As quickly as I stepped exterior, I might scent the ocean. As I bought nearer to the cliff, I might see the horizon the place the sky and sea meet within the distance. It’s at all times a wonderful sight, however I don’t have the vitality to take all of it in.

“Ah, I feel I’m lastly dwelling.”

I faux to take a look at Raphael, who stretches coolly, and quietly survey the scenario.

The gap from the cliff is good. Raphael proper subsequent to him, Simeon just a few steps behind. The bodyguard is even additional away. Even when he ran, it might take him seconds to succeed in me. Now if I can simply get Rafael’s consideration to look elsewhere…….

“Ah, sure. The Guildmaster.”

Raphael stated, wanting again at Simeon simply in time.

“Talking of him, why don’t you simply ask him to return in as an apostle?”

“…Apostle?”

“Sure, however I’ll must ask my hyung’s physician first.”

You are able to do it now. No, solely now.

So let’s finish it. Right here.

Slowly, I walked previous him, casually unsheathing the sword at my waist. Then I walked in direction of the cliff with my arms crossed in order that he couldn’t see the sword behind my again. As he reached the blackness beneath, he heard Raphael’s voice.

“How’s Hajae?”

I slowly rotated and noticed three faces facet by facet. Every with a special expression. Raphael was nonetheless clueless, and the bodyguard was detached. Solely Simeon’s expression hardened as he observed one thing unusual. Simeon’s eyes widened on the sight of the knife in my hand.

As he approached, I instantly raised the knife to my throat.

“Don’t transfer.”

Raphael’s face turned pale as he discovered the knife.

I felt the blade towards my flesh. Apparently, Raphael hadn’t been exaggerating when he stated it might pierce the pores and skin of any monster. It was so sharp, it felt as if it had already minimize me. I furrowed my forehead on the stabbing ache, and a startled Raphael rushed over.

“…Hyung?”

“For those who take even one step away from there, I’m going to slice my carotid artery.”

I raised the blade straight up, and Raphael stopped useless in his tracks. The quantity of blood trickling from my neck was appreciable, and he couldn’t disguise his anxiousness. I heard Simeon’s voice, barely in a position to include his feelings.

“Now… What are you doing?”

Simeon’s darkish eyes glowed with anger, his former ease fully gone. And but, as an alternative of being scared, I used to be surprisingly relieved. I had taught him as soon as that the one who loses his cool in a recreation at all times loses.

“I don’t wish to play into your arms anymore, so promise me.

You’ll by no means seem in entrance of me once more…. and nothing will occur to me.”

Simeon swallowed dryly and slowly reached for me.

“Put that down, it’s harmful.”

“I’m not going to die anyway, so what’s the massive deal.”

“Shin Ha-jae!”

“If you wish to cease me, you’ll be able to promise me.”

His barely parted lips twitched. Who would have thought {that a} man who was so good at mendacity with out altering his expression can be so flustered. I used to be his solely achilles’ heel in a seemingly excellent world.

“…Hyung.”

As I flip my head in direction of the trembling voice, I see Raphael, his eyes blue, and I can solely really feel sorry for him. I didn’t wish to present him this ridiculous hostage scenario….

“I’m sorry, Raphael.”

“No, it’s okay, I imply…….”

“However I really want to finish this relationship right here.”

I turned my gaze again to Simeon. I frowned at him, as if to say one thing, and he took a cautious step ahead.

“Shin Hajae-ssi, for now, let’s discuss….”

I took a step again, too. I felt the tip of the bottom with my heels. Simeon stopped, as if in hindsight, however I had no intention of stopping.

“I advised you, for those who come any nearer, I’ll stab myself.”

With these phrases, I plunged the knife into my throat with out mercy, and as if that weren’t sufficient, I sliced horizontally, inflicting blood to gush out like a fountain. I watched Raphael scream and canopy his mouth, and Simeon rush in direction of me, gradual as a movie.

Lastly, simply as his fingertips had been about to the touch me, I threw myself off the cliff. His arms flailed futilely within the air, and I might see his face contorted in despair. Then the feeling of falling via the wind introduced again a nostalgic reminiscence.

Pung.

Solely deafening white noise crammed the air. Slowly opening my eyes, I see daylight smeared white on the floor of the water. Beneath it, the bubbles that circulate from my nostril and mouth, and additional down, the pink blood slowly spreads. The weird sight was like a pink flower blooming in a blue sea.

The chilly sea takes away my physique warmth. My complete physique slowly stiffens, and I can’t really feel the ache in my neck. I don’t must wrestle to remain afloat, the ocean takes me deeper by itself. The daylight regularly disappears, and the sounds exterior regularly fade away.

Solely then is there full silence. I sink right into a soothing silence, disconnected from the skin world.

I sink into it for just a few seconds. Possibly minutes.

I open my eyes to a flash of sunshine and see a vibrant blue sky. I’m nonetheless hoping it’s the ocean, however the sky is detached. I look sideways and see Simeon, drenched in water. His face was even paler than the blue of the ocean. He was speaking loudly, however the tinnitus makes it arduous to listen to him.

Beside him, Raphael sighed, holding a splintered gemstone. It’s in all probability because of him that I don’t really feel any ache in my neck. I’m indebted to him once more; what I’ve completed to make myself lighter, I’ve completed to make myself heavier.

The following factor I do know, my listening to is again, and my voice not hides his anger.

“What the hell are you doing!”

I knew why Simeon was offended, however I didn’t wish to perceive.

“Why are you offended?”

“…What?”

“You’re the one who ignored the warning to remain away.”

At my chilly reprimand, he fell silent, seemingly confused. As I struggled to get to my ft, Simeon held out his hand to me out of behavior. My mouth watered on the thoughtfulness of his gesture.

I slapped his hand away roughly and sat up alone, obvious at Simeon.

“I’m not kidding, I’ll hold doing this till you surrender on me.”

“Shin Hajae-ssi.”

“It’s no use making an attempt to treatment me, I’ll chew your tongue for those who take the knife from me, and I’ll break my head for those who tie my arms and ft.”

His head was chilly, and there was no hesitation in his actions, as if he had dumped all his ineffective ideas into the ocean.

“So promise me, you’ll let me go.”

Simeon hesitated for a second, after which, as if deciding one thing, he opened his mouth to talk, so I ended him.

“For those who’re simply going to speak your method out of this, then cease, as a result of I don’t belief you both, and I’ve already completed the be just right for you.”

Figuring out how he’s used to getting out of sticky conditions, it was a no brainer.

“I despatched an electronic mail to the reporter with all the knowledge I had on the apostle.”

“What’s that…….”

“A reservation electronic mail, after all.”

Simeon, who had managed to keep up his composure, lastly crumbled beneath my ultimate transfer.

“When the mail goes out on the time I set, the <Crown of Atonement> will likely be round my neck immediately, its thorns digging into my flesh, piercing my muscle groups.”

His complexion had gone from pale to leaden, now that the masks he had worn to the tip was gone.

“It’s no use making an attempt to interrupt it, even the proprietor of the leash can’t loosen it, so it’ll simply hold tightening. A minimum of if I die like a queen, it’ll cease quickly sufficient…. You haven’t forgotten, have you ever, that I don’t die.”

I used to be shocked to see his face stiffen in shock. He didn’t say something about giving up on me, although. I couldn’t inform if he was panicking or if he was nonetheless utilizing his mind to attempt to win the sport with me, so I unwittingly backed him right into a nook.

“For those who suppose the e-mail is a lie, let’s wait and see what occurs.”

“…”

“Simeon.”

I name out his title, however he doesn’t reply. Lastly, I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him roughly to his ft, forcing him to look me within the eye.

The reflection of my face in these massive black eyes was horrifying. It was white and cold, stained with black blood, seawater, and soiled sand. I couldn’t assist however grimace on the sight of a residing corpse, after which I laughed.

“I’m not making a deal, I’m holding my life hostage.”

However why does he look so upset?

For fairly a while now, I’ve appreciated to see my face in his eyes. I’ve observed his behavior of involuntarily closing his proper eye in a wink when he’s joking round, or wrinkling his nostril barely when he’s smiling.

Each second I used to be alive in these darkish eyes, so I at all times wished to be blissful and vibrant, in order that at some point, once I was gone from this world, I’d solely be remembered for my smiling face.

However all his hopes had been dashed.

Ultimately, the very last thing that may stay in his thoughts will likely be his woeful face.