Esther’s cry echoed, and just as the black fog descended upon me, I thought I had lost consciousness…
For some reason, I remained awake.
However, due to the fog, it was pitch black around me.
It wasn’t just dark—it was so dark that I couldn’t see anything at all.
‘This is…’
Clearly, I felt as though my eyes were open, and I truly believed them to be so, yet I could still see nothing.
I tried calling out to Esther, or attempted to draw upon magic power, but there was no response.
It was then that I realized this place was a completely dark void, and fear began to rise within me.
Still, recalling Esther’s advice that the fiend known as the Deceiver Demon would surely launch a psychological attack, I took a deep breath to steady the rising panic.
Even though this “deep breath” wasn’t real breathing, merely a repetition of the deep breaths I used to take, it still helped to calm me somewhat.
‘Hmm…’
Something felt off.
Esther had said the demon would launch a psychological attack, and the demon itself had claimed it would show me despair.
But so far, there was no despair—just an overwhelming sense of nonexistence, bringing with it a primal fear.
This was far from despair.
‘I need to focus…’
If I let my mind wander in this situation, it would be akin to suicide.
The most important thing was to maintain this state and escape the situation, but the problem was that I couldn’t think of a way to escape.
It would be better if something actually happened; at least then I could respond. As it was, there was no sight, no sensation—only the creeping feeling of my own existence fading.
‘This is a serious situation…’
If I stayed like this, I might as well stay like this forever.
Just thinking about that made the fear I had somewhat calmed begin to rise again.
Though I knew I shouldn’t succumb to fear, it was impossible to shake the primal terror brought on by the unknown.
…
It was then.
– [‘Hea… out…’]
A sound so faint it was barely audible.
Though I couldn’t make out what it was, I knew I had heard something.
Trying to make sense of the voice, I focused my attention.
And then,
‘This is…’
My vision opened in the place that had been filled only with darkness.
A building made of stone, resembling some kind of underground structure.
In the spot that resembled where I had been before stood a girl covered in injuries, breathing heavily.
When I recognized her face, I froze.
A face I knew well.
‘Aria…?’
There was Aria, her severed arm spurting blood, clutched tightly as she breathed heavily.
Standing before her was a man with black skin and horns protruding from his head.
When I saw his face, I drew in a sharp breath.
‘Albert…?!’
The eldest son of the Lachar family was there, transformed into a demon, tormenting Aria.
‘What in the world is happening…?’
Evan’s thoughts didn’t have much time to linger.
For Albert had begun to move again.
Aria, who had regained her arm at some point, attempted to summon divine power, but Albert was faster, swiftly cutting off her movements with a wave of his hand.
– [‘Albert… Brother…’]
Aria’s anguished cry reverberated through the space, but Albert, having lost his mind, waved his fingers cruelly.
Each time Albert moved his hand, a different magic circle formed in the air, each methodically bringing Aria closer and closer to death.
Bang!
It began with her limbs.
One by one, Albert removed her arms and legs, watching as Aria, who refused to die and instead regenerated, was finally bisected into upper and lower halves.
I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut at the sight of Aria’s body separated so easily.
Please…
I can’t watch this…
I don’t want to see Aria die anymore.
I shook my head fiercely, silently praying for it all to stop.
But in this scenario enforced by the demon’s power, shutting my eyes made no difference.
Even though I felt as if I had closed my eyes, within my mind’s eye…
Aria kept dying and regenerating over and over again.
Her chest would explode, her head would burst off her body—only for her to regenerate and endure the same fate again, each time at the hands of Albert.
‘A, aaaah…’
It’s a nightmare.
This is a nightmare.
It was then that I understood.
What the Deceiver Demon is, and why it shows me such things.
‘No…’
I didn’t want to believe it.
How could someone become a demon so easily?
And most importantly, how could Aria, who had fought against a superior demon, be so helplessly beaten?
This is a terrible nightmare.
It’s nothing more than a nightmare devised by the demon to drive me mad.
Even so, trying to convince myself of this did nothing to change the situation.
– [‘Craaack…’]
In the nightmare, Aria was being ruthlessly torn apart by Albert.
Wounds would heal and regenerate, turning the blessing of her indestructible body into a curse—making her wish for death.
I knew it was a nightmare.
I wasn’t even sure if it was real.
And I knew that pondering this was foolish.
But I couldn’t stop myself from thinking it.
It was too realistic, too vivid.
The way Aria was dying…
Each and every process was telling me this was real.
It was telling me this was actually happening.
‘Please… stop…’
Kerchunk!
Stop killing her.
Bang!
Just stop killing her.
Squish!
Just stop.
Thud!
Stop it…
…
Stop…
…
…
Stop it…
‘I’ve lost…’
I can’t win.
Anyone who sees this, no matter who it is, would go mad.
Who could watch as a girl dies in endless, vivid ways and remain sane?
If such a person existed, they’d be insane to begin with.
I’m afraid.
I’m afraid of having to continue watching this.
The fear of what new method of death Aria might suffer overwhelmed me.
I couldn’t keep my sanity anymore.
– [‘I shall grant you rest.’]
Yes, that’s it.
With my broken mind giving in, I slowly drifted toward death.
…
It was then.
– BOOM!!
An explosive sound echoed through my consciousness.
In that moment, the dark space blazed so bright it hurt my eyes.
‘What…?’
What had just happened?
While I wondered about that, the brightness began to fade, the dazzling glow slowly dimming.
And…
– Mu…th…
Albert’s arm was missing.
Where the arm had been was now just a glowing, fiery stump.
Even though Aria was covered in blood and looked ready to collapse from exhaustion, the power emanating from her pendant was anything but ordinary.
Even after enduring such torment, Aria still carried the will to fight on.
And, as I saw her still shining holy eyes smiling, I instinctively realized.
Aria was trying to restore Albert to his original self.
Which meant she had been waiting for this moment all along.
And,
It became clear to me that what was happening before my eyes wasn’t a mere illusion shown by the demon but a reality that was truly unfolding.
‘Ah…’
Even in a situation where anyone else would have given up, even amid clear suffering, Aria had continued to do her best and fought on.
It was by the single-minded belief that she could save Albert that she had pushed through everything.
As soon as this realization hit me, I gradually steadied the consciousness that had been slipping further and further into the abyss.
‘I can’t die here.’
I couldn’t die here.
Out of respect for Aria, I had to survive.
I had to.
