16 Chapter 15: First Party Member

(Alexander POV)

Standing alone in the dark beneath the clouds shrouding the ethereal moonlight, my gaze went up the sky. Dark thoughts swirl into my mind as I thought about what happened. From what the Agents were talking about earlier, I could infer that Chloe was not the first woman they laid their hands on.

'The game greatly downplayed how much of a scum the Fatui mobs are huh.' I said to myself as I felt my heart grow colder as my body adapted to my extreme emotions.

While the game portrayed the Fatui as an evil antagonistic group. I never thought that the lowest-rank agents would stoop this low. While I'm no hero, I do not approve of such acts especially if such acts were to be done to the people that I know.

After a few minutes passed by, my moment of solitude was interrupted by the sound of running and ragged breaths.

My cold indifferent gaze fell upon the Fat Fatui Hydro Gunner. At one point, I thought my anger would erupt the moment I met Ivankov but surprisingly my heart was now cold. The piercing gaze of my eyes then focused on one of the bastard's hands. With Chloe and the bastard's massive difference in physique, Ivankov was able to carry Chloe in a princess carry in one hand while his other hand never stopped feeling her up.

Even with the distance between us, I could hear the bastard panting heavily clearly aroused as Chloe cried in his arms. Her cry sounded so heartbreaking which made something snap inside my mind.

The Dragon's Bane appeared on my hand before a gust of emerald wind covered the spear. With impeccable speed, I strode towards the Hydro Ugly Bastard.

With a high jump, I aimed at the bastard's head midair before the spear left my hand as it launched toward the target with all my might.

Like a whistling wind, the spear traveled for a few tens of meters before piercing through the Fat Fatui Bastard's skull. As the bastard stopped moving and was about to fall, I arrived swiftly and snatched Chloe, bringing her into my arms.

Now being carried in my arms, I observed Chloe. The mask which covered half of her upper face was long gone. Her originally smooth skin was currently dry. Her already pale-colored skin was now paler as she clearly overexerted herself in using the delusion. Her beautiful scarlet-colored eyes had lost their luster as she gazed at my eyes.

*insert Chloe pictures*

"Are you okay? I'm sorry. If only I arrived earlier." I said to her as I gazed into her eyes.

Chloe did not answer me and only buried her face in my chest to muffle her cries as her shaky, powerless hands slowly crept onto my body and it slowly turned into a hug. With a wry smile, I walked back towards the camp while I gave my friend a princess carry for a second time.

As we arrived inside the camp, I brought Chloe to one of the tents which I assumed was hers that I found earlier when I was looting the camp. I brought her toward the bed-like structure as I let her down but when I was about to leave Chloe grabbed my hand and softly muttered, "Don't leave me, please. I'm scared."

I lightly smiled before lying beside Chloe on the elevated mattress.

The mattress was elevated by a few wooden crates stacked side by side. The texture of the mattress was rough but a lot better than laying on wooden planks, I could also guess that the mattress was stuffed with materials that can contain heat making the bed quite comfortable even when we are in a snowy region. These thoughts were on my mind as I occupied it with random things to ignore the soft feeling touching my body.

I gazed towards my left side to find Chloe using my arm as a pillow as she tightly clung to my body with both her hands and feet. I know she is going through something but I am a normal healthy guy. I simply closed my eyes and recited some Buddhist sutra I had read online while softly and gently patting her back.

After about an hour of reciting Buddhist sutras and patting her back while I listened to her muffled cry, I felt her start breathing rhythmically indicating that she should now be asleep, and with that, I too closed my eyes.

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(Chloe POV)

I opened my eyes and saw Ruben sleeping beside me. 'So it was real' I said to myself as tears slowly poured out of my eyes.

How I wished that everything would simply be a nightmare but no matter how I tried to avoid reality my brother would not be coming back.

My brother was my only family left and now he too is gone.

Tears kept pouring out of my eyes as I continued to cling onto Ruben.

I am now alone.

All alone with nowhere to go and no one to be with.

My body is also already tainted. Ivankov might not been able to bed me but his hands already explored most of my body.

'I'm already tainted.' I repeated to myself as my grip became stronger accidentally waking Ruben up.

"How are you, Chloe? Are you feeling a bit better?" He said as he patted my back after he woke up.

I released him from my hug and I said "I'm fine. Thank you for keeping up with my selfishness. You can leave me now." I said with a fake smile.

I know I'm a bad liar so he probably knew I was lying but what can I do? I only met him we could only be considered barely friends so I shouldn't involve him in my problems.

As I was about to tell him to leave me alone and I would be fine to my surprise, he hugged me and said, "I'm here. You can talk to me."

I wanted to deny and say no but his gentle hug melted me. I told him that I had nowhere left to go nor anyone waiting for me anymore. I am all alone. The Fatui also had already labeled me dead if Ivankov was telling the truth which he probably is.

I don't know what to do anymore, I feel so lost. My life turned around in just one night, just one night.

Tears kept pouring out my face as I let all my emotions go.

(Third Person POV)

As the girl continued to cry as she laid out all her heart in the open, a familiar phenomenon occurred. The tears that continuously dropped out of her eyes condensed into a blue-colored crystal bearing the symbol of Hydro encased into a bronze circle with 3 pairs of wing-like motifs below and a pointy tail.

The magical phenomenon was then ignored even if it was well known that a Vision was said to be given by the gods to the worthy and only continued weeping until the young man in front of him smiled with all his heart as he muttered words that would forever be carved in her memories.

"You know the both of us are kind of similar. I am also alone with nowhere to call home nor anyone that I could be with. Suddenly finding that my life has turned around in a single day with no explanations or warnings, just simply finding myself lost with no destination in mind. So how about this, want to join my adventuring party? The two of us with nowhere to go could travel the world to find a place that we could call home."

The girl was mesmerized by the young man's smile as he invited her on a journey.

Her tears stopped pouring as she felt a familiar warmth coming from someone just like her.

Feeling that she might have found a reliable comrade, a similar soul.

A real partner, unlike the bastard who was only lusting after her body.

The girl made up her mind and a warm smile could be seen on her face as she answered, "If you are okay traveling with someone like me. Then please take care of me from now on."