'Damn, Michaela! I won't repeat myself!'
'You don't have to, brother!' she replied and rose to her feet. She seized the table and flung it aside, sending organs and blood splattering across the room. Michaela wore a dark dress, the sides cut to reveal her slender legs.
'When you abandoned me, I felt empty!'
'I didn't abandon you! I had to flee, and I promised I would come back to you!'
'Well, you still left me behind... Call it whatever you want. I was in pain and had decided to just end the pain. That's when the King reached out to me. He saw something in me!'
'A murderer?'
'Wrong, brother! Someone to pass judgment onto these foolish mortals. I gained a new power and quickly rose in ranks. Look at you! Still playing leader and fighting for a foolish cause. The only thing you'll accomplish with it is the death of your people! But! I am a forgiving woman. I can speak to the King and convince him to pardon you! Then we'll be together again. Wouldn't you want that, brother?'
Michael dropped to his shaking knees. His eyes never left his sister.
'Michaela! Tell me what I saw you eating and drinking weren't the organs and blood of humans! Tell me this is all a dream! Tell me that my twin is still my sweet sister who used to make me cake! Tell—'
'She died the moment you abandoned her! Well, I am not like the smiling men. They truly changed. My soul and ego are still the same. It's me, brother! I just opened my eyes.'
'You became a fucking monster! That's what you did!'
He thumped the ground, then rose to his feet.
'I don't know you, but could you please remove the ice from her mouth? I need to ask her some questions.'
Nade shattered the ice around Angelica's mouth, and she didn't waste any time:
'You wonder what happened to her, don't you? Normally, only an angel can give birth to another angel. However, what if we could create angels ourselves and raise our own army? For that, we needed the soul of an angel—still, even if it was only a fragment of the angel. That's why we took the ghouls and used their souls. The result were the smiling men and the ghouls who could talk and kind of behave like humans. These failed experiments were a hybrid of ghouls and humans. But look at your sister. At last, we have succeeded in—'
The next moment, Michael stood before Angelica and punched her into the ground. Baaaaamm. He removed his fist, drenched in blood, from Angelica's caved-in face.
'Sorry, did you still need her?'
'Nah, I can feel that the King is in this castle,' Nade replied. 'You don't mind if I go ahead, right?'
'No, I have some family matters to take care of.'
As Nade advanced, he made a wide arc around Michaela, not even looking at her. Michaela was focused on Michael.
'I never beat you in a fight before, brother! But today—hahahaha—well, you know!'
She shot forward, and Michael responded with a leap of his own. They punched. Baaaaaaam. The building shook, and the ground cracked. The fists of both were injured, blood seeping through. However, as they retreated a few steps, the wounds started healing. Michael's gaze narrowed at his sister's knuckles.
'Surprised? Right? I was too! We have the same ability!'
'Then this will be an ugly fight!'
And they lunged at each other.
In the castle
Nade walked down the long corridor. The long, soft carpet was red, and candles had been placed along its sides; their flames flickered. It seemed like they could extinguish with a slight wind—however, Nade was sure this wouldn't be the case. He strolled on and stopped before a great door. As he was about to place his palm on it, he felt the impact of Michael's fight.
'Are you ready, Nade?' Nade asked.
'Yes, I am! It's kind of funny how you speak to me through me and not just in my mind anymore!'
'Well, we have become one person. That's why now I also know the state you're in! What led to this?'
'I told you, my past wasn't beautiful. People experimented on me. I was destined to die, but you prolonged my death when you possessed me.'
'Well, if we are already dying, why not take the King with us?'
'Do you fear death?'
'No. I would even embrace it! I've lived long enough. The only thing I told myself is—despite people controlling me my whole life—I shall decide how and where I die!'
'Seems like you've made up your mind!'
'The same could be said about you. Then let's go!'
Nade placed his palm on the door, and it froze instantly. He walked straight into the door, and just as he was about to collide with it, it shattered—inviting him into the King's chamber. The King sat on his throne.
'I thought Michael would be the one to reach me first. Well, he must have met his sister! HAhahahahaa! Then I shall play with you to kill my boredom!'
'That's not the only thing that will be killed today, Temphael!'