Betrayed, I Met The Demon Lord

Chapter 74 - Magus Veil, Part 4

"Woah..." Van muttered, leaning in as his elbows pressed against the table. His gaze sharpened as he locked eyes with Amoria. "She actually did it?"

Amoria exhaled slowly, gripping her cup tighter. "If you go back to the graveyard and walk a few hundred meters past Magus's grave, you'll find her name. Lala Brimmen. The date on the stone reads over twenty years ago. She hung herself in her room..." Her voice faltered, lowering to a near whisper. "And I'd bet my life on it... while that rope dug into her skin, she fully believed... she was making Magus happy." The words lingered in the air, followed by a heavy silence.

Van shifted in his seat, "Amoria," he began softly, drawing her attention back to him. "If you know all this... and you know how dismissive your Goddess is toward humans... And, lets be honest; her borderline psychotic approach to it... Why do you still follow her?"

Amoria's lips pressed into a thin line before she let out a slow, tired sigh. "She keeps me safe... gives me strength. My skills and blessings are given due to my devotion toward her," she murmured, "But more than that..." She paused, as if gathering her thoughts. "I needed something to hold on to after he died."

Her gaze drifted, "I'm not a good person, Van. I used to think I was, back when I was younger. I believed that if I followed my faith—if I prayed to her and obeyed her teachings—I'd be pure... blameless."

She looked directly into his eyes now, her voice more deliberate. "But meeting you... made me realize I'm not as pure as I wanted to believe."

Van's brow furrowed, and he shifted slightly at her words, though he said nothing.

"You radiate... this vile aura," she continued, her voice soft but unwavering. "It's the very thing she warns against—through scripture, dreams, and prayers. At first, as you know, I tried to avoid you... even after you saved me that day." She dropped her gaze again, her tone dipping into something bittersweet. "But despite everything... I fell for you... Even if it was... fleeting."

The silence between them stretched on.

Van lowered his gaze, his jaw clenching slightly. "..."

Amoria inhaled slowly, her breath trembling as if steeling herself to continue. "After Magus died... I had no choice but to believe in her again. I had to." Her voice wavered, barely keeping itself steady. "I have to believe that all of this—everything—means more than just entertainment to the gods." Her words turned bitter, the sharp edges of doubt bleeding through. "It has to mean more. It can't just be some... cruel joke."

"Alright, I get it. You don't have to explain yourself... Continue," Van nodded.

Amoria gave a small, shuddering exhale before continuing. "...After Magus found out—standing there in the crowd outside Lala's room, realizing she was gone; recalling he had told her to kill herself prior... he broke. He ran, sprinting through the academy like a madman, desperate to find Fohrd... But when he did, Fohrd wouldn't even let him speak. He pushed him away... told him he'd rather face the bullies again than have anything to do with Magus. He blamed him... blamed him for Lala's death, saying the last time he saw her, she was with him."

"And the others..." Amoria continued quietly. "Male students caught wind of it—they grew curious, started questioning Fohrd about why he and Magus weren't together anymore. By then, Fohrd had stopped hiding it. He was done with it all."

Her voice dipped lower, "That's when Magus found himself surrounded by enemies... and by dolls, as he called the girls. Because that's what all of them were to him by then."

Van shifted in his seat, his expression tightening as he absorbed the story.

"By then..." Amoria murmured, her gaze growing distant.