The atmosphere in the tunnel was lively, too lively for what was probably the canal of a breathing forest. Not like the orchestrators of the madness even cared—They were madmen after all.
By now, the walls had taken color, and some sweet-smelling, purple liquid was flowing through the tunnel with a weak current. It rose to about ankle levels, yet the purple glow it emanated was so powerful that it had driven the darkness away and stained them in a purple hue.
This warm stream came out of nowhere at some point.
"S-I-L-V-E-R L-A-K-E
Silver lake
Is my name"
Everest's voice was intentionally hoarse and funny to further distance Sophie from delving into the name itself.
Her face twitched involuntarily—but it was soon replaced by an expression of poorly hidden amusement. She stood hip dipped; a patient, pleasant expression on her face like a predator watching prey.
She seemed to be enjoying herself. Then she nearly lost it when Everest pursued her with open arms.
Eventually, the tunnel widened into a natural chamber. The current slowed. Sophie stopped running—not because she was caught, but because she'd decided to stop.
Then they continued their march.
Not like he cared, he—and Aya—simply chased her deeper into the tunnel until he cleverly caught up to her and hugged her tightly. Just the way Aya had.
There, that's all for the formalities… now.
She had a mild reaction in the beginning but she doesn't seem to know that name after all.
Now enough with the plain idiot act, there's no better ally than a useful idiot.
"silver, lake silver? Mind if I call you silly"
He flinched and sent her a piercing gaze.
"No, not really"
—
In the next moment, three rather peculiar icons sat in a circle around a fire which they had somehow started with some of the leaves of paper Everest had snatched a while back and a stone platform. Sophie and Everest sat opposite each other while Aya sat closer to Everest.
The stream washed them as it flowed by. Competing with the fire's golden glow with its own purple glow.
"Okay then it's decided. Dear Aya, Sophie and silly"
Aya smiled.
"Ara… jun—Etto~ LAKE senpai i didn't know you liked nicknames, I would have gladly given you one—"
She paused then said.
"Or a few"
He chuckled shyly covering his face.
"Ah—but of course, I always love a new name"
Sophie giggled as well.
"Ha! I was right to be friends with you guys. You're fun"
She turned to look at Everest.
"However, who is this June senpai dear Aya keeps confusing you for silly?"
Her tone was warm and friendly.
He scratched the back of his head.
"Ah, actually June senpai is a friend of ours, Everest June is his name, we sort of look alike too. It's no surprise she'd confuse me for him."
Then he said self deprecatingly.
"Although, I don't remember her ever confusing him for me. Just how forgettable my name is, I guess."
Sophie studied him for a long moment. Her silver eyes searched his face—not suspiciously, but curiously.
"Interesting," she said finally. "I'd like to meet this Everest June someday."
Everest's smile didn't waver. "I'm sure you will."
"That's not—"
Aya gave him an offended glance briefly before puffing her cheeks out dramatically and facing the fire once more.
Everest meant that as a joke, of course.
However Sophie didn't laugh, she didn't seem amused at all, instead she turned to look at him and gave him a long look.
"Geeze…dude, you can't take these things too lightly, being called silly or someone else entirely. Don't you have any sense of identity?—"
The words cut deep into Everest's skin but he showed none of it.
"Haha I guess you're right"
She nodded then looked elsewhere in deep thought.
"I mean yeah, honestly 'Everest June' is a far more memorable name than Silver lake, but—"
Everest gave her a strange look, a long look before forcing himself to look away and answered.
"Aren't all names only as great as the man is?"
She shrugged.
"I guess he's a great person then"
Okay enough wasting time, how exactly do I complete the idiot act with useful?
Quite surprisingly, he immediately thought of an idea. A bold risky one too.
"Hahaha… by the way, You seem to have manifested your presence. What do you say we share information on our delusions and philosophies." he said.
If we're gonna be useful to each other we at least need to know this much, right?
Sophie looked at him incredulously.
"Wait—you mean—"
She stood up—as if tip-toeing, water dripping down her figure—and walked measuredly to his side. Then she sat between him and Aya before leaning in and whispering in his ears.
"You've already gone that far too?"
A normal person might have not caught on to the many, many implications of everything she just did and said; but Everest was not a normal person, even by madmen standards.
He didn't bother wasting time on the little unimportant matters like how they were special, and thus targets now, how she had changed her view of them—most likely not positively, or how she herself had actually already manifested a delusion which he had mentioned to have an edge.
No. He immediately knew what to ask, even though the mere thought of the answer sent shivers down his spine.
He inhaled deeply and sighed heavily—all under Aya and Sophie's expectant gazes—and whispered in a very low, very patient tone.
"Sophie, are we being watched?"
His tone carried measured wariness.
Sophie hesitated before saying.
"Yes"
—
The words disturbed him, more than he had expected even.
By then, the stream had risen too high to sit in so they had continued on their march to the tunnels end. Visibly struggling against its current now.
After Sophie's revelation. Neither of them had spoken ever since. They just got up and continued on their journey.
Everest himself had been taken back. It took him a while to gather himself and even longer to form words in his mind. Before he finally knew what to say.
Then he just scrapped it and decided to ask more questions instead.
Naturally, I need more information before I can offer a useful opinion.
"we are being watched—"
His words startled the two girls. Aya especially seemed to have been forcefully pulled out of a stupor. Her crimson eyes kept flicking between Everest and Sophie—careful not to blow his cover. But she said nothing—just had a weird expression on her face.
They glanced at him, Everest hesitated before he continued.
"By the forest? By the HOUSEMASTER perhaps?"
Sophie looked at him with what resembled relief strangely.
She shook her head.
"By the world"
He froze in place and found it easier to "pretend" he was scared now.
"You mean the event cams are in here? How?"
Sophie gave him an incredulous—almost furious glare.
"You mean you don't know? The HOUSEMASTER is at least a SINGULARITY LIKE, and Stellar High is considered the-collectively-maddest areas in the world, besides the June mansion"
So she knows the true weight of 'June,' thankfully I am not Everest June.
But there is something else that surprises me…
He asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"How do you know all this?"
She opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again.
"Yeah, judging from how you've been acting you obviously don't know about it silly."
He remained silent prompting her to continue.
"Iam not sure if it was coincidental or intentional but—the housemaster did not mention the most important elements of being an icon. 'The channel'"
The…channel?
"The channel is how you see your fanbase, your stats, your growth—everything the HOUSEMASTER tracks. It's linked to your stellar card. And if you've never checked it..."
She trailed off, reaching into his pocket.
He flinched and caught her hand mid-action, a relaxed expression on his face.
"Now, what are you doing?"
"Looking for your stellar card, what else silly?
I need it if you want me to show you what the channel is the easy way"
He grinned and said.
"Show me the hard way then—"
He twisted, as if stretching before he continued.
"I might not look it but I'm quite the over-challenger myself.
Besides, to me my stellar card isn't something anyone but me should see.
Haven't heard of 'a true magician never reveals their trick'? Or 'never show all your cards'?"
He emphasized on the word 'cards'
Sophie smiled in response.
"Sure then, silly—"
Then her warm voice seemed to veil an abyss of chilling darkness.
"After I get to see your card of course."
His grin in turn suddenly lost all friendliness.
"I sincerely wish you respect my principles"
She leaned back
"I guess you can say I respect the right principles, or maybe the 'good' principles but not the wrong ones?
The right principles save the world.
The wrong ones destroy it, but the good ones can either be right or wrong.
It's that easy.
Where do you think you fit in all that?"
"The right principles" he answered.
As he said those words he reached into his pockets once more while outstretching his other hand, palm open.
"Ladies first" his voice echoed smoothly and chillingly at the same time.