"What are you talking about?"
Viola's voice came out steady, but her eyes sharpened with caution.
"Don't tell me you're not aware that you're going insane."
A low chuckle echoed through the air, thick and amused.
"Well… that's also quite fun to watch."
The serpent's massive body shifted slightly, its golden slit pupils gleaming as it studied her. Its gaze was not just curious, it was entertained.
"And that man you're with…" it continued, voice dragging lazily, "he's quite interesting too. Unlike you, who is covered in malice, he's wrapped in something pure. Something that feels like the very essence of this world's nature itself."
It paused, narrowing its eyes as if savoring the contrast.
"Appearance is indeed quite deceiving…"
Before Viola could react, the serpent slowly raised the tip of its tail and lifted her chin. The touch was light, almost mocking, as it examined her face more closely.
Viola didn't move. She didn't flinch. But her fingers curled slightly at her side.
"You want my treasure, right?" the serpent said, its tone turning casual. "I'll give it to you. It's of no use to me anyway. It bears fruit once every thousand years anyways."
There was no hesitation in its offer, no attachment to what it guarded.
Its voice dipped lower, more deliberate.
"But in exchange… I want your help with something."
"What is it?"
Viola asked immediately, her gaze steady despite the pressure radiating from the creature.
"Well…"
The serpent straightened, its towering body rising higher, its presence growing heavier. The air itself seemed to thicken as it spoke again.
"Can you prevent humans from finding this place? I hate it when it gets crowded… and I despise trespassers in my domain."
Viola exhaled quietly, her expression unreadable.
"Then what do you think of me?" she asked. "Am I not an outsider?"
"Pfft… you're right, but…"
The serpent flicked its tail dismissively, clearly unconcerned.
"I'll allow it. You're slowly becoming one of us anyway."
A faint, unsettling grin stretched across its monstrous face.
"Just think of it as… hospitality from your own kind."
Viola's brows drew together.
"What do you mean, 'same kind'?"
"Nah…" The serpent let out a quiet snicker. "I won't tell you everything."
Its eyes glinted with mischief.
"It might spoil the fun."
Viola narrowed her eyes, unease creeping into her chest.
What a troublesome monster…
She had grown used to talking with a monster boss thanks to a certain someone, but this one felt different. It wasn't just strong—it was aware, playful, and calculating.
Do all monsters of A-rank and above talk…?
The thought alone made her uncomfortable.
If that's the case… I'd rather not meet another one.
She steadied herself, pushing the thought aside as she lifted her gaze again.
"And what if I don't agree to your condition?"
Her voice dropped, turning colder.
"What if I take your treasure by force?"
For a brief moment, the air fell silent.
Then—
The serpent smiled.
"Then try it."
Its voice lost all playfulness, sinking into something darker.
"Let me see how you react… when I do something to your beloved lover boy."
Viola's eyes widened slightly.
Before she could respond, the serpent's gaze shifted past her.
And in its eyes—
She saw him.
Ezekiel.
He stood where she stood, yet something felt wrong. It was as if they were separated by an invisible barrier, like two reflections staring at each other from opposite sides of a mirror.
Close… but unreachable.
And then—
Everything changed.
Ezekiel was no longer standing in the present.
He was somewhere else.
A place buried within his own mind.
A place he could never escape.
He saw it again.
His father's death.
The memory played out clearly, without mercy. The moment that had shattered everything. The helplessness. The blood in his father's clothes and the silence that followed.
Then came the days after.
The suffering.
The hunger.
The cold nights where survival itself felt like a battle he was destined to lose.
He saw his younger self and his mother, struggling together, clinging to each other as the world slowly crushed them.
And finally—
Her death.
The last light in his life fading away.
He watched it all unfold like a cruel, endless play.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Yet his face did not change.
There was no panic, tears nor anger.
Because he had already seen this countless times.
In his dreams—No, it was his nightmares.
In the quiet moments where his mind refused to let him rest.
He had relived it thousands of times… until the pain dulled, until the memories became something he could endure.
He had accepted it.
Or at least—
He thought he had.
Until—
Something shifted.
The scene distorted, like glass cracking under pressure.
And then—
Someone appeared.
A woman.
No—
A vixen.
Beautiful in a way that felt dangerous. The kind of beauty that pulled you in, made you trust it… only to destroy you completely.
The kind that would guide you gently—
Straight into hell.
She moved with grace, every step deliberate.
She looked like someone who could lift you into the sky…
Only to let go at the very peak, watching you fall and break.
"Ezekiel…"
Her voice was soft, warm., and seemed comforting.
Too comforting.
Ezekiel's gaze settled on her.
Her face—
It was Viola's.
Every detail was the same.
But her eyes—
They were wrong.
The gentle warmth Viola always had when she looked at him was gone.
In its place was something colder.
Deeper.
Something that twisted quietly beneath the surface.
Her lips were painted a deep red, the color of fresh blood, and the black dress she wore clung to her like a shadow that refused to leave.
Everything about her…
Felt wrong.
Felt like a lie wearing a familiar face.
She was the complete opposite of Viola that Ezekeil knew.
She stopped in front of him, close enough that he could see the faint curve of her smile.
"Be honest, Ezekiel…"
Her voice lowered, almost a whisper.
Her eyes locked onto his, searching, pressing, demanding an answer.
"Do you love me?"