Ch.61— Till Next Time

Crow4ever: bro I’m sorry but Amy genuinely has to die ↳ 1.2k likes · 847 replies
AmyLover ↪ replying to Crow4ever: lol so the only good female character in the entire novel needs to die? Crow dicksuckers surpass themselves day after day. Does it press you that much that Amy isn’t falling heels over your little edgy boy? ↳ 3.6k likes · 124 replies
Crow4ever ↪ replying to AmyLover: What are you even talking about? There are plenty of female characters not interested in Crow romantically, like Iris; Amy is not an exception. I just don’t like her cause she sucks ↳ 287 likes · 156 replies
AmyLover ↪ replying to Crow4ever: Nobody cares about Iris. That you don’t like Amy doesn’t mean she’s bad. Cry harder ↳ 742 likes · 438 replies
Crow4ever ↪ replying to AmyLover: Your name is literally Amylover, I don’t know why I’m even expecting a rational conversation. Listen bad writing should be called out, and that’s what I am doing, if you don’t like it i guess you should be the one who actually has to go cry somewhere else ↳ 94 likes · 52 replies
AmyLover ↪ replying to Crow4ever: “Bad writing” = “I wanted her to kiss Crow and she didn’t.” ↳ 400 likes · 17 replies
Ishipthat ↪ replying to AmyLover: Amy and Crow can still kiss, you know… ↳ 613 likes · 244 replies

“You weren’t kidding, Libris. This comment section truly is cancer.”
Amy, who was still sitting on the sofa in her room in the same posture as when she had begun, sighed, then turned to the person beside her.
Libris nodded absently, but otherwise gave her nothing. They had been silent for a while, seemingly deep in thought; the revelation of the colossus contacting Amy through the book appeared to have left them completely out of it.
Amy had only been reading comments for one minute, yet it had been long enough to make her feel like she had aged a decade.
The arguments just kept going, and going, and going… No matter which page she turned to, she found people arguing.
Contrary to the usual practice of tying the comments to their respective chapters and showing Amy only the most important ones, Libris—due to their time constraint—seemed to have compacted everything into blocks of topics, showcasing only the readers’ current perception of her, as well as the important subjects they had discussed about the manga.
Amy pinched the bridge of her nose.
“…Do they ever get tired?”
Nobody answered her; she hadn’t meant the question for anybody, but she had at least expected Libris to comment on her murmur.
The colossus thing really freaked them out, huh…
Amy sighed despite herself and went back to the readers’ comment section, reading further until she reached a certain enormous comment that made her pause.
She turned her head slightly toward the person beside her.
“Hey, Libris. I know it’s important to show the opinions of most readers, so I can get an idea of what to change and stuff. But was it necessary to add the seven-hundred-word fanfic of Crow and me?”
Once again, there was not even a glance. They were just staring at nothing, not even seeming to hear her words.
Amy put the book down with a frown before gently shaking Libris by their shoulders.
“…Libris…?”
It was then that they finally noticed her calling them, turning around and looking at her for a few seconds—
Libris stood up from the couch.
Amy frowned deeper, staring in confusion at the odd behavior—
Eh…?
Libris’ body suddenly dropped to the ground—they hadn’t fainted; the fall was clearly intentional, as shown by their next movements.
They got onto all fours—not like a dog or a cat, but rather like a bug; their torso low and their limbs extremely flexed.
Amy’s eyes widened at the sight—a reaction that proved far too hasty, because the next instant she realized she hadn’t seen anything yet—
Libris literally crawled like a spider across the floor and then straight up the wall.
“What the fuuu—” Amy scrambled backwards so fast she nearly sent the book on her lap flying. Her back hit the armrest, and her hands began trembling.
Libris turned once again and looked at her; they were still on the wall, so they had to rotate their head and part of their torso ninety degrees.
“Apologies for startling you,” Libris—maybe?—said as they looked at her; their voice had become robotic, just like it always did when they said emotion overwhelmed them. “I need to think, and your presence was distracting me, so I moved away.”
“You— Why the fuck are you crawling like that?!” Amy said while clutching at her chest, her heart still beating a hundred miles an hour. “How are you sticking to the walls??”
Libris tilted their head. “What is the matt—” they began, then stopped and looked at themselves. “Oh… right, humans don’t really do this.”
“No, they don’t.”
“I see, my mistake,” Libris said while blinking way too slowly, like waaaay too slowly. “You see, I am currently allocating a big chunk of my processing toward analyzing the information you provided about the Devourer and their contact with you, as me acting as a human consumes too much energy.”
“What… the… fuck…”
“Sorry, I’m sure this is unsettling.” They said it in the exact same tone as before, without even getting down from the ceiling. “Please continue with the comments. Gather all you need. I will be thinking.”
And just like that, Libris crawled awfully fast across the ceiling toward Amy’s bedroom, disappearing through the doorway.
Amy stared at the place where they had been. She took one, two, three deep breaths before her heartbeat stabilized.
Not the weirdest thing I’ve seen, anyway…
Amy refocused on the book—or at least tried to for a good minute; her mind was still on what had just happened.
Focus, Amy. Focus. The sooner you finish, the sooner they finish thinking, and the sooner you can go back to resting.
She shook her head hard, then leaned forward and once again returned to reading.

Booooos: WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE’S DEAD??? HOW DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR THE MAIN ANTAGONIST OF THE ENTIRE FUCKING MANGA TO DIE??? ↳ 26k likes · 9.4k replies
CalmVoice ↪ replying to Booooos: it was foreshadowed like crazy, wym ↳ 14k likes · 1.1k replies
Booooos ↪ replying to CalmVoice: I KNOW, THAT’S WHY I’M ONLY 90% SHOCKED INSTEAD OF 100% ↳ 8.8k likes · 1.1k replies
TheorySmith ↪ replying to CalmVoice: Speaking of, what was Amy and Abaddon’s conversation about? Does Amy know the Goddess? ↳ 12k likes · 2.4k replies
GriefPoster ↪ replying to TheorySmith: I don’t even care man. I’m just shocked that the main driving plot of the manga has been killed after a hundred and something chapters of searching for him ↳ 9.3k likes · 500 replies

Crowmybeloved: [PROFILE PICTURE CHECK.] If you have Amy with a circle, unfollow me right now. I’m not joking. ↳ 1k likes · 2.3k replies
MiraiNoHon ↪ replying to Crowmybeloved: Why the hate? Amy literally did nothing wrong? ↳ 6.8k likes · 890 replies
Crowmybeloved ↪ replying to MiraiNoHon: Hello??? Are we watching teh same manga? She literally just killed Crow’s father ↳ 600 likes · 4k replies
Ahhh ↪ replying to Crowmybeloved: So I haven’t caught up yet, I just heard about the drama and came here. Wasn’t Abaddon a villain? Why are people so mad that Amy killed them? ↳ 2k likes · 890 replies
Bbajjj ↪ replying to Ahhh: Ignore Crowmybeloved, they are just stupid. The reason why people hate on Amy has nothing to do with her killing Abaddon, is just that they are mad Crow got bitched and talked down by her when she is 100 % in the right ↳ 6.8k likes · 890 replies
Crowlover2000 ↪ replying to Bbajjj: What a malicious explanation. People don’t hate Amy because of this, they hate her because she just keeps holding on to secrets without ever explaining anything or ever helping the rest of the group ↳ 1k likes · 2k replies
Aguy ↪ replying to Crowlover2000: Lmao, talking about malicious comments and the saying this. Yeah, sure, Amy doesn’t share her secrets, but neither does Zayd, and I don’t see half of the hate she’s receiving directed at him. Just say that you hate her cause she outshone your little edgy boy by advancing the plot in a few chapters more than he did in the entire manga ↳ 6.8k likes · 890 replies
Crowlover2000 ↪ replying to Aguy: And again saying shit that isn’t true. For fuck sake the reason why we are mad…

The angry comments continued on and on, each one longer than the last. However, contrary to what it might have seemed, they weren’t all just fights.
The circles-and-crosses war among users with profile avatars of either Crow or Amy—which Amy had noticed at first—seemed to be something more satirical than serious.
As she kept reading, she also noticed that readers had begun stacking symbols like military insignia: Amy, Iris, and Zayd with a green circle meant one faction, while their counterparts marked with a cross meant the other.
Lain, meanwhile, seemed to be considered mostly neutral, as her avatar bore a question mark instead. She wasn’t the only one, though; some readers also placed a question mark on Amy’s avatar to signify that they still hadn’t made up their minds about her.
Nobody was spared the symbols. Just like in a war, the main culprits of the controversy—Amy and Crow—weren’t the only ones drawing hostility; every other character even remotely involved was catching strays.

TowerOfBooks: Nobody cares about Lain, Iris, and Zayd. They can suck Amy’s toes for all I care; they won’t be missed. I hope we stop seeing them ↳ 60 likes · 5.2k replies
IrisEnjoyer ↪ replying to TowerOfBooks: damn the ratio is nasty, they’re cooking you in the comments ↳ 2k likes · 200 replies
Nedstone77 ↪ replying to TowerOfBooks: Did the author make Lain dumber? Why would she side with the girl she met a couple of months ago, contrary to the guy who has been with her her entire life?? ↳ 300 likes · 150 replies
IrisEnjoyer ↪ replying to Nedstone77: I think it’s just you who got dumber. Go and reread any of Crow’s arguments, dude was not making any sense like at least Amy hid well the fact that she wanted to kill Abaddon for personal reasons, Crow didn’t even do that ↳ 1k likes · 20 replies

Altartt: The only person in that room thinking logically was Zayd, the others were all just voting by vibes, including Amy that even if she agreed with Zayd was clearly full of shit on her reasonings ↳ 5.4k likes · 977 replies
lyraremacy ↪ replying to Altartt: lmao, that simp just wanted to kill Abaddon because Amy looked at him with her puppy eyes, nothing logical about that ↳ 812 likes · 3k replies
Altartt ↪ replying to lyraremacy: Listen buddy, Abaddon was clapping the party like two minutes before the argument; if he managed to get up, it was literally over for all of them. ↳ 2.9k likes · 203 replies
bbub ↪ replying to Altartt: People keep saying this but I genuinely think Ash was right, Abaddon and them had teh same objective and he was deeply sorreful. If Crow had used talk no jutsu I think they might have reached an agreement with enough time ↳ 1.5k likes · 488 replies
noctem ↪ replying to bbub: I wish I had the same level of delusion as you, my life will be much happier. Ash idea was dumb and literally only an excuse to help his friend, don’t get it twisted ↳ 2k likes · 41 replies
lyra1supremacy ↪ replying to noctem: Ash loyalty is better than Zayd’s simping ↳ 1.1k likes · 530 replies
noctem ↪ replying to lyra1supremacy: Defending a man that would kill his children for his own benefit is simply insane ↳ 2.2k likes · 96 replies
lyra1supremacy ↪ replying to noctem: Nobody is defending Abaddon learn to read ↳ 890 likes · 240 replies

Wandereer: What was the point of Iris suspecting Amy for so many chapters only to blindly believe in her at the end. Is this not just stupid??? ↳ 3.9k likes · 720 replies
IrisNotbbbbbas ↪ replying to Wandereer: Media literacy is dead ↳ 1k likes · 800 replies
Wandereer ↪ replying to IrisNotbbbbbas: how about responding to the comment next time? ↳ 4.4k likes · 89 replies

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breadwinner ↪ replying to Wandereer: Imo, Iris randomly choosing the girl she’d been openly against the whole time is probably the most Iris thing ever ↳ 5.9k likes · 130 replies

stillwater: Why is nobody talking about Lain’s vote? For me that is the single craziest thing in the chapter, didn’t expect it at all ↳ 5.1k likes · 1.8k replies
crowfanboy199995 ↪ replying to stillwater: That’s what I’m saying. Lain literally makes no sense this chapter, because what do you mean instead of going with your friend that you know since forever, you side with some random blonde chick for no reason??
↳ 402 likes · 2.2k replies
s,sjskks ↪ replying to crowfanboy199995: No reason is crazy. Amy literally is the only one making sense ↳ 6.7k likes · 310 replies
crowfanboy199995 ↪ replying to s,sjskks: Headcanon. ↳ 187 likes · 940 replies
s,sjskks ↪ replying to crowfanboy199995: for the love of god bro, Lain is the most neutral out of everybody in there as shown by every single panel when Crow’s group and Amy’s group were fighting, she is always away from both. She clearly didn’t side with AMy because she’s amy but because Crow wasn’t making any sense
↳ 4.2k likes · 121 replies
crowfanboy199995 ↪ replying to s,sjskks: panel placement isn’t characterization lmao ↳ 9 likes · 460 replies
dustbunny ↪ replying to crowfanboy199995: brother she has spoken maybe two hundred words in the entire manga. Panel placement is ALL she has, that’s like saying you can’t judge a mime by his movements ↳ 7.2k likes · 55 replies
crowfanboy199995 ↪ replying to s,sjskks: Gwaa gwaa gwaaa, keep crying don’t care ↳ 9 likes · 760 replies

Amy read that last one twice.
“That crowfanboy199995 guy reminds me of myself back in the day. Their ragebait needs some work, but overall it’s pretty decent…” she muttered in the empty room.
Unconsciously, she looked towards where Libris had left before shaking her head and getting back to the book—
and immediately regretted it.
[Thread: MONTHLY SHIPPING POLL]
Oh no.
TATTTTT: (148k votes) 1st — crow x amy, 34% 2nd — crow x lyra, 22% 3rd — Crow x zayd, 19% 4th — Amy x Zayd, 11% everything else under 5% ↳ 12.4k likes · 9.1k replies
“…What?”
Amy frowned, then checked again.
“What?”
How the hell are Crow and I still a popular ship??
She glared daggers at the pages, then immediately got to reading the comments.

lyra1supremacy ↪ replying to TATTTTT: i’m sorry but what the hell is this pool, Amy killed Crow’s dad. Hello??? ↳ 2.2k likes · 1.7k replies
inkstained ↪ replying to lyra1supremacy: Yes, and? We don’t care, just like we don’t care about the bandage carrier you have in your name, lyra1supremacy ↳ 9.6k likes · 288 replies
lyra1supremacy ↪ replying to inkstained: If it wasn’t because of the bandage carrier, everyone would be dead by now ↳ 3.1k likes · 950 replies
inkstained ↪ replying to Youmama: 34%, don’t care + ratio + cry harder + cope + the enemies to lovers genre exists specifically for this + hahahha ↳ 4.4k likes · 610 replies
Youmama ↪ replying to inkstained: You guys are insane… ↳ 2.0k likes · 300 replies
softserve ↪ replying to Youmama: We aren’t. Open your eyes, look at their chemistry, their interactions… It’s all so damn romantic, like yeah sure the parental homicide might become a problem, yes, I won’t deny that, but I have faith it will end something more than just hate, love always wins I have no doubt on that and AMy and CRow’s love definitely will ❤️ ↳ 8.8k likes · 150 replies
RationalReader ↪ replying to TATTTTT: Yup, you guys are insane… ↳ 3.4k likes · 320 replies
inkstained ↪ replying to RationalReader: is it us that are insane or the word? Who are you to say? ↳ 3.9k likes · 62 replies
Agyy ↪ replying to TATTTTT: Crow and I really can’t stop getting shipped with pretty woman, huh… ↳ 200 likes · 600 replies
Lkkk ↪ replying to Agyy: Who even is this guy? ↳ 1k likes · 600 replies

“What is wrong with this world?”
[THREAD by sssWatch: Crow is useless]
sssWatch: 6 chapters unconscious; 9 chapters being used as a meat shield; 2 chapters spent crying; his own sword doesn’t want to be with him; 0 enemies killed after he entered the academy; 0 fights won also by himself; 0 votation won too with the voters being members of his own damn team; 1 arm. Ladies and gentlemen, the protagonist. ↳ 18k likes · 5.1k replies
CrsIsHim ↪ replying to sssWatch: he was maimed and unconcious what did you want him to do? ↳ 2.1k likes
sssWatch ↪ replying to CrsIsHim: not cry like a little bitch ↳ 22k likes
QuietReader ↪ replying to sssWatch: the fraud allegations are going strong right now, but honest question, is Amy just stronger than Crow now or was she hiding her strength? ↳ 3.8k likes · 2.9k replies
PowerScaleGod ↪ replying to QuietReader: take this to the powerscaling board before you summon them here ↳ 940 likes

[MEGATHREAD: POST-NIGHTMARE ARC: Theory Only. READ THE RULES.]
ThreadKeeper (MOD): Please don’t break the rules (hollowplush and her besties I’m looking at you):

1. It has to be related to the plot
2. NO SHIPPING
3. Give Arguments If you don’t follow these three, just don’t bother coming here ↳ 40.1k likes · 22k replies
   Hollowplush: Ok everyone, I need you too hear me out. So Azazel has already confirmed that the Goddess had lovers, and then she said that the devourer and her were extremely linked. So coudn’t this be who she was referring to?? Like the reason teh devourer want to dastroy everything is because they both broke out and the goddess cheated on her. Which would then mean that this entiere manga is literally Toxic-Universal-Yuri as I decided to name it. This whole thing is after all just some messy yuri divorce and AMy’s book is child tehy adopted and so the key to unravel the mystery. Thoughts??? ↳ 600 likes · 3.4k replies
   Reportdim ↪ replying to Hollowplush: mods mods this literally just shipping with extra steps ↳ 15k likes · 212 replies
   ThreadKeeper (MOD) ↪ replying to Reportdim: I reviewed, and it follows every rule cited previously. Sorry ↳ 2k likes · 3k replies
   Motlamp ↪ replying to ThreadKeeper: Hurra!!! A historic victory for the yuri lore community. I KNEW IT I KNEW IT SINCE CHAPTER 40 I HAVE BEEN SAYING THE BOOK IS [removed by moderator]
   ThreadKeeper (MOD) ↪ replying to HollowPlush: Off topic. Last warning of the month. ↳ 5.7k likes · 402 replies
   BookLover99 ↪ replying to ThreadKeeper: How is her comment off topic, mods abusing their power now??? This is [removed by moderator]
   TheoryMachine: I’m impressed nobody is mentioning for me the single most important line in this story that is when Abaddon mentions The Goddess while saying that Amy’s is the one she had talked abou. It’s a massive revelation because it shows us that one, Abaddon has directly spoken to the Goddess for more than just getting his prophet powers, and two that the Goddess and AMy are related in some way and AMy has kept this hidden the entiere time (like usual to be honest) ↳ 8.8k likes · 2.1k replies
   NahFam ↪ replying to TheoryMachine: Abaddon is not a confiable source lol, you see how much shit he talked back in the cabin? Dude was just spitting whatever ↳ 60 likes · 1.7K replies
   TheoryMachine ↪ replying to NahFam: If you want to play like that be my guess. Lest’s forget about Abaddon words and instead focus on his body. By teh end of the arc he had golden cracks all over his body. You know who else had golden cracks? Amy’s book. You have to be blind to not to see that they are both bound by the same contract with possibly the Goddess ↳ 4.9k likes · 511 replies
   SSS ↪ replying to TheoryMachine: Yeah, I don’t know what NahFam is on about. Amy is clearly related to the Goddess, and at this point, is mostly confirmed ↳ 4.9k likes · 521 replies
   CountingCrow: SO let me get this straight, we are talking of seven doors, seven trials, seven people on the party, and seven umbrellas. Isn’t all this too coincidental? It’s like the nightmare was build straight up for them. ↳ 70 likes · 730 replies
   BibIBI ↪ replying to CountingCrow: My ranked teammates ↳ 4K likes · 288 replies
   Alcabra ↪ replying to CountingCrow: Azazel created the trials around her and gave them the umbrellas bruh. Obviously the number seven would be repeated ↳ 3K likes · 248 replies
   CountingCrow ↪ replying to Alcabra: Guys I just realize that since Azazel is the Academy, then she is also Building B and let it happen. Actually didn’t the headmitress mention something about a contract? Because whatever this contract with the two of them is I have a feeling is super mega important for later on ↳ 6k likes · 288 replieS
   AnalyticalReader: Amy is kind of the main focus of this arc so I wanted to analyze something that I found incredibly curious about her. She is loowkey never wrong (unless I missed something) Like Abaddon was talking about some “seen every future and I win in all of them” and now is dead, Azazel also said that she thought evryone but Crow would be dead due to Abaddon, and AMy book stopped it. Zayd has already confirmed that she is appart from fate, and her power is kinda already controlling it, so could it be possible that her ability is more powerful that we know and she’d been directing fate? Let me know y’all thoughts. ↳ 9.4k likes · 1.7k replies
   Blll ↪ replying to AnalyticalReader: I agree, I think she’s stronger that she let’s people see, or at least she’s growing stronger. Like at the beginning of the nightmare her barrier broke almost every time but now they almost look indestructible. ↳ 1.2k likes · 388 replies
   Latecom5: Genuinely, The more I read this manga the more impressed I am, because I really didn’t expect for Abaddon to be just another step on teh way. The real thing is the Devourer and to beat her (or them (I’m very inclusive, you see)) they have to go to a city that has been foreshadowed since oblivion. I can’t ait to get there. ↳ 8.3k likes · 1.9k replies
   Mapmaker ↪ replying to Latecom5: the manga is called quest for avalon and they have not even been to Avalon. We’re in the prologue. see you all at chapter 600 ↳ 6.7k likes · 1.9k replies

Amy lowered the book with a sigh. Honestly, reading through this entire comment section had been a bit different from the other times; she hadn’t minded this one much… well, at least up until the last comment, that is.
“The manga is called Quest for Avalon, and they have not even been to Avalon.”
By now, Amy had bled through her nose, ears, and eyes; she’d withstood a siege for hours; and she’d burned down her own fake family. Hell, she had even smashed a prophet’s skull wide open using her best friend’s unconscious body.
And yet, all of that was being referred to by readers as nothing but the prologue.
Amy hated the fact that they weren’t even wrong. The Blood Emperor, the tribe of Onys, and Zayd’s situation with them were problems that were still there, just to name a few.
And that still wasn’t the worst of it…
Everyone and their mother wanted to get to Avalon, and if Azazel was to be believed, in five years they would have to deal with all the mess that that provoked.
That is, if the damn Goddess didn’t decide to sneak in along the way and make things worse. She had, after all, said—very suspiciously and creepily—that she and Amy would be seeing each other in a year or so.
Oh, and the satchel. Or rather, what was inside it: that damn book—not Libris, the Devourer’s one.
“Let me eat you, and I will kill the Goddess,” Amy muttered with a chuckle. “Who would accept something like— Oh, right, I just remembered I also have to get a job……”
I wanna go home…
How was it possible? Killing Abaddon had felt like reaching the summit of a mountain, but then it had turned out that the “summit” was just a ledge, and when the fog cleared, the actual mountain was still right there above her.
One thing at a time… one thing at a—
Tak. Tak. Tak.
Amy felt her muscles tense as a sound reached her ears from the ceiling, coming at first from the bedroom, traveling down the hallway, and stopping right above her head.
She slowly looked up to see Libris peel off the ceiling, rotate midair, and land in front of the sofa.
For a second they just stood there without showing any sign of emotion, then a smile appeared on their face; they were back to normal.
“Perfect timing. You finished just as I was falling asleep.”
Amy’s stomach dropped. “Wha—”
“We’ve got one minute? Maybe two? So if there is something you want to tell me…”
You promised we would talk…
Amy cleared her head of the useless thoughts before speaking. “Are you okay…?”
Libris paused, then sighed. “I will be.” Then they added quietly, “In a bit.”
Amy’s throat closed up. She opened her mouth, but Libris lifted a hand before anything could come out of it.
“Two things first; then you can be mad at me all you want.” They raised one finger. “The other book. The Devourer’s. Don’t answer it while I’m gone, okay?”
“…I’ll wait.”
“Good. Also, in other matters: your status has been updated.”
The red book on Amy’s lap grew warm, and its pages opened on their own.
Name: Amy Stake Special Ability: Fate’s Road Secondary Ability: Shared Fate (Bonded with Libris)
STR: D END: C → C+ DEX: C AGI: C → C+ MAG: B (D) → A (C)
READER SENTIMENT: Fanatic: 1.01% → 4.87% ↑ Devoted: 7.3% → 16.2% ↑ Like: 38.8% → 36.8% ↓ Neutral/Undecided: 50% → 19.0% ↓ Dislike: 2.2% → 16.0% ↑ Hate: 0.49% → 6.71% ↑ Amy-Level: 0.2% → 0.42% ↑
Overall: Your ability power has increased from level 45 to 118. Ability’s Mastery: 9 → 10
Amy stared at the numbers, frowning.
“That’s… actually good…? The comment section lied to me.”
“One percent always produces ninety percent of the noise,” Libris replied. “Either way, that isn’t the most important part. Amy, your mastery hasn’t kept up with your power; you need to fix that.”
“So… you’re telling me to go back to studying?”
“Yes. From now on, you should truly focus on your technique rather than on the readers’ perception of you.”
“…Noted,” Amy muttered.
The status dissolved from the page, and the book closed itself.
And then… there was nothing left on the agenda.
The silence that fell over the small dorm room felt different from all the other silences Amy had endured lately.
Amy looked at Libris.
Then she stood up, slowly, raised her arms… and stopped.
Libris let out a small laugh. “Are you not going to hug me?” they murmured.
“I’ll break you,” Amy whispered back.
“I’m going to sleep either way. Do it properly. Please… I want to know what it feels like.”
Amy squeezed her eyes shut.
And held on.
Crack.
“!” She flinched and began loosening her grip, but a hand gently pressed against the back of her head, keeping her exactly where she was.
“Till next time, Amy,” Libris said into her ear. “And… sorry. Next time we’ll talk, I promise.”
The warmth swelled once—then the weight in her arms simply wasn’t there anymore.
The figure she had been holding was gone, and the book on the couch—when Amy walked toward it and touched it—no longer gave off any kind of warmth.
Amy just stood there in the middle of the room, staring at it.
“…See you later,” she whispered to the empty air.
Nobody answered her.
So she waited for the numbness to come. It had come for everything else, after all—for Elias, for the trial, for Abaddon, for her own mother’s warm hand on her shoulder… It was reliable like that. Any second now it would roll in like fog and let her file this away with all the rest, and then she would be able to get up, plan, prepare, keep moving; there was always something more to do, anyway.
It took three seconds after that thought for it to finally arrive.
Amy sank onto the sofa, grabbed the sleeping book, and pulled it against her chest.
Then she simply… stayed like that.
For a long, long time.