Viktor was stunned, unable to do more than gape at her as Nadia gently took his arm and guided him from the kitchen. He couldn’t bring himself to look back at what was left of Father Lena. “How… how is this possible? I thought Zum was trying to enter our world, not absorb it.”

Nadia hummed, lightly patting his hand as she guided him with ease. Can she see in this darkness? I guess that’s why she can read in the dark, but that’s not important now! Viktor tried again. “Nadia?”

“I’m not privy to my master’s thoughts, Viktor. I don’t know why we’re here.”

Is that the truth? She’s never harmed me before, but… “Is he going to let us go?”

Nadia stayed quiet, not even humming, as she finally stopped outside what should have led to the main courtyard at the ranch. She now opened to a large, stone-lined room with torches casting long purple shadows everywhere he looked. The far side of the room appeared to be empty space, an abyss, but Viktor couldn’t suppress the shudder crawling up his spine.

This is bad. I shouldn’t be here. At least Death’s domain felt familiar. This place will eat me alive! Nadia tugged his arm. “Come along, Viktor. You can see well enough now, right? Or do you want me to keep holding your hand?”

Viktor shook his head, not trusting himself to speak as Nadia led him into the room. The walls stretched high above his head, yet Viktor couldn’t see the ceiling or see if anything was separating them from the awful voidness hiding in the shadows. It made his mind swirl with too many possibilities.

But he didn’t have time to dwell on them. Nadia finally stopped in the middle of the room, pointing to the inscrutable void with a big grin. “He’ll come through here! Aren’t you excited? We did all that work, and now, things are in place!”

“In place to do what?” Is it good or bad that she’s acting like nothing’s changed? Why didn’t she answer my question? Did I make a mistake somewhere?

Nadia giggled, releasing Viktor’s arm and walking to the edge of the floor, hands clasped behind her back as she stared into the abyss. It was beautiful. It was wrong. Nadia’s voice answered, but the reply came from the darkness. “Silly, Viktor? Did you forget? We’re going to take over the world by devouring every soul, especially the dead ones…”

She slowly turned, letting the odd light illuminate half her face as she leered at him with glowing eyes. “... except for yours. Your life is the only one worth sparring. You helped me all this time, and now, it’s my turn to help you. Ask me for a boon, Viktor. Tell me what you want.”

Viktor stepped back, eyes widening in horror as he shook his head. “You’re not…”

Nadia turned fully around, a grin spreading to reach her ears as she nodded. “You’ve done so well,” she purred, licking her lips as he backed away.

“When?” This can’t be happening. “How long?” This isn’t happening!

How is Zum talking through Nadia?! Nadia laughed, the once musical sound that had never failed to make Viktor smile, now echoed through the chamber like crows screeching for food. Viktor covered his ears to block the sound, but it wrapped around him just as easily as Nadia hugging him.

But the arms surrounding him now held none of her warmth. Viktor forced himself to meet her gaze as Nadia’s eyes smiled sweetly. “How long? When? What do you mean by that, Viktor? How long have I been like this? Is that what you want to know?”

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“Y-yes. Nadia said”-

She placed her palm against his lips, silencing Viktor instantly as she shook her head in mock disappointment. “Oh, Viktor. My dear, sweet, stupid, Viktor… How can you ask such foolish questions now? I told you to ask me for a boon. Is this what you want to waste your request on? To have the truth spelled out for you?”

Viktor touched her shoulders, wanting to push her away, but he couldn’t muster any strength once he touched her. Nadia looked at his hands, amusement radiating from her as she continued. “I admit, I would prefer to have another round with you. We can have as many as you want once your world is mine. But don’t waste my generosity on things like this.”

“Na…” The first syllable escaped in a puff of steam as she lowered her hand.

“Yes?”

Viktor gulped, his Adam’s apple refusing to work properly as she stared at him. Waiting. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. “Zum?”

“Finally willing to admit it, huh?”

Viktor nodded, flinching as she placed her head on his chest and looked at the darkness behind her. “You’ve been lying to me this whole time.”

“Hmm. Mhm. No doubt about that. But it was necessary, Viktor. You’ve been doing so well lately, but you’ve also been going back and forth on your limits. I couldn’t risk you getting cold feet or accidentally letting my true identity slip. I need that world!”

“Why? There should be others”-

Nadia’s arms tightened almost to the point of crushing him as she said. “They don’t have you. Do you realize how special you are?”

Viktor shook his head, earning a chuckle as Nadia stared at him. “In every world. Mana, or something incredibly similar, or the same thing with a different name exists. Some worlds have everyone able to use it and see it, but to only be able to use it is… unusual. Most people like that die young. Would you like to know why?”

“Not really. I’m more interested in what happens now.” Did Death know about this? But our deal was for me to spend a happy life with her once Zum is defeated. How is he… Viktor looked at her, hunting for any sign he could have missed to reveal her true identity.

But he couldn’t get past her knowing smile. “The loop. The reason my mind refuses to remember certain things… Those aren’t you.”

“Oh?” Nadia raised an eyebrow, relaxing her grip to make it easier for Viktor to breathe as she stared at him. “That didn’t sound like a question.”

“It wasn’t.”

“Good. Because I think you already know what that means, yes? Aren’t you tired of being a Death Cleric, Viktor? Won’t you accept me, request a boon, and be mine forever?”

“I…” Does she love me because I can’t sense mana? Is that even a good reason to love someone? “I… need answers first. You keep telling me to ask for a boon. This is what I’m asking for. The truth. Answer my questions, and”-

Viktor’s heart exploded as a familiar chill filled the air. Death’s presence surrounded him and consumed him, yet Viktor didn’t die. Blood leaked from his mouth as his body shuddered under an unseen onslaught. Nadia screamed, but he couldn’t hear her words.

He could hear nothing, as Death said. “I told you to live your life without regrets, boy. I didn’t permit you to leave my service.”

Viktor’s mouth opened, but only a groan escaped as his hands began glowing, skin peeling back to reveal the bones as Nadia screamed again. What’s he doing to her? Why can’t I move my body? Viktor’s vision swam as the loop manifested around his head, tightening till it was cutting into his flesh like a macabre crown, letting several trails of blood flow down his face.

Viktor couldn’t feel it. He could feel nothing beyond the growing pressure from his hands on Nadia’s shoulders as she cried in a language he couldn’t understand. Or did something happen to my ears? He didn’t know. He didn’t know anything beyond Death’s disappointment as his voice pierced the fog around Viktor’s brain.

“I promised you a happy life with her, but I never said it would be in this timeline… We’ll try again, Viktor. I won’t give up on helping you become what you’re meant to be…”