bookpower Chapter 86 A Rift Between Us
Chapter 86 A Rift Between Us
The air was thick.
Heavy with the lingering scent of blood.
Zareth clenched his fists.
Ed stood there, sword still in his hand, his expression unreadable.
The body—no, the absence of it—was the only thing between them.
The old woman had vanished.
Disappeared.
Zareth's chest rose and fell. He turned toward Ed, his eyes burning with an emotion he didn't fully understand yet.
"...You killed two people."
His voice came out lower than he expected. Heavier.
Ed, however, remained unfazed.
"Were they innocent?" he asked, his tone flat.
Zareth's jaw clenched.
"That's not the point."
His words came sharper than intended.
Ed tilted his head slightly, his gaze almost bored.
"Then what is?"
Zareth took a slow breath, trying to calm himself.
"Who are you to decide? Who are you to punish people?" His voice grew louder. "Are you a god?"
Ed remained silent.
Zareth took a step forward.
"I won't deny it—" His voice wavered slightly before he steadied it. "They were evil. But what you did? That wasn't justice."
The silence between them was deafening.
Ed didn't react. Didn't defend himself.
That was what made Zareth even angrier.
"Me and Vynesaa..." Zareth gestured between himself and his sister. "We didn't even know what was happening! We don't know who was right, who was wrong. You expect us to just accept it?"
Ed finally blinked, but his expression remained unchanged.
"I wasn't asking you to." Ed said.
Zareth's fist clenched.
That simple answer. That uncaring tone.
Ed wasn't even trying to explain himself.
He wasn't even trying to see Zareth's perspective.
"...It's not like I don't trust you." Zareth finally said, exhaling sharply. "I know you wouldn't lie to us." His voice softened for a brief moment before hardening again. "Or why would you lie to us?"
Ed remained silent.
Vynesaa sat next to Ed, her arms crossed, a small frown on her lips.
The rift between them was painfully obvious.
As of now —They had covered three parts of the elven territory—north, east, and south. What remained was the west, where elven and human lands met—a place riddled with tension, disputes, and unspoken conflicts.
The most controversial land of all, Ed thought.
It wasn't as if they were meticulously covering every city and village; rather, they passed through the major settlements that lay along their path. Even so, there was still much ground to cover.
They had three months left before this journey would come to an end.
'This was the first major event in seven months of their journey,' Ed thought to himself, 'and I have a feeling that this land will be the stage for many more, especially with the human and elven controversy simmering just below the surface.'
"Hey, Ed, it's fine," Vynesaa finally broke the silence. "It happens. Don't take him too seriously. He just... feels like law is absolute."
Ed glanced at her.
She was watching him with an expression that was hard to read—part amusement, part frustration.
"I know," Ed said after a moment. "And he's right."
Vynesaa scoffed, turning in her seat to face him. "No. He's not."
"They deserved it," she said.
"You think those kinds of people could've been redeemed? That they would've magically changed if we just handed them to the authorities? They were monsters, Ed. And monsters should be killed. Simple as that."
Ed didn't respond immediately.
He just stared at her.
"You really believe that?" he finally asked.
She tilted her head, a smirk playing on her lips. "I don't just believe it. I know it."
Ed exhaled, looking forward. 'She really is novel Vynesaa I guess,'
"...Maybe you're right," he admitted.
Vynesaa grinned. "Of course I am."
.
A comfortable silence settled between them after that.
Vynesaa shifted in her seat, stretching.
"Ugh, how long is this drive? My legs are getting stiff."
Ed snorted. "Maybe you shouldn't have worn a dress."
She kicked him lightly. "Shut up. I look good, and you know it."
He chuckled. "Sure, sure, whatever makes you feel better."
But Zareth.
He hadn't spoken since they got into the cab.
He hadn't even acknowledged the conversation happening next to him.
Ed glanced at him, at the way his face was completely unreadable as he stared out the window.
He wasn't sulking. He wasn't ignoring them out of anger.
He was thinking.
And that worried Ed more than anything.