"Ijekiel wake up!" Athanasia called, still struggling from the ropes that kept her from standing up. "I know you're still there!! Please!!"

"Of course, he's still here but you can't wake him up," Nicholas said, rolling his eyes. "After finding out that the love of his life was taken away by his ex-attendant, he chose to fall in the darkness and let me take over."

Athanasia glared. "You manipulated him! Ijekiel won't ever fall in the darkness just like what happened to you!"

"But he already did though," Nicholas said with a chuckle.

Athanasia clenched her teeth. "I'll definitely save him. You dare to use Ijekiel's body. Nicholas, you've already hurt a lot of people who is close to me and if you add another one, I swear I'm gonna-"

"What?!" Nicholas cut her off. "Whatever you do, everything will just come back to where it started!"

"That's why you've got to stop this!" Athanasia retorted. "It's the same to you! Whatever you do, there's still the loop! We can't escape from it!"

"Oh, but there's a way to stop it."

Athanasia paused. "What?"

"How about we make a deal?" Nicholas raised a brow as he crouched down with a knowing grin on his face. Athanasia could tell it's something bad.

"No," Athanasia immediately said without even knowing what they should make a deal about.

"Are you sure?" Nicholas chuckled, he's not even surprised. "Your friend's life is on the line in this."

Athanasia narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Did it piqued your interest?"

"Shut up and tell me."

"Okay, okay, princess." Nicholas held his hands up in defense. "I'll tell you, be patient."

Nicholas pointed at himself—Ijekiel's body. "I'll leave from this body and never bother you again if you go back to the day of the founding festival."

"What?" Athanasia frowned.

"You heard me, princess. If I didn't meet your eyes that time, then my family would still be alive and we won't clash ways."

"Nicholas, what you're planning is something impossible," Athanasia said, shaking her head. Sweat is starting to form on her forehead.

"It's not impossible if I have the time magician in my hands." Nicholas caressed Athanasia's hair which the latter shoved away.

"I may have the magic of time but the more time I go back, the more life that will be sucked away from me," Athanasia explained. "And I might die if I do that."

"But you would still be alive, you're going to rewrite everything!"

"That's not how that works, Nicholas!"

Nicholas stood up, glaring down at Athanasia. "Fine. If you don't do it, then let's do it the hard way."

"Fine!" Athanasia scoffed, smirking. "You don't want to mess with the time magician! You don't want to know how fucked up you are with me here."

-

"Is it really okay to leave this to that black dog?" Claude muttered, walking around the room patientlessly.

"Have trust in him, Claude," Diana, who is sitting on the couch, tried to calm him down. "And really? Black dog?"

"What?" Claude scoffed, giving his wife a glance then back to walk around. "Every time I see him with my daughter, he looked like a mere dog to me."

"But dogs are loyal, right?" Diana smirked.

Claude paused, realizing what he said. "I-I take that back."

"I always win," Diana sang.

"Oh, shut up."

Diana smiled, staring at her husband. "Have you calmed down, yet?"

Claude pursed his lips, his eyes widened a little. He looked away, sighing. "Kind of... But there's still this worry in me." He turned his head back to Diana. "Don't you also?"

Diana smiled, standing up to incline her face to Claude. She showed him her hands trembling. "I'm also scared and worried for the safety of our child."

Claude looked down at her trembling hand, he slowly held them with his to warm it, and hopefully, the trembling will stop.

"But Athanasia's not our child for nothing," Diana added, meeting her husband's eyes. "Our child is brave and strong, and Lucas will also be there to save her. I believe that nothing would happen to Athanasia."

Claude averted his gaze and let out another sigh. He pulled Diana close to hug her gently. "You're right."

Diana smiled and hugged back. "I'm always right."

"Really?"

"What? Do you want to argue with that?"

"...."

-

short chapie hehe

btw 9 chapters to go~