Глава 16

You close your eyes and allow yourself to be immersed in sound.

Until you identify the sound that is constantly changing in frequency.

I...

I hear it.

—Did you say you hear it—

The sound rushes into your consciousness. Sometimes it is formed from several high frequencies, sometimes it is short and sharp, like a meticulous music score.

You soon realize that it represents some sort of code, or perhaps language.

You try to recall all the languages that you know, categorizing them in your mind, and you soon realize that you are hearing the same word, just in different languages.

I've copied it down...

It's just a hunch, but if we decipher it using the standard encoding for communication between nomadic cities...

I think it's referring to the same word, in many different languages. I could identify Ursine and Gaulish from it! I think they both mean—

'Unknown language'

'спорить'

'dibattito'

'débat'

'biànlùn'

Upon the rocks, the liquid in the mine is communicating the same word at you—

<color=#000000>'Debate.'</color>

<color=#000000>'Debate.'</color>

Yes, Dr. {@nickname}.

If you still believe you made the right choice.

If you still believe in the future you described.

Then refute me with reality, and prove to me...

That thing which you hold so firm...

'Hope.'

...It's an invitation.

What?

I said, it's an invitation.

One that I must accept.

(Whisper) You think it's a message from Priestess?

Yes.;I know what she means...

We should leave, quickly.

We'll go back to the lab once Ksenia has gathered her samples.

We must try to contact Amiya...

I wonder how Amiya's team is doing.;I hope Amiya has made contact with Raidian.

Did you hear a sound?

What sound?

Something heavy stepping in water.

The waterfall is pretty loud.

Are you sure it's not just your ears ringing? Perhaps lingering effects from having to process too much information just now...

Wait.

Ksenia? Is that you?

It's not Ksenia's footsteps. Not the right weight or rhythm.

What's... that—

Frenzied crying, frenetic breathing, thick mucous liquid dripping from the fangs.

Its entire body is covered in a hard layer of dark-red Originium, forcing it to stand on its two hind legs.

You see it raise its front paws—

Not paws. A pair of withered hands, indistinguishable from that of a human.

An Originium-infected manglerbeast.

I have the samples!

Why are you just standing there?

The strange manglerbeast, which seems so removed from reality, is right behind her.

Run, Ksenia!

Run, Ksenia! Don't look back!

I'll get her. Go to the mine cart, Doctor, and we'll meet you there!

Go!

What—

The researcher cannot help but look back as she starts running.

She hardly has the time to swallow her scream.

<i>Gosudar-batyushka</i>—

What is that thing?!

Has it...?;Stopped moving?

I think so...

The roaring and the heavy breathing have ceased. Did we kill it?

But it's still standing—

Don't move! I'll check.

Mon3tr ascertains that the other two are at a safe distance, and approaches it on her own.

The manglerbeast stands quietly, no sign of the madness that had engulfed it only moments ago, its strange forelimbs hanging still in front of its body. Part of the Originium covering it has been chipped away.

Mon3tr approaches carefully.

She observes the manglerbeast. It was dangerous to begin with, and its mutations make it look strange, almost otherworldly.

The influence of Originium is turning it into a 'human' physiologically...

It must be in a great deal of pain...

Mon3tr, look out!;It's moving again!

Oh—

But the manglerbeast does not attack or even move from its spot. It falls toward the ground—

Until its forelimbs touch the ground again with a thud.

Now's our chance to leave, Mon3tr.;We should leave and go back to the lab, now.

No, Doctor.

Mon3tr?

It's still breathing!

And it sounds like it's... in pain? I think.

I can't sense another's emotions like Amiya can, and this is just a mutated animal. But...

I know it will die, even if we don't do anything.

The Originium has impaled its throat. Every part of its body is in pain. It would claw out its own mutated organs if it could.

Perhaps this is why it attacked us. It's not in control of itself anymore.

Let's end its pain, then.

Yes.

I can do it. I can...

End its pain.

She walks towards the fallen beast. Standing next to it, she puts her claws against a piece of fur with fewer crystals.

Mon3tr gazes at the manglerbeast with incredible calm in her eyes.

Then, she surgically extinguishes the mutated manglerbeast's last, intermittent breathing.

Let's go, Doctor.

Back to the lab.

Mantra continues to listen.

She knows she cannot trust what she sees, whether it is twisted by intention, or reflecting reality by accident.

And so she listens, until the first word of prayer drops in the crowd like the first snow.

Yurodstvo...

'Gabrielus.'

I'm listening.