Chapter 29: Curtain unveiled

this is a fictional story by realTensai

The last day of the run had come, and Alvis had to act. Right now, he was strolling next to Lia accompanying her home. It was not the first time they went home together because both of them did not live in the dorms. However, what he would do now would decide if he completes his level or not. It was the last day and he would not get another chance. Alvis braced himself, gathering his resolve.

I can’t let her die again!

“Hey, Lia. I have noticed that you have acted differently today.”

Alvis was not lying. It was because he had spent so much time with her in this loop he knew she was not herself today. He also knew the reason. Today was the day she planned to destroy the entire Assassin Organization. Of course, one would have to mentally prepare for it.

Lia’s face shot up, her gaze speaking volumes. She wondered how Alvis picked up on that.

“It is nothing,” she just answered.

“Every time you say it is nothing, there certainly is something.”

“Haha, I guess you know me too well,” Lia said, scratching her cheek. “But you don’t have to worry.”

She tried to reassure him and brush the topic aside with a fake smile, yet Alvis would not let it go. He knew she would not spit it out. That was why he had to do it!

“Lia… I know what you are planning. I know you want to destroy the Assassin Organization today.”

Alvis saw no other way than to mention it. From here on, even he did not know what would happen.

“H-How do you know that?” Lia asked, her voice wavering.

“I am not an empath, but I am pretty smart. Judging from your behavior today and how well I got to know your character, this made the most sense. I still hoped my suspicions were wrong, yet after what you just said, they got confirmed.”

Alvis was lying. He already knew for sure what she was planning because he had seen it with his own eyes, yet this was not something he could tell her. However, lying to an empath was almost every time a bad choice, but this time was different.

Alvis tried his best to hide his true thoughts and believe his own lies. No matter how stupid that may sound, this actually helped if one dealt with an empath. Lia could normally see through such a cheap trick, but because she was not fully herself today, it worked. Her mind was already occupied with her attack on the Organization. That was why she believed Alvis.

“Hah~, I guess I can’t hide nothing from you.”

He almost felt bad for tricking her, but he knew it had to be done. But now that she admitted it, Alvis could carry on.

“Why do you want to destroy the Organization? I know they are bad and kill people, but you alone can’t defeat them. It is impossible.”

This was what Alvis honestly thought. Even though he knew how strong she was, he also knew she could not kill the boss. Alvis, at first, had thought she would be strong enough to defeat him, yet in every loop, until now, she had failed. So even if Alvis thought she was powerful enough, she clearly was lacking something.

“Can I tell you a story?” Lia said, her voice soft.

This answer was not something Alvis had expected, yet he would not decline. He nodded his head, giving her the okay.

“You know, I was not always a part of the Organization,” Lia started her story. “When I still was a child, I lived together with my parents on the demon continent. We lived in a small village within the old vampire territory. I don’t remember much about this time, yet I know it was the best time of my life. We were not wealthy, but we lived peacefully together as a family. But on that day, everything changed. It was when they appeared that my life had a turning point.”

Alvis held his breath, waiting for the revelation.

“It was the Devil Cult!”

This was the second time Alvis heard their name. He still did not know who they were, yet their name alone was enough for one to realize they did not mean any good. And it was by seeing Lia’s knitted eyebrows and how her lips quivered, Alvis understood how much she hated them. She clenched her fist, trying her best to continue.

“They came to our village and forced us to follow their religion. But because we did not obey, they killed every single one of us. To this day, I still remember how they decapitated the village leader for everyone to see. My parents… they tried to protect me. But they did not stand a chance.”

Lia could not continue her memories, probably vivid for her to see. Alvis knew too well how she felt. More than once, he saw his own parents getting killed. This was by far the worst experience of his life. However, unlike him, she could not respawn and redo everything. She had to keep living her life, knowing she could not protect her parents. Alvis could only imagine how painful that had to be.

“A-And how did you survive?”

“He saved me.”

“Who is he?”

“The boss of the Assassin Organization.”

Alvis gasped, unable to form an answer. This was the last thing he would have expected. The dots started connecting, and everything slowly seemed to make sense.

“He was nearby and saw the massacre the Devil Cult had caused, so he stepped in. But he did not save me because he was a good person, but because he held a grudge against the Devil Cult. He just wanted to kill them. However, when he then saw that I was the only one who survived, he decided to take me with him. Because I was half-vampire and half-elf, he knew I had high potential and could be used. And this is how I became a part of their organization.”

Alvis needed some time to process everything he had just heard, yet Lia continued.

“From there on, I lived a life of an assassin. The boss raised me as a coldhearted killer with no emotions. As a child, I have killed countless innocent people just because he told me so. They did not do anything to me, yet I killed them. Back then, I already was an empath. I heard their voices; I felt their emotions while I killed them, but I just suppressed them trying to ignore the reality,” Lia said, her emerald eyes ice cold.

“The years passed, and I kept on being an assassin. I got so strong that I could fulfill every mission the boss gave me. When the World Race Organization then accepted demons to the Union, we moved from the Demon Continent to Beqa. It was also this time around I enrolled in our school. It was an order from the boss, so I had to obey. This was how I started living a double life. The popular and perfect girl in the day and the coldhearted assassin in the night. I felt dirty and hated myself for everything I did, yet I kept on being an assassin.”

Lia could not even look Alvis in the eyes as she recited her story. Her trembling exposed the shame she felt for herself.

“But with time, the voices got louder and louder. My empathetic abilities grew stronger and I could not suppress them anymore. The voices and feelings of the people I had killed haunted me and I could not even sleep at night. Every time I tried closing my eyes, they forced me to remember that I had killed them, even though they did nothing wrong. I could not take it anymore and even tried to kill myself. Yet I realized this was not a solution. By killing myself, I would not atone for my sins. Even after death, their voices would haunt me. I knew I had to change. This was when I realized the only way for me to somehow atone for my sins would be by destroying the Organization. And today would be the day I do it!”

It was like her speech had helped her to gather her resolve. She finally looked up again, her green eyes full of confidence.

Alvis still had not processed everything, but he knew he had to act now. If he would not, she would just run into her death! Even if she tried, she could not defeat the Organization all on her own.

“I understand how you feel and everything you said made sense, yet trying to destroy the Organization all on your own is not the answer! You are just one person and they are an entire organization of assassins. You have no chance! Trying to defeat them alone is the same as suicide!”

Alvis tried his best to convey his emotions and even raised his voice. He knew he had to save her!

“Then what should I do?!” Lia shouted, tears flowing down her red cheeks. “I can’t just keep being an assassin without doing nothing and running away is not possible! Destroying the Organization is the only way! I-...It is the only thing I can do!”

The words got stuck in Alvis’ throat and he could not answer. Taken aback, his brain searched for answers. Yet he could not find one. Alvis could not answer her question. He did not know what else she could do.

However, this did not change the fact that her going now would mean her sure death. Alvis knew it! He had seen it! Lia could not kill the boss! And Alvis just could not let her die again!

“You still should not do it! You can’t defeat them! Your death will be inevitable if you go!”

Alvis shouted, trying his best to stop her, but it was in vain. He saw how her green eyes lit up and he slowly lost consciousness.

“I don’t blame you, Al. I can feel that you only have good intentions. But you can’t stop me…. Thank you for everything.”

Fuck!

The last thing Alvis saw before he lost consciousness was Lia’s tears.