No Emotions to Feel

Ch 5 : Losing Time

The vessel was brought back to The White Palace (albeit reluctantly) by The Five Great Knights. The King welcomed them into his throne room, and began discussion of the sealing process. The small vessel, being dismissed, bowed and headed to its old room.

When it got there, it looked around the room. Despite the years that past, nothing had changed much. The only difference was that its sibling's bed was far larger. It made sense, there was no reason for The King to stop the Pure Vessel's growth just because its sibling left.

So, seeing nothing else to do, the vessel sat on its bed and waited.

At least, until the door opened revealing two familiar figures.

— — — — — — — —

The King had to tweak his plans yet again. First, he allowed the small vessel to train and 'grow up' with The Pure Vessel. Then, he needed to shorten the time the knight had to reduce the risk of its emptiness being tainted. And now, he had to deal with the small vessel's fate.

After talking to the Great Knights, he learned that the vessel had become less hollow. The King expected this of course, having planned on needing it killed when it got infected, however he didn't think it would last this long.

His original plan, for the chance it lived to this point, was that it would become a soldier for The White Palace. But after mentioning that plan to the dreamers, Lurien brought up the issue. There was a possibility that the smaller vessel would be infected when its sibling was sealed, leaving it available for The Radiance to transfer into.

So now he was making last minute preparations, going over the process in his head in an attempt to reassure him of success. He didn't need to experience all the stress. If fact, the life of the small vessel was completely insignificant compared to what other matters The King had to think of.

But he still worried.

He allowed himself to care when he spared the vessel's life, and now it was too late to erase his attachment.

The King knew that at the end of of the day, everything depended on the vessels. This had to work, he didn't know what he'd do if it didn't work.

— — — — — — — —

Quirrel followed behind Monomon, spacing out far more than he was used to. He was nervous beyond any worry he had felt in a long time.

Despite being very young, he still held a sharp and experienced mind. He kept a carefully optimistic approach to most conflicts, but could be quite lethal with a nail should he need to. There were not many issues that were nerve wracking enough to make him space out this bad anymore, yet here he was.

The main point of concern was for his teacher; Monomon. Monomon was one of the three Dreamers, meaning that she was going to be used as a seal to contain The Hollow Knight. She and the others would be put into a permanent slumber, their dream-selves keeping the seal in tact as long as their consciousness remained.

Quirrel felt a slight pang in his chest every time he thought about it. He knew it was going to be very hard to let this go, especially considering the plans he and Monomon made to keep her comatose body safe. This plan revolved around Quirrel leaving Hallownest, possibly never to return.

This heavily impacted his second worry; if this whole operation would even work. If it didn't, he would never get to know in his absence. Everything everyone had done could be rendered pointless. The sacrifices made would be a waste, and nobody may even know what happened.

Being so consumed in his worry, he didn't notice that Monomon had opened a door and was talking to someone. His brain was on auto-pilot, nodding his head when he heard Monomon mention his name. He only was pulled back into reality when he felt something tug on his wrist.

He looked down and finally focused on what had just happened, eyes widening slightly in realization. Quirrel's gaze met two blank, yet somehow concerned, eye sockets.

— — — — — — — —

After Monomon asked if it would join her and her young assistant to talk, the small vessel decided to go with. There were no assignments given to the vessel before her approach, so it was technically allowed to do whatever it wanted.

That is, if it was able want anything in the first place.

Which it wasn't...

...

Regardless of that, the vessel knew the two very well. It had met with both Monomon and Quirrel many times before, though often to help them carry fragile tablets. Despite that, the vessel knew they actually enjoyed its presence. The two always came up with excuses to request its help, giving it very few tasks and talking to it instead. Quirrel was actually allowed to train the vessel and its sibling thanks to Monomon's convincing.

The vessel didn't understand why they did, it's not like it could easily respond other than a nod or shake of the head. Even with its new ability to write, it always seemed to formal for their casual talks. Yet somehow the two expressed joy whenever they interacted with it.

Monomon lead it and Quirrel out of the room, heading in the general direction of the Palace's archives. The vessel looked at Quirrel while walking, trying to figure out what was wrong. He was usually very engaged in the one-sided conversation Monomon struck up with the vessel, adding friendly comments and encouragement to it. But now he was staring towards the ground, unresponsive.

If there was one thing the vessel became good at during its time with its sibling, it was reading other people. The small vessel was able to know how its sibling was doing, and this was an entity unable to make facial expressions and having been raised to act like a blank slate. When the vessel saw other bugs, it was painfully obvious what they were feeling.

It continued to stare at Quirrel. He must be absorbed in his thoughts, unpleasant ones at that. It knew he felt worried, anxious, and upset, emotions Quirrel rarely gave off. So the vessel tugged on his wrist, taking him out of his concerned aura.

He looked down at the vessel in a moment of confusion, then recognition.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I must have spaced out there" Quirrel apologized, "thank you for gaining my attention though".

The vessel knew he was going to brush aside what happened and pretend he wasn't feeling upset, it wouldn't let him this time. It continued to stare at him, drawing his attention again.

Quirrel looked a little concerned, "what's wrong?"

The vessel pointed at him.

"... I'm... wrong? Oh! I see your question! There's no need to worry about me, though thank you for your concern. I was just thinking about something that required a lot of focus, it's nothing."

The vessel shook its head, it knew he was lying. It wrote in the air, not nothing

"'not nothing'? wait what? How did you-"

He got cut off by Monomon opening the door to the archives, turning to the two.

"Alright," she looked at the vessel, "we need to talk about what The King is going to do to you."