The Beginning Of An End

Chapter 27

The time seemed to slow down, my restless mind quieted down despite the apparent chaos consuming us all. Memories of Loki remained and everything we had gone through remained but nothing ached anymore. It was blurred out, like a faded postcard from a place never visited.

Even though I was sitting in the office chair for a short time, the peace of mind that I had made it feel like I was there for much longer. It was strange, going from chaotic whirlwind in my mind to a genuine bliss. There was still profound hatred I held for Devil but that was what I was familiar with and comfortable.

But the love I used to feel for Loki... that was something different. It made everything seem worse than it actually was. It was as if the love had intensified the pain, amplifying every hurt until it became unbearable. I realized now that denying those emotions, pretending they didn't exist, had driven me further into madness. It was a madness I hadn't even recognized until now, as I sat here, distanced from it all.

And what worried me most was that I didn't know for how long I had actually held that love for him. It seemed like it had been there much longer than I'd realized. Looking back, what had felt like instant attraction now appeared to be something far deeper. I hadn't understood until now how effortlessly I had let him in, how easily I had allowed him to claw his way into my life. The realization struck me with a heavy weight—love hadn't just been a fleeting emotion, but a silent, persistent force that had shaped everything. And one that I was happy to live without.

As I grappled with these thoughts, the door creaked open, and in walked Belial. His presence was like a shadow cast over the room, dark and imposing, yet oddly reassuring in its familiarity. He took a measured step inside, his eyes scanning the space with an inscrutable expression.

Belial had always been an enigma, a figure who straddled the line between ally and adversary. His motives were often shrouded in ambiguity, and his loyalty was something I had always questioned. Yet, in that moment, his arrival felt almost like a twisted form of salvation.

"You..." he frowned as he scanned me for a few seconds, "You seem different. Are you okay?"

I hadn't realized it would be this obvious. It felt as if I had shed some invisible burden, like getting rid of a terminal illness.

"I'm perfect," I said with a smile that felt both genuine and new.

He studied me more closely, his suspicion and confusion clear. "You were losing your mind earlier," he remarked, his voice carrying a trace of concern. He took a few steps closer, as if trying to bridge the gap between our altered realities.

"I got it solved," I hummed, a touch of amusement in my voice as I relished the newfound clarity of my own mind.

"Solved, you say?" he asked. "Drugs?"

I laughed out loud at his immediate assumption, "You'd be surprised but no."

The surprise was evident in his eyes, and his confusion seemed to deepen. "Then what happened?" he asked, clearly baffled by my apparent transformation.

I shrugged, a playful grin on my lips. "Sometimes, clarity comes from unexpected places." I stood up from my seat and approached him.

Belial's eyes narrowed slightly, as if trying to piece together the puzzle of my sudden change. "That's a rather philosophical approach. Care to elaborate?"

I shook my head, still smiling. "Not today. Just know that I've come to terms with things in my own way. And right now, I'm just enjoying this moment of clarity."

None of his questions got answered but he didn't seem to want to pry anymore. Instead, he just sighed and said, "Okay. Keep your secrets." His tone was a mix of acceptance and mild frustration, but there was an underlying respect for my choice to remain vague.