scolding from the mercenary. It was true that he forced himself to go, but that's because he wanted to see Hastur again and confirm for himself the truth. And the truth really hurt. It always did.

"I already told you," Naib began. "You should've let me come with you instead of that Norton. He's a good-for-nothing scumbag."

"He saved me," Eli reasoned calmly. "There's no reason for you to be mad at him. I got in trouble because I tried to protect Tracy."

"No!" Naib stood up and started pacing around the room, making wild hand gestures in the air as he spoke. "He didn't protect you like he said he would, yet he had the face to threaten me? Who the fuck does he think he is?"

"Naib..." Eli sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I already told you. It's my fault. He wasn't there when Hastur caught me. Give Norton a break. He's doing his best."