After the compensextory actions, Hopkin almost couldnât dare to look at Bright. He has never been this out of control before. The continuous stimulations have stripped him of his control over his body and mind. By the end, he didnât know whether he was rejecting or demanding to be electrocuted. He was only following Brightâs orders instinctually, speaking words without being aware of them. Perhaps they were extremely embarrassing, but he didnât notice at the time. He might not have even minded it even if he did.
The greatest achievement this time is that he didnât faint in the process. In the end, the moment it ended he fell asleep due to exhaustion, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Bright operated his smart chip before also sleeping next to the aristocrat in satisfaction.
Back to the game world, Bright is now in a highly different mindset from the past. When he wasnât strong enough, this was his haven, a small world independent of the storm outside. This is the place he is most attached to. Now that he has enough power to deal with everything outside, while the place still feels familiar, it suddenly seemed empty.
Bright realised that he has already managed to form connections in that cold, ruthless world, perhaps it was tight or loose, perhaps it was friendship or enmity; no matter what, they are still relationships, especially his with Hopkin.
Bright also knows clearly that there is no longer any meaning in denying his feelings for Hopkin.
While he is conscious, when he is capable of escaping, he has taken Hopkin for himself, many, many times.
Attracted to him, fascinated by him, touched by his intense, highly possessive emotions. Bright breathes out a deep sigh.
âLatiao, what do you think of having a new master?â
Blackback stares at him with his beady eyes, âwoof woof!â No!
âKuhum. I didnât make myself clear. Iâm not giving you away, but Iâve found a partner for me, your master. So he will be your master as well.â
âWoof!â Alright.
âRight. Thanks for understanding. Iâll also look for a partner for you another day. Thereâs not a second dog here, but there are quite a few wolves. How about you pick one among the wolves? We met a white wolf last time who was well-behaved, with slick and lustrous fur, doesnât it seem nice?â
âWoof?â Wasnât that food?
âYouâll be alone forever like that.â
There will soon be a raging performance. The storm that has built itself up over so long a time is finally descending upon them, like a summer sky that has been covered up by clouds for a long time has finally started making thunderous roars, but the lightning inside is yet to be seen with how dense and compacted the clouds are.
Those who read the atmosphere well in the City have realised a torrent is coming. Thereâs a conflict of interest between the inside and outside areas of it. The competition between the contestants in the show is just a miniature reflection of all the conflicts, which has now spread outside the show. As the competition intensifies, everyone knows how terrifying the storm is building up to be, but they will never be able to appreciate its severity before it blows up. Like how everyone can tell a clock is ticking by ear, but you canât tell the time from that alone.
Bright, the eye of this storm, is calm. He decided to stand by his thoughts after a long period of self-doubt, reconsideration and confirmation. He will tell Hopkin the truth. If they show remorse, swearing never to make the same mistakes again, and is willing to leave with him, then he will bring him along.
He has decided to invest emotionally in Hopkin while conscious and in control of himself. To be honest, he believes his emotion is weaker than the one he has when the chip was installed. Itâs not that intense. Hopkinâs love is not something he must obtain at all costs, but he does acknowledge he does have his own burning desire to be close to Hopkin.
He respects free will and personal choice. So, if Hopkin were to be resolute in his own views, wanting to install the chip into him again to modify him, or he is unwilling to give up the luxuries of the City to head to the fields â no not that â to head Outside, Bright will not force it. Even if he estimates that the probability of this occurring is very small, he still isnât completely confident.
Things like emotion depend on both participants. After he has made his advances, it would be lucky if he acquires it, but it is also fate if he does not. Itâs not something that can be forced.
Unfortunately, Bright never finds the opportunity, when Hopkin decides to take the initiative to open himself up to him before him.
âWerenât you curious about my biggest secret? Iâll show you something.â
Hopkin opens up an encrypted file. Itâs a video. He appears calm when he plays it, but Bright can feel the negative emotions that he is trying to hide.
The subject of the video is a boy almost the same in appearance as Hope. Heâs six or seven years old, with black hair and black eyes. His face is round with a childlike expression on it. Bright is certain itâs Hopkin when he was young.
Bright is somewhat surprised. Besides modifying him, Hopkin had a bigger secret than that all along? Related to his childhood, even. Bright continues watching out of curiosity and concern.
Itâs an empty room. The boy sits on top of an odd-looking chair. His eyes looking at the screen are full of worry and anxiety. âThe kid is too weak. Their willpower needs training.â The voice of an adult male comes out of the video. The face is not shown, but the voice sounds calm and collected. Such a scene with such a dialogue is highly unsettling. It is making Brightâs hairs stand on end.
Slowly, Brightâs expression turns into one of anger. He turns to look at Hopkin next to him, and a tinge of sympathy and pain climbs onto his face.
This is because the boy in the video is screaming on the electric chair. He is wailing, bawling⌠Perhaps it would be too painful to hear, so Hopkin muted the voice beforehand. Bright can only guess what the boy is screaming for by reading the lipsââDaddy.
Bright is suddenly aware of why Hopkin has such an obsession with electricity. The pain and torture his most beloved people have bestowed on him have forever trapped that child in a dark prison from which he cannot escape. Even if the boy is now all grown up, he is still unable to rid himself of the nightmare, unable to soothe that pain from his memories â that pain that is physical, emotional, mental. So he can only vent the pain outwards, trying to plant it onto someone else, a futile attempt to ignore the pain the boy is still feeling.
Man is like a mirror. Treated harshly, it will return that harshness as is.
Bright closes the video not soon afterwards. He hugs Hopkin, suppressing the rage and sadness in his tone, asking softly, âwhy?â Why would a father do something like this upon his son?
âThe coming-of-age ceremony of Inner City residents is comparable to khatna (circumcision) in Islamic belief. It is an age-old tradition that proves one has successfully rid themselves of unnecessary emotions, thoughts and tendencies, becoming a true Inner City resident.â
Smart as Hopkin is, he understands clearly the reason for his psychological disorder. Telling Bright this is showing how he has presented the weakest, most helpless, most concealed part of himself to the man completely as-is, hoping for his understanding, so that he can get closer to him.
Bright also realises his seemingly harmless revenge last night could have been tearing open Hopkinâs wounds from all those years ago, and could have hurt him.
âIâm sorry,â Bright kisses Hopkin, regretting as he says, âletâs not use electricity anymore, alright?â
âMm.â Hopkinâs lips curl upwards. He didnât feel that unbearable back then, but the manâs understanding and care is always able to fulfil his desires. He closes his eyes, immersing himself in the fuzzy atmosphere.
With this interlude, the two almost missed a social gathering they were planning to attend, which is related to their plan for revenge.
Bright is adamant in being rational in his revenge. He will only take it out on those who owe him, not involving any innocent people. Hopkin is completely different from Bright. He doesnât have that many concerns, and is more decisive and firm. He sent someone out to install a bomb directly on number 56âs rideââwhich was originally planned for his mansion, but many servants and guards also live there, so Bright objected, and Hopkin acquiesced.
To create an alibi, mostly for Brightâs sake, Hopkin took him to a private gathering which was not that necessary. People at the heights of Hopkin wouldnât have ever had to dirty their own hands when killing people or inciting incidents. Itâs just face-work so that the whole thing doesnât appear so stark.
The gathering is extravagant and dazzling. Bright tries to mimic Hopkin and holds a glass of champagne in his hands. He follows Hopkin closely without separating. One of them appears prideful and cold, the other handsome and imposing. When they move about it is a pleasing scenery all on its own, and is attracting quite a lot of eyeballs.
âThat person is here again.â Someone is discussing Gentleman behind their backs.
âSeeing without letting us eat. What a torturous thing to do.â
âSay, when will he get tired of number 199?â
âA while at least. Heâs only got eyes for the big cat right now. Itâs far from over.â
Bright has long since become immune to otherâs examination. Whether a jokey remark or an attempt to establish contact, he ignores them all. He would only follow-up occasionally when Hopkin speaks.
Suddenly, a notification pops up on someoneâs smart chip. The crowd begins murmuring, and then the mood of the gathering shifts. Those who are friendly with Gentleman are looking at him with complicated gazes, as if wanting to say something.
Hopkin feels slightly nervous. Now the explosion that kills number 56 should have happened, but the death of one contestant should not have stirred up the Inner City residents that much.
He also checks the news himself, and his heart skips a bit. It turned out it was not number 56 who died, but his fatherââThe one at the top of Outer City, the Prime Minister of Outer City, the Master of Outer City, the Butler, who the Inner City residents trusted the most.
âOh God! I canât believe it! How did this happen?!â Piers is currently being interviewed. His eyes are reddened, as if he has just been crying, âitâs all my fault! My fatherâs vehicle had a malfunction today, so I told him Iâm not going out so he can use mine, and in the end⌠Christ⌠Itâs all my fault! I killed him! What do I doâŚâ
âWhat happened?â Bright asks.
âButler died.â Hopkinâs mood is sinking. He chose number 56 to be the target of his revenge as Butler had a high social position and a rather sensitive identity. Before he has laid out everything and weakened Butlerâs faction, he would not have made a move because the timing is not right. Killing number 56, however, is an effective retaliation on Butler while also being advantageous for Bright next episode.
Yet, of all the things that could have gone wrong, Butler died in place of his son.
The death of Butler would carry heavy implications. First, there will be structural impacts to the power distribution of the factions of the City, causing societal upheaval and power grab would be the lighter consequence of this. The more severe problem would be the escalation of the conflict between Inner and Outer City. The Dog Soldiers have just rebelled away, and now Butler is dead at the hands of an Inner City aristocrat⌠Without Butlerâs mediation, the military forces of Inner and Outer City may become involved in an intensifying conflict.
The City, is going to fall into chaos.
Authorâs notes: I think it will be over in 90 chapters total(^v^)ă~