1 Death Is Only The Beginning (1/2)

Acadia looked in the mirror, meeting eyes with her murderer. She smiled coldly. She had long known this day would come, but she was weak. She had deceived herself – again and again, lying to herself even if she knew deep down what would happen one day.

”Yashiro,” she said for the last time, asking even though she already knew the answer. ”Why are you here?”

Through the mirror, she notices how the man's features twist a little before settling into something that he had perfected over the years.

”Acadia,” he says, stepping right behind her. He wrapped a hand across her waist and she momentarily felt a stab of sadness, which she allowed herself to feel. This was the last time, after all.

The man, his face as charming as ever, dipped his head low to whisper in her ear. ”I'm here to kill you.”

Acadia saw the flash of silver but made no move to avoid it. She feels the steel slide into her with dispassion, nary an expression out of place. She had long grown numb to the pain and chill. Instead, she watches as the man's genial features twisted into something she'd never seen before. The hatred flashed in his eyes as resentment twisted his face, showing her the true nature he had been concealing all those years.

He stepped back, as if disgusted with her mere presence. Acadia feels a flash of surprise at her own feelings. She had thought that she would feel more emotional than this, but she guessed that part of her just died, like how she was slowly bleeding out now.

”Do you know? You killed my parents all those years ago. I've bided my time and waited – getting close to you, exchanging kisses. All of it disgusted me. I hated you.”

Acadia's lips curled. ”I know,” she said simply.

Her indifference drove the man insane. ”You slut – don't think I don't know how many lovers you kept by your side all this time. You never loved me anyway. At least now, your death belongs to me. If I could never have you in life, then at least you belong to me in death.”

In fact, all the fake lovers had been a cover for him – she was simply too afraid that she would bring harm and tragedy to him, so she had laid her bait and traps, drawing out her enemies one by one. But it was too late – she could already feel her lifeforce fading quickly. Yashiro had been quick and decisive in his movements. She could have avoided it, but she felt like she owed him this. She had already taken so much from him, so she would repay him with his life. Since she had loved him, then she would leave him this last gift.

What Yashiro didn't know was that she was already dying. She would have lived a few more months at most. The poison inside her was already eating away at her vitality. Soon, she would have turned into a bed-bound individual. She couldn't stand the thought of being seen by Yashiro in the weakest moments of her life, so she had planned for her own death, never letting him know the truth. But since Yashiro wanted her dead so badly, then she would oblige.

In fact, she knew what Yashiro felt for her treaded along the thin line of love and hate. Since he wanted to kill her, then she would let him know the price of his actions. She would leave him the gift of everlasting regret.

A peal of laughter broke out of her mouth, the laughter sending a chill up Yashiro's spine. The knife lodged in her stomach drove itself deeper. Acadia nonchalantly pulled out the knife, speeding up the process of her death. The blood flowed down unceasingly like a wave. The red bled out in little spurts, making a blazing trail down her body. ”I simply didn't know how stupid you were. But I loved you anyway. I was going to leave you everything, but I changed my mind. Arcana can't be left in the hands of someone as stupid as you.”

Acadia pressed a bloody hand on the mirror, opening a small compartment. She pulled out a book and tossed it at him with deft movements, almost like she had never been stabbed.

”Ha,” Yashiro sneered. ”I would take what I want anyway, I don't need you giving it to me. With this, Arcana is dead. All your wealth and power belong to me.”

Acadia's lips curled mockingly. ”Arcana will never die. You, who hasn't understood this even after all these years, disappoint me.”

Yashiro's eyes flashed with a hint of worry before he stomped it out. Why was he taking the words of a dying woman seriously? He had already decided on his plan of actions after this. He watched the woman walk across the room dispassionately with eyes like he was watching someone dead.