BCN | Temptation in the Dark | Chan x Reader (female)

Chapter 19

As Chan and (Y/n) clung to each other...

A church sat nestled against the edge of the forest, solemn and still in the dark of the night.

But a lone figure pushed through the heavy doors, his rasping, panting breaths breaking the hushed silence.

"...Gilles?"

Jackson turned quickly, his eyes widening at the blood that dripped from Gilles' arm and left a trail on the tiled floor.

Gilles looked haggard as he stumbled towards the pulpit, where he fell to his knees, staking blankly up at the cross.

He gripped the wound on his arm, oblivious to the blood staining his fingers as he continued to stare at the cross.

"Could it be? Was yon wound caused by Chan's hand?" - "I told him... that I would fulfil his greatest wish. But..."

Gilles paused, his expression twisting with grief, his breath coming in short gasps.

"...He refused." - "What tragédie indeed, for the fallen hero to spurn your outstretched hand. And in his fury, his relentless blade did cut grievously deep into his comrade's sword arm-..." - "Don't you dare talk ill of Chan!" - "I-..." - "I won't let anyone else demean him! Ever! I alone have that privilege!"

Delirium flickered in Gilles' eyes, a fervid, zealous light trembling with all the rainbow colours of the stained glass above.

He stared fixedly at the cross, the rainbow-tinted fervour in his eyes seeming at war with itself, as if sanity might prevail.

"Gilles..." - "When I was still alive, I truly believed I'd done nothing for Chan. That I'd failed my dearest friend. That's why I was willing to go this far - to become a vampire, and be reborn again. I thought... if I could fulfil Chan's wish, and let him die in that hellfire blaze... then I'd find peace. Nnghh... but now I wonder... was I wrong, all this time?"

Jackson's eyes widened, and he took a quiet step closer, moving to where he could clearly see Gilles' expression.

But he said nothing, only staring at him and watching as the agitation faded slowly from Gilles' eyes.

"That young woman, the one who's always with Chan... she told me I was just trying to assuage my own regrets..." - "(Y/n)?" - "...Heh. And I realised, she was right. Like the fool I am, I was just trying to please myself. I should never have been reborn in this world!"

Gilles stood up slowly, his gaze still focused on the cross, but the uncertainty had faded into something rapturous.

He stood tall and proud again, looking the very picture of the gallant soldier who'd fought at Bang Chan's side.

His head turned slowly, a new determination flaring in his eyes, and then he moved grimly towards Jackson.

He grabbed hold of Jackson's cravat, yanking the man towards him.

"You said you are a playwright, non? That you wanted to watch our conflict unfold, and let it inspire your work? Surely this is enough to satisfy you. Your wickedness ends here." - "...Pray, be clear with your meaning." - "I know the fault lies with me for letting myself be deceived by your sweet talk... but what value is there in anything gained from purposely twisting the fates of others like this? What value is there in any play written from such cursed deeds? I'll tell you - there's none. You'll be left with nothing, but a fool's regrets."

Jackson's sharp intake of breath echoed loudly through the empty pews.

"But you already know that, don't you? You know that what you're doing is idiotic."