Ashley sat on the marble floor of the Demon King's castle, not because she chose to, but because her legs had given out. Her divine pride had shattered the moment Alex confronted her not with a blade, but with truth.
She was just stunned.
Alex stood a few paces away, fists clenched, chest rising and falling in slow, controlled breaths.
He looked down at her, his voice calmer now, but colder too.
can I get my freedom back?"
Ashley blinked slowly, trying to catch her breath.
"I want to live like a human," Alex said. "To be able to feel to truly feel. To fall in love and marry someone who loves me back."
He paused, then added quietly, "I want to be more than just your vessel."
Ashley looked up at him, her expression dazed. She hadn't expected him to find out. She hadn't expected the truth to come from Beatrice, of all people. She hadn't expected it to hurt this much.
When she reincarnated Alex, she had only thought of one thing: escape.
A short break. A breath of fresh air.
"I" she started, her voice barely above a whisper, "I didn't mean to trap you."
Alex didn't respond. He just watched.
Ashley forced herself to speak.
"When I sent you into this world, I thought I could enjoy life. Just once. Not as a goddess. Not as a figure to be worshipped. But as a person."
She lowered her gaze, shame coating every word.
"I wanted to feel like I belonged somewhere. I thought if I could just live a hundred years just one peaceful human life I'd be okay."
She looked around the throne room: the cracked pillars, the dim torches, the dark marble beneath her.
"I'm sorry, Alex," she whispered. "I was selfish."
Still, he said nothing. So she kept talking, the truth flowing out like blood from a wound that had been sealed too long.
"You think the Divine Realm is perfect. That it's filled with beauty and light and peace."
She shook her head.
"It's not. You're always alone. No love. No rest. No family. Just duty."
Ashley looked up at him again.
"Do you know how long a god must serve before they're allowed to create a child?"
Alex frowned. "No."
"Twenty-four million years," she said.
His breath caught.
She nodded slowly. "And even then, we create that child alone. Without a partner. No affection. No love. Just permission from the higher divine. And that child? They stay for a few thousand years then leave to make their own worlds. And you're left alone again."
Her voice cracked.
"That's what eternity is like, Alex."
She rested her hand on the cold floor.
"That's why I ran. I just wanted to pause everything. To take a break. I thought living as a human for a hundred years would be harmless."
Ashley gave a weak laugh.
"Like pausing your duties to grab a snack. Then returning to the heavens like nothing ever happened."
But her laugh faded into silence.
"I didn't expect to meet you. I didn't expect to care about you."
Alex's stare remained unshaken. His words finally came, rough and sharp.
"You used me."
Ashley didn't deny it.
"You made me weak," he continued. "You marked me with your power. You controlled my soul. You lied to me."
"I I didn't mean to"
"You did," Alex snapped. "Maybe you didn't mean to hurt me, but you still did. You came here looking for a break, but I was living my only life. My third life."
Ashley froze.
"I wanted to be free. I wanted to be human. I wanted to fall in love without a leash."
He stepped closer.
"You said you wanted to be human. Then be one. Say sorry like one. Feel like one."
Ashley's lips trembled.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I truly am."
She lowered her head.
"I just didn't want to be alone anymore."
For a moment, the silence between them wasn't heavy it was fragile.
Alex closed his eyes. "Neither did I."