I Refuse to be a Named Character

Part 8

Blood was pooling under me, the sensation warm against my rapidly cooling skin.

But in the end, I had a name. I changed the plot. I tried to stay by Luke's side. I should have known this would happen.

Luke was racing towards me, his hand outstretched. His face was distorted, a furious look I had never seen before coloring his features. He was shouting something... a name?

Maybe it's the name he wanted to give me.

He was getting closer, but my vision was darkening, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I was just... so... tired.

I wanted to hear the name you gave me, Luke. I'm sorry.

Everything faded into darkness.

___________________________

"NOOOOOO!" Luke reached out a hand towards the woman he loved, but he could already tell it was too late. Her eyes had glazed over, her breathing had stopped. Trembling, he reached out a hand to gently touch her wrist, right next to the bracelet he had so happily placed on her earlier, but he couldn't feel a pulse.

"No." It was a quiet denial. He reached out and touched her neck, praying silently.

But there was nothing.

She was gone.

"It worked! Now's she's gone back and the plot can return to normal!" Chloe cheered, the sound grating on Luke's ears.

"...shut up."

"What did you say?" Chloe grinned, putting her still blood-stained hands on her hips. "I'm the heroine of this world. She was just getting in the wa-"

SLASH!

Without hesitation, Lucien grabbed his beloved's sword that she had dropped, and cut the still smiling girl's head off.

Thud.

The decapitated head fell to the floor beside him, but he barely glanced at the features so similar, but so different to the woman he had wanted to protect.

"You shouldn't have touched her."

"Your highness!" A guard tried to restrain him, but only had time to scream before his throat was cut and he was pushed away.

"There's the family madness!" Fetter smiled, stepping closer. "This was what I was hoping to see. My dear brother, so unrestrained."

"The family madness?" Lucien stared down at his bloody knife for a moment. "I suppose I have it. I've restrained it for so long, hoping to preserve the remnants of the soul she saw that day." He leapt onto the stage, and gave a loud whistle. Immediately his men flooded the ballroom, swords drawn.

"But what use is a soul, if she's already gone?" Grabbing his father, the king by his hair, Lucien watched him with a stony expression.

"Let me go! I am your ruler!" The older man struggled, but to no avail.

"It was your test that kept me from running away with her."

SLASH!

The king's corpse fell to the ground. He stepped past Graham, who was still kneeling, rocking back and forth with his face buried in his hands, and approached Fetter.

The younger prince backed away, the glee from his face fading, slowly replaced by the terror of what he had unleashed.

"Now brother, come to your senses! You'll lose everything!"

"I already have."

"But I'm... family!" Fetter glanced around anxiously. "Your brother! Do you really think you can kill me- "