CHAPTER 654: ELIZABETH’S DEATH

"Samael."

My eyes snapped open.

A soft glow pulsed before me—two deep, abyssal orbs of dark blue light peering through the darkness of a black blindfold. I couldn’t see the eyes themselves, only their faint luminescence, eerie and calm like twin stars caught in mourning.

Nemes.

She hovered inches above me, her long obsidian hair brushing against my cheeks as she stared silently, her face as still as carved marble.

I was lying on the ground—cold, barren, featureless. The entire world was swallowed by darkness, endless and suffocating. There was no up or down, no light or air—only her.

"I’m dead," I said. The words sounded strange in this void, like they didn’t belong to me.

But Nemes shook her head slowly, strands of her midnight hair grazing my skin like falling feathers.

"You... cannot die," she said. Her hand moved as if against her will, reaching toward my face with trembling fingers, brushing my cheek like I might shatter under her touch. "I wouldn’t let anyone harm you, Samael."

Then, without warning, she leaned closer, inhaling against my neck, as if trying to capture my very breath.

I turned my face away.

"You’ve let plenty of people hurt me these past two years," I said coldly. "Cleenah... and Nevia... they were the only ones who truly protected me."

A crack flickered across her expression.

Without warning, she cupped my face with both hands, forcing me to look at her. Her lips were tight.

"I protected Samael. I will always protect Samael."

The conviction in her tone made my heart thrum in unease and fear.

Who the hell was this woman?

And why did she look at me like she knew me better than I knew myself?

I tore her hands away with a sharp slap and pushed myself upright, breathing heavily.

"The problem is—I’m not fucking Samael!" I spat. My voice cracked. "Just... leave me alone. All of you."

My lips trembled. I bit down on them hard, trying to keep the tears from spilling. But they were already there—clawing at my throat, burning behind my eyes.

Damn it.

Goddamn it all...

I clutched at my chest with my trembling hand.

"C–Cleenah..."

"You think Harivel cared for you?" Nemes said quietly. "Or Laima? You were a weapon to them, Samael. Nothing more."

I scoffed.

"I know them better than you ever will, you freak," I snarled, glaring at her. "If you want Samael so badly, go dig him up and die beside him."

"I can’t."

Then she climbed onto my lap.

I froze.

Her hands, trembling slightly, moved to my chest and then to my neck, lingering there like a curse.

"Let me take you, Samael..." She whispered, her breath warm and cold all at once. "Let me help you remember."

I felt goosebumps running through my whole body.

"Oh, how convenient," I sneered. "Cleenah’s gone, so now it’s your chance to harass me without consequence, is that it?"

Nemes didn’t flinch.

Instead, she smiled.

Not kindly.

She pressed her palm against my chest and shoved me down again, pinning me against the formless ground.

She leaned closer, her lips hovering just above my skin, and her voice came out low and venomous:

"If you don’t remember, then I will take everything from you, Samael."

My heart pounded in my chest.

"Do whatever the fuck you want," I said through gritted teeth. "I’d rather die than follow a bunch of lunatics like you."

"You cannot escape me," she whispered. "You are death, Samael. Don’t you see it? You drag it behind you like a cloak. Two families... all those who took care of you... everyone who ever loved you..."

She paused.

"...they all died because they stood too close."

My words caught in my throat. My voice... gone. My limbs... numb.

I stared upward, into that endless dark, my breath barely coming now.

"Elizabeth Tepes...could be the last. Unless you join me."

"...!"

My eyes snapped open wide.

"What?!" I shouted, grabbing her shoulders. "What did you just say about Elizabeth?! What the hell do you mean?!"

But Nemes only smiled—a cruel smile—and leaned in as my vision swam and my consciousness began to flicker.

***

"Ah!"

My eyes snapped open. A harsh white ceiling greeted me—blinding and sterile. The sharp sting of pain followed instantly as I bolted upright, breath catching in my throat.

Groaning, I glanced down. My chest and arms were tightly wrapped in bandages, already stained with faint blotches of red. The ache was deep, hot, and unrelenting, but it didn’t matter.

None of it did.

I looked around—sterile walls, soft beeping machines. Some kind of infirmary. A hospital, maybe. But I couldn’t care less. I needed to move.

I swung my legs off the bed, feet touching the cold tile floor. The moment I tried to stand, my knees buckled beneath me.

"U-Ugh..."

I caught myself with trembling hands, palm slapping the ground, knuckles white as I pushed through the pain. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself upright.

Elizabeth.

I staggered forward, one hand pressed to my ribs, the other dragging along the wall to steady myself as I stumbled out of the room. The hallway was quiet, too quiet, as if even the air was holding its breath.

And then—

"A-Amael...?"

Christina’s voice trembled as she saw me. She stood frozen in the corridor, eyes wide. Behind her, seated silently on a bench, was my moth—Alea.

The moment she caught sight of me, she rose quickly to her feet.

I didn’t stop.

I didn’t even meet their eyes.

I pushed past them.

Elizabeth.

I could smell her blood.

Please, just let her be—

"Amael..."

Christina’s hand caught my arm.

I turned to her. "Elizabeth," I said simply, my voice hoarse.

Tears welled in her eyes as she slowly, almost imperceptibly, shook her head.

No.

No, please.

I slipped my arm from her grasp and kept walking dragging my injured body forward, chasing the pull that led me to her.

She was close. I could feel her.

I needed to tell her.

That I was sorry.

That I was a fool.

That no matter what she was, no matter how broken or monstrous the world believed her to be, I would accept every single piece of her—because I loved her.

Truly.

Hopelessly.

But just as I rounded the corridor, someone appeared, walking toward us.

It was Alicia.

Her head hung low, bangs hiding her face. Her posture was broken—shoulders hunched, arms limp, her steps trembling with every of her steps.

I didn’t stop.

My gaze drifted past her as I heard it—soft, muffled sobbing echoing from the room ahead.

When I reached it, I found them there.

Priscilla Tepes, tears streaming down her face, crying into Duncan’s shoulder. Her body shook with each sob. Nearby sat Victor, cradling Selene in his arms. Her face was turned toward his chest, fast asleep, dried tear tracks painting her pale cheeks.

I limped closer, every step tearing at my wounds, reopening them, blood soaking through the bandages, dripping down my legs.

Still—I kept walking.

One hand dragged along the wall for support, leaving a trail of red handprints behind me.

Elizabeth was here.

In this room.

Duncan’s gaze locked on mine the moment I entered. His eyes were unreadable—cold, hard, burning. Priscilla turned her head slowly toward me, her expression raw and devastated. Her eyes were puffy, red, heavy with emotions I couldn’t name—grief, rage, confusion. Her lips trembled as she stared at me for a breathless moment... then she looked away, burying her face deeper into Duncan’s shoulder.

Duncan said nothing, just looked at me sternly.

I ignored both.

As I limped further down the corridor, I caught sight of Victor. His gaze landed on me. For a second, it seemed like he wanted to say something—his lips parted, the words almost forming—but then he looked away, his arms further hugging protectively Selene.

My gaze lingered on Selene who looked like Elizabeth for a while before I brushed past him silently and stepped into the room.

That scent—it hit me immediately.

Elizabeth.

I could still smell her faintly—her blood, her warmth, her essence. But then my gaze shifted, and everything stopped.

She was lying on the bed.

Hidden beneath a white sheet that covered her body completely. A soft breeze from the half-open window rustled it gently, as if trying to stir her awake.

Claudia sat silently beside her, a still figure on a wooden chair, her eyes shut, hands clenched on her knees.

I staggered inside, my legs barely obeying me. I caught myself on the edge of the bed, the metal frame creaking under my grip, the sound loud in the suffocating silence.

Claudia’s eyes snapped open.

The moment she saw me, her face contorted with rage. Raw. Unfiltered. Her entire being trembled as she stood.

"How dare you come here?!" She spat hatefully.

She stormed toward me, hands raised to shove me away, fury radiating off her in waves—but before she could reach me, Alea caught her by the arm.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"That—Your filthy son!" Claudia’s voice cracked. "He killed my granddaughter!"

"H-He didn’t kill her!" Christina spoke up, stepping forward with tears brimming in her eyes. "She... she gave her life to save him!"

"It doesn’t matter!" Claudia shrieked, voice splintering at the edges. "Why?! Why would she throw away her life for someone like him?!"

Their voices faded into the background, echoing as if from a far-off place. I didn’t look at them.

My shaking fingers reached for the white sheet, gently pulling it back.

And there she was.

Elizabeth.

Pale.

Still.

Lying as if simply asleep—except everything was wrong. Her skin had lost its glow, her cheeks hollow, lips tinted an unnatural, haunting shade of violet. She looked small—too small, too thin, as though life had been drained from her like water from a broken vessel.

I reached out and took her hand.

Cold.

But not the cold I was used to. No. This was different. This was death. This was a lifeless, numbing void that offered nothing back.

Usually, she’d react, or pull me into a forced embrace trying to bite me to suck my blood out of nowhere.

But now... nothing.

"Elizabeth," I whispered.

No response.

Her lips didn’t twitch. Her brows didn’t furrow. Her chest didn’t rise. Just silence.

My gaze drifted down.

Cuts traced across her pale wrists. And there, in the center of her chest, were three neat, crimson-rimmed holes.

I closed my eyes.

My lips quivered.

"Ah..." The sound escaped me—broken, helpless.

Reality hit.

She was gone.

Truly gone.

I clenched her hand tighter, lowering my head until my forehead rested against the edge of the bed.

Why...?

Why does this keep happening?

Roda... Cleenah... and now Elizabeth.

Please... someone... anyone... tell me this isn’t real. Tell me this is just a nightmare, and I’ll wake up and see all of them again.

But I heard no reply. No voice from the beyond. No warmth brushing my shoulder. Just the silence of death—and the sight of her still form, her eyes closed forever, her lips sealed in eternal quiet.

"E-Everywhere he goes... he brings death!" Claudia’s voice rang once more, bitter and shaking with rage. "Don’t you see it?! He’s cursed!"

"Enough!" Christina yelled back.

"Since he came to Sancta Vedelia, everything has fallen apart!" Claudia barked. "Can you deny it, Alea?! Look at the destruction around him!"

Alea said nothing, but I saw her flinch, her fingers curling into her sleeves.

I raised my trembling hand to Elizabeth’s face, brushing her cold cheek with my knuckles.

Then, gently, I leaned down.

Pressed my lips to hers—one last time.

Cold. Still. Empty.

I lingered there, unmoving. Just holding on to what little warmth my memory could offer.

And then I stood.

I turned and began walking toward the door.

As I crossed the threshold, Claudia’s voice followed me.

"I told you to stay away! I told you to leave Sancta Vedelia! I should have killed you myself!"

"SHUT IT!" Christina shouted. The sharp sound of her hand striking the air followed, but Claudia caught her wrist mid-swing, snarling, eyes wild.

She shook her off and stormed away.

And I... I kept walking.

Because I had nothing left to say.

She was right.

Every word.

"W–Wait, Amael!" Christina’s voice chased after me.

I felt her hand grasp my arm gently, but firmly—like she was holding on to something fragile, something about to disappear.

"It’s not your fault..." She whispered, and without waiting for a response, she pulled me into a hug.

I didn’t move.

I didn’t return it.

I stood still as a statue, my arms at my sides, my eyes staring past her shoulder at nothing at all.

"Do you really believe that?" I asked quietly.

My voice sounded foreign, hollow.

Christina leaned back to look at me, her brows furrowed. "Of course I do," she said, her voice trembling.

I looked into her eyes... then over her shoulder, at Alea—who stood there watching me, worry etched across her face.

"Why did you come here?" I asked, brushing past Christina with a slight shove, just enough to break free of her grasp. I staggered forward, my balance unsteady.

"B-Because..." Christina faltered. "Because I’m your sister. We’re your family."

I let out a low, cracked laugh. A laugh that wasn’t laughter. "Family? You don’t believe that. Neither of you and Alea do."

"A-Amael!" Alea gasped with shock as I said her name without the usual familiarity. The title of ’Mother’ left unsaid.

"I’m not Amael," I said flatly. "I may have his memories, but as Kleines said... I’m not him. I’m someone else."

"Y-You’re still—"

"No," I cut Christina off sharply, the sound of my voice sharp enough to draw looks from the hallways.

"Don’t say that, Amael—"

"Stop calling me that!" I exploded, my voice echoing through the corridor. My fist slammed into the nearby wall, shattering the plaster and leaving a deep crater in the stone. Silence fell immediately. Everyone froze.

Christina stood in front of me, wide-eyed. Alea, a few steps behind, had her hand over her mouth.

I stared at them, my breath trembling, the pain in my chest sharp but dulled by something far worse.

"You don’t see me anymore," I said softly, my voice shaking as tears welled in my eyes. "Neither of you do. I can feel it... in your eyes... in your tone... every little thing. You’re both scared of me, aren’t you?"

They said nothing.

No protest. No denial. No desperate reassurance that I was wrong.

And maybe, deep down... I had been hoping for just that. Hoping for them to hold me and say none of it was true. That I still belonged.

But they said nothing.

And something inside me cracked.

Splintered.

My remaining ties with them.

"That’s it," I whispered.

I turned away and walked down the stairs.

I stepped outside into the night.

I tilted my head upward and saw the moon hanging low, veiled in a faint red tint.

It was that time again of the year but this time it would be different.

But I didn’t care.

I just kept walking, each breath slow, my eyes stinging. My body still hurt—the wound from Anasthara was healed, the hole in my chest gone thanks to Elizabeth—but it still throbbed.

All I wanted was to lie down somewhere. Somewhere cold, dark, and quiet—where no one could reach me. Where I could disappear for a little while.

But then I saw her.

Alicia.

She sat alone on a bench, tucked beneath the shadows of the garden trees. The flickering lamplight barely touched her.

Her head was bowed, hands clenched tightly on her lap. Her entire frame trembled, though she made no sound.

I stopped just a few steps away from her.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

I simply walked forward and stood quietly at her side.

Her back was to me, her shoulders trembling ever so slightly. I could hear the faintest sound of her breathing—shaky, uneven, as if she were holding something in.

"Why..." She finally whispered.

Her voice was barely audible, but it trembled.

"W–Why..." She tried again, but her lips quivered, and she bit down on them hard, trying to hold back the pain building behind her eyes.

I didn’t say anything. I just looked at her.

Slowly, Alicia turned to face me. Her eyes met mine, glassy and red. Tears spilled down her cheeks like quiet rivers.

"Why did you... let her die...?" Her voice broke mid-sentence, fragile and raw.

"Alicia..."

"W–Why?!" She suddenly shouted, stepping forward, gripping the front of my shirt in clenched fists. "Why didn’t you save h–her?! W–Why didn’t you protect her...why?!"

Her voice rose with every word until it echoed around us, her grip weakening as the emotions overwhelmed her.

"You were her fiancé," she choked out. "You were supposed to save her... you should have saved her...why...Senior...I–I thought you would..."

Her knees buckled. She was about to collapse.

But I caught her.

Without hesitation, I reached out and pulled her into an embrace—gentle, the only thing I could offer. My arms wrapped around her shaking form, and I whispered the only words I had left.

"I’m sorry..."

Alicia looked up at me through her tears. Her eyes were swollen, red, and pained.

"I’m so sorry..." I repeated, barely holding my voice from trembling.

She broke then—completely. Her body trembled violently as she clung to me with both hands, sobbing into my chest. My shirt grew damp with her tears, but I didn’t move. I didn’t push her away. I didn’t speak.

I just held her.

Letting her grieve.

Letting her cry until there was nothing left.

Minutes passed. Maybe more. Time lost meaning.

Eventually, her sobs softened into quiet hiccups, but she didn’t let go. She stayed pressed against me, and I kept my arms around her, staring at nothing in particular.

Until I heard footsteps.

I turned my head slightly.

Cain Redgrave.

"Elizabeth is dead," he said.

I didn’t answer just lowered my hands from Alicia’s back.

Cain stepped closer. "I knew it would happen eventually. I warned her to keep her distance from you, but she never listened."

"What do you want?" I asked, not even trying to hide the contempt in my voice.

Cain’s gaze shifted. He looked down at me—not just with disdain, but with something more I had never seen on his face before.

It felt like he was looking down at me with pity.

"I’ve wondered why I hated you so much," he said. "For a long time, I thought it was because of Elizabeth. But now I think I understand... we’re both prisoners of a buried past."

He raised his hand—and in it, a gem appeared. A milky-white crystal that shimmered faintly under the moonlight.

My eyes narrowed.

That gem... looked familiar.

I instinctively glanced down at my wrist—the bracelet Viessa had given me. Embedded in it was a similar crystal.

"What are you doing?" I asked again, a sense of unease crawling up my spine.

Cain’s expression hardened. "What I want..." He lifted the gem high toward the moon, and his voice lowered like a curse, "...is her."

He pointed to Alicia, still in my arms.

She turned her gaze toward him, eyes confused, tear-stricken, as she half-pulled back from me.

Cain’s lips curled into a smile.

Cold and icy.

"And your death, Mael."

-BOOOOM!

A blinding silver pillar of light burst from the sky, crashing down onto Cain with deafening force.

"What—?!" I immediately pulled Alicia into a protective embrace, shielding her with my body as the light engulfed him.

But then—my bracelet glowed.

The crystal embedded in it pulsed with the same light, and suddenly, a second pillar shot down—straight onto us.

"No—!"

I tried to move, to leap away with Alicia, but we couldn’t escape. The light swallowed us whole, wrapping space around us like a cocoon of collapsing stars.

I held her tighter, heart racing.

Cain stood there, unaffected by the chaos swirling around him. His eyes locked with mine.

"We’ll meet again," he said with a knowing smile.

-CRACK!

"Ugh!" I grunted in pain, the very air around us constricting strongly.

"In five hundred years in the past"

-BOOOOOOOM!