I've been crying a lot lately.

Mostly in front of Niel, but that one single moment, in front of Edward, just when I was only thinking about the same and only guy ever. So that doesn't count as “Not Niel's fault” either.

Where at the time Edward's illusion was waiting for me to calm myself down, he was silent as if his real self was being tormented just to think of something to say.

He said, “You know there's a secret underground room at Sins Taker's headquarters in London? Do something to make things look like you did sneak in, read some random folders for a few minutes, then open the red folder I've locked in the white desk drawer in the room. The rest, do as your instincts will trigger as usual, do everything as if I ran into some unexpected trouble… If what you hope for someday really can come true, I also don't want to have anyone as an enemy, including Daniel. So, I'm sorry, but I can't kill them even for anyone's sake. That man… The one above me… Would kill both of them instead if he really wanted to, and no one would be able to prevent anything he didn't want from happening, to happen… That's how powerful he is. But at least I'll create a situation that he hasn't had time to plan before. Then someday, when Daniel and the man meet, only Daniel alone can force himself to let the two of them go from his own life… He alone will determine the end of this world himself.”

“You talk as if you really want to help me…”

But wouldn't that do nothing for anyone?

For what, Edward?

What can I get from that?

Nothing! …Right?

“I understand the look on your face, Evelina. But I really can't help you. The furthest I can give, is to interfere a little with that man's plans… In case that will result in giving yourself and Daniel, a chance to think of something to get out from your own problem without giving me any loss… Any harm to my daughter. That’s all I can do for you… Sorry.”

The illusion slowly disappeared, Edward said goodbye after I managed to calm myself down… As I whispered to no one, "This whole thing is just too much for me."

Too damn much…

I guess I was just being too nice, wasn’t I?

Because…

If I really cared that much about Niel, I should have done the thing a long time ago.

I should have killed Deo and Fanya even if I had to be hated by him.

But at that time, first, I still did what Edward suggested… Whether he was deliberately cultivating my curiosity or just tricking me, I just knew that I needed to know more about the situation I was currently in.

So I went to the place he said, to uncover his own secret. Where unfortunately the thing that was in the red folder didn't contain even a single one of the secrets I had previously anticipated, something that is really too late for me to deal with.

As there was Daniel Umaga on the list of the fake terrorist squad members only on the first page, along with those red crosses on each elder's face who had died since many nights in a row, the one thing I had anticipated not to happen to Niel had passed even worse…

And of course, Edward's main purpose for having me sneak into the room was just to open the last page of the red folder.

Just exactly the same night that I found out, with the operation start time having passed a few minutes ago, Niel's active mission and his troops were there, in the city of London to kill many helpless mortal targets… A family consisting of a husband and wife and their children, which might completely dehumanize him if they really got the mission done without me coming to mess it up.

I mean… Of course I managed to ruin the plan. Edward must have known and had prepared something to stop me, all of these things were indeed something we both had planned to happen.

Unfortunately Edward would not allow me to cross the line which would be detrimental to him, as I failed to bring Niel back to my side.

~~~~~

Desperately looking through the thick cloud of the warm steam.

Crying, scattering all the rubble of the building only because I feel angry with myself.

Many bodies whose souls have strengthened me, sadly they are all nothing but ordinary people… That it was clear that I had been branded a criminal. And maybe they won't even think of me as a terrorist, but rather like a beast that does whatever it wants.

Yet it didn't bother me even a bit…

I knelt down just to confirm everything that had happened, slowly being surrounded by the many Sins Takers who were already on their feet with those power-reducing handcuffs as if they believed I was about to turn myself in.

Of course at that time they knew who I was… They got ready not because they wanted to try, but just because they had to follow procedures.

As the ten of them slowly drew closer, just right when I had no doubt that everyone guessed it was all for nothing because I had disappeared from the place in the blink of an eye.

Silent in that empty alley in the middle of the night…

I walked firmly with the most serious face I have ever shown, like forever.

Footsteps getting closer and closer to the place where I will again kill, claiming lives. But something suddenly made me stop before passing through the gate.

Deo…

That guy along with three other adults were looking at me to keep coming over.

“She's… Much cuter than anything I've heard before.”

“Her face just doesn't match all the great power she has, do you think?” One of the adults replied to Deo's words in a friendly manner. A man with a face of a foreigner that feels very relaxed, hair dyed yellow with many black earrings on the ears and lips.

His parka, which didn't look like it fit in a place as warm as this city, but maybe he'd been wearing it for quite some time even from where he came in the first place. Which of course felt odd, as if he had just left or had just arrived here.

“You’re that Evelina… Right?”

At the time I was actually quite surprised…

I don't know if this is too random for Deo to know my identity, but I feel even more sorry for Niel. I'm guessing he doesn't know anything about this. I'm sure Deo kept it a secret from him…

“You already knew that I would come here. How, Deo? You work for Edward?”

“Edward? Edward didn't even know me. He doesn't need to. But I know something is hiding behind the Sins Taker. And that's where I'm at right now.”

He doesn't seem like a smart person… Yet, “Thank you for going to the trouble of telling me everything about it. Now I won't feel guilty for killing you.”

“So she really came to kill me huh?”

The same grown man from before suddenly smiled proudly beside him.

As he said, “I told you…”

“Told him what? Who are you anyway?”

“See, Deo? Everyone always asks that question. If only I knew how to answer it… Unfortunately to all of you, I myself am not allowed to know who I really am.”

Sounds stupid… What does he mean by that?

But somehow, it actually sounded quite familiar.

Especially with the state of the world as it is right now…

Wait… “You… Are… The great carrier of knowledge?!”

One thing that resonated many times in my mind after realizing that, was that his form which was completely different from what I had ever imagined…

I thought he would look like an old man with a thick beard or something.

Basically, anything that is not like this emo guy at all.

And more importantly, why is he even here?

“I'm here to further refine my plans.”

Him who suddenly answered a question I didn't mean to ask, just felt like he was showing off his magical power. And I hate that so much…

So I raised my hand, finger pointing at Deo, I expected something from my own magic to come to grant my wish.

But nothing happened…

I was confused by many things, but more importantly, I was curious about what exactly I had been expecting.

What exactly did I just want to do?

Why am I holding out my hand?

Did I just…

A man whose voice seemed to already know the answer he was asking for, said to me…

“You forgot something?"

“Huh?”

Oh… That’s it!

This great carrier of knowledge!

Did he just…?

He just erased my memory for a few seconds…!

The other two adults who were next to that great carrier suddenly each pulled out a gun…

But what for? I've been hit dozens of times before even from multiple weapons that were three times bigger than the one they were using.

There's no way it could hurt me.

“Yeah, you’re right… Then just forget it.”

Forget it?

Forget about what?

“I don't understand what you mean by that, but…”

Wait… What’s that thing they are pointing at me again? They put a small crystal on both of them, as a spark suddenly exploded the glass into shards. And then…

My chest suddenly hurts right in the middle…

Blood gushing out, I lost my focus to stay on my feet.

“Is she really going to be okay?”

“Any carrier with a number of souls over fifty wouldn't die immediately when their heart was damaged as long as the regeneration kept working for a few seconds. It’s fine… She will be okay… Even though she currently forgot how to use her own magic to heal herself, still she was a great carrier of water who had a regeneration rate three times stronger than any normal carrier. So now we just need to call Aasim to give us one another portal like before.”

“You're not going to kill her, are you? I mean, is that necessary? Only to kill Daniel?”

“No. Listen Deo… The effects of someone's death will always be different depending on how the relationship was formed. Especially if we're talking about a great carrier, one death will only make them hopeless and unable to fight. It’s their greatest weakness. But specifically for that guy, Daniel, this girl's death... Evelina's death would only make him act more out of control. One death gave despair, another death sprinkled embers of anger…”

“No way… Are you serious? That sounds cool. So… It's an ember of anger from this girls’ death, right? But about that despair… Whose death will give Daniel despair?”

“Who is it, I wonder… Let Aasim decide that. Anyway, Deo. After this, just act normal when he comes home, you hear? I’ll try as long as possible to keep this girl away from him.”

I don't understand what they're saying…

And I can't remember anything. It’s just my head that feels so dizzy, which may be because of this drop of blood…? Or… The effect of magic?

Evelina? Seriously? That's just stupid…

It makes no sense for magic to be real in this world.

Pressing the ground with both hands, trying not to fall completely, my chin was suddenly grabbed by someone.

Who?

Are you…

“Niel?” Is that you?

His nose seemed to be dripping a lot of blood…

“Niel? You okay?”

“Oh? Interesting… Though I've never expended my magic power so much that it actually gave me a nosebleed… Even when I managed to make you remember nothing, you can still find that guy somewhere inside there, huh? What do you think this is? Romance novels? I’m sorry, but you're in the wrong story, lady. Hey you both… Can you shoot her heart again, like two or three times?”

“Wow… Dude… You sure it will be alright?”

“We can't let her die yet, so just trust me.”

~~~~~

Slowly I started to hear something…

Like… Some kind of iron rustling sound.

Where I finally began to wake up from the feeling of the same complete confusion that repeated hundreds of times, hanging in the air with rusty pulley chains tugging at my hands to keep this body from falling down to the dusty floor.

Yet I lost track of how long I had been in this place, as every five seconds my memory regarding some particular thing, seemed to always be reset to zero by those annoying magic tricks, of course from no one but the guy… The great carrier of knowledge.

It seemed his concentration to keep me confused had suddenly been lost for some reason… A reason to turn one's attention towards the screaming voice that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

I opened my eyes as I watched the magical swirl of rocks that formed the round door frame with its smooth and ancient pattern…

Spewing out many people who then fell to the ground, before shrinking down and being swallowed by the hole in the center of itself just like a black hole.

Each of those people had very familiar black patches all around their bodies…

“It’s the curse…”

A cry from many people, a scream of pain that I've never heard of, but it feels like I'm used to hearing it a long time ago.

Where some actually beg for others to kill themselves who are in such great agony, that’s just something reasonable to ask for someone who's experienced the power of that curse…

Niel's curse.

~~~~~