If you had been asked who has had the best time of their life during this time, it would have to be Wolfie.
The werewolves are instinctually wild. They hate being bound and restrained; they seek freedom and nature; they like to run freely across the fields and hills and forests. Those environments that would be harsh and dangerous for humans is not at all so for werewolves. And in fact, they are quite well adapted to the law of the jungle that would see the strongest survive and the weakest eliminated. They’re living the life.
There are strong factions among Outsiders, of course, but nobody dares to cross the werewolves. First, they were known as the Dog Soldiers, having helped clean up many Outsiders and beasts in servitude of the military. Their great strength is known and so nobody wants to make trouble. Second, they haven’t escaped from the City for a long time yet, and the Outsiders aren’t sure of what’s happened yet. They all decide to lurk, to wait and see.
Though these are all things the Alpha has to worry about, unrelated to him, Wolfie thinks happily. He positions himself as a sidekick. Given he’s the youngest in his pack, of course he’ll be loved. Since leaving the City, he has let his nature run wild. He likes to run, and especially likes transforming into a wolf while running – he would run quickly with his bipedal legs, and then leap into the air, landing on his front legs. One paw would strike hard on the ground, digging up countless dirt, then he would put power into his hind legs, and he would be able to fly a few feet in the blink of an eye. This habit of his has been directly linked to the increase in his rate of clothes destruction. After a few times, Alpha no longer gives him full sets of clothing anymore.
Wolfie doesn’t mind at all. He’ll not wear anything if this is it. So he only wears a skirt made of fur like a caveman, and keeps running around, as free as the wind. Whether it was hunting, exploring, or chasing and rearing beasts, he likes to be on the front lines, finding his meaning in pure battling.
“Leader, look, it’s a big tiger I’ve hunted!” Wolfie goes back to his human form and runs back without shoes on and only casually wrapping a piece of fur about his waist. He’s dragging a tiger that’s physically bigger than him in one hand, and dragged it all the way to Alpha’s cave like he’s presenting a treasure.
“Never seen you so enthusiastic about battles before,” Alpha says as he chuckles.
“That’s different. This is what I want to hunt, not as a show for those scums.” Wolfie makes a cute expression, “has the forerunners for the battle been decided yet?”
Alpha raises his eyebrows. To assign forerunners when there are only so few wolves? Also, even if there were, he wouldn’t be picked.
“You lack battle experience against the military.” Alpha rejects him.
“But I’m the youngest, the quickest, the most dexterous!”
Alpha looks at him, a bit speechless, “take your bribe back.” Tiger meat is way too tough. It’s bad for the body to eat too much.
Wolfie is a bit dejected, and asks, “then when are we going?”
“Tomorrow night. If we stay longer than that all the big cats around here are going to become an endangered species thanks to you.”
“Hehe…”
At night, Alpha leads his pack to discretely make their way back to the outside of the City. He waits for the signal as per Bright’s instructions that were delivered to him.
He didn’t imagine that Bright would have contacted him with humanity’s most ancient method of long-distance communication – with a pigeon.
He couldn’t help it. There’s no Internet Outside, and even if there were, he’d be worried the City would be investigating.
Wolves are patient hunters. They lurk in the bushes, unmoving. Even Wolfie, who is usually the wildest and liveliest, does not let his guard down at a time like this so that their mission is not ruined.
It’s quiet nearby. The tall and thick walls of the City means that noise inside won’t be heard Outside. And yet, Alpha still senses something is off. There is a waft of blood and gore in the air. He suspects this is the method Bright is using to distract their enemies. He still doesn’t make a move, until an explosion that like a thunderous roar resounds throughout the skies.
The wall has collapsed. It is like a titan falling over. Even the ground is trembling.
As if in resonance with these roars of explosions and demolition, the pack of wild wolves also makes howl after howl.
“Awrooooooo——”
It’s a howl that is summoning their canine allies, and also a signal that the battle has begun!
“Dog, Dog Soldiers! Aaaah, it’s the Dog Soldiers——They’re back to kill us all!”
The military has already assembled a task force that was ready to move when the Inner City conceded. They completely didn’t expect to be attacked right that moment.
“What?” An officer says in a tone of disbelief, “they still dare to return?! Kill them all!!”
Those Dog Soldiers that originally wore tags and had to look up to them, still dares to return after having brutally betrayed the military and making them lose face big time in front of Inner and Outer City?!
“Dog Soldiers, you…” That military officer could only make a few words out before being smacked away by a paw. Several wounds so deep the bones are sticking out can be seen across his face and chest. One of the sharp claws has snapped his artery and trachea in half, so the officer who used to stomp about acting arrogantly has now stopped breathing.
The werewolf starts making his way to another enemy, murmuring while battling, “who are you calling Dog Soldier? We’re werewolves.” We’re not going to work in the sweatshops for you now.
“The Citadel asks for number 199.”
This is the first time Citadel has made an order in a few hundred years. The request is so clear and precise that it sounds almost as if Statistician is lying.
Yet all Inner City residents know, the Statistician doesn’t lie.
Not that it means that there is no possibility of it happening, whether it may or may not occur. It is referring to ability. Statistician is not equipped with the ability to tell a lie. More accurately, the ability to lie to Inner City residents.
It is because Statistician is a half-human half-AI creation. It is said that his father is maniacally fascinated by AI and data, and so he nurtured such a child. His brain is connected to his smart chip, able to process data and analyse in inhumane speeds.
Perhaps because he is half AI, the personality of Statistician has been affected by the smart chip’s settings. He is unable to deceive or tell untruths to Inner City residents. One is one; two is two. He would give his answer to five decimal places and never four if he had that precision on the data.
Therefore, all Inner City residents trust him even more than they trust themselves. They might make mistakes, but the smart chip won’t. Such as when the Dog Soldiers have escaped before, they only suspected that Dog Soldiers had other means of acquiring information. They’ve suspected the show, suspected the contestants, but never suspected him.
Currently, while they’re shocked, they don’t say anything. They look at each other nonplussed, before settling their gazes on Gentleman who is also remaining absolutely quiet.
Hopkin’s first reaction is fury. Since Bright has encountered the explosion, he has started to hate the place where he grew up in, the people who live with him. They have harmed his Bright, without care, and even wanted to escape their punishment for it. How Citadel is asking for him so matter-of-factly is flaming his fire even more. And then, he starts to work his brains quickly, looking for a solution.
He must pacify them first. Then he would have to grow a fake specimen and give it to Citadel…
While Hopkin is in thought, Detective interrupts him.
“A few seconds ago, Dog Soldiers have punched through the Outer City gates.”
“What?” “Impossible!” There is visible panic inside the room. This is something even more inexplicable than the Citadel that has remained silent for centuries suddenly asking for a slave.
“The City is punctured from the inside. There must have been Dog Soldiers inside acting as an accomplice. They first used explosives before attacking the Outer City military.”
“What is their objective?”
Detective seems to have already thought about it, “unclear. Further observation is needed.” Then he switches his focus, “though I suspect this is definitely related to Bright.”
While saying so, he stares directly at Hopkin, not letting any change in the pretty aristocrat’s expression escape him. He discovers the exact same shock on his face as others, and is relieved – it appears Gentleman does not know about this either.
“My suspicion of Bright started when no bodies of the hostages were discovered among the ruins of the explosion.”
Following Gentleman, Detective has also started calling Bright by name. This can be seen as an acknowledgement of his power.
“There are many suspicious things about him. The greatest and most important one is his origin. We spent a great amount of time and effort working out who had the ability to do so, but we have failed. I then realise that I have made a mistake.”
Scientist makes another hissing sound in shock. Even Detective has fallen to number 199, though in a different way to Gentleman.
“Where Bright came from is not key here. What’s most important is,” Detective is speaking with great vigour, “what he is here to do. A slave who only remembers the ancient past of human civilisation with great physical capabilities. Exactly what might he want.”
“Self-will, resistance, morality. These three are the keywords I have concluded from Bright. In line with this line of thought, I have managed to chain together all his apparent unusual or illogical actions together, and completed the puzzle.”
“Bright has worked in tandem with contestants of the show. Known accomplices include Dog Soldiers, number 56, Ginger, and others. They have engaged in open rebellion against the City…”
Detective starts to lay out his deductions. Part of it has been verified——He took Piers and Ginger into custody and has acquired their testimonies; part of it is pure speculation, because key witness and evidence are missing. If Bright were here, he would truly be in admiration, because most of what Detective said is the truth.
Inner City residents are all stunned with their jaws open, for how much a mere slave has managed to do.
No wonder, no wonder even Citadel which has secluded itself from worldly affairs has made a move.
“What we are sure of is, one, Bright has learned how to break the bracelet from the werewolves. He is able to move freely. All tracking data the show has on him after the Dog Soldiers have escaped is unreliable; two, Bright has hidden the people and things important to him. Exactly where is unknown. As this was an emergency, I have only managed to interrogate number 56. This point awaits further investigation. He will make his move soon; from these we can deduce that today’s attack by the Dog Soldiers would be part of his plan…”
In the end, Detective gives a summary, and says, “three, Bright is not currently under the control of Inner City.”
He said it in a rather roundabout way that saves face for Gentleman, not directly pointing out that Bright is not under the control of Gentleman, his supposed master. Nothing more needs to be said and everyone also knows that number 199 must have deceived and used Gentleman many times.
“I propose that the Citadel’s order is executed, and the threat taken care of with haste.”
“Aye.”
“Aye.”
“Aye.”
During the whole voting process, Gentleman looks pale, as if still yet to recover from the cruel truth.
Every word and phrase the Detective has uttered is cutting inside him like knives. His soul is howling in pain and misery in the trauma, yet he is unable to make a single sound.
He thought he has acquired Bright, acquired love. It was all illusory in the end, smokes and mirrors as brilliant and mesmerising as fireworks.
It started from a deception, and ended with another.
The seed Bright had planted inside his heart has already rooted itself in its deepest corner. He let himself be deceived by love, and allowed the sweet little lies to water the seed and let it grew freely, branch out, and occupy his whole heart, take up his atrium, and spread throughout his body.
If he wants to be rid of it now, it’s too late, unless he removes his whole heart and bleach his entire brain, to forget all those confessions made in whispers, to forget all those embraces full of love and affection, to forget the feeling of those passionate kisses landing on his body.
And yet, he can’t let it go.
“I love you, Hopkin.”
“Together with you, I have a home in this world.”
“I’m sorry, let’s not use electricity anymore, alright?”
Since when, have you woken up?
When you kissed me and hugged me, did you find it especially, especially disgusting?
Do you, even a little bit, feel something for me?
He wants Bright to tell him the answers with his own mouth. Yet he also knows, that these are questions he will never be able to ask anymore.
Ah, so it was a dream all along.
I knew that. I knew that there is no way I would be able to become happy…
Author’s notes: This is the end of the lies, and also the start towards the HE~