Every Arc Ends with My Death

Chapter 48. Twisted

My head hurts. There's a loud and raspy sound.

As I held the lifeless Haniel in my arms, my vision was bleary from my own tears. I also realized that the thunderous voice was coming from my throat.

It was me. I was screaming from rage and sorrow.

A few seconds ago, it felt like the strings that have been circling my throat finally snapped at once.

Before I knew it, my non-existent voice came out for the first time. Perhaps my curse was broken.

I don't know how. I wasn't even on the right mind to celebrate the recovery of my voice. I was just too devastated by the death of my companion.

"Why, Alistair?" I queried in between sobs. "You shouldn't have done this... How could you break your faith to me? Why did you do it? Just why?!"

Grand Duke Averill had an emotional look on his face. I was appalled by his reaction. How dare he? What right does he have to look woeful right now?

"I never betrayed you." Alistair took a deep breath, as if trying to compose himself. "I did this for you."

My mouth froze. He did this for me? Really?

"It was a necessary sacrifice." His Grace explained further. "Think about it. Even if you two escaped from the tower and hid in the south, how long will you be able to keep running away from Lilith?"

The more he spoke, the more my anger rose.

"The plot will never progress unless the conditions are met. Until they acquire the devil's heart, they would keep hunting you even to the ends of the earth!" Alistair exclaimed as his justification.

No, this can't be happening. Wake me up from this nightmare. This isn't how it's supposed to be at all!

"The only way to protect you is to strike a deal with the devil, which I willingly took the liberty, no matter how much black magic repulses me!"

My face distorted in disbelief. "What? You struck a deal with the devil incarnate? Are you insane?"

I stood up and confronted him face to face.

"I did." Alistair placidly confessed. "We shared an oath. That Lilith won't kill you, under any circumstances, in exchange for the devil's heart."

Grand Duke Averill tilted his head innocently.

"Your brother cooperated, too. He was promised a different reward, I suppose." He glanced over Servan. "Say it. What did the devil offer you?"

"Well, that's..." My brother's face was contrite as he spoke. "She promised to break your curse."

"Thus, you can speak freely now that you have recovered your voice." Alistair pointed out.

My heart sank upon hearing those words.

That's exactly why it hurts so much. For these two to be in cahoots against Haniel... I know that they did it out of love. It's twisted, but love nonetheless.

But I didn't want any part of that twisted love.

Haniel is not merely a friend, but a companion that I envisioned to be with me in the future.

Despite the predicament we found ourselves in, we promised to overcome it together and to stay with each other through thick and thin. He was, in many ways, the source of my comfort and solace.

And they murdered that man in front of my eyes.

On top of that, they laid a trap by using me against him and pushed him to a point where he couldn't do anything to fight fair and square. It was so low.