I walked over to the group and smiled.
"Great job, everyone."
"Yeah, yeah," Dante said with a dismissive wave. "Great job. I'm sure you did a lot standing in the back with those cards."
I raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'm just saying," Dante shrugged. "While the rest of us were risking our lives, you were standing safely in the back pretending your cards were changing fate. As if we'd actually lose to that oversized idiot."
"Stop it," Leon snapped.
Everyone turned toward him.
"We all felt it. Every time he drew a card, something changed. My strike against the Sin's chest should have missed. I knew it would miss. But I trusted the fate he gave me."
Dante rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, whatever."
He turned toward one of the side corridors.
"Let's go see what loot this place has. Weapons, armor, gold... something worth carrying home."
With that, he disappeared into another room.
I sighed and walked over to Tina.
"Hey. You alright?"
My girlfriend smiled and wrapped her arm around mine.
"Of course I'm alright, Fate Boy."
She rose onto her toes and kissed my cheek.
Heat rushed to my face.
"C-Come on..."
Leon laughed.
"You two never stop, do you?"
"What can I say?" Tina grinned.
"Let's search the castle," Leon said. "Maybe we'll find something useful."
Everyone nodded.
As the group spread out, I leaned down and kissed Tina's cheek before heading in a different direction.
The castle was enormous.
There had to be secrets hidden somewhere.
Eventually, I found myself standing before a pair of ancient wooden doors.
A library.
My eyes widened.
Shelves stretched endlessly into the darkness.
Thousands of books lined the walls.
If there was knowledge left behind by the Sin of Pride, it would be here.
As I wandered between the shelves, something caught my attention.
A golden glow.
It sat atop a pedestal at the center of the room.
"What is this?"
Curious, I approached.
An old book rested upon the pedestal.
The moment I touched it, golden light exploded outward.
I shielded my eyes.
When the light faded, the pages opened on their own.
My breath caught.
Cards.
Cards I had never seen before.
One bore the image of a crown.
Another displayed a living heart that seemed to pulse upon the page.
The last showed a black scythe surrounded by drifting souls.
A Death Card.
My hands trembled.
I carefully lifted the cards.
The scythe card released a faint green mist that wrapped around my fingers.
I had never seen anything like it.
If these were truly Cards of Fate...
They were stronger than anything in my deck.
I quickly added them to my collection.
"I can't wait to show everyone."
As I turned the page—
Footsteps echoed behind me.
I smiled.
"Oh, hey Tina. Did you find anyth—"
The words died in my throat.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Tina stood silently near the doorway.
Her head was lowered.
Her expression was filled with sorrow.
Confusion washed over me.
Then I looked down.
A dagger protruded from my chest.
Green liquid dripped from the blade.
Poison.
My knees buckled.
"T-Tina...?"
I stared at her.
"Why?"
She said nothing.
"Why, Tina?"
My voice cracked.
"Are you being controlled? Hypnotized?"
Slowly, she shook her head.
My heart shattered.
I reached toward her.
She took a step back.
The world spun around me.
I collapsed to my knees.
"Finally."
A familiar voice echoed from the doorway.
Leon.
He entered with a smile.
"Finally, we can get rid of this useless trash."
My eyes widened.
Leon walked over to Tina and wrapped an arm around her waist.
Then he kissed her cheek.
"Good job, babe."
I couldn't process what I was seeing.
Why?
Why?
Why?
"You want to know why?" Leon asked.
I could only stare.
"Because I don't need you anymore."
He crouched down in front of me.
"Every enemy I kill makes me stronger."
He tapped his chest.
"I can wield a sword."
"I can cast magic."
"And soon, I'll be able to use your Cards of Fate too."
My blood ran cold.
Leon smiled.
"So tell me. Why keep you around?"
"I..."
"You were useful."
His smile widened.
"Now you're just in the way."
I turned toward Tina.
Tears streamed down her face.
"Tina..."
Blood spilled from my mouth.
"We grew up together."
My voice shook.
"I loved you."
"I thought..."
The words wouldn't come.
"I thought..."
My eyes moved toward Tina.
She refused to meet my gaze.
My heart began pounding.
"Leon..."
Tina's voice trembled.
"Don't."
"Why not?" Leon shrugged. "He's about to die anyway."
He stepped closer.
"Did you ever wonder why Tina kept disappearing at night?"
My blood froze.
"Tina?"
She lowered her head.
"No..."
Leon smiled.
"For the last three months, she's been sneaking into my room at every inn we stayed at."
The room spun.
My legs nearly gave out.
"Tina..."
"No."
Tears rolled down her face.
"No, please..."
She looked at me desperately.
"It wasn't like that."
"Really?" Leon asked.
"You seemed pretty eager."
"SHUT UP!"
Leon clicked his tongue.
"Honestly, all this drama is exhausting."
He pointed his sword toward me.
"At the end of the day, none of it matters."
His smile returned.
"I get your power."
He pointed toward Tina.
"And maybe she gets to keep the people she cares about alive."
Then toward himself.
"And I get everything."
Tina's eyes widened.
"That wasn't our deal."
Leon laughed.
"You actually believed I'd keep my word?"
Something inside Tina finally snapped.
She charged forward and slammed Leon against the wall.
The stone cracked.
"You son of a bitch!"
A dagger appeared in her hand.
"If you touch them"
Leon wasn't even worried.
He simply smiled.
"You know what happens if you kill me."
Tina froze.
Her hand trembled.
Slowly.
Painfully.
She lowered the dagger.
Tears streamed down her face.
I watched everything.
Unable to understand.
Unable to forgive.
Unable to hate.
Only one question remained.
Why?
"Let's get this over with," Dante said.
Before I could react, a boot slammed into my back.
My face smashed against the stone floor.
"Take his power and let's move on."
He laughed.
"Honestly, why stop at the Sins? Once we're strong enough, we could take the kingdom for ourselves."
Leon chuckled.
"You know, Dante... that's not a bad idea."
He glanced toward the others.
"What about you, Elvnia?"
The elven archer shrugged.
"If you take over the kingdom, I can finally return home. Sounds good to me."
"See?" Leon spread his arms. "Everyone wins."
Tina clenched her fists.
"That wasn't the plan."
Leon looked amused.
"Oh?"
"You promised me."
His smile faded slightly.
"Promise what?"
"You know exactly what."
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then Leon sighed.
"Relax. I won't kill them when we take over."
Tina's shoulders sagged in relief.
I frowned.
Leon looked back at me.
"Anyway, once I have your cards, I'll be able to control fate itself."
His grin widened.
"Imagine it."
I could barely hear him anymore.
My vision was fading.
Everything hurt.
And yet...
My thoughts kept returning to the same question.
Why?
Why betray me?
Why lie to me?
Why make me believe any of it was real?
Maybe I really was weak.
Maybe I wasn't good enough.
Maybe I deserved this.
A laugh escaped my lips.
Then another.
Soon I couldn't stop laughing.
"This has to be a dream..."
"He's losing it," Dante muttered.
"Just finish him."
Leon grabbed my shirt and lifted me from the floor.
"Goodbye, Fate Boy."
My hand moved on instinct.
One final draw.
I shuffled my deck.
"STOP HIM!" Dante shouted.
Three cards slid from the deck.
The Crown.
The Heart.
The Scythe.
Golden light erupted throughout the library.
Everyone shielded their eyes.
I laughed.
Then slowly stopped.
My gaze found Tina one last time.
Despite everything...
I still loved her.
"I love you, Tina."
Tears streamed down her face.
"I hope we don't meet again in the next life."
Leon swung his sword.
The world disappeared in a flash of light.
The last thing I saw was Tina screaming.
The last thing I felt was regret.
And the last thought that remained in my mind was the same question that had haunted me from the moment the dagger entered my body.
Why?