“I love you, Riley…” she said, her tone as delicate and ethereal as the night sky itself.
Her words hung in the air, charged with a sincerity that made my heart skip a beat, despite the heavy confusion coursing through me.
The memory of that confession was vivid and poignant.
I recalled the gentle touch of her lips against mine, a moment of pure connection when we had first acknowledged our feelings for each other.
The kiss we shared was like a blossoming flower in a desolate landscape, a love that felt almost too profound for someone like me.
‘I knew I didn’t deserve her…’
Yet I ignored the world’s warnings and proceeded to pursue an impossible love.
Together, we had navigated the tumultuous hardships of our world, our bond growing stronger even as the world around us began to crumble. No matter how dire the situation, we clung to each other, never letting go.
Wherever she went, I was there; wherever I went, she followed.
We supported one another through every trial, our love an unbreakable shield against the chaos that sought to tear us apart.
Our love was not just a feeling; it was our shared strength and determination.
The sight of Snow now, in her current state, was an unbearable torment. Tears welled up in my eyes, and an intense, confusing storm of emotions surged within me.
Love, happiness, regret, and hatred all collided in a maelstrom of pain and longing. Memories of a past filled with warmth and joy intermingled with the stark reality of her death, creating a dissonance that was almost too overwhelming to bear.
My voice cracked as I spoke her name, a whisper of sorrow and disbelief. “Snow….”
The name felt foreign on my lips, weighed down by the enormity of what I was witnessing.
The tears streamed down my face, each drop felt like sharp needles to the love we had shared and the heartache of seeing her reduced to this state.
The scene before me was a cruel mockery of the love we had built together, a painful reminder of the price we had paid for the world’s struggles and the dreams we once held dear.
‘She didn’t deserve this…’
The weight of Snow’s fate crushed me.
She had been innocent, a beacon of light in my world that so often consumed by darkness.
The guilt gnawed at me with each passing second. It was my own selfish choices that had led her to this twisted end.
The painful thought lingered: if only I had allowed myself to succumb to the inevitability of my fate, would the sight before me be different?
‘If only I gave up my love for her….’
Would things have been different?
As these thoughts swirled in my mind, Liyana’s voice intruded with a chilling, serpentine quality.
“Hm Hm~ it seems a reunion with your wife has brought you to tears, my dear-“
Her touch was unnervingly gentle as her soft hands brushed against my neck, forcing me to maintain eye contact with Snow’s lifeless form.
Her fingers were like cold tendrils, steering my gaze to the grotesque sight of Snow, dressed in a uniform that spoke of the corruption that had claimed her.
“Did unwanted nostalgic memories return upon seeing your beloved wife in a uniform-?” Liyana asked with a teasing inflection, her voice dripping with a cruel amusement.
The question seemed to mock my grief, her tone implying that my pain was merely an entertainment for her.
Without waiting for a response, Liyana knelt down, her face inching closer to mine.
Her eyes, red and gleaming with malevolence, locked onto mine as she used her tongue to lick the tears from my cheeks.
The gesture was both intimate and horrifying, a perverse display of affection in the midst of my torment.
Her actions were a cruel reminder of the love I had lost and the love that she couldn’t fulfill, twisted into something grotesque and unsettling.
“Don’t worry, my dear- there are more surprises coming in just a moment~” she whispered softly in my ear, her breath warm against my skin despite the coldness in her voice.
Chu~
The gentle kiss she placed on my cheek felt like a mockery of the tenderness that Snow and I once shared.
“Why…” The word escaped my lips as a choked whisper, the anguish evident in my voice. “Why are you doing this?”
Liyana’s response was a melodious hum, as if the answer was something obvious and trivial to her. “Hm~?”
“W-why are you doing this!?” I repeated, desperation coloring my voice.
“I believe you already have an answer to that, no~?”
Her voice carried an unsettling satisfaction, as though she was reveling in my confusion and despair.
Standing up, she moved behind me with an unsettling grace, guiding the wheelchair toward the center of the meadow.
The crackling sounds of Snow’s decaying body, each creak and groan of her brittle bones, echoed behind us as her foul, rotting flesh trailed a sickening stench.
The smell was overpowering, a constant reminder of the grotesque reality of her death.
Every noise and every scent seemed to intensify my internal conflict, a mix of anger and regret boiling within me.
‘Haha…’
An absurd chuckle almost slipped from my lips, a twisted reaction to the nightmarish absurdity of my situation.
It was as if my mind was struggling to process the incongruity between the serene meadow and the macabre procession.
This raw, unfiltered hatred-why was it directed at Liyana? The realization struck me with a
jolt of clarity.
I was misplacing my anger.
Fool!
The true fault lay with me.
I was the architect of this tragedy.
‘I settled our fates’
Every event leading to this grotesque tableau was a direct result of my choices. I couldn’t shift
the blame to Liyana; the responsibility rested solely on my shoulders.
That knowledge was inescapable and undeniable.
Liyana was destined to end the world-my world.
I knew that fact well. The moment I had asked Snow to abandon her place in the world, to
leave behind the life she was fated to live, everything had already begun to unravel.
It was then that the chain of mistakes, sorrow, and regret had started its inexorable descent
into disaster.
The world around me had become a grim testament to my selfish desires.
Everything was bright and peaceful here but beyond this grand illusion, I knew only fire and death remained.
The weight of my choices bore down heavily, knowing there was no one left alive to bear witness to the great sin I had committed.
My selfish desires had set this course into motion, and with every choice I made, I cemented the path to this inevitable end.
“What do you think? I made sure it would be as grandiose as possible, you know~” Liyana’s voice carried an unsettling blend of pride and cruelty, yanking me back to the chilling present.
Before me was a lavishly adorned circular table, its surface laden with an array of delectable
dishes.
The silver and gold embellishments of the domed covers glimmered invitingly under the bright sunlight, creating a stark contrast to the dismal surroundings.
Each dish was a promise of culinary delight, its aroma wafting through the air and teasing my
senses.
“It smells good, right?” Liyana said with a gentle push, guiding me closer to the table’s edge. Her tone was deceptively cheerful, a façade that did little to mask the sinister undertone. Despite the deep sorrow that clung to my heart, my body reacted instinctively. I reached out, my hands trembling with desperation as they sought to lift the domes and reveal the
promised feast.
The intoxicating aroma made my mouth water uncontrollably, an almost primal response to the scent of the rich, inviting food.
But before my fingers could touch the delicate silver edges of the domes, Liyana’s telekinesis intervened with a swift and unyielding force.
“Now~ now- Don’t rush, okay? Since this will be our last meal together, let’s make it special, shall we?” Her voice was a melodious purr, masking the underlying cruelty in her words. Liyana’s movements were methodical as she began to lift the domes one by one, revealing the
contents beneath.
The initial anticipation quickly gave way to a wave of revulsion.
Each dish she unveiled was not a feast of splendor but rather a grotesque display of decay and
horror.
The once-delicious aromas transformed into foul stenches, mingling with the rotting stench that pervaded the air.
As the revolting sight of the food became clear, my stomach heaved uncontrollably.
The contents were a nauseating blend of spoiled, unidentifiable matter-something that was meant to be a feast, now transformed into a macabre tableau.
My body betrayed me as it rejected the sight and the smell, expelling the last remnants of my meager meal in a violent, involuntary reaction.
Liyana’s smile widened with a perverse satisfaction as she watched my pitiful struggle.
Her eyes, gleaming with a mix of pleasure and malice, followed every convulsion and spasm
of my tortured body.
Each dish presented before me was a grotesque homage to the people I had once loved.
At the back of the table, the grotesque, misshapen form of my father and mother’s hand lay
among the food.
The sight of it, with its familiar yet distorted features, was almost too much to bear.
Next to it, nestled in a dish, was the recognizable hair color of my sisters’, mingling eerily
with the curry that oozed from the central dish.
The sight was so repugnant that I couldn’t help but retch again, my stomach revolting against
the horror.
Though some of the other dishes were less immediately recognizable due to their elaborate preparation, the familiarity of their shapes and the sensation of what they represented was enough to make my blood run cold.
The dread and revulsion were compounded by the unmistakable realization of what Liyana
had done.
The disfigurements and transformations had been designed to torment me, to shatter every semblance of peace I might have clung to.
This was not just a meal; it was a manifestation of my worst fears and regrets.
The abominable cruelty of it all was overwhelming, and the depths of Liyana’s malice seemed
to know no bounds.
“Liyana…” My voice came out as a harsh rasp, strained and trembling with a mixture of fear and burgeoning anger.
Despite the terror that gripped me, the clarity of my rage cut through the haze of confusion
that surrounded me.
The desire to reach out, to grab her by the neck and crush the smirk from her face, surged
within me like a tidal wave.
In that moment, all I could think about was the overwhelming urge to end her torment.
My anger burned fiercely, fueled by the sheer inhumanity of her actions and the profound betrayal that I felt.
“Ha~ it’s been a long time since you gave me that look,” Liyana said, her voice laced with a mocking delight. Her tone was almost musical, the cruelty in her words an artful display of sadistic pleasure. “Those cold blue eyes of yours are as beautiful as ever, my dear~”
The more I spoke and reacted, the more her enjoyment of my pain became apparent, her eyes
gleaming with a malicious satisfaction that seemed to take pleasure in every trace of anguish that crossed my face.
I knew I shouldn’t let her play me, but my hazy mind was fighting against my every impulse.
Watching the people I loved being mocked in such a grotesque manner was more than enough to crack the fragile veneer of my composure.
The horrific display before me shattered any remaining sense of clarity, flooding me with raw,
unrestrained emotions.
“I’ll kill you!” I shouted, my voice cracking with both anger and desperation. The words were
a fierce declaration of my rage, a futile attempt to claw back some semblance of control.
“Ha~ it’s been a long time since you gave me that look,” Liyana cooed, her voice dripping
with a maliciously sweet tone. “Those cold blue eyes of yours are as beautiful as ever, my
dear-“
She took slow, deliberate steps toward me, her presence an ominous shadow looming over my
frayed sanity.
“I’ll fucking kill you Liyana!”
The taunting smile on her face remained constant, despite the curses I spilled. “You said that to me last time, didn’t you?” she continued with a chilling laugh. “And look
where it got you, Fufu- If only you had that same hatred, you have for me now, back then~ maybe Senior Lucas would’ve succeeded~?”
Her words were like acid, burning through the layers of my resolve.
The memories of past failures and the torment of watching loved ones suffer were relentless,
replaying in my mind like a cruel loop. “Riley, go back!”
“Stop being hard headed Lucas you know-“
“Snow needs you right now!”
“But…”
“Rose and I will hold her back for as long as we can…. Don’t worry the saintess has already set
up a [Return call] we’ll make it out before things get too dangerous”
The way Lucas’s smile never wavered that day was all vividly constant in my head. Liyana’s movements were deliberate as she approached the table, each step amplifying the
tension in the air. “You know, there’s something I’ve always been curious about, my dear~” she said, her tone shifting to a more contemplative one.
She paused, her gaze darting between Snow and me with a mix of curiosity and cruel
amusement.
“I can understand that your feelings for me wavered when you fell for my cousin. But why did
you run?” Liyana’s question was piercing, laced with an almost genuine interest.
“Right when everyone needed the two of you the most, why did you and your precious Snow choose to turn your backs on them?”
Her telekinetic power lifted my face, forcing me to look up at her.
I could barely move under her overwhelming influence, my body feeling like a mere puppet in
her hands.
Liyana’s gentle pat on my cheek was a mockery of comfort, a cruel gesture that only deepened my anguish.
“Tell me, my dear,” she whispered, her voice a soft, sinister caress. “What was the reason you
two chose to run away?”
Her eyes, glowing with an unsettling mix of curiosity and malice, searched my face for an
answer she already knew.
Liyana’s taunting silence hung in the air, a void of expectation that stretched on interminably. Her eyes were locked onto me, her amusement palpable as she waited for a response that wasn’t coming. The tension was thick, each second dragging on with excruciating slowness.
|| ||
“…No answer, huh?” Liyana remarked with a slight chuckle, as if finding my silence a source of entertainment. Her voice was laced with a cruel delight, a prelude to the deeper horrors she was about to unveil. “Your beloved wife was quick to give an answer, you know- But since I don’t know if
you’ll give the same answer as her, I’m quite curious- So, how about it? Can you tell me the
reason?”
Her question was a jab, meant to break through the layers of my emotional barricade.
||
“1
…….
||||
My silence persisted, a stubborn refusal to give her the satisfaction she sought.
“Hn- Since you won’t give me an answer, I’ll take a wild guess, okay-?” Liyana’s tone was light, almost whimsical, as she made her way to the final covered dish on the table.
She hovered her hand over it, the anticipation in her movements palpable. “Is it because of
this?”
With a deliberate, slow motion, Liyana lifted the dome from the last dish. Steam billowed out, swirling into the air with a warm, pungent odor.
As the mist cleared, a grisly sight was revealed: a small, grotesque figure, floating within a
hot, murky soup.
The figure was unmistakably human-like, its tiny, familiar eyes that was yet to form locking
onto mine with a haunting, accusatory gaze.
A Fetus…..
“N-no,” I stammered, my voice barely a whisper, trembling with dread as I recognized the
macabre form before me.
The sight was more than disturbing-it was a jarring reminder of a memory I had desperately
tried to suppress.
The realization was crushing; it was a part of the dark past I wished to forget.
Another memory surged forth, unbidden and painful.
It was a memory I shouldn’t have forgotten, a memory that had seeded my motivations and
actions.
It was a moment that had defined my reasoning for everything I had done since, a harrowing event that had altered the course of my life.
“I made sure to handle it gently when I took it out of your wife’s womb, you know~ I’m a
great aunt, right?” Liyana’s words were a venomous whisper, each syllable a stab into the
heart of my anguish.
Her tone was deceptively sweet, but the cruelty of her words cut deep.
‘I’m sorry Snow….’
I couldn’t fathom the depth of pain Snow had endured.
“Monster…” The word escaped my lips as a broken, anguished whisper.
The woman before me was no longer just a tormentor-she was a living nightmare, a literal
monster.
As tears flowed freely down my face, my vision clouded by a haze of desperation and sorrow, Liyana’s malevolent presence loomed large.
Her telekinetic grip seized control of my powerless body, manipulating my movements with
an unyielding force.
My hands, against my will, reached out and grasped the fork, the cold metal biting into flesh
as it was forced toward the grim meal before me.
“No, please!” My voice was a choked plea, a desperate cry to regain control over my own body.
I strained against the invisible chains of Liyana’s power, but every effort was in vain.
My attempts to resist were met only with the cold, mocking presence of darkness that
replaced Liyana.
Where once she stood, there were now a thousand reptilian red eyes, glaring out from beneath
a shroud of dark smoke, their malevolence palpable.
The once bright and vibrant heavens above us turned an oppressive shade of dark red.
The green meadow, once serene and tranquil, was consumed by flames, its lushness withering
into charred remains.
The ground beneath us became a grotesque river of blood, an unending flood that suffused
the landscape with an aura of death and decay.
“Eat slowly, okay? My love~” Liyana’s voice, now distorted and echoing from the abyss,
taunted me with a cruel and mocking gentleness.
Her words were an agonizing contrast to the horror that surrounded me, an unbearable
reminder of her twisted sense of affection.
With a mind clouded by dread and resignation, I was forced to open my mouth.
The fork trembled in my hand as I brought it closer to the grotesque contents of the soup.
As I took the first bite, the sensation was overwhelming.
The texture was abhorrent, and the taste was a nauseating mix of bitterness and decay.
My senses were assaulted by the rancid flavor, and every chew felt like a betrayal of my very
humanity.
Crunch~! Crunch-!
The sound of my own chewing echoed in my ears, a horrifying symphony of suffering.
Each bite was a torment, each crunch a reminder of my helplessness.
In the depths of my agony, the world seemed to collapse inward.
The once-vibrant scene was now a nightmarish tableau of blood and darkness.
The ground beneath me seemed to dissolve into nothingness, the blood rising and enveloping
everything in its path.
“By the way My dear it was a girl~”
As the final morsel was consumed, a deafening snapping sound echoed through the void.
It was a final, chilling punctuation to my suffering.
My senses were overwhelmed by darkness, and the last remnants of the world slipped away,
leaving me in a profound and absolute nothingness. [Note: Bad End NO.????]
[COMPLETED!]
[Note: Memory transfer complete!]
[Note: Effects of skill [Forgotten Guidance] has now been nullified]
[Note: Energy of a forgotten world has seeped within you]
[Note: Congratulations! New unique skill unlocked!] [Proceeding user return] [Return blocked!!!]
[Note: New memory has been transferred!]
[Commencing scene redirection…..]