“Answer me, Brother.”
Cecilia’s voice carried a trace of an imperceptible tremor.
“The one you need... is me, right?”
The air froze.
That scent, a mixture of milk and blood, became a physical cage, trapping Bell in place.
His mind went blank.
Refusal?
What would be the consequences of refusal?
Would Kyle be turned into some horrifying piece of art? Would Lilian’s remaining fang be snapped off?
Or would he have to experience the pain of having his eyes gouged out once again?
Fear, like cold seawater, submerged his nose and mouth, making it impossible to breathe.
Bell’s body trembled uncontrollably.
He looked at the pure, flawless face inches away from his own.
In those obsidian eyes, his own pale, terrified reflection was clearly visible.
And deep within those eyes was an overflowing, insane expectation.
She wasn't asking.
She was demanding an answer.
An answer she had already decided upon, one that allowed for no deviation.
“I...”
Bell’s throat was so dry it ached. He opened his mouth, but no coherent sound came out.
“Bell?”
Submit to her.
A voice screamed frantically in his mind.
Submit to her first! At least until you find a real protective umbrella!
He couldn't let anyone else be hurt because of him.
Especially an irredeemable fool like Kyle, who shone as bright as the sun.
Bell closed his eyes. When he opened them again, all the struggle and fear had been forcibly suppressed into the deepest depths of his heart.
He reached out and, with stiff movements, grasped Cecilia’s hand as it stroked his cheek.
Cecilia’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
“Yes.”
Bell heard his own voice, as calm as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.
“The one I need is you.”
The moment the words left his lips...
The world seemed to stand still.
Cecilia’s obsidian eyes constricted sharply.
Ecstasy.
An uncontrollable, volcanic eruption of ecstasy burst from her eyes, instantly igniting her entire being.
“Brother...”
She murmured dizzily, then suddenly lunged forward.
Bell’s body froze completely.
His stomach churned, and a wave of intense nausea rushed up his throat.
But he didn't push her away.
He simply let her take what she wanted.
A long time passed.
Only then did Cecilia reluctantly let go of him.
She stood up, looking down at Bell, who was still slumped on the floor.
Her cheeks were flushed with an unnatural fever, and her eyes, moistened with tears, shone with a startling brilliance.
She had won.
She had finally heard those words.
Bell fought the urge to wipe his lips. He knew that even the slightest hint of resistance could cause the joy this lunatic had just built up to collapse in an instant.
He had to stabilize her.
“Cecilia.”
Bell braced himself against the wall and struggled to his feet.
He took the initiative to reach out and take Cecilia’s hand.
Cecilia shuddered as if struck by an electric current, her face filled with disbelief.
Bell didn't give her time to react.
“Once you find a way to achieve immortality,” he said, looking into her eyes and speaking each word with absolute clarity, “we will be together.”
Boom!
These words were even more powerful than anything he had said before.
Cecilia even thought she was hallucinating.
Her mouth hung slightly open as she stared blankly at Bell. For the first time, those eyes that always held endless madness showed a trace of bewilderment.
“Re... Really? Brother?” Her voice trembled violently. “Is what you’re saying true?! You... you’re willing to... be with me?”
Bell didn't answer.
He simply raised his other hand and, with a tenderness that even he found foreign, gently ruffled Cecilia’s hair.
He forced his facial muscles to form a gentle smile, one he had practiced countless times.
“You’ve dedicated two lives to me. Even if I were a block of iron or a stone, you would have warmed me by now.”
Of course, there was another way to say that.
You ruined two of my lives.
You immortal monster, you’ve haunted me for two lifetimes.
However...
What Cecilia heard was clearly the former.
“Ugh...”
A sob, suppressed to the extreme, escaped her throat.
The next second...
“Waaaaah—!”
A cry like a bursting dam erupted.
Cecilia threw herself into Bell’s arms like a fledgling returning to its nest. The sheer force of the impact knocked Bell backward onto the bed behind him.
She clung to Bell’s body, burying her face deep in his chest.
Warm tears instantly soaked the front of Bell’s shirt.
“Bell... Bell! I’m so happy... I’m really so happy...”
She rubbed against him haphazardly, like a kitten seeking comfort from its master.
“Finally... finally...”
She cried out incoherently, as if venting all the grievances, obsession, and love of two lifetimes.
Bell lay on the bed, letting the demon weep unrestrained in his arms.
He reached out and, stiffly and slowly, wrapped his arms around her trembling, thin back.
He really wanted to.
He wanted to tighten his arms right now and use all his strength to strangle this monster who had destroyed everything of his.
But he couldn't.
He was no match for her.
Any futile resistance would only lead to deeper torment.
She cried for an unknown amount of time.
Eventually, Cecilia’s wailing subsided into intermittent sobs.
She lifted her tear-streaked face, her red, swollen eyes sparkling as she looked at Bell.
“Then... then we... right now...”
As she spoke, she sniffled, and the hand still draped around Bell’s neck began to unbutton the collar of her dress.
Bell’s heart constricted.
He immediately reached out and caught her wandering hand.
“Cecilia.”
His voice carried a firm note that brooked no argument.
“I said, once you find a way to achieve immortality, alright?”
This was the only—and final—breathing room he could secure for himself.
Cecilia’s movements stopped.
She lay on Bell’s chest, tilting her head. A trace of grievance and reluctance flashed in her tear-filled eyes.
But seeing Bell’s non-negotiable expression, she eventually pouted.
“Fine...”
She muttered softly, like a child who hadn't gotten their candy.
She let go of the button but didn't get off him.
She simply adjusted her position, resting her cheek gently against Bell’s warm chest and closing her eyes.
She could hear it.
Her brother’s strong, steady heartbeat.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
It was the most beautiful music in the world.
“Then... it’s a promise.”
Her voice came out muffled, heavy with nasal congestion and a hint of sleepiness.
“Bell, wait for me.”
“Mm.”
Bell squeezed a single sound from his throat.
Silence fell over the room once more.
Only the sound of Cecilia’s even, long breaths echoed softly in Bell’s ear.
She seemed to have truly fallen asleep.
Bell lay motionless, feeling the weight and warmth on his chest that didn't belong to him.
He slowly looked up, staring at the white ceiling of the dormitory.
Beyond his field of vision, Cecilia, lying on his chest with her eyes closed, slowly opened them a sliver.
There was no hint of sleepiness in that gap.
Only cold calculation and... a morbid possessiveness so thick it couldn't be dissolved.
She rubbed her cheek against Bell’s chest again, satisfied.
Rate on N.U.
