Dark Path to Heaven [Demon Romance]

Chapter 55

Chapter Music: "Nostalgia" from the otome game "Amnesia: Memories"

Merihem gave me a bright smile and glanced at the pages.

"This piece of information is too much of a coincidence to ignore. Maybe Orias can tell us a few things now that we've reached our own conclusions. I'll speak to him now," he said and focused his eyes somewhere to reach his consciousness.

Soon after, Orias was with us again, as if he knew we would eventually turn to him. Quickly catching up, his eyes stopped at the pages Merihem had brought and, without even looking at us, his gaze turned apologetic.

"Have you got any idea why I ended up hundreds of years into the future?" I asked then.

"Yes, Astaroth wouldn't plan something that would end in... failure," Merihem pushed on.

"No one is supposed to ask such questions," Orias replied monotonously.

Did I hear this right? Orias not asking questions?

"But questions lead to knowledge." I narrowed my eyes, already suspicious. I could swear Orias shared my inquisitive nature.

"If Astaroth hasn't found a solution, it's because there's none." His eyes were stern and his tone resolute. "Now tell me, Sophia: Would this knowledge be useful to you in any way?"

"You speak as though you know the answer."

"I'm quite sure I do." He dropped his gaze. "But it won't change anything."

Orias wouldn't enjoy the idea of his friend's suffering either. They both kept keeping secrets from me, even at times like this. But perhaps they had a good reason to do so. Perhaps knowledge wasn't always the answer.

I will... trust their judgment.

"There must be something you can share," said Merihem. "For example, how did he get hold of a story she never published?"

He sighed. "He asked me not to tell."

"Why?" I asked, fed up with his uncooperative attitude.

"He doesn't want you to act on it."

And what if I did? Astaroth was suddenly gone and I have nothing left to lose.

"Please, Orias!" I raised my voice, exasperated. "It cannot get any worse! I think I deserve some truth, at least!"

He squeezed his eyes shut as if to get rid of anything standing in the way of his decision and finally broke the silence.

"He was an assassin as a human," he said, his tone just above a whisper. "He was one of the leaders in a rebel group that searched for all sorts of dangerous people and killed them. Businessmen, politicians, clerics and everyday people. No social group escaped their wrath."

"He had these habits even when he wasn't a demon?" Merihem exclaimed disappointed.

"He saved lives! Both literally and metaphorically," Orias snapped back and looked at me. "And you helped him stay on the right path."

"My story?"

"Yes. Thanks to both of you, many innocent humans weren't murdered, raped or abused in any way. Anyone whose ideology was unhealthy and strong enough to heavily influence others was tracked down and eliminated."

"Did they only kill criminals?" Merihem interrupted.

"Criminals..." Orias mocked bitterly. "How do you define one? Do you agree with the unjust law of the stagnant human societies which still infects our days? Or do you also include the millions of arrogant yet ignorant idiots who consciously or not affected the fates of many others? Do you include those who would denounce you because you're gay? Would it be okay if they sentenced you to death or – even worse – ruined the rest of your life with their indirect society norms?"