Restart Again: Volume 2 by Adam Scott (hardest books to read txt) 📕

causing the chair to groan in protest under the weight of her armor and shield. Marin returned to her seat, and our lunch continued on in silence, apart from the soft chewing sounds. Eventually, Lia kicked my foot and gave me an expectant look out of the corner of her eye.

“So, I think it’s time we discuss the plan moving forward. Or, the new plan, as our old one has sort of...fallen apart,” I said, pausing to take a bite of my sandwich for emphasis, only to spill most of its filling out onto the plate. After staring at the mess quietly for a moment, I continued. “As beneficial as it would be to continue with our original plan of joining the Unbound to gather intel, new developments have accelerated our timetable enough that we can’t wait that long.”

“What developments are you referring to?” Val asked, looking surprisingly neutral given our last interaction.

“The beasts Marin mentioned, and the guard that I, erm, killed. I’ve had a bad feeling over the course of our journey down here, and this new information unfortunately confirms my fears. This isn’t simply a coup; it’s the beginning of an invasion by a group known as the Dominion.” Marin was the only person to react to the statement, gasping loudly as she leaned in to learn more. Lia, having already learned about the Dominion, simply nodded, and Val watched impassively as ever.

“The Dominion spreads by transforming people into monsters that serve the group unquestioningly. It starts with lies of creating a better world, and ending the suffering and injustice of an oppressed people. If you join, you’re immediately rewarded with gifts of enhanced strength and stamina that seemingly have no consequences, which encourages more people to join up as well. As time goes on, the powers increase, but you begin to lose your sense of self.” The face of the dead guard floated to the forefront of my mind, morphing into the grotesque face of a Thrall. “Your body begins to change, with distended limbs, glowing purple eyes, and pale skin, but by then you don’t remember who you are anymore.”

After I finished speaking, the room fell silent. Marin was quaking in her chair with wide eyes, staring across at Val for some sort of reassurance. “I’ve...s-seen some people that look like that,” she said with a trembling voice. “Uhm, nobody with pale skin or long arms, but...the eyes. They seem meaner than usual, too.”

I nodded. “I believe that means we still have time. If nobody has fully transformed yet, that means the Dominion knows they aren’t strong enough to leave the city. We can stop them now, before things go...too far.”

“Where have you encountered this?” Val finally spoke up. The question sounded nearly apologetic with how soft she spoke.

“In Doram, before I came to Kaldan,” I lied. It was easy enough to put on a convincing face; from what I had heard of Doram, it sounded remarkably similar to Hedaat, with bitter winters, rocky mountains, and a general vibe of untamed wilderness. I got the sense that Val didn’t believe me, but she gave me a small nod and I carried on regardless.

“We need to find their leader as soon as possible. Based on Marin’s information, I still believe the statehouse is our best option.” I paused, considering my next words carefully. “While I understand that it is not the most ideal plan, our only real option is going there tonight. I know, we should gather intel first, but—”

“I agree,” Val interrupted.

I paused as I processed the unexpected response. “You agree?” I echoed in awe, having fully expected her to point out any of the massive tactical flaws in the proposal.

“Yes. Our original mission has not changed. Maintaining the security of Kaldan remains paramount, and if what you say is true, the threat posed by the Dominion must be dealt with before it can cross the Attetsian border,” Val explained. “The longer we wait, the greater that threat grows.”

“O-oh. That’s...great, actually. Thanks, Val,” I said, still in shock. “Any objections, Lia?”

“No, I’m ready,” Lia said confidently.

“Alright then. Tonight it is,” I clapped my hands together. “We can discuss the specifics of our plan later, so for now, I guess we just rest up and prepare. We have a long night ahead of us.” Before anybody had a chance to move, I turned to Val again. “Val, I’d like to talk with you alone, if you have a moment.”

“Of course,” Val nodded, standing up from the counter to move to the opposite side of the room.

I flashed Lia a reassuring smile and, receiving one in return, stood to follow Val. “I need to apologize for how I acted earlier. I wish I didn’t need to keep apologizing for the same thing, but...here we are,” I said when we were out of earshot of the others. “It’s just, the, uhm...I have a history with the Dominion, and...I wasn’t thinking straight.” I silently cursed myself for not preparing my apology ahead of time as I rambled.

“There is no need for you to apologize, Lux,” she replied, saving me from my awkward speech. “You have every right to be upset. You lost your family in Doram, which is also where you encountered the Dominion. Those two incidents are directly related, if I am not mistaken.”

I felt a deep pang of sadness as a dozen memories of Alda flashed through my mind. “That’s right,” I eventually responded, barely loud enough for myself to hear.

“I cannot imagine the pain of losing your family; I have been blessed not to experience that in my life up to this point, but I know the lengths I would go to protect them,” she said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I will do everything in my power to make sure you do not have to experience that pain again.”

The rare showing of emotion from Val cleared my mind. “I really appreciate that, Val. I know we’ve had our disagreements in the past, but