Clang! Clang! Clang!
Circles of magic rose, layering around the scepter, while the streaks of color across the sky pulsed violently, as if ready to explode at any mont.
"Aghhhhhhh!"
The monster roared, lifting its cry toward the heavens. The hands beneath its wings stretched outward—sleek, pitch-black—and shot straight toward Bella above the sky!
Bella only smiled. From within the bands of color erged countless multicolored arrows, each with a heart-shaped tip.
She raised her hand, palm open and facing forward. A radiant arrow appeared, glowing with dazzling pink light, its tail trailing flowing ribbons of color like a fishtail. It grew so massive that it nearly engulfed her entire figure. The scepter in her hand transford into the arrow itself, conjuring a swirling energy around her.
A streak of blood slid from the corner of Bella’s eye. Her grip on the bow burned searing hot—but it was as though she felt nothing at all.
Her lips curled upward. Her voice rang out:
"Alright, here and now—beco the beloved citizens of my kingdom!"
Shoo! Boom!
Countless arrows rained down from the heavens, blanketing the entire dungeon!
The arrow in Bella’s hands also shot forth as the monster lunged with overwhelming power.
Two colossal forces collided, erupting into a gargantuan energy vortex—pink and black, swirling together in chaos!
They compressed, then burst outward, detonating into a thunderous explosion. The shockwave shook the dungeon; even Leonard and Luther, locked in battle high above, were blasted back, tumbling into the downpour of arrows raining from the sky.
The light was so blinding that no one could keep their eyes open.
Bella stared blankly at the sight before her. The world shone brilliantly—yet the horizon was gone, swallowed by light.
Within one glowing corner, a figure curled in on itself. Frail, broken, barely holding together. Arms wrapped tightly around its body, blood still flowing endlessly, unstoppable.
Soft sobs filled the void—the only sound in this space.
Bella parted her lips. Almost without hesitation, she dashed toward the light. Her heels struck the ground sharply, their rhythm becoming the second sound within the emptiness.
"Stand up. The ones at fault are the bullies—not you. Living forever in tornt won’t do any good!" Bella’s voice was stern, unwavering.
Tom shook his head. His voice was hoarse, broken—maybe because he was crying. The sound was so choked it was almost hard to make out:
"No... If it weren’t for , IfScarlet would have beco a shining dancer on stage. Mr. Smith wouldn’t have lost his daughter and died of grief. Alex wouldn’t have died either..."
"Alex died because he dared to betray Scarlet!"
"And Scarlet lost her legs because of the bullies. You and Scarlet—you’re both victims!"
Bella quickly pieced everything together. She didn’t even know if she was entirely correct, because she wasn’t as clever as Luis.
She also knew Tom might have vanished long ago, that the entire school had disappeared. Maybe Tom had killed them all, and what was left was only an ugly, terrifying monster, clinging to the obsessions it had in life.
"Let’s go. Scarlet must be waiting for you sowhere." Bella spoke as she extended her hand to Tom.
Even though she had no idea where this was or how to escape, Tom surely would.
Tom sobbed harder. "I regret it. I didn’t want Scarlet trapped here, but this was the only way—the only way for her to exist still, sob sob sob... I didn’t want this... I only wanted to protect Scarlet, but Building B collapsed. I didn’t want this. I should have saved her, but I couldn’t control it..."
Scarlet’s legs lay right there before him. Alex clutched his head, crying aloud, pouring out his regret.
Those people—no, they weren’t people. They were monsters, plain and simple. Monsters with the power to blind the world. They were born at the finish line, with the capital to do whatever they pleased.
The law existed to restrain ordinary people. It had no power over them.
Disgusting. Disgusting! They all deserved to die. Every last one of them—and this whole world deserved to die!
"I can give you that power."
A distant voice echoed in the darkness. By then, Tom had almost withered to death inside the school’s abandoned building.
Tom didn’t know. He didn’t feel he deserved to live. His life had beco a cruel joke. All he wanted to know was:
"Will Scarlet co back to life?"
"If you want her to." The voice answered, firm and sure.
But this ti, you—the owner of that voice—you were the one who let Scarlet slip out of Tom’s grasp. How dare you!
"Crack, snap!"
The sound of chains breaking echoed, and what seed like a mighty roar ca from the heavens above.
Brilliant light engulfed the monster’s massive body. It squeezed its eyes shut—though its sockets were nothing but deep hollow pits and its mouth only a gaping beak, it sohow radiated sorrow.
Its many hands recoiled, turning its back to the incoming strike. Its vast wings spread wide, shielding the ruins of Building B. The hands below rummaged frantically until they finally gathered up a figure so broken it was scarcely human.
It’s alright, Scarlet. You’re still beautiful—so wonderful.
No one else will rember your beauty, gentleness, and selfless, kind heart. But I will. Anyone else might betray you. Even the one you love might betray you. But I never will. Never...
An arrow pierced through the monster’s enormous body. Its form slowly dissolved, wings drooping as feathers burst violently.
Like layers of thick dust shaken off, the feathers turned a pristine snow-white under the glow of a lovely pink light. They floated into the air like doves, soaring into the vast sky.
And then, they scattered into tiny white motes, sparkling like countless stars, drifting freely to wherever they wished.
At last, they were free...
Bella stared blankly at the sky until suddenly she smiled and waved. "Over there... There must be no more sorrow, no more pain, right?"
[For so reason, I cried, I really cried! Who else gets this feeling, sob sob]
[I do, I do!]
[In the end, Scarlet was Tom’s only reason to exist.]
[So... was this love?]
[I feel like it was more than love... because they weren’t even lovers.]
[One of the deadliest dungeons, yet born of a story so seemingly unremarkable—and still it carried a resonance that shook . Either way, I hope Scarlet and Tom find their own freedom.]
[Unremarkable? Don’t act like a critic here!]
[All I feel is sorrow for Scarlet—my poor wife, sob sob sob]
[Maybe start feeling sorry for humanity first.]
"Bella!"
Luis had just broken free from the mountain of cotton candy when he saw Bella swaying on the verge of collapse. Her face was pale, and fresh blood stread from her lips and eyes.
Bella fell into Luis’s arms, a faint smile curving her lips. "Sweet, isn’t it? What do you all think of my kingdom?"
Her voice was but a whisper. Luis answered softly, "It’s beautiful."
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