(Celia's Perspective)
6:02 PM - 1/1/2018
We had finally arrived.
Sylvaris wasn't just a town; it was a fortress of light and commerce. The massive stone walls were veined with protective enchantments that shimmered faintly in the twilight, and the cobblestone streets were clean. It was beautiful, busy, and painfully bright.
I pulled the hood of my heavy woolen cloak further down, making sure every strand of my white hair was hidden. My eyes, thankfully, were easier to mask with a simple glamour spell, turning their vibrant red into a dull, unassuming brown.
Here, I wasn't the Queen of Curses. I was just another traveler.
Lucas led the way with the confidence of someone who owned the place.
"This way!" he called out over his shoulder, weaving through the crowded market district. "The best inn is just past the Merchant's Plaza. It's called 'The Silver Hearth.' Great food, better beds, and the owner owes me a favor."
I clung to Kaiser's arm, my hand slipping naturally into the crook of his elbow. Even through the layers of his coat, I could feel the solid warmth of him.
He's mine.
I glanced at the ring on my finger, the red and blue gemstone swirling lazily. A tiny, secret smile tugged at my lips.
We reached the inn—a large, timber-framed building with warm yellow light spilling from its windows. The sign above the door creaked welcomingly in the wind.
Inside, it smelled of roasting meat, ale, and woodsmoke. It was crowded but cozy. Lucas marched straight to the reception desk, where a stout woman with rosy cheeks and a no-nonsense bun was organizing keys.
"Martha!" Lucas greeted cheerfully.
The woman looked up, her face splitting into a grin. "Lucas! You rascal! Still alive?"
"Barely!" He gestured to us. "I need rooms for my gang. The usual rate?"
Martha eyed us critically. "For you? Fine. How many rooms?"
Lucas turned to us. "Three rooms, right?"
"Two," Kaiser corrected instantly, his voice flat.
Lucas blinked. "Two?"
A slow, teasing grin spread across Lucas's face. He leaned against the counter, wiggling his eyebrows at us
"Oho? Two rooms? My, my. Moving fast, aren't we? I guess you two need to save mana, huh? Or maybe just practice some close bed wars?"
He winked. "Don't worry, the walls are thick. You guys can be as loud as you want."
My face erupted in heat.
Smack!
I swatted the back of Lucas's head hard enough to make him stumble forward.
"It is not that!" I hissed, my voice pitched low so the whole inn wouldn't hear. "We are a... we are a newly engaged couple! So we should stay the night together! It's tradition!"
I grabbed Kaiser's arm, hugging it to my chest, burying my burning face in his sleeve.
"Right, honey?" I mumbled against the fabric.
Lucas rubbed his head but gave me a thumbs up. "That's the spirit, sister! You can do it! Be bold!"
Kaiser raised an eyebrow, looking entirely unimpressed by my romantic declaration.
"I said two rooms because I'm broke," he stated bluntly. "I can't afford a room. I'll sleep in the forest."
Lucas and I both froze. We stared at him, dumbfounded.
"The... forest?" I repeated.
"Yes. It's free," Kaiser shrugged.
"Absolutely not!" I cried, forgetting to whisper. "You can't sleep in the forest! There are monsters! And... and bugs! You can sleep with me! The bed is big enough!"
Kaiser looked down at me, his expression deadpan. "No way. If I sleep next to you, I'll wake up with bite marks. You're a hazard."
"I won't bite you!" I protested, my face turning even redder as Martha, the receptionist, let out a loud snort of laughter.
"I heard her say she'll bite you, sir," Martha chimed in helpfully.
"See?" Kaiser pointed at her. "Even the public knows you're dangerous."
I opened my mouth to argue, but the shame of being called out by a stranger silenced me. I just puffed my cheeks out and glared at the floor.
"Okay, okay, calm down," Lucas interjected, sighing. "I'll pay for you this time, Kai. Don't go to the jungle, bro. You need a bath."
Kaiser hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. I'll pay you back once we get a few quests covered."
"Glad to hear it," Lucas said, turning back to Martha. "Alright, Martha. Put it on my tab. I'm rich."
He pulled out his wallet with a flourish. He opened it.
Silence.
He stared into the leather abyss. There were exactly three gold coins and a ball of lint.
We all stared at the lint.
"So..." Lucas said slowly. "Martha. About that favor..."
Martha crossed her arms. "Cash upfront, Lucas. Or you sleep in the stable."
Five minutes later, after Lucas had a frantic, whispered conversation with himself in the corner about his spending habits, he managed to scrape together just enough loose change from his pockets and boots to pay for the rooms.
We shuffled to the dining area, defeated but housed.
Dinner was a hearty affair—stew, bread, and ale. I sat next to Kaiser, determined to be the perfect fiancée.
I picked up a piece of bread, dipped it in the stew, and held it up to his mouth.
"Say 'aaah', Kai," I cooed, smiling sweetly.
Kaiser stared at the bread. "I have hands, Celia. I can feed myself."
"But I want to feed you!"
"You're embarrassing me," he deadpanned, his voice loud enough for the next table to hear. "You annoy me, baby."
My brain short-circuited.
Baby? He called me baby?
I froze, the bread hovering in mid-air. My face was on fire.
Lucas snickered into his ale. "Sister, bro knows all your weak spots. You're too easy."
We both glared at him. "Shut up, Lucas!"
When the bill came, the comedy of errors continued. We all stared at the slip of paper.
"I used my last coin for the rooms," Lucas whispered.
"I'm broke," Kaiser reminded us.
"I... I don't carry money," I admitted.
Kaiser sighed, standing up. "Leave it to me."
He grabbed the poor, young waiter by the shoulder and guided him to a quiet corner. I watched them talk. Kaiser spoke in low, serious tones, gesturing vaguely toward the kitchen, then toward the ceiling, then toward his own tragic existence.
Ten minutes later, they returned. The waiter looked dazed, almost tearful.
"The... the meal is free," the waiter choked out. "Please... just take it."
Kaiser sat back down, looking smug.
"How did you do that?" Lucas whispered, awestruck. "Did you threaten him?"
"I convinced him I was a food critic for the Royal Gazette who had just been robbed by bandits and was testing the 'charity' of local establishments," Kaiser whispered back.
"You conned him," I stated, impressed and horrified.
"Bargained," he corrected.
We walked up the stairs to our rooms, exhausted but full.
"Night, guys," Lucas yawned, waving lazily as he disappeared into his room. "Don't bite him, Celia."
"Goodnight, Lucas!" I called back.
Then, we were alone in the hallway.
I turned to Kaiser. The playfulness faded into a soft, possessive warmth. I gripped his arm, leaning my head against his shoulder.
"You're staying in the room next to mine," I murmured, pulling his hand toward my stomach, holding it there. "Right here."
Kaiser looked down at me, his blue eyes softening.
"You're bratty when you're tired," he teased gently.
"I'm not bratty," I denied, looking up at him through my lashes. "I'm just... ensuring my husband is safe."
"Go to sleep, Celia," he said, leaning down to press a quick, chaste kiss to my forehead. "I'll see you in the morning."
I watched him enter his room, touching the spot on my forehead.
Morning, I thought, my heart fluttering.
I can't wait.
The door clicked shut, sealing us off from the world—and from Lucas. The sudden quiet of the small room felt like a warm blanket after the noisy chaos of the inn and the cold anxiety of the outer world.
I let out a slow, luxurious sigh, a sound of perfect, solitary contentment.
I slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, the cheap mattress protesting softly beneath me. I held my hand up to the light, turning it to admire the ring on my finger.
Mine, absolutely, eternally, mine.
I let the glamour spell on my eyes dissolve. The dull brown faded, and the intense, burning red of the Queen of Curses bled back into existence. Then, I pulled the heavy hood off, letting my long, snowy-white hair spill over my shoulders. My face softened. Here, alone, the cold mask I wore for the world finally dropped.
Time to get a lay of the land.
"Crownless," I thought, my voice clear and absolute in the silent chamber of my mind. "Report on this city, Sylvaris."
A dark ripple of shadow peeled away from the furthest corner of the room, coalescing just outside my immediate view.
"My Liege," the voice of Crownless replied, a deep, melodic tone that sounded strikingly and annoyingly similar to Lucas's outgoing confidence.
"Sylvaris is… well, it's a total upgrade from that Fairy maze we just left, you'll be happy to know. The Guildmaster, Sylvia, is running a tight ship."
"The City is broken into six main Districts, My Liege. First, you've got the Market District and the Trade Wharf—economic engines, tons of gold moving through. Second, the Temple District, typical Celestial stuff, lots of prayers and shiny towers. Third is the Residential Sector, nothing special, mostly humans. Fourth, the Guild District, where we are heading tomorrow, obviously the power center."
"Then you have the Architecture and Research Sector—a few mages, mostly focused on defense and construction. The whole city is growing fast, thanks to their Guildmaster easing up on tariffs, apparently."
"And finally, the Entertainment District, Liege." His tone shifted, a subtle, almost suggestive curiosity entering the mental projection.
"That one is buzzing. It has theaters, high-end spas, and a highly popular service called the… Succubus Service."
I frowned, my spine stiffening.
Succubus. The word tasted like ash.
"Mirage. Explain this… Succubus," I commanded, my tone cold and sharp.
From the deepest shadow beneath the bed, a smaller, more delicate silhouette emerged. It was Mirage, the fairy demon I had once eliminated out of pure, possessive jealousy over a misplaced kindness from Kaiser. Now, she was eternally devoted to me, her loyalty sealed in blood and service.
She materialized fully, her body a beautiful, ethereal blend of pink light and shadow, and instantly knelt on one knee beside the bed, her shadow form kissing the floor.
"My Queen,"Mirage's voice was like distant, affectionate bells, full of absolute submission. "May I answer? I read of them in the Forbidden Books of the Fairy Library."
Go ahead, I thought, crossing my legs and settling back.
"The Succubus, My Queen, is a cursed life-form, a direct opposite of Celestial purity. They are not sustained by food or water, but by life essence—the pure mana and spiritual energy of living males through sex."
"They are built for a single purpose: seduction and acquisition. Their beauty is magically enhanced, their skills are honed for pleasure, and their essence is an irresistible lure. They draw in their prey, drain their life force like nectar, and leave them empty."
Mirage described the act without emotion, as a simple biological necessity. "The texts claim that virtually no male can resist them, My Queen. Their charm is a compulsion, a dark magic woven into their being, unless the male is either spiritually drained or protected by a powerful, sustained godly blessing.
A slow, sickening wave of fury, cold and absolute, washed over me.
Just for pleasure and their needs, I thought, my red eyes blazing.
They just take. They just feed.
And men must fall for them?
"Yes, My Queen," Mirage confirmed sadly. "They are designed to take what the heart desires. To make their essence feel like the ultimate satisfaction. Their bodies are… extremely attractive, My Queen, and their skills are unsurpassed."
The thought of one of these creatures laying a finger on Kaiser—trying to siphon his rare, perfect life force—sent a white-hot spike of violent, possessive rage through my entire being. My hands instinctively curled into fists, my nails digging crescent moons into my palms.
I'll just torture them. I'll take every piece of pleasure she has ever known and return it to her as endless, agonizing pain.
But first, I shouldn't focus on them for now.
Mirage remained kneeling, her delicate shadow form a picture of obedience.
"My Queen," she asked, her voice dropping to a new, strangely earnest tone. "May I ask something… personal?"
I paused. My demons were developing personalities. Crownless was copying Lucas's casual demeanor; now Mirage was asking a personal question with genuine, hesitant surprise. It was… good. It meant they were growing. It meant their servitude was absolute.
"Go ahead," I said. "Be quick."
"My Queen," Mirage began, her voice soft and trembling. "Forgive my forwardness. I… I have been observing your relationship with Sir Kaiser."
She paused, looking down at the floor, then back up at me with eyes full of heartfelt concern.
"I feel… it is more one-sided than it should be."
I blinked, genuinely surprised. "One-sided? What do you mean?"
"Sir Kaiser…" she hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "He often follows your lead when you act, yes. He accepts your care. But he also pushes you away. Like earlier… in the morning when you confessed of loving him, he could only confess he liked you."
She took a step closer, her voice rising with indignant loyalty.
"My Queen, you are perfect. You are beautiful. You are powerful. Why is he so blind to your beauty? Why does he make you chase him?"
I stared at her. Mirage, a creature born of lies and light, was genuinely upset on my behalf. She cared.
She noticed. She sees me trying.
I sighed, leaning back on the bed and crossing my legs. "Mirage," I said gently. "You're sweet. But you don't understand him."
"What is there to understand?" she countered softly. "He should worship you."
"He isn't the type to chase," I explained, twirling a lock of white hair around my finger. "Kaiser is… complicated. He doesn't trust easily. For him to say he 'likes' me… that's a massive step. It's huge."
"But he should say more!" Mirage insisted. "He should be clearer!"
"He's protecting me," I reasoned, though the words felt a little thin even to my own ears. "He said he wants to deal with the Primordial Beasts first. He doesn't want to drag me into danger until he's sure we can win. That's love, Mirage. That's care."
"Is it?" Mirage asked quietly. "Or is it distance?"
I opened my mouth to argue, but the words died in my throat.
Is it distance?
He held me. He kissed me. He gave me a ring. But he also kept a wall up.
He kept secrets of his past.
"I'm sorry, my Queen," Mirage whispered, seeing my hesitation. "I spoke out of turn."
I let out a long, shuddering sigh. The confidence of the Queen slipped away, leaving just the girl who had waited years.
"I guess… you're probably right," I admitted, my voice small.
Mirage looked surprised. A sudden gust of wind rattled the windowpane, carrying the chill of the night air and the distant, indifferent light of the stars.
My eyes hardened. The red glow intensified.
"But Kaiser is not the type to fall easily for anyone," I said, my voice dropping into that familiar, possessive cadence. "Not as much as I think he should."
"My Queen?"
I stood up, walking to the window. I looked out at the dark city.
"Remember the Labyrinth?" I asked, my reflection in the glass grinning back at me. "Remember how he flirted with Sylaphine, your previous mother? He almost made her blush."
My fingers traced the cold glass. "I don't know why he did it. I know he was distracting her. I saw him—or rather, a version of him—fighting her inside the maze while the real him was outside. He did it so we could escape. It was tactical."
I turned back to Mirage, my expression dark.
"But… Kaiser… even if he did it for us… it made me really jealous."
Mirage's eyes widened. "Is that why you marked him, my Queen?"
"Yes," I confessed, the memory of his blood tasting sweet in my mind. "I pretended my split personality took over. I pretended I lost control. But it was me."
I hugged myself, a shiver running through my body that had nothing to do with the cold.
"I wanted to mark him," I whispered, my voice thick with obsession. "I wanted to leave my teeth marks on his neck so deep they'd never fade. I wanted to chain him down and kiss him all night until he forgot her name. Until he forgot everyone's name but mine."
I laughed, a low, broken sound. "But he managed to get out that time. He's slippery. So I had to pretend it wasn't me."
Mirage stared at me, processing the depth of my madness. She didn't look scared. She looked… thoughtful.
"My Queen," she said slowly. "I feel like your love… and his affection… is pure in a way, from the outside. You protect each other. You would die for each other. But…"
She stopped, unable to find the word.
I smiled, a sharp, dangerous curve of my lips.
"We have a toxic relationship," I finished for her.
"And I wouldn't have it any other way."
Mirage, still kneeling, looked up at me with confusion etched into her demonic features. "I do not understand, my Queen. How can love be toxic and yet... good?"
I smiled, a soft, wistful expression that felt alien on my usually cold face. I leaned back, my gaze drifting to the ring on my finger, then to the dark window where the city of Sylvaris slept.
"Because it didn't start with flowers and sunshine, Mirage," I whispered. "It started with blood."
I closed my eyes, letting the memory wash over me. Not the childhood one—that was precious, a secret garden in my mind. No, the recent one. The reunion.
"Long before today… I was abandoned. Crying in the cold grass, hurt and kicked out of many wretched villages."
Mirage nodded slowly.
"Hunters," I spat the word. "They found me too quickly at that time. The town I had fled to… it already had bounty posters up. Clear handwriting. Someone wanted me dead very badly."
I shivered, remembering the cold bite of the wind and the terrifying screech of the Noctis Graspers.
"Those monsters… they slaughtered the hunters. I thought I was next. I was running through the forest, my leg bleeding, thinking this was finally the end. The Grasper had me. Its claws were in my skin."
I opened my eyes, meeting Mirage's gaze.
"And then he killed it."
My voice softened, turning dreamy. "Kaiser. He didn't just kill it; he obliterated it. He saved my life when no one else would."
"When I woke up," I continued, a genuine smile spreading across my face, "I wasn't in a cage. I wasn't being tortured. I had bandages on my leg, treated with care. I had a warm sheet over me. He had set up a camp just for us."
I hugged myself, remembering the warmth of that fire.
"He was so kind, Mirage. So gentle. He made jokes about burnt fish just to make me laugh. He told me about his past adventures and funny moments. For the first time in years… I laughed. I felt happy."
I leaned forward, my red eyes shining with intensity. "And you know the craziest part?"
Mirage tilted her head. "What is it, my Queen?"
"We actually met as children," I revealed, my voice dropping to a whisper of awe. "He saved my life not once, but twice. And the second time… he didn't even know it was me."
I laughed, a bright, bubbly sound. "I was honestly obsessed with him as a child, you know? I didn't know about love or romance back then. I just wanted him to sit next to me and talk to me all day, every day. I wanted him to be my only friend."
Mirage looked stunned. "He… he has always been your savior?"
"Always," I confirmed. "On that day at the camp… my old 'friends'—the ones who hated me, who wanted me dead—they found us. They hurt me. They hurt him."
My expression darkened, the mask slipping back into place.
"And he risked his life to protect me. He stood between me and them, bleeding, just to keep me safe. I felt so happy seeing him do it for me. It felt… intoxicating. I wanted to do something for him, but I was too weak then."
I clenched my fist, the ring flashing.
"But now look at me. I've changed. I'm the Queen of Curses. But my obsession… my love… it has only grown. Before, I was shy. I was scared to speak. But not anymore. Now I am confident. Now I am bold enough to tell him exactly what I want and take it."
Mirage bowed her head low, her voice trembling with emotion. "I… I apologize, my Queen. I misinterpreted everything. I see now. Your bond is forged in care. I am so sorry for doubting him."
"It's okay," I said, reaching out to pat her shadowy head. "You care about me. That's good."
I let out a soft laugh, but then my face went still. My hand stopped moving on her head.
The room went deadly silent.
"But you know, Mirage," I said, my voice devoid of all warmth, turning cold and factual. "I also learned one truth while I adventured with him."
Mirage looked up, sensing the shift. "My Queen?"
I smiled—a terrifying, knowing smile that didn't reach my eyes.
"Kaiser was the one who posted those posters to get me hunted."
Mirage's form flickered violently, shaking as if struck. "W-what?"
"He orchestrated it," I whispered, staring at the wall. "He drew the hunters to me. He set the stage. He made sure I was desperate enough to need saving."
I giggled, the sound echoing in the quiet room.
"And I love him even more for it."
"He orchestrated it," I repeated, my voice now a low, flat monotone. "He set the stage. He brought the very people who tortured me to my doorstep, just so he could be the only one to save me."
I sank down onto the bed, the mattress sighing under my weight. I hugged my knees to my chest, my white hair spilling over my shoulders, hiding my face.
Mirage's demonic form flickered wildly, no longer from fear, but from raw, protective fury.
"Oh, my queen," she whispered. She knelt beside the bed, her luminous pink body radiating distressed concern.
"My beautiful, perfect queen. This is unforgivable. This is... betrayal. He manipulated your feelings? He made you feel weak just to earn your trust? You deserve worship! Not this kind of cold, calculated cruelty!"
She looked ready to phase through the floor and attack Kaiser in the next room.
"Don't, Mirage," I said quietly, waving a hand weakly. "It doesn't matter now."
"It matters to me!" she insisted, her voice tight with sympathetic pain. "You were hurt, you were alone, and he saw a vulnerable heart and decided to use it like a weapon. He should be grateful you even looked at him, not play games with your life!"
I let out a shaky breath that was perilously close to a sob.
"I didn't want to believe it," I confessed, the words muffled against my knees. "I tried so hard to deny the evidence my own eyes saw. There was this one time… he took me to a village of 'soulmates.' He bought me a simple little gift there."
I lifted my head, my red eyes brimming with moisture.
"I saw him sigh as he packaged it. I noticed his handwriting on the label. It was… familiar. Disturbingly familiar. So when we got back to our place in Levinton, I asked him to write something for me—just a silly note. Something sweet."
My voice cracked.
"I felt so hurt, Mirage. I'm cursed, but I have a decent memory. The elegant slant, the sharp loops, the clear, confident strokes… it was identical. The handwriting on the cruel, Wanted: Monster poster… and his note to me… were written by the same person."
I forced myself to keep speaking, the weight of months of lies pressing down on my chest.
"And I know now how strong Kaiser is. Honestly, during that time when he faced my so-called 'friends'—the ones who hunted me down—he was far superior. He could have taken them all down easily, in one breath. But he didn't. He made it look desperate. He made it look like a sacrifice, nearly dying just to protect me. He was manipulating me to love him for a long time."
The tears finally began to fall, hot and relentless tracks down my cheeks.
"I honestly doubt if he even cares for me… at all."
The trauma of his capture and 'death' during the Grotesque War flashed through my mind, raw and visceral.
"Him being captured by the Grotesques and supposedly 'dying'… it felt like the world had ended. I trained. I tortured myself. I became strong just to defeat that Grotesque Tyrant—the one you call Crownless. Even so… I know he lied when he said he was just a little injured."
I clenched my hands, the knuckles white against my white hair.
"He faked his death. He wanted me to believe he was gone so I'd fight to bring him back. Why else would Levi have seen a body? He consider if I knew the truth… I might just give up entirely. But I guess… he knew I wouldn't. He knew I was far too obsessed to ever leave his side."
My voice was a ragged whisper now, laced with profound, crushing sadness.
"From the very beginning… he was manipulating me to love him. He used me as a weapon to fight the Grotesque War. I felt so soulless after killing that Swarm Tyrant because I knew… I knew in my heart he'd never come back to save me. He never loved me. He never cared for me. All those words he said…"
I looked down at the Soulpack Ring on my finger, the crimson and cobalt swirl mocking me with its beauty.
"Each time he said, 'You are pretty,'… each time he said, 'You are beautiful in my eyes,'… each time he said he wanted to stare into my eyes, that he loved talking to me, that he loved being cared for by me, that he didn't mind me wanting to stay with him…"
A fresh wave of tears blurred the light of the ring.
"Did he lie about it all? Was every single one of those memories… just another piece of the script? Was every single kiss just a weapon to keep me in line?"
I pressed the ring hard against my cheek, hoping the cold metal would stop the trembling, but it didn't. I was heartbroken. The girl who had waited seven millennia to be loved was shattered by the man who had finally claimed her heart.
"What if… what if I was never the Queen of his heart, Mirage?" I sobbed, the tears wetting the fabric of my cloak. "What if I was only ever the monster he designed to kill his monsters?"
My confession hung in the air, a poisonous, undeniable truth. My tears traced paths through the dust and glamour on my cheeks.
Mirage phased up from the floor entirely, her form vibrating with rage and heartbreak. She didn't look at me with fear, but with an agonizing pity that felt worse than contempt.
"My queen," she pleaded, her voice a desperate, wounded chime. "You cannot stay with him. This is not love! This is cruelty veiled as destiny! He has been lying to you, using your genuine, beautiful heart as a lever to move his selfish goals! He is still lying, I swear it! He is using you now to defeat the Primordial Beasts!"
She reached out, her demonic hand hovering near my shoulder desperately trying to offer comfort.
"Leave him! Take revenge! You are the Queen of Curses! You don't deserve this casual disregard from… from Him! You are worth more than a manipulated pawn!"
I remained hunched, my head bowed. Then, slowly, I lifted my head. The tears were quickly and fiercely wiped away with the heel of my hand. The sadness vanished, replaced by a terrifying, cruel smile that held a thousand years of obsessive hunger.
"No, Mirage," I said, my voice now calm, dangerous, and completely assured. "That's fine."
Mirage froze, dumbfounded, her distressed form quivering. "Fine?"
I stood up, pushing the despair away.
"Yes. It's fine," I purred, walking towards the window again, looking at the window to Kaiser's room. "He doesn't need to love me. While I would prefer being loved… Having him is all that matters. Because he is my Kai."
I turned, my red eyes blazing.
"And listen to the rest of the story, Mirage. Because even with the manipulation… Nobody has ever treated me better than Kai. His affection, even if fake, makes me obsessed. It drives me insane. It makes me strong."
I gestured vehemently. "Even if he has been manipulating me, he still got hurt countless times to show his 'care.' He faced those hunters. He looked like he was sacrificing himself. He made a show of his pain! He allowed himself to bleed for me! Who else would do that, even with a selfish reason?"
My finger shot out, pointing dramatically toward the darkness outside.
"But here's the real threat. He is working toward bringing a bitch back called 'Elfie'—the one who stole him from me as a child. The one he cherishes so much."
A giggle bubbled up, high and unnerving.
"Once she is back, once she is revived… I'll kill her again. And I'll add her to my demon army. My highest-ranked general."
Mirage recoiled, shaking, clearly terrified by the casual, twisted plan.
I walked over to the ring on my finger, holding it up like a trophy. "If his fake love can make me so utterly obsessed and attached to him," I mused, my voice dark and breathy, "imagine how it would feel to be loved for real."
My gaze sharpened with jealousy. "I am an extremely jealous girl. Seeing him taken away by that bitch once was enough. Never again."
I lowered the hand, curling it into a fist.
"Now I have even stolen the name she called him: Kai. How the sides turn. She is six feet under where I have his ring on my finger." My smile was razor-sharp, cutting through the darkness.
Mirage, still recovering, stammered out a new question, trying to find a flaw in my logic. "My Queen… I understand your reason to love, but why do you blame the other girls? You just said Kaiser flirted with Sylaphine in the Labyrinth, but you didn't blame him at all."
I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Because he's Kai! He's the prize! And all girls are bitches. They love attention. And Kai's attention is amazing. He can make any girl feel cherished, loved, cared for, within a few hours, without even having to truly flirt."
"The reason he hasn't accepted me yet, Mirage?" I scoffed, turning back to the shadows with a sharp, triumphant gleam in my red eyes
"It's simple. Kai needs to keep his options open for potential assets—powerful girls, influential pawns, weapons he hasn't yet fully acquired. Locking himself into a relationship with me would severely restrict that process."
I paced again, my voice dropping into a cunning whisper. "Being tied down would require him to either stop his seductive maneuvering, which he won't do because he's a genius strategist, or it would lead to cheating. And if he cheats, he risks damaging the most crucial weapon he has: my heart. He needs those other girls to think they still have a chance, that his attention is attainable, so they rush to serve him."
I stopped, planting my feet firmly. "That is the only reason he denies me the title of girlfriend. It's not a rejection."
My gaze turned fiercely protective. "But I won't allow them to distract him. I won't allow any girl to receive that special attention anymore. He is all mine, regardless of the label. Why should I share him, even as a temporary measure? My claim is absolute."
A soft, genuine smile—a rare, gentle flicker in the darkness—touched my lips. "Besides, even if he hasn't made it official, I can read his way."
"He could have slept with or seduced them even while prioritizing me, but he didn't. He instead ensured I was happy and secure. He knows how jealous I am, and he cared about me enough to never cross that line, to never truly risk losing my smile. See? Even when he's using me, he's still such a sweetheart, my honeyy."
I paced the small room, justifying my obsession.
"The first time we met in the forest, he didn't even flirt with me, and I was obsessed and attached within a day! So you can understand how intoxicating he is! Those bitches, after feeling his attention, would obviously want him! He is the best man anyone can have! So, I have to protect him. From those whores. That's why I don't mind killing any bitch trying to put her hand on my man."
I stopped, looking at Mirage with cold finality.
"I am fine with this toxic relationship. I am fine with him using me. He sees me as a weapon, and I accept that role. But as a weapon, I will kill every threat, whether it's a monster, a bitch, or a Primordial. As long as I win in the end, he is all mine. His goal is to bring his 'Eflie' back and win. My goal is to own him. We both have our own little game."
I smiled down at the ring, petting the cold metal.
"And I'll win at the end."
I began to walk in slow circles around the bed, the sudden burst of adrenaline still humming under my skin, but now channeled into pure, possessive certainty.
"If he thinks a thin shirt and a lie are enough to cover the mark I left on him…" I muttered, a low, sweet promise to the air itself.
"He's mistaken. If he tries to hide it, I'll simply have to add something more permanent. Something that won't fade with time or healing magic. He had better get used to the sight of me. He is my darling, after all."
I stopped, turning a cold, clear stare toward Mirage, who was still hovering, a nervous shimmer of pink light.
"Thank you for your kind care, Mirage," I said, the words polite but utterly devoid of warmth. "However, I don't need it. I don't require pity or rescue. My heart is perfectly fine, and my path is clearer than ever."
Mirage's light flickered, her form shrinking slightly. "But, my queen…"
"Go back to your realm, little fairy," I commanded, my voice flat and final. "I have things to think about. Important, beautiful things."
She didn't argue further. With a soft, disappointed sigh that only I could hear, the demonic form dissolved, leaving only the lingering afterimage of her distressed pink light that quickly faded into the ambient darkness of the room.
I was alone again.
I walked back to the bed and collapsed onto the mattress, lying on my back. I propped my head up with one hand, gazing down at the Soulpack Ring on my finger, turning the Violent Crimson Chaos and Deep Cobalt Void gem slowly in the low light.
He's just a harmless guy. The thought was warm, soothing, and completely delusional.
Just a little, lost genius who thinks he can trick me with a sob story and a few desperate lies. How utterly cute.
He is mine. He may use me, he may see me as a tool, but I am the only weapon he has. The only weapon that knows his every weakness and still chooses to hold him tight.
He lied. He lied when he said I wasn't his type. He lied when he tried to manipulate me with self-guilt, calling me the beautiful one who deserved better. That was all just noise. All that bullshit was just a pathetic attempt to put distance between us because he knows how dangerous I am to his 'perfect' plans.
I tried to engrave him in my soul, but even my soul is too public. He is my secret, etched into a place only I can see and feel—the core of my absolute, cursed desire.
I remember Elfie… that selfish little bitch who put her body between us and took my Kai away right in front of my face. She humiliated me. She thought she won. She can't even imagine what's coming for her.
He tried to leave me countless times, but I refused to break. I clung to him. He doesn't need to love me; he just needs to be incapable of existing without me. I'll hold his hand through the end of the world—and if he tries to pull away, I'll just use my Cursed chains to hold us together for eternity.
Because that's the final, beautiful truth:You're mine, Kai. And that is final.
The Soulpack Ring on my finger began to glow, the intertwining crimson and cobalt shining brighter, fueled by the sheer, desperate magnitude of my possessive affection. I smiled, a slow, utterly satisfied grin.
I never knew people could fall in love so quickly, I thought, gazing at the gem that held a piece of his eyes. Not until I met you, Kai. And now, you can't leave me.
I lifted the ring, pressing a soft kiss to the cool surface, then brought it to my chest, curling protectively around it as my eyes finally, finally closed.
I have him.
(Third Person)
Meanwhile, in a separate room in a different quiet inn, Eve, the girl with the shock of pink hair, lay tucked into her bed. Her ring finger was a simpler, older piece: vibrant Pink Heart Gem. Surrounding the gem were tiny, intricate slivers of blue celestial color, like a constellation of protective energy.
She gazed down at it, tracing the blue threads that seemed to shield the pink heart. Her expression was one of quiet, pure adoration, untainted by the complex darkness that ruled Celia's mind.
"There are millions of things I smile about," she whispered, her voice gentle and soft against the pillow, "but you're definitely my favorite."
This was her soul talking… not her.
She lifted the ring and kissed the gem, a simple, non-possessive gesture of affection, and then placed it not against her face, but against her chest, over her heart. It was a gesture of keeping 'someone' close, not captured.
With a peaceful, small sigh, Eve fell asleep, the pink heart of her ring guarded by the celestial blue.
Kaiser's Room:
In his own room, a deep sanctuary of pure, unlit black, Kaiser lay utterly still. His eyes were wide open, fixed on the ceiling, where the absolute darkness offered no features, no distractions.
Sleep refused him, but this time, the struggle wasn't against the usual insomnia of his mind. It was against a single, cold, lingering question that had crystallized after a night of such intense, manufactured emotion.
He had performed flawlessly. He had secured Celia's absolute devotion and reinforced the chains of her obsession, ensuring she would remain his sharpest weapon for the looming war. He had managed the situation with the flawless calculation of a true master strategist.
But did the perfect execution make the goal worthwhile?
The silence of the room was broken only by the cold voice in his own mind.
Was he a genius playing the fool? Or a fool playing the genius?
Because deep down, where his soul should have been, there was only a chilling, unshakeable void he could never admit to anyone, especially not to himself when the lights were on.
He knew he never truly, genuinely loved someone. And he never will love anyone.
He had built Celia from a broken girl into the world's most loyal weapon, guiding her Cursed magic, reinforcing her devotion. She was his failsafe, his executioner, his crown of chaos.
Even so… he couldn't accept the title of 'boyfriend.' It wasn't the cunning, elaborate excuse Celia had invented—that he needed freedom to seduce other pawns. That was a lie he fed her, a necessary narrative for her volatile psyche.
The truth was far simpler, and far heavier.
He could have seduced a dozen powerful sorceresses in secret. He could have used every seductive maneuver in his repertoire while dating her. The genius in him could manage that duality effortlessly.
But the fool saw the truth: Celia was no longer just the weapon to him. She was Celia.
When she looked at him with those vast, red, desperate eyes and called him her 'husband,' the subsequent surge of fierce, protective compulsion he felt wasn't strategic; it was a genuine, simple protectiveness he hadn't budgeted for.
He had initially engineered her devotion, but he had accidentally grown a fiercely loyalperson in the process.
He didn't avoid the title because he needed freedom for his game. He avoided it because he knew his life was a lie built on sand, and the moment he brought her into the heart of it, the moment he officially claimed her, he would be forced to expose her to the ugliness.
The necessary lies, the endless paranoia, the required compromises—these were things she deserved to be shielded from.
Kaiser didn't want to hurt the person who saw him as her absolute savior. He genuinely liked her, the messy, violent girl who had been obsessed with him. He had needed a weapon, but he had grown a fierce, protective fondness for the girl who smiled because of him.
He would never betray her trust, not as long as she didn't force him to choose between her happiness and his own decisions.
The void of that realization, vast and infinite, finally settled over him. It was the only thing capable of offering him rest. As the profound, familiar emptiness engulfed his soul to sleep, the toxic love and the innocent adoration of the two girls were irrelevant.
Only The Void's Heir Remained.
NEXT ARC: Void's Tales