damn this was a long chapter............. why are my climax chapters always so long? ah well the second ark doesn't end with this long climax chapter like the last one did. though it does wind back a bit. last on i post before the special, which i need to work on if i want to have it ready by sunday or the 999 follower point, which ever comes last.

also fucked up stuff ahead. this is the warning.

read in-between the lines if you want the whole of what is going on. all i'll say is Alt will look back on how he set this chapter up, but not much on the chapter itself. Joselin's is the only POV you'll see this part from so read carefully. and you might want to go back and reread it, because, you know, Joselin is pretty far into crazy town and her perspective is hard to catch fine details with on the first read-through. if i as the FUCKING AUTHOR missed some stuff the first time i PRed this, you KNOW you as a causal reader will....

Anyway....

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!

Joselin Phantus

“A-are y-y-you the o-one who h-hurt M-mommy?” (???)

I couldn’t see, Fangs put on the blind fold again, but I heard as the “prince” walked in. He? She? The “prince” was here alone, Fangs, White, Red and Scar weren’t with the “prince”. We were alone. Alone. All alone. No pain, no screams, no……… playtime…….

Why do I need the blind fold? I already know the secret! I know! I know!! I know!!! I know!!!!! The “prince” is really the princess!!!!! I know already so why the blindfold!?!?!?!?! I just want to see!!!!!

“A-are y-you?” (Prince/Princess)

I heard as the “prince” stepped closer. I liked the voice. The voice was nice, beautiful…. That voice made everything better, just like rocking did.

Did I hurt a Mommy? Could I have if I’ve been here forever? But if I’ve been here forever then why did the “prince” visit me? Did I really have the queen of this place poisoned, or was that just one of my dreams? Is this a dream now?

“Y-you’re not t-talking? …………..OH!? YOU’RE HURT!?!?!” (Prince/Princess)

…….. Hurt? Oh Reds work is still on my arm…. The voice was so nice I didn’t notice that I haven’t healed that yet…… Hehehehe I got Red in trouble…….. I better practice my counting again so I don’t mess up so many times next time she comes…….

“Hold on.” (Prince/Princess)

I felt soft delicate hands brush against my face and I flinched. It reminded me too much of Scar….. and how she would………. “My, such a pretty face is such a waste on some Phantus slut, not that I’ll complain though. Now remember lick only if I feel teeth then….. well…. You remember last time don’t you Slut? It’ll be worse than that…..” was the “prince” like Scar?

No…. not another Scar, I cant handle another Scar……. Please….. No….. Please Goddess PLEASE!!!!!!!

I struggled as best I could. This is how it always started, with me struggling….. Then would come the…… hands……….and the mouth…….and the touching and the kisses and the words and the pain and the pleasure and the-………………………

“NOOOOOO!!!!! No! No! No! NO!!!!!! STOP!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE STOP!!!!!!!!!” (Joselin)

I felt the blindfold fall away and was able to take in my first sight of the “prince”, she was so beautiful. Like an angel had come to meet me. The look of shock and horror on her face didn’t take away from her beauty either. I stopped struggling.

“Oh no……. how c-c-could they? I-I just wanted to talk to you not…….. Not this……your arm, your eyes…….” (Angel)

I was dreaming, that was obvious now. This could only be a dream, like the handsome Fae prince who had saved me, but now with this beautiful angel. This was such a nice dream. I liked dreams like this, they were so much better than the others I have……. Especially the ones about Scar…………

“I know!” (Angel)

The angel held out its arm to me and bite lightly into it. I focused in on the blood that came from it. I wasn’t allowed to have any blood besides my own, Red told me so…….. But if this was a dream……

The angel took her lips away from the perfect porcelain of her skin, and I saw the blood drip down her fore arm. It was so dark it was nearly black, but only the Ancestor could have blood colored black, so it couldn’t be. It was beautiful. The angel’s smile, her arm, her blood, her everything. I couldn’t help but try to lean forward to accept this wonderful angel’s selfless offer, but my restraints held me back. They kept me from reaching the angel or her offered blood.

I could feel the tears start to form, I was so close. I just needed to get a little closer, but I couldn’t reach her. I couldn’t reach the angel. I closed my eyes, I didn’t want the angel to see me cry again, not even in a dream.

Suddenly I felt something against my lips. I pulled back and trembled, my mind filled with thoughts of only what Scar would do to me. She was the only one to touch me on the lips, either gently or forcefully, the others would hurt me, but they never cared about my lips. Those were only for Scar, she said so……

“It’s ok, it’s ok…… Here, Mommy always said my blood is special. That my blood can heal.” (Angel)

I opened my eyes and saw only the angel. No Scar, no “just purse your lips, you don’t have to do anything else…… I’ll TAKE what I want from you slut, no need for you to give me anything…..”, just the angel and the voice and the blood and the smile.

The angel wasn’t forcing me, she was offering.

I…. I……………………. I……………….. I……………………….. Can I trust?.................. Is it safe to….? But it’s just a dream…………. And the angel…………….

“Go on, it’ll help make everything better. I PROMISE it will.” (Angel)

The angel smiled again. It was such a beautiful smile…… I would trust the angel. If the angel ended up as a bad dream instead of a nice one like the Fae prince, then I would just have to wake up again….. I’m sure there will be another nice dream for me eventually after that…..

I began to drink from the angel’s offered arm, and it was beautiful. The blood was delicious and perfect and wonderful and…………….. I could recognize this feeling? my head began to clear, I could feel the haze of countless days of fear, pain, and hopelessness starting to lift away. It never left, not completely….. it would never leave completely, but enough that I could be who I used to be. Who I was before, before I ended up in this hell.

I know this, this is the power of mental recovery and clarity that the blood of only Phantus nobles has. But that would mean that I was currently drinking from…….

I immediately pulled away from the girls arm. I was disgusted with myself, I had drunken from a naïve little girl who probably knew nothing about her blood other than it could heal people. How far gone was I to not pick up on the unique scent of Phantus blood in her?

How far gone was I, that I thought it would be ok to ever drink from a girl, a noble no less, that didn’t even know what she was doing? What if I kept going and caused her to lose herself? What if she had become addicted, like so many Phantus before her, to the act of giving blood? It would start out innocent enough, but with our blood’s effects on us it would lead her to becoming mad………. Did I even think of that? Would I have cared even if I did?

“A-are you all b-better now miss? Can you a-answer my question n-now?” (Girl)

Question? She had asked me a question? What was……….. oh…………. Oh Goddess this is the Prince… er Princess of the kingdom isn’t it? And the question she had was……………..

I felt my face drain of blood. There was going to be no easy way to tell her this.

The poor girl…….. Why did no one come for her? I could understand leaving me behind, but she is innocent, a noble, and desired by the Goddess herself according to Rissa and the others. It doesn’t make sense to not rescue her from the kingdoms captivity and control…….. Unless they COULDN’T!!! There must be more security around her than we had originally thought……..

“M-miss?” (Princess)

I looked at this poor child. There was no point in hiding it from her, and if no one else had explained why she shouldn’t use her blood so freely, then it was up to me to do so. If everything went well, I might even be able to rescue her as well as escape all by myself. I hope this isn’t so much of a shock that she is unable to process it, or worse rejects everything and leaves me here.

“Listen to me closely young one. Yes I was the one who had the queen poisoned, but that monster was not your mother. She was only raising you so that she could use you and your blood for her own ends. Do you understand? She never cared about YOU just what you and your blood could do for HER.” (Joselin)

The child backed away and shook her head back and forth in a panic. The poor thing, I hope that bitch queen died from that poison. How could someone do this to something so innocent, so pure? Children are meant to be protected even if they ARE Phantus. That’s something Goddess Fray understands, even if her means and methods are less than…… righteous.

“You’re LYING!!! They told me you would lie to me! They were right about you!!! You hurt Mommy and now you’re saying Mommy doesn’t care about me!!!!” (Princess)

This might be harder than I first thought…… they must have conditioned her to not recognize the scent of her own blood, family, and house.

Well I’ll just have to break through that conditioning won’t I?

“What’s your name young one?” (Joselin)

“A-Alt…….” (Alt)

Strange name to give to a girl, maybe the queen’s idea of a sick joke?

“Alt then, can’t you tell? Smell yourself. There that’s it, isn’t that scent a lot like mine?” (Joselin)

“I-It is….. Why do I smell like you?” (Alt)

“Because Alt, WE are family. Not the queen who only wanted to use you, but me. You are a noble of my house, one I came to help rescue!” (Joselin)

“Rescue? House? There are others that smell like this? Like we both do?” (Alt)

“Yes Alt, those are those that share our bloodline. The PHANTUS bloodline. You can’t imagine how important you are Alt, how few Phantus children there really are, and how little of THOSE are able to stave off the madness. The queen must have managed to steal you away from our coven somehow…… luckily we joined with people who knew how to find you and wanted to help bring you back to us!” (Joselin)

“I-I have…….. more family? Besides you and Mommy?”

Well I hate to acknowledge the thieving bitch queen who stole you away from your rightful place with us, but not doing so might be too much for her to take right now so…..

“Yes Alt, you have other family besides me and……… the queen……. I just want you to be with them, with US and not have the queen keep you away from us. Don’t you think that’s wrong Alt? Family being kept from each other?” (Joselin)

I feel like utter scum doing this..... I know its for her own good, but I’m lying to a young child not even into her first half century. It’s just……… look at her, she looks to be in her sixties at least! What have they done to her to force her to mature rapidly?!?! Monsters……….

“I-I-I-I don’t know…… No? But how you hurt Mommy was wrong! You were really mean Miss!!!” (Alt)

“That may be true, but I felt I had to. That it was the only way you would ever get to meet your full family. You want that right Alt, to meet your REAL family?” (Joselin)

“I-I-I……. yes……….” (Alt)

YES!!! I’ve gotten her to realize it!!! Now I just need her to get me out of these restraints and this chair, and I can see to getting us both out of here!!!

“Then I’ll TAKE you to them!!!! But first, you have to help ME Alt. I need you to undo these restraints, ok? After that I’ll need you to help us get out of this place.” (Joselin)

Alt made a look of hesitation and seemed to struggle with something before giving me a slight nod.

I looked at the girl as she walked closer to me. She seemed unsure, but her steps didn’t hesitate. Some part of her knew that that we shared the same blood, I was family and could be trusted. The PHANTUS part of her knew.

Her hands trembled a little as she undid the straps on my restraints. A part of me wanted to violently rip through them once they were loosened, but I held myself back. I didn’t want to hurt or scare little Alt, the girl was dealing with so much already.

“Tell me about the Phantus, please?” (Alt)

I felt myself stiffen for a moment. I had all the answers this girl has sought for Goddess knows how long, but how was I supposed to tell her?

How can I tell this sweet child that one day, if she isn’t really careful, her very blood will be the thing that makes her into the worst type of monster? But she NEEDS to know, if she doesn’t there is no doubt that this sweet and innocent girl will become what so many Phantus are or wish to become…….

“Alt, about Phantus, our blood is special….. it can heal like you think, yes, but it also makes the one you give it to into something less….. Little more than a creature. You can’t give your blood out to just anyone, and especially in large amounts like you gave me.” (Joselin)

“B-but I only gave you a few mouthfuls……..” (Alt)

I cringed at the memory, I knew nobles had faster blood regeneration and overall healing rates, but I must have still taken enough to make this poor girl week and dizzy for at least an hour.

“What you call a few mouthfuls, Alt was more like ten minutes of continuous draining. Luckily for us both you’re a noble, otherwise you would probably be dead from that, instead of just feeling that weakness I’m sure your trying to hide from me….” (Joselin)

As soon as I said that I saw Alt suddenly stiffen, then relax into an unsteady and trembling posture. It must have taken all the girls remaining strength to keep hiding that weariness from me. She must have thought she was strange, or weak for not being able to handle losing so much blood. I had seen it before….

Train a Phantus to think that getting tired after losing so much blood was wrong and punish them for it every time it happens and they do just what this girl, Alt, just did. They hide it out of fear of an unjust punishment. Other covens of Phantus practice just such forms of training on all their young. Fucking monsters.

“It’s ok, that weakness is normal after losing that much blood. Even the highest nobles would be tired after being drained like you were….. You don’t need to hide it. Not from me.” (Joselin)

“I-I dont? ………. Wait! I gave you lots of my blood, wont that make you a creature like you said!?!?!” (Alt)

I chuckled slightly.

“No young one, Phantus blood doesn’t affect other Phantus like that. We get the restorative effects and if the blood you drink is from a Phantus of higher noble status, you get the taste effects as well. Phantus get none of the negative effects of our blood, no addiction, no blood worship, and no compulsion to do anything for more.” (Joselin)

She tilted her head slightly.

“Is that why my own blood tastes so bad, to me?” (Alt)

“Yes, and no. No Phantus can get ANY effect from drinking their own blood, but on TOP of that it also has that horrible chalky metal taste and that disgusting texture. Every Phantus has that, so its normal don’t worry.” (Joselin)

“Oh thank the Ancestor! I thought I was the only one with that problem!” (Alt)

I flinched slightly. The new Ancestor was an eccentric hermit no one in any of the covens that mine communicated with knew ANYTHING about and the old Ancestor wasn’t one that deserved thanks of ANY kind….

“You should really give your thanks to Goddess Fray from now on instead young one….” (Joselin)

I rubbed my hands and stood up from the chair that had held me down for so long.

“Why, did something bad happen to the Ancestor? And who is Goddess Fray?” (Alt)

“The last Ancestor was slain by some human army. There are rumors of a young God-Blessed Swordsaint girl that lent them aid, and was the one to actually land the final blow with a blessed sword. But regardless of that, that Ancestor is dead, and her replacement does not seem to care for her house whatsoever. The Goddess Fray however was the one who told my coven about you! She is a Goddess that wants only peace among all Vampeerus houses, and has helped our coven many times even though we have joined her only recently. She truly is a kind Goddess, and if YOU prey to her she will surely answer! She seems to want to meet you, at least that was the impression I got when I meet her in person with the rest of our coven. Perhaps for your help in her goal of peace.” (Joselin)

“I see…. I never knew….. Both of those things are pieces of new information….Hmmmm…..” (Alt)

The girl had a troubled and thoughtful look overtake her curious smile. Perhaps I really shouldn’t have told her all this before we were with the coven were she could learn to accept everything among her Family.

She quickly made another smile, however.

“O-ok. Can we please leave now. I don’t like the people that work here, and they hurt you so badly…. Let’s just go ok?” (Alt)

I watched the poor girl. She was giving up all she had ever known, all on the words of a stranger that had the same scent as she did. How lonely must she have been her whole life? How confused, afraid, and misunderstood? She must have been desperately hoping to meet someone, anyone like her for so long. So much she would even trust in a stranger that she only ever knew as someone who had hurt her caregiver.

Well that changes RIGHT now. I’ll take her back to where she really belongs! Where she has more people who will understand her, a place she can meet and learn about her real family!

“Yes we can go now. Alt did anyone come here with you? Do you remember if a lot of people were in the place outside that door?” (Joselin)

She shook her head.

“I came in all by myself, but a maid and guard brought me here. They should still be waiting in the carriage though.” (Alt)

“And the people outside these doors, the mean workers?” (Joselin)

Alt gave a smile like the ones she did before my mind was clear. She really was a beautiful and cute girl, the most I had ever seen in fact, but the smile, THAT really did make her look even more beautiful than she was normally.

I will say this for my unstable self……….. She was right, Alt really does look like an angel. Especially when she smiles like that…………..

“Most of the mean people were gone when I came! There were just four here: a lady with three fangs, one with a scar on her nose, and two who looked the same, but with different hair colors.” (Alt)

I felt myself stop. My body, everything was flashing hot and cold. I could feel the fear begin to surface, but more than that I felt the hatred. I wasn’t the same bound and helpless thing they had made me into, I was free now. I could fight back now, hurt THEM now. I would have to, I mean it was necessary. They were in the way of my escape and Alt’s rescue. I would have to kill them. All of them. I didn’t have a choice.

They will have to die……..Yes, it’s the only way…… it’s only because they are blocking our escape! That’s the only reason!!!!

I could feel my hands trembling slightly from my tension.

“Alt, listen I need you to stay here for a little while ok? I need to go do something so we can go home…..” (Joselin)

I think she said ok, I couldn’t tell my heart was pounding too loudly to hear much of anything. I was walking out of the door to my hell when I saw a glimpse of her.

White.

The next thing I knew I was on top of her and was pummeling her face in with my fists. The woman was dead, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.

I felt hands rip me off of White and saw that Red had found us.

I bounced onto her. I bit and clawed at everything I could on the woman. She screamed as I tore into her throat with an animalistic fury that both invigorated and scared me. I wasn’t even drinking of the woman, just using my fangs like any animal would. Like they were weapons used to kill and not fine tools to feed with.

Red died sometime while I was losing myself in cutting patterns into her with my nails.

The rational part of me, the part that was brought back by Alt’s innocent kindness was horrified by what it was seeing. It felt like that part was watching things from outside my body. The part of me that was in control was in a state of primal bliss. To that part things were simple. I had hurt and killed the bad things before they could do anything more to me.

I continued until I found Fangs. For once she didn’t seem to notice I was around, let alone figure out what I was thinking. I rammed her head against the wall repeatedly.

The noises that action created were so solid sounding at first…..

When I let go of the woman the noises had become a soft wet sucking sound. What was left of Fangs head was a slightly concaved mess of blood, hair and brain.

I wanted to stop, to leave this all behind and just go home with Alt, but I just felt myself turn around and come back to the door. It was open again, inside was Scar, and she was choking and screaming incoherently at Alt.

The small girl’s legs were kicking ever more feebly at the air as she struggled to even fight for breath, let alone attempt fight back.

I felt my mind go blank.

I tackled the monster that had haunted me for what felt like a life time to the ground. I attacked her with everything that was in me. I hurt myself in my fervor to see her dead. I kept up the attacks even after the monster was surly dead. I broke many fingers and was probably concuss judging by how my head felt, but within an hour or so those things should heal.

The things I had said as I struck her. They were the same things I had heard so often from her when she raped, used, and molested me.

Her screams and begging reminded me of the sounds that I had made, just laced with more pain than denial.

They made me happy in a sick, wrong, and perverse way. They made me so happy.

I sat on the corpse of someone that had broken my spirit in ways that were more horrible than I could have ever known they could be. She was a monster that would haunt me for the rest of my immortal life even now that she was dead. The nightmares and memories would always be there, waiting for me to drop my guard, to just ALMOST forget. That’s when they would come back, that’s what everyone always said, and as I looked down at the ruined corpse of Scar I could feel the truth of those words.

You really did break me forever you monster, I’ll never be able to have any sort of normal form of casual contact or romantic relationship because of what you did to me…. I hope whatever pit in the abyss you’re in now is worse than anything I could ever imagine.

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh……………. Fuck she was strong…….. I did NOT see that coming….. Well at least this little distraction of yours will have given Till enough of an opening to begin the take-down without any significant risks or losses…. But fuck I thought I was gonna die there…. Guess even Yan and I together can’t plan for EVERYTHING. Wish Black Blood worked on suffocation, that would solve so many damn problems……” (Alt)

I looked back and watched her as she got up and adjusted her clothes with a resigned sigh. Her voice was far less timid and unsure of itself than it was before. It sounded confident, assured of itself.

“Alt? What are…….” (Joselin)

She gave a small almost sad smile.

“Yeah........ I’ve been lying to you. This whole innocent naïve child thing, it was all an act. Although I must say, you really did buy fully into the “prince actually being a helpless damsel who doesn’t even know she is in distress” thing more fully then I expected. That was more than a bit annoying, acting like I did, but I think I dealt with it all well don’t you?” (Alt)

What was she saying? Alt being a girl was all…… an Act? Playing at being a innocent child? No there is no way…………….

“Oh and I must say something, I Truly am sorry for this, you had nothing but my best interests in mind. If things had turned out differently, we might’ve been close. Your whole coven just wanted to see the safe return of a child they had thought taken…… that you all would risk so much for that is something I find both noble and respectable………..” (Alt)

What is he saying? I-I don’t understand why Alt is talking like we are enemies, aren’t we family? Did she not understand that? Maybe I should explain it again…………

“That said I don’t regret what I have done, nor will I regret what comes next. Even if you and your coven were lied to, used, and manipulated, you still harmed the people I loved. There can be no forgiveness for THAT regardless of your reasons…...” (Alt)

“What do you mean lied to? No one lied to us, you ARE a Phantus!!! Alt, please, stop playing around, we still need to escape….” (Joselin)

Alt just looked at me with that sad little smile of hers, then she made a cold expression and turned away.

“You can’t escape from your own home base Joselin, not after all Frayed Assurance had to pay to buy us back, you and I…….” (Alt)

“Buy back?” (Joselin)

“I guess I could say welcome home, but this isn’t your home is it. That would be your coven under the western hill outside of the town of Milfor. You told us all about it, and I’m actually rather upset that the first members of my house I encountered had to be killed. Don’t worry, as they were mostly innocent their deaths were quick and painless, but the coven you called your own is gone now. As are many small covens that you knew about that had direct ties with Frayed Assurance. Though I most thank you for your information on our Ancestor and the Goddess Fray. I had worried about what could have killed an Ancestor, and if it would be hunting the rest of the house as well, thank you for laying those fears to rest. And your information on the Goddess Fray will be more than useful, it seems I’ll have to test my theory on killing a divine sooner than I expected to have to. I never would have known either off those things if you hadn't told me.” (Alt)

My coven………. My family gone? Because of me? But I never….

“You’re thinking about your coven right? How we found them? Rather selfish of you to overlook all the other covens that were wiped out because of you as well, but I can understand why you would. They don’t matter as much to you right? Well unfortunately for you, we had you heavily drugged and under the influence of a skilled mind mage, rare thing a Vampeerus mage it’s a wonder Carmen managed to find one…… then to train and condition her when she was a fucking MIND mage…….. no clue how Carmen pulled THAT trick off….., I believe you knew her best as Fangs correct? Yes well I had ‘Fangs’, or lieutenant Ussar Tepestia as I know her, implant a few simple little things in your mind. Nothing major of course, just some dreams that would make you think you escaped confinement. Oh, and some things to keep you awake and responsive, but your conciseness locked in a continuation of your torture with those four girls for the last two days. Fun fact, they actually did torture a doll that your conciseness was locked in for those two days……… Oh and I forgot the most important part. When I said the words "Are you the one who hurt Mommy" to you in any way or tone, your conciseness would return, but you would still perceive yourself as being in that room. Oh and I guess now is the time I should tell you that everything that happened to you in there was done on my DIRECT orders, and I do mean EVERYTHING. In fact I was the one who told Ussar to step up the rape and molestation as THAT seemed to provoke the best response out of you compared to everything else.” (Alt)

I felt sick. Everything. EVERYTHING was an act. She…… no he…… This child, the one my family had risked so much to save………….. He had……………. He was………………..

I looked down at the corpse bellow me.

“But that can’t be right, I killed…….” (Joselin)

“Yes, I guess I should mention that you saw more than yourself still in that room with that key-phrase. You also saw everyone besides myself and members of my forces as one of those four woman who saw to your torture for the last week. How many do you think you killed? Four? Try eleven. By the way, do you STILL see yourself as being in that room?” (Alt)

I just numbly nodded my head.

I could feel all the pain, fear, and hopelessness that I had overcome with Alt’s blood come back and weigh on me again. Only this time it was worse, this time I knew TRUE hopelessness, and I couldn’t even trust my own mind anymore.

What is the point of even fighting anymore? Everything I loved is gone. Everything that mattered has been shattered and swept away. There is no reason to continue with anything anymore…….

“That’s a Tepestia for you…. Even the non-nobility, the ones without the ability to directly control or manipulate minds, are still experts on the way a mind can work. If you have one that is also able to read minds, even if that is all she can do and its only for surface thoughts… Then give that same one a talent for magic, and of course she’ll invest her all in honing mind magic, and that one is damn near close to having the powers of a noble of her bloodline. Sure there are more limitations on Ussar than on a noble Tepestia, but really I can’t complain too much. Just having a loyal mind expert in this world that I can keep near me at all times is reassuring enough……. Oh but here I am rambling, RELEASE……… There, fixed your mind…… mostly…..” (Alt)

I was setting on top of the corpse someone who wore a high officer’s sigil for the Frayed Assurance. Looking around we seem to be in the tactical room of one of the Frayed Assurances three main bases. The only one I ever knew about.

I had lead this fate right to this place.

I couldn’t even cry anymore. The tears wouldn’t come, it was like my body know crying might offer me some small relief and so denied me the privilege. That was fine I wanted to suffer at this point. I was the sole cause of the deaths of countless innocents, including my coven. My family.

I wanted to die.

I wanted to end.

I wanted to feel pain, pain that I knew I deserved for this.

I kept listening to the boy called Alt, who had shown me that the mad Phantus covens were nothing near the level of horror and terror inspired by a true evil.

This didn’t even seem to matter to him. Out of all the death he only ever seemed sad about my coven, and even that was such a small thing. It was the sadness one expects to see when someone expects sunshine and instead finds only clouds. Insignificant. He talked as if all this death, all this pain and suffering, all this destruction….. like it was all natural. Like it was the only result that could have ever come to pass. Inevitable.

Listening to Alt speak hurt me more than anything ever had. He didn’t target me out specifically much either, just hinted that everything that has happened, and would happen in the future was all because of me in some way.

It made me actively wish to have never been born. If I had never come into this world than none of these things would have ever come to be.

“…….And all that is to say, you and the Frayed Assurance ultimately never stood a realistic chance in this game. Since the opening move that told me you were my opponents in this game, you had lost. Perhaps if you had waited, or had a larger backing in finances or personnel, but you didn’t. THAT is why you and this whole misguided organization failed………………

There I’m done talking now. Would you like to die now Joselin?” (Alt)

I just nodded.

“Good, if you drink this. You will experience the most painful and longest death I can realistically give you at this time. Is that acceptable to you Joselin?” (Alt)

I looked up at true evil. I meet his beautiful, beautiful eyes. I nodded.

“Yes........ Please.......” (Joselin)

He handed me a small vial.

“I would stay to watch over your death, but I have to go meet with Till and her people to leave this shithole. And I also don’t want to waste that much more time on you, you know?” (Alt)

I just nodded as I uncorked the vial. He truly was a beautiful monster. One that lured you in and hunted you before you even knew it was there let alone thought it was dangerous. It was the monster that you didn’t mind letting get close to you, even knowing it WOULD kill you. Truly such an unimaginably beautiful and unimaginably dangerous monster……

“Don’t worry, the crystal I told you about, the one that recorded your entire fall, from capture to now, that will record your entire two day death. Do you have anything to say before I go? Before you die? Your last words?” (Alt)

I looked at him, memorizing every detail of this boy.

I nodded.

“You are the single most utterly beautiful and most utterly terrifying thing I have ever known to exist.” (Joselin)

As I drank my liquid death, he gave me the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. It even outshined every other expression he showed me.

“Why, thank you Joselin Phantus. That is quite the compliment you just paid me……….” (Alt)

The pain was sudden, intense, and incomprehensible. I collapsed into a screaming twitching mess, and lost sight of the monster that looked like a child. I could barely make out his next words over the pain and screaming, but I concentrated the totality of my being into the effort.

“…….Especially from one who has met a real Goddess in person……..” (Alt)

I felt the pain take me……………..

ok i'm tired of the Lizote-Natasha-Alt comments, this IS the most complex relationship in the story (so far at least) and i KNOW no one is going to be able to put all the pieces together the right way on their own so AaronDragon is bringing Dues-Ex-Machina up in this argument, in the form of AUTHOR HINTS:

Natasha was the first among those three to Fall in love, but that love wasn't the one she has with Lizote

Daniel louis and the team never Specified how many or what gender TAI or Taia should fall in love with, or gave the A.I. anything to work with, they left it all to her preferences.

Hellatia never LOST a soul in the Void. and for HER it was only millennia, for the SOUL....................

TAI or Taia wasn't picked as a chosen per say, nor was she picked by a "divine" Like Bartius assumed. (Who are these people? go read the side-chapters people, every chapter i post to this site ALWAYS matter. even if they have side in the name..... damn....)

Anna is an Elf...... an ELF!!!!!!!!!!!

Sally has always done the right thing. she was seen as a force of righteous good by all who know her past and present.

TAI or Taia was split into three different incarnations sent to different times do to how she was designed by Daniel Louis (Alt), none of those three have their full memory, data, or capabilities while apart.

there have only ever been two Avatars of corruption, one was forgotten the same time the other was ALLOWED to be born.

incarnating between worlds can happen at ANY point in said worlds timeline if the being doing so has enough power.

THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!if you cant put THAT together to get the answer, then i give up............

so yeah this chapter............ don't fuck with Alts family huh? and he LIKED Joselin in that "we coulda been friends if only" kinda way............

anyway you know the drill.

i'll edit anything out that i find tomorrow, for now: sleep.

Author out.