It Started with Slime - Part 1

Chapter 112 - Discussions

"Aarav, do you need to take some time?" Marasa asked, genuine concern in her voice. Aarav's voice seemed to have stopped working, and he just nodded. Then he moved still on hands and knees to the room, opened the door and closed it behind him. He took a deep breath and let all of it out; the soul-crushing sadness, the despair and the horror of what he faced in his previous life. He had never stopped moving or pushing or searching for something to fill that void, and now, for the first time in two lives, he felt some semblance of safety. Both worlds came crashing into him with devastating effects.

Ami was dead, and he supposed he was too. But there was no way he could do anything since powerlessness was his theme of the day. It made sense for this to all feel so hopeless. It was like he had lost his friend all over again. Why hadn't he been better? He could have done things so differently. With the clarity of mind he now possessed, he could see how much had gone wrong with his tainted mind and awful thoughts. That burning itch he could never scratch. His broken mind had stopped them from having the life that she deserved. Why? Why didn't she leave when it was clear I couldn't control my urges when I needed more and more, and I couldn't stop. She should have left me then. She might still be alive.

As with all his musings, though, there were no answers to his questions. He would not get any even if he spent a lifetime searching; he should know. He had already wasted one lifetime on that, and not just his life, her life as well. It was a transgression he made, and he was not sure he could ever forgive. Ami certainly shouldn't; he didn't deserve her forgiveness.

Aarav sat in quiet contemplation for what felt like hours. Eventually, there was a soft knock on the door. Aarav raised his head to see the door quietly opening. Haemish poked his head through the door's opening and looked kindly at the Slime, legs and arms akimbo and body bulging with freshly eaten food. "I suppose eating makes you melancholic?" Haemish said into the silence. Aarav chuckled in response, a soft, heaving laugh that contained a few tears.

"I suppose it must." Aarav replied.

"Resh, I know that we have only just met, but it is clear to me that you have been through much. I would like you to know that while I find studying you fascinating, I also feel that you are someone worthy of getting to know. So if you would like to talk, I am here." Haemish said the sincerity that radiated off him surprised Aarav. The connections people can make are honestly mind-boggling. Even though it had only been two days, I felt like much had happened, and Haemish had shown some genuine kindness to a creature that should be nothing more than a monster to him.

"Thank you, Haemish. I appreciate that. For now, though, I think I just need to understand what is happening myself." Aarav said he honestly wanted to tell Haemish his real name now. It felt awkward to do it after saying Resh from the beginning. It was also unlikely that telling Haemish his real name would result in explosive death. Considering he thought of himself as both Resh and Aarav, it was doubtful that any name-related spells would work differently. I mean, the Soul Oath had worked, even though he used Resh and not Aarav. So what difference would it make now?

Then again, if he thought he was both, was it a lie if he said his name was Resh? "Haemish, call me Aarav. That is what my close friends call me. Well, when I have close friends, I decided they should call me that, you too, Marasa." Aarav said, playing it off nicely, he thought.

"You have given thought to nicknames. Haha, Aarav, is it? You chose the oddest names, you know?" Haemish laughed, taking it in stride. "I can honestly say I have never heard such an unusual name before."

"I have to agree with Haemish. From where does it originate? I know it is just a nickname, but I don't know that any nation I have ever heard of has names like that." Marasa asked.