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Your heart fell into the pit of your stomach as you entered the hidden room within Lucio’s wing. You had thought you made it; you got your body back, Lucio was gone for good. So it seems, the Devil had outwitted you. He gave you a disturbing grin as your body forced you to sit down next to Asra, who alarmingly looked at you. You hadn’t seen each other in a while, but this wasn’t how you wanted to meet up.
“What a pleasant surprise, (Y/N).” The malevolent being hummed. “It seems everyone has arrived. Unfortunately, the Lovers were not able to attend, but fear not. I have gotten all that I needed from them.” You couldn’t do anything to lessen the absolute rage building up within you. You were just so angry. Both at yourself for failing your world like this and at the Devil, for wanting such vile things for your home. You wished you could have done something different, but the past is in the past. You just had to embrace it and continue on forwards.
Wanting to ignore what must be a prideful speech coming from the evil, goat-like creature, your eyes swept the room and remained stuck on a certain doctor across and a little to your left. Even though they wore a mask, you could catch a glimpse of Valemar’s eyes. Within them, you found shock, and perhaps a little fear. Which was odd, considering this must be just what they wanted.
This entire week, you had found yourself orbiting around the Quaestor like a natural satellite would around a planet. They just amazed you in new and refreshing ways. Additionally, they seemed to enjoy your company throughout your investigation. Even though their interests seemed to be solely focused on bringing the red plague back and reliving their glory days, you had somehow uncovered a few quirks about them that lead you to believe that maybe, just maybe, they favoured you over others. But even then, with two realms crashing together to form one twisted world, they should be ecstatic. The plague would surely make a guest apparition somewhere within the mess.
Behind your masks, the communication was silent and damn-near impossible for others to decipher. Were they… worried about you? That was impossible-- well, it seemed impossible.
“And now, we eat.” The Devil calmly announced. Against your own will, your body leaned forwards and reached towards the feast in front of you to fill your plate. You had a very, very bad feeling about the things on this table, but your mind had no control over you. You were practically force-feeding yourself. And so was everyone, save for the four courtiers, who seemed to be completely in control of their actions. Hell, Volta was crying of joy. Which was understandable, considering the food tasted delicious. It didn’t lower your suspicions, though.
Between two mouthfuls of food, you blinked back tears of despair. Besides you, Asra seemed to notice. “Hey, it’s alright. It’s not your fault. You tried everything in your power, (Y/N).”
You shook your head. “Maybe if I had asked for your help as soon as I knew the Arcana was involved…” ‘Maybe if I hadn’t spent all my time with a goddamn plague doctor.’ You thought, shaking your head. Sure, you had enjoyed your time with Valdemar, but if you had known what was going to happen in a week’s time, you wouldn’t have wasted so much time down in a lab talking about medical cases and personal experiences.
When you looked back up, your gaze was met with the four courtiers sitting across the table. Wait, no. Three. So where was..?
A hand appeared to your right, reaching for a knife sitting by an untouched ham. A hand covered by a black, latex glove. “When I speak, pretend to be frightened.” The smooth and low tone of Valdemar’s voice rang in your right hear, somehow comforting you. You quickly glanced towards Asra, hoping he wouldn’t hear, but he was engaged in a conversation with Nadia, possibly trying to find a way to stop the inevitable. “I will find you.”
As instructed, you let a semi-genuine expression of fear on your face. With the masks on your face, you weren’t even sure people would see it, but you weren’t going to risk the Devil thinking something was up. What were they even talking about? Were they threatening you?
“I swear on it, (Y/N). As soon as things settle the way the Devil wants them, I will find you and bring you to safety, or well, what will be the closest to it.” Your movements halted. Whether it was from what they said or in an attempt to pretend a bit better. From the way they spoke, you imagined that they had plastered on their frightening grin in case anyone suspected anything. 10/10 for acting, Doctor. “In the event that… things get heated rather quickly, look for Death, or their realm. And please, for the love of everything that is holy, remain safe and make wise decisions.”
Their hands ruthlessly carved the meat in front of you two, an opposite to the way they were talking to you. It was almost sweet. You had to ask. Your lips barely moved as you spoke in a hushed manner. “Why all these instructions? Shouldn’t you be practically skipping out of joy? Is this just some trap to toy with me, Quaestor?”
“Although I do look forward to the future rather than the past for once in my life, we both know this last week has proven to be… eventful.” A sigh as they kept stabbing the ham. “I have, against all odds, found myself attached to you in some pathetic, humanoid way. You do have the right to directly disobey me, but if you have the smallest hint of a will to live, or perhaps if these feelings happen to be mutual, you will find yourself wanting to follow my directions.”
You rose your fork, taking a bite of a boiled broccoli. “And where will you be, after this nightmare initiates?” You asked, convinced. Although Valdemar likes to see others writhe in psychological pain and emotional turmoil, they had a penchant for the truth.
“That is still uncertain. It depends on what happens to others. That is enough, if I remain any longer, others will start to suspect. Avoid unnecessary glances. And please, if you must remember anything from this life, remember this exchange; nothing else will matter in a few minutes. I will be doing the same.” With that, they gracefully stood and walked back, as tall and proud as ever.
“A toast, to a new and perfect world.” The Devil rose a large, silver cup. “I do hope you all find it as beautiful as I will.” He then passed it on to Nafizah, who drank the first sip of the dark red liquid, much against her own will. Whatever that was, it wasn’t wine for sure. The cup was then passed on from one to another. After a long, excruciating minute, Asra as passed it to you. The last link. The last chance to save the world as you know it. You needed to throw it away. You needed to get it away from your face, but even with you mentally screaming at yourself to stop, some dark and unknown force was stronger. And it made you drink the last sip of bitter, thick liquid within the cup.
The Devil grinned wildly. “I thank you all for coming tonight. Thanks to you all, we will make this world a better place. I hope you find it to your liking.” There was a blinding, bright white light and you felt Asra’s hand grip yours to squeeze it reassuringly.
You awoke disoriented. Positively confused. Asra wasn’t there. No one was there. Your only company was dancing colours in your vision, all brighter than the other. You closed your eyes but soon opened them when you felt nausea take over you with your sight being gone. Where were you? How did you get here?
As soon as the question popped in your mind, a flash of the palace appeared behind all those colours. Was this… this must be Vesuvia. You were still home, only… the Devil must have succeeded. That meant things were going to get deathly dangerous.
Deathly. Death. You have to find Death, right? Because… someone had told you so. Someone you knew. Someone from… What was their name… They were some kind of scientist, right? Yeah, like, a doctor. That sounded right. Their name… You frowned. The world only turned upside down moments ago, right? So why were you forgetting so early on?
You focused on the palace once more, managing to see it more, little by little. It was surrounded by vegetation and in some places, rubble could be seen. Had it only been a few moments? Or a few minutes? Years? Decades? You had no notion of time, here.
Valdemar. That name sounded familiar. It sounded like a complex name, for someone practically unreadable. Like that doctor. Right! Memories -- the right ones, now -- flooded your mind, reminding you of your quest. Your apparently dangerous quest. But how were you supposed to find a single person in a world which now bent to significantly new and unknown laws? That had dangers you had never witnessed before and inhabitants that might be inexplicably hostile?
Yeah, as if you had time to think about dangers. Sure, they had warned you to be careful, but they had also instructed you to find a certain realm or to find them. You had no idea how, but you were going to learn. New world, new life hacks, right?
You had been convinced that this one was it. It had looked like it was it, but you had explored it through and through, only to find nothing but a giant, two-headed, talking leech. And they didn’t know much about Death. “Seems like this realm is empty as well, Valdemar.” You noted to yourself as you sauntered around. After many, many… hours… years... eras… of experimenting and toying with physics, you had finally managed to handle what you liked to call realm hopping. The trick was to find something that seemed like it didn’t belong to said environment. Usually, it was a portal to another place, much different. So far, you had gone through at least thirty, maybe a lot more. You easily lost track of trivial things like that when your mind kept replaying every single detail of one exchange you had with Valdemar.
A bright, red beetle came to view in the dark forest. It was practically glowing, and definitely looked out of place. Sure, bugs had their place in such an environment, but this one just screamed ‘stranger’ to you. It’s like you knew it; you knew what it was linked to, but you couldn’t remember. You approached the little thing, admiring its long antennae and its bright, glowing red exoskeleton. You reached out with your red hand, pressing down on it. As expected, a force tugged you forwards into an unseeable portal. It was time to explore a new aspect of this new world.
The bright sunlight blinded you. Compared to a dimly lit forest, this was like looking at a beam of light head-on. Once your eyes got used to it, you noticed the fact that there was not just one sun shining high in the sky, but two (maybe that’s why it felt so bright). It was a curious thing, but you weren’t going to question that when you were looking for a safe haven. Besides, you couldn’t let your guard down yet; you had no idea whether this realm was safe or not yet.
The sand crunched loudly under your feet as you explored your limited surroundings. All around you were tall, yellowish stone walls. It seemed like some kind of… arena, you think was the word. You recognized it, so you must have seen one before. And, if your limited knowledge of what used to be your world serves you right, they weren’t always empty and safe. Something in the back of your mind told you this is where blood was usually spilled. You spun around a few other times, but saw no exit. You were stuck here to explore the lands of two shining suns and burning sand. It was quiet. Unusually quiet. Sure, you had seen empty and quiet realms before, but here, it was just eerie.
The creaking of metal made you yelp. You weren’t alone. There was no way any stone building could make a sound like that. “Who’s there?” You asked out loud, straightening up as if to show that you weren’t afraid. “I am not here to harm, I merely ask for information.”
A figure appeared in one of the many openings to the arena you were standing in. Although only their shadow was completely visible, you could discern two horns on their head. Crap, had you landed in a demonic realm again? You opened your mouth to confront them but simply screamed when a swarm of red beetles crawled out into the ring. You made quick work of the bugs by repelling them with a simple spell as the figure finally made themselves known. A sneer was plastered on their face, showing you just how sharp their teeth were. If they dug those into your jugular and pulled hard enough, you were done for. “WELL, WELL!” They yelled, taking you off-guard. Most demons you had met were the calm type. The way the being clad in red acted tugged at your senses. They were familiar. “LOOK WHO MANAGED TO SURVIVE! IMPRESSIVE, MAGICIAN!” Well, they definitely knew you.
“Sorry, do I know you?” You asked, still on your toes. They might seem familiar, but you didn’t feel at ease with them around. “I feel like I know you.”
A loud, nearly obnoxious cackle. “YOUR MEMORY FAILS YOU ALREADY? PATHETIC!” How loud they were being right now was downright impressive. You couldn’t do that even if you had tried your best. They pulled out a large ax from apparently nowhere. They weren’t up to no good. “Your time is up, (Y/N).” That rose red flags in your mind.
You took two steps back, even though you knew that for now, you were stuck here with a murderous… being, thing. You were pretty sure that doing this the diplomatic way wasn’t an option with them. The familiar sense they had was really bothering you, though. “And to whom would I… have to blame my untimely death?” You attempted. And you had caught them, alright. They pridefully beamed, clutching the ax.
“Vulgora.” The courtier. The bloodthirsty warrior you had met all that time ago. The one who represented the Tower that night. Their grimace-like smirk widened. “So you do remember.” Without letting you answer, they charged forwards and swung the ax mere inches away from your face. If it hadn’t been for you dodging at the last second, you would have been decapitated now. They swung it in the opposite direction in an attempt to at least nick you, but you stepped completely away from them. If it was a fight they wanted, then it was a fight they were going to get. You didn’t spend countless time in different realms while doing nothing after all. And they weren’t the only one able to pull off the whole weapon-from-nowhere drill.
You waved your arm in front of you just as a large shield made its apparition, successfully stopping Vulgora’s weapon from striking you in the face. They let out a growl of anger before laughing to themselves. “Always an interesting human, weren’t you? Now be a nice little fucker and DIE!” You let out a warcry of your own and your two weapons clashed against each other. You took the opportunity to swing the safeguard, hitting Vulgora on the cheekbone. They stumbled backwards, almost shocked. “No? FINE BY ME!” They charged at you with unhuman, brute force. You fought to the best of your current abilities, but soon enough, you knew Vulgora was going to overpower you. Of course they would, they were an incredibly skilled, inhuman warrior now-turned demonic. This must be their own realm of some sort; a source of power that gave them an advantage in this fight. Even if it may seem cowardly, you’d rather put as much distance between the two of you than to die. Valdemar had instructed you to do so. If you could just… find the element that didn’t belong.
“Oh?” Vulgora chuckled as you broke out in a sprint and crossed one of the archways into the shaded part of the arena. “You think you can run away? This is my world now; my rules. How pathetic of you to run away from a good fight!” They took off behind you, dead set on catching and murdering you in cold blood. It must have been days --centuries perhaps-- since blood was spilled here, and they looked practically possessed by the bloodlust. Their eyes had a certain glimmer that made them almost glow in the dark.
Your eyes skipped over the stone walls until you found a singular door and your heart skipped a beat. Whether it was your escape or simply another part of the realm, you didn’t care. If it could put some distance between you and the former courtier, you’d be happy.
You practically threw it open and shut it behind you. The thundering sounds of Vulgora’s fists could be heard as you tightly closed your eyes and for the first time in forever, you prayed. You prayed for some kind of miracle to save you from certain death, to get Vulgora away from you. Nothing happened and the door wasn’t going to last for much longer.
“YOU THINK THIS FUCKING PIECE OF WOOD CAN STOP ME?!” They screeched as the wood gave in. If you stayed here, you’d die. You needed to run. If you could find an advantage you’d have over them… You left the door and finally opened your eyes to the dark but large and humid room you were in. Okay, hiding would be the first step.
Long before you could even think of looking for a hiding place, Vulgora ripped the door open. It nearly fell off its hinges and loudly complained while they entered, a large and threatening smile on their face. “Desperate, aren’t you? Accept your fate, magician. Your life is finished. You’re done for.” You kept your distance as they wrung their hands around the axe in their hands. You fought despair as best you could; kept it away from the corners of your mind, but it always came back, stronger than ever. You couldn’t give up. You couldn’t do that when Valdemar swore on finding you; you couldn’t give up on them. “Any last words, magician? Perhaps you’d like to beg for your life? I’m willing to wait and hear your pleas, if you-”
“Leave this place.” The new voice seemed to ring out from everywhere. “This isn’t your territory, Vulgora. You have no power here and I do not want your company.” It was smooth and almost calming. Serene, even. It brought hope into your heart. Whoever they were, they didn’t want Vulgora to kill you, and that was good enough.
They lowered their ax and looked almost fearful for a moment “I’ll get rid of the human vermin for you, V-”
“Leave. Before I must resort to more physical solutions.” Vulgora still seemed indecisive. You had never seen someone so hellbound on killing you. Should you feel flattered? “LEAVE!” The sudden loudness seemed to affect them. Without waiting furthermore, they spun on their heels and crossed the doorframe. The entry itself disappeared. A new problem.
“Hey, uh, thanks for… that. To who do I own the honours?” The humidity in the air seemed almost suffocating to you. Shuffling could be heard before you could make out a tall and slim person in the shadows ahead. They, too. seemed to have horns. Or, maybe like Vulgora, it was simply some kind of headpiece.
“(Y/N).” They acknowledged, almost as if it was impossible. It did things to you. Only one person said your name in that manner. Only one person spoke it with such grace. Was this really it? The end of your journey.
“Valdemar, is that you?” You guessed. Please, don’t let it be some kind of psychological trick… The person took quick strides forwards until you could make out their face. Their sickly green-tinted skin and their ruby red eyes. The symmetry their visage held still took your breath away. It was them.
Tears of… you weren’t sure what, exactly, blurred your vision. You tried your best to wipe them away as the former Quaestor looked just as shocked as you. “(Y/N), dearest.” They spoke again, as if trying your name on their tongue for the first time. “You… you’re alive.” Instead of a sob, a single giggle escaped you as you nodded. They were within arm’s reach now, but Valdemar had never been the hugging type, and you didn’t want to make them uncomfortable now of all times. They held out one hand, gently tracing your jaw, before going to your cheekbone and wiping the tears in your right eye away.
“I made it.” You assured, smiling up to them. “I… I’m here, now.” It felt almost unreal. You didn’t even see it coming. All of a sudden, you were pushed into their embrace. One of their hands held the back of your head as the other was on the small of your back, both holding you close as you felt them tuck their chin on the crown of your head. They took in a deep breath.
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” They whispered. What were they sorry for, anyways? You frowned and waited for them to keep speaking. “I wanted to find you. I desperately did, dearest, but I’m trapped here.”
“It’s okay, I forgive you. I’m here, now, you’re still able to keep that promise.” The embrace was comforting. After such a long time out in unknown land, this felt like home; the world you had grown up in. In fact, it practically looked like a renovated version of the dungeons in the palace. You remembered it now. “I’m not planning on leaving unless you want me to.”
“Never. Forgive me, but I do believe you are trapped here by my side until… well.” They gave a bit of a chuckle. “Forever, if I’m not mistaken. There is no such thing as time, now.”
Now that the most urgent of it was done with and that the two of you parted, you had a few burning questions. “How long has it been since the ritual?”
Your new ‘guardian’ shrugged. “Haven’t I already said that time is non-existent now? There’s no way to tell.” They then looked down at you with some sort of affection. Or, well, whatever was the closest someone like Valdemar could be to such an emotion. “I do suppose you have quite a few questions for me, (Y/N). By all means, ask them. I have a feeling we can have interesting discussions with these.”
Your subconscious took hold of you before you could even think of another question concerning the world as it is now. “Why me?” Valdemar remained relatively kind and simply asked you to elaborate. “Why… why did you… why offer me safety? We had only known each other for a week; I was practically on the opposing team, I could have ratted you out to Nadia, or Asra.”
“But you didn’t. You obeyed when I asked to keep our exchanges to yourself. Not only that, but you came back, even when I hadn’t openly expressed any of my desires to see more of you.” Their fingers lightly traced your jawline in what seemed like fascination as they spoke. “Haven’t I already told you so in the past? I pathetically became attached to you in an incredibly short period of time. Against all odds, thinking of you.. dying, or suffering was not a very pleasing thought to me. If you must ask why my mind decided to take interest in you, I can only speculate.”
They took a pause.
“You remind me of myself, at a younger age. When we speak, sometimes, it’s as if I was speaking to my own humanity. It was refreshing. But please refrain from thinking I see you as a mirror; you are your own person, and that’s who piqued my curiosity in the first place. But it’s most likely too early to assess my complete condition.”
“I should probably stick around to diagnose you, shouldn’t I?” You jokingly asked, a warm smile on your face. Looking up to Valdemar put a bit of a strain on your neck, but you weren’t going to stop just because of ‘pain’.
“By all means, I would be delighted to know what kind of psychological illness has overcome me.” They shot back. Being here with Valdemar was worth what you had gone through and it was worth a lot more. This new and dangerous world may be a mistake you’ll regret for the rest of your days, but here, you could forget about it; forget about all the lives you might have ruined in one night and all the torture you might have accidentally set upon everyone. To know that the person in front of you was capable of that was… a bit frightening. You learnt about how much you meant to them, but how much did they mean to you? “You’re silent. Is there anything on your mind, (Y/N)?” You shook yourself out of your daydream to look up at the being in front of you. You were also wondering just what Valdemar was if not human (there was absolutely no way there were human), but you had all the time in the universe for explanation.
“I… went through a lot to find you.” An expression similar to a frown appeared on Valdemar’s face. “And when I think about it now, I just… did all of that. For an acquaintance. Someone I knew for barely a week. It was my only hope with everything that went wrong, but…”
“Do you regret it?” They asked, keeping their distance from you now.
“No, of course not. The feelings are just a little confusing, to be honest. And you’re not… like me. I don’t want to ruin anything because of the difference, that’s all.” Your face burned in embarrassment. This is as open as you’ll be for now, which is impressive when you take in consideration just who you were talking to right now.
“Have a little faith in me, won’t you?” The former Quaestor gave you an encouraging smile. “I know what I was getting us into when I approached you, (Y/N). Well, to be fair, not when I approached you. When I spoke to you during the ritual would be closer to the truth. You may have realized that I’m far from being human, but I have more control over the issue now that things have… changed. Here, that is. I cannot promise anything outside this place.”
That was somehow reassuring. They then leaned down towards you. The grin on their face practically made your heart skip a beat. Both of their hands gently cupped your cheeks, as if you were made of glass. There was an indecipherable look in their eyes as they leaned closer. You could feel the caress of their lips upon yours now. A little closer and the distance was completely sealed off. Never in your wildest dreams had you hoped to kiss them, yet here you were. Just like the way their hands cradled your face, their lips were gentle and precise. It was heartwarming to say the least.
You enjoyed the moment as it lasted and were simply speechless even when it ended. All that you could do was look up to your saviour in wonder. It made Valdemar laugh in an endearing manner. “Welcome home, darling.”