"Okay. Gwen spat violently I listen to you, but answer my question first. ”

Gwen was accustomed to looking at Deborah's face, with a pretentious nod on her face. In stark contrast to her current strange appearance, the effect was extremely disturbing.

"What about Deborah? I mean the real Deborah. ”

Ring pointed to her upper body.

"If you're talking about her body, her shapeshifting form, she's here," she paused, looking Gwen cautiously into the eye if you mean the girl you know. She's gone. ”

Gwen had expected it. But even then, the confirmation caused her chest to contract painfully, and to make matters worse, she couldn't move her limbs or stretch her torso.

"When?"

"When do you want it to be?" "Grimace" answered Gwen's inquiry with her own question.

Gwen searches for her memories of Deborah.

"During training?"

"Earlier. ”

"Before our time in the desert?" Gwen chanted bitterly. Those are good memories. It was in the desert that Deborah wanted to kiss her. This memory of the past could have been unrecognizable forever, and Gwen was shaken to the core.

"Yes, until then. ”

Gwen immediately felt uncomfortable. She suppressed acid reflux in her esophagus and then took a moment to ease her grumpy mood.

So, it wasn't Deborah who kissed her.

It wasn't Deborah who invited her to bed.

It's always been this thing—this creature.

All memories of Deborah faded from her mind, and they ate together, laughed together, and jogged around school. All those memories are now ruined by nameless confessions. Gwen used to have a crush on Deborah's cheerful face, and now she feels disgusted and disgusted every time she recalls it.

Stunned by these memories, she turns the past inside out and finds the accurate, catastrophic moment. In hindsight, the incident was very obvious;

"On the field trip, when you come back to our bunker. You apologized, and I'm surprised you suddenly changed your mind. ”

His face smiled expressionlessly.

"Bingo. ”

Gwen had to take another breather to deal with the "shameless" confession. Looking down, she watched her chest rise and fall, rise and fall, inhale and exhale.

"What are you doing there, were you already Deborah when Edgar found us?"

"Yes. ”

"You're pretending to be controlled? He's going to cast a spell on you. ”

"Edgar doesn't know, but yes, I'm pretending. I've seen it many times before. It's not difficult to play this role. ”

"But he hurt Deborah! He drained her life!"

"He certainly didn't back down. If he had gone too far, I was going to tell him, but in that case, my plan would have been ruined. ”

"Your plan?"

"Yes, it's a far more than Edgar Mad Dog antics move," the expression on his face is hard to read Although I am Edgar's sidekick, my ultimate role is to infiltrate Henry's inner circle, exposing my father's habits, schedule, his likes and dislikes, his moments of strength and weakness. ”

The faceless man's face began to change again, turning into a middle-aged man with a gray beard. Her voice grew deeper and deeper until it became a man's baritone.

"I was first and foremost Alesia's tower liaison, I took over the institution and used Alexia to try to infiltrate Henry's faction. I will leak her information from other factions, from the deals being made by the grey factions, from the experiments carried out by the radical factions. ”

"There's a problem, though. Alicia herself never thought of herself as a member that could be trusted or valued, and as a result, the door to the inner circle was always closed to me. I think that, despite her simple mind, she instinctively knew not to trust a traitor, especially those who professed loyalty. ”

"Why Debbie?" asked Gwen bitterly, she had nothing to do with Master. She had nothing to do with it. ”

"It was just a whim at first," replied Faceless with a nostalgic taste I found her in the woods, wandering around, overwhelmed. She is a very beautiful girl and I like to collect extra forms. As a polymorphic deformer, one never knows when a form will become useful. ”

"That's it?" Gwen's voice was a little hoarse. "She died on a whim?"

"Shamelessness is ruthless. "Yes. People die from fewer causes. What makes Deborah different?"

"So what? You're back at camp?"

"Yes. You may be happy to know that when Deborah was dying, she was thinking of her family, and of you. ”

"Me?"

"Yes, old Deborah has strong feelings for you, even if they are contradictory. I inherited this feeling when I took her body. ”

"How does this work?" asked Gwen angrily, this is not a function of transformation!

"However, for you and me, that's exactly how it works. The Faceless One raises a hand and pulls at his or her face. A dark layer of void energy began to manifest, dissolving his physical form until he became a dark and blurred outline. As the density of her body became fuller, taller, more toned, and more shapely, the black pile of flesh was also deformed, Deborah.

Deborah's bright amber eyes are vibrant.

Deborah was bronze-ironed, young in limbs, sweating profusely after an uphill sprint. Deborah, her energetic passion, every emotion is written on her face.

"Let's just say so," Ruth continued in Deborah's voice saying I didn't like my original body, I wasn't comfortable, on my skin. ”

The demons recounted their previous topic and continued.

"My transfiguration is a state of my body, unique to my Void magic. I'd be happy to teach you if you want. Imagine, Gwen, that you can be whoever you want to be. ”

"So you're a corpse thief," Gwen accuses Pseudo-Deborah.

"Almost. If you must know, I was initially more interested in your body. ”

Gwen felt her skin squirm.

"Why the surprise? Think about it, Gwen, you're a perfect candidate. A dark horse, no background, no allies, no factions, no house, a white horse! You have an amazing talent that has caught the attention of Alexia de Botton, and you have few friends other than that healer and fire mage. ”

Gwen chooses not to meet Ruth's eyes as her rhythm becomes more pronounced and excited.

"If I can be alone with you for a while in Edgar's ruse, then ......"

"That's enough......" Gwen muttered, why did you stop?"

"As I said, I inherited Deborah's strongest memories and emotions. The girl was hooked, and through Debbie, I discovered something that I didn't feel myself, not in all those years when I slapped other people's faces. I found myself very interested, Gwen Song. Your liveliness, your thirst for life, your wits and your whimsical speeches. Most importantly, when I saw what you did to Edgar in that cave, I realized something. ”

"What's that?"

"We were meant to be. ”

"You make me sick. ”

Faceless smiled.

"How many Skywalkers do you think there are in this world? Mother is one, and I am another. I've never met anyone else. Can you try to understand, even for a second, when you know that you are different, a lonely person, a forever lonely being, and then suddenly, you find someone just like you?"

"We're different!" Gwen snapped.

"Oh, but we are. "Don't you like the power of Caliban? His food gives you the power to be a confessor, a soothsayer, a summoner, and a magician? Don't you feel that hunger and thirst that you can't find nourishment in nature? Don't we share a world where our secrets can never see the light, only with each other. ”

"That's not true!" Gwen spat out. "I've never asked for this!"

This retort seemed to make him furious. The demon's face became distorted and disgusted.

"I think you asked?!" yells at Gwen. Her face is a mask of pain and anger. "You think I want to be born like this!"

Her form changed again, and this time, she rebuilt her entire body into the darkness of the Void, devouring the elemental outfit that Deborah had been wearing. When her body reappears, she is naked. Gwen saw a figure torn by scar tissue, its flesh pale and gray.

The faceless anorexic, misshapen body forces Gwen to shiver as one limb is longer than the other, and its stem is elongated and bat-like. There was a slight swelling when her gaze fell on the "faceless" chest, indicating a miscarriage in puberty, and when her eyes looked down, she saw nothing but a blurry mass of flesh.

"Life is not needed when it is surrounded by so much death—when it is extended into the void. "Ruth used a finger down from her chest down to her navel, where there was a little piece of knotted flesh My mother, of course, did not think I would survive, but because of her boundless curiosity, she tried to test the limits of her spending power, and I gained my life through the reluctant sacrifice of others. ”

"Gwen," asked with a blank face, do you think that's what I want?"

Gwen's first reaction was to apologize and say she was sorry, but the urge got stuck in her throat. She killed her friend and her master!Gwen couldn't arouse sympathy, feeling a hint of grief for this anomalous life.

Deborah reverts to her appearance, but now she's completely naked. It was a ridiculous scene, as it reminded Gwen of the erratic night at the Surya Country Estate.

"Now, are you ready to listen to my proposal?"

Gwen deftly tightened the rope that was tied. They were still safe, but with each new insult on her face, she could feel them relax and tighten. Should she listen? Gwen wondered. She doesn't have a choice, does she?

"Tell me, how did you become Walken, and why does he think you're on his side?"

Deborah, who showed her face, crossed her arms over her chest.

"When you and I go back to school, I look for opportunities to be closer to you. Why do you think we always see each other in the morning jogging? I knew you'd go that way. ”

As she engrossed in their history, her rhythm reverted to a hypnotic hum. She could tell from Deborah's face that the Transformer was really enjoying and even cherishing those memories. She describes her experience as Deborah as her own, not a moment of theft from a corpse.

"Anyway, I need to be a little closer to you. If I can't kill you, then I have to approach you with the identity of this girl. The original Deborah was such an unlucky, giftless shapeshifter who wasted her affinity. She is a brute and lacks the skills required for advanced transmutation. ”

"Anyway, I supplemented her metamorphosis abilities and managed to get Barrett to gain work experience under a particularly 'famous' but poor shapeshifter. ”

"My grandfather," Gwen replied. If there is a silver lining to the Mermaidgate invasion, it is that the interior has not been affected at all. No matter what happened on the coast, Surya and his apprentices could be evacuated safely.

"It's true that I became a good student under Master Surya, but I must say that your grandfather is very handsome. ”

Gwen doesn't find humor in the "funny jab" on her doctor's face with a sense of humor.

"When we received the news of Mark Chandler's entire crucifixion, I took the initiative to lie to your grandfather about our closeness at school. The old man was so pleased with our relationship that he didn't even think about bringing me to comfort you. ”

Then, to my surprise and shame, I reached my goal. I was finally in the same room as my damn father, Henry Kilroy. ”

Gwen recalled that day, feeling so sorry for her conscience.

"The first time I met my father...... I couldn't take my eyes off him. I stared at him, you know, dreaming of something. He was so good to you, Gwen, full of love and support, which is everything I have never received from my mother. ”

"That's why I'm suggesting we share another bond, Gwen. It's too late for me, but through you I can replace the life I've always wanted. A father had high hopes for me and high hopes for me

"You're sick," Gwen retorted, but there was no malice in her counterattack. When she thought of Henry's kindness, she was in pain.

"After we left Chandler, I sent a text message to Walken with a lumen recording. After that, we spent a wonderful summer together. When we kiss

"Shut up!" Gwen interjected and said shut up!

She waited until Gwen could remember.

"Mother has been giving him information for a while, and there are some messages here and there, which will make him disgusted with Henry. Even the exchange with Alessia de Botton a few years ago was done by us. ”

"The next time I go back to the tower, I'm going to find Walken myself. In exchange, he promised to elevate me and sponsor me for a scholarship to the Sydney Academy of Mysteries, where he placed me in a truth room where he "verified" certain parts of my memory. He's a magician, you know, but his methods lack skill. When the man was satisfied, he sent me away, tasked with gathering more evidence, and then you invited us on an expedition to your interior. ”

"A little off-topic, do you know what's interesting?" asked with a blank face.

"What?" Gwen tested the restraint again.

"All the time, when you're doing that sweaty nude dance with those filthy natives, I'm really in danger. Because I was Edgar's partner in that incident, and that damn snake knew who I was as soon as it appeared on you. Remember that beam of energy you shot out of your tent? I knew it was coming. I had to set up a bait and fall into the river in the blink of an eye! Thankfully, the snake was a primitive fool, or it would have told you the truth. ”

Almuji!

Gwen's mind was filled with new hope. If the shameless words were true, then Almuji would definitely come to her rescue. If she could use the scale-

Gwen suddenly felt a sense of loss. Where are the scales?

She put it on Henry to help him heal. As the jelly evaporated into thin air, so did her scales. Again, cold despair enveloped Gwen's trembling body.

"As for the rest, it's easy. I kept feeding Walken bit by bit of disinformation extracted from my memories – either the work I did with Edgar or the work I did for my mother. Coupled with Henry's unwavering support, Walken is fully convinced that you are a family of void magicians, treating the tower like your own territory, and its people like cattle. ”

"You should be able to figure out the rest for yourself. Walken texted me and asked me to detain you. I did, but not for his benefit. ”

"How did Elizabeth get into the grotto?"

"I shared Ferris's inscription with my mother," he said, shrugging his shoulders, suggesting that many things should be obvious to me when Ferris gave the key to Paul. It's a complex glyph – but hardly an octopus mandala. As for Grote, as long as Sofina is dormant, it cannot refuse invaders, at least those who are friendly to Grote's 'inhabitants'. ”

"So that's how long it is," Gwen concluded.

"That's true. ”

Although they had been talking for some time, no one seemed to strike up a conversation, and none of the wandering souls saw a naked girl standing on top of another girl with her wrists and ankles tied in a pile of sand. Gwen hoped, at the very least, that there would be mermaids present, scattered and expressionless.

"Are you ready to listen to my proposal?" she asked, her voice growing impatient. "Mom only has that long to take out the mage there. ”

"Go on. ”

"I want us to be partners. ”

The very idea of "impossible!" is abnormal.

"Shut up, listen, don't interrupt me. Ruth tightened the sand around Gwen and interrupted her protest Gwen, you have a talent that few people can boast of. You may not know it, but only the Void can truly defend against the Void. With your abilities, one day you can even stand up to your mother, as long as you have time to grow. ”

"Moreover, you even possess the impossible gift of lightning, an element that can fight and dispel the spell of the Void. ”

"This means that if you can survive this ordeal, one day you will be someone that even a mother would be afraid of. In a duel of power, she can't penetrate your confessional shield, but you can destroy her defenses with lightning. Do you see what I mean?"

Gwen nodded involuntarily. Once again, her status and situation became uncertain.

"For this, I am willing to spare your life. I have dedicated myself to be your protector, your shield against the wrath of my mother, until you take her down and set us both free. 」

The "shameless" offer makes sense, but Gwen feels that all the reluctance in the world is attacking her.

The words "I ......" choked her throat. She wants to tell Faceless to fuck herself, and as Yue promised, she wants to make Faceless feel pain and pain that is unimaginable for perverted people.

However, Gwen is not a saint. She wanted to live. How much has Gwen endured since she came into this world, and how could she end up like this?

What if she says yes?

The thought disgusted her.

The faces of her friends and family flashed before her eyes.

Yue - His animated Chinese doll face is always laughing and burning with passion.

Elvia - Her presence is an angel who is a soothing agent for her soul.

Alexia - Her fiery temper and thirst for justice are as hot as her bright red flames.

Henry, her kind eyes and veteran hands, guides her every step of the way in this strange world.

No.

There was no way she could have agreed.

Sometimes, death is better than cowardice.

Sometimes, you have to draw a line and go so far that you can't go any further.

"I refuse—

Just as Gwen tried to issue an ultimatum, a disgusting wave of energy spread out from above like concentric rings. An explosion shatters the sky, interrupting their real moment. The tower, which had been invisible half an hour before, suddenly became clearly visible, hanging dejectedly from the blue top. A whirling cloud of dust erupted from its tallest tower, and stones the size of a skyscraper poured down like a waterfall.

Something began to appear on the fallen spire.

Dark sun.

A black hole is sucking in all the light, and thick tendrils of hollow matter are pounding violently as if they were alive.

Faceless turned to Gwen, her face no longer patient and willing.

"Make a decision now," she growled to her, what would it be, Gwen Song?

Gwen meets her foe, concentric rings of electric blue flashing in her ochre-colored hazel eyes.

"your offer," she spat on as best you could. ”

To Gwen's surprise, Deborah's face lost all emotion.

"Well, whatever you want. ”

The portrait of Deborah disappears as the faceless man is once again blackened and ambiguous, presenting a vague sense of emptiness. The monster lowered its face towards Gwen's, as if it was ready to kiss with a big mouth. When Gwen's stomach opened to reveal her yellowed teeth, the sour breath rushed over Gwen's face.

"Maybe it's better this way," said faceless and expressionless, whether you like it or not, we'll be together. ”