The Virtues' Magecraft

Page 35: The Shape of Darkness

"You see, Alexander Lane," Lilith said. "...I want you to kill me."

"...Huh?"

"I want you to kill me," she repeated.

And just like Lilith, Alexander repeated himself. "...Huh?"

This time, the Titan didn't respond. At the center of her cloak was a golden button. The same insignia of a rising sun was engraved into it. She gripped the button and removed it, throwing down her cloak at once.

Underneath her stark white uniform was simple human clothing. That was the strange part, after all.

Alexander had encountered a multitude of enemies and allies, all different beings from different realms. Strangely enough, the strangest and often most dangerous ones were humans. In fact, in the months prior the Virtues had made a bet as the species of the leader of the Golden Dawn. And yet, the human theory was disproved with their encounter against Arnhild Norr.

Still, Lilith didn't display any kind of killing intent at all. With Alexander's confusion, her lips spread apart with a slight smile. She extended her hand at him. "Give me your hand," she said.

Alexander paused. With hesitance, he swallowed his dry saliva and extended his hand at her.

The Titan gripped his wrist and placed his palm onto her breast.

Once again, Alexander clenched his jaw. 'This is probably a trap,' he told himself, his eyes still wide in confusion of the situation.

Still, as many times as he told himself that, he still couldn't sense any malicious intent from Lilith or from his surroundings.

"Do you feel that?" she asked him.

Confusion continued to rage in Alexander's mind. "...N-no," he muttered, actively avoiding eye contact.

"Exactly," Lilith agreed.

It was then that Alexander noticed. Lilith had no heartbeat. He furrowed his eyebrows as his eyes finally met hers.

She nodded. "No heartbeat," she told him. "No pulse. Nothing. The fact of the matter is... I'm not alive."

Alexander retracted his hand as soon as she let go of his wrist. "Wait, wait, wait," Alexander immediately said, already gripping his wrist in worry. "You're not alive?"

Lilith only smiled and shook her head. "I died some years back," she said staring at her hands. "That's why they gave the name 'Titan of Death'. Meanwhile, my sister... The one who did this to me, was branded 'The Titan of Life'."

Alexander clenched his jaw. Lilith chose her words carefully, it seemed. 'The one who did this to me,' she said, speaking as if her new life was a curse instead of a blessing. But that wasn't what he asked about.

"Wait, but your sister..." He paused. "If she brought you back to life, then why do you... y'know, want to die?"

She nodded in understanding. "You see... I am an anomaly."

Alexander swallowed his saliva. An anomaly. That wasn't exactly anything new in Alexander's world.

"The dead are supposed to stay dead," she continued. "My very existence is not something that should happen. My very existence is not something aligned with the order of the universe." Lilith placed her hand above her heart. "If I'm supposed to be alive... Then I wouldn't have to endure the world of pain that comes with this 'new life'."

"So..." Alexander finally said. "You want me to kill you."

She nodded. "That's correct."

How the hell do you respond to that?