Alistair came out of the bathroom wiping his hair with a white fur towel, put on his clothes, and just sat looking at the full moon outside the window.
"I feel strange, as if this is not me... Did I really do something wrong? Or not? Who decides what is right or wrong anyway? Is it common sense? But common sense does not say that falling in love is wrong?... Love?... Do I really feel this? Have I fallen into the trap of this feeling like a fool?... Am I even capable of feeling it anyway?" Alistair thought to himself, confused, placing his hand on his chest where his heart was.
"No, it's the power of the text that confuses my mind. This scenario forces me to change and feel things I never used to feel before... But is this necessarily a bad thing?... Everyone follows the text, there's no need for me to be special and break it, right? It's not like this will make my personality itself special, I am still that crying child who doesn't change... What would Noah Grace have done at this moment?"
Alistair's thoughts tangled so much that they stirred themselves, drifting off the text and becoming just a confused and disturbed muddle of broken thoughts and chaotic feelings. Then, he remembered Agatha's tempting smile, the feeling of her hands on his, and her eyes like embers.
Alistair remained silent, pressing his lips together tightly, holding his fist tightly. Then, Alistair put on his black coat and leather shoes.
"I am not Noah Grace, I am Alistair Crowley, a person by myself, not just a piece of a forgotten puzzle," Alistair whispered to himself before opening the window and jumping down.
———
After a few minutes, Alistair returned to the forest where he met Agatha. He was carrying a lantern made of copper and glass that emitted a faint yellow light illuminating just enough of his path for him to walk safely.
"I can't believe I'm doing this... But even if this is part of the text, part of the world's letters that I want to break, I will still do it, not because I'm forced or because it was written in my fate, but because I want to do this."
Alistair reached an isolated house surrounded by dense trees on every side. Its walls were made of cracked wood and covered by climbing plants with no order. The roof was slanted and covered with layers of moss and green mold. Thin streams of smoke rose from the chimney, filling the air with the scent of burnt herbs. The windows were narrow and covered with heavy dark curtains that did not let light in, and the front door creaked softly with every breeze. Around the house hung bottles on strings, rusty cages, and strange shapes carved on stones.
"Is this her house?" Alistair thought to himself as he climbed the wooden veranda stairs. The sound of his footsteps creaked due to the wooden floor. Then he stopped in front of the door, took a deep breath, and knocked twice.
Alistair waited a little until he heard footsteps from the other side, followed by Agatha opening the door still wearing the same clothes from when he met her.
"Alistair?" Agatha said in a tone of shock, rubbing her eyes as if unable to believe the surprise visit.
"What's the reason for the visit? Did you come to kill me?" Agatha said with a light smile playing on her face.
"N-no... I..." The words escaped Alistair's mouth as if fleeing him. He felt more nervous and confused now that he realized he didn't have a logical reason for the visit.
"Hmm~ Did you miss someone this quickly?" Agatha said teasingly as she ran her finger down Alistair's arm to his hand.
"...Maybe..."
Agatha grabbed Alistair's hand and pulled him toward her to hug him. It was a tight hug that made Alistair forget his worries and guilt, and he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back.
"...He's completely fallen!" Agatha thought excitedly with a wicked smile forming on her face.
Then, Agatha pulled Alistair inside and closed the door behind them.
"Looks like I've entered your heart~," Agatha said as she slightly loosened the hug to see his face. Then she pressed her forehead against his.
"You won't kill me in the end, right?" Agatha asked with a playful smile on her lips.
"...I won't."
"What exactly are your feelings towards me?" Agatha asked curiously as she began pushing Alistair slowly toward one of the couches.
"I don't know... but I want to know that with you... What is the nature of my feelings towards you?" Alistair said in a calm tone before stumbling and falling backward onto the couch until Agatha was on top of him holding him down on the couch.
"You're really terrible with your feelings, huh?" Agatha said teasingly, a soft laugh slipping from her lips.
"I won't go easy on you; I'll make you forget your name tonight."
———
In the kingdom, in one of the palaces jointly belonging to the Medici and Nethercott families, where Arabella and Ephraim live together, the castle was majestic and elegant, built of dark stones with its façade carved in fine details showing refined taste and a balance between luxury and dignity. The towers rose gracefully, and the long windows with stained glass overlooked geometrically designed gardens, emitting the scents of roses and jasmine.
Inside, the glossy marble floors extended, topped by high ceilings adorned with crystal chandeliers, while the walls were covered with carefully carved dark wood. Everything suggested sophistication, not extravagance.
Their room was quiet and warm, bathed in soft light filtering from wall lamps with frosted glass. The walls were covered with wallpaper decorated with soft ivory-colored patterns, harmonizing with the heavy curtains surrounding the bed.
The bed was large, covered with dark velvet blankets, and above it hung a light canopy as if quietly guarding them. The floor was wooden, covered by a soft rug with classic patterns. Next to the bed was a small table holding an open book and a half-finished cup of tea.
They were sitting on the bed facing each other. Arabella was staring into Ephraim's brown eyes, while he looked down, lost in thought.
"Gosh," Arabella clutched Ephraim's hand tightly, gaining his attention, making him raise his gaze to look at her, trying not to notice how puffy her cheeks had become from frowning.
"It felt like you were ignoring me all day since you returned from the mission," Arabella said in an angry and annoyed tone, intertwining her fingers strongly with Ephraim's until his hand started hurting.
"R-really? I'm sorry about that," Ephraim said with a nervous muffled laugh, which made Arabella sigh.
"...Did something happen?" Arabella asked feeling uneasy.
"Well... I found out today that I had a wrong idea about my role model," Ephraim said in a tense tone.
"Mr. Alistair?"
"Yes... I knew he was a famous witch hunter, I knew his hands were stained with blood, but maybe I expected him to be radiant... to be pure and kind... but when he returned... it turned out he's not the purity I expected... I'm scared... Arabella, I'm afraid of him..." Ephraim said, biting his teeth, hating the idea that he was afraid of his role model and showing weakness to his fiancée.
"I see... don't worry about that, you'll find a solution soon as you always do," Arabella pulled Ephraim into a tight hug, and he hugged her back holding her firmly.
"You won't hate me because I'm afraid of him, right?" Ephraim asked curiously and with a little fear of disappointing the one he loves.
"Impossible, even if you cheat on me with another woman, I won't hate you," Arabella said confidently with a loving smile.
"...Really?"
"I'm just joking, don't you dare cheat on me," Arabella said, her tone sharper and more serious.
"I-I won't."
———
Hours passed since Alistair arrived at Agatha's house. He was lying on the couch next to Agatha while she played with strands of his hair.
"Do I really deserve this?" Alistair thought to himself feeling insecure.
With her fingertips, Agatha moved the corners of Alistair's lips until they curved upward into a smile. Alistair's eyes followed Agatha who looked at him with love and tenderness.
"What are you thinking about?" Agatha asked, resting her head on her hands, smiling lightly and gently.
"Marry me, please."
"Isn't that too soon? We just met today... You look confused, is something bothering you?" Agatha asked, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"...I've killed many of your kind. Do I really deserve you?" Alistair asked anxiously and confused, looking away.
"Didn't I do the same to your kind? I think we're even."
"...I think so," Alistair said, quickly convinced but still feeling a little worried about all this. Then, Agatha grabbed Alistair's cheeks and made him turn to look into her eyes before she kissed his cheek, then pulled back.
"W-what's the reason for this?" Alistair asked, embarrassed, wiping his cheek where Agatha kissed.
"I love you," Agatha said in a friendly tone with a sweet and tempting smile, which made Alistair remain silent.
"Your turn now to say it."
Alistair stayed silent for a while before smiling lightly also because of Agatha's insistence.
"I ☐☐☐☐☐"
Then, Agatha wrapped her arms around Alistair's neck again, hugging him for a second time, and Alistair did the same.
"I have to visit an ear doctor, I didn't hear what I just said to Agatha."