Chapter 32 With the Metaphysic
Kit hugged her knees and stared at the fire burning in front of her, trying to soak in its warmth. Phi and Flame sat across from her. The forest was so quiet that the only sounds came from distant night creatures.
As for Yasmin, Kit had only heard that she’d left with someone named Sethi. She didn’t even know who that was.
There were also two other Metaphysics that Kit had never met before. One of them she hadn’t even heard the name of. Neither Phi nor Flame gave her any answers, almost like the Metaphysics were hiding secrets among themselves.
And honestly, it scared her.
“You hungry?” Flame asked suddenly.
Kit looked up and shook her head slowly. “Not really.”
Who could even think about food after what happened earlier? The blood, the bodies, pieces of flesh everywhere…
And Call.
Losing Call left Kit unable to think straight.
“What are we even supposed to eat out here?” Phi complained.
“Berries, maybe.” Flame shrugged. “If we can find any.”
Kit frowned quietly.
Berries?
All she’d eaten lately was porridge. The idea of surviving in some prehistoric forest by foraging for berries felt completely unreal.
“We should work with the Assassins,” Phi suddenly said. “They can search for food, jump through trees like it’s nothing, and barely waste any energy,” she rambled.
“You know Sethi hates them,” Flame replied immediately.
“She hates everybody,” Phi muttered.
Something about that bothered Kit.
Maybe it wasn’t the right time to ask, but her curiosity got the better of her.
“Do you guys hate each other?” Kit asked carefully. “Why do the Metaphysics and Assassins dislike each other so much?”
“We didn’t…” Phi glanced awkwardly at Flame like she wanted him to answer instead.
Flame sighed. “It started after Yasmin fought Aamon.”
So the tension between the Assassins and Metaphysics came from the very first battle in the Cirque.
“Where’s Yasmin?” Kit asked, trying to change the subject.
“She’s looking for something to recharge our batteries,” Flame answered.
“In the forest?” Kit sounded genuinely shocked.
“We can’t survive without chargers, Kit. You know that,” Phi said worriedly. “Back in After Domini, our batteries constantly recharge because of the power supply there.”
Metaphysics had incredible abilities, but their biggest weakness was energy consumption.
Their powers relied on batteries that converted energy throughout their bodies.
Yasmin, for example, didn’t actually control sand itself. The same went for Phi. Flame was probably the most energy-efficient among them, but even he would eventually run out of energy.
“I’m not even sure Yasmin found anything,” Flame muttered.
“And Sethi?” Kit asked carefully.
Phi and Flame exchanged looks, clearly hesitant to answer.
“What’s wrong with me?”
The sudden voice came from directly behind Kit.
Kit jumped in shock and spun around immediately, but there was nobody there.
Then she looked up.
A woman with long white hair and pale skin sat comfortably on a tree branch above them, staring down with cold, expressionless eyes.
Sethi.
She slid down from the branch silently, landing on the ground without making a sound. Kit noticed strange devices wrapped around the woman’s ankles.
“You were looking for me?” Sethi asked again. “What do you want?”
Compared to Yasmin’s bad attitude, Sethi felt genuinely terrified.
Her face was emotionless, like someone who could kill without hesitation.
Kit lowered her eyes quickly. “No, I didn’t mean anything.”
“Why is she even staying with us?” Sethi asked casually. “She’s useless.”
Sethi walked over and sat beside Flame, leaning back against a fallen tree while Flame and Phi stayed completely silent.
“You’re a Support Weapon, right?” Sethi asked Kit. “Then where are your tools?”
“I… didn’t bring them.”
Sethi scoffed softly. “Then how exactly are you supposed to make chargers for us? I’m starting to doubt Flame calling you a special Support Weapon.”
Kit immediately felt her throat tighten.
“Listen carefully.” Sethi’s voice suddenly sharpened. “You’re supposed to carry your tools everywhere. Even when you sleep. Nobody knows when Savage Glory starts. Understand?”
Kit flinched.
“And now you’re here with us, completely useless.” Sethi narrowed her eyes. “Embarrassing, Katherine Seer.”
Kit froze.
Hearing her full name made her stomach drop.
How did Sethi know that?
Before Kit could ask, bushes rustled nearby, and Yasmin stepped out looking exhausted. The second she saw Sethi, irritation crossed her face.
“It’s pitch black out there. You shouldn’t have left me alone,” Yasmin complained.
“You’re too slow.” Sethi yawned lazily. “Aren’t your powers supposed to light things up? Even in the dark, you still stumble around.”
“You’re such a bitch,” Yasmin hissed.
The tension between the Metaphysics made Kit incredibly uncomfortable.
But where else could she go?
Aamon didn’t want her with Red, and Flame was the one who took her in with Phi. Now, both of them were stuck dealing with Sethi’s hostility, too.
“We need shelter,” Yasmin said while crossing her arms.
“I’m sleeping in the trees until this is over,” Sethi replied casually.
“There’s no way Phi can live like a monkey,” Yasmin shot back.
Sethi smirked at Phi. “Hey, can’t you just call Viz? Ask her for a charger.”
“Please stop, Sethi,” Flame muttered quietly.
“She’s Viz’s favorite doll, isn’t she?” Sethi laughed mockingly.
Kit frowned slightly.
Yasmin had said something similar before.
But Viz was an AI.
So what exactly was Phi? Was she really human?
“Forget this. Let’s move and find shelter,” Yasmin interrupted.
Phi immediately stood up beside Flame while Sethi stayed where she was, looking completely uninterested.
“You coming?” Yasmin asked lazily.
“Just go.” Sethi pointed at Kit. “I’m not babysitting that human.”
Phi gently tapped Kit’s shoulder and motioned for her to follow.
Honestly, Kit didn’t want to stay near Sethi either. Every word from that woman felt like a knife.
The four of them left the bushes and continued through the dark forest. The only light came from the small flame glowing in Flame’s hand.
At night, the forest felt even more terrifying. The cold cut straight through their bodies.
“Where are we going?” Phi asked.
“Looking for shelter,” Yasmin replied.
“Like where?”
“I DON’T KNOW, PHI!” Yasmin snapped.
“You don’t have to yell at her,” Flame shot back. “She’s been through enough today.”
“We all have,” Yasmin muttered.
She looked down at her arm and sighed softly.
“I only have two bars of energy left. If it weren’t for Red, I wouldn’t have wasted so much power.”
“But Red saved all of us,” Phi said quietly.
Yasmin didn’t respond. She just kept walking through the forest while fear slowly crept into her expression. If her energy completely ran out, Metaphysics would essentially become an ordinary human.
“We should head uphill,” Yasmin said eventually. “Maybe we’ll find caves or cliffs.”
Stars glittered faintly above them, but something dark was rolling in.
Heavy storm clouds. Lightning flashed across the distance.
“Rain,” Flame murmured. “Kinda amazing, isn’t it? We never really got to experience rain before.”
“Oh great,” Yasmin groaned as the first droplets started falling onto them.
Phi held out her palms, letting the rain collect in her hands. “This feels weird.”
“Come on,” Yasmin said quickly. “Find shelter. This rain doesn’t feel normal.”