* * *
Lost in turmoil, Allen staggered, pressing a hand to his head as if overcome by dizziness.
Normally, Remy would have rushed over to support him.
But this time, he didn’t.
This time, Remy clenched his teeth and forced himself to say something cruel.
Because that was the role of a villain.
And only by becoming a truly despicable villain who tormented the protagonist could he reach the ending he needed.
“Yeah. Fine.”
Allen barely managed to steady himself, taking a deep breath.
Under the flickering torchlight, he glared at Remy with clenched teeth.
“Let’s say you’re right. That I do feel inferior to you. No—some of what you said is true. I was anxious. After you manifested as an Omega, the Alphas who were once interested in me turned away.”
“So, are you finally admitting it?”
“But, Remy.”
“What?”
“What does any of that have to do with this? With you digging up my family’s secrets, turning them into leaflets, and distributing them everywhere? What the hell does my inferiority compRex have to do with that? You always said you had no feelings for me. That you didn’t care about what I did. So why? Why the hell did you do this? What kind of grudge made you want to destroy my family?”
Remy lowered his gaze slightly.
He couldn’t tell Allen the truth.
Of course he couldn’t.
There was no way to explain everything in such a short time.
No—trying to explain it at all would be absurd.
So instead, Remy had to find the most fitting answer for this situation.
The most villainous answer—the one that would hurt Allen the most.
“Because now, you’re the one who has to play the supporting role.”
Allen’s face twisted in disbelief. He furrowed his brows, struggling to process what he had just heard.
Remy, unfazed, continued speaking.
“From now on, you’re my side character. And a supporting role like you doesn’t deserve the title of a prestigious Omega.”
“Remy, you—”
“The other Alphas abandoned you a long time ago. Once your backing is gone, you’ll fall completely. Now, you’ll live in despair—just like I always have. By now, the leaflets should be circulating at the ballroom. You know, I’ve learned quite a lot about your family’s dirty secrets. Enough to make some very dangerous flyers.”
That was it.
Remy had said everything he had prepared.
Looking at Allen’s face, pale as a sheet, he felt certain that he had executed his plan perfectly.
‘Good. This will end everything.’
The final words had landed the killing blow.
No matter how obsessed an Alpha might have been with him before, hearing this would destroy any lingering attachment.
And judging by Allen’s expression—on the verge of tears—it was working.
Yet, at the same time, guilt pricked at Remy’s heart.
He was forcing Allen into a corner, pushing him to the edge, simply because he himself had to die here.
And with those leaflets out in the open, Allen’s family would surely collapse.
He felt sorry for him. But there was no other way.
‘The Alphas who turned their backs on him will probably come to his aid now. One of them will end up being his true love…’
As that thought crossed Remy’s mind, a face flashed before him. Ashton.
If he disappeared, Ashton might go back to Allen.
The idea made his chest ache, but it was unavoidable.
There was no turning back now.
“Remy.”
Remy steeled himself.
And as he lifted his gaze to meet Allen’s, he silently hoped that someone hidden in the darkness had overheard their conversation.
But then—
“……!”
Something completely unexpected unfolded before his eyes.
“Allen…?”
Remy stared in disbelief. His mouth hung open in shock.
The person standing before him was undoubtedly Allen.
The same Allen he had just been arguing with.
But when he saw what Allen was holding, he began to question whether it was really him at all.
“What are you—”
Allen’s trembling hand was gripping a gun.
A pistol, held tightly in those long, delicate fingers, shaking violently.
Remy felt his mind go blank.
“I don’t have a choice anymore, Remy.”
“What…?”
“I never intended for things to go this far.”
“No, Allen. Wait—”
“This is the only way left for me.”
Allen’s expression was more sorrowful than ever.
Remy’s confusion deepened.
This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.
In the original story, the one who fired the gun was supposed to be an Alpha.
Why, then?
Why was Allen the one holding the gun?
‘No. This isn’t right. In the original story, an Alpha was supposed to shoot me. Why, why is it Allen…?’
His thoughts tangled in chaos.
He recalled every moment that had diverged from the original story, all the times he had tried to force things back on track.
But in the end, even the finale had completely unraveled.
And that’s when Remy finally understood.
From the very start, there was never a way for him to follow the original script.
‘Then… is it okay for me to die like this? I fought so hard to be shot by an Alpha. But if I die by Allen’s hand instead… can I still go back to my world?’
As Remy struggled to grasp reality—
“……!”
Suddenly, the barrel of the gun shifted direction.
Instead of pointing at Remy, Allen turned it on himself.
Remy’s eyes widened in horror.
Without thinking, he lunged forward and grabbed Allen’s wrist.
“Wh-what are you doing, Allen?!”
“Let go, Remy. I have nothing left.”
“No! But this—!”
“It’s already over. You won. Just like you wanted. My family’s secrets are out in the open. I have nothing left. You said it yourself—I have nowhere to go but down.”
“Don’t do this, Allen! This isn’t right!”
“No. You did this, Remy. Isn’t this what you wanted? Didn’t you want me gone?”
“Allen!”
“I’d rather die than live as your pathetic side character.”
Click.
With Allen held tightly in Remy’s grasp, he disengaged the safety.
Remy desperately clung to him as Allen aimed the gun at himself.
Four hands tangled over a single pistol with its safety now off.
Remy wrapped his hands over Allen’s, struggling to push the barrel downward.
“Please, Allen! Don’t do this! Why are you doing this?!”
“Let go! I said let go!”
“Allen, please!”
“There’s no hope left for me! It’s all over!”
“This won’t change anything, Allen!”
“No. At the very least, I can escape from what’s coming.”
“Allen!”
As the two wrestled over the gun, an all-too-familiar voice rang out from the darkness.
“Stop, Allen!”
Both Remy and Allen turned their heads toward the source of the voice.
A figure emerged from the shadows, stepping into the flickering glow of the torches.
“Ashton…?”
Remy’s eyes widened in shock.
He had never considered that the last person to fire a gun that night would be Ashton.
Seeing him standing there, his thoughts ground to a halt.
“You too, Remy. Stop this. Hand over the gun. Now.”
Ashton’s usual teasing and lighthearted tone was nowhere to be found.
His voice was heavier than ever.
* * *
