Ethan suddenly grabbed my father by the
collar. “There must be a way to reverse it!”
My father shook his head. “No, it’s
irreversible.”
L
Inreversible.
“Impossible! There must be a way!” He
suddenly roared.
My mother spoke, “Ethan, death is my
daughter’s choice, let her leave in peace.”
“Shut up!”
Ethan flew into a rage, grabbing a syringe
filled with silver liquid. “Say another word,
and I’ll let you taste this!”
My father broke free from the guards,
standing in front of my mother. “Ethan, can’t you see? Chloe loved you, and you trampled
that love underfoot!”
“Love?” Ethan scoffed. “Monsters can love?”
Before he finished, he injected the syringe
into my father‘
heart, the cold silver liquid
pushing into his veins.
My father screamed, falling to the ground,
convulsing in pain.
My mother rushed to hold him, tears pouring
く
“No!”
I screamed, struggling so violently that my
skin was torn by the restraints, large pieces
of flesh falling off.
“Spare them! I broke the blood pact! It’s my
choice!”
Ethan turned to me, his eyes filled with
madness. “Why? Tell me why!”
I finally couldn’t bear it anymore, tears and
blood flowing freely.
“Because I’m tired of your hatred. Since you
hate the blood pact between us, then I’ll give
you your freedom.”
Ethan stood still, as if struck by a heavy
hammer.
A look flashed in his eyes that I had never
seen before.
Regret?
No, it’s impossible.
My father’s pained groans tore through the
L
silence.
My mother looked at my father, then ripped
out their hearts.
“Chloe, we love you.”
Their bodies turned to ash before me, my
heart breaking with theirs.
I felt something inside me shatter.
The pact–breaking process accelerated.
My skin peeled off in large areas, revealing
completely ashen tissue.
“Chloe…”
Ethan’s voice trembled for the first time.
I looked up at him, my tears already dry.
He reached out to touch me, but stopped
mid–air. “I didn’t want this…”
I smiled and closed my eyes, my body turning
into ash, scattered among my parents‘
remains.
Finally, I was free.
<
Chapter 2
Strangely, death didn’t bring the expected
nothingness.
My soul saw the pile of ashes that was me,
and Ethan standing nearby.
Ethan knelt, his fingers trembling as he
touched the ashes, but he couldn’t bring
himself to pick them up.
His face held an expression I’d never seen
before, as if his world had crumbled, and he
couldn’t understand why.
“Chloe…”
He murmured, his voice raspy and unlike his
own. “Are you really gone?”
The lab door opened, Jessica rushing in.
“Ethan, I heard a noise. What happened…”
Her words trailed off, her eyes falling on the
three piles of ashes.
“They’re…dead?”
Her voice held an unmistakable thrill.
<
Great, now you really mu un al
monster!“.
Ethan looked up sharply, his eyes like knives.
“Get out.”
Jessica froze. “Ethan, what’s wrong?”
“Didn’t you always want to be rid of her?
Now she’s dead, we can finally be together.”
“Get out!”
Ethan’s roar shook the lab. “Get out! Don’t
let me see you again!”
Jessica was driven out. Ethan slowly reached
out, gently touching the lab table where I’d
lain, his eyes vacant.
“Chloe.”
He whispered, as if I could still hear him.
“Why did you do this?”
I couldn’t answer, only watching him.
The peace of death left me without anger or
resentment, only a strange pity.
Ethan suddenly stood, going to the bookcase,
pulling out a bidden de
<
pulling out a hidden drawer.
Inside was an old notebook, its cover
inscribed with “Chloe” in gold lettering.
He opened it, an old photograph falling out-
our first meeting.
He smiled so brightly in the photo, and my
eyes held such tenderness as I looked at him.
Every page chronicled our time together.
“All these years you were by my side, and yet
1…”
Ethan turned to the last page, with only a
short sentence I’d written.
“I never regretted meeting you.”
Ethan froze, staring at the words.
His hands trembled. “There must be a way.
Ethan muttered to himself. “There must be a
way to bring you back…”
Watching his struggle, a wave of sadness
washed over me.
Ethan returned to the ashes, kneeling.
く
For the first time, I saw tears welling in his
eyes.
His tears fell on the ashes. “You loved me so
deeply, why would you leave me?”
My soul trembled at his words.
He’d always known, known I loved him.
Since I’d turned to ash, Ethan had barely left
the room, guarding a dream that wouldn’t
wake.
“Chloe, why did you have to do this?”
“Please, come back and see me just once.”
“Whatever the cost, I’ll pay it.”
