49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegJMu3Nh1RThe market was as loud as ever, full of movement, voices, and artificial light trying its best to replace a sun the world no longer had. Yet despite the crowd, Locter found herself paying attention to only one thing.
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Morvane.
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They walked slightly ahead of her, posture relaxed, hands in their pockets like always. Too relaxed.
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Locter broke the silence.
"Are you going to tell me who that was?"
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Morvane didn't answer.
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Locter tried again.
"You recognized her immediately. And she recognized you. That wasn't just some random creepy stalker, was it?"
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Still nothing.
Morvane stopped briefly at another stall, pretending to examine a display of reinforced gloves.
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Locter didn't let it go.
"You tensed up! You're a Nexarch, i've seen how you guys act around danger!"
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Morvane sighed softly.
"You're very persistent."
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Locter frowned at the remark
"I'm just curious."
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Morvane started walking again.
"Sure you are." she replied flatly.
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Locter continued to follow Morvane.
"She was watching me. But you reacted like she was watching you."
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Morvane stopped.
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Not the casual pauses they usually did. This one was sharp.
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The air around them seemed to grow heavier not with the pressure of a Nexarch Locter was all to familiar with, but with something far more human.
Irritation.
"You really don't know when to stop digging, do you?!" Morvane yelled.
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Locter crossed her arms.
"No. Because everyone here talks like I'm some child."
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Morvane turned slowly.
For once, their usual faint smile was gone.
"You want to know about Melusine? Fine!" .
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Locter turned her head
"If that's her name then yeah"
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Morvane's voice lost its usual playful tone.
"She hates me."
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Locter blinked.
"Eh? That's it?"
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Morvane let out a short chuckle.
"No. That's the simplified version."
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Morvane looked up to the dark smog filled clouds.
"I wasn't always a Nexarch."
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Locter stayed quiet.
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"I was human once. Completely ordinary. No power. No destiny. No special purpose."
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Morvane's fingers flexed slightly, as if remembering something.
"I lived in one of the outer settlements before the Angels destroyed most of them. Back when survival meant making choices most people couldn't stomach."
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Their eyes drifted back to Locter.
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"I did what was necessary. Go on expeditions, hunt animals, even executed criminal s sometimes. I made decisions other people were too afraid to make."
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Their voice grew quieter.
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"And one day… all of my courage led me to my demise..."
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Locter tilted her head.
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"What do you mean?"
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Morvane gave a faint smile.
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"Concepts or realms don't just choose any random person y'know, It chooses people who have nothing left to fully anchor them to the physical plane. Aka dead people."
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Morvane tapped her head
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"And my lucky ass was chosen to be the nexarch of corruption."
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A pause.
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"I now have power that any normal person couldn't dream of."
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Locter wasn't sure what to say to that.
"And Melusine?" she asked carefully.
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Morvane's jaw tightened slightly.
"She and I were in the same expedition party. Same operations, Same survival tests, Same training. We were practically siblings."
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Morvane's eyes darkened.
"She wanted to be a nexarch the most while we were growing up... A protector of the people she said. But when I came back from dying something about her changed."
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"Was it the opposite of what she wanted?" Locter asked.
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Morvane nodded.
"I didn't even believe it at first, I just thought some good medic patched me up and saved my life..."
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Her voice hardened slightly.
"But that never happened."
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Locter began to piece the information Morvane provided together.
"She got jealous of you, didn't she?"
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Morvane laughed quietly.
"Jealous is an accurate word."
They started walking again. Locter followed without interrupting.
"She tried to surpass me. Then she tried to ruin my image. Then it escalated to her trying to kill me."
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Locter's eyes widened.
"What?"
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.
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"Booby trapped rooms. False intelligence. Sending me into ambushes. Once she even tried summoning Angels to take me out."
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"And you're saying this calmly?!" Locter said shocked
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Morvane shrugged.
"I just got over it I guess."
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"Why?" Locter asked. "Why does she still care even after she failed to kill you so many times?"
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Morvane's faint smile returned.
"Because I became what she wanted to be.
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Her expression softened slightly.
"Melusine believes power should be used to obtain ones dreams."
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Morvane paused for a moment, as if trying to remember.
"I believe power is about doing what others refuse to do, basically being a cog in a metaphorical machine."
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Morvane looked away again.
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"That difference in ideals… It disgusted her."
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Locter walked quietly beside them for a moment.
"So what happened after you two became enemies?"
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Morvane frowned slightly.
"She joined a cult called the third choir. It's an organization that was made to undermine the city and or make humanity extinct."
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Her eyes flicked back to Locter.
"She now fully dedicates her life to try to make mines miserable."
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Locter exhaled slowly.
"So why was she watching me…"
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Morvane finished the thought.
"I guess you're part of her new great plan."
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Locter frowned at Morvane's reply.
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After a few seconds, Morvane added quietly
"And for the record…"
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Locter looked at her, eyebrow raised.
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Morvane's usual teasing tone had returned, but softer now.
"Sorry for yelling at you earlier."
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Locter blinked.
"I wasn't expecting an apology."
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Morvane smirked faintly.
"I could always take it back y'know."
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Morvane looked at Locter directly in the eyes
"But if Melusine is interested in you… I won't let her have you easily."
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That wasn't comforting either.
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and then Add to home screen.