Amelia finished changing, ready to head out for her date.
Stepping out of the room, she was just about to walk towards the door, when she noticed something peculiar on the floor.
"....?"
It was a small picture frame, which seemed to have fallen off the shelf.
As she picked it up, she had come to realize which photo it was.
The photo they took during the Christmas party.
Amelia frowned, picking up the fallen frame.
The glass had cracked, right over Evelyn's face in the Christmas photo.
"Strange..."
She whispered.
Memories of the Christmas party flashed in her mind.
Laughter, drinks, gifts exchanged. Evelyn had been quieter than usual that night, but she hadn't thought much of it.
"Guess I'll have to get it fixed later."
She whispered once more, shaking her head before heading towards the door.
Yet a strange chill lingered in the back of her mind.
***
Brandon's breath caught in his lungs the moment he stepped inside Evelyn's apartment room.
She was....
"...."
Without a doubt....
"....Brandon."
....Turning into a Wraith.
"Evelyn!"
Brandon rushed towards Evelyn, who had just collapsed on the ground.
Evelyn lay cold in his arms, her skin pale, her hair ghostly white. The blackness in her eye spread.
Her entire mana core seemed to be consuming itself from the inside.
"Evelyn!"
His voice cracked.
Her lips quivered, whispering.
"It hurts...."
But Brandon remained quiet, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Evelyn's current predicament.
Humanity could never figure out the origin of a Wraith. They knew the name, feared the entity, but that's where understanding stopped.
Wraiths were a mystery, and the Wraith Seed—what Evelyn had after her mana core was damaged—by Ezekiel, was unknown up to now.
Brandon had only learned of it from fragmented memories, but there were no real answers.
Records existed of people turning into Wraiths, but no one knew why or how.
It was an enigma humanity couldn't solve. Even now, with all they knew, the transformation remained a mystery.
Yet in the first place, transformations were rare.
There were certain cases like; Francis Osborn, and Sarah's father, David Aurae, who were possessed by a Wraith, but of different circumstances.
Yes. possession.
In Evelyn's case, it was a transformation.
She was turning into a Wraith herself.
But from an outsider's perspective, they couldn't tell if one had transformed or was possessed.
Brandon knew of it, but couldn't explain the phenomena. A Wraith seed? How could he explain that? Who would even believe him?
Not even someone like Bellion, who had believed in him blindly this whole time, would.
Wraith's cases were a sensitive matter, and with no solid evidence of a Wraith's seed existence, Brandon couldn't do a thing.
And then, a memory brought up.
Rafael Asami, who he initially thought would be corrupted by a Wraith seed.
He had saved him, and found out that wasn't actually the case.
He clenched his teeth. Continue reading at mvl
"Why didn't you tell anyone?"
He could've saved her too if he only knew.
If he only fucking knew.
"Why didn't you tell me!?"
He screamed.
But screaming was all he could do.
Surgery.... it could've saved Evelyn. A surgery under his jurisdiction, just like what he did for Rafael.
"I could've saved you!"
He could've....
"This all started from the auction, didn't it!?"
"...."
"Tell me! This.... I could've...."
The Wraith seed seemed to be in its final stage.
There was nothing he could do for her now.
Why did she hide it from him?
All she needed to do was ask for his help.
Help me.
Just two words.
That was all she needed to say.
"I.... I was afraid...."
Her voice finally broke out of her trembling lips.
"Afraid of what?"
However, Evelyn stopped there, unable to meet his gaze as she forcibly shut her eyes.
"Akh....!"
A painful groan escaped her lips.
Brandon's heart sank, and a chill ran down his spine.
"I'm sorry.... I'm sorry.... I...."
Brandon's voice grew shaky.
He held Evelyn tighter, his chest aching with every shallow breath she took.
Her body felt colder by the second, her fragile frame trembling against him.
Kill myself?
'No.'
He couldn't.
He couldn't sacrifice himself in exchange for her life.
Guilty slowly crept up.
Because there was only one thing he could do.
If Evelyn were to successfully turn into a Wraith.... A wraith as strong as her....
Humanity would undoubtedly collapse.
He had to....
"No."
—Kill her.
"Shut up!"
He had to kill her.
"Brandon...."
Her voice was barely a whisper, but it cut through the noise in his head like a knife.
"No."
He shook his head, tightening his hold on her.
"No, I won't do it. I won't."
But her body trembled in his arms, growing colder, slipping further away from him.
"Please.... don't make me...."
His voice cracked, his chest heaving as tears fell uncontrollably down his face.
To think he would face another ordeal like this again.
This progression was supposed to proceed smoothly.
He had ticked everything in the box.
He had done everything he could for humanity.
Ah, just a few days back, he had celebrated Christmas with everyone.
The laughter, the joy, the fun he had on that day.
Just where did it all go so wrong?
The room felt colder with every second that passed, the weight of Evelyn's body growing heavier in his arms.
"Brandon."
Her voice was faint, barely audible, like the last breath of a dying ember.
"I'm sorry...."
She coughed, her body convulsing slightly before settling back into his arms.
"No, don't—"
His voice wavered.
"Don't say that. You don't have to apologize."
Evelyn's trembling hand reached for his face, her long dark–crystal nails brushing against his cheek as her hair had fully transformed white, reaching all the way to the crown.
He was running out of time.
He had to kill her now.
He couldn't hesitate.
Or else, he'd be too late.
SHIIING—!
Reluctantly, Brandon unsheathed his sword and pointed the tip at Evelyn's chest—where her core was located.
He could end it. End her suffering.
It would be so easy to stop her heart before she fully became the monster she feared.
But the thought shattered him.
His vision was blurry.
His hands trembled uncontrollably.
Holding the sword with both hands, he did his best to stop the trembling.
He stared at the sword.
It was the sword Evelyn had given him.
Pain shook his heart, and sorrow suffocated his throat.
He was afraid.
"I'm.... sorry."
Despite being incapable of feeling fear, he was afraid.
Afraid of the pain he would feel and the wound he would come to bare once all of this was over.
But he had no choice.
Gritting his teeth, Brandon was just about to pierce his blade right through her core, when Evelyn's trembling voice reached his ears as she closed her eyes.
"Please, don't hate me.... I didn't think I would abandon you like this...."
"...."
But he didn't stop.
Because of the fact that she had gently closed her eyes, her decision was clear. Brandon couldn't betray her conviction, despite the fact that she didn't want to die.
Pouring his mana into the sword, the air around him swirled with an inky black aura.
Swoosh—!
Before the sword dug deep, memories of his time with Evelyn flooded his thoughts like a fever dream, and before he realized it, he couldn't hear anything anymore.
RIIIING—
Just a strange ringing sound reverberating in his ears.
"Haaa....."
Evelyn Cessna, his mentor, and an unexpected parental figure in his life.
Despite her cold outward demeanor. Despite everything she had gone through, all the sufferings, the loss, and the abandonment she had faced.
"Fuck, fuck!"
She was a kind, warm, selfless, and righteous person until the end.
"Ah...."
An indiscernible sound escaped his lips, leaving him unsure if it was the cry of a human or a beast.
On that day, December 31, 2149, just a few hours left before New Year.
"I could never hate you...."
Evelyn Cessna had passed away.
*
*
[End of Volume 3]