Page 419 of Light Leech

Tevon cocked his head. That was enough to pierce me with a chill.

“You ascended in the pool of wine. Utilize that newfound strength! Grasp the anti-green and let it fuel you!”

The first voice was almost a shouting whisper. “You’ve made it, Petya! The work is done! Time for a well-earned rest, don’t you think?”

“It’s time for a rest,” Naoma said.

“Don’t you think?” Keiro added.

Something stabbed into my chest. A vibrant green light line extended directly from the prism. I couldn’t see what was inside.

“It’s not important,” the second voice said. I heard the distant cries of the first but could make no sense of them.

The light line flashed. Something appeared on my neurospace.

“Don’t look at that,” Naoma said. “We’re here with you. You’re trying to get off the socials, right?”

“Come on, du,” Boyband said.

“Ralia virus!” the first voice said as something extinguished any further words.

Ralia.

Ralia.

Zeg me.

A cloud still covered my memories and vision, but I knew I had to open the message.

I opened the neurospace.

“Come on out of there already!” Naoma begged as she pulled me in, kissing my cheek and neck.

One message.

Ralia: Keiro was never proud of you. He died with that doggedness.

I exited the neurospace and saw the glorified version of the flawed man who had made me what I was today. Tevon might be alive. Keiro might have been, but he had never been proud of me.

His words echoed in my mind. “Pride births stagnancy and eventual digression.” No one was harder on me than he had been, save Deleon. Despite Keiro’s merciless approach, I knew he wanted me to become a better person, unlike Deleon who only wanted a refined tool.

I looked up at him. Memories of relief and anger over his death resurfaced.

“Come on, Pet,” Naoma said, running her finger down the edge of my chin. This was the Neon Idol not the Naoma I loved.

“What’s the problem?” Tevon asked. An urgent notification flushed in my periphery. I glanced at it. It was an article entitled, Former Fix-mogul Assassinates Republic President Delighty Liu.

“Petya, what is wrong with you?” Naoma shook me out of my neurospace. Her face might have been an illusion, but it didn’t soften the blow of her injured glare.

I had to end it, despite knowing the pain it would bring.

I speared Tevon in the throat. Blood sprayed over my face and the side of Naoma’s.

“You sick shack!” She slapped me. The look of hatred in her face burned itself into my mind. “He was–”

I pushed her out of the way. I couldn’t take care of her just yet. Knowing that she was an illusion didn’t help soften the impact.

I accelerated the drop of my foot and smashed Tevon’s head into pulp with a single stomp. A violet ghost of light flew out from him, back towards Kim’s body.