242 This world has clearly changed a lo

"how long are you going to pretend to be unconscious?" 

yuta raises his head and looks at her grimly. the ropes become loose and fall down. "did you also kill your mother and grandfather?"

"what if i did?" she steps away from the dead body and points the gun at him. "should i kill you again?" 

"what's stopping you?" he sneers at her. this is her true face. she doesn't think for a second before killing someone. the woman he fell in love was a demoness in an angel's skin. she had never been truthful toward him except for her name.

"it's bothersome." mira lowers her arm. "the entire country is looking for you. they will also find this place. but you can make things easy for me since i saved you anyway. run toward the east. i am sure that you can make up a story."

"why should i listen to you?" he doesn't budge from the spot. "who asked you to save me?"

"actually, it wasn't my intention to save you. i had to take care of this man who was bound to become a problem for me in the future." mira chuckles when she sees his cheeks and nose reddening with anger. she takes off her coat and tosses it over him. "wear that. it is still some time before the search party comes to this part of the forest."

yuta clasps the coat, wanting to throw it into the fire. without a word, she turns her back to him and walks toward the entrance of the cave. she's going away. he wants to stop her. 

when she hears the sound of his steps, mira stops walking. her fingers tighten around the gun. "if you follow me, your family will die at the hands of the consortium. i will make you watch them die before i kill you again."

he withdraws his hand from reaching her hand.

"you should have killed me when i gave you the chance." she continues with an arrogant voice, "you have many things to lose in this lifetime. you can't afford to act freely. since both of us got the chance at a second life, it would be pitiful if i kill you again. let's part and never see each other again."

in this lifetime, she doesn't want to see him again. he has a family that loves him more than their lives. she's both envious and happy for him.

she makes her way toward the edge of the forest, leaving the boy behind. though she's aware that her words won't reach him, she whispers with a quiet voice, "live well. make friends. make good memories. i hope that you find the moon that would treasure you, icarus. i hope that the sun's darkness never touches you again."

someone like him was never meant to walk the path of darkness. he always hated holding the gun and killing people. he always longed for family and love. it was truly not easy to make him fall for her. in that lifetime, she only wanted to use him to get the consortium. somewhere along the way… 

"it was impossible to not love you, umezaki yuta." she doesn't have any regret. the girl laughs alone and keeps walking. "right, your name is kamiyama yuta now. i am glad that you have the chance to get what you have always wished for. if i stay close to you, you will lose this precious chance at happiness. being loved by an ash is a curse. i promise that curse won't touch you in this lifetime."

she does want the throne -- not because she wants to rule the consortium. it doesn't matter how long it takes. she will end this cycle of pain. she will destroy them all and erase the last of the ash family including herself. 

***

yuta doesn't know how long he's been walking with the coat in his hand. she's right. he has too many things to lose. he doesn't want his parents to get hurt. 

still, he can't help but look back frequently, hoping to see her again. 

"the boy is here!!!" 

he doesn't react when they find him. they ask him many questions, but he doesn't answer them. his heart is hollow. then, he feels familiar hands on his shoulders. he looks up at his father. his lips tremble. silent tears roll down. he's a grown man, but he's bawling his eyes like a child. he doesn't want to know why. he doesn't want to look back. the coat in his hand is still warm. why did she give it to him if she didn't care? why did she not let him follow her if she did care? that selfish woman does whatever she wants. she made her choice. that choice didn't include him. in her both lives, she chose the consortium.

relieved, kiyohira pats his son to sleep. he stares at the coat that his son is clutching to his chest. whose coat is it? 

***

in the interrogation room, daniel nagasawa curses inwardly. this is mira's doing. she is the one who sent that anonymous letter to the police station. she's currently 'missing' and the police think he killed her, just like he killed kirishima ayaka and kirishima naoki.

two hours ago, the police barged into his house when he returned home after the cremation of ayaka's and kirishima naoki's bodies. now, he knows why the girl didn't go to the crematorium with him. she must have planned this from the beginning.

this is ridiculous. he refuses to say anything. he's sure that someone from the consortium will come soon. where the hell did she run to?

if he finds her again, he will choke her with his own hands. a girl like her is too dangerous to let free. he can't wait to get out of this place.

when the door opens, a man in a black suit enters the interrogation room. daniel lets out a breath of relief. "ryosei."

his old friend, akazawa ryosei, sits opposite him. "how have you been, mr nagasawa?"

"i have been better." daniel smiles at him. "i didn't expect that father would send you to get me out."

ryosei narrows his dark eyes and smiles at daniel. "mr nagasawa, you are mistaken. i am not here to get you out."

colour drains from daniel's face. if he didn't come here to get him out, then…"ryosei, i didn't kill ayaka and kirishima naoki. it was her. that child is a demon. i saw her killing them with a smile."

"why did it surprise you if she killed her kins, nagasawa?" ryosei replies with a lazy voice, "the strong kill the weak. it's the nature of the ash family and the reason why they are above you all. they are capable of doing things that weaklings like you can never imagine."

that's what they always heard, but daniel doubts it. to him, the ash family seems like wretched creatures. when he read christopher ash's diary, he found that boy to be pathetic. ayaka was no better. 

"we found maddox kang's body. this makes things complicated." ryosei walks around the table and stands behind the man. he places his hands on his shoulders. "daniel nagasawa, you forgot your status. you lusted after the power that could never belong to you. you killed kirishima yuki and lied to the consortium. you failed to prevent her from breaking the rules."

the man's dark eyes become flamboyant red. "because of you, i lost the woman who completed the last wish."

what? the moment daniel opens his mouth to question him, ryosei pushes something in his mouth. daniel tries to spit the pill out. but his attempt is futile. ryosei covers his mouth and pinches his nose. "now, now, be a good boy and swallow it. i could easily eat your soul, but i have to kill you in this way because this is your father's last request. you brought shame to your father who spent years in the service of the ash family. don't forget this even after your death."

daniel nagasawa thrashes his body until his heart stops. ryosei lets go of him and takes out a handkerchief to clean his hands. he clicks his tongue and walks out of the interrogation room with a disgruntled face. "what a strange wish! now, who was supposed to be her sacrifice again? i never got the payment. then, this body is too stiff. i must find a better body first."

nobody notices the man in the black suit walking out of the police station after murdering a man. outside the station, he looks up at the sky. "this world has clearly changed a lot."