* * *
I walked endlessly through the darkness, where not a single ray of light pierced the void.
Perhaps it was the shock of parting ways with Ber. My body felt heavy, and my pace slowed with each step.
It was as if my feet were sinking into thick mud, an uncanny sensation. Camille’s warning to beware of being consumed by the darkness came to me belatedly.
“My legs feel like jelly,” I muttered.
Eventually, I managed a few more steps before collapsing to the ground. The seemingly endless darkness filled me with sudden fear.
Would I, like the spectral dragon I had seen before, neither live nor die, condemned to wander the netherworld forever?
Despair began to consume me, but then a radiant light seeped from my pocket, where I had placed Maya’s pocket watch.
I pulled it out, bewildered. The second hand pointed in a specific direction, just as it had when I’d used the watch to track down the monstrous Jerome.
“So that’s it—it’s sensing Mephisto’s energy,” I realized.
I forced myself to my feet, staggering, and dragged my heavy legs forward, following the direction the second hand indicated.
I walked aimlessly for what felt like an eternity until a massive figure, glowing crimson in the darkness, came into view.
It was a beast bound tightly in chains of deep black and red, crouched as if in agony.
Clink, clink…
Blood dripped steadily from the chains that pierced its flesh. The monster, wrapped entirely in thick chains, appeared to be in genuine torment.
It seemed as though Jerome had instinctively placed a sealing spell on himself, sacrificing his identity to keep the beast at bay.
He intended to endure endless suffering in the darkness, awaiting a death that might never come.
Seeing Jerome in such a dire state brought a lump to my throat.
“Jerome, it’s me. Please, snap out of it,” I called, trying to sound as casual as I could while stepping closer.
The creature, panting roughly, bristled at my approach.
Its maw, dripping with black venom, twitched before letting out a deafening roar—a clear warning to stay away.
Screech!
Dozens of magic circles materialized around the monster, and the sight of their symbols made my hair stand on end.
By the time I recognized the danger, it was already too late.
“Damn, it’s a breath spell.”
Hundreds of energy blasts formed above me, and at the same time, thorny vines erupted from the ground, piercing my side.
I collapsed forward as my vision turned white from the searing pain.
Just before the energy blasts rained down, I regained enough focus to summon Parak, the divine beast.
Boom!
Parak barely managed to block the onslaught with its claws before charging at the monster.
Despite the divine beast’s ferocity, the creature seemed unfazed.
After briefly being pushed back by Parak’s massive sword, it retaliated by sinking its fangs into Parak’s neck.
The beast writhed in agony, clearly outmatched.
Clutching my wounded side, I grimaced.
“Is this the end?”
My mind grew hazy from the pain, and blood dripped continuously from between my fingers.
Yet, what weighed heavier than the fear of death was the crushing regret of failing to save Jerome.
I let out a bitter laugh, my eyes scanning the monster that now bore no trace of the Jerome I once knew.
“Have you really forgotten me entirely?”
Memories of our time together flashed through my mind: being trapped in the stomach of a heretic, peacefully sipping milk tea in the guild house, investigating mysteries side by side, and narrowly escaping countless traps.
I bit my lip as I tightened my grip on the pocket watch.
“Even so, I can’t give up on you.”
I pushed myself to my feet, desperate to save Jerome.
A warm wind stirred my hair as if in encouragement.
“No matter what, I can’t abandon you—not even for a moment.”
With my eyes tightly shut, I chanted a spell.
As before, a massive clock-shaped magic circle appeared beneath my feet.
One by one, the divine beasts—excluding Parak—were summoned: Belges, Oberon the Fairy King, Camille the Golden Dragon, and even a face I thought I would never see again.
Surrounded by the towering divine beasts, I called out to them with fervor.
“Hold Jerome off so I can fire the final arrow!”
The beasts obeyed, charging at the monster all at once.
Even the formidable Mephisto struggled against the combined assault of Maya’s divine beasts.
While they kept Jerome at bay, I summoned Maya’s bow.
“Maya, please. Lend us your strength.”
The pocket watch, imbued with Maya’s stones, radiated a dazzling light. Drawing the bowstring, I nocked an arrow that gleamed with the brilliance of her power—the arrow of “miracles.”
“The first shot…”
Exhaling slowly, I steadied my racing heart and entered a state of calm focus.
Opening my eyes, I no longer saw the monstrous Jerome; instead, I envisioned the scoreboard from the national trials, with my father watching silently from the stands.
Smiling softly at the father I had always ignored, I watched him smile back.
Refocusing on my target, I let the arrow fly with resolve.
“Boldly.”
The arrow of light pierced the monster’s heart, and the oppressive darkness between us dissolved into brilliant light.
Staggering, the beast collapsed.
Thud!
As the confrontation ended, the divine beasts fulfilled their purpose and disintegrated into ash.
I stumbled toward the fallen creature, leaving a trail of blood behind.
The dark feathers that had cloaked the beast disappeared, revealing Jerome, who lay unconscious as though in a deep slumber.
“At last, I’ve found you.”
My legs gave out, and I sank to the ground, eyelids growing heavier.
“Finally… we meet again…”
Just a few steps more, and I would reach Jerome.
But I had spent all my strength invoking the miracle. My body refused to move as my vision blurred.
It felt like I was being pulled into the depths of darkness.
✽ ✽ ✽
The clatter of firewood stirred Jerome from his sleep.
The first thing he saw was Jerry, breathing softly as he slept on Jerome’s chest.
Watching Jerry quietly, Jerome turned his gaze to Jeanne, who was stoking the fire with an awkward smile.
“Awake? Sorry, the fire was dying. But you sure sleep like it’s the middle of the night, even during naps.”
“….”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
From the surroundings, it seemed they were in Jerry’s cabin.
Running a hand over his sleep-mussed face, Jerome spoke in a hoarse voice.
“Why are you here?”
“Huh?”
“You’re not supposed to be here.”
Jeanne’s smile faltered for a moment, and the crackling fire filled the silence.
After a pause, Jeanne waved dismissively, as if brushing off nonsense.
“What are you talking about? If you’re tired, sleep some more. Jerry and I are making dinner. I’ll even cook your favorite—eggplant soup.”
Jerome, deep in thought, grabbed Jeanne’s wrist as she passed by.
Pulling her closer, he narrowed the gap between them, causing Jeanne’s eyes to widen.
Smiling faintly, Jerome spoke.
“Nice try, Mephisto. Jeanne can’t cook to save her life. The last time I let her try, she served me something that tasted like charcoal. She swore never to touch a kitchen again.”
“….”
“Hmm, so this is supposed to be my subconscious, huh? It’s strange to see you acting so out of character.”
At Jerome’s sudden, chilling gaze, Jeanne flinched, her body trembling.
Jerome tilted his head slightly, as though he found her reaction amusing.
“What’s got you so flustered?”
“…Flustered? What are you talking about? I was just bored, that’s all.”
“Is that so?”
Knock, knock.
The tension in the air grew thick until the sound of someone knocking on the door shattered it.
Jeanne’s expression stiffened.
Jerome, who had been looking toward the door, slowly stood.
Realizing he intended to open it, Jeanne hurriedly wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.
Her voice trembled as she spoke.
“Don’t go. Stay here. A happy nightmare is better than a painful reality, isn’t it?”
“…”
“You’ve always thought that way, haven’t you?”
“Don’t act cute with that face. It makes me weak. Though, I suppose that’s exactly what you’re aiming for.”
Jeanne didn’t answer.
Jerome, who had been quietly contemplating, grabbed the arms encircling his waist.
“Mephisto, you’ve always been the embodiment of my sorrow and anxiety, haven’t you?”
Jerome pried her arms away and turned to face her.
He bent down slightly, meeting Jeanne’s frustrated gaze.
A faint smile spread across his lips as he continued.
“You tore at me as if to destroy me, yet deep down, you didn’t want to see me hurt by anyone else. You were the monster that stole my body, and yet…you were also a part of me. An old companion.”
“…”
“But now, that person has become more important to me than my sorrow. That’s why I need to let you go.”
At Jerome’s words, Jeanne hesitated for a moment before letting out a small, bitter laugh.
As her form began to crumble from the fingertips, Jerome watched her silently.
Jeanne raised her chin defiantly, her expression full of pride.
“What a pity. You were such a rare, perfect vessel.”
“If Jeanne doesn’t reincarnate in the next life, then I’ll give you my body next time.”
“That’s impossible. I’m practically shattered. Such a shame. I thought I could finally destroy this crude world completely.”
Jeanne sighed deeply, turning her back on Jerome with her hands clasped behind her.
Her voice was gruff as she spoke.
“Just leave. I don’t want you to see me disappear—not you, of all people.”
“Why not?”
“It would hurt my pride.”
Even as his soul was fading away, Mephisto’s insolence remained unchanged.
Jerome chuckled softly at his unyielding nature.
While others feared the great demon Mephisto, to Jerome, he was the only presence that had spoken to him in the dark dungeon.
Immersed in nostalgia, Jerome offered his final farewell.
“Goodbye, Mephisto.”
As Mephisto began to vanish, Jerome turned the door handle.
Reflecting on it, his life had always felt like wandering aimlessly without a destination.
Even when he arrived somewhere, he never felt it was where he belonged.
But now, he finally knew where he needed to be.
‘The place I belong is…’
* * *
Jerome, belongs to Jeanne, and Jeanne belongs to Jerome.. ❤️❤️❤️