The Villainess's POV
As I fly through the door in the ceiling I look downwards to watch the world in the room change and distort into something more sinister, something more fitting of a final boss.
*Grwarghhh!!!*
Ah, the enemies of the hero are finally appearing.
The room and Gravity continue to shift and my feet land on the ceiling of the now dark red and black setting, a realm that allow demons to reside.
In the distance I hear the sound of a door being slashed followed by the light and quick footsteps of the hero, what a scene this shall be.
Through portals in paintings and walls, demons of all kinds arrive and look around their soon to be grave. I don't expect them to survive against the hero, but they're mobs, and a mob's sole reason for existing is to die for the story.
But even though they're just mobs, there's enough of them to pose some difficulty for Robin, and with my help the is at least at a SS-Rank difficulty. I'd say it's reasonable because this is leading up to the grand finale I've been waiting for so long.
And it must be spectacular.
One demon with wings and fives arms flies in front of me and scans my body with its seven uneven eyes. I simply watch it do as it pleases and it lets out a low growl before moving on.
These things see me as one of their own, which at the current moment is quite accurate. An evil being such as the villainess doesn't fall far behind the terrors of a demon. Though I'm definitely much more attractive than these creatures.
The footsteps continue to approach and finally, the main character arrives.
Robin: "Grace where ar-" He cuts himself off and looks in awe at the room before him and notices he's standing on the ceiling of the room.
Each and everyone of the demons turn to him and there was murder in all of their eyes or eye. As for me, my smile only grows wider.
Grace: "Welcome Robin, are you ready for the fight of your life?" I ask sweetly. "Because I sure am!" I exclaim as I feel my newfound powers flow through me.
Robin's feet shifts and his body tenses, he readies his sword as the crowd grows restless.
Robin: "I will save you Grace." He says coldly.
Grace: "And I will stop you." I smile as electricity gathers around me.
I let loose a few bolts at Robin as to start the show and he's quick to react. With no one to protect, he dodges it with ease and goes even further than that. In the blink of an eye he not only dodged my attack but impaled the closest demon to him in the chest.
He stands menacingly as he slowly pulls the screeching winged creature closer to the hilt of his blade using his scarf and looks around as if to taunt the other demons to start attacking. All of the demons let out a collective screech and their eyes begin to glow red, Robin's plan worked
Such an impressive opening scene, I couldn't help but admire it.
I decide to admire it for a little while longer and sit back and watch the hero at work.
He yanks his blade out of the demon and swiftly decapitates it before seeing the horde of demons that were right on him. He looks at me through the horde with such cold eyes that make me shiver in excitement, does he finally see me as the villainess?
The demons finally force Robin to acknowledge them as they get closer and the first poor cyclops looking demon is instantly cut in half. It's blood and guts spray the demon beside it and Robin is quick to follow up on his attack.
Despite the overwhelming numbers, Robin masterfully weaves through the horde and cuts them down one by one with elegant precision while his scarf rips and tears the ones that Robin doesn't focus on via crushing their skulls, twisting their heads a full three hundred sixty degrees, tearing them limp from limb, and other gory methods.
There's something about watching an ice cold looking boy execute demons with graceful strikes and a brutal scarf without ever breaking that blank expression that I found interesting, it made me wonder if there was anything that could make him change that face of his.
Robin backflips off of the meter long claws of a tall demon and while he soars through the air his scarf shoot down several flying demons out of the air and leave pin sized holes through their head, and as Robin comes back down to the floor, or ceiling at this moment, he cleaves the tall demon in half.
It slowly separates into two halves and Robin stands still for a moment to observe the remaining numerous demons. There was fear in their eyes, fear of the boy who showed no emotions and what he did to their brethren. I thought demons could only feel bloodlust, but leave it to Robin to show me otherwise.
A sudden bolt of lightning zings by and Robin just barely manages to lean out of the way and leave just a small wound on his cheek.
Grace: "Did you forget about me already Robin?" I tease him as he wipes off the blood using his sleeve.
Robin: "I could never forget someone like you milady." He says giving me a slight bow as if it were normal in a time like this.
Was he taunting me? Because once again, it was working.
Grace: "Don't try to play sweet with me Robin, focus on keeping yourself alive." I growl at him.
I teleport behind him and raise my hand to shoot a bolt of lightning directly at his back. But he rapidly turns around and catches my wrist. Our eyes meet and I knew I was matching the coldness of his eyes.
Robin: "I won't be dying anytime soon, and neither are you Grace." He says to me flatly.
Grace: "Tch, again with that foolish way of thinking." I say annoyedly.
I set my electricity to maximum voltage and electrocute Robin while giving him a shocking revelation.
Grace: "I really hate you, you know that?" I say to him coldly.
His eyes widen in shock, literally, and a final burst of energy sends him flying into a small group of human sized demons. They catch him and start grabbing his sword and scarf while he begins to struggle. I watch as one rips off some of his coat and another bear its beast like fangs on Robin's exposed neck.
I ready some electricity into my hands but find it's unneeded when the one trying to grab his free hand gets its head disintegrated. I spot a strange looking gun now in his once empty hand and he shoots the one about to take a bite out of his neck.
The demons get surprised by his new weapon and after a few more deft consecutive shots, Robin's scarf is quick to be freed and instantly kills the rest of the demons grabbing at Robin. When Robin gets back on his feet he still seems as calm as ever, but now he's got a gun.
I've only ever seen him use a gun twice, but that was a very long while back and the situations were different. Back then, he shot to disarm, and now, he's shooting to kill, and the danger is oh so exciting.
Grace: "You're just full of surprises aren't you hero?" I begin to smile.
He holds his sword to his side and points his gun at me, I feel a pleasurable jolt run down my spine when I imagine myself in his crosshairs.
Robin: "It doesn't matter what you say Grace, I will save you no matter what." He says determinedly.
My smile is instantly shot down, figuratively unfortunately, and I frown. The hero must have tenacity, but this was getting annoying.
Time to implement a new strategy.
Grace: "How well do you know the people around Robin? I bet there are plenty of things you don't know about the others, especially their dirty little secrets." I begin to smirk.
Demons begin honing on Robin again but I still seem to have his attention. I begin to fly around Robin so he can hear me a bit better.
Grace: "Let's start with Lucas, my foolish fiancé. He'll never be able to claim the throne, he's not cunning enough, which is why he's engaged with me. A long time ago I convinced him that I could help, on the condition I become his fiancé. The idiot didn't even think very hard before agreeing, we only use each other for power Robin, he sees you the same way." I say in a devil on your shoulder voice.
Robin may seem impassive at the moment as he begins to kill the demons at a much quicker pace now that he has a gun, but I know he was hearing me.
Grace: "And my older sister? She's just as pathetic as him if not more so. She had no worth in the family, our aunt knew that, so she was essentially treated like air and abandoned like a lost puppy. It's impressive that people who are interested in her face exist, that useless sister of mine has an expression stiffer than yours." I snicker.
I saw that I struck a nerve in Robin, since he misses one of his shots and receives a cut to his shoulder. The demon who did it died an especially gruesome death to his scarf.
His scarf forced itself into its mouth and expanded until the demon exploded from the inside out.
Grace: "Speaking of puppies, what of obedient little Leticia? Do you know what she does without you knowing Robin? You remember that rumour about her a while back? They were true, she used to stalk you Robin, she still does. She has a very unhealthy obsession with you, but she's so easy to control just like my sister!" I laugh.
Robin had been shooting his gun a whole lot and didn't seem to hear parts of what I said, but he definitely heard the last part. Because at the last part his strike with his sword doesn't completely cleave through the demon and it gets stuck. The demon uses the chance to scratch his chest.
The attack would normally be fatal with how clear a shot it had been, but I knew Robin was wearing some type of armour so he was just suffering from a light scratch.
Grace: "I guess you didn't know this either, but I've been whispering their own fears in their ears which caused them to go into that berserk state. I was really hoping someone died during your fight, that way there would have been some scene to spice up the story with tears you know?" I sigh. "At least I had the foresight to put a curse on them, they'll die in less than a few minutes, if they weren't stopped in time of course. So you should be thankful that I'm letting them live." I say as I continue to gauge Robin's reactions.
He doesn't react to anything this time and just continues to kill demon after demon, which annoyed me.
Grace: "But that can change if I get bored, speak up Robin, I know the villain should get their monologue but you still need to say your lines." I say rather annoyed.
Robin: "Don't you care for these people?" He asks through gritted teeth as he clashes against a demon with one giant arm.
I begin to smirk again.
Grace: "Absolutely not~" I say with a hum. "I don't care about anyone for that matter, the whole world can die for all I care. But the world out there doesn't matter, just this one stage I've set up for the two of us and all these mobs." I say gesturing to the still plentiful amount of demons.
Robin: "Then what about you, what's your dirty little secret?" He asks me boldly as he impales a demon and raises it in the air to shoot it in the head.
Grace: "Hooh? You're asking about me?" I ask in mock shock.
Robin doesn't respond and ignores me by ripping out the many hearts of a demon using his scarf.
Grace: "Hmph, I'm not saying." I cross my arms. "I don't like your attitude." I say making him dance a bit with my lightning.
I continue to teleport around for a short while, shooting the occasional lightning bolt so he doesn't forget I'm here, and think about when the next scene should begin.
Grace: "I'm not like the other two you've faced by the way, my desire is much more different than theirs." I decide to say.
Robin: "I don't even know what they desired, well not exactly, but what is it that you desire that's worth sacrificing your sister and friend and making a realm for the same species that killed your parents?" He asks flatly as he concentrates on his enemies, me included.
I feel my body go cold, I hate it when he asks me this question.
Grace: "You'll never understand it, wanting something for ten years and finally getting a proper chance at obtaining it. I'll kill whoever I need to in order to fulfil my desire." I say coldly. "So do your damn job and try to kill me!" I yell at him.
In a burst of anger I begin teleporting around Robin and start attacking him more directly.
Robin continues to dance around my attacks and in between demons creating a bit of friendly fire, but that doesn't make me slow down in the slightest.
He was getting tired, I was sure of it. His movements are getting sloppy and he's received a few more hits here and there, meaning the next scene will be starting soon.
Robin: "Then let me try to understand it Grace! Give me a chance!" He yells, breaking his cold mask and my concentration. "We just need to talk." He says looking right at me with calm eyes.
I pause in the air and grit my teeth, why does he keep on trying to be annoying.
Grace: "Shut up Robin! Focus on fighting if you want to save everyone!" I shout at him as the floor crackles with electricity.
Robin notices this and he chucks his sword at a demon near the ceiling. It impales the flying demon and pins it to the roof.
Then his scarf begins to propel him into the air by pushing the ground and another gun appears in his hand, one that's completely identical to the first.
Robin: "Then I'll keep on fighting." He says determinedly.
The floor sparks to life with electricity zapping all of the ground borne demons to death as Robin starts to spiral in the air.
From the teal and red blur that is Robin, white beams of mana shoot out with extreme precision to disintegrate the demons and they don't end at just one.
Every single one of the beams change directions and curve to hunt down the remaining demon and fill the room with light. I watch as Robin continues to spin through the air and his attacks decimate the demons I had summoned.
The carnage beneath his dazzling spin makes the scene beautiful, fitting for the climax of the rising action.
Robin lands on the ceiling, which was technically the floor, and hangs on by his sword.
He looks down beneath him as his shots end their hunt and dissipate to see that all that remains are the scattered corpses of hundreds of demons.
He beat them all, as expected of the hero.
The room begins to shift and his gravity inverts again and he stands normally on the floor as the bodies of the demons remain on the ceiling.
Robin: "Can we talk now?" He asks me flatly as one of his gun poof into orange hexagons and he pulls out his sword from the demon's skull.
The body floats upwards and I simply float towards him.
Grace: "After that marvellous display, I believe that a small intermission is due so the stage has time to set up again for the next scene." I say nonchalantly.
Robin: "Is that a yes?" He asks sounding a bit tired, but only a bit.
Grace: "A proper conversation between the hero and villain is up next anyways." I say with a wave of my hand.
Suddenly we're in a fancy room with a table holding tea and cookies between us. I take a seat and motion him to do the same.
It's a risky move considering how quickly he can lob off my head, but I'm confident he'll follow his script. The war torn boy takes a seat, as I expected.
Robin: "How are you doing all this?" He asks me flatly.
Grace: "What, this?" I ask mischievously as the room changes again.
Now we're sitting at a fancy table in a dungeon like basement.
Grace: "I control this space Robin, I have full authority over it. I've sold my body for this power." I say planting my elbow on the table and my chin in my hand. "And I'm using it to kill you and the ones you care about." I smile.
I take a bite of the cookie and find it tastes quite bland.
Robin: "You need to stop saying that." He says in a low voice.
Suddenly this cookie tastes a bit sweeter.
Grace: "Or what Robin? You'll kill me? You're gonna have to, it's the only way to save Elizabeth and Leticia after all. Or are you willing to sacrifice them for wittle ol' me?" I ask in a babyish voice.
Robin doesn't respond for a moment and only looks at me in anger, I revelled in the feeling of his hatred. He hated that I was taking their lives lightly, I just knew it.
Robin: "Their time is stopped, I don't have to worry about it for the time being." He says surely.
Grace: "Says who? I could let them die whenever I wanted to, I haven't done so yet because it builds suspense." I shrug. "But I'm sure I'll get an even better reaction out of you if I show them lying in their own blood." I smirk.
Robin looks at me more calmly this time and I start to get pissed again. I quickly stand up and pace around for a bit.
Grace: "How about we skip straight to the climax, the hero is weary and injured after a long battle with the villainess's lackeys but he is now running out of time. From the moment he enters the villainess's throne room he fights for all he is worth and attempts to bring an end to this horrid nightmare. Either he comes out victorious and claims his happy ending, or dies trying along with the ones he swore to protect." I finish with a closed fist. "How's that sound?" I ask with a grin.
Robin: "I'm going to claim that happy ending Grace..." He says with a cold expression.
There was only one way he could do that, I begin to smirk.
Robin: "...And you'll be apart of it, I give you my word." He says like the hero to a heroine in order to get her to fall for him.
But I'm not a heroine.
Grace: "You keep telling yourself that." I say in a low growl, ripping off the necklace he gave me. "But it won't change a thing." I throw it onto the empty plate in front of him. "Next time we meet, one of us will die." I say in my most serious voice.
Before I leave I see him staring at the silver crown, tch, serves him right.
I teleport away and land on the throne I've made for myself and look at my throne room. I've always been treated like a princess, but this is my first time in a throne room.
I pull out a pocket mirror and look at myself, there was something missing. I snap my fingers and a thorny purple crown made of electricity hovers above my head.
Much better.
Feeling satisfied, I pocket my mirror again. I take another look around the desolate stage, this is the feeling of a villainess huh. It's...
It doesn't matter, it will all be over soon and the curtains to my story will finally fall. If only the hero would follow his script.
I cross one leg over the other and plant my elbow on the arm rest then rest the side of my head on my knuckles, all I can do is wait now.
I continue to watch the unmoving door beneath me some lengths away and await the hero with nothing but empty silence and the odd feeling that comes with it.
I hate this feeling.
Suddenly, the door is kicked in and the hero finally makes his way onto the stage, I can't help but let my grin begin to grow.
Grace: "Mr.Cross, I've been expecting you." I giggle. "It's about time you got here, did those demons really take you that long to deal with?" I tease.
Robin: "You made me go through ten rooms of hell, of course getting here would take time." He says not looking like he's actually tired from going through it all.
Grace: "Call it a warm up, can't have you cramping up in the grand finale." I say standing up.
Instead of taking the steps beneath down towards him, I begin to rise by flying with each step. I feel the electricity from my crown begin to grow and grow until I felt a large wave of energy behind me.
Now flying high in front of Robin who was only wielding a sword, I stand over him.
Grace: "Like me, you should treat this as your final battle." A large ring of electricity appears behind me. "Because this is a fight to the death!" I shout before shooting bolts of lightning at him.
Robin: "No intro scene?" He asks flatly as he dodges my attack.
Grace: "The time for talk has passed, the villainess's work must be done!" I yell as several gyrating rings of electricity spawn from the big ring.
They begin to roll on the ground and chase down Robin as he is forced to run.
Robin: "I won't fight you Grace!" He shouts.
Grace: "Then die!" I shout back as constant streams of electricity shoot from the ring.
The first bolt grazes Robin arm but he manages to dodge the rest along with the still active rings.
Robin: "Tell me what you desire Grace! I can still save you!" He yells those empty words that I hate so much.
Grace: "My life is not yours to save!" I shout and spawn ball of lightning around me.
They begin to shoot at Robin and the throne room slowly becomes into a bullet hell for him.
Robin: "You said you sold your body, does that mean you made a contract with the cupios?!" He asks as he continues to avoid my attacks.
Grace: "Yes and so what?! I made a deal with the same species that killed your parents, doesn't that anger you Robin?!" I ask him angrily.
Robin slides, flips, and tilts his body around like a professional acrobatic to avoid my attacks, it's almost impressive.
Robin: "It doesn't anger me Grace, but what about you?! Are you not furious with yourself for letting yourself do something like this?!" He shouts between dodges.
I grit my teeth in anger.
Grace: "The only thing I'm angered at is you! If you don't start trying to kill me you really will die!" I shout to try and get him to see reason.
Robin: "I won't die, not until I keep my word." He says flatly while looking me dead in the eye.
That look he was giving me, those dull eyes of his, I hated it, I hated it so much that I wanted to tear them out of his skull.
I teleport in front of him and grab him by the throat. He's too stunned to react and one of the gyrating rings of power begin grinding on his back.
His screams of agony ring out in my ears and I stare at him dead in the eye with nothing but contempt.
Grace: "Why do you even care about me so much?!" I shout before throwing him towards one of the rapid firing balls of lightning. "I am the villainess! The evil master!"
He finally draws his sword and cut through the ball and the electricity goes back into the ring.
Robin: "Because you're not any of that at all! I know this isn't what you want Grace!" He shouts as he grips onto his sword.
His bullet hell starts up again and he continues to run around. I ramp up the difficulty by adding more of everything.
Grace: "This is exactly what I sold myself for Robin! You don't understand, and you never will! I am going to kill you Robin Cross, I give you my word!" I shout my will to him.
He looks at me softly, with eyes filled with sympathy, eyes I looked back at with anger.
Robin: "Then let's see whose word is stronger." He says planting his sword in the ground.
His scarf comes to life and his guns appear in his hands. He starts attacking something, but not me.
His scarf Maneuvers him him around as he fires his bullets at the bullet hell made specially for him.
Robin: "There was a time around when I first became your servant where I thought you were familiar to me." He begins calmly over the sound of his gunfire.
This was the hero's ultimate move, the power of words. I can't believe he's using it so soon.
Grace: "No! Shut up! I won't let you sway me!" I scream as my attacks increase in intensity.
Robin: "And even you seemed to know me very well at the time, it was because we are the same." He says as he preserves his life seamlessly.
Grace: "We are nothing alike! I am the villainess while you are the hero, now do your job!" I yell furiously.
Robin: "You and I...we've both lost people we loved, and we've both lost ourselves to despair. You want to die don't you." He says flatly.
Grace: "No, I want you to play your damn role!" I continue to shout over him.
His guns continue to roar and take out the incoming attacks while he presses his own against me.
Robin: "'This world is pointless, and so is my life. I should just end it.' That's what you've been thinking haven't you?" He asks sympathetically.
Grace: "Shut up! You know nothing!"
Robin: "Trapped in a shallow swamp in your head, you've forced yourself to do things you didn't want to do in the name of trying to change yourself. Calling yourself the villainess, aren't you just running away?" He asks me, his understanding eyes never leaving mine.
Grace: "I've done nothing but play my role, I'm not running from anything!" I shout.
Robin: "Being alone for so long...it changes you doesn't it? I know you were once a better person Grace, I'm sure that person is still there." He speaks gently, a complete one eighty in juxtaposition to his current violent actions.
Grace: "She died ten years ago! I am Grace Bella Astley, the one everyone calls the villainess! This is who I am, and I won't change because of your words Robin!" I shout teleporting behind him again to deliver a direct strike to his back.
But I should have remembered what happened the last time I did it.
Robin: "I was exactly like you." He says as he catches my wrist.
He looks at me with a blank expression that said he wanted to help, an expression I've never seen from anyone, and I falter.
I bite down on my lip and finish off this mirrored scene by zapping him at full blast. He flies across the room but he manages to catch himself.
With the room cleared of all of my attacks only the large ring of electricity remains.
Robin: "This dreamlike space, it's connected directly to you isn't it? I can feel it, your sadness and anger, the reason for why you did the things you do, you've been treating your life like a never ending nightmare, and you just want to wake up." He says as he dusts himself off.
Grace: "Shut up." I say quietly.
Robin: "This doesn't have to be a nightmare Grace, I can help you change this into a sweet dream so long as you order me too, milady." He says in a soft voice.
Grace: "Shut up." I say again.
Robin: "Just say the word and take my hand, I can still save you." He says holding out his hand for me.
Grace: "Shut up shut up shut up! Fine, will you die if I tell you too?" I ask him furiously.
He doesn't hesitate with a reply.
Robin: "If it's to fulfill my selfish desire to see you happy, then yes, do as you wish milady." He says with the bow I'm so used to seeing him do.
I grit my teeth again.
Grace: "Will you still do it if I tell you that once you're dead I will torture all of those girls in the most painful way until death?" I ask trying to contain my anger.
Robin: "If it helps fulfill my word, then yes." He says without a hint of deceit.
I snap and finally have had enough.
Grace: "Then I hereby order you to..." I teleport to the center of the ring and all of it begins to collect inside of me. "DIE!" I shout with all my might.
Every inch of my power gathers into my hands and release all at once to create one large violent stream of electricity. My eyes dart to Robin to see what he does, but that was a mistake.
Robin: "As you wish milady, please be happy." He says with another slight bow before closing his eyes as his death rapidly approaches.
I stop time right before the beam hits Robin and float back to the ground. I walk around the beam of lightning and towards the scarf wearing boy, he was severely wounded by now.
By the looks of it, he really didn't have any plans on saving himself, he really accepted his death all because I said so. A lot of people would, but none would do it for the same reason as him.
In this moment I hated every ounce of him more than everything in the world combined, even more than myself. It's all because of him that I've been having those dreams.
Begrudgingly, I teleport him and I to the bottom of the throne, away from the death beam. I raise my hand to start up time again but I think otherwise for a second.
Right before he starts moving him again, I slap him in the face as hard as I can.
Robin: "Ow, wow, death really is just a slap to the face." He says to himself as his time starts again and he feels the slap.
Grace: "You're still alive, you foolish servant. And it's all your fault." I say angrily as the wind from the blast pushes me forward.
It suddenly increases for a moment and I lose my footing and stumble forward...
And into the arms of the hero.
Robin: "Are you alright?" He asks as he catches me.
I grab at what's left of his shirt and coat and hold onto it as tightly as I can.
Grace: "Why is it that you've knocked me off my pillar of ideals and into your own goddamn arms, it's all your fault." I say as I press my head into his chest.
He doesn't move of say anything to allow me to continue. I've completely fallen for his trap, his words, his everything.
Grace: "I keep having these dreams, no, nightmares where you sweep me off my feet like the hero of a story! That's not what's supposed to happen to me! I am the VILLAINESS! My destiny is to die by your hands! Please Robin, stop making my feelings waver." I hear myself whimper.
Robin: "I'm sorry, but I gave you my word and I can't go back on it." He says softly.
Grace: "Bastard, so did I." I grumble.
Robin: "But you're allowed to do whatever you want, you're the villainess right?" He says flatly.
Which earns him a small laugh from me, now he accepts it.
Robin: "Please Grace, tell me what you desire most so I can save and make you happy, will you accept my one request?" He asks as he continues to hold me close.
Every part of my head wanted to say no, to obliterate him right now, but instead...
Grace: "It's not what I desire most, it's who." I say softly as I look up to him. "For the longest time, all I've wanted is you Robin Cross." I admit to myself and him in a moment where I felt most vulnerable.
Despite the damage he's taken, despite the power I held, despite the leverage and complete upper hand I had against Robin, I was still losing underneath his gentle gaze.
Robin: "Milady, I have always been yours." He says as if I was the only thing that mattered in his eyes, and maybe I was in this current moment.
And the moments his words leave his mouth, he had won the battle. No, he had won when I first met him and found a soul similar to mine.
I could feel the demonic energy leave my body and my purple crown disappears as my legs begin to give out. Robin begins to lower me down gently onto the throne room's floor.
Grace: "Hey Robin, do you want to hear my story?" I ask him softly.
Robin: "If you would allow me to listen, of course." He says with a slight nod.
Grace: "Great." I smile. "But first, I order you to get on your knees." I say in a slightly haughty tone.
Robin: "As you wish milady." He says letting go of me.
Grace: "And call me Grace, it's just us two here." I smile gently at him.
Robin: "Alright, Grace." He says politely.
Grace: "That's better." I say as my smile widens, then I lay my head on his lap and look up at him from there. "And this is even greater." I grin cheekily.
Robin continues to watch me patiently and I take a deep breath.
Grace: "When my parents had died ten years ago, me and Elizabeth's aunt took us in." I begin.
Robin: "Liz!" He exclaims almost getting up.
I place a hand on his chest and smile gently.
Grace: "I lied about putting a curse on them, those two are fine and the blood earlier was from a small poison I made them take. Don't worry, it's a weak poison in a dose weak enough for their demon forms to resist but just strong enough for when they exit it they cough up some blood. They aren't in any danger and it will wear off by the time they wake up." I explain quickly as to remain on his lap.
Robin: "That's a relief." He says getting back down and breathing a sigh of relief.
Oddly enough, he doesn't comment any further and wait for me to continue my story.
Grace: "Mom and dad were angels, truly, as for my aunt, she was the devil." I say bitterly. "She was abusive and power hungry, the worst combination in an aristocrat."
Robin: "So she made you trick Lucas?" He asks curiously.
Grace: "No no, mom and dad were already powerful people so she just claimed what they owned, and I convinced Lucas to get engaged with me because he once muttered about the hassles of suitors trying to get his attention and I saw an opportunity. I said that if he gets engaged with me then he'll never have to worry about girls approaching him, and the rest is history." I giggle as I remember the story.
Robin: "That does sound like him." He says flatly.
Grace: "But my aunt made me regret doing it. Elizabeth really was ignored and was alone for a lot of the time since we would always be separated. I was being taught bad things and she found an out when she turned twelve, modelling. It always has been her escape, I was envious of her." I say with a small giggle.
Robin: "Are you sure? I've never seen her look like she was enjoying her job, her smiles are always fake, unless she's with me. I think she got more popular after we started modelling together." He adds.
Grace: "Hmm, that sounds like Elizabeth, and you're a mighty fine model Robin." I grin.
Robin: "Thank you." He nods.
Grace: "Back to the story, Elizabeth was the lucky one in our story. Our aunt made me into the villainess I am now, she actually called me that too. Eventually the whole family started to call me that, and now everyone who knows my name associates it with the word villainess. I had to live up to that role y'know?" I shrug.
Robin's wordless sympathies was enough to make me smile again.
Grace: "Her teachings were essentially torture with the punishments she gave me. No food for a week to reduce my weight, confinement in my room for a month for going outside unattended, the works." I shudder. "And the teachings themselves weren't very up to standard either. Lie, cheat, steal, that was her motto. I used my status to blackmail people and coerce them to gain power, empty promises were said like vowels, I became very good at being bad." I giggle. "And freedom was a rarity for me, up until I came here the other year. She can't reach me all the way here, but I've been scared to think about what would happen if she did."
Robin: "I'd protect you." He says matter of factly.
I smile at him, a real bright one.
Grace: "I knew you'd say that." I giggle.
Robin: "The others would too, I'm not the only one you can rely on." He adds.
I pause for a moment and let out a small, remorseful laugh.
Grace: "Clare's group hate me, and my sister and Leticia will know what I did to them. I doubt it." I say with a shrinking smile.
Robin: "I can explain everything to them, I can say that you were possessed by the demon, which is true right?" He suggests.
Grace: "While it is true about the demon, what I said about doing whatever it takes to fulfill my desire wasn't a complete over exaggeration, I really didn't care who I hurt." I sigh.
Robin: "Well that was before, you're a new Grace now right?" He asks hopefully.
Grace: "Perhaps only a little bit." I say softly, looking into his eyes. "Hey, were you really willing to die and sacrifice it all for me? Or did you have some kind of plan?" I ask him curiously.
Robin: "You have the ability to control time Grace, you could have killed all of us whenever you wanted. And I really could feel that you didn't want anyone to die, I was confident that you wouldn't kill me." He says flatly.
I frown a bit at his words, but find relief in the trust he has in me.
Robin: "But if you really wanted to die, why all the theatrics? Don't you think creating a hero and having him kill you, the villainess, was a bit excessive?" He asks with slightly furrowed brows.
Grace: "Silly Robin, the villainess's fate was to die by the hands of the hero, that's how I had always imagined it. But here is the villainess now, dying in a lap pillow that's being provided by the hero. It's funny how things turn out." I say being captured by his dull eyes.
Robin: "What do you mean dying." He frowns.
As if to answer the question, I cough up some blood. Panic spreads across his face while I smile calmly in hopes to calm him down as well.
Grace: "The curse was actually put on me." I reveal to him. "If I remove the demon I contracted from within me, our deal is void and I will die for breaking the magical contract." I explain still smiling. "Perhaps in a different world things could have been different. Perhaps, in a different story I could have been another heroine." I say a tad bit distantly.
Robin: "No, don't say that, you can still do that now, I can still save you." He says in an uneven voice.
Grace: "I don't like liars Robin, but you can be an exception for now." I smile gently at him.
Robin's eyes dart all around my body trying to find a solution that isn't there, I reach my hand out to him and hold his cheek as if to reassure him.
Grace: "Come now Robin, are you really crying right now? For me?" I say as I find my smile growing softer and more caring.
Above me his tears fall onto my cheeks as he cries with his still blank face.
Grace: "I didn't know you could cry, you don't know how much it means to me to see how much you truly cared." I say as I feel my own lump in my throat.
The room begins to shake and shift as the demonic dimension begins to break down. In this crumbling throne room, it is only him and I. As he gently strokes my hair, I find the courage to speak.
Grace: "Do you want to know what my third reason for wanting you to stay away from me today was?" I ask softly.
Robin manages to compose himself enough to simply nods his head while looking me steadily in the eyes.
Grace: "It was because I didn't want you to change my mind when I was so close to my ending. You always make things so hard for me when you're near." I begin, feeling my own tears crawl down my face. "Whenever I'm around you, all I ever want to do is have fun with you. With you, my thoughts and desires are endless and are unable to cease when they begin. I want to tease you, I want to be near you, I want to touch you, I want you to touch me, I want to hold hands, I want to get closer to you, all I want is you, Robin!" I cry out.
I take a deep breath as he continues to listen, my voice wavering.
Grace: "But I can't have you, it's not part of our story. I was supposed to die by your hands, not in your arms as I spout out my feelings for you like this, yet here we are. All I wanted was to die, die while playing the role that's been forced upon me. But now, I want to live and do all these things with you. Why is life so unfair?" I hear myself break down as Robin listens with his endless patience.
Robin: "I don't know Grace, I just wish things were different." He croaks as he grabs my hand.
I smile through my tears as his run down my hand.
Grace: "So do I, but at least I can still say this before I die. I love you Robin Cross, and if I am to reincarnate into a new story, I hope you will be there to be my hero." I manage to say with a smile through my tears.
Robin shuts his eyes as he keeps my hand close to his face.
Robin: "If you were to survive this whole ordeal, tell me, would you be happy?" He says in a voice much calmer than before.
I look at him in confusion for a moment but my smile returns shortly after.
Grace: "With you here, it's the happiest I have ever been all my life." I say speaking my heartfelt words.
Robin: "Then please take this and be happy." He says using his other hand to grab the hand at his face.
Grace: "W-What do you mean?" I ask feeling a bit different.
I feel suddenly renewed and Robin looks pale. I quickly sit up right as he topples into his side.
Grace: "Robin?! What did you do!" I say shaking his body.
Robin: "I can't fully dispel demonic magic, but I learned that I can transfer it to myself." He says weakly as a trail of blood leaves his mouth.
The other wounds on his body appear to get darker too, his scarf becoming lifeless.
Grace: "N-No! T-This isn't supposed to be your ending!" I yell at him as tears blind my vision. "You must not close your eyes, return the curse back to me! That's an order!" I cry desperately
Robin: "I apologize milady, but I won't be able...to obey your order." He says weakly brushing my cheek. "I really wanted to be part of everyone's ending, but I suppose I was always fated to have an abrupt ending like this." He says frowning.
His eyes fade in and out of consciousness and the room continues to shake radically. All while I beg for him to stay alive.
Grace: "You cannot die Robin Cross, that's an order!" I shout as if my feeble words will change the ending to our story. "And you need to call me Grace when we're alone." I say, my voice becoming hoarse.
Robin begins to mumble incoherently, and the only words I can make out is 'second chance'.
My tears continue to fall as the room begins to crumble as I helplessly watch my hero die in my arms. There are so many things I want to say, but no longer any time.
Robin: "I kept my...word Grace..." He says in a weak triumphant voice. "Please...be happy..." He manages to say once more as his voice fades.
Grace: "I-I can't be happy! Not without you Robin, I beg you, please don't leave me alone. At least send me off with a smile." I continue to plead.
But by now, Robin is unresponsive and his open dull eyes seem more lifeless than usual..
Grace: "Robin?" I shake him a bit. "Robin? I-I order you to wake up!" I shake him harder. "Please." I say as I curl down to his face to brush some hair away from his eyes.
The room begins to change rapidly into the rooms he's been to beforehand and they all appear to start breaking down, but none of that matters to me, only the boy lying down on my lap does.
Grace: "Why must my story be a tragedy? Why couldn't I just never have met you? At least then, you could have lived a happy life without me." I say to his lifeless face.
I don't close his eyes since even now I can imagine them looking back at me while he wears the same blank expression.
Soon we arrive in a the room where it all began, the cozy campfire still frozen and the T.V remaining shut, we were back to the living room, but Robin wasn't living any longer.
I notice the fire beginning to move again and the ticking of a clock, everything was back to normal again, or so I wish.
I pick up Robin's body and take a seat on the couch with his head still lying on my lap, his eyes now shut as if he's just taking a nap.
I finally see what Robin placed in my hand and find the silver crown necklace, when did he repair it? I don't deserve such a present anymore, but I put it on anyways.
I never got to say how much I loved it to him.
I wasn't crying anymore, no, I was just staring gently at Robin's lifeless face, taking in all that I could with my eyes.
From the front door, I hear several rapid footprints but my focus is solely on stroking Robin's hair. He's all that mattered to me now.
The first set of footprints arrive and I await to hear who it is.
Clarissa: "Grace where's-" She begins, but cuts herself off when she sees me and Robin on the couch.
I smile at her and raise a finger to my lips.
Grace: "Shh, he's sleeping." I lie to her and myself.
But the wounds on his body were enough to speak it all.
Her eyes go as lifeless and mimic Robin's before she crumples to the ground breathless.
Yukio: "Clare what's-?!" She halts the same way Clarissa does when she spots me.
And the other three funnel in, all with the same reaction. Though it seems my sister and Leticia are still asleep, I envy them, ignorance is bliss after all.
Lisa: "Is...is he dead?" She asks breathlessly.
I look down to him and give him a pained smile.
Grace: "Yes, I killed him." I say truthfully as I try to clean his bloodied face with my own hands that have been soaked in his blood.
The five of them continue to look at me in disbelief and they all had begun to cry. Their eyes swirl with complicated emotions like anger and sadness, and the hope that this was all a dream.
But even I knew this was reality.
Finally, I could feel their powers beginning to resonate. One by one, they prepared to kill me with varied grief stricken looks.
All except Clare, who only looked at Robin in shock.
I close my eyes and hold Robin's head to my chest, accepting my fate. I deserve this after all.
I'm sorry Robin, but this is the only way I will be happy. To throw your sacrifice away like this, I'm sorry to call myself your master. Allow me to apologize when we meet again in another life.
I smile as my curtains begin to fall and I meet my story's end at the hands of the heroines, the people I wish I could have been in this life.
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