Nour's CH5 Sneak Peek (6??) (Patreon)

Yea, I don't know. We'll call it six and leave it at that. I had to share, I'm just really liking Nour's new toxic route. It's fun. It's angsty lol.

I'll probably start doing this thing of just giving you guys sneak peeks. Most times I have a "don't give too many" or "don't give boring sections." If I like it, then I'll post it, period.

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"What did I do?" you ask, more to yourself than to them. You attempt to place everything in order, a task that finds itself becoming more demanding by the minute. Where did you go wrong? What did you do to make them lose their trust in you?

"You did nothing," Nour reassures you.

"Then why are you lying to me?" You pause, shaking your hand, wishing to reach out and touch them but restraining. "There is an explanation. I know there is. I know you."

"I'm afraid you don't, Your Highness," Xeno says. "Nour's obsessiveness is due to narcotics given to them by a local shaman." Ruben snorts as Nour whips around to fully face Xeno.

"Xeno," Nour says in a hushed voice, hands balled into fist.

"It allows them to vividly remember and relive their memories."

"Stop," you shout, shaking your head violently, "it's not true. There's an explanation. None of this makes any sense."

"Let us speak alone," Nour growls. Xeno hesitates but bows to you, and only you, before taking his leave.

You are about to ask the same of Ruben, though you doubt he will grant you such a secluded audience, find that he has already left. He now is with the rest of his group, all attempting to get a word in as he stands smugly. Your attention is placed back on Nour. You want to focus, but your mind has made it its mission to figure out what you did. It had to be you; otherwise, Nour would not have behaved this way. It is always you. You are the common denominator, the one constant figure in everything bad.

"I'm sorry," you start.

"$name," Nour tries, but you shake your head.

"I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry. Please. Please forgive me. This is new to me, and I don't know what I'm doing." You feel yourself descending into hysterics. <<if $memory <=50>>"I'll start with the flashbacks. I'll actually live through them entirely so that I can remember every single thing.<<else>>"I'll try harder to figure out my flashbacks. To have more of them to remember every single thing."<</if>>

Your eyes light up with realization. "That narcotic," you repeat slowly, the word odd on your tongue. "You can give me some of it. It can help me remember."

"$name," Nour says again, turning partly away from you.

"I'm trying," you tell them, "I don't know what else to do."

Nour's eyes clench closed as they finally look at you, their eyes growing watery, "Xeno was right. What am I doing to you?"