NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15: Lights
Burey's County, Intis Empire. April 17, 428. 7:00 A.M.
Michael got up, yawning.
These last few days have been so troublesome...
We came to Burey's County for the 'recovery party' the viscount decided to throw.
It really surprised me to learn that a viscount owned a county. I knew the Bureys were rich and influential, especially in the Western Continent, but they even bought the county from a count who went bankrupt...
At this point, they might as well consider themselves counts.
Michael looked around the room before lying back down on the bed.
I've been pretending to be Michael to so many people for over 12 days now. It's really hard to keep the same story, especially about the 'recovery,' so I'm just going to pretend to sleep a little longer...
At this point, who am I? I have most of Michael's memories, I'm living as Michael for over a month, but my consciousness still tell me that I'm Abel...
I'll need to think about this later. For now, I need to keep acting...
As Michael closed his eyes and tucked himself in bed, someone knocked on the door.
Ugh, here we go again... I'm just going to pretend I'm sleeping...
Without waiting for an answer, the door was abruptly opened.
"Wake up, Mike! We have a lot to do and not much time!" Rebecca shouted as she threw pieces of clothing at him.
In the novels I read, these parties weren't so troublesome. If I ever get back to my world, I'll demand a reimbursement for my money...
....
19:00 P.M.
The party started at 18:00 P.M. The viscount Burey gave a short speech about his family before officially starting the event.
After almost an hour of mingling with different nobles and guests, Michael finally managed to escape their attention.
He stood in a corner of the room, observing the party.
At times like this, I wish I were a Beyonder of the Spectator Pathway. Unfortunately, I couldn't even choose my Pathway...
He thought with a satirical smile, taking a deep breath.
The viscountess is speaking with representatives of the Western Union in Intis...
Western Union... How did they get out of the seal? When I talked with that entity, he said the former deity of the Seer Pathway died at the end of the Fifth Epoch. I guess I can assume the seal broke around that time?
Now that I think about it, he really did steal his name and the name of the former deity from me...
Michael continued observing the room, taking note of what was happening.
The viscount is talking to Count Erin...
I don't like that family. Those weirdos are the epitome of a stereotypical noble family; betrayal, conspiracy, and deeply questionable ethics...
Why is the viscount talking to them? They were never this close before. Becca also mentioned they talked that day we went to church...
I'm sure this isn't good. I'll need to keep a close eye on their intentions...
Michael wandered around, avoiding interactions while observing the situation.
He noticed a woman who looked to be in her forties, wearing a yellow dress, leaving with a man carrying a silver tray.
Huh, isn't that the matriarch of the Aurelion family? What's she doing?
He thought for a moment before raising his eyebrows in shock.
No way... I knew the people in Intis were promiscuous, but sneaking off with a servant? That explains why Roselle was like that. I hope I don't end up the same way.
He kept observing without engaging with anyone.
Now that I think about it, where is Becca? I haven't seen her since the party started...
Damn it. Even though I told her not to use her powers, I still can't trust her...
I'm sure there are Beyonders here. If they see Becca using her powers, it'll be over for her...
He began searching the party for Rebecca but couldn't find her anywhere.
Shit, did something really happened?!
As anxiety crept in, Michael's vision blurred. His eyes widened, his breath grew shallow, and his surroundings became wavy.
His eyes started to swirl. The red grew brighter, the beige turned white, and the purple became pink.
All these colors merged together in a wave. In Michael's eyes, everyone at the party appeared as a different flash of light, each one distinct in color.
His mind began to blank as he struggled to avoid looking at the lights.
I can't control this weird ability...
Focus, Michael, focus!
He forced his eyes open wide, taking in the entire party.
Although he ignored the lights, he still saw glimpses of strange scenes.
He looked at a dark purple light and saw a man in his late forties getting yelled at by a young man.
He looked at a green light and saw a man in his forties lying in the middle of a street, his terrified face covered in blood. Behind him stood a woman in a purple suit with a sadistic smile.
He turned and noticed two lights entering the room, a yellow light and a gray light.
He looked at the yellow light and saw a woman in her forties engaging in intercourse with a servant as someone abruptly opened the door to their room.
He looked at the gray light and saw a dirty, homeless-looking man wandering the streets with an empty bottle of alcohol.
Focus, Michael...
Looking out the window, he spotted a purple light in the garden.
He looked at the purple light and saw a hand holding a red eye.
When Michael saw that, he immediately realized the light belonged to Rebecca.
He noticed a dark green light approaching the purple one.
He looked at the dark green light and saw a blood-covered woman and a man fighting.
As Michael's vision returned to normal, he rushed toward the garden.
His sight still wavered slightly. He bumped into walls and nearly tripped, but he managed to reach the garden.
By then, his vision had fully stabilized.
He saw a man around his age wearing a green suit speaking with Rebecca. She looked tired and annoyed but maintained a fake smile.
When she noticed Michael approaching, relief washed over her face. She quickly pushed the conversation toward him as she introduced them.
"Mike! Finally, I finally found you! This is the-"
She was cut off as Michael continued for her.
"The eldest son of the Erin family, Mallory Erin. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you too, Michael Burey," Mallory said, shaking his hand.
Tsk, even the way he talks is disgusting...
Michael thought as he shook Mallory's hand