Nicolas saw himself at her, frustrated, lost, and angry, all at the same time and has no idea how to control it. The black smoke that’s circling her was now slowly looming closer to her, not only tainting her soul but also her body. She was slowly eaten by her own self-directed anger, rotting her from within.

Nicolas worriedly looked at Alisa and to his surprise, she was looking right back at him with the message from her eyes, “Let’s help her”.

“YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED”, the princess squealed and charged in again. Alisa shot an arrow at her foot while Nicolas recalled his soul and tackled Meriane down.

“I don’t know if I could do this, but if I really have Liam’s soul, then I could at least try to lift the contract”, Nicolas exclaimed as the two of them grappled and rolled to the mud until he caught her on a head lock.

Meriane tried to break free but Nicolas’s tight grip wouldn’t let her. Despite the struggle to pin her down, Nicolas closed his eyes.

“What are you doing?”, Meriane cried, her feet desperately kicking for nothing as she felt an erupting warm force from Nicolas, “Stop, you’re hurting me. Let me go!”, she added before she squealed in pain.

Nicolas paid no attention to her, until at last her eyes went wide and she had a seizure. The princess glowed as a dark miasma was lifted from her body, leaving her limp and unconscious.

“Did it work?”, Alisa whispered, taking Meriane from Nicolas.

“I think it did”, Nicolas whispered back before standing back up with a slight relief, “And I think we should go.”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”, A voice echoed from the entrance alley before a pained squeal was heard. “Would you leave this girl? You have always been heartless, brother, but not to this point yet!”

“Let Mae go, Matthew”, Nicolas begged.

Unlike him, Matthew did not bother containing the force of his soul. He let it spread through the air and cause distress to anyone or anything that could sense it. Alisa, on the other hand, could not believe her eyes seeing them both at the same time.

“Oh wait, is that the chatter box your carrying?”, he asked, taking a step forward while forcefully pulling the girl to take a much closer look.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

“So what if she is, Would you hand over the girl to us in exchange?”, Alisa said, pulling Meriane away.

“I don’t care about her anymore. She already did her part as a diversion, but...”, Matthew said, smiling at the little girl before grinning at Nicolas, “If you want to save this girl, you’d have to make me.”

“Why are you doing this, Matthew, I know you know the truth, and hurting others... It’s not like you.”

“And what’s wrong with that, my dear brother? You had always had the kind eyes and soft expression on your face, but you’ve also been the merciless cold-blooded murderer in all our past lives...”, he pointed at Nicolas’s face, “And aren’t you tired, brother? All those lives being persecuted, forced, hunted down and killed with no option and even explanation? Because I do.”

Behind the two forces was the Lady with the cart. She wanted to hide but the sound of the little girl’s cries made her want to stand up and help. The memory of her son dying in her arms after the young heir of the now-ruined Noble family of Hayden used him as a toy for dogs bugged her soul.

Alisa noticed her as they met eye to eye, raising a block of wood from her cart. Alisa shook her head, letting her know that what she was about to do was a bad idea, but the lady was persistent.

“Answer me, brother, don’t you just want to see this world and everything burn for what they did to us?”, Matthew laughed, trying to convince Nicolas to join their side.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Matthew, he corrupted you. You just happen to have a sharp look in your eyes but this is not you, this was never you.”

“Trust me when I say I know what I’m doing, brother. I am fed up with all this shit. Be the winner, good or evil; I don’t care. I just want this hell loop we continuously forced to live to end.”

The lady was already on his back and prepared to smash his head with her makeshift weapon, “Let her go”, she yelled as she swung, but it was no use. Matthew pushed the little girl away, making way to her freedom, dove, turned around, changed his soul’s reflection, and slashed the lady with his scythe.

“MATTHEW”, Nicolas yelled as the lady dropped dead like a log. Her eyes wide open as she plunged to the ground. The mud soiled her face as she lied lifeless and cold like the breeze from the storm.

Alisa, on the other hand, was fast on her feet, placed Meriane to the side, and ran to grab the girl to safety.

“Stupid old hag, you made me drop my prey. This was supposed to be a Harvest festival, you know. I should not miss a single one”, Matthew angrily cried while kicking the woman’s body before sucking her soul to his.

“Alisa...”, Nicolas whispered as he glared at Matthew, “Sorry, but do you think you can carry Meriane while also making sure Mae would be safe?”.

“I don’t think so but I could try”, Alisa was already prepared to carry the unconscious girl.

“Then get them out of here. If the library is still safe, take them there; if not, anywhere would do, just not in town.”

“How about you?”

“I can manage”, he screamed.

Alisa had never seen him this angry before, not even from that time when he tried taking her life. She knows he’s not just mad; he’s furious.

“I’ll catch up to you in a little bit. I just need to have a chat with my dear brother.”